A cuisine (from French cuisine, meaning "cooking; culinary art; kitchen"; itself from Latin coquina, meaning the same; itself from the Latin verb coquere, meaning "to cook") is a specific set of cooking traditions and practices, often associated with a place of origin. Religious food laws can also exercise a strong influence on cuisine. A cuisine is primarily influenced by the ingredients that are available locally or through trade. (For example, the "Asian" dish chop suey clearly reflected the adaptation of Chinese immigrant cooking styles to the different ingredients available in North America.)

Overview

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The last century or so has produced enormous improvements in food production, preservation, storage and shipping. Today almost every locale in the world has access to not only its traditional cuisine, but also to many other world cuisines, as well. New cuisines are constantly evolving, as certain aesthetics rise and fall in popularity among professional chefs and their clientele.

In addition to food, a cuisine is also often held to include beverages, including wine, liquor, tea, coffee and other drinks. Increasingly, experts hold that it further includes the raw ingredients and original plants and animals from which they come. The Slow Food movement is a global effort to preserve local plants, animals, and techniques of food preparation. It has 70,000 adherents in 50 countries.

More on [ Cuisine ]

L.A. Times - Food & Dining

The story behind Philippe's and its famous French dip
Sun, 05 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The Los Angeles landmark will celebrate its centennial Monday with dignitaries, the founder's grandson and slashed prices. Philippe's, home of the French dip sandwich, turns 100 this year, and for much of the last century local historians and foodies have been arguing over one question: How was the dish created?
A movable feast day
Wed, 19 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800
As the end of Ramadam -- Islam's holiest month -- is celebrated around the world, this week's Encore recipe from 2005 takes a look at other festive dishes that are traditional to the Muslim table. Tomorrow night is the beginning of Eid al-Adha, the Muslim holiday corresponding to the final day of the Mecca pilgrimage. Non-Muslims are probably more familiar with Eid al-Fitr, which ends the Ramadan fast, but Eid al-Adha -- the Feast of the Sacrifice -- is actually the more important celebration. It's also known as the Great Feast (Eid al-Kabir).
Home beer brewing calls to a new generation -- and to women
Wed, 01 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Clubs, websites and blogs are springing up as enthusiasts experiment with new brews and share what they've learned along the way. IT'S ONE of the many home brew competitions that take place around the country each year. There's the panel of certified judges, the international entrants in 28 categories of beer and mead -- and there's the hops-filled afternoon of sipping and scribbling until a winner is crowned.

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