M.F.K Fisher still guiding readers 74 years later
Pepper Vinaigrette with Carrots, Cucumber and Orange.
A writing hiatus sucks… Writing can be intimidating and it’s tough to find a subject to write about. I enjoy reading books about writing, or authors that write about food inspire me on so many levels. So on that note, I thought writing about the book I’m reading and how it inspired me was fitting.
On a hot summer day I was facing the Notre-Dame de Paris and strolled around the corner to the historic English bookstore called Shakespeare and Company that has its own superb story. I was perusing the quaint cookbook/food section as I usually do at any bookstore, and stumbled across one of many of M.F.K Fisher’s books. I was looking for The Gastronomical Me of which I heard so much about, and how it became such a pivotal book that defined the beginning of a genre called food essays or food memoirs. It was originally published in 1943 and changed the future of food writing. Sadly they didn’t have it, so instead I snatched An Alphabet For Gourmets which was first published in 1949.
Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher has an incredible story. Her ruse to write under M.F.K Fisher to seem more masculine was (sadly) a wise move especially beginning Mid-Century. She wrote a grand total of 27 books and was quite a fan of Brillat-Savarin (french lawyer turned legendary foodie guru) who she references quite often in An Alphabet For Gourmets. I would have loved to meet her, she seems fuelled by alcohol and sass. I adore it. Her writing is concise and elegantly eloquent, her vocabulary at times daunting and other times a breeze. She shares a love for food in her unique way through writing that it makes me want to try.
To introduce you better to Fisher here, is pointless when a real professional by the name of Ruth Reichl does it so much better. This splendid introduction for M.F.K Fisher’s Gastronomical Me tells so much of the beautiful relationship Ruth and Mary Frances shared. She was Ruth Reichl’s mentor after all (and here is Ruth’s Substack! Another absolute legend.)
I’m almost done with An Alphabets For Gourmets and this lady is one hell of a gourmand! I learned a few things about her beliefs, her opinion on culinary ignorance from men who believe they can cook, romance in regards to food and her explanation of the joys and irritations that can come from sharing meals with friends or family. As well as the things that gave her joy such as Kasha and Milk Toast, and some of her cooking tips, tricks and curiosities.
One fun curiosity from her book that jumps to mind is her mention of a chef who julienned carrots for a salad with small camouflaged pieces of orange peels thinly sliced. I tried it by adding cucumbers and my old recipe of orange pepper dressing. It was one of the most refreshing salads I’ve had in a long time. The next day I did the same salad but added half a mango, it hit the spot. Can’t wait to share this salad with my whole family in the summer, and you! Simple, easy and freshening.
Fisher sounded so thrilled to share two simple dishes, Milk Toast and Kasha. Kasha was something I’ve never heard of before. She swears by it, as well as her young daughter. It’s a porridge made using buckwheat groats, basically a peasant dish. The way Fisher described Kasha made it seem so versatile, alone or as a stuffing for poultry, a simple breakfast and more ways that seems it won as an all-round garnish or simple meal. This recipe caught me by surprise and after a quick google; the description was Russian Soul Food.
On another chapter she describes the utmost back to life remedy from being sick. Milk Toast, something so simple but made luxurious through her narration! It elevated the whole dish. You were sitting right there with her and her friend in a fancy restaurant sharing a bowl. Her account, is to me the epitome of sensual description through writing which is not easy at all and proves why she is one of the many masters of writing.
In so many ways I was inspired to write about food and put my pen back to paper. Thank you M.F.K Fisher.
Pepper Vinaigrette with Carrots, Cucumber and Orange.
Get yourself: mustard, sherry vinegar, pepper and olive oil. A medium sized orange, a small lemon, half a cucumber and two carrots. (If you feel courageous, put half an unripe mango cut however you feel into the mix)
Grab your favourite bowl for salads, put in 1 teaspoon of mustard and 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, preferably (or one you have on hand) and whisk.
Peel 2 one inch strips of orange before cutting in half. Squeeze one half of the orange and half of a small lemon through a sieve to catch any seeds and slowly whisk in 6-8 tablespoons of olive oil. Finally add a good 5-7 twists from your pepper mill.
You’ll have a slight acidic but peppery vinaigrette that matches with 2 carrots and half a cucumber cut into matchsticks and 2 one inch long peels of the orange cut as thin as possible. Let all the matchsticks battle for their fair share of vinaigrette and divide among anyone under the sun.