Posts Tagged non-fiction
The Gastronomical Me
The Gastronomical Me by M.F.K. Fisher
I love to read food writing: both non-fiction and fiction. I am almost ashamed to admit that I have not read anything by M.F.K. Fisher before now. Many regard her as one of the best food writers.
Fisher’s The Gastronomical Me is a collection of autobiographical essays that cover time from 1912 through 1941. In 1929 Fisher got married and sailed with her husband to France were she tasted her first real French food and started down the road to being a true foodie. Fisher talks about her first experience eating hand-cut potato chips in Europe:
There were big soft leather chairs, and on the dark table was a bowl of the first potato chips I ever saw in Europe, not the uniformly thin uniformly golden ones that come out of the waxed bags here at home, but light and dark, thick and paper-thin, fried in real butter and then salted casually with the gros sal served in the country with the pot-au-feu.
They were so good that I ate then with the kind of slow sensuous concentration that pregnant women are supposed to feel for chocolate-cake-at-three-in-the-morning. I suppose I should be ashamed to admit that I drak two or three glasses of red port in the same strange private orgy of enjoyment. It seems impossible, but the fact remains that it was one of the keenest gastronomic moments of my life.
Through Fisher’s essays we travel back and forth by sea from the US to Europe and South America. While all of the essays in this book aren’t food-centric, the points in which she does write about food in this collection were stellar. I love it when food writing makes me salivate. Fisher’s prose is amazing, witty and pessimistic. She went through some difficult events in her life and you can feel her pain coming through the pages. I recommend this essay collection to anyone interested in travel and food writing.
Add comment April 13, 2009
Glazed America
Glazed America: A Social History of the Doughnut by Paul R. Mullins
rating: 4 of 5 stars
I must have been suffering from a case of the old Sweet Tooth when Glazed America caught my eye at the library. The doughnuts on the cover do look mighty tempting. I do enjoy reading books about food so that may have had something to do with it as well.
Paul Mullins is an anthropology professor at Purdue University and in his book, Glazed America, he delves into the cultural and socio-economic history of doughnuts. Mullins presents doughnuts as an iconic American food that we have a love/hate relationship with. In the opening chapter “The Church of Krispy Kreme” , Mullins states the general thesis of the book:
People have remarkably strong sentiments about doughnuts, but many of us find it hard to elevate krullers to the status of mirrors for American society. We seem to harbor both fondness and embarrassment for doughnuts, and that ambivalence has complex roots. For many observers, doughnuts are symbols of temptation, unhealthiness, and personal weakness.
Mullins talks about how technological advances lead to the ability to mass-produce doughnuts, which in turn lead to the proliferation of doughnut shops across America. Mullins discusses the founding and expansion of the different doughnut chains such a Tim Horton’s, Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme.
I live pretty close to the birthplace of Dunkin Donuts. In fact, one of the Dunkin Donuts in my town is the busiest one in the nation. This is Dunkin country and most people I know LOVE to go to “Dunkys”, however most of those people state they love it for the coffee…no one ever says they love it for the doughnuts. Is this because of the “fatties love their doughnuts”-stigma that Mullins states Americans attach to doughnut consumption? I am one of those who gets coffee from DD way more often than I get doughnuts. For me, I prefer to “spend” my calories elsewhere, on something that I can savor more. Occasionally, I will splurge and get a doughnut, but usually from a place that bakes them from scratch on sight, such as Flour Bakery in Boston’s South End.
Glazed America is not so much about the history of the doughnut but rather is about the history of the doughnut’s place in American society and pop culture. I would have liked to have seen a little more about the doughnut itself such as the evolution of the different flavors, toppings and fillings. The book is chock full of black and white photos of doughnut shops and other doughnut-related paraphernalia.
1 comment April 4, 2009
Reads: My Life in France
My Life in France by Julia Child
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Julia Child was a late bloomer. She may be best known as a chef & cookbook author, but she didn’t start cooking until her thirties. She was a rather unadventerous eater until she and her new husband moved to France just after World War II. Upon moving to Frace she begins exploring the world of food and cooking.
My tastes were growing bolder, too. Take snails, for instance. I had never thought of eating a snail before, but, my, tender escargots bobbling in garlicky butter were one of my happiest discoveries! And truffles which came in a can, and were so deliciously musky and redolent of the earth, quickly became an obsession.
In My Life in France, Julia Child’s personality shines through the pages. The book is warm and engaging and had great descriptions of food and cooking. The book was inspirational. Child’s recounting of going to Le Cordon Bleu for cooking classes made me want to quit my job and go to culinary school. (I will hold off on that pursuit. ) If she could go from not knowing how to cook at all to becoming on of the best known chefs in America it just goes to show what following your dreams and passions can accomplish.
