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The Poetry of Good Eats
Gary Dickson is an inveterate traveler, an avid gourmet, and a Francophile sans merci. He received his B.A. degree in history while in the United States and then attended graduate school at l’Université de Lausanne, Faculté des Lettres to study l’histoire in Switzerland. In addition to his poetry, Gary has written two novels: An Improbable Pairing, a 1960s historical romance, and its romantic thriller sequel, A Spy with Scruples. Gary lives in Los Angeles with his wife Susie where he continues to write.
148 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 10, 2020
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781 people want to read
About the author
Gary Dickson
4 books65 followersGary Dickson is an inveterate traveler and a Francophile sans merci. Educated in the United States and the University of Lausanne in Switzerland in history, literature, and the classics, Gary lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Susie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
July 5, 2020
Foodies!...
Delectable French-inspired recipes, mouth-watering poetry.
I was very happy that the poems and recipes were included in English, directly AFTER the French excerpts. I could only read the parts that were in English, as I cannot speak or read French.
The recipes were jaw-dropping, I highlighted almost all of them to refer back to and cook in the future, hopefully, the next grocery trip!
The recipes shared are derived from internet sources, I was under the impression they were inspired by the author's travels, but each recipe had an internet link at the end and was also included again in the resource section. (Maybe it was the poems that were inspired by travel, I could be mistaken.)
A POETRY OF GOOD EATS definitely increased my appetite (have some tasty snacks ready, you'll thank me later), made me crave chocolate (of course, because we don't have any in the house right now), and gave me a sense of hygge while reading.
My favorite poem was called CHOCOLATE. Afterward, a Chocolate Sauce recipe is shared, I could have cried.
Poetry about good eats and including the recipes for those good eats was genius!
"The primary requisite for writing well about food is a good appetite."
Minus a few format errors and typos in the e-book ARC, this was beautiful. There is nothing like stimulating the senses: art, the taste of food, how it looks, the tastes, the ingredients, where it comes from, the people who raise it; this was delicious as well as lovely.
Much gratitude to the Goodreads Giveaway Program and the author Gary Dickson, for the early e-book ARC I won. I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given.
Delectable French-inspired recipes, mouth-watering poetry.
I was very happy that the poems and recipes were included in English, directly AFTER the French excerpts. I could only read the parts that were in English, as I cannot speak or read French.
The recipes were jaw-dropping, I highlighted almost all of them to refer back to and cook in the future, hopefully, the next grocery trip!
The recipes shared are derived from internet sources, I was under the impression they were inspired by the author's travels, but each recipe had an internet link at the end and was also included again in the resource section. (Maybe it was the poems that were inspired by travel, I could be mistaken.)
A POETRY OF GOOD EATS definitely increased my appetite (have some tasty snacks ready, you'll thank me later), made me crave chocolate (of course, because we don't have any in the house right now), and gave me a sense of hygge while reading.
My favorite poem was called CHOCOLATE. Afterward, a Chocolate Sauce recipe is shared, I could have cried.
Poetry about good eats and including the recipes for those good eats was genius!
"The primary requisite for writing well about food is a good appetite."
Minus a few format errors and typos in the e-book ARC, this was beautiful. There is nothing like stimulating the senses: art, the taste of food, how it looks, the tastes, the ingredients, where it comes from, the people who raise it; this was delicious as well as lovely.
Much gratitude to the Goodreads Giveaway Program and the author Gary Dickson, for the early e-book ARC I won. I was under no obligation to write a review, my honest opinion is freely given.
May 3, 2020
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
A Francophile gourmet, the author writes odes to various French foods. Half the book is in French, half in English. There's also recipes for each of these foods.
Different, and educational.
A Francophile gourmet, the author writes odes to various French foods. Half the book is in French, half in English. There's also recipes for each of these foods.
Different, and educational.
May 6, 2020
This book contains not only poetry about food but also recipes featuring each ingredient after the featured poem. The book is written in French and translated into English. Unfortunately the poems were little more than definitions of the food with perhaps a couple of reflections. The recipes were almost all adapted from Internet sources. A book of poems about food seemed like a pleasant way to spend time, but these poems did not contribute to a happy feeling. The derivative recipes lack any special quality as well. It appears no one proofread the volume. Misspellings and untranslated terms (such as oignon) appear frequently in the English sections. I received the book through a GoodReads giveaway. Although a review is not required, one is appreciated.
April 18, 2020
This book is in French and English. My English is strong. My French is more desire to know the language than being fluent in it. I found though it is a wonderful way to practice my reading. If you are looking for a practical yet fun gift for a student of French, this book would be a lovely gift.
