“I look at my crammed shelves and feast with artful reflection, for no meal is good that cannot be reflected upon with pleasure.”

- MFK Fisher, “L is for Literature,” An Alphabet for Gourmets

I believe any “foodie” who has read the works of MFK Fisher considers her some sort of kindred spirit because of what she says about food. I can’t say I’m immune. But, what I truly love about her is how she says it. The reverence for the joy of eating, the beauty of her revelations, and the ultimate respect for the power and playfulness of the written word continue to astound me.

“Given the fact that almost every gastronomer has some kind of literary predilection, it is amusing and interesting to speculate on the whys and whens of such a love.”

My mouth waters at my own feast of literature and library of food on my bookshelves – or stacked in odd corners, stashed on the bed-table, hiding on top of the fridge, bouncing around my handbag or sadly stored away in boxes. All are memories of or hints at the little pieces of solitary joy the greedy, voracious reader – or the equally indulgent gastronome – is intimately familiar with . Yet food, and its literature, is often best when shared.

“Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.”

Sharing food, or words, is all about possibility. Possibility of knowing yourself or others better, of approaching new ideas or perspectives, of long journeys not yet imagined, of tastes not yet tasted, of dinners not yet attended or, sometimes,  just circumstances you can’t expect.  And, naturallijk, all the little pleasures and heartbreaks that come inbetween. I can have a light meal, light read or a light chat, but that spark that happens in great literature, great food, great conversation or great writing about any of those — that — I can never take lightly.

(04/14/11 – while I figure out wtf I’m doing here, you can see wtf I’m trying to figure out over at entropicalia.wordpress.com)

Advertisement