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Much Depends on Dinner: The Extraordinary History and Mythology, Allure and Obsessions, Perils and Taboos of an Ordinary Mea Paperback – June 8, 2010

by Margaret Visser (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 83 ratings
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A staple of the food-writing genre that prefigured the current locavore and foodist movements by almost two decades, Margaret Visser’s Much Depends on Dinner is a delightful and intelligent history of the food we eat, and a cornucopia of incredible details about the ways we do it.
Presented as a meal, each chapter of Much Depends on Dinner represents a different course or garnish, which Margaret Visser handpicks from the most ordinary American dinner: corn on the cob with butter and salt, roast chicken with rice, salad dressed in lemon juice and olive oil, and ice cream. Visser tells the story behind each of these foods and in the course of her inquiries reveals some unexpected treats: the history of Corn Flakes; the secret behind the more dissatisfactory California olives (they’re picked green, chemically blackened, and sterilized); and the fact that, in Africa, citrus fruits are eaten whole, rind and all.
For food lovers of all kinds, this intelligent and unexpectedly funny book is a treasure of information that sheds light on one of our favorite pastimes: eating.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Grove Press
  4. Publication date
    June 8, 2010
  5. Dimensions
    6.12 x 0.93 x 8.77 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0802144934
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0802144935
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grove Press; 2nd ed. edition (June 8, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0802144934
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0802144935
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.12 x 0.93 x 8.77 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 83 ratings

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Margaret Visser

Margaret Visser

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
83 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Leon Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent.
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2015
Verified Purchase
Wonderful. Margaret Visser posits a dinner (corn, butter, rice, chicken, ice cream, salad with olive oil and lemon) and then provides a sweeping historical and anthropological view of each component. She not only provides a fascinating, even enthralling, history, but also explores the mythological significance of each food and its role in politics and even war. It is so fact-rich that with another author, it might sink under its own weight, but Visser’s charming, open style pulls you along. Ice cream is not just ice cream; it’s a history of thermodynamics. Rice is not just rice, it’s the story of political organization. Corn is not just corn; it’s the rise of industrial food.

Published in 1985, it’s slightly dated and should be read in conjunction with Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” which takes the history and anthropology and adds a moral core. Absolutely wonderful and highly recommended.
4 people found this helpful
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Ross Bagley
4.0 out of 5 stars Historical, interesting, slightly dated
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2008
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed much of the books unique structure, explaining the history of a single meal by diving back into the history of the nine primary components of that meal. However, some of the dietary information is dated and could use an update.

Specifically, in the chapter on butter, margarine's claims to health are given a little skepticism. A skepticism appropriate to the scientific knowledge of 1986. However, knowing what we do now about the enormous risks that trans fats pose to our health (and about the relative safety of saturated fat, once you separate trans fat and saturated fat datapoints), this would read quite differently. The section regarding the development of margarine, a highly processed food product competing with butter, a slightly processed food product, might instead come across as a cynical attempt by agribusiness to capitalize on the excess of indistinguishable vegetable oils at the expense of your health and mine.

However, since this book was written in 1986, and the dangers of trans fats were still being successfully hidden away by Cargill and ADM, I can't blame Ms. Visser for the omission.

Except for a few other details where the science has advanced over the past 22 years since the book was written, most of the information remains just as interesting and historically accurate as the day it was originally put to paper. A fascinating and well-written work.
13 people found this helpful
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ernest drown
5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful book about food
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2016
Verified Purchase
This book is such a delight. This is the third time I've read it, and it was just as informative and enjoyable this Tim e. Visser presents her (extremely interesting) information in a masterful way, it's almost as good as the stuff she's telling. Who could know there was so much to know about such commonplace foodstuffs? And if you read this and like it, go on to Bee Wilson's similar book about food utensils-- also a delight-- Consider the Fork.
One person found this helpful
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Phil Coppa
5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating facts about food
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2021
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written around 1985, some of the technical points may be outdated but the book is full of interesting facts about food in history, culture etc.
One person found this helpful
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SMK
1.0 out of 5 stars Tedious
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2009
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I loved The Rituals of Dinner but found this book tedious and difficult to read.
5 people found this helpful
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J. Tullis
4.0 out of 5 stars The Original
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2010
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This 1986 book has spawned many children, as some reviewers have noted. I read Visser's book because it was, as far as I know, the first of its kind. The book is structured around a chapter for each ingredient in a common dinner, a technique that was highly original in its day. The content is very detailed, sometimes too much so for my taste. For instance, the early chapter on corn contains much information that has been restated over the years to the point where it has become common knowledge. As a result, her treatment of corn's history feels like overkill. But it was a fairly "new" subject for general readers in its day. If you are interested in the history of humankind's interactions with foods that are common to America's dining table today, then Much Depends On Dinner is an excellent place to start.
3 people found this helpful
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Jude
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, Well Researched, Well Written
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2015
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Okay, I am a history geek. I love details, and I love learning new things. This highly interesting, well-written text taught me much and kept me entertained throughout. If you are interested in food...
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stingray
2.0 out of 5 stars I do not recommend this book. I know there are others better written and more interesting.
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2015
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I read the first two chapters and although they were somewhat interesting the writer writes in a non reader friendly manner. She jump from idea to idea without any sequence or transition. It was hard to follow her. I read a ton of books on history of topics that were easy to follow and easy to understand. The corn and salt history by itself are fascinating but she made them dry and complicated.
I do not recommend this book.
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