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The Secret History of French Cooking: The Outlaw Chefs Who Made Food Modern
From the
New York Times
bestselling author of
Provence, 1970,
a lively, dramatic account of the spectacular rise of French “nouvelle cuisine,” and the renegade chefs of the 1960s and 1970s who revolutionized modern cooking.
In The Secret History of French Cooking, Luke Barr takes readers inside the culinary rebellion that upended the staid French food world and reinvented the role and cultural importance of chefs and restaurants. The very idea of the chef as creator—as innovator, artist, auteur—can be traced back to the legendary Paul Bocuse, Michel Guérard, and the Troisgros brothers, among other colorful characters. The book also tells the largely unknown story of a group of women chefs who fought for recognition in the all-male culinary establishment of the 1970s, and the villainous, powerful food critic who cast a shadow over the era.
A tale of rivalries; global success; and a ferocious backlash, of celebrity, money, politics, and incredibly delicious food, The Secret History of French Cooking is also the story of the birth of modern food and restaurant culture, the way we eat today.
In The Secret History of French Cooking, Luke Barr takes readers inside the culinary rebellion that upended the staid French food world and reinvented the role and cultural importance of chefs and restaurants. The very idea of the chef as creator—as innovator, artist, auteur—can be traced back to the legendary Paul Bocuse, Michel Guérard, and the Troisgros brothers, among other colorful characters. The book also tells the largely unknown story of a group of women chefs who fought for recognition in the all-male culinary establishment of the 1970s, and the villainous, powerful food critic who cast a shadow over the era.
A tale of rivalries; global success; and a ferocious backlash, of celebrity, money, politics, and incredibly delicious food, The Secret History of French Cooking is also the story of the birth of modern food and restaurant culture, the way we eat today.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published March 17, 2026
15 people are currently reading
4413 people want to read
About the author
Luke Barr
7 books123 followersLuke Barr is the author of THE SECRET HISTORY OF FRENCH COOKING (March 2026), RITZ & ESCOFFIER, and the New York Times bestseller PROVENCE, 1970. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, architect Yumi Moriwaki, and their two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 18, 2026
Step inside the rebellious kitchens of 1960s and 70s France with The Secret History of French Cooking by Luke Barr, New York Times bestselling author of Provence 1970.
This lively, dramatic account reveals how a group of daring chefs including Paul Bocuse, Michel Guérard, and the Troisgros brothers upended the staid French culinary world and invented what we now know as modern cuisine. From rivalries to celebrity chefs, from creative innovation to incredibly delicious dishes, this is the story of food like you’ve never tasted it before.
The book also uncovers the largely unknown contributions of women chefs fighting for recognition in a male-dominated culinary scene and the critic who shaped and sometimes threatened this culinary revolution.
Whether you’re a food lover, a history buff, or someone who loves a good drama behind the kitchen doors, this book is a feast for the mind and imagination 🍷🥖
This lively, dramatic account reveals how a group of daring chefs including Paul Bocuse, Michel Guérard, and the Troisgros brothers upended the staid French culinary world and invented what we now know as modern cuisine. From rivalries to celebrity chefs, from creative innovation to incredibly delicious dishes, this is the story of food like you’ve never tasted it before.
The book also uncovers the largely unknown contributions of women chefs fighting for recognition in a male-dominated culinary scene and the critic who shaped and sometimes threatened this culinary revolution.
Whether you’re a food lover, a history buff, or someone who loves a good drama behind the kitchen doors, this book is a feast for the mind and imagination 🍷🥖
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March 22, 2026I found The Secret History of French Cooking: The Outlaw Chefs Who Made Food Modern by Luke Barr to be an interesting and informative read, though not one that fully held my attention throughout. If I hadn't been reviewing it, I'm not sure I would have finished it.
