Consider the Fork (Bee Wilson)

Since prehistory, humans have braved sharp knives, fire, and grindstones to transform raw ingredients into something delicious—or at least edible. Tools shape what we eat, but they have also transformed how we consume, and how we think about, our food. In Consider the Fork, award-winning food writer Bee Wilson provides a wonderful and witty tour of the evolution of cooking around the world, revealing the hidden history of everyday objects we often take for granted. Technology in the kitchen does not just mean the Pacojets and sous-vide of the modernist kitchen, but also the humbler tools of everyday cooking and eating: a wooden spoon and a skillet, chopsticks and forks. Blending history, science, and anthropology, Wilson reveals how our culinary tools and tricks came to be, and how their influence has shaped modern food culture. The story of how we have tamed fire and ice and wielded whisks, spoons, and graters, all for the sake of putting food in our mouths, Consider the Fork is truly a book to savor.

“Reading [Consider the Fork] is like having a long dinner table discussion with a fascinating friend.... Leisurely but lively...a pure joy to read.”
—Los Angeles Times

“Delightful.... [An] ebulliently written and unobtrusively learned survey.”
—Harper’s Magazine

“[A] sparkling...fascinating and entertaining book.”
—The Sunday Times (London)

“One part science, one part history, and a generous dash of fun.”
—Good Housekeeping

“Wilson’s insouciant scholarship and companionable voice convince you she would be great fun to spend time with in the kitchen.... [She is] a congenial kitchen oracle.”
—New York Times Book Review

“Fluid yet engaging, just like a good conversation over a pan of sizzling vegetables.”
—New Republic

“A delightfully informative history of cooking and eating.”
—ELLE Magazine

“Wilson is a good tour guide.... [A] dizzying, entertaining ride.”
—Wall Street Journal

“A book to savour.... You will never look at a kitchen knife in the same way again.”
—The Independent (London)

Bee Wilson is a food writer, historian, and author of three books, including Swindled: The Dark History of Food Fraud, from Poisoned Candy to Counterfeit Coffee. Wilson served as the food columnist for the New Statesman for five years, and currently writes a weekly food column for The Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine. Wilson lives in Cambridge, England.