First published in 2003. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This is a far-reaching exploration of what Lisa Heldke calls food adventuring: the passion, fashion and pursuit of the experimentation with ethnic foods. Exotic Appetites brings to the table the critical literatures on colonialism and anti-colonialism, on racism and anti-racism, and on feminist theory, in a provocative discussion of eating and ethnic food. Chapters examine the meanings and socio-political implications involved in the quest for new and interesting restaurants and exotic dishes, restaurant reviews and dining guides and ethnic cookbooks.

The Atkins diet has transformed the lives of millions of people, revolutionizing grocery store shelves, restaurant menus, and dinner-table conversations. But there are questions beyond its efficacy and longevity. Is the Atkins diet a new wrinkle in capitalist exploitation or a twisted expression of negative body images? Is it a symbol of super-masculinity? Has the Atkins diet really been around for centuries under other names? Can it increase intelligence, or cause global warming and melt the polar ice caps? How does Atkins fit into Kant's conception of the moral life, or Rousseau's vision of...

When you boil it down, one of the most important things we do each day is eat. The question of eating what, and how may seem simple at first, but it is dense with complex meanings, reflecting myriad roles that food plays and has played over the centuries. In fact, as Raymond D. Boisvert and Lisa Heldke show in this book, it s difficult to imagine a more philosophically charged act than eating. Philosophers at Table explores the philosophical scaffolding that supports this crucial aspect of everyday life, showing that we are not just creatures with minds, but also with stomachs.
...