It’s a fascinating look at the rise of French nouvelle cuisine and the chefs who reshaped the culinary world. What stood out most is that the book focuses far more on the chefs—their personalities, rivalries, and careers—than on the food itself. There are plenty of amusing and memorable stories that bring these figures to life, and I especially appreciated learning more about the women who contributed to this movement and the challenges they faced in what was traditionally a male-dominated profession.
At the same time, the book goes beyond just individual chefs. It also explores the evolution of the cuisine itself—the rise and eventual decline of nouvelle cuisine, as well as the influence of American tastes and the broader globalization of food. That wider historical context adds real depth and makes it more than just a collection of chef profiles.
I did enjoy Barr’s writing style—it’s engaging and approachable, and it made a more niche topic easier to read. Even so, I found myself putting it down often. While I love cooking and appreciate French cuisine, I think I was hoping for more focus on the food itself. Not surprisingly, those were the sections that pulled me in the most.
It’s also rich in historical context beyond just the chefs, which adds depth and makes it a worthwhile read—particularly for those interested in culinary history. That said, I’ll admit I likely wouldn’t have finished it if I weren’t reviewing it.
This book is more for the most serious foodies, culinary history enthusiasts, chefs, and those in the industry—readers who will appreciate the depth and personalities behind the movement. For that audience, this is certainly a 4-star read.
Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC.
It’s a fascinating look at the rise of French nouvelle cuisine and the chefs who reshaped the culinary world. What stood out most is that the book focuses far more on the chefs—their personalities, rivalries, and careers—than on the food itself. There are plenty of amusing and memorable stories that bring these figures to life, and I especially appreciated learning more about the women who contributed to this movement and the challenges they faced in what was traditionally a male-dominated profession.
At the same time, the book goes beyond just individual chefs. It also explores the evolution of the cuisine itself—the rise and eventual decline of nouvelle cuisine, as well as the influence of American tastes and the broader globalization of food. That wider historical context adds real depth and makes it more than just a collection of chef profiles.
I did enjoy Barr’s writing style—it’s engaging and approachable, and it made a more niche topic easier to read. Even so, I found myself putting it down often. While I love cooking and appreciate French cuisine, I think I was hoping for more focus on the food itself. Not surprisingly, those were the sections that pulled me in the most.
It’s also rich in historical context beyond just the chefs, which adds depth and makes it a worthwhile read—particularly for those interested in culinary history. That said, I’ll admit I likely wouldn’t have finished it if I weren’t reviewing it.
This book is more for the most serious foodies, culinary history enthusiasts, chefs, and those in the industry—readers who will appreciate the depth and personalities behind the movement. For that audience, this is certainly a 4-star read.
Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Publication Date: March 17, 2026
My first introduction to the writing of Luke Barr was when I came across Provence, 1970: MFK Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard and the Reinvention of American Taste. It was about the tumultuous times of the late 1960s into the next decade when the country was ripe for a food revolution. In this book, Luke Barr gives a beautiful history of his great-aunt, Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, one of our most beloved and preeminent food writers and living in Napa, California at the time.
And now, Luke Barr has done it again in his latest book, The Secret History of French Cooking: The Outlaw Chefs Who Made Food Modern. It is in this book that he chronicles the rise of nouvelle cuisine and the renegade chefs of the 1960s and 1970s who revolutionized modern cooking. Inside this culinary rebellion, were renowned chefs such as Paul Bocuse and his core of young chefs who congregated around him since they were young and many training at the same restaurants. They were the new generation, they were the “Bande a Bocuse.” These young innovative chefs included brothers, Jean and Pierre Troisgros and Michel Guerard. As the movement caught on it was clear that this was a boy’s club, but throughout France there was a growing number of women chefs fighting for recognition in the culinary establishments in France in the 1970s. Theirs would be a women’s club. They called it the Association des Restauratrices-Cuisinières—the Association of Women Chefs. And it seemed that Nouvelle cuisine was under attack from all sides. The tide was turning. This was a colorful and rich history of this movement, certainly well-researched and beautifully told by Luke Barr.
I would like to thank the publisher Dutton and Net Galley for an advanced reading copy.
