A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen
by Ann Cooper

A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen is a historical and contemporary research collection that provides a comprehensive vision of women and their roles in the professional culinary arena. In a domestic setting on an international level, women have been the primary food providers to the world. Yet, until recently, women have been all but excluded from the upper echelons of professional kitchens.

In her book, Chef Ann Cooper discusses both traditional and current vantage points of women involved in the food service industry. Some of the historical issues discussed include: the influences of sociological change emanating from the transfer of power from matriarchal to patriarchal emphasis and the effects of the implementation of the brigade system which was developed from all-male military institutions.

A database of 6500 women and the compilation of 500 surveys provide statistics for the contemporary discussion. Women culinary professionals of today express passion for food while haveing to balance choices between professional and family obligations; what are the ramifications of these choices and how do they effect the culinary industry and the decisions made by colleagues, mentors and staff?

This is the first book that has been written exclusively about women chefs and restaurateurs; A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen provides an informative, insightful and objective portrait of the role of women working in the multi-faceted culinary field.