The Pedant in the Kitchen (2003)

Desperately well written collection of Barnes's Food columns but ultimately far too insubstantial. ( )

I suppose its virtue is in its making me want to eat: so I can lump it in with well-written gastronomical writing like that of MFK Fisher and AJ Liebling. It went well with the lamb and prune tagine I just ate. That said, this slim, slim book wouldn't have seen my table if it hadn't been Barnes and if I hadn't been too hungover today to revisit, oh, the Barnes I do love (Cross Channel, or Something to Declare). A pleasant companion, but not much more. ( )

This is not quite a full meal, but a delicious hors d'oeuvre.

One could not expect any less from Julian Barnes. ( )

A sprightly, amusing piece of fine writing from Mr. Barnes in which we learn of successful and failed recipes from a gamut of cookbook authors, Mrs. Beeton to Nigel Slater with fond nods to Edouard de Pomiane, Elizabeth David, Jane Grigson, Richard Olney, Marcella Hazan, etc. It spurred me into whipping up a successful Craig Claiborne "Chicken With Almonds" from the NYT Cookbook (1961). The book mentions his favorite recipes and foodstuffs (don't forget the root vegetables) as well as odd bits such a kitchen drawer clutter and dinner party size (6 and never more than 8). He closes with a quotation from Joseph Conrad who wrote an introduction to his wife Jessie's cookbook: "Of all the books produced since the remote ages by human talents and industry those only that treat of cooking are, from a moral point of view, above suspicion. The intention of every other piece of prose may be discussed and even mistrsted, but the purpose of a cookery book is one and unmistakable. Its object can conceivably be no other than to increase the happiness of mankind." ( )

Humorous and wise essays about cooking. Does not contain recipes. Many comments about well-known English cookbooks, which are not all that well known in the USA but maybe should be. Can't get it from Amazon USA, except through their second hand sellers who were too expensive; went to Abe instead, several of their booksellers had it, otherwise through Amazon UK, no problem. The book inspired me to do more purposeful cooking. It also made me laugh. It doesn't take long to read, very swift and conversational, cultivated English prose. ( )