Love in a Dish . . . and Other Culinary Delights by M.F.K. Fisher

Love in a Dish . . . and Other Culinary Delights Reviews

• 
  Kirsty

  I was drawn to pick up prolific American food author M.F.K. Fisher’s Love in a Dish and Other Pieces following my reading of Laura Freeman’s memoir, The Reading Cure. Food and literature are two of my favourite things, and when they combine, magic can happen. That is entirely what I was expecting from my first taste of Fisher’s work.
  
  Love in a Dish and Other Pieces brings together Fisher’s ‘intimate culinary essays [which] are well-loved American classics, combining recipes with her anecdotes, reminiscences, cultural observations and passionate storytelling.’ Pieces which span her career have been selected by Anne Zimmerman, and each is described as ‘a perfectly crafted work of art’. Love in a Dish and Other Pieces contains eleven essays in all, including the marvellously titled ‘I was Really Very Hungry’, and ‘Let the Sky Rain Potatoes’.
  
  In 1929, Fisher travelled to Dijon, France, with her new husband. Here, she became enamoured with French cuisine, and ‘learned how to live and eat well and economically’. When she returned to the USA in 1932, a country at the mercy of the Great Depression, she began to write her essays. I thoroughly enjoyed the details which she shared about shopping when living in France, which is an experience in itself. She says that living in the country for an extended period allowed her to learn how to shop more efficiently: ‘Saturday mornings, there would always be a few crates of fresh vegetables. I could buy, for instance, little artichokes, new potatoes, carrots, courgettes, tomatoes, bananas; bread and butter and milk, of course, and some Gruyère cheese; a couple of soup sausages; and a copy of the weekly Mickey comics for the children. In the middle of the week, though, the stock at the store might consist of some dusty packages of noodles, a few big cubes of yellow laundry soap, and penny caramels for the twenty-eight children of the school district.’
  
  Throughout, Fisher’s tone is chatty and warm. She clearly delights in revisiting her often amusing recollections. In ‘I was Really Very Hungry’, for instance, she writes: ‘Once I met a young servant in northern Burgundy who was almost frighteningly fanatical about food, like a medieval woman possessed by a devil. Her obsession engulfed even my appreciation of the dishes she served, until I grew uncomfortable.’ The title essay follows a similar theme, of lavish course after lavish course pressed upon her whilst in France; more food is pressed upon her than she can eat, all with the insistence of an exuberant waitress. She also imparts details about members of her family; her Victorian grandmother, for instance, who, with all of her ‘neuroses… found salads generally suspect, but would tolerate the occasional serving of some watery lettuce in a dish beside each plate.’
  
  The content in Love in a Dish and Other Pieces is remarkably varied. Fisher tells of the history of potatoes, and how we came to eat them. There is an entire extended discussion on how to perfectly boil an egg. Throughout is her absolute devotion to culinary exploits. In ‘Once a Tramp, Always…’, she writes: ‘One does not need to be a king or mogul to indulge most, if not all, of his senses with the heady enjoyment of a dish – speaking in culinary terms, that is.’ Sating her senses is a true pleasure for Fisher, and she describes doing so in such evocative prose: ‘I can say just as surely that this minute, in a northern-California valley, I can taste-smell-hear-see and then feel between my teeth the potato chips I ate slowly one November afternoon in 1936, in the bar of the Lausanne Palace.’
  
  The pieces here are all relatively short, but none feel brief; rather, their content has been so carefully considered, and as such, they feel like expansive, extended essays. Fisher is an impassioned author who has a lot to say, and much wisdom to impart. Each piece here is incredibly engaging, and I appreciated that she included so many easy-to-follow recipes.
  
  Fisher is an excellent and entertaining writer, and I wish I had picked up her work years ago. What cheers me is that I have so many of her essays left to read; I am immensely keen to do so. Love in a Dish and Other Pieces is a wonderful blend of memoir and food writing, with the fondest of memories tied up with meals eaten and shared.
• 
  Taylor

  I was a bit disappointed by this read... I am thinking that maybe I wasn't in the mood. I also had just finished
  Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love, and Food, so maybe that is too much food reading in too short-a time frame.
  
  Love in a Dish is a collection of essays written by MFK Fisher, collected by Anne Zimmerman. The essays are long and short and speak to food directly, use food as a metaphor for LIFE, or regale tales wherein food was the inspiration for their happenings. MFK Fisher appears to be a witty, sarcastic, humourous woman who wrote for work and not always for fun.
  