I will be using this book often. I love the recipes in it. Probably because I’m a huge fan of cheese and it is in many of the recipes. I’m also not afraid of heavy cream, though I don’t use it daily. Trying a couple of the recipes is why I delayed the review. I did find a little bit of difference in the French version and the English version in a few of the recipes. I’m not sure yet if it makes a difference. I need to try them both ways. There is a formatting issue with the English recipes. The ingredients run together like a sentence rather than as a list in some of the recipes. For the ones I tried, I did fine, though I did read the list a couple of times before starting to cook.
The poetry is not in the style I was use to and I was thrilled by that. I like to see all the ways something can be done. I enjoyed reading it. I will be spending time going over the French versions until I can read them well.
Thank you to Goodreads, the author and publisher for offering this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. I was lucky to be one of the winners. No review is required. I voluntarily reviewed this book. The opinions expressed are based upon my enjoyment of the book and my ability to use the recipes. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys French food and the French language.
I will be using this book often. I love the recipes in it. Probably because I’m a huge fan of cheese and it is in many of the recipes. I’m also not afraid of heavy cream, though I don’t use it daily. Trying a couple of the recipes is why I delayed the review. I did find a little bit of difference in the French version and the English version in a few of the recipes. I’m not sure yet if it makes a difference. I need to try them both ways. There is a formatting issue with the English recipes. The ingredients run together like a sentence rather than as a list in some of the recipes. For the ones I tried, I did fine, though I did read the list a couple of times before starting to cook.
The poetry is not in the style I was use to and I was thrilled by that. I like to see all the ways something can be done. I enjoyed reading it. I will be spending time going over the French versions until I can read them well.
Thank you to Goodreads, the author and publisher for offering this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. I was lucky to be one of the winners. No review is required. I voluntarily reviewed this book. The opinions expressed are based upon my enjoyment of the book and my ability to use the recipes. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys French food and the French language.
April 6, 2020
Mouth Watering!!
So many mouth watering recipes!! Thank you for
also putting it in English for us non French speaking, lovers of food!!
So many mouth watering recipes!! Thank you for
also putting it in English for us non French speaking, lovers of food!!
April 15, 2020
I received a free digital copy of this collection through a giveaway hosted on GoodReads.
Warning: do not read thus book when you are hungry, because it's sure to make your mouth water, and you'll find yourself wanting every single thing Dickson describes. I know I did, and though I have yet to make any of them yet, I was very happy that this book contains a recipe accompanying each poem, and I hope to give quite a few of them a try someday.
If you have never heard the term "food porn", or if you have and wondered what it was, then this book is the perfect example to teach you, every poem describes the foods in beautiful detail, making the reader feel as if they are sitting across the table from him as he enjoys it, but they are not allowed to have a taste. And after he finished describing how luxurious each dish is to the tastebuds, he then provides a mouthwatering recipe to prepare it oneself, if they are able to obtain the ingredients. In addition to this, the poems and recipes are both provided in both French and English, giving it the unique quality of being accessible to more cultures and language communities, as well as being an excellent resource to English speakers learning French, or vise versa, who have mastered thed basics and are looking for a bit of a challenge for their linguistic skills.
There's not much negative I can really say. Some of the interests listed in the recipes seemed a bit obscure, at least for where I come from, though the author never said these were any common foods described. Otherwise, the only issue I encountered was some minor typos and formatting issues, which seem common in ebooks. I don't speak very much French at the current time, so I cannot say much in regards to the French pages, but the English recipes almost all contained at least one instance, usually more, of the ingredients being listed on the same line as the one before it, making some of the lists difficult to understand the first time reading through them. Other than that, this is a great collection, perfect for lovers of food and cooking, poetry, or foreign language studies.
Warning: do not read thus book when you are hungry, because it's sure to make your mouth water, and you'll find yourself wanting every single thing Dickson describes. I know I did, and though I have yet to make any of them yet, I was very happy that this book contains a recipe accompanying each poem, and I hope to give quite a few of them a try someday.
If you have never heard the term "food porn", or if you have and wondered what it was, then this book is the perfect example to teach you, every poem describes the foods in beautiful detail, making the reader feel as if they are sitting across the table from him as he enjoys it, but they are not allowed to have a taste. And after he finished describing how luxurious each dish is to the tastebuds, he then provides a mouthwatering recipe to prepare it oneself, if they are able to obtain the ingredients. In addition to this, the poems and recipes are both provided in both French and English, giving it the unique quality of being accessible to more cultures and language communities, as well as being an excellent resource to English speakers learning French, or vise versa, who have mastered thed basics and are looking for a bit of a challenge for their linguistic skills.
