Gastronomical Inspirations: Warren Belasco coming to Boston University

I'm so excited for next week. One of my favorite food authors is going to be conducting a session at Boston University next week. Warren Belasco PhD is a professor of American Studies at University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He recently published a book entitled Meals To Come: The History of the Future of Food. I feel he is a strong supporter of the anti-McDonaldization of the word (IE, lets get the same dishes wherever we go in the world).

Companies like McDonalds disgust me, I hate myself for falling for such an easy target, but it could just as easily be Burger King, Wendy's, Bennigans (Holy cow they make a bad Monti Cristo sandwich), Applebees, etc. They move into areas that have local restaurants that have a local identity and then they move in and people see the shiny lights and the recognizable name and saw ooooo I've always wanted to try their food, and because they are consistent (some would argue consistently bad) people return for their low grade over cooked meats, unseasoned starches and chemically sprayed vegetables.

What is sad is that these places are wining the battle, we consistently see the "consistants" creep into all markets of the world. McD's brags of its presence in China and Russia where the McD meal is shoved in their face as the "right way to be." Let me tell you people, I love America, I love Capitalism, but I do not love our main stream food culture. But low-and-behold, even the McD's in France are doing well. What is this world coming to, let's just homogenize the world and all eat the same thing, that should be fun.

I for one vow that I will never eat in a corporate chain restaurant ever again. I do not appreciate what they have done to the American food realm, let alone what they are now doing to the international market. I love that we have men like Dr. Belasco addressing these issues and if any of you have time and are in the area of Boston please come and watch his presentation next Wednesday.

Click here for a great article on Dr. Belasco.

He is also the author of the following books, which are all favorites of mine.