It seemed appropriate to follow the Bourdain with another food book, this one focused on one of my great loves, MFK Fisher. I listened to the audiobook, and maybe zoned out a little here and there, unfortunately, but nonetheless absolutely relished this book. Written by Fisher's grand-nephew, it focuses mostly on her, and a pivotal moment in 1970, where she felt the world, and her life, changing, as the food scene evolved, and France no longer seemed as idyllic as it had formerly. It's a wonderful portrayal of an older woman who is reflecting on her successes, and relationships, and loves, and pondering what she wants. And for Fisher fans, it's just a pleasure to be in her orbit, so to speak. The pleasure was heightened, because over the weekend I got to have dinner at one of my all-time favorite restaurants, and they still have one of my favorite dishes on the menu, the boquerones, and having those with a small glass of sherry just feels like the perfect way to pay tribute to the woman.
But in addition to all the great MFK Fisher content, there's also plenty of wonderfully gossipy stuff about the (sometimes catty) social scene of all the major food writers — the Childs, James Beard, Elizabeth David, Richard Olney. And some interesting reflections on the changing American food scene, from the loving embrace of French cooking, and local produce, and the later rise of appreciation for various ethnic foods. There's a particular interest in the links to snobbery and pretension, and some occasional gestures towards our foodie present, and the culture of celebrity chefs and cooking shows. I didn't track this as much, regrettably, because my attention is rather divided these days, but there's some good stuff there.
Overall though, it's just an excellent summer read. The prose is lovely, and there are plenty of great descriptions of incredible meals. A very enjoyable book.
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