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Sit round a dinner table and talk about the world and pretty soon someone will criticise America. I suppose if you’re the biggest, richest kid on the block, you’re bound to get a bit of stick now and then. But we neglect the many often good influences of America in our lives: films, TV, music, clothing, art, writing, and, of course, food. We have a great deal to praise America for; not the least of which is food writing. From countless sources across the country – newspapers, magazines, Web Blogs, books and other publications, editors can draw upon a colossal panorama of writing, to assemble into collections that read well in bed, by the fire, or near the kitchen (a good place, this, because good food writing is often an inspiration too cook). Recently I have been immersed in a wonderful book I commend to you.
American Food Writing, an anthology with Classic Recipes. Edited by Molly O’Neill. Medium format softback, published by The Library of America, New York in 2009 at $24.00 (from Amazon).
“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are” was one of the many quotable lines of the French lawyer-politician Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, who lived from 1755 to 1826. Brillat-Savarin today is remembered not for his legal or political career but for his writing on the many facets of gastronomy. His work The Physiology of Taste is essential reading for anyone interested in humankind’s relationship with sustenance.
In regard to the volume I am reviewing, I might paraphrase the French master: “Tell me what a nation eats and I will tell you what it is”.
For here, starting from 1751 and going right into the 21st century, is the incredible polyglot, many-faceted ethnic, cultural and religious mix that is America – in general and at the stove and the table. I happen to think that social history which includes or majors upon what we eat and drink is a more exact record of peoples’ and nations’ lives than dates of wars, battles, kings, rulers, presidents and prime ministers.
Molly O’Neill was food writer for the New York Times, arguably the most influential job of its kind in the world, for ten years. She has hosted TV food series, is a much published magazine contributor and a cookbook author. Her work here is exceptional. True, she has great writing to choose from, not only the greatest food writers but that of politicians, historians, chroniclers, essayists and novelists as well.
It is her selection that amazes. Every single piece is well written and absorbing and the book is unputdownable. And there is a continuous thread that keeps the reader from skipping. If you want a picture of America for the past two hundred and sixty years, look no further. If you simply enjoy good writing, buy it. And, if you have an interest in where your food comes from, how it gets to your market or shop and how it can best end up on your table, it’s essential. I guarantee that after reading your understanding of food will be enhanced.
