The writer and New Yorker critic-at-large joined the APS Museum on Wednesday, Dec. 14 to celebrate the Museum’s 10th anniversary. A Philadelphia native, Gopnik gave a rousing lecture about French cuisine and how his new book,The Table Comes First, parallels themes examined in the museum’s exhibition, Of Elephants and Roses. In the period between 1790 – 1830, food culture–like natural history–changed dramatically. Just as cooking and recipes evolved, so did the rituals and traditions around the table. Gopnik highlighted some of these changes and the cultural forces that prompted them.
His talk and the discussion that followed were warm, funny and wide-ranging. It’s probably safe to say that our audience was charmed. After the lecture, Gopnik graciously agreed to continue signing books for those who might have missed the earlier signing.