the zen of fish the story of sushi trevor corson

One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine.

And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. For Bemelmans was 'the man who came to cocktails'. Readers definitely won’t be hungry an hour after finishing this satisfying history from a witty Chinese food authority.Īn extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through.

That’s the case throughout this charming, informative textbook/memoir/travelogue, one of the more noteworthy recent food studies. Dunlop periodically takes this approach-for example, her encounters with caterpillar and with snake stir-fry-and while she doesn’t add anything new to the formula, her enthusiasm and linguistic dexterity keep it engaging. It’s become trendy, if not tired, for a food writer or television personality to eat a seemingly repulsive dish, then rave about how shocked they were at its yumminess. In a clever gimmick, each chapter concludes with a recipe, a menu, a glossary or some other sort of culinary tidbit the recipe for Mu gua dun ji, chicken and papaya soup, looks particularly tasty. She’s so slick about it that the technique enhances rather than detracts from her episodic story line.

As was the case with Trevor Corson’s terrific Japanese food treatise The Zen of Fish: The Story of Sushi, From Samurai to Supermarket (2007), Dunlop successfully inserts herself into the narrative, discussing her methodology, her feelings and theories about China and, periodically, her love life. In this, her first non-cookbook, she examines the entire spectrum of Chinese food culture, from the mystery of MSG to the melding of food and politics to Chinese culinary schools. Freelance scribe, almost-professional chef, restaurant consultant and ardent Sinophile Dunlop ensures that you’ll never again look at General Tso or his chicken in the same way.

The zen of fish the story of sushi trevor corson