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326th out of 469 books
—
977 voters
Talking with My Mouth Full: Crab Cakes, Bundt Cakes, and Other Kitchen Stories
What does America really eat? Which recipes do real home cooks turn to again and again? More often than not, they are dishes handed down from great aunts and painstakingly copied out of smudged recipe boxes rather than the creations of celebrity chefs. Bonny Wolf, food commentator for NPR's "Weekend Edition", writes about the great regional and family food traditions in t
Hardcover, 246 pages
Published
October 31st 2006
by St. Martin's Press
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Wolf is a food correspondent for NPR. She visits what are usually denigrated as the backwaters of the food world--state fair fare, bundt cakes, comfort foods, etc.--reminding us why they matter(ed) and ways in which they can be enjoyed today. She finds a lot of fun and memory in middle-class American food experience in essays with recipes attached. I made the German pancake this weekend and though I almost never makes dessert, I dug out my Bundt pan to use shortly. Her joie de vivre is infectiou...more
Delicious! This book was light, but fun, interesting and informative. I really enjoyed the conversational tone of the author. I especially enjoyed the chapters, "Ode to Toast" and "The Comforts of Food." I now must go dig out my bundt pan and have a go at some of the recipes! If you're a food writing fan, you'll really like this book.
I was sucked in by this book from the very beginning. I love to read about food and how it is a part of our culture and relationships. This book was also educational in a fun way. I learned the history of the bundt pan among other fun facts. Along with her stories she includes lots of recipes. I have already made her mother's chocolate pistachio cake and it was a big hit with my family. I enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book more, simply because I related to the stories and food more- many are also...more
I probably read too many food memoirs, but this one just didn't stand out for me. She jumped around in time, often not telling a lot of deep stories. At times, it would have been helpful to mention dates/years, as it seemed funny she hadn't had Mexican food before visiting Mexico, so I needed some context as I am sure 20-30 yrs ago this was common.
I guess what was frustrating was that her intention wasn't clear - was this meant to be a memoir or a food history book or what? She tended to list t...more
I guess what was frustrating was that her intention wasn't clear - was this meant to be a memoir or a food history book or what? She tended to list t...more
I don't get to listen to NPR anymore so I had no idea who Bonny Wolf is. Her book did not inspire me to want to find out. A fun food memoir = Ruth Reichl's book(s). This book was a weird collection of personal memories plus absolutely random paragraphs full of one person's food memory after another, with only tenuous links. Way too many times she lists people by their first names and offers some recipe or food-related information they gave her, and then moves on to another person's anecdote. Not...more
My mom's cookbooks - the ones she creates for her children and friends - are a bit like this. Stories of vinegar pie, followed by pie recipes, for example (vinegar pie is a tradition in my family - the story, not so much the recipe)...and lots of stories about my grandmother. Bonny Wolf is from Minneapolis so there were some overlaps with my experience of summers in Minneapolis. Pronto pups, for example, were a summer tradition.
I enjoyed most the chapter on Toast - probably because I agree with...more
I enjoyed most the chapter on Toast - probably because I agree with...more
3.5 out of 5 stars
Bonny Wolf works as a food correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday. In Talking with My Mouth Full, Wolf shares food memories and stories through a series of essays. It is a charming collection that makes a leisurely read for foodies. Wolf takes us on a nostalgic journey through the United States and its different regional foods. The essays focus more on comfort foods than on haute cuisine you find at upscale restaurants. There are essays about Bundt cakes, Jell-o, popove...more
Bonny Wolf works as a food correspondent for NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday. In Talking with My Mouth Full, Wolf shares food memories and stories through a series of essays. It is a charming collection that makes a leisurely read for foodies. Wolf takes us on a nostalgic journey through the United States and its different regional foods. The essays focus more on comfort foods than on haute cuisine you find at upscale restaurants. There are essays about Bundt cakes, Jell-o, popove...more
I picked this book up for my sister, a cook. Even though I'm not one, I still enjoyed the authors narratives. ( Yes, I usually read books before I give them as gifts as most people would believe I am endorsing the book by gifting it.) It brought back pleasant memories and made me ponder a few issues related to food I never would have otherwise. I am amazed that there are people so very much into food and cooking as this author.
TWMMF was our book group's recent monthly read. Very light-weight, as you might expect a kitchen story book to be. Nonetheless, very enjoyable to read - I want to be Ms. Wolf's neighbor, not the least to be able to enjoy the fabulous local market she's lucky enough to have nearby!
