FREN 45W:
CUISINE: THE FRENCH CONNECTION TO FOOD
T,Th 1:40-2:55PM @ KY/325
This course fulfills the Cultures and Values (CV) and European
Traditions (ET) areas of the PLAS requirement.
PROF. GREET VAN BELLE
Dr. Greet Van Belle
Office: King 107
Office hours: Tue &Th: 12:05-12:35
greet.vanbelle@qc.cuny.edu
DESCRIPTION:
Cuisine: how French is it? In this class we will explore the idea and reality of French cuisine
through a critical reflection on cookbooks, menus, cooking shows, restaurant guides,
culinary history, recipes and movies, and, possibly, through a dinner at the French Culinary
Institute. The purpose is to develop a cultural and socio-historical perspective on the
French connection to food: What or who "made" French cuisine? Has French cuisine
changed and if so, how? What socio-economic and cultural conditions made cuisine French?
Besides getting acquainted with keywords and notions of French history and geography
you will explore your own response to French cuisine—your fear or awe, your
connoisseurship or lack thereof, your indifference, your disgust, etc.—and learn to put this
response in perspective—culturally, historically and sociologically. Critical examination of
primary sources and close reading of exemplary texts of cultural analysis will prepare you
to use the vocabulary and ways of thinking of cultural analysis to critically examine
“foreign” as well as your own perception(s) of French cuisine.
This class is hybrid both in its content delivery and in its writing component. To learn as
well as to proof that you have learned you will need to use technologies such as
BlackBoard, RSS, DropBox, GoogleDocs, PowerPoint, Slideshares, Wiki’s, Adobe Connect…
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Rick Steves’ France & Paris City Map
Spang, The Invention of the Restaurant. Harvard U Press 2000 (Paperback)
Reader: Dr. Greet Van Belle: Cuisine, The French Connection to Food (in DropBox)
DINNER (possibly):
Dinner at L’Ecole The Restaurant of the French Culinary Institute. (around $52/person tax
and gratuity included)
GRADING & COURSE POLICIES:
Final
Key notions and key understandings of texts.
See Final Exam Sample in “Syllabus etc.” on Bb
In class participation
See In Class Participation Grading Sheet in “Syllabus etc.” on Bb
Project 1
See Assignments on Bb
Project 2
See Assignments on Bb
On line participation
See On Line Participation Grading Sheet in “Syllabus etc.” on Bb
20%
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TIMELINE
Text#B: Text from Book
Text#R: Text from Reader (in DropBox)
Bb: Our class on BlackBoard
(C): in class
(P! …): Prepare for … (date)!
(Due!…): Due on … (date)
(W): Web (online)
I.
ON THE MENU
1. Tue Aug 30
(C) Intro to the class, the course, the prof
(ToDo)
1. Go to our class on Bb (BlackBoard) to download the
Syllabus
2. Make sure you have the right email on Bb
II.
A BITE OF HISTORY
Text1R: Pinkard, Toward a New Culinary Aesthetic—Foundations of Change (1600-1650)
Film1: Joffé, Vatel
Content : Pinkard’s discussion of how a revolution in French culinary culture came about in
the 17th C
Reading : Using title, chapter titles and subtitles to map a text
Sharing : From Summary to ppt (PowerPoint)
Technology : RSS feed ; wiki ; Dropbox ; Powerpoint ; Slideshare
2. Th Sept 1
(C) Intro to Pinkard, Change ; the socio-historical context of the
Ancien régime
(ToDo) Read Text1R and prepare the questions posted in Course
Docs
3. Tue Sept 6
(C) introduction to subscribing to RSS feeds; our wiki;
Slideshare;
Pinkard, Change: title, chapter titles and subtitles
4. Th Sept 8
5. Tue Sept 13
6. Th Sept 15
(W) Team working on Change ppt
(C) Intro to Dropbox; creating a grading rubric for teamwork;
creating a grading rubric for ppt’s
(P! Sept 15) send your prof an email and subscribe to Dropbox;
be prepared to discuss the Pinkard, Change article IN DEPTH;
compare the class’ Change ppt’s and be prepared to discuss good
(and bad) features of a ppt
(C) Discussion Pinkard, Change;Vatel
Good and bad in a ppt
(P! Sept 19 @ 7pm): email Teamwork Self and Team member
evaluation forms to prof greet.vanbelle@qc.cuny.edu ; discuss
good and bad features of the ppt’s in Dropbox in ppt wiki (in
Cuisine Wiki, page How to ppt on Bb)
(P! Sept 20) Be prepared to discuss Text2B; Choose a Spang
chapter from IV for ppt presentation (helpful both for choosing
the chapter and preparing the ppt are the Spang reviews in the
Appendix (in Dropbox))
III.
