Joel Denker

Joel Denker's The World on a Plate focuses on a little-covered aspect of food history … the role of ethnic groceries, restaurants and food brands in popularizing new foods across the U.S. Early chapters are devoted to the origins of Progresso brand Italian vegetables and Colombo yogurt, the domination of small-town diners by Greek immigrants and the mainstreaming of kosher deli specialties like herring and lox. Later chapters focus on the expansion of America's palate. Denker links the show more campfire foods of Chinese laborers in the California gold rush to Chinatown's bustling restaurant scene and eventually the development of national brands such as Chun King and points out how this has opened the door for Thai and other Asian cuisines. The discussion of Indian food helps explain why northern Indian staples such as tandoori-style kebobs and samosas are so much more prevalent than their southern counterparts. The book concludes by looking at the varied influences that resulted in new standards such as chili and created a vibrant food economy where salsa is just as American as apple pie. Although thoroughly researched and unique in its focus, this book at times reads like a textbook rather than a true narrative "tour through the history of America's ethnic cuisine." Nonetheless, recommended for those interested in detailed vignettes on little-covered moments in the globalization of the American table. show less