Literary Gastronomy

“when food is done right in writing, you experience it with all your senses and strange cravings are inspired” Nina MacLaughlin This annotated bibliography will focus on a fusion of fiction( and DVD’S) with a flair for food in literature. I have put together a selection of mostly North American and English works of literature. Each has its own ‘signature dish’ featured and I have included quotes from the books which talk about these dishes. I am interested also in the sense of culture that is evoked by foods. Essentially this blog is about combining or fusing a love of food –gastronomy with a love of literature , hence its title, Literary Gastronomy.

The Hundred Foot Journey By Richard C Morais Scribner 2010 First published 2008 Also available on DVD This is a charming story of “culture clash” , when a young Indian chef, Hassan, crosses paths with a staunch matriarch, Marguerite, in a small village in France. “Food is memories” Hassan Kadam Marguerite- “ five mother sauces .You must find them in your heart .Then bring them to your pots. That’s the secret.”

Alice’s adventures in Wonderland : 150 th Anniversary Food in Literature and Culture : Volume 1 By Lewis Carroll London UK Vintage Publishing 1 October 2015 Food features throughout Alice in Wonderland. For example, the mad hatter’s tea party.This book is a celebration of the food in Alice books. This book features: A biography of Lewis Carroll 10 tea party recipes A look at the role that food plays in the Alice books as well as the role that food played in the Victorian Era A complete bibliography of all the research behind the food in literature. A must for “foodies” ,Alice in Wonderland fans and those interested in history. This information is referenced from the website. The story of Alice in Wonderland is a classic and revolves around Alice who falls down a rabbit hole and to whom all sorts of incidents occur. Its relevance to this blog is that a book specifically about the 150th anniversary food in literature and culture has been published.

Like water for Chocolate By Laura Esquivel Translated by Carol and Thomas Christensen London Black Swan 1993 Also available on DVD This is an exquisite novel revolving around a love story. Tita, the youngest daughter of the family,is duty bound to look after her mother til her mother dies. She is forbidden to marry due to Mexican tradition. Each chapter we are greeted with a culinary delight from Mexico. “perhaps I am as sensitive to onions as Tita,my great aunt, who will go on living as long as there is someone who cooks her recipes”

The Joy Luck Club By Amy Tan Minerva ed. London Minerva 1990 Copyright 1989 Also available on DVD This is a beautifully interwoven story of 4 mothers and their daughters that crosses cultural lines and personal journeys. When the joy luck club meets, each host provides a delicious ,mouth-watering meal. “the week before she died, she called me ,full of pride, full of life. Auntie Lin cooked red bean soup for joy luck . I’m going to cook black sesame seed soup” “my father hasn’t eaten well since my mother died.So I am here in the kitchen to cook him dinner. I’m slicing tofu .I’ve decided to make him a spicy bean curd dish .My mother used to tell me how hot things restore the spirit and health. But I’m making this mostly because I know my father loves this dish and I know how to cook it.I like the smell of it:ginger, scallions , and a red chili sauce that tickles my nose the minute I open the jar.”

To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee Philadelphia PA: Lippincott 1960 This novel explores racism and prejudice in Southern USA when Atticus Finch defends a black man accused of rape. This novel also explores family relationships in particular the young Scout’s relationship with her father. Its characters can be seen to be complex.Its tone is bittersweet and thoughtprovoking “ the kitchen table was loaded with enough food to bury the family : hunks of salt pork, tomatoes, beans even scuppernongs..” And “the black community of the town bring gifts of food, to thank Atticus for his sincere defence of Tom”

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café By Fannie Flagg New York Random House 1987 Made into a movie entitled : Fried Green Tomatoes This is a heart warming tale of a friendship between an older woman, Mrs Threadgoode and a younger woman,Evelyn, interwoven with recipes and stories of fried green tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café in Southern USA. “I may be sitting here at the rose terrace nursing home but in my mind I’m over at the Whistle stop café having a plate of fried green tomatoes.” Mrs Threadgoode

On the road By Jack Kerouac New York Penguin Books 1976 Copyright 1957 This is Kerouac’s nostalgic, reflective semi-autobiographical novel of his journey of a road trip across the US.It is fast paced and set in the 50’s.Kerouac’s tone evokes a strong sense of place. His writing style is compelling and lyrical.His character is introspective.The storyline is character –driven. His comfort food is apple pie . “I ate another apple pie and ice cream: that’s practically all I ate all the way across the country, I knew it was nutritious.”

The Corrections By Jonathan Franzen New York Farrar, Straus and Girroux 2001 This novel follows the journey of the Lambert family as they come to terms with Mr Lambert’s diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. This is a leisurely paced, darkly humerous novel. “the cupcakes were full of butter and frosted with a butter icing….he lowered the blinds and ate two more cupcakes, detecting peppermint in them, a faint buttery peppermint before he slept”

To the lighthouse By Virginia Woolf New York Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1981 Copyright 1927 This classic novel presents the story of the Ramsay family ‘s journey to their friend’s holiday home in Scotland and the summer that changed everything. It features the dish- boeuf au Daube. This novel is written in a reflective tone ,leisurely paced and with a lyrical writing style. “ an exquisite scent of olives and oil and juice rose from the great brown dish as Marthe took the cover off. … and she peered into the dish with its shiny walls and its confusion of savoury brown and yellow meats and its bay leaves and its wine”

By Herman Melville New York Knoff 1991 Copyright 1851 This is the story of ‘man versus whale’. Captain Ahab is searching for the whale,Moby Dick. This is a lyrical, leisurely paced tale featuring the dish-New England clam chowder.The characters in this novel are flawed and it can be seen to be a classic novel.This novel also clearly portrays the “obsession in men “. “it was made of small juicy clams ,scarcely bigger than hazel nuts, mixed with pounded ship biscuit and salted pork cut up into little flakes : the whole enriched with butter and plentifully seasoned with pepper and salt”