These papers explore how French writers have deeply engrained notions of what hospitality is (or should be) and have trained gimlet eyes on those opening their homes and establishments to…

A cuisine is a structured culinary system with implicit and, occasionally, explicit rules that are understood by those in the group to delineate "us" from "them." In this time-zone challenged…

Holiday foods are often thought the most conservative: certain foods (or their close analogues) must be eaten to commemorate tradition. But when populations move or new powers become a dominant…

These (partially) observational studies explore dining rules and rituals as expressions of life skills, whether metaphoric or literal. The Holocaust survivors (over)feed grandchildren to ward away acute hardships, the Oxford…

Discourses around what we "should" eat can be metonyms for larger cultural issues. In the case of meat traditions versus vegetarianism/veganism, racial, religious, and social justice tensions lie just under…

Some food rules are designed to keep us healthy: hygienic codes to avoid cross-contamination or the proliferation of harmful microbes come to mind. But what about food "rules" that are…

Bread is central to Western cultures, whether through its profound and distinct religious meanings, its role as a staple food, or its diversity and use as an ethnic marker. Hosted…

The adage, 'cleanliness is next to godliness' frames ways in which sacred and carnal spaces can share common ground. The secular but conspicuously cathedral-like architecture of the Smithfield Market is…

Whether imagining dystopian worlds or creating idealized virtual spaces with a romanticized vision that challenges historical realities, these papers consider the role of the garden as a tool for self-sufficiency…

Notions of the 'ideal' garden can be found in diverse sources, including gastronomic writings, novels, poetry, agricultural treatises and artwork. These papers cover a broad span of time and place,…

These case studies reveal how strong communities have been created through shared gardens arising in times of economic and cultural stress, whether the Covid lockdowns, migration, or challenges of scarcity.…

These case studies document resilience within food environments, whether the exploitation of abandoned farms as a counter to the industrialized food systems, regular forays into urban food forests, or the…