A collection of essays by one of America's best known food writers, that are often more autobiographical or historical than anecdotal musings on food preparation and consumption. The book includes culinary advice to World War II housewives plagued by food shortages, portraits of family members and friends (with all their idiosyncrasies) and notes on her studies at the University of Dijon, in France. Through each story she weaves her love of food and passion for cooking, and illustrates that our three basic needs as human beings--love, food and security--are so intermingled that it is difficult to think of one without the others. The book won the 1989 James Beard Cookbook Award.
Nation's Restaurant News, Michael Schrader
The prose is artistically crafted. . . . [Fisher has] set a standard for food writers.
Sunday Express, 24 August 2003
"...this is a compilation of American books filled with love of life and language...that inspires me..."
Rick Teverbaugh, Andersonville Herald-Bulletin, February 9, 1992
"Fisher is a thoughtful and skilled wordsmith and for those with fancy food on their minds, it is likely three hours well spent."
James Beard
"She writes about fleeting tastes and feasts vividly, excitingly, sensuously, exquisitely."
H.W. Coonley, Kliatt, January 1992
"These 13 excerpts from four of her books might well have been called not The Art of Eating, but The Art of Living, so broad ranging are their themes. They make up a delightful Fisher sampler that should win converts among the uninitiated and inspire approval among fans. Actress Diane Baker's clear and well-paced presentation rings with unmistakable enthusiasm, and adding to the pleasure of this book is the attractive cover painting. A treat!"
The Bookwatch, January 1992
"Actress/producer Diane Baker's reading of gastronomical advice from the pen of Fisher lends to an evocative, absorbing production describing feasts, culinary experiences, and the fine art of gourmet pleasures. Selections from numerous Fisher works offer a unified and smooth commentary on the finer points of food appreciation."
Sacramento News and Review, February 4, 1999
"In this two-tape set, narrated by Diane Baker, you can revel in the pleasure of "The Gastronomical Me," "Serve It Forth," "How to Cook a Wolf" and "An Alphabet for Gourmets"...M.F.K. Fisher is magical for anyone, in any era."
Book Description
The Art of Eating "…only wise men know the art of eating." —Brillat-Savarin "There is a communion of more than bodies when bread is broken and wine is drunk. And that is my answer when people ask me, Why do you write about hunger, and not wars or love?" So M. F. K. Fisher begins The Gastronomical Me, one of the five memorable volumes collected together here in The Art of Eating. The five books cover an eclectic array of thoughts, memories, and recipes, from World War I vignettes of frugality at the table to a consideration of the social status of vegetables. Her recipes range from those for all manner of oysters, dressed and undressed, to Cold Buttermilk Soup, and are accompanied by the remarks and observations that provoked W. H. Auden to say, "I do not know of anyone in the United States today who writes better prose." "M. F. K. Fisher evokes the magic that shimmers just beneath the surface of the most commonplace, everyday experiences in prose you can wrap around your soul." —Richard Sax, Chocolatier "M. F. K. Fisher is one of the best food writers. She makes you laugh, tells you stories, intrigues your mind, gives you an appetite, takes you on her travels. She is witty, wise, and unpretentious." —Jane Grigson "One of the world's finest food writers and, in the eyes of many, the grand dame of gastronomy…M. F. K. Fisher has remained our guiding light, the source of infinite gastronomic and philosophic wisdom, the model of what a truly refined food writer should strive for." —James Villas, Bon Appétit
The Art of Eating ANNOTATION
This classic volume is a collection of M.F.K. Fisher's best-known food memoirs, covering an eclectic array of thoughts, memories, and recipes, from World War I vignettes of frugality at the table to a consideration of the social status of vegetables.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
"There is a communion of more than bodies when bread is broken and wine is drunk. And that is my answer when people ask me, 'Why do you write about hunger, and not wars or love?'" So M.F.K. Fisher begins The Gastronomical Me, one of the five memorable volumes collected together here in The Art of Eating. The five books cover an eclectic array of thoughts, memories, and recipes, from World War I vignettes of frugality at the table to a consideration of the social status of vegetables. Her recipes range from those for all manner of oysters, dressed and undressed, to Cold Buttermilk Soup, and are accompanied by the remarks and observations that provoked W.H. Auden to say, "I do not know of anyone in the United States today who writes better prose."
Art & Photography
Book Info
