Secret Ingredients

Starred review from December 31, 2007
This volume of food writing from the New Yorker
proves again that famous weekly's reputation for literary and journalistic excellence. An anthology of reporting both recent and vintage, this book takes readers from the oyster beds of Long Island to the bistros of Paris, from artisanal tofu joints in Japan to a Miami restaurant serving Basque food to homesick Cubans. Along the way, lucky readers get to travel to fun food towns like San Francisco and New York, drink martinis with Roger Angell, make fun of menus with Steve Martin and reminisce about Julia Child's winsome public television series. A particularly wonderful profile introduces a wild-foods forager capable of making a 10-course meal from ingredients in the field near his house; he and the author dine on cattails and watercress while canoeing through an icy November river. Another winning profile explores the life and times of a cheese-making nun with a Ph.D. in microbiology. But perhaps the greatest pleasure here is the gorgeous prose of masters like M.F.K. Fisher and A.J. Liebling. Liebling, in particular, knows how to turn meals into stories; though he wrote of Paris before the war, his descriptions are so immediate and enticing that a reader wants to run out and buy the first plane ticket to France.

January 15, 2008
In this delicious, diverse, and satisfying book, there is something to suit every appetite and pique readers' interest. A wide range of authors are represented, from the familiar A.J. Liebling and M.F.K. Fisher to the piquant Anthony Bourdain and the delightful Calvin Trillin. Those seeking an introduction to fiction and nonfiction food writing would do well to graze this work; seasoned readers will enjoy the nostalgic places and tastes depicted, and the quintessential "New Yorker" cartoons are a delightful addition. The fiction portion of the anthology adds an unusual twist; the stories provide an excellent illustration of the darker sides of hunger and the lengths that people will go to, to satisfy it. John Cheever's "The Sorrows of Gin" and Roald Dahl's "Taste" convey perfectly the pitfalls of greed and addiction. This collection is warmly recommended for public libraries and libraries with strong culinary collections.Shelley Brown, New Westminster P.L., B.C.

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2007
Heres another overstuffed and mouthwatering theme collection drawn from the pages of the New Yorker. This time the topic is food and drink, and editorRemnick has pulled from both the magazines contemporary stars (Calvin Trillin, Adam Gopnik, Anthony Lane) and the icons of its Golden Age (A. J. Liebling, Joseph Mitchell, M. F. K. Fischer, even Dorothy Parker). Its all a little overwhelming, like being confronted with a mile-long buffet table presided over by the worlds greatest chefs. Whatdo you eat first? A Mess of Clams, with Joe Mitchell? The Magic Bagel, with Calvin Trillin? A Sandwich, with Nora Ephron? Or, for those who prefer to drink, how about A Dry Martini, built by Roger Angell? Or, if youre the morose type, try listening to John Cheever on The Sorrows of Gin (yes, theres fiction, too). Oh, hell, just start anywhere, and dont stop until youre really full, finishing off, perhaps, with Jim Harrisons A Really Big Lunch.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)