M.F.K.. Fisher is worshipped by foodies and prose lovers alike. This book was written in the midst of World War Two and is full of advice (practical and otherwise) on maintaining pleasure in food even in the midst of privation and rationing. To be honest, many of the recipes sound awful -- never would I like to replace butter with bacon grease -- and make me grateful for the culinary plenty we all enjoy today. Fisher's tone is that of an approachable literary/culinary aristocrat -- she writes like a Brahmin without pretention. She could have been a 20th century Austen had she tended toward the novel. I wish she had, for I would rather eat food than read about it..

The best book I’ve ever read that makes poverty chic. Also Fisher recommends you save the liquid from canned vegetables to make yr own stock. The potato soup recipe is classic, we made it last week to great results even though I had no idea what "scalded milk" is. The final recipe in the book presumes the war will be over eventually, and calls for fruit marinated in liquor, frozen, then splashed with half a bottle of champagne. The allusion to the wolf sniffing at the keyhole is almost terrifying to those of us who are living on limited means. Get back.

The wolf referred to in the title is "the wolf at the door", and this book is all about how to keep him on the outside of it---how to feed yourself well and pleasingly in hard times. It was written during World War II, and slightly revised 9 years later with bracketed comments about how things had changed, or what the author would now do differently. It isn't really a cookbook, although there are lots of recipes in it. It's more a guide to looking at circumstances with an adventurous eye, to avoid a siege mentality. Fisher's writing always pleases me. ( )

For those of us who read cookbooks just for the sake of reading about food - this woman is the ultimate food writer! And none of this talk about counting calories - bring on the butter! Not to mention oysters. Pure decadence. See also "With Bold Knife and Fork" - one of her books I can't seem to find here.

Forum Books Edition, First Printing September 1944. 1st pub 1942. ( )