It's been a while since I have done a review of food literature on this blog--well, it's been a while since I've been reading much food lit. It's not that I haven't been reading, just that I've been wanting to cook food more than wanting to read about it.
When I was in Portland for the marathon last year, I went a little nutty at Powell's, also known as the best indie bookstore in the U.S., in my opinion. Is there anything similar to Powell's in Seattle? If so, let me know and I will hit it when I travel there this weekend. Also, if anyone has Seattle restaurant recommendations, let me have 'em!
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| Photo from Amazon.com |
I read Sharon Boorstin's Let Us Eat Cake: Adventures in Food & Friendship on a business trip last month. Essentially, it's a remembrance of friends told through the foods that they ate together at rehearsal dinners, baby showers and catching-up dinners. All the usual suspects are here: stories of women being taught to cook by their mothers in the 1950s in preparation for marriage, single-girl dinners made in an effort to attract mean, dinners with long-lost friends and, most movingly, the story of a dinner with a friend dying of cancer.
Let's be honest: the cover of this book is pink and it starts off fairly girly. There was a point at which I almost stopped reading because the book felt more like the coming of age of a writer I wasn't particularly interested in rather than the promised chronicle of food and friendship. But miraculously, maybe a third of the way in, it becomes something better and deeper that, while told through a woman's perspective, isn't particularly girly. It becomes about how food binds us, eases conversations that would otherwise be difficult and brings unlikely people to the same table.
That isn't a girly experience at all. What is your best memory of bonding over food? I have lots of them, but the one that comes to mind right now is the first dinner I had with my husband. We walked into a restaurant as casual friends (it wasn't even a date), but when I walked out I knew I wanted to spend a lot more time with him. Discuss your own memories below...I look forward to hearing about them.
lovely review thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteThis definitely sounds like a book I would love to read. I love that the first memory that comes to mind is of a dinner with your husband. I have so many of these too...our family gatherings are always immersed with memories of food and love. I do think my very favorite food memory is my husband and my trip to Europe a couple summers ago. So much amazing and lovely food and several meals we still talk about to this day! Great post and conversation starter.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued to try out this book now! I think my best bonding moment over food would be cooking holiday meals with my mom. We always work together for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I take care of most of the sides while she does the meat. I love cooking with her.
ReplyDeleteGlad you kept with the book and you liked it after all . :) I think I have bonded best with my mother when it comes to food. It's something we truly can talk about and connect with on a daily basis. I always tell her what I'm cooking or thinking of cooking and she is a cook at heart so she enjoys my tales. I hope to have that same relationship with my kids. It's so great when the ask me if I blogged about what they are eating for dinner. :)
ReplyDeleteThis book does sound like an enjoyable read. It is hard though to continue to read if my interest is not grabbed in the first few chapters.
ReplyDeleteA lot of people do not realize the connection of food and memories, but anyone that cooks, bakes or entertains a lot is all to familiar with it. Glad I have food that brings back special moments in time in my life.
We're going out of town this weekend...this sounds like a great book for my Kindle :) I love to read in the car~
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds great! My biggest food memory is always family. Lots of time in the kitchen making pastas and sauce and sitting together as one crazy family!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! I love your book reviews! I have so many food memories. I think the earliest one that always stands out for me is Thanksgiving. I grew up in a family of 7 kids so there was 9 of us around the table before guests. My mother was NOT a cook, but she put together Thanksgiving with gusto and a HUGE turkey. I always remember her basting the turkey and trying to stuff it back in the oven - because it was so large. I now know, that she cooked it FAR too long, but with enough gravy, and the sweetness of the day.....it was heaven!
ReplyDeleteMy mum had the typical syndrome on how important it is for girls to learn to cook and when growing up, I was drilled on cooking and those days, you don't have food processors or blenders, everything was grinding and pounding with hand.
ReplyDeleteI think I will thank my mum for the drilling she did for in my marriage, food and cooking does have an impact. My other half does not force me to cook but I can see how much he enjoys home cooked meals and the glow on his face while eating when I have prepared. So for me, food does bind a marriage relationship.
My biggest memory would be with my Dad in the kitchen cooking the most amazing mutton every Sunday (and he does till date).I was his assistant, he woud ask me to hand him all the spices and I was also his taste tester!
ReplyDeleteLiving in a country that is over 10,000 miles away from my home country for the past 17 years, I have come to realize that no topic breaks conversational barriers like food does! And from there, it leads to other stuff and I realize that behind the color is still a woman with the exact same emotions, fears, joys etc as mine!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the synopsis - I have hardly read anything for a while now, but will make a concerted effort to read again - before life passes me by ;)
Cheers and a Happy Valentines day to you! Priya
My biggest food memory is with my father when we were just teeny tots. He used to make lemon meringue pie from scratch and we were fascinated with the meringue. He would cover our faces in big white fluffy beards and we would lick it off, laughing all the way. I just love that memory.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest food memory would be with my mom in the kitchen...she cooked, and I ate ;-))
ReplyDeleteHappy Valentines Day!
Angie
Funny - because showers and the like were not a huge part of my life - and food is remembered over single girlfriend dinners back in the day. Go to Elliott Bay Book Store in Seattle - and bring your wallet. It's a delight.
ReplyDeleteFood has always been such a huge part of my family that most of my memories are associated in one way or another with it. The good, bad and the ugly. This was a lovely review; well thought out and written.
ReplyDelete@Claudia, I just looked at the Elliot Bay website--it looks fantastic and is close to my hotel. My wallet and I will head over there!
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone for sharing their food bonding memories...@Grubarazzi, I can just picture the meringue!
Sounds like a good read and makes us think of memories. Full of them, starting from the only time I could pin down Granny was chatting to her while watching her prepare matrimonial cake or date and apple turnovers and the ecstasy of tasting them afterwards, hot from the oven in front of her crackling fire.... thanks for rekindling that thought today. GIves a pink glow like that cover, just imagining the taste and Granny's smile.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteNothing wrong w/ that. LOL
ReplyDeleteMy Dad worked as a business consultant when I was growing up. This had him traveling all over the country M-F, leaving little family time during the week. Every Sunday before my Dad headed to the airport my Mom would put together a big Sunday dinner that we could all enjoy together. One of my favorites was roast chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. After dinner, my Dad would get his bag ready, then we'd all sit down to have dessert together and would send him off with wishes of safe travels and I'll miss you's.
ReplyDeleteI love your honest reviews. I'll have to order this book on Amazon and add it to my must reads.
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