There's not much negative I can really say. Some of the interests listed in the recipes seemed a bit obscure, at least for where I come from, though the author never said these were any common foods described. Otherwise, the only issue I encountered was some minor typos and formatting issues, which seem common in ebooks. I don't speak very much French at the current time, so I cannot say much in regards to the French pages, but the English recipes almost all contained at least one instance, usually more, of the ingredients being listed on the same line as the one before it, making some of the lists difficult to understand the first time reading through them. Other than that, this is a great collection, perfect for lovers of food and cooking, poetry, or foreign language studies.
May 15, 2020
Disappointing.
After receiving it as a goodreads giveaway, I was excited about reading this collection of poetry and recipes from a fellow francophone who had spent a few years living in Lausanne. I am very familiar with the area and it’s cuisine after living only 50 miles from there for over a decade.
The poetry was ostensibly descriptions of ingredients including at times some history of their origins, and therefore informative. I found the poems better in French, and the English versions often read like clunky translations.
My main disappointment was with the recipes. I was expecting to read recipes by the author as he had made them in France/Switzerland followed by a version of how it could be adapted to a US cook given that not all ingredients are readily available outside of their region of origin.
Instead the author has copied recipes he’d found from various online sources, often giving very different recipes for a particular ingredient. There was no continuity in the layout of the recipes, and they included numerous typos.
I think the premise of this collection was good, and it could have been so much better if the author had not just copy and pasted more than half of it.
My rating of two stars is mostly in appreciation of reminding me of the pleasures of a good vacherin, and a delicious poulet de Bresse.
After receiving it as a goodreads giveaway, I was excited about reading this collection of poetry and recipes from a fellow francophone who had spent a few years living in Lausanne. I am very familiar with the area and it’s cuisine after living only 50 miles from there for over a decade.
The poetry was ostensibly descriptions of ingredients including at times some history of their origins, and therefore informative. I found the poems better in French, and the English versions often read like clunky translations.
My main disappointment was with the recipes. I was expecting to read recipes by the author as he had made them in France/Switzerland followed by a version of how it could be adapted to a US cook given that not all ingredients are readily available outside of their region of origin.
Instead the author has copied recipes he’d found from various online sources, often giving very different recipes for a particular ingredient. There was no continuity in the layout of the recipes, and they included numerous typos.
I think the premise of this collection was good, and it could have been so much better if the author had not just copy and pasted more than half of it.
My rating of two stars is mostly in appreciation of reminding me of the pleasures of a good vacherin, and a delicious poulet de Bresse.
March 31, 2020
A Bilingual Culinary Memoir
A matter-of-fact book that first gives the reader a rationale for its existence, then gives some of the author's history, and then provides a poem whose subject is the recipe directly following.
I enjoyed reading the poems, and loved the recipes. While these may be standard fare in today's France, I doubt that many Americans would tackle the sauerkraut recipe, much less many of which call for heavy cream.
This does not diminish the significance of this book, but just is likely to make its appeal to a smaller niche group of readers.
I collect cookbooks and read poetry, so this book was spot on for me. There is a need for some editing in a few of the recipes where the ingredients run together making comprehension a bit of a chore.
I have and use most of the ingredients in the recipes, so I know that this book will appeal to the person who can afford these ingredients and complementary cookware and tools. But a creative person can easily substitute and take inspiration from this author's efforts. It's clear he's been fortunate on many levels, and gently shared his find experience. I only wish there has been a few more anecdotes with details (think "A Year in Provence.)
All-in-all a keeper cookbook.
A matter-of-fact book that first gives the reader a rationale for its existence, then gives some of the author's history, and then provides a poem whose subject is the recipe directly following.
I enjoyed reading the poems, and loved the recipes. While these may be standard fare in today's France, I doubt that many Americans would tackle the sauerkraut recipe, much less many of which call for heavy cream.
This does not diminish the significance of this book, but just is likely to make its appeal to a smaller niche group of readers.
I collect cookbooks and read poetry, so this book was spot on for me. There is a need for some editing in a few of the recipes where the ingredients run together making comprehension a bit of a chore.
I have and use most of the ingredients in the recipes, so I know that this book will appeal to the person who can afford these ingredients and complementary cookware and tools. But a creative person can easily substitute and take inspiration from this author's efforts. It's clear he's been fortunate on many levels, and gently shared his find experience. I only wish there has been a few more anecdotes with details (think "A Year in Provence.)
All-in-all a keeper cookbook.
April 25, 2020
Well, completely not what I was expecting.
This is a bilingual book, half French and half English. It consists of the author's poems, each based on a single food item or ingredient, in both languages. A recipe follows each poem, once again in both languages.
