Eccentric writing is celebrated in many a genre. Still, in cooking discourse there aren't many offshoots into the fictitious. So, when Holly handed me "Country Cooking From Central France: Roast Boned Rolled Stuffed Shoulder of Lamb (Farce Double)" by Harry Mathews', I had no idea what was in store for me.
"...The risks were lessened by placing the diaphanous bags in woolen reticules. It is still incredible that no damage is ever done to them on the way to the stuffing tables. To avoid their cooling, they are carried at a run by teenage boys, for whom this is a signal honor: every Sunday throughout the following year, they will be allowed to wear their unmistakable lily-white smocks."
In this passage they're talking about fish-roll stuffed clay ball that, in a provincial French town would be grilled in the most unlikely way. This short story about food was so convincing! The way things are worded; I wanted to trust the narrator. But, when the Matthews wrote that his friends in Paris marinate the lamb roast in their bidet, I had to laugh.
The tone of this writing has a distinct nostalgic feeling. It is an anecdote, a history, and a commentary as much as a recipe. "Country Cooking" talks about far more than food. Ha, I love it!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment