The day is finally here!!!! Where's Roxanne - can't wait any longer...
What a wonderful book and what a wonderful life she has lived. Who wouldn’t give their eye teeth to take off for Paris as young person and just have the time of her life.
My favorite parts, I think –
- when she saw Paul again and moved in to his Aunt’s apartment(page 27) – what a mélange of folks and Chef Pierre leading them thru dinner parties for a fee.
- How they just happened upon meeting Chef Fernand Point by seeing a big sign on the highway (page 32). I’d kill for that to happen in my life!
- I love it that we had the same God-awful, pretentious wine dispenser as they (page 53) – we thought we were so avant-garde
- Her descriptions of food and to be able have that knack, “a good piece of that meaty hen, a slice of pork, another of well-larded beef, a chunk of garlicky Provencal sausage, surrounded by leeks and carrots, and over all a spoonful of lovely, creamy sauce.” (page 88) Makes me hungry every time I read that.
- So many food book to order….and so pleased that I have so many of the ones she mentions.
- MFK Fisher’s lunch with Jones and her mother and Aunt Hilda (pg. 155) – and how her mother’s tastes had evolved over the years.
- I’ve marked the passage re her hospital stay (pg. 161) and Evan brought her the most sumptious meal…wine and candles and all for Roy to duplicate the next time I’m in there!!
- Did anyone else feel so darn cheated for her when Evan died? If there were ever two souls who needed to find each other, it seems it was these two.
- Another passage I loved, (page 191) “…how careful cooking is like writing. You have to find the exact word (or ingredient), to pare down (to get the essence of a flavor), to make seamless transitions (the compatible movement from one course to another).”
- And lastly, the picture on page 120 of Edna Lewis and Marion Cunningham – oh, to eavesdrop.
If I had to live my life over, I would be so torn between professional cooking and working to publish cookbooks of cooks from all over the world. What a fantastic job that would be.
I’ve already ordered two of the books from her ‘musings’ and I’m sure I’ll have to get more. For some reason I’ve never read MFK Fisher and I’m starting with her “The Art of Eating.”
-----
One thing from the book that we’ve never discussed here on the forum, is the wonderful method of adding ingredients to something you are cooking –
“As she added a new component, she would push away what she had just sautéed to create a dry ‘hot spot’ into which she would then plop her tomato paste or some other aromatic to ‘toast’ it before incorporating into the sauce.”
this is such a great thing to know and it’s something I’ve never thought of mentioning. It brings out the flavors initially so well. And, of course the flavor being intensified by the toasting and seeds, nuts, etc. before adding to a dish.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
So, what are we going to read next - someone else choose this time!! I'm ready.
What a wonderful book and what a wonderful life she has lived. Who wouldn’t give their eye teeth to take off for Paris as young person and just have the time of her life.
My favorite parts, I think –
- when she saw Paul again and moved in to his Aunt’s apartment(page 27) – what a mélange of folks and Chef Pierre leading them thru dinner parties for a fee.
- How they just happened upon meeting Chef Fernand Point by seeing a big sign on the highway (page 32). I’d kill for that to happen in my life!
- I love it that we had the same God-awful, pretentious wine dispenser as they (page 53) – we thought we were so avant-garde
- Her descriptions of food and to be able have that knack, “a good piece of that meaty hen, a slice of pork, another of well-larded beef, a chunk of garlicky Provencal sausage, surrounded by leeks and carrots, and over all a spoonful of lovely, creamy sauce.” (page 88) Makes me hungry every time I read that.
- So many food book to order….and so pleased that I have so many of the ones she mentions.
- MFK Fisher’s lunch with Jones and her mother and Aunt Hilda (pg. 155) – and how her mother’s tastes had evolved over the years.
- I’ve marked the passage re her hospital stay (pg. 161) and Evan brought her the most sumptious meal…wine and candles and all for Roy to duplicate the next time I’m in there!!
- Did anyone else feel so darn cheated for her when Evan died? If there were ever two souls who needed to find each other, it seems it was these two.
- Another passage I loved, (page 191) “…how careful cooking is like writing. You have to find the exact word (or ingredient), to pare down (to get the essence of a flavor), to make seamless transitions (the compatible movement from one course to another).”
- And lastly, the picture on page 120 of Edna Lewis and Marion Cunningham – oh, to eavesdrop.
If I had to live my life over, I would be so torn between professional cooking and working to publish cookbooks of cooks from all over the world. What a fantastic job that would be.
I’ve already ordered two of the books from her ‘musings’ and I’m sure I’ll have to get more. For some reason I’ve never read MFK Fisher and I’m starting with her “The Art of Eating.”
-----
One thing from the book that we’ve never discussed here on the forum, is the wonderful method of adding ingredients to something you are cooking –
“As she added a new component, she would push away what she had just sautéed to create a dry ‘hot spot’ into which she would then plop her tomato paste or some other aromatic to ‘toast’ it before incorporating into the sauce.”
this is such a great thing to know and it’s something I’ve never thought of mentioning. It brings out the flavors initially so well. And, of course the flavor being intensified by the toasting and seeds, nuts, etc. before adding to a dish.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
So, what are we going to read next - someone else choose this time!! I'm ready.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
www.achefsjourney.com