Consider The Fork, by Bee Wilson

14 Mar 2013 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★☆ Buy the book

Consider the Fork is not just a history of the kitchen. It's an overview of human innovation, of changing cultural mores reflected in kitchen gadgets, and of the global influence of various cooking styles and techniques. With chapters focusing on different aspects of the kitchen, Consider the Fork covers everything from the types of heat used in cooking, to the utensils used to deliver food to our mouths. There are short pieces on interesting kitchen items between full-length chapters.

This book is seriously fascinating, and not just for chefs and gourmands. You'll be surprised how much a culture can be influenced by the way its members cook and eat, and by how much the way people cook and eat is influenced by other elements of a culture. I learned way more about historic architecture, metallurgy, the science of refrigeration, and changes in human dental structure than I expected when I picked up the book. Skip the boring introduction and go straight to Chapter 1—but be careful! You might feel an increasing need to buy a whole bunch of new, well-made kitchen equipment.

Good for: This book was really good, and I'd recommend it to anyone interested in cooking, human development, industry and innovation, kitchen gadgets... the list goes on!