Publisher's Synopsis
Napoleon famously declared that an army marches on its stomach; every bit as true, however, is that great authors are often as keen to feed their stomachs as they are to feed their imaginations. Far ranging in time and place, this beautifully illustrated collection of food writing includes delectable scenes of cooking and feasting from novels and stories, poems that use food to tempt and seduce, and fine writing by and about great cooks.
Pleasures of the Table begins with examples of hospitality, ranging from Chaucer's convivial Franklin to Sir Walter Scott's bountiful breakfasts and dinner with Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Ramsey. Next comes eating to impress, featuring dazzling banquets from Flaubert to F. Scott Fitzgerald, plus some great fictional love feasts that leave absolutely no doubt that, in literature at least, food and love go together significantly better than love and marriage. Nostalgia comes to the fore in such classic food scenes as Rat and Mole picnicking, children snacking on enchanted Turkish delight in Narnia, and a seaside lunch from Enid Blyton.
In addition to its literary delicacies, Pleasures of the Table serves up a smorgasbord of recipes taken from literature or beloved by authors, from Emily Dickinson's gingerbread to George Orwell's method for brewing the perfect cup of tea. Beautifully illustrated in full color, this exploration of literary deliciousness will amuse, surprise, and make the mouth water.
Pleasures of the Table begins with examples of hospitality, ranging from Chaucer's convivial Franklin to Sir Walter Scott's bountiful breakfasts and dinner with Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Ramsey. Next comes eating to impress, featuring dazzling banquets from Flaubert to F. Scott Fitzgerald, plus some great fictional love feasts that leave absolutely no doubt that, in literature at least, food and love go together significantly better than love and marriage. Nostalgia comes to the fore in such classic food scenes as Rat and Mole picnicking, children snacking on enchanted Turkish delight in Narnia, and a seaside lunch from Enid Blyton.
In addition to its literary delicacies, Pleasures of the Table serves up a smorgasbord of recipes taken from literature or beloved by authors, from Emily Dickinson's gingerbread to George Orwell's method for brewing the perfect cup of tea. Beautifully illustrated in full color, this exploration of literary deliciousness will amuse, surprise, and make the mouth water.
