This course is devoted to the life and work of distinguished culinary professionals of the recent past and the present who have changed the way we eat and drink. We examine the lives and legacies of food culture luminaries such as James Beard, Julia Child, Craig Claiborne, M.F.K. Fisher, and Robert Mondavi. Through audio visual material, readings, and discussion, their impact on American cuisine and the culinary arts at the global level will be explored. The course is based on the ongoing Culinary Luminaries series of public programs at the New School.