ABSTRACT
ElizabethDavidisacookerywriteraccordednationalsignificancein Britain.ThisessayisareconsiderationofthewritingofFrenchand Mediterraneancookeryonwhichherreputationwasbuilt.Itisalsoan attempttocontributetoawiderdebateaboutcookerywritingandthe constructionofnationalidentity.Thelinksbetweencookery,foodand nationarescarcelyobscure.Themostcursoryglanceatanykindof catalogueofcookerybooksmakesevidenthowmanyareengagedinavery explicitattempttofix,codifyanddescribethetraditionsofnationsand regionsbyreferencetopracticesofpreparingandconsumingfood.Such booksofrecipesseemtomountaclaimthatthechoice,cookingand consumptionoffoodallowustoreconnectinaquitestraightforwardway withnationalandregionaltradition.Thismayeasilybeobservedinbooks of'farmhouse'or'homestead'cookinginwhichnationalpastsofrural stabilityorfrontierself-sufficiencyareevokedinwholesomebakingand preserves.Equallycookerybooksmayseemtoassertthepossibilityof preservationofidentitiesthatarecompromisedinothercontexts.Asthe cookerywriterClaudiaRodenremarkedinarecentinterview,describing herownandherfamily'sexilefromEgypt:'Wecouldn'tpreserveour wealth,butwecouldpreserveourfood.'1Cookerybooksaregeneratedas muchbyexperiencesofexileandmigrationasbytheimpulsetoconservea sharednationalpast.2
