Saturday, February 25, 2006

Savouring Books

I come from a family that loves reading and you can call me a voracious reader. In my parents’ house we had a library and I used to devour all my mother’s stuff – including her nasty Harold Robbins’ Carpetbaggers at aged 10 (imagine her horror, and mine – when I first encountered the concept of auto-eroticization).

I hoard books and have around 30 unread titles waiting in the wings. Whenever I am out of the country, bookstores figure in my itinerary, even before the clothing shops. I like fiction, non-fiction, in love with biographies of fascinating people, but mostly I love books on food.

So I’ve decided to write a piece on five of my favorite food books. Why 5? Because that’s the maximum number of photos this blog article can hold. In reality I have a whole stash so email me if you’re searching for new titles.



Gastronaut (Adventures in Food for the Romantic, the Foolhardy and the Brave) by Stefan Gates
Love the title, love the deranged wit, laughed my ass off in countless passages. This book is for people fascinated by the crazier side of food, including extreme culinary experiences. There are menu recreations of memorable meals (The Last Supper, The last dinner at the Titanic, Francois Mitterand’s last meal (ortolans – illegal to hunt or eat in France, oysters, foie gras and capon)! Interesting sections center on Cannibalism (the gastronautical survey results show Brad Pitt and Kylie Minogue leading the list of famous people one would like to eat), How to throw a Bacchanalian Orgy (preferably with food that brings flights of fancy and marvels of sybaritic indulgence), Aphrodisiac Lothario Cuisine (make sure that alcohol is involved!) and recipes that horrify and inspire at equal amounts (Bum Sandwich-essentially a sandwich that you sit on for an hour to warm, Salmon and Issey Miyake Ceviche- ummmm, hello…Fish sperm on toast). Incidentally, Pinoys are certified gastronauts because this book includes pig ears (sisig!), suckling pig (lechon), insects and frogs – stuff we’ve eaten without batting an eyelash. Here’s a quick recipe in the book for you try:

Heartbreaker (Elvis Presley's favorite Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich)
In a bowl mash a ripe banana with 50g of peanut butter. Spread the resulting goo on 2 slices of white bread and sandwich together. In a small frying pan, melt the butter till foaming, then add the sandwich and fry on each side until golden brown. Eat while listening to Elvis’ version of “Suspicious Minds”. Truly wicked.



French Women Don’t Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano
The core essence of this book centers on Portion Control. I like that it champions the idea of eating what you want but in moderate amounts. Finally, no more resorting to deprivation! What a welcome idea coming from South Beach and all those diet fads. Personally I’ve never been on any diet and don’t intend to start soon. Life’s too short to deprive yourself of food, especially when you’ve worked so hard or stayed in the gym for like, 3 hours.

The book details recipes to try (I like em books with recipes, as you can see). My favorite:

Egg Omelette with Mixed Herbs and Ricotta Cheese
Mix 2 tbsps each of the ff herbs: parsley, chives, chervil and coriander, with 1 diced shallot, 1 tsp pimiento and a sprinkling of cayenne pepper. Cook mixture in olive oil, stirring constantly. Reserve.
Beat 10 eggs in 2 tbsps water. Add salt and pepper. Melt 1 tbsp butter in pan and add the egg-herb mixture. Stir until the omelette starts settling, then add 60g ricotta cheese or mascarpone. Cool for 3-4 minutes then serve immediately. Serves 4.



Comfort Me with Apples by Ruth Reichl
I love simply this woman to bits! Ruth Reichl started as the feared resident food critic of The NY Times and moved on to become the editor of Gourmet Magazine. This is her second book, following the first autobiographical title, Tender at the Bone. Ruth writes about her life and how food figured and continues to figure, prominently in it.

We actually tackled the two books in a Book Club meeting a long time ago and I remember our fantastic host, Angel G. recreating the dishes Ruth Reichl mentioned. She also came up with a menu for the book club gathering and I swear, she is truly the best host (love her!).

I asked hubby Christian recently this question, “If I were a dish, what would I be?” Without hesitation, he answered, “Sweet and Sour Pork!” Sigh. Well at least, it’s one of his favorites.



The Fourth Star (Dispatches from Inside Daniel Bouloud’s Celebrated New York Restaurant) by Leslie Brenner

I haven’t eaten in Daniel’s (I want to, I want to!!!) but judging from the reading, it seems that a meal there would be quite a fascinating experience. Leslie Brenner chronicles Daniel Bouloud’s fixation on getting the NY Times’ 4th Star (symbol of superstar restaurant/chef status, different from the Michelin, okay?). Along the way, you are sucked into the hectic world of restaurants – from the drama surrounding the reservationist’s table assignment policies to the chaotic, overheated, crazy scene behind the swinging kitchen doors. You wonder if the restaurants here would even hold a candle to Daniel’s where they fixate on plating, the linen, the timing of the dishes being served, everything.

A related title I am raring to start on is Rudolph Chelminski’s The Perfectionist (Life and Death in Haute Cuisine), an in-depth look at the top dogs of the French food scene and what it takes to get and hold on to those 3 Michelin Stars. It also chronicles the life of Cote d’Or superstar Bernard Loiseau who offed himself in the name of Haute Cuisine, much like the way of the legendary chef to the French King, Vatel.



The Book of Salt by Monique Truong
This fictional tale is about a Vietnamese cook Binh, who is the personal chef of the famous couple Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas in rue de Fleurus. It is a book to be savoured, the writing is a rich, poetic feast.

My favorite part is when Binh dines with The Man from the Bridge, when he first encounters Fleur de sel. Consider this passage:

Salt flowers, “ he translated, “Think of it in terms of a poem. A flower, as in the first to bloom in the heat of the sun. There is a development, a rise and fall, upon which the sea salt’s salinity becomes apparent, deepens and then disappears. Think of it as a kiss in the mouth.”

In the rare occasion that you encounter this in Fully Booked, buy it immediately. I promise that you shall not regret.

The book speaks of food in a most sensual manner, as it should.

4 Comments:

Blogger ... beachfreak said...

I'm a bookwork and finding out about these books are a great discovery. Will look for these as na-intriga na ko. Hehe.
*sweet and sour pork* Hehe.

11:47 AM

 
Blogger ... beachfreak said...

er, bookworm, not bookwork, as stated above. *toink*

11:47 AM

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi... was wondering what other books you have in your list. I also love reading and would love to get my hands on as many books (esp. on food) as possible. I would think you have in your list books that I still haven't read. Thanks.

9:13 AM

 
Blogger blair_mitch said...

Hey beachfreak, I like your new pic - very cool and intriguing.

CJ, thanks for visiting!

I'm pretty sure you've read Anthony Bourdain (Kitchen Confidential and a Cook's Tour) and Jeffrey Steingarten's stuff (The Man who Ate Everything).

I also like Peter Mayle's Provence series but after a while it's get a bit monotonous. My favorite Peter Mayle book though is A Dog's Life (written from the POV of a dog who lived with a foodie couple in Provence).

I have some other books on standby that seem pretty interesting, including Fork It Over (The Intrepid Adventures of a Professional Eater) by Alan Richman, the resident food critic of GQ Magazine and Stuffed by Patricia Volk. Try reading Toast by Nigel Slater. Plus the MFK Fisher classics.

If you're really deep into food then try the biography of James Beard, "The Solace of Food".

9:02 PM

 

Post a Comment

<< Home