MFK Fisher's
“Secret Ingredients” was a very interesting read for me. I
thought it was especially interesting that the small town she is
referring to in her story is most likely her hometown of Albion,
Michigan (roughly an hour away from Kalamazoo). I also liked the
character of Bertie, and the story of how she finally gave her the
secret recipe she so desperately wanted, only to find that she
couldn't decipher Bertie's broken English. Fisher isn't sure whether
this was to intentionally mess with her, or if it was an honest
mistake. Leaving this open made it much more interesting for me as a
reader.
I agreed with the
main point of Fisher's piece, that people like Bertie, who are capable of
“food magic,” are close to being extinct. My grandmother for
instance, is a very good cook, and she has several recipes that are
fantastic to eat. However the raw passion and almost perfectionism that
Fisher is describing in her piece isn't present with my grandmother. Her recipes are well known by all the cooks in my family, and
she's happy to share new one's when she comes up with them. Nowadays,
trading recipes or looking them up online seem to be pretty
commonplace. I'm sure hoarders of the secrets of good food still
exist, but to the extent to which Fisher explains, I think they are
very scarce indeed.
I also really
enjoyed “Good Cooking,” by Calvin Tomkins. When I first read the
name Julia Child, I knew I had heard the name previously. As I read
more, I realized that I had heard my grandmother talk about Julia
Child's cookbooks before, as she has been a huge fan for most of her
life. This memory solidified to me the author's claim of Child's fame
in the US. I mostly admired the way in which he told the story. By
starting the piece at a time when Julia was already famous, with her
and Paul preparing for a show, then rewinding to the beginning of
their relationship in the 40s, and progressing all the way back to
the point that the piece started at. I thought this was a much more interesting way to construct the timeline than if he had just told it from beginning to end. I also really liked the characters of Paul and Julia
Child very much. They were truly a couple ahead of their time. Paul
wasn't emasculated by Julia's successes in the slightest, but was
instead very supportive and even helpful. Julia was one of the very
few women who graduated from college during the 30's, and she even
says at one point that she thinks it's good that “they are coming
out of the closet (referring to homosexuals),” which I think shows how progressive of a
thinker she was for her time. The story of them meeting during WW2
while working for the OSS (present day CIA) couldn't be better. Paul
was a longtime bachelor working in foreign service, disinterested in
any long-term prospects; Julia was still searching for direction and purpose in life, and wouldn't have even been here had
she not been turned down by the New York Times. The two were drawn to
each other nonetheless, and got married soon after. I found it hard to believe
this story was non-fiction, as it reminded me very much of a lot of
old WW2-era fictional books I've read. Tomkins' way of telling the
story was intriguing and artful the whole way through. I intend to
read more of his work in the future.
Cody, I also enjoyed Fisher’s piece. I believe that the magic of secret recipes or secret ingredients in recipes are diminishing. Nowadays it is so much easier to look a recipe up online that passing down recipes is fading. Reading about the Child’s past was also interesting to me because I watched Julie & Julia a film based on a woman who decided to make every meal in one of Julia Child’s cookbooks. The chapter by Tomkins portrayed some of the periods of Julia’s life in the film.
ReplyDeleteCody,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed what you wrote about "Secret Ingredients", as it was one of my favorites too. I liked the certain mysticism about it and how it was almost childlike, except not. I also really liked how you wrote about your personal experience on the similar topic, but how your Grandmother loves to share the recipes instead of leaving them up to the imagination and how it became a fun thing for your family. I was also really geeked when I started reading the piece about Julia Child because I had heard so many things about her; so many references to her, but this was the first time I actually "heard" for myself.
Cody, I enjoyed your commentary about the Julia Child piece. As I read "Good Cooking," I realized that I had previously watched the film "Julie and Julia" about Julia Child's life. As such, I knew about her fame but it was entirely different to read about her work in the US after her book was published. I also enjoyed how the author portrayed the Childs as a couple in a manner that seemed both genuine and progressive.
ReplyDeleteCody,
ReplyDeleteYes, I liked Fisher's piece too. As you say, I also felt anxiety about expected extinctions of good cooks. Now on the Internet we can get recipes very easily, but fascinating cuisines are cooked by only the person. When we build own identities on cooks (maybe using secret ingredients), it can be said he or she mastered cooking. Also, Tomkin's one was interesting for me. There were many informations so difficult to catch up with them, but it explains that confusing era appropriately and describes that this story of two person is miracle.
Cody,
ReplyDeleteI also loved "The Secret Ingredient" piece and the piece about Julia Child. I agree it was tactful how to author presented Julia Child's story. It drew me in from the start. These pieces show that there have been many changes surrounding food in recent years. More females are involved in the food industry, and more recipes are shared.