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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Writer Who Paints (or Cooks) with Words!,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Weakness for Almost Everything: Notes on Life, Gastronomy, and Travel (Paperback)
I originally sought out the book for its notes on gastronomy but the small piece on the author's affection for his old shoes is alone worth the price of admission. His fresh observations on food and its preparation are, however, worth rereading and passing on to good friends. Its rare, no, make that near impossible, to find a writer who can engage a reader with fresh (and literary) approaches to the subject and mix in tasty tidbits like Kafka's eating habits and James Fenimore Cooper's "Lunch Club". And in the fewest words possible -unlike the gasbags that dominate the field. The author savors food, the people who grow, prepare and serve food and the assorted guests at the table. And he will make you laugh out loud!
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
CHAOS THEORY.....,
By
This review is from: A Weakness for Almost Everything: Notes on Life, Gastronomy, and Travel (Paperback)
I'm sorry to say that I was very disappointed by this book. When they say "notes" in the subtitle, they are not kidding! As the previous reviewer mentioned, there are moments of glittering prose. The section on food hangs together pretty well and is the strongest part of the book. Unfortunately, that portion is sandwiched (yes, both puns are intended) between two other sections that cry out for the services of a good editor. This isn't really a book, it's a conglomeration of unrelated "stuff". It's almost as though Mr. Buzzi went through a drawer and just pulled out things he had jotted down over the years and handed the material to his publisher and said, "Here, you want to please make a book out of all this!?". The final section, "Notes On Travel", is the worst offender! It takes up about 20 pages of the book (since the entire book is only 95 pages, we are talking about a pretty good-sized hunk) and reads like a bunch of notes that were written on some paper napkins when the author stopped at various roadside restaurants between New York City and Charleston, South Carolina. Actually, to be precise, the author devotes 6 pages to a trip to 8 countries in Central and South America and 11 pages to an 11 day trip back and forth between NYC and South Carolina. If you think you are getting the "bum's rush" on one of those package tours, you'll feel fortunate after checking out this section.......So, why even give this "book" 3 stars? As I mentioned at the start of this review, some of the prose is wonderful, especially in the food section. Check out this gem: "I believe that Talleyrand was able to invent dishes even without the help of his cook. The 'garniture Talleyrand', a sublime sauce for macaroni- butter, cheese (Gruyere and Parmesan), little cubes of foie gras, and truffles-is a recipe that for its golden simplicity and, at the same time, the princely richness of its ingredients can only have come directly from his brain. In France, truffles are found in Perigord, Talleyrand's real name was Talleyrand-Perigord, and in winter, to protect himself from the cold, he often wore a knit cap of black wool, with two long earflaps that hung down on either side of his face like the ears of a truffle hound." Great stuff! Unfortunately, after reading this book you leave the table hungry.....
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