WHO IS FOOTING THE BILL?
Text2B: Spang, Chapter5: Fixed Prices: Gluttony and the French Revolution
Content: The premises of "cultural analysis" as an academic discipline: How is cultural
analysis different from history? What are the data the author analyzes vs the
historian? What sort of questions does the author want to answer? And the historian?
Analysis of representations of 2 famous restaurant scenes: the arrest of Louis XVI and the
murder of Le Peletier.
Technology: Our Blog (bb)
7. Tue Sept 20
(C) Discussion of Vatel: scenes of tension in the Ancien régime
that tell us we are at the eve of the Revolution
(P! Sept 22): Continuation of Spang, Fixed Prices
8. Th Sept 22
IV.
(C) Continuation of Spang, Fixed Prices:
 Cultural Analysis vs History; keywords of Cultural
analysis
 Mapping a text’s argumentative structure (hypothesis,
examples, arguments for, against)
“The Invention of the Restaurant”: discussion of Spang’s title and
definitions of “restaurant”
(P! Sept 27): Spang, Introduction: To Make a Restaurant:
mapping
FROM A CUP OF RESTAURANT…
Appendix (Dropbox): Reviews of Spang R, The Invention of the Restaurant
Texts4-7B: Spang, Chapters 1-4 & 6-8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn3tu3ZxCjw
Text8 (in CourseMaterials): Ferguson, Inventing French Cuisine
Text: Baudelaire, The Eyes of the Poor
9. Tue Sept 27
10. Th Oct 6
11. Tue Oct 11
12. Th Oct 13
(C) Carmen & Monique: Ch1
(C) Carlos & Diane: Ch2
(C) Lena & Marlene: Ch3
13. Tue Oct 18
14. Th Oct 20
15. Tue Oct 25
(C) Kyle & Hilal: Ch4
(C) Oscar & Spencer: Ch6
(C) Teamwork: Ch7
Discussion Project 2
(C/W) Kristin & Jeselle: Ch8+ Epilogue
+ Discussion Project2
16. Th Oct 27
17. Tue Nov 1
(C/W) discussion Project2: “Portfolio” and “exhaustive or
representative”
(C) Natasha & Chris M and Anastasia: Inventing French
Cuisine
V.
STARS
Text9R: Mennel, Of Gastronomes and Guides
Film2: Bird, Pinkava, Ratatouille (excerpts)
18. Th Nov 3
19. Tue Nov 8
(C) Moving Gastronomy into 20th C: The Michelin Guide;
visiting the Per Se website and analyzing some of its features
(C) Jennifer & Chris L.
VI.
&STRIPES
Text11R: Fantasia, Fast Food in France
http://www.parkermeridien.com/index1.php
http://manhattan.about.com/od/restaurantsandnightlife/a/bestburgersnyc.htm
20. Th Nov 10
(C) Aryeh & Erica & Oswald
21. Tue Nov 15
VII.
THE EWWW FACTOR
Text14R: Barthes, Steak and Fries
Text15R: Mennel, Food Dislikes
Film, Wall Street
22. Th Nov 17
VIII.
“AH, HOW YOU WILL DELIGHT THE ANGELS!"
Film3: Axel, Babette’s Feast
Text12R: Some Quotes from Babette’s Feast
Text13R: Ferguson, Babette’s Feast: A Fable for Culinary France
23. Tue Nov 22
24. Tue Nov 29
IX.
HIGH CLASS LOW CLASS
Film4: Tampopo (dir.Itami): French restaurant scene:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcMaZLiqVpI
Film5: Funny Girl (dir. William Wyler): Hotel-restaurant scene:
lhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU6DqMyFDOU
25. Th Dec 1
26. Tue Dec 6
X.
“TRINQUONS,” DIT PANURGE (« LET’S HAVE A DRINK » PANURGE SAID)
Text 18R: The Terroirist
27. Th Dec 8
28. Tue Dec 13
BON APPÉTIT!