Gastronomical Me by MFK Fisher is at the top of my list from her collection. Her adoration for French food made a footprint in the culinary world before Julia Child set foot in France. She describes how two cultures' food, pre-WWII American and French cuisine, help one's palette find its way into a lifestyle of joy. She explains that in life, sometimes just enjoying a great pad of butter and a baguette can top your day. The heartiness of the bread’s crunchy crust and the smoothness of the rich butter are extensions of the culinary destination. The meal leads your senses to faraway places. Treat your stomach to a sense of adventure and let your mind wander. Find your local bakery, pick up a baguette with some European butter, and add a coffee and some MFK Fisher. Let her inspire you to cross that big ocean. The Gastronomical Me
The Sex Life of Food by Bunny Crumpacker is both fun and informative. She offers several historical facts on how food can be colorful, meaningful, and sensual. Why are we visually stimulated? What peaks our senses? She discusses Adam and Eve, the color wheel, and funny blurbs on manners. Her book describes the importance of what a culinary artist can ultimately produce on a white china plate, otherwise known as their canvas. The Sex Life of Food is an excellent option for a book club. The Sex Life of Food: When Body and Soul Meet to Eat
Twain's Feast: Searching for America's Lost Foods in the Footsteps of Samuel Clemens by Andrew Beahrs is an illuminating read. It includes some of Mark Twain’s favorite dishes while visiting select cities in America. From feasting on raccoons in Arkansas to eating oysters from San Francisco, Mark Twain has left a treasure map to these dishes and ingredients. As the author follows the trail from before the 20th century, he finds that some of Twain’s favorite places or food selections no longer exist. With Beahrs following the footsteps of Mark Twain's food journal, he lets you know that not everyone loves wild and rustic American food. It’s fun, adventurous, and personal — witness history through someone's appetite with Beahrs’ thought-provoking book. Twain's Feast: Searching for America's Lost Foods in the Footsteps of Samuel Clemens