This book investigates the complex relationship between social class and food consumption in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Katherine Leonard Turner, drawing on extensive archival research, examines how evolving culinary practices and dietary habits reflected and reinforced the stark economic divisions of the era. The work analyzes the ways in which food became a marker of identity, status, and aspiration for both the wealthy elite and the working poor.

This work is recognized as a significant contribution to the field of food history, offering a nuanced perspective on the social implications of culinary practices in America. Scholars have noted its detailed research and its ability to connect everyday eating habits to broader historical trends of class formation and social mobility. The book provides a valuable lens through which to understand the construction of social identity through food.