My first introduction to the writing of Luke Barr was when I came across Provence, 1970: MFK Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard and the Reinvention of American Taste. It was about the tumultuous times of the late 1960s into the next decade when the country was ripe for a food revolution. In this book, Luke Barr gives a beautiful history of his great-aunt, Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher, one of our most beloved and preeminent food writers and living in Napa, California at the time.
And now, Luke Barr has done it again in his latest book, The Secret History of French Cooking: The Outlaw Chefs Who Made Food Modern. It is in this book that he chronicles the rise of nouvelle cuisine and the renegade chefs of the 1960s and 1970s who revolutionized modern cooking. Inside this culinary rebellion, were renowned chefs such as Paul Bocuse and his core of young chefs who congregated around him since they were young and many training at the same restaurants. They were the new generation, they were the “Bande a Bocuse.” These young innovative chefs included brothers, Jean and Pierre Troisgros and Michel Guerard. As the movement caught on it was clear that this was a boy’s club, but throughout France there was a growing number of women chefs fighting for recognition in the culinary establishments in France in the 1970s. Theirs would be a women’s club. They called it the Association des Restauratrices-Cuisinières—the Association of Women Chefs. And it seemed that Nouvelle cuisine was under attack from all sides. The tide was turning. This was a colorful and rich history of this movement, certainly well-researched and beautifully told by Luke Barr.
I would like to thank the publisher Dutton and Net Galley for an advanced reading copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book was so interesting. I love visiting France and really like eating their food so to learn some of the history about what brought French cooking to what it is today was enlightening.
I will admit I wish there was more about the food that was created. I live to read about food and descriptions of it all, but this book was more about the chefs that create the food than the food itself. Still very interesting but just not quite what I thought it was going to be when I picked it up!
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
I will admit I wish there was more about the food that was created. I live to read about food and descriptions of it all, but this book was more about the chefs that create the food than the food itself. Still very interesting but just not quite what I thought it was going to be when I picked it up!
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A well written story, full of colorful characters that were instrumental in the rise of French “nouvelle cuisine.” I think that it will be a very engaging read for those truly interested in culinary arts. Personally, I discovered that I don’t care enough about that topic so it was a bit too much for me - but it says more about me than about this book.
Thanks to the publisher, Dutton, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Thanks to the publisher, Dutton, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this arc.
If you’re interested in culinary history, I recommend taking a gander at The Secret History of French Cooking. This book discusses the French “nouvelle” cuisine and the stories of various chefs that contributed to the history of French food. I found it very engaging and interesting as I knew very little about French cuisine before this read!
5 ⭐️
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February 19, 2026I did not finish this book and therefore will not give it a rating, BUT that was not the fault of the author or publisher. I misinterpreted the writeup and expected more about the FOOD and how it changed rather than the history of the chefs and creators who introduced "nouvelle cuisine". These were interesting people who took a LOT of risks! If such history interests you, then I think you will enjoy the book a lot.
PS When the food itself was the topic, the book was quite enjoyable for me!
PS When the food itself was the topic, the book was quite enjoyable for me!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
TY to NetGalley for the digital ARC.
For those who love cooking and French cooking in particular, this book follows how and with whom French cooking became what is considered exceptional. The stories about the different chefs were fascinating and make one appreciate the blood, sweat and tears that go into fine cuisine.
For those who love cooking and French cooking in particular, this book follows how and with whom French cooking became what is considered exceptional. The stories about the different chefs were fascinating and make one appreciate the blood, sweat and tears that go into fine cuisine.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love cooking & biographies & this book was fun & engaging.
I enjoyed reading about the different French chefs & hearing a bit of their stories. I found the book to be fascinating.
Thanks to the author, publisher & Netgalley for the ARC read. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed reading about the different French chefs & hearing a bit of their stories. I found the book to be fascinating.
Thanks to the author, publisher & Netgalley for the ARC read. All opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews