The Evolution of the American Woman Chef: An Ecofeminist Approach to Gender, Food, and Power

This book focuses on the evolution of the American Woman Chef, her journey from the domestic sphere to the public sphere of paid chef status, consideration of food, power and gender and the outside influences that have contributed to her struggles and her successes in climbing the career ladder of a male dominated industry. I begin from the hypothesis that the obstacles to women's success in professional kitchens stem from the resonance of traditional patriarchal and cultural attitudes toward women's roles in the public and private spheres. This book attempts to demonstrate the patent falseness of this myth and others by utilizing scientific research journal articles, personal interviews with women culinary professionals and a review of the social history of women and their passage from private lives into public participants.