Prologue: “From Macarons to Marrow”
CHAPTER 1: A Brief History of Gastronomy
A time line of highs and lows in food history, from prehistoric times to the birth of the modern era
The History of Gastronomy: A Time Line
CHAPTER 2: Carniwhores, Gastrosexuals, and Curd Nerds: A Field Guide to the Modern Foodie
A typology of the varied species of food obsessives whom you may encounter in your culinary journeys
A Field Guide to the Modern Foodie
CHAPTER 3: Navigating the Edible Industrial Complex
Explorations of the contemporary world of food, including the rise of the celebrity chef, food trends, understanding restaurant criticism, and how to communicate with waiters
The Rise of the Celebrity Chef
So You Want to Be a . . . Celebrity Chef
Trend Mapping: A Food Trend’s Journey
How to Read a Restaurant Review
So You Want to Be a . . . Restaurant Critic
Etiquette Points: The Art of Eating with Others
Culinary Travels: “That’s Not My Risotto” and Other Local Food Idioms
How to Survive a Vegan Apocalypse
CHAPTER 4 : The Gastronomical Me
How to be a gastronome, including understanding basic culinary anatomy and how to train your mind, body, and palate to optimize your gastronomical pleasure points
Food 101: Introduction to Culinary Anatomy
Exercising Your Palate: Five Simple Techniques to Bulk Up Your Taste Buds
So You Want to Be a . . . Food Memoirist
Culinary Code: A Guide to Food Acronyms
Mind, Body, Palate: Gastro-Yoga with Rick Bayless
The Art of Getting Gastrostoned
On Parenting: Raising a Gastronome
Lessons in food and flavor, from cheese to chocolate, herbs, and meat
Herbs for Seasoning and for Smoking
So You Want to Be a . . . Hipster Butcher
Holiday Cooking Tips: Be a Master Baster
Orgasmic Chocolate: From Foreplay to Climax
Should You Eat That Chicken? A Decision-Making Flowchart
CHAPTER 6: The World of Wine and Spirits
The essentials of tasting wine and spirits, understanding the language of wine-speak, and pairing wine with food
“How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Hedonistic Fruit Bombs”
So You Want to Be a . . . Wine Critic
That’s the Spirit: A Guide to the Hard Stuff
Some Sex on the Beach Variations
Take this simple questionnaire to find your gastronomical quotient (GQ), which measures your culinary knowledge, gastronomical prowess, and gustatory morality