Paul Freedman

From the author of Ten Restaurants That Changed America, an exploration of food’s cultural importance and its crucial role throughout human history “A rich and fascinating narrative that reaches deep into the historical and cultural larder of societal experience, powerfully illustrating the myriad ways that food matters as an essential condiment for humanity.”—Danny Meyer, founder of Union Square Hospitality Group...

How medieval Europe’s infatuation with expensive, fragrant, and exotic spices led to an era of colonial expansion and the discovery of new worlds The demand for spices in medieval Europe was extravagant and was reflected in the pursuit of fashion, the formation of taste, and the growth of luxury trade. It inspired geographical and commercial exploration, as traders pursued such...

Combining a historian's rigour with a foodie's palate, Ten Restaurants That Changed America reveals how the history of our restaurants reflects nothing less than the history of America itself. Whether charting the rise of our love affair with Chinese food through San Francisco's fabled The Mandarin, evoking the richness of Italian food through Mamma Leone's, or chronicling the rise and...