Memoirs Of An Evil Genius: Food For Thought

January 18, 2008

Food For Thought

How is it that I haven't written anything for, like, three weeks and yet don't have anything to say? I ALWAYS have something to say. Even when I say nothing. Problem is that laziness makes you rusty, and lately I'm like the fucking Tin Man.

I've been trying to up my reading habits. Last year I read fifteen books, and while that's well above the nation's average of four per year (that's 4, as in 4 SHAME), I still feel like I need to pick up the pace. I used to read fifteen books in the summer. Granted they were all crap, but at least I was taking stuff in, you know? Anyway, I like crap. DON'T YOU JUDGE ME. I have decided, in addition to reading more, to broaden my horizons as well. This is why I've been reading more travelogues and culinary retrospectives! Okay, so, not setting the intellectual world on fire, but at least it's not all dime novel shit! Not all of it, anyway.

This one summer, when I was in summer school (I barely passed geometry that year, and my parents were so mad at me for not getting an A -- excuse me, "living up to my potential" -- that they forced me to retake it in summer school; it was hard for me to communicate to them that barely passing was actually where my potential hit the wall, and further that if one hour of geometry five days a week for the school year wasn't enough to help me maximize said potential then two hours a day six days a week during my vacation wasn't going to do it either) (I believe I finally got that message across by failing miserably) (point: mine), I was reading a different book every one to two days. This was during class, of course, so I wasn't the teacher's pet I don't think, but he didn't look like he was good with pets anyway.

Right now I'm reading The United States of Arugula by David Kamp, and I really love it. If you like food and culinary anthropology, it's really a great read. For Christmas I got a copy of A Revolution In Eating, and I cannot wait to start it. Unfortunately, it makes me want to throw a French dinner party. Truly unfortunately, I am not equipped to throw a French dinner party. I mean, I could certainly try my hand at the dishes themselves, and likely have the batterie de cuisine to put it together, but what we DON'T have is a table. This is an issue for dinner parties.

Okay, I need to get the fuck out of the office. I am tired and I am going to Arizona this weekend, which is going to be a long drive, and we are leaving tonight. TONIGHT. I still haven't packed. It should be fun, though! (The trip, not the packing.)

Everyone enjoy your three-day weekend, and I'll see you back here on Tuesday, whereupon I will ruminate on this new show called Make Me a Supermodel!

January 18, 2008 in Interludes, On The Job | Permalink

Comments

Book 'Em, Dr. No

Dean Koontz: Intensity
Suspenseful and unnerving, this book suffers from only two minor flaws. While Koontz's purple prose lends itself well to description and rumination, it does no favors for the scattered bits of dialog in this otherwise well-written tale. Additionally, after a crashingly good horror story with genuine moments of real introspection, the final denouement seems trite and preachy. Overall, though, an exciting read.
Joanne Harris: Gentlemen and Players
My one complaint about Joanne Harris is that her protagonists tend to be abrasive and unlikeable. Not so here, which is possibly her best to date -- our hero is one of the most enjoyable characters she's developed yet; even the villain has a cunning appeal, and Harris pits the two narratives against each other, ratcheting the suspense as she slowly brings things to a boil.
Mary Roberts Rinehart: The Door
This complex and atmospheric mystery, published in 1930, is the genesis of a well-known phrase - which I can't reveal without ruining the twist ending. Suffice it to say that Rinehart is a very clever writer, although she relies heavily on a device throughout this book where she forecasts all major plot points and then doubles back to develop them, flashback-style. The herky-jerk nature of this style dampens some of the mounting suspense, but it's an engrossing read overall.
Janet Evanovich: Visions of Sugar Plums
My mother is a woman obsessed with Janet Evanovich, and she has been insisting for years that I read her interstitial novellas. This is the first, and it's a cute, breezy Christmas tale. There's a supernatural element that wasn't my cup of tea -- too much peanut butter in my chocolate -- but if you're a fan of Evanovich, you'll like it.
John Buchan: The Thirty-Nine Steps
A brisk and engaging spy thriller, this novella - the source material for Hitchcock's famous film - barely exceeds 100 pages. It strains credibility a bit, but it's still a fun read, and although the Georgian era references and colloquialisms are sometimes hard to follow, a glossary of terms (!) at the back of the book does help.
James E. McWilliams: A Revolution in Eating: How the Quest for Food Shaped America
An excellent book, especially if you're interested in culinary anthropology or American cultural, social, geographical, or political history. The author charts the evolution of regional American cuisine from colonial times to the Revolution.
Janet Evanovich: Metro Girl
Typical of Evanovich's style - this is light, easy, and fun; a good summertime book. Perhaps a bit too stylistically similar to her Stephanie Plum series, but if it ain't broke...
Heather Graham: The Seance
So bad. SO. BAD. Just...just so bad.
David Kamp: The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation
An authoritative and compellingly-written look at the rise of gourmet cuisine in the American culture, charting it from Le Pavillon to Chez Panisse to Whole Foods. It will make you want to cook, y'all. For reals.
James Patterson: 1st to Die: A Novel
A recommendation from my mother -- she's hooked. I thought it was good, but Patterson's blunt, staccato writing style took some getting used to. Still, if you like procedurals, it's an effective diversion.