When it comes to food writing (and I'm not talking about cookbooks here), there are plenty of authors to choose from: Calvin Trillan, Anthony Bourdain, A.J. Liebling, Rachel Reich and M.F.K. Fisher to name just a few. I've read them all and by far, my favorite is Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher.Fisher grew up in the early 1900's in Whittier, CA. While she was exposed early to the literary world (her father published a local newspaper), her culinary life did not begin until she moved to Dijon with her first husband in 1929. It was here that Fisher first learned to enjoy food and the experience of dining. I'm guessing that living in the culinary capital of France made this easy to do.
I first discovered Fisher when I was living in San Francisco in the mid-80's. I was wandering around City Lights bookstore one weekend and decided to try something different. City Lights definitely encourages trying something new.
Anyway, I picked up "Two Towns in Provence" and was hooked as soon as I started to read. It was like she was writing a diary that she knew would eventually be read by others. The experiences and stories she relates are simple - there are no big conflicts or dilemmas to solve, no deep lessons to learn, just accounts of the places she lived, along with the meals and food that made them special. The key is that the voice is so personal and real that it's almost as if the memories belong to the reader. Any time an author can make me 'remember' the lunch I've just eaten at a cafe on the Cours Mirabeau in Aix-en-Provence, you know I'm going to read more.
If you're interested in food writing, I highly recommend M.F.K. Fisher. Check out the site below for more information - you won't be disappointed.
http://mfkfisher.com/index.php
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