  Perhaps one of her longer, more recognized works would be better suited to me.
• 
  Tiffany

  "...when our boulevards are lined with an infinity of bad eating houses filled with dead-faced people placed like mute beasts in their stalls; today, when one out of every three marriages ends in divorce ... It seems incredible that normal human beings not only tolerate the average American restaurant food, but actually prefer it to eating at home. The only possible explanation for such deliberate mass-poisoning, a kind of suicide of the spirit as well as the body, is that meals in the intimacy of a family dining-room or kitchen are unbearable."
  
  And it's only gotten worse since she wrote those words in 1948. 1948!
  
  On the thrill and degradation of potato chips:
  "...but I can say just as surely that this minute, in a northern-California valley, I can taste-smell-hear-see and feel between my teeth the potato chips I ate slowly one November afternoon in 1936, in the bar of the Lausanne Palace. They were uneven in both thickness and color, probably made by a new apprentice in the hotel kitchen, and almost surely they smelled faintly of either chicken or fish, for that was always the case there. They were a little too salty, to encourage me to drink. They were ineffable. I am still nourished by them. That is probably why I can be so firm about not eating my way through barrels, tunnels, mountains more of them here in the land where they hang like square cellophane fruit on wire trees in all grocery stores, to tempt me sharply every time I pass them."
  
  She makes up glorious words to describe her love affair with macadamia nuts:
  "I surprised my belle-secur and almost embarrassed myself by letting a small moan escape me when she put a bowl of them beside my chair; they were beautiful--so lumpy, Macadamian, salty, and golden! And I ate one, to save face. Oh, I can still sense its peculiar crispness and its complete Macadamianimity. How fortunate I am!"
  
  This woman really knew how to live!
  "I used to think in my Russian-novel days, that I would cherish a lover who managed through thick and thin, snow and sleet, to have a bunch of Parma violets on my breakfast tray each morning--also rain or shine, Christmas or August, and onward into complete Neverland. Later, I shifted my dream plan--a split of cold champagne one half hour before the tray! Violets, sparkling wine, and trays themselves were as nonexistent as the lover(s), of course, but once again, Why not?"
  
  I loved these essays for their insight into the recent past and into this amazing woman whose observations on food and family and all manner of other things resonates with me and the life I strive to have.
  
• 
  Camilla

  I have long been a fan of Fisher's writing. And I had never heard of this book which is a curated collection of Fisher's writing, selected and edited by Anne Zimmerman.
  
  Fisher writes about potatoes...
  
  "Baked slowly, with its skin rubbed first in a buttery hand...with a fat jug of rich cool milk or a chunk of fresh Gruyère, it fills the stomach and the soul with a satisfaction not too easy to attain. ...Although few realize it, to be complementary is in itself a compliment."
  
  She writes about eggs...
  
  "Probably one of the most private things in the world is an egg until it is broken. ...It is a poor figure of a man who will say that eggs are fit only to be eaten at breakfast."
  
  She muses about gluttony and cravings. She includes some recipes - Grandmother's Boiled Dressing, Eggs Obstaculos, and Francatelli's Quails À la Financière just to name a few.
  
  But my favorite essay in this book was "Love Letter to an Empty Shell." She writes, "It would be fun to write about the first time a shellfish freak like me ate each new find: an urchin pulled deep off a rock in a siniter calanque between Toulon and Cassis...; cold boiled winkles and a pin to jab them with, in a small pub in Liverpool...; cherry-stones, small at crisp...when the world-of-the-moment seemed to be whirling out of focus except for that cool nutty taste."
• 
  Tess

  I was recommended M.F.K. Fisher this time last year. I bought this book at the time and it has been waiting patiently ever since - but there was no patient waiting once I started it.
  
  There is a clarity to her writing that I found compelling. There is a careful exposition to her writing, which for me is something that lies outside of time, even if at times it shows its age. I do like the essay form or writing; the exploration and thoughtful rolling of ideas together with personal experiences and observations, and this book is a wonderful example of it.
  
