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Taste Makers

Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Taste Makers by Mayukh Sen explores the inspiring journeys of seven immigrant women who have significantly influenced American cuisine. Through their stories, the book delves into cultural exchange, tenacity, and the transformative impact each woman had on the culinary world. These narratives showcase how diverse backgrounds have enriched American food culture.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3199
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are intrigued by the impact of diverse female culinary figures who transformed American food culture. The narrative offers an engaging glimpse into the lives of immigrant women whose unique recipes and stories contributed significantly to today's culinary landscape. If you appreciate tales of cultural fusion and pioneering spirit in the culinary world, you'll likely enjoy this read.

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America’s modern culinary history told through the lives of seven path-breaking chefs and food writers

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Who's really behind America's appetite for foods from around the globe? This group biography from an electric new voice in food writing honours seven extraordinary women, all immigrants, who left an indelible mark on the way Americans eat today. Taste Makers stretches from World War II to the present, with absorbing and deeply researched portraits of figures including Mexican-born Elena Zelayeta, a blind chef; Marcella Hazan, the deity of Italian cuisine; and Norma Shirley, a champion of Jamaican dishes.

In imaginative, lively prose, Mayukh Senβ€”a queer, brown child of immigrantsβ€”reconstructs the lives of these women in vivid and empathetic detail, daring to ask why some were famous in their own time, but not in ours, and why others shine brightly even today. Weaving together histories of food, immigration, and gender, Taste Makers will challenge the way readers look at what's on their plateβ€”and the women whose labour, overlooked for so long, makes those meals possible.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Mayukh Sen's Taste Makers is highly praised for its meticulous research and celebration of influential cooks who have enriched American cuisine. Critics highlight its essential contribution to understanding diversity in the culinary landscape, with Sen's storytelling admired for bringing overlooked voices to the fore. Through seven compelling portraits, the book offers a vivid and immersive exploration of culinary history, showcasing the impact of sharing beloved recipes across cultures.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781324035909

Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 18 November 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: WW Norton & Co

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 23.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 211.0mm

Weight: 268g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Mayukh Sen is the James Beard Award-winning author of Taste Makers. He is a 2025 Fellow at New America, and has written on film for the New Yorker, the Atlantic, and the Criterion Collection. He teaches journalism at New York University and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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