I highly recommend My Life in France to anyone who loves a good memoir or anyone with a passion for food.
read this book as part of the Food for Thought book club. Check out the links on the blogroll there to see what other foodie-readers thought of the book.
3 comments April 1, 2009
A Brief History of Time
A Brief History of Time by Stephen W. Hawking
rating: 4 of 5 stars
I am totally throwing myself under the nerd-bus here, but I have to admit that I already knew something about most of the concepts in Hawking’s A Brief History of Time. I guess that is what a couple of semesters of college physics and a bunch of engineering courses does to a girl. That being said, I am not sure how readable this book would be to someone without a technical background. The book is touted to be written in a way that allows laymen to understand these advanced topics.
The book discusses space and time, the origins of the universe and how our understanding of the concepts has developed over time. Hawking delves into quantum mechanics and also explains the concepts of the Big Bang and what a black hole is. And while the book may indeed be brief at under 200 pages, it is quite dense. I did enjoy how Hawking let his own personality shine through the writing and offered up his own opinions, beliefs and philosophies instead of just having the book read like an objective text book.
A Brief History of Timehas been shown twice on the television show LOST. It was shown in Ben’s bedroom in the episode “The Man from Tallahassee” and a character was also shown reading it in the episode “Not in Portland”. I guess those Lostees really like learning about time and the universe. Based on the recent episodes it would seem that time is definitely a favorite topic of the show’s writers.
Add comment March 28, 2009
Her Last Death
Her Last Death by Susanna Sonnenberg
rating: 3 of 5 stars
I often find myself noticing themes and connections between books that I read close to each other. Recently, I went through an inadvertent “teenage girls having inappropriate relations with older men”- phase. I wasn’t seeking out books on this topic on purpose…it just happened. One of those books was Nabakov’s novel Laughter in the Dark and the other one was the memoir Her Last Death by Susanna Sonnenberg.
In her memoir, Sonnenberg recounts her life from her childhood through adulthood, focusing mostly on her relationship with her drug-addicted, promiscuous, name-dropping, boyfriend-stealing mother, Daphne. Daphne is constantly telling stories of her relationships and encounters with famous and important figures.
Daphne helps her daughter Susanna celebrate her sweet sixteen by giving her her first line of coke. She also tries to push her daughters into having sex. She constantly shares stories of her sexual exploits with her daughters. Daphne treats her daughters more like they are her friends than her offspring.
Her Last Death is reminiscent of other memoirs about children being raised by less than ideal parents. I’ve read several other memoirs that fall into this category including Running with Scissors and The Glass Castle. In my opinion, Her Last Deathdoesn’t quite measure up to either of those. Frankly the book irritated me in some parts. It came across as self-absorbed and Sonnenberg didn’t quite make her descriptions of her experiences engaging and believable in a way that completely draws the reader into her life. Part of this could have been all of the blind-item-style name dropping. The writing was very strong in parts but overall was uneven. Sonnenberg does show promise though, and I would pick up something else she wrote if I came across it.
Add comment March 17, 2009
Bite Me: Food in Popular Culture
rating: 3 out of 5
Okay, honestly, with a title like “Bite Me: Food in Popular Culture” and a cover that is a bit suggestive with a close-up picture of the cleft of a peach/nectarine, I was at the very least expecting a book that was readable and fun. I was expecting something along the lines of Kitchen Confidential, Fast Food Nation, or Candyfreak— an engaging expose on how food influences and is influenced by pop culture. I mean come on, this is a cover that got me lots of second looks as I read it on the train. Yes folks, I am reading a book, with a big naked butt on the cover.
In the end (ha), ”Bite Me” was a little too academic for my taste. It read like an advanced college text book with lots of works cited and a large bibliography. Parasecoli obviously put a good deal of research into the book.
In the chapter Tasty Utopias, Parasecoli discusses food and politics in science fiction books and movies. The works he looks at include Orwell’s 1984 and the movie Demolition Man. Parasecoli analyzes what food & eating means to the characters & societies in these sci-fi works.
Food has played a relevant — even if sometimes almost invisible — role in many sci-fi works. I believe this connection is revealing. Food is an important element in any society, determining many aspects of production, distribution and consumption, and providing fundamental institutions and customs. It is virtually impossible to isolate food from the social, economic, and political structures of a human group. The act of eating, located between the biological and the symbolic, allows sci-fi authors to analyze a large spectrum of phenomena, often with a certain comic impishness. Imagination is a fundamental dimension of the style and the content of science fiction, encompassing all aspects of human life.
