A Literary Culinary Journal
The whole of nature is a conjugation of the verb to eat, in the active and the passive.–William Ralph Inge, 1920
William Ralph Inge was an English author, Anglican priest, professor of divinity at Cambridge, and Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, which provided the appellation by which he was widely known, “Dean Inge.” Author of thirty-five books, he is best known of for his works on Plotinus and Christian Neoplatonic philosophy, and Christian mysticism.
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by Jonell Galloway
There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.–Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, when India was still under the British Empire.
More commonly known as “Mahatma,” he “pioneered a belief in resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, based on total nonviolence. This concept helped India to gain independence, and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.”
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Jamie Schler‘s latest article on the The Huffington Post, “You are What You Eat: a Food Blogger’s Dilemma,” is a must-read for any serious food blogger.
You might ask, “what is a serious food blogger?” One who has 2 million followers, one who gets a zillion hits a month, one with a goal in mind, such as a book or television show, or is it someone one who encourages healthy eating, who is interested in educating the public and sees it as almost a civic duty? That is a really good question in today’s topsy-turvy world, where famous is not necessarily good or good for you, and on the Internet, anything goes.
Image courtesy of CoffeeMuffins.com
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by Simón de Swaan
No coffee can be good in the mouth that does not first send a sweet offering of odor to the nostrils.–Henry Ward Beecher
Henry Ward Beecher — brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin — was a prominent Congregationalist clergyman, social reformer, abolitionist, and speaker in the mid to late 19th century. An 1875 adultery trial in which he was accused of having an affair with a married woman was one of the most notorious American trials of the 19th century.
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by Jonell Galloway
Ancient Grains for Modern Meals, by Maria Speck
My favorite cookbook of the year. Maria Speck knows how to incorporate ancient whole grains from around the world into dishes that remain rustic on the edges, but healthy, original and elegant at the same time. The technical explanations about ancient grains are excellent, as well as her explanations about general cooking techniques. The food stories she incorporates here and there about growing up in Greece and Germany add a touch of charm.
A must for any health-conscious real food lover who wants to eat interesting food combinations and dishes with a touch more sophistication that can pleasantly surprise guests, but not take them totally away from their references, because the dishes are for the most part influenced by Mediterranean cuisine.
The Poet’s Cookbook: Recipes from Germany, poems by 33 American poets with German translations
The Poet’s Cookbook: Recipes from Tuscany, poems by 28 Italian and American poets
I love the original concept of these books, pairing a food poem with a recipe. A poem by our Food Poetry Editor, Christina Daub, “Wine“, appears in the Tuscany version.
Farming: A Hand Book, by Wendell Berry
As a Kentuckian, Wendell Berry has forever been my mentor. He is, in my mind, the precursor of the Slow Food philosophy in the U.S., through the philosophy he has cultivated and spread for over 50 years now, well before Petrini and company started the Slow Food movement. Whether writing prose or poetry, he is always eloquent, and the same message of integrity, respect for others and for the land is the central message. This is one more inspiring book of poetry to add to our shelves of books to keep forever, that will comfort us in times of trouble, that we will pick up time and time again when we’re losing faith in humanity, devastated by the disrespect shown to the land, losing touch with our roots. Berry always says what he thinks in all his eloquence and with true gentillesse, but more than that, he lives the life he preaches, and that is consoling.
Food Wine Rome, by David Downie and Alison Harris, published by The Little Bookroom, part of The Terroir Guides series
Food Wine Burgundy, by David Downie and Alison Harris, published by The Little Bookroom, part of The Terroir Guides series
Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light, by David Downie
David Downie writes wonderful articles for The Rambling Epicure and Alison does exquisite food photo exhibits for our Food Art section. I can never get enough of their work, because the writing is exquisite and full of literary and historical references, and the photos are truly art. Downie always shows you the insider’s view of whatever he writes about, and Alison has a great eye for catching the very essence of what they’re covering, whether it be truffle hunting or discovering little out-of-the way restaurants in isolated villages. You can never go wrong with their books.
Dictionnaire Universel du Pain, by Jean-Philippe de Tonnac
Jean-Philippe de Tonnac also writes for The Rambling Epicure, and has recently become THE bread writer all bakers want to meet. This book should in my mind be translated into English immediately. It offers a wealth of information about bread from time immemorial, covering techniques and breads from around the world, as well as spirituality, sex, gluten intolerance, bakers as poets, bakers as prophets and much more. “Encyclopedia” would be a more appropriate term than “dictionary”.
