The Table Comes First is at once a celebration of the rituals of eating - the scene of families, friends, lovers coming together, or breaking apart, the core of our memories - and an exploration of the extraordinary transformations that our notion of what makes food 'good' has undergone.

A Small Starter: Questions of Food. COMING TO THE TABLE: Who Made the Restaurant? What's the Recipe? E-mail to Elizabeth Pennell - Anchovies, Bacon, Lamb. CHOOSING AT THE TABLE: How Does Taste Happen? E-mail to Elizabeth Pennell - Lamb, Saffron, Cinnamon; Meat or Vegetables? E-mail to Elizabeth Pennell - Chicken, Pudding, Dogs; Near or Far? E-mail to Elizabeth Pennell - Salt, Pork, Mustard. TALKING AT THE TABLE: In Vino Veritas? E-mail to Elizabeth Pennell - Potatoes, Steak, Air; What Do We Write About When We Write About Food? What Do We Imagine When We Imagine Food? E-mail to Elizabeth Pennell - Rice, Milk, Sugar. LEAVING THE TABLE: Paris at Last; E-mail to Elizabeth Pennell - Salmon, Broccoli, Repentance; Endings; Last e-mail to Elizabeth Pennell . Reading on the Way Home.