Rachel E. Black - Cheffes de Cuisine: Women and Work in the Professional French Kitchen

The cover page features a female chef standing with her arms folded. Her face is not captured.

Women and Work in the Professional French Kitchen

rachel e. black

2021 by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

All rights reserved

Cataloging data available from the Library of Congress

ISBN 978-0-252-04400-7 (cloth)

ISBN 978-0-252-08605-2 (paperback)

ISBN 978-0-252-05293-4 (ebook)

In memory of my grandmothers Lois Otis Black (19271996)

and

Barbara Jessel (19242016)

Throughout my career, Carole Counihan has been my tireless mentor and supporter. I want to thank Carole for never giving up on me, particularly in moments when I was ready to give up on myself. Carole was there to push my thinking as I originally outlined my ideas for this book. She encouraged me as I confronted the challenges of motherhood, research, writing, and my academic career. She inspired me with her own example. Carole read and commented on versions of this manuscript and helped me to think further about the central themes of this work. The only way I know how to pay my debt to Carole is by paying it forward to the next generation of anthropology and food scholars.

Barbara Rotger, thank you for your support during the formative moment when this project was just getting underway. Your friendship has brought much light and joy into my life particularly during difficult times. This book probably would not have happened if it were not for a few fateful conversations with Jean-Jacques Paimblanc in my office at Boston University. I am grateful for the many people I met at BU through the Gastronomy Program who inspired me to pursue this research.

There have been so many people who have weighed in on aspects of this project all along the way. Thank you to Psyche Williams Forson, David Beriss, Jim Taggart, and Amy Trubek for your input. Thanks to my Association for the Study of Food and Society family who listened to my conference presentations, responded to my probing emails, and gave me feedback and support all along this journey. Alice Julier, I am grateful for your guidance and advice at a particularly challenging moment when I came back from the field discouraged. You talked me off the edge and brought to light new opportunities and directions for my work. Fabio Parasecoli, thank for your friendship. It is a grounding force and source of great joy. Thank you, Netta Davis, Beth Forrest, Greg de St. Maurice, Jon Deutsch, Scott Barton, and Warren Belasco.

Thank you to my Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition family. Ryan Adams, I feel like we have been on a journey together. I appreciate your support. Janet Chrzan, thank you for your friendship over the years. Leslie Carlin, I appreciate your constant friendship and support. Penny Van Esterik, from academic to breastfeeding advice, you have been there for me as a friend and mentor. Joan Gross, Deborah Heath, Michael Di Giovine, Heather Paxson, and Melissa Caldwell, I am grateful for your support of my career and for your inspiring scholarship. Valeria Siniscalchi (Franco and Adriano), thank you for taking me under your wing while I was in France and for your continued friendship.

When I arrived at the Connecticut College Anthropology Department, I knew I had found my academic home. I am so grateful for my colleagues, who have provided me with the best work environment a person could want. You are my role models, you have given me your support, and best of all has been your friendship. Thank you, Joyce Bennett, Anthony Graesch, Catherine Benot, Chris Steiner, Jeff Cole, and Sufia Udin. I have also benefitted from discussions with my students about this project, and I am thankful to have so many bright young minds in my life.

There are many others at Connecticut College who have shown me care and support throughout the writing of this book. Particularly, I am grateful for all of my writing group friends. Mnika Lpez Anuarbe, you are an inspiration and a ray of light. Afshan Jafar, Karen Gonzalez Rice, Priya Kohli, Luis Gonzalez, and Ari Rotramel, you all helped keep this project on track. It was good to know I was not the only one juggling family, teaching, and writing.