The Self-Compassion Diet: Guided Practices to Lose Weight with Loving-Kindness by Jean Fain
Jean Fain has tried every diet out there, so she can speak with authority about the subject of weight loss. She is also affiliated with Harvard Medical School as a psychotherapist, so she has the credentials to talk about the subject. Her book takes a totally different approach to weight loss than any I’ve seen. She doesn’t count calories and restrict what you eat. Her approach is instead through the mind, to become mindful of what we eat, when we eat (when stressed or lonely, for example), why we eat (out of need to nourish ourselves or out of boredom or frustration); to appreciate what we eat, and above all to be conscious of our entire relationship with food.
The book teaches you how to take control of yourself and your relationship to food so that you can change the way you think about food in general, so that eating becomes a totally different experience. Jean does this through loving-kindness, self-hypnosis, meditation and numerous other weight-loss approaches, which you follow gradually, not all in one go. She also offers a CD including guided meditations to help patients after they have stopped therapy.
Her main thrust is self-love, that we must not be too hard on ourselves, or we’ll fall back in to our old and bad habits quickly. The beauty of the book and CD combination is that you can live half way around the planet and still follow her method.
Slow Food: Collected Thoughts on Taste, Tradition, and the Honest Pleasures of Food, by Carlo Petrini and Ben Watson
Mich Turner’s Masterclass: The Ultimate Guide to Cake Decorating Perfection, by Mich Turner, published by Jacqui Small LLP, London
Mitch Turner’s cake decorating book is worthy of a fine art book in its presentation, and of an encyclopedia in terms of the detailed explanations about cake decorating. Her pastry and cakes are truly works of art. A must for all pastry makers, whether professional or amateur.
Food art:
From Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography, by Hélène Dujardin
This book is special for many reasons. There are lots of people out there trying to learn food photography without a clue as to even the basic techniques required and no possibility of taking a food photography workshop. This is the book for them, because all the basics plus quite a lot more are explained in a clear, direct manner. It also verges on being an art book, because it is illustrated by Dujardin’s beautiful food photography.
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by Renu Chhabra
“For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Last Sunday, I went for a walk with my daughter in our neighborhood. It was a lovely autumn afternoon, and sunshine was gracing the landscape with its golden rays. Everywhere we looked, the view was stunning with trees dressed in red, green and golden tones. “Look at that red tree – it looks so majestic. Let’s take a picture of it,” I said. “And what about that wall covered with golden leaves? That’s very charming too,” she pointed out with excitement. Enjoying these simple moments was worth treasuring. We clicked several pictures of this beautiful scenery.
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Don’t miss Mark Bittman‘s “Thanksgiving as a model for sustainable cooking” in The New York Times.
The one thing that is different about Thanksgiving is that we are less wasteful. For the rest of the year, Americans have a record for throwing out at least 40% of their food, while even before Thanksgiving we are figuring out what do do with all the leftovers. Perhaps we should make this our model for the rest of the year.
…The holiday also contains a solution to one of our greatest problems today: our eating. We’re finding it incredibly hard to feed ourselves the way we want. It’s not, as many think, because food is so expensive or we’re so short on time, but because we have a perspective on cooking that impedes our getting real value from our ingredients, or the most from our time.
On Thanksgiving, though, we get it right.
Click here to read the rest of this very important article.
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Kathleen Wall, the amazing Colonial Foodways Culinarian at Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a living history project sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute, shared this on her Facebook page the other day. It’s a DVD about the true history of Thanksgiving, made by Kathleen herself.
The story of Thanksgiving, with its costumed Pilgrims, turkeys and pumpkin pie, zigzags through American history with some surprising twists. At the iconic Thanksgiving feast of 1621 — no pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce was served, and that event was wiped from the history books for 200 years! In the 19th Century, some southern states thought Thanksgiving was an abolitionist plot and refused to celebrate it. Thanksgiving didn’t become an annual national holiday until World War II! What started as a somber Puritan day of prayer is now about football and food. How did we get there?
Click here to listen to “Miles Standish” talk about the first harvest in Plymouth.
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Meet Jonell Galloway, a freelance writer and editor specialized in French cuisine. 
