Secret Ingredients

          The first section of "Dining Out" from the New Yorker Book of Food and Drink was a bit harder to get through for me; the writing lacked voice for the most part and was a bit dry, but I suppose the fact that these articles were written from the 1930s - 1960s might have had something to do with that. All in all, I did find Joseph Mitchell's "All You Hold For Five Bucks" pretty interesting -- I had never heard of a beefsteak before, and I actually really liked the simplicity of the event. Beer, meat, music, and company of other happy people for just five bucks? Sounds pretty fun to me! I liked the "don't give a damn" attitude of the owners of the locales where the beefsteaks took place; in a way the people were almost depicted as beasts -- "unrestrained", and if a "man wanted some noise, he'd just open his trap and howl".
          Joseph Wechsberg's narrative was a bit slower to read for me than Mitchell's; Wechsberg describes how amazing everything was, and how vividly he remembers the tastes, but doesn't actually bother going into that much detail about the dishes or drinks. I thought this focused more on the history of the place and the owner, instead of the food. Adam Gopnik's article was more interesting for me though -- maybe this is just because I'm going to France for study abroad and the cuisine there interests me. But I thought it was smart and informative narrative overall, and I especially liked how he went into the heads of the various chefs, showing us who they were and where they wanted to be. It surprised me that French cooking is coming to be more predictable or stubborn in terms of how their food is prepared/how it tastes -- I always thought the French to be people who embraced opportunities for innovation in their food, looking to outside influences. Guess not anymore...
          Bourdain's "Don't Eat Before Reading This" was really enjoyable to read. His smart, quick snarkiness carried the whole piece, as it did in "A Cook's Tour"; I loved that we got an inside look at his kitchen, and got a sense of who he is in that specific environment. But I cringed when I read the bit about the meat -- I usually order hamburgers medium-well or well-done....looks like I may have been getting the not-so-desirable parts. Jim Harrison's "A Really Big Lunch" was a good read as well; first of all, 37 courses...?? WOW. His descriptions didn't go into too much detail, but for 37 courses, I thought he did a great job. I personally don't know if I'd ever partake in something like that -- probably just to say that I did it. One of the quotes near the end that I liked: "Life is a near-death experience, and our devious minds will do anything to make it interesting."
          M.L.K. Fisher's pieces were pretty interesting, as they reminded me of several dishes and "secret ingredients" my mom used to (and still does) make. Overall I thought the writing was lacking in voice, but it did give interesting information on dishes like tripe and casseroles that I've never made before. It made me think about whether or not there's a meal today that I hate only because I was forced to eat it as a child....that would probably be salmon, or brussel sprouts.
          Anthony Lane's "Look Back in Hunger" was probably my favorite piece; it was full of voice and great humor, and I laughed out loud in multiple sections. I really related to this narrative, as I myself have always had trouble following recipes (for example, making pancakes with 1.5 cups of baking soda instead of 1.5 teaspoons). People on cooking shows, like Martha Stewart, do make it all look so carefree and easy; will I ever be capable of such perfection? Who knows.