  This is not a book to rush, but to savour - it's not going to take long to read anyhow! Just enjoy the journey and the memory of the writing will remain, just like the memory of well-enjoyed food. 'Poet of the appetites', John Updike says on the cover. Absolutely.
• 
  Alexis Tindall

  Charming collection of food writing from an earlier era. Quite lovely.
• 
  Matt Mair

  Delightful little stories about food, wine and it’s vitality.
• 
  Lisa

  MFK Fisher writes about food so well that you are tasting the words.
• 
  Karen

  I was first captivated by the simple, clear, breathtaking writing of M. F. K. Fisher in an anthology of women's writing that I read 20 years ago. I was in a cramped, outdated motel room at the shore, waiting for the rain to stop. Since then, I have read most of M.F. K. Fisher's books, and I have enjoyed all of them.
  
  In this collection of essays, M.FK. Fisher wrote of the joy of eating a tomato, a fresh peach, a plate of scrambled eggs or a dozen raw oysters, and I shared her joy. She described a tomato in Provence as: " A tomato there, for instance, is the essence of all tomatoes, of tomato-ness, the way a fragment from a Greek frieze is not a horse but horse itself. "
  
  M.F.K. discussed French food and French cooking techniques that I have never eaten and never heard of, but I enjoyed every word she said. She also noted the connection between bringing every day food to the table with love and keeping family relationships strong.
  
  I was intrigued by the introduction of this small compilation, especially since Anne Zimmerman, the editor, indicated that a number of these essays were published decades ago in magazines and would be lost to the average reader if not for this book. After I read the source list in the back of the book, I realized that 8 of the 11 essays were originally published in small magazines but they were reprinted Fisher's books. So I was a little disappointed that most of the essays were not unknown to me. I still loved them, but I would have enjoyed the collection better if more of the essays were not published in the books I have already read.
  
  I would recommend this book to anyone who appreciates well written essays, especially about food and all things French.
• 
  Anne Green

  Described as "personal, intimate culinary essays" this small collection has been compiled from several of the author's other books as part of the Penguin "Great Food" series.
  
  It shines with MFK Fisher's infectious enthusiasm and passion for life and the pleasures of the table. In it she combines anecdotes, reminiscences, personal memoir and cultural observations. She's been described as the greatest American prose writer. Her prose is indeed lyrical and very literary in style, although it does come across as a little old fashioned now. That however doesn't detract from the delight of these essays. One I particularly loved was "Once a Tramp ..." in which she discusses food cravings and confesses to two of her own, to which she is hopelessly but unrepentantly addicted.
  
  As a taste of her unique style and insights into the pleasures of the table, this little book is a wonderful introduction.
  
• 
  Ally

  This would be a wonderful introduction to the writing of M.F.K. Fisher, and to the genre of food writing in general. She expertly crafts personal experiences with food, travel, and life. Her essays envelop the reader and draw you fully and deeply into her world.
  
  In every selection from this collected work, I could close my eyes and easily visualize myself in whatever situation she was describing. I was marketing with her in southern France. I was dining on a train with her and her uncle. I was eating course, after exquisite course in a hole-in-the-wall Burgundian restaurant. I was riding with her, as a child, as she accompanied her father to procure jugs of homemade, local wines.
  
  Through M.F.K. Fisher's brilliant and delicious writing, I not only learned about food but the ways in which it is appreciated by people of different cultures and spheres. I'm especially interested to try some of the recipes included within.
• 
  Ape

  Never heard of MFK Fisher, but this little excerpt book made for interesting reading. It's a collection of some of Fisher's essays, spanning many decades, and on her experiences of food and drink - both eating, cooking and a wee bit of advice here and there on what to do and a few recipes. But mostly this is prose. She was an American although it seems she spent a lot of time as an adult living in different parts of France, so there is much praise of all things French in this book. I particularly enjoyed the tale about her arriving to this lonely restaurant run by a very high status chef. There was no on in that day, so all the focus was on her, and the waitress was seriously food obsessed. Fisher was encouraged to eat so many rich and fine dishes and didn't dare say no. She was absolutely stuffed by the end of her one-woman banquet.
• 
  Katy

  Oh what an unfamiliar food setting I was thrust into upon reading this book! Different countries, different cultures, different times. I thought food was a universal language, and in some ways, it can be, but here I learned how foreign it can be as well. Mostly I was shocked by the difference in time-- Fisher wrote in the first half of the twentieth century, with economies and types of foods varying widely from where we find ourselves today. She is a fantastic writer, and deftly weaves food through a variety of other topics. The titular essay was definitely the best (if still dated, about husbands demanding MEAT AND POTATOES for every meal of their little wives), but overall I enjoyed this collection in the way I might enjoy a new meal-- intriguing, but not quite satisfying.
• 
  Kevin

