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The Secret History of French Cooking: The Outlaw Chefs Who Made Food Modern

The Secret History of French Cooking: The Outlaw Chefs Who Made Food Modern

Review Quotes: "Barr knows his stuff, and doesn't overstuff as Bocuse arguably did his famous Mediterranean sea bass wrapped in fish-shaped, egg-washed pastry filled with lobster mousse, ground pistachios, truffles...

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Vendor

Dutton

Type

Print Books

Binding

Spiral Bound

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Description

Review Quotes:
"Barr knows his stuff, and doesn't overstuff as Bocuse arguably did his famous Mediterranean sea bass wrapped in fish-shaped, egg-washed pastry filled with lobster mousse, ground pistachios, truffles and cream. (Pass the Wegovy!) Barr's sentences are crisp, sometimes slightly undercooked -- here come the food metaphors, creeping in -- clear as consommé, punchy. "What was a cardoon, exactly, some kind of degenerate artichoke?" You'll finish his secret history five pounds heavier but a little happier." --The New York Times Book Review

"An outstanding book for anyone interested in French history and food, gender, and culture studies." --Booklist

"Barr's raucous account is peppered with food wars...dark pasts...and dismal selling out... The result is a savory recreation of a seminal food scene." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The Secret History of French Cooking brings to life the quiet revolutions, humble origins, and enduring wisdom at the heart of French cuisine. Luke Barr's writing serves to remind us that the most meaningful food traditions are those that hold a reverence for seasonality, resourcefulness, and deep cultural memory. This kind of storytelling celebrates the very values I hold most dear: integrity in the kitchen, respect for the land, and the transformative power of gathering around a meal." --Alice Waters, Founder/Owner of Chez Panisse and New York Times bestselling author

"Until the seventies everyone knew what a French restaurant was supposed to be. Then nouvelle cuisine came along and changed everything. Luke Barr takes us behind the scenes to meet the bad boys of the kitchen, the forgotten women - and the people who propelled them to fame. These chefs were creating the playbook for the future, and it's all here - the good, the bad and the extremely ugly. I couldn't put the book down. " --Ruth Reichl, New York Times bestselling author and former New York Times restaurant critic

"Luke Barr writes the jaw-dropping tale of the moment food became pop culture. He turns the rise of nouvelle cuisine into a richly woven story about art, ego, critics, and power, moving from smoky Paris kitchens to the grand stage at Disney World. I devoured it. The Secret History of French Cooking is a rich, absorbing, and deeply revealing account of how French cuisine remade itself, and what that reinvention cost." --Daniel Stone, former National Geographic Senior Editor and national bestselling author of The Food Explorer

"Luke Barr brings to life a pivotal moment in gastronomy with precision, curiosity, and deep respect. In this book, we see the icons of French cuisine--brilliant, imperfect, and revolutionary--reshape how the world cooks and eats. A compelling and essential story for anyone who cares about food." --Eric Ripert, Chef & Co-Owner of Le Bernardin

Biographical Note:
LUKE BARR is the author of Provence, 1970 (about his great-aunt M. F. K. Fisher) and Ritz & Escoffier. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, architect Yumi Moriwaki, and their two daughters.

Publisher Marketing:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Provence, 1970, a lively, dramatic account of the spectacular rise of French "nouvelle cuisine," and the renegade chefs of the 1960s and 1970s who revolutionized modern cooking.

In The Secret History of French Cooking, Luke Barr takes readers inside the culinary rebellion that upended the staid French food world and reinvented the role and cultural importance of chefs and restaurants. The very idea of the chef as creator--as innovator, artist, auteur--can be traced back to the legendary Paul Bocuse, Michel Guérard, and the Troisgros brothers, among other colorful characters. The book also tells the largely unknown story of a group of women chefs who fought for recognition in the all-male culinary establishment of the 1970s, and the villainous, powerful food critic who cast a shadow over the era.

This is a tale of rivalries, global success, and a ferocious backlash; of celebrity, money, politics, and incredibly delicious food. The Secret History of French Cooking reveals the origins of modern food and restaurant culture--the forces that shaped the way we eat today.

Review Citations:

  • Booklist 03/01/2026 (EAN 9781524744731, Hardcover)

Author: Barr, Luke
Publisher: Dutton
Binding: Hardcover
Pub Date: 2026-03-17
BISAC: Biography & Autobiography|Culinary|Cooking|History|Travel|Europe|France|Cooking|Regional & Cultural|French
Subjects: History|Experiments|Cooks|France|20th century|Cooking|Cooking, French
Weight: 1.15 lbs
ISBN: 9781524744731
ASIN: -
SKU: SP-9781524744731

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