Cookbooks: 1970s to the Present: Changing American Culture

Cookbooks have become more eclectic since 1970, reflecting the changing American culture and our still-evolving love affair with food. They reveal topics from classic preparations to diet fads, from nutritious and wholesome produce to decadent desserts, from fifteen-minute meals to weekend ethnic stews. Whatever dish or cuisine a cook desires, he or she can find it in a cookbook.

Plenty of customers still flocked to book signings by ever-increasing numbers of star chefs who helped keep the market alive. Top chefs with upscale books included Spain’s Feran Adria, considered the father of molecular gastronomy, Chicago’s Grant Achatz, New York’s Wylie Dufresne and David Chang, and Sweden’s Rene Redzepi. Next, many chefs moved on from restaurant-style recipes in their books to more home-style creations. Thomas Keller, John Besh, Mario Batali and Jean-Georges Vongerichten all created compilations of practical preparations that they cook at home.