More Than Meets the Eye

by Margaret Visser

This is a collection of short essays which discuss a variety of subjects, all loosely connected with food and cookery.

Paperback

Published January 1, 1991

About the author

Margaret Visser writes on the history, anthropology, and mythology of
everyday life. Her most recent book is The Gift of Thanks, published by HarperCollins. Her previous books, Much Depends on Dinner, The Rituals of Dinner, The Way We Are, and The Geometry of Love, have all been best sellers and have won major international awards, including the Glenfiddich Award for Foodbook of the Year in Britain in 1989, the International Association of Culinary Professionals' Literary Food Writing Award, and the Jane Grigson Award. In 2002 she gave the Massey Lectures on CBC radio, subsequently published as the best-selling book, Beyond Fate. Her books have been translated into French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. She appears frequently on radio and television, and has lectured extensively in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia. She divides her time between Toronto, Paris, and South West France.

Reviews

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my absolute all time favourite Penguin 60's! Food and eating are topics close to my heart and Margaret Visser writes about them with flair and an uncommon intelligence and honesty. I could have written the first chapter myself it resonates so deeply with me - it is something I certainly wish I had written. Each and every chapter taught me something new about food. I had no idea that eating broad beans could be deadly or that any other metal than gold ruins caviar. My favourite chapter was the one on the christmas pud for sentimental reasons. Every year my family makes one of the traditional cheesecloth wrapped puds from an old family recipe and hangs it up for a month before eating it on Christmas Day. I love Margaret Vissers wonderful way with words and will certainly be looking out for more of her works.

[Julie Thomason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read, I found the section on hens and cockerels quite fascinating but some of the descriptions of fighting were a bit distasteful. Interesting to read her thoughts on things sun as avocados which were just becoming a staple when she wrote this and now are common place. A curious and intresting read...