21.7.09

18. Heat

There's something so captivating about reading about food...at least pour moi. I just finished "What Einstein Told His Cook" by Robert Wolke in a rush to begin a new book called "Heat" by Bill Buford.

So far? Love. It.

First, I have to rant about Wolke. He's this accomplished university professor who's got a PhD & a high degree in food chemistry. He's also a food columnist & the list goes on & on & on...

My reaction: so what? No need to be all cocky about it, which is exactly his voice/tone/attitude throughout the text. He basically puts old wives' tales to rest in a duhhhhh-how-obvious-is-that-how-stupid-are-they? way.

Eeeeeew.

Woot! for Buford though! He is also a writer, a journalist actually. Contrary to Wolke however (ick!), he put himself in challenging situations & through countless obstacles SOLELY to grow as a person, which I really admire. He is less aggressive & more humble, which I also really admire. AND he takes you through his experience from being a "kitchen b*tch" to being an apprentice to a Tuscan butcher, which I really really admire. Yup. It's fantastic!

Pretty much, he wanted to be more than just the average home cook so after inviting THE Mario Batali to his home for a dinner party, he convinced the chef to hire him as an extern (non-paid intern) at Babbo, the Italian restaurant in NYC. From there, it's all just beautiful...*sigh*

His use of language is incredible but he's also reflective in a light, humorous way. His personal style is clearly established. His punctuation is interesting, but you know I love interesting. :P Buford LOVES side-notes & he definitely overuses parentheses to put them in but, it's so wonderful! His digressions are so relevant & add authenticity to his work. He's very observant; he's done his research so everything is detailed & realistic. Bill's descriptions make it effortless to picture European landscapes, to feel the scorching heat of his grilling station & to smell warm Italian homemade pastas. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Every page makes my mouth water. Every page is deliciously inspiring.

Last note: For some reason, profanity ALWAYS makes me laugh. Chefs & cooks alike totally OWN the F word. Seriously, by the end of this read, even I'm going to let one slip! :P

Anyway, "Heat" is a great read for foodies. Buford writes like a journalist but thinks like a cook. That's my kinda book. (& definitely worth having zipped through Wolke's glossary. hehe.)

to be continued...

starving for sushi,

(can't sign on a french keyboard...:S)

ok, i'm back, & VERY full from sushi (not unusual :P)

So, just to finish off: this book is really giving me the motivation to try as many things as I can in France...mostly food-wise, but really everything-wise too. In fact, you know, I think I just might document everything I eat. We'll see...

Here's a list to start me off:

*crème brûlée (sometimes, you've gotta do things just because :))
*chocolate truffles (I've NEVER been impressed with any local handmade chocolate, as esthetically appealing as they may be...too bad. i'm actually really disappointed since this city is known for it's gastronomy! are truffles really as good as they say?)
*Camembert (i've heard great reviews & apparently it's illegal to import-that makes it a definite try for me! :P)
*macarons (very french; very hard to make perfectly; i'm desperate to inspect some macaron feet! i also have like no clue what they're like to eat...i'm thinking airy/spongy, a tad chewy & maybe jammy?...we'll see!)
*crêpes (i want a real french one!)
*ragout (the only person i hear saying the word is Heston Blumenthal...???; again, not really sure what it's like...stew?)
*croissant (a nice buttery one for breakfast would be nice :))
*café au lait (just because?)
*petit pain au chocolat ('cause Miranda talks about them all the time & she makes them sound so good!)
*chocolat chaud (à la française, SVP)
*escargots (WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT)
*beurre blanc (they make it all the time on Iron Chef-what the heck is it???)
*truffles (the fungus, if i can afford any :S)

Pretty much, my philosophy is that I'll try anything. & I don't mind pushing the limits. :P

<3

[bt]

p.s. I should really start packing & shopping! Don't fret, I'll post a list (packing, shopping or both!) soon...included will be a personal (not shared) camera so I can finally upload some pictures of my own! I also have to start mentally prepping for leaving for an entire year! Il me reste seulement 44 jours! eeeeeeeek!

p.p.s. I never meant to write an entire critique! (11:12 p.m.)

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