  The book itself is not spectacularly good, although I 100% underwrite the author's title piece: "Love in a dish".
  The quote from Brillat-Savarin "The way in which mealtimes are passed is most important to what hapiness we find in life" may seem preposterous but is by no degree so. Compare the hapiness you felt when dinners were merely a chain of take-aways and pre-fab TV-dinners to that when sharing even the simplest meal with those who we love. And how much hapiness cannot be found in adequately nourishing your body and mind with freshly prepared food and a good glass of wine, even when alone.
  You are not only what you eat, but how you eat is as well.
• 
  Niya

  It's difficult not to enjoy M.F.K. Fisher's work - the balance of her prose, her insights, her wonderful descriptive tendencies - whether she's describing the slow process of fruit going bad, or the taste of wine during prohibition - and this collection is rather delicious.
  The collection is thoughtfully put together, and composed of pieces that would be difficult to find online or in other publications. It's well worth the read and the slim volume would make a perfect holiday gift paired with an excellent bottle of wine and a bar of good chocolate.
• 
  Prestoni

  Some engrossing stories of life experiences with visits to eccentric eateries, some essay type observations of life. Much reference to him, his, he, even though the collection of culinary essays are written by a woman. Slightly distracting for the modern woman's eye. Perhaps the customary style of her day.
  Got slightly bored in some and skimmed over them, others contained fascinating recipes from times gone by that may not translate so well today, but it had me researching more to find out exactly what they were about.
• 
  Sara Pereira

  an amazing book. she has a very fluid writting, which makes it very easy to read. english not being by first language, i am always afraid of coming across a book with difficult vocabulary, exotic words and awkward sentences - this book doesn't have any of that.
  
  it narratives ressembles stories told by an aunt or family friend when they pop by our house for quick visit.
  
  interesting topics, nice tricks and recipes and an amazing life story.
  
  highly recommended.
• 
  Dottie

  I think this one didn't hit me quite as those of M.F.K. Fisher's own writings as they unfold in the original published volumes. Some loss of continuity of theme or thought due to the selection process or the arrangement, maybe? That is not to say that the individual essays are not vintage and fine Fisher musings on food and other related matters.
• 
  Anna

  I picked this up in the Travel Bookshelf on 3rd down the street from me (great place, go check it out) and I am SO HAPPY I DID. M.F.K. Fisher is a beautiful writer, she conjures images for me I haven't had elsewhere and made me think about my life...all while talking about the simple joy of a raw oyster. Also, she made me extremely hungry.
• 
  Asya

  The three stars are not for Fisher but for this collection, which is too sporadic and rather unfocused. Fisher's voice and passion and charm carries it off, but no thanks to the curatorship of the essays. On the other hand, we should be grateful her work is in print and seeing such renewed interest.
• 
  Johanne

  I hadn't come across MFK Fisher before, this book was a well chosen Xmas gift. It is a lovely collection of pieces around food and all from a past era. Favourite pieces are generally in France: a restaurant in Burgundy with an all knowing waitress, the pleasure of a Provencal market. But also a reminder of the seasonality of food in past times something that is largely lost now
• 
  Nancy

  A sweet gathering of some of the writings of MFK Fisher. I had heard so much about her I was glad to find this collection. Very short though.... makes you hungry for more. And... proves the adage - the more things change, the more they stay the same.
  
  
• 
  Mysteryfan

  A collection of essays about eggs, potatoes, oysters, wine, dining, cooking .... in short, a very good sampler of Fisher's writing. Her descriptions are positively luxurious. If you haven't read her before, this is a good introduction.
  
• 
  Lestari Hairul

  The best stories are the first two, and the one about the kitchens she's had in France through the years. They made me hungry, not just for food but for the pleasure in cooking (and also a bit of travelling).
• 
  Meredith Walker

  This is a small volume that celebrates her food in all of its guises. “Two Kitchens in Provence” in particular is lush with lyrical description to awaken the gastronomic senses in way that Frances Mayes took readers to rustic Italy in “Under the Tuscan Sun”.
• 
  Kristin

  This just happened to be in the recipe/food section at the library and it seemed interesting so I picked it up. Easy, 100-page read.
• 
  Danielle

  This chick loves food almost as much as I do but certainly writes about it much more eloquently.
• 
  Nora Strang

  Amazing to think of the history of this woman's writing/experiences. She set the standard for all food writers, let alone women. Succulent.