In other chapters Parasecoli compares breast feeding with vampirism and cannabalism, discusses the influence of food in African American culture, looks into diet culture especially the Atkins diet, and finally how tourism relates to food.
There were some interesting factoids in the book, but overall it was a bit too dense for leisure reading. While “Bite Me” might have been a bit of a heavy dish for a casual book club book it would probably be ideal fare for a cultural studies course in college.
4 comments March 11, 2009
Hands of My Father
Hands of My Father: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love by Myron Uhlberg
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Myron Uhlberg’s memoir Hands of My Fathertells of his experiences growing up in Brooklyn, NY in the 1930’s and 1940’s. But, this is not a typical coming of age memoir….both of Uhlberg’s parents were completely deaf. Uhlberg could hear and starting at a very early age that he had to act as a translator between his parents and the hearing world.
My second language was spoken English. I have no memory of learning this language, or at what age, but somehow I did. And with the acquisition of spoken language, a big part of my childhood ended before it began. As the hearing child of a deaf father, I was expected to perform the daily alchemy of transmuting the silent visual movements of my father’s hands into the sound of speech and meaning for the hearing, and then to perform the magic all over again for him, in reverse, transmuting invisible sound into visible sign.
I found the memoir to be a compassionate and moving account of the author’s relationship with his father and the clash Uhlberg felt between an obligation to assist his parents and his desire to have a carefree childhood. A young Myron learned early about the discrimination the hearing world had against the deaf. Most people either ignored the deaf or assumed that they were stupid. Myron’s love for his parents and younger brother shines out from the pages of the memoir in a way that isn’t too over the top or cheesy. There are numerous family photos scattered throughout the book and help draw the reader closer to the family.
I received a free copy of Hands of My Father from GoodReads.com. Myron Uhlberg has authored several children’s books.
View all my reviews.
1 comment February 21, 2009
The Language of Baklava
The Language of Baklava: A Memoir by Diana Abu-Jaber
rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Several years ago, I read two novels by Diana Abu-Jaber: Arabian Jazz and Crescent. I really enjoyed both books and found them unique from other novels that were out at the time since they focused on the Arab-American experience. Both books were big hits in the book clubs that I read them in. My friend Amanda still cites Crescent as one of her all-time favorite book club books. In her memoir, The Language of Baklava, Abu-Jaber share her memories of food and family and growing up between cultures. Abu-Jaber’s father is from Jordan and her mother grew up in America and is of western European stock.
I found the book really interesting from a personal perspective since I am an American of European descent and my husband is from Pakistan. We are definitely a food-centric household. Many of our memories are built around food and we both love to cook. Our future children may face multiple culture clashes… food-related, tradition-related and definitely religion-related. Will my kid’s reject the Pakistani food in favor of burgers and fries? Will they have a healthy mix of the foods their mom & dad grew up with? Will they be embarrassed if they are sent to school with pakoras and kabob sandwiches for lunch?? Will they be unable to resist the lure of bacon and eat dirty, dirty pig? I’ve steered clear of pork products since I’ve been in a relationship with my husband, but will our kids do the same when they aren’t under the watchful eye of their father. We plan on raising our kids in America but taking them on many visits to Pakistan so they can learn the language, the traditions, and get to know their family that still lives there.
Abu-Jaber’s memoir was funny and insightful as to what it felt like to grow up in such an environment. Her observations about the influence on members of both sides of her family on her life were humourous and heart-felt.
In one chapter, Abu-Jabershares memories of making apple strudel with her Aunt and talking about marriage and children.
’Marry, don’t marry,’ Auntie Aya says as we unfold layers of dough to make an apple strudel.
‘Just don’t have your babies unless it’s absolutely necessary.’
‘How do I know if it’s necessary?’
She stops and stares ahead, her hands gloved in flour. ‘Ask yourself, Do I want a baby or do I want to make a cake? The answer will come to you like bells ringing.’ She flickers her fingers in the air by her ear. ‘For me, almost always, the answer was cake.’
The book is riddled with lots of words of wisdom and big bites of humor. I loved Abu-Jaber’s writing and wit. It is obvious she loves her family and the food they congregated over. I tore through this book like a tear through a plate of delicious food. Abu-Jaber made my mouth water in parts and definitely made me want to cook up some Middle Eastern food.
Abu-Jaber has recipes interspersed throughout the chapters. These recipes are related to the memories relayed in the chapter. Some of the recipes are for Jordanian food and others for more American fare.
In the chapter Mixed Grill in the Snow, Diana and her family journey to their relatives’ house for a New Years Eve party.
