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7th out of 13 books
—
5 voters
An Alphabet for Gourmets
In Alphabet for Gourmets, M.F.K. Fisher arranges a selection of her essays in a whimsical way that reveals the breadth and depth of her passion. From A for (dining) alone to Z for Zakuski, "a Russian hors d'oeuvre," Fisher alights on both longtime obsessions and idiosyncratic digressions. As usual, she liberates her readers from caution and slavish adherence to culinary tr...more
Paperback, 232 pages
Published
October 10th 1989
by North Point Press
(first published 1949)
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I started reading this once, and only made it to about D or E before becoming distracted by The Gastronomical Me, which is contained in the same volume. I'll give it another try, and see if I can get all the way to Z for Zakuski this time.
More than a memoir with recipies, which genre I love to read, M.F.K. Fisher comments on her life with and without food. In alphabetical order Fisher offers opinions on topics such as the art of dining alone, the relationship of food and love, the uselessness of salt, and the proper place of hors d'oeuvres. The writing is especially interesting to me, a generation removed from Fisher's writing, as the book records Fisher's reponses to the food culture of her time and recalls my mother's kitchen a...more
An entertaining read. Though Fisher sticks to a familiar A-to-Z formula, the choices are not the obvious ones of 'A for Apple', rather she strays from cliché with essays on such such subjects as O for 'Ostentation', N for 'Nautical', Q for 'Quantity', and so on.
Some recipes are very much of their time (such quantities of meat, butter and cream are uncommon in modern cookery books, as are the various tinned vegetable or fruit concoctions) as are some of the opinions (that a woman's nagging is wha...more
Some recipes are very much of their time (such quantities of meat, butter and cream are uncommon in modern cookery books, as are the various tinned vegetable or fruit concoctions) as are some of the opinions (that a woman's nagging is wha...more
I feel like MFK Fisher is a secret the universe has been keeping from me --- and now, for whatever reason, has finally decided to reveal, much to my delight. Sure, some of her references are a bit dated, some of her judgments about things a bit stale, but the humor, strong opinions, and enthusiasm keep everything moving. Here's what she has to say about a dry martini: "It is as warming as a hearthfire in December, as stimulating as a good review by my favorite critic of a book I have published i...more
Some absolute moments of lyrical writing followed by didactic pretentiousness prevented me from giving the book the strongest rating. The book is organized literally in alphabetical order with an "A is for..." chapter title structure. Honestly A-F left me wanting, but as soon as I hit "G is for Gluttony", she lured me back in. (She queries that there is not a single person who hasn't stuffed themselves silly at one point just for the simple purpose of satisfying the "beastlike belly.") There is...more
I've read this already, but just found it at the used store and am now rereading and very excited. Everything MFK Fisher writes is always awesome, particularly if it is of the type "food essay". This is. Every book of the Art of Eating series is worth a serious perusal of the food writing section of every used bookstore in your experience. I now own two out of four and continue salivating and desperate to need the other half. The Art of Eating anthology is better than nothing, but, as it cuts ou...more
This was a truly fun book to read. The author had her tongue in her cheek most of the time and had a really dry sense of humor. Some chapters were more compelling than others, but such is the case with this type of book. I liked how some of the recipes were more narrative than the usual recipe format. She seemed to be a straight shooter to me, and, if wishes could be granted, I would have loved to have lunched with her.
My first MFK Fisher book and will be the first of many! Her writing is not as easy as some, but was still down to earth and peppered with small town phrases. Despite her fame in the food writing industry, Fisher was not a food snob advocate and was willing to eat anything....even canned pork and beans! This particular book is a collection of essays on Fishers various experiences with food and people spanning many years of her life...a food memoir if you will. The book also contains recipes, both...more
My favorite of her "food" books. As has been written of her, she wrote better about anything than anyone else.
The second M.F.K. Fisher book that I've read, and far less engaging than the first (Serve It Forth.) Maybe it's the endless descriptions of meat or maybe it's the misogynistic chapter about how a woman nagging can ruin an entire meal for her family and/or husband. Either way, I'm less in love with Fisher than I was when I read her first book expounding on the glories of food. Although, I won't deny that she's got style. Her signature receipts and her chapter about giving her eldest daughter her...more
MFK Fisher always recycles herself with style.
Fisher's wit transcends the cute A-Z format of the book. I found nothing predictable, no "A is for Apple". With chapters like, "O is for Ostentation" and my favorite "S is for Sad" I was charmed.
I would give Alphabet 4 1/2 for a maddening rant about how a nagging women will send any good man running and more importantly ruin the best meal. Sigh.
I would give Alphabet 4 1/2 for a maddening rant about how a nagging women will send any good man running and more importantly ruin the best meal. Sigh.
Thank you, Goodreads, for reminding me I said I was reading this.
I don't have a lot of pithy/useful commentary, but I have loved everything I have ever read by MFK Fisher. Do you like food, and also reading? Read her. Love her.
I don't have a lot of pithy/useful commentary, but I have loved everything I have ever read by MFK Fisher. Do you like food, and also reading? Read her. Love her.
well, half-read anyway.
I don't know how she does it, but she manages to sound at once sophisticated and gourmet, yet casual and real. This is my first of her books, and I'll definitely seek out more.
Dec 28, 2008
Elizabeth
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enticing so far and a great sense of humour
May 22, 2013
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Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher was a prolific and well-respected writer, writing more than 20 books during her lifetime and also publishing two volumes of journals and correspondence shortly before her death in 1992. Her first book, Serve it Forth, was published in 1937. Her books deal primarily with food, considering it from many aspects: preparation, natural history, culture, and philosophy. Fisher...more
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“...having bowed to the inevitability of the dictum that we must eat to live, we should ignore it and live to eat...”
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Nov 08, 2012 12:23pm