The book did prompt our group to bring great family "food stories" in addition to the great potluck that we always have for our meetings.
The book did prompt our group to bring great family "food stories" in addition to the great potluck that we always have for our meetings.
Entertainment Weekly ran an article last fall about the best in food writing and food memoirs. Some were certainly not the best (I found Madhur Jaffrey's Climbing the Mango Trees unreadable), but several have been worthwhile. This particular book is perfectly fine - it's fun to read, has funny anecdotes and personal details, and passes the time well. It's a good summer beach book for people that like food.
Kitchen stories is an apt name for this book--not heavy or serious like a memoir, but stories of food and the kitchen and how they weave through life. Very comfortable and unpretentious, with assorted recipes added in (the kind you end up scribbling on the back of an envelope or taking a quick picture of with the camera phone.)
Light, fun, essays on a wide variety of cooking topics. Bonny Wolf is a food writer for NPR's Weekend Edition. I had never heard of her before, but don't let that stop you. Each essay is loaded with interested food facts and finishes with a recipe or two.
I loved this book, it was like sitting down with someone going thru their recipe clippings and the stories and memories behind them. Each chapter is its own memoir followed by recipes. And now I want to make a Smith Island Cake.
A collection of essays by NPR's food writer. Nice light reading. Author is witty and easily relatable. One chapter is an "ode to toast" that made me crave cinnamon sugar toast for days.
This book is a collection of essays drawn from the author's appearances on NPR. Each one focuses around a type of food, such as bundt cakes, for which she shares stories from her life and others' lives. The stories are vividly full of details. The recipes also look great, and many are available online. It was just what I was hoping it would be.
A quick read about food, recipes and all the memories associated with them. Why yes, I did bake a bundt cake after reading the bundt chapter.
Fun read about the intersection of food, family, friends, and traditions. I like that she lives in DC - makes the book feel more personal to me.
This book is perfect for the metro. I loved the well written inspiring essays.
Found this book looking for one by Gail Simmons with the same basic name. This is a nice sorta food column book. Each chapter on a different food with recipes at the end. I like it.
interesting read for anyone who enjoys food memoirs.
OK--most of the recipes weren't my type.
This is just a really fun, and sneakily thought-provoking read. Plus recipes!
I smiled the whole way through this book. Wonderful stories about food from different parts of the US including many from my hometown of Baltimore. This best chapter was on the 59 types of food on a stick from the Minnesota State Fair.
I LOVED THIS BOOK AND SPENT TIME READING PARTS TO FRIENDS ON THE PHONE.
My mother sent this to my older brother with instructions to send it to me and I was to send it to my younger brother. I am going to order copies to send as gifts.
I LOVED THIS BOOK AND SPENT TIME READING PARTS TO FRIENDS ON THE PHONE.
My mother sent this to my older brother with instructions to send it to me and I was to send it to my younger brother. I am going to order copies to send as gifts.
Bonnie Wolf's essays were very enjoyable. She's read an interesting life, full of lots and lots of food. It was a lot of fun to read about regional cuisines, touching to read about the place food has had in her life and the life of her family, and of course, there are recipes! In addition to her own food experiences and stories, she incorporates the stories of her NPR listeners and column readers.
Got this as an impulse library book, being nearby on the shelf to one I'd set out to take home. I was a bit leery of so many recipes, fearing it'd be a jazzed up cookbook, and nothing more; I liked it so much I might get a copy for myself - the essays are right-on-target, and easy to relate to!
There are a lot of recipes, almost all of them chock-full of butter, cream, etc. -- so that's no good for us. Besides that, though, I just didn't like it -- too much about her grandma's recipe book and so forth. I usually enjoy memoirs, but this one felt too personal, if that makes any sense.
Do you know the feeling you get when a friend invites you over to eat and there are warm things in the oven and lovely looking things on the table and quiet music is playing and you tell all your secrets and just sink into the chair and breathe.......
This book is like that.
This book is like that.
Some of the essays were a little trite, but a few were really interesting discussions on food culture. I enjoyed her "Minnesota" perspective and can relate to the difficulty of procuring an eel for a "real" bouillabaisse.
this was a decent read as far as food memoirs go - it's saving grace is that it has some tasty-sounding recipes that i'm looking forward to trying.
This book is great! Each chapter is about a different food group, holiday or food tradition. At the end of each chapter are recipes. It would make a good gift for a friend who likes to read and cook.
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Apr 16, 2009 10:48am