The Primal Cheeseburger: A Generous Helping of Food History Served On a Bun

"It’s a book by my late wife, Elizabeth, who was a cookbook writer. But it’s not a cookbook. The book deconstructs the cheeseburger—the bun, its toppings and condiments—and talks about where each of these components come from and how they are produced. For example, ketchup is primarily tomato. Tomatoes come from Mexico; they migrated to Europe around 1600 or so. It’s hard to believe because Mediterranean cuisine is associated with tomatoes! So, the history of each of these cheeseburger components contain independent revelations. The potatoes come from Peru, and so on. Fast food is convenient. Many American males would perhaps prefer to sit in front of the television and watch football rather than make a meal. The taste of fast food appeals to people. People like fat, sweet and crispy; fast food provides it inexpensively. And of course, in the rest of the world, fast food represents America, and America is still a somewhat admired country. Sometimes I wonder why. McDonald’s has been extraordinarily successful in the world, even in France. So fast food is giving you tasty things, very conveniently at a relatively low price."