The adults sit away from the children in the dining room, which frees us to eat as wantonly and barbarically as possible. Ed illustrates how he can fill his entire mouth with roasted zucchini. The juices stain our lips, and we slump and make loud caveman grunts as we chew. We use pieces of bread to push the meat and fire-scorched vegetables from the skewers onto a big communal platter-or right into our mouths.
This chapter seriously tempted me to drag out our grill and make some kafta kabobs. But… it was a bit too cold and slushy out for that. Instead I opted to cook an indoor meal of spice-rubbed rack of lamb and mjeddrah/muccedere (rice pilaf), followed up by baklava, of course. You will soon be able to behold my feast as the posts and recipes for what I cooked up are coming soon!
Language of Baklava was the monthly selection for the foodie book club, Cook the Books. Stop by and check out what others think of the book, what they’ve cooked up, and what the next book will be.
2 comments February 16, 2009
Low Down
Low Down: Junk, Jazz, and Other Fairy Tales from Childhood by A. J. Albany
rating: 4 of 5 stars
In Low Down, A.J. Albany recounts her childhood growing up as the daughter of jazz pianist Joe Albany. A.J. was brought into a life where both of her parents were drug addicts and part of the 1960’s & 1970’s jazz and poetry scene in Hollywood. Amy Jo (A.J.) was named after her father’s two favorite characters from Little Women in the hope that she would have the best characteristics of each. After A.J.’s mother abandons the family when A.J. is only 5 years old., A.J. and her father move into a hotel on Hollywood Blvd, a place with lots of seedy characters. He drags her to his late night shows in smokey jazz clubs where she meets some jazz legends. A.J. is more often than not left to fend for herself as her father is often under the influence of heroin.
Albany uses a series of short vignettes to recount the gritty, emotional memories of her childhood. These memories include abuse and exploitation of A.J. by family, friends, and neighbors, yet A.J. tells her story without self-pity. The beautifully-written, honest memoir makes you wonder at how she survived such a childhood.
It reminded me of other “awful childhood” memoirs along the lines of “The Glass Castle” and “The Liar’s Club”. At under 200 pages, “Low Down” is a quick read full of raw emotion that lets you dive into the underbelly of the Hollywood jazz scene. Some famous folks such as Sinatra, Alan Ginsberg, and Thelonious Monk make cameos in the book.
Now, I am off to see if I can find some of Joe Albany’s music online…
1 comment February 9, 2009
Talking with my Mouth Full
Talking with My Mouth Full: Crab Cakes, Bundt Cakes, and Other Kitchen Stories by Bonny Wolf
rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Bonny Wolf works as a food correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday. In Talking with My Mouth Full, Wolf shares food memories and stories through a series of essays. It is a charming collection that makes a leisurely read for foodies. Wolf takes us on a nostalgic journey through the United States and its different regional foods. The essays focus more on comfort foods than on haute cuisine you find at upscale restaurants. There are essays about Bundt cakes, Jell-o, popovers, Texas Barbecue, and Thanksgiving Dinner.
In each essay, Wolf relays her own experiences along with those of her friends and NPR listeners. Wolf includes one or more recipes with each essay. The recipes are for foods that were mentioned in the essay. The recipes range from a simple recipe for basic toast to recipes for chili and roasted chicken. These are recipes that were passed down in someone’s family, or from friend to friend, or clipped from a newspaper.
As Wolf talks about her folder of recipes clipped from magazines, I thought of my own folder of recipes, which is completely out of control. At least the advent of the internet has allowed me to search for and bookmark recipes instead of clipping them all from magazines. Sure, this has resulted in my epicurious.com recipe box having over 650 recipes in it. These are for the most part recipes that caught my eye while flipping through copies of Bon Appetit and Gourmet.
Bonny helps bring home the true connection between food and sentiment. Many of my own memories are related to food. I remember the bunny-cakes my Nana and great aunt Winnie used to serve every Easter when I was little. Bonny’s essay about Chicken a la King, made me want to call up my mom and ask for her Chicken a la King recipe. It was one of my favorite home cooked meals growing up.
I’ve made one of the recipes from the books so far and will be posting the results soon.
The book made me want to gather together recipes from my mom, from her mom, and my own and compile them all in a family favorites cookbook. Maybe that will be a new project for me this year. It would make a really nice gift for Christmas, especially with family photos thrown into the mix.
I read this book as part of the Food for Thought book club. Check out the links on the blogroll there to see what other foodie-readers thought of Talking with my Mouth Full.
Bonny Wolf’s Website: http://www.bonnywolf.com/book.htm
4 comments January 31, 2009
