The Books Briefing: Following Food From Field to Market to Plate

The food people eat today is the product of centuries of change and systematization. Not only have contemporary cuisines been defined by historical travel and colonization, but agricultural and economic developments have also shifted how we think about and consume food.

,by Bee Wilson, and ,by Sarah Bowen, Joslyn Brenton, and Sinikka Elliott, both examine how and why processed foods have replaced home cooking,reliance on cheap meals. Michael Ruhlman’s focuses on the role that supermarkets play in the modern food landscape, detailing the evolution of these mega-stores for food and other home goods. The market demand for fish has led to a decline in the wild populations of salmon, sea bass, cod, and tuna, which Paul Greenberg covers in his book .