Delicious Reads!
Too hot to cook? Feeling culinarily uninspired? Why not check out one of these yummy books from the Toronto Public Library instead and immerse yourself in some delicious reads? Armchair cooking (and travel) for the adventurous at heart!
Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson
Start with a handful or two of satire, add a generous dash of dark and biting wit and then throw in a bottle or two of Fernet Branca (a type of bitter herbal liqueur) and voilà—you have this very delicious story served up for your reading pleasure! This is the story of Gerald Samper, an Englishman whose idyllic life in Tuscany is shattered by the the arrival of Marta—from an unspecified former Soviet republic. The ever increasingly hysterical antics of Gerald and Marta are equally matched by the ever increasingly bizarre recipes cooked up by Gerald: take for example, his Mussels in Chocolate, or Garlic and Fernet Branca Ice Cream, or Alien Pie (which calls for among other things, 1 kg of smoked cat, 1 buzzard feather, and of course, Fernet Branca).
And if you enjoy this book, follow it up with its sequel, Amazing Disgrace.
The Debt to Pleasure by John Lanchester
Travel through France with Tarquin Winot, the anti-hero of The Debt to Pleasure, who warns us at the very beginning that this “is not a conventional cookbook.” And it most definitely is not. This satirical novel is full of dark wit and humour,—with surprising twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. Tarquin, an Englishman foodie, while travelling to his house in Provence (his "spiritual homeland") reveals the story of his life, peeling away his past and present—layer by layer, peppering each layer with his culinary reflections and recipes.
Like water for chocolate : a novel in monthly installments, with recipes, romances, and home remedies by Laura Esquivel
This charming love story is set in turn-of-the-century Mexico. It's the love story of Tita and Pedro and a strong supporting cast of characters who come between their love. The novel is broken up into 12 chapters to represent the months of the year and each chapter opens up with a recipe. Tita's story is intertwined with each recipe and its preparation. A big dose of magic infuses Tita's cooking—with surprising results when people eat the food she's prepared with so much passion and feeling.
Also available as an ebook.
Are your reading taste buds hankering for something else? Give Fred Wah's biofictional story of growing up Chinese in Nelson, British Columbia a try. In the poetical Diamond Grill, read about Salisbury Steak, chicken fried rice, bird's nest soup alongside themes of family and identity in small town Canada. There is also Ruth Reichl's memoir, Tender at the bone : growing up at the table: let Reichl take you on a delightful journey of food, childhood and growing up. Or consider the implications of what's for dinner in Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma: a natural history of four meals. Or read one of the fascinating histories on salt, potato, coffee, tea or sugar. There is also a growing genre of fiction where food, recipes, and cooking plays a central plot to the story. One is surely to whet your appetite!
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