So - what do I think?
The poems were not very interesting, but I have to admit poetry is not my thing.
The recipes were very simple, at least the English ones. Because even with only a bit of "cookbook French" I was able to discern that the French and English recipes were (in the majority of cases) not the same. Also, the English recipe ingredient lists seemed to run together, making it difficult to follow.
Not sure who this is for - probably not for poets, not for cooks, maybe beginner French students who also want to learn how to cook?
This is a bilingual book, half French and half English. It consists of the author's poems, each based on a single food item or ingredient, in both languages. A recipe follows each poem, once again in both languages.
So - what do I think?
The poems were not very interesting, but I have to admit poetry is not my thing.
The recipes were very simple, at least the English ones. Because even with only a bit of "cookbook French" I was able to discern that the French and English recipes were (in the majority of cases) not the same. Also, the English recipe ingredient lists seemed to run together, making it difficult to follow.
Not sure who this is for - probably not for poets, not for cooks, maybe beginner French students who also want to learn how to cook?
May 19, 2020
I received this book (Kindle version) in a Goodreads giveaway, and was glad for the opportunity to experience reading it. I do not speak French, but I read through the French pages anyway, a first for me, and liked the ability to check the English version to see if I had the right idea. The poems would whet my appetite for the recipes to come. It was interesting that the English version and French version of the recipes often featured different ingredients and preparations. I am looking forward to trying some side by side comparisons. There was definitely a formatting issue on the ingredients list in some of the English recipes in which the ingredients were not listed separately, but it won’t deter me from trying out the recipes. I enjoyed the author’s nostalgia and delight in simple ingredients.
April 10, 2020
What a delightful afternoon read. I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of poetry with recipes, French with English, food with trips down memory lane.
I've decided to give the Roquefort Potato Gratin a go for tomorrow's night meal. Although I'll need to substitute for a lesser blue cheese (my COVID19 pantry isn't up to its usual sense of variety), I believe the fish will be delicious. And as the author used food to relive some of his fondest memories, I'll use this recipe to remember my dearly departed Mom who always managed to have some Roquefort cheese in the fridge, no matter how poor we were.
This review is my honest opinion of a greatly appreciated free copy received from Goodreads Giveaway. My only dismay came because of frequent formatting glitches in the Kindle version.
I've decided to give the Roquefort Potato Gratin a go for tomorrow's night meal. Although I'll need to substitute for a lesser blue cheese (my COVID19 pantry isn't up to its usual sense of variety), I believe the fish will be delicious. And as the author used food to relive some of his fondest memories, I'll use this recipe to remember my dearly departed Mom who always managed to have some Roquefort cheese in the fridge, no matter how poor we were.
This review is my honest opinion of a greatly appreciated free copy received from Goodreads Giveaway. My only dismay came because of frequent formatting glitches in the Kindle version.
May 2, 2020
“Heaven is this honey, a croissant and coffee.” The problem with this book is that it's a great idea and there aren't enough DIFFERENT cookbooks on the market, but that there's no audience. The French-American poet-lovers, who do not know how to cook, yet are interested in cooking, is an audience a little too niche. The book is only 140 pages and only 25% of the content was useful to me, an English speaker looking for new recipes. Those who do not speak French skip to the English and, still, none of the recipes are special: asparagus, walnuts, champagne. The poems are great and have certainly made the book interesting, awing, and unconventional, but some readers have to skip around to get to them.
April 25, 2020
This is a little gem of a book, especially if you love the simple beauty of life and food in France. It is written in both French and English. There is a poem about each food, then a recipe. If you know any French at all, try to read the poem in that mode. The beauty of the language and the visual images are pure art. The recipes are simple, respectful of the ingredients, and truly French. As the author says, many foods are really only themselves in their native area of France, so we will never reproduce a dish truly, but this is as close as we can get. Lovely book.
May 10, 2020
I was initially intrigued by poetry about food but quickly realized that the art form of poetry created a beautiful trip through unique ingredients and a seemingly multi-sense experience. It was a quick read and the English/French translations seemed to make the immersion deeper. I’m a little surprised the book doesn’t include pictures since it’s 50% cook book and would really deepen the experience for anyone who can’t imagine a specific ingredient or dish in their mind. Overall a nice quick read that left me wanting to visit a small restaurant to try the great food mentioned.
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May 20, 2020This book contains French and English versions of the poems and recipes, which I appreciate.
The poems aren’t hard to understand or too vague/personal only to the author. Some of the poems read a bit like a recipe or entry in a history of food book - very matter of fact.
The star of the book is the recipes, adapted from various sources that are listed. This poetry-cookbook is not for vegetarians or vegans, fyi.
My favorite poems from the collection are “Artichoke” and “Fondue.”
I received this ebook as a giveaway via Goodreads. These are my unbiased thoughts.
The poems aren’t hard to understand or too vague/personal only to the author. Some of the poems read a bit like a recipe or entry in a history of food book - very matter of fact.
The star of the book is the recipes, adapted from various sources that are listed. This poetry-cookbook is not for vegetarians or vegans, fyi.
My favorite poems from the collection are “Artichoke” and “Fondue.”
I received this ebook as a giveaway via Goodreads. These are my unbiased thoughts.
April 17, 2020
A charming book full of love poems to good French cooking. The poems read a little better in the French than in the English, some of the beauty is lost and the descriptions become a little more matter of fact. The recipes are not the poet’s own, but everything is properly accredited. Not many recipes I can make while self isolating, although I am tempted to make a boulliabase for dinner sometime this weekend.
May 22, 2020
There's not a lot to say about this book because there's not much to it. I won it in a giveaway and thought I'd made a mistake in my request when kindle called it the French edition, but flipping through it I found everything translated to English as well. Since I don't know French and skipped the recipes, this was a fast read and not that memorable to me. It was fine, and I'll probably never read it again.
May 27, 2020
This had a great premise but just didn't come through for me. Food can evoke so much and I felt the poems were more descriptive of the actual fruit rather than any emotion in present in the words. The recipes would be nice if there really was a connection, but rather they seemed to be randomly pulled from the internet and placed strictly based because they contained that food previously described.
April 13, 2020
Meh
There doesn't seem to be any kind of organization as far as what course these recipes are in. Very little in the way of history of the food or poems about food outside of what might be found on Wikipedia. Also: a cookbook without pictures? A shame.
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway
There doesn't seem to be any kind of organization as far as what course these recipes are in. Very little in the way of history of the food or poems about food outside of what might be found on Wikipedia. Also: a cookbook without pictures? A shame.
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway
April 16, 2020
Different and Fun
I don’t speak French, so I can only comment on the English half of this book. I am also in the COVID lockdown, so am not able to go out and get the ingredients to try most of the recipes, BUT I enjoyed the poetry and reading/dreaming about the recipes. I hope to one day try some of them.
I don’t speak French, so I can only comment on the English half of this book. I am also in the COVID lockdown, so am not able to go out and get the ingredients to try most of the recipes, BUT I enjoyed the poetry and reading/dreaming about the recipes. I hope to one day try some of them.
May 12, 2020
I received this in a goodreads giveaway. I thought this book was good for what it is supposed to be, a bilingual cookbook with poems. I would have enjoyed the poetry more if I could read in both languages, but the recipes were descriptive enough. I would have liked pictures of the food in addition to the poems and recipes.
May 13, 2020
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
It took less than half an hour to finish this. Each poem about various foods and dishes is written in both French and English, and each one has a recipe accompanying it, also in both languages.
The poems were short and lovely, and the recipes look marvelous. How does one rate a poem/cookbook in one? I thoroughly enjoyed this, so 5 stars it is.
It took less than half an hour to finish this. Each poem about various foods and dishes is written in both French and English, and each one has a recipe accompanying it, also in both languages.
The poems were short and lovely, and the recipes look marvelous. How does one rate a poem/cookbook in one? I thoroughly enjoyed this, so 5 stars it is.
May 18, 2020
Review for giveaway
Wish it committed to either food poetry or recipes, but together not enough material . Also the French interspersed makes me worry to the quality of translations.
Wish it committed to either food poetry or recipes, but together not enough material . Also the French interspersed makes me worry to the quality of translations.
July 9, 2020
I won Poetry of Good Eats as part of a kindle giveaway. The book is written in French and English. Each section has a poem describing a dish then a delectable recipe follows. Just looking at the recipes makes me hungry.
August 9, 2020
This book combines poetry and recipes. The poet shares his love of French cuisine and its culture and origins. The poems are intense in their descriptions and the recipes seem meant to make exquisite meals.
March 31, 2020
This was a very enjoyable reading experience. Most of the recipes look like something even a novice cook (like me) could accomplish.
April 12, 2020
A Four Star Read
I liked the poems. Unfortunately I don't know French so I couldn't read them in both languages. Some of the recipes sound good too.
I liked the poems. Unfortunately I don't know French so I couldn't read them in both languages. Some of the recipes sound good too.
April 12, 2020
A wonderful book. I highly recommend
April 21, 2020
Unique read
May 1, 2020
Fun collection of poems and recipes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews