A Brief History of Culinary Tools

This is a review of a book I read last year: "Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat" by Bee Wilson, a British food writer. I picked it up not really knowing what to expect. What I found was a fascinating look at how cooking and eating have changed so much over the centuries, based on the current technology of individual cultures. Ms. Wilson writes a food column in the Wall Street Journal and I always learn something new from her. A recent article explores our cravings for mushrooms.

Every recipe has its own family tree- some going back hundreds or even thousands of years ago. The knife, spoon and bowl go back for millennia (the fork came later and wasn't widely adopted over a span of decades.)

The history of chop sticks is also interesting and the two stories are intertwined.

 The eight chapters cover the history of pots and pans, the knife, heat sources, measuring instruments grinding implements, eating utensils, food presentation and kitchen design. She puts the evolution of eating and cooking into historical perspective. There are little gems of culinary knowledge throughout the book.