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Elza's Kitchen
For years, Elza has gotten by. A divorcée out of culinary school, she started her own little restaurant in the midsize Hungarian city of Delibab, and she’s grown a decent business, cooking quality versions of Hungarian classics and serving them with a smile. But lately her smile has dimmed. Her loveless affair with her sous-chef has become an irritation. She’s getting sick of the same old dishes and the same old customers, and she can’t help but think that perhaps the right review, from the right critic, would change things …
But in these nascent years of capitalism, it will take some competition—both personal and professional—to really make Elza see that her restaurant, and her happiness, are worth fighting for. Author Marc Fitten fell in love with Hungary after years spent living there. His buoyant second novel is a celebration of Hungarian culture and cuisine, as well as a portrait of a woman and her country in transition.
216 pages, Paperback
First published June 19, 2012
6 people are currently reading
314 people want to read
About the author
Marc Fitten
18 books52 followersMarc Fitten is the author of VALERIA'S LAST STAND and ELZA'S KITCHEN -- both published by Bloomsbury -- and is included in a new collection WE WEAR THE MASK - published by Beacon. He has also published work in The New York Times, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, and online at Esquire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
May 22, 2012
I love the language of this book. The author has a fantastic way of describing scenes and people using very few words, but still painting a clear picture.
That being said, I had trouble caring for the characters, and I do not know why. Elza, the main character, is very human in her actions. She makes good and bad choices, and she is just trying to find her passion again. I like the fact that only the people she has strong emotion about had names. The man she is sleeping with is only ever called the Sous-Chef, and most only have names, or gain names, when they matter. I thought that was a nice touch that allowed the reader to really see Elza and what matters to her.
I did start to care for Elza at the end. The first two thirds of the book I enjoyed for the language and the description, but in the last third I also wanted to read about Elza. Overall, I liked the book.
That being said, I had trouble caring for the characters, and I do not know why. Elza, the main character, is very human in her actions. She makes good and bad choices, and she is just trying to find her passion again. I like the fact that only the people she has strong emotion about had names. The man she is sleeping with is only ever called the Sous-Chef, and most only have names, or gain names, when they matter. I thought that was a nice touch that allowed the reader to really see Elza and what matters to her.
I did start to care for Elza at the end. The first two thirds of the book I enjoyed for the language and the description, but in the last third I also wanted to read about Elza. Overall, I liked the book.
October 28, 2023
The premise for this book sounded so good but it delivered…not much, unfortunately.
With writing way too „funny/quirky-saccharine“ for my taste, it read more like a middle grade book in tone but for grown-ups, I might have enjoyed that many years ago but frankly, not anymore.
Didn‘t like any of the characters either, or what‘s worse maybe, I didn‘t care for them.
I was also hoping for more specificly Hungarian vibes but no, despite the mention of some locations and typical food (think Balaton and paprika), this could have been set nearly anywhere, and the characters didn‘t seem very Hungarian in their behaviours either.
What a shame…
Still an easy and fast read, if you‘re in the mood for it.
With writing way too „funny/quirky-saccharine“ for my taste, it read more like a middle grade book in tone but for grown-ups, I might have enjoyed that many years ago but frankly, not anymore.
Didn‘t like any of the characters either, or what‘s worse maybe, I didn‘t care for them.
I was also hoping for more specificly Hungarian vibes but no, despite the mention of some locations and typical food (think Balaton and paprika), this could have been set nearly anywhere, and the characters didn‘t seem very Hungarian in their behaviours either.
What a shame…
Still an easy and fast read, if you‘re in the mood for it.
April 29, 2012
This is probably the first book that I have won from goodreads that I just really didn't like. In fact had I not won it, and felt obligated to finish and review it, I probably wouldn't have. The book is not poorly written, but it just doesn't seem to have a plot. Elza, the main character is probably one of the most unlikeable characters to ever grace a novel. There is just nothing good to say about her. She takes those around her for granted, and throughout the book refers to everyone by their job title or use to her rather than their names. I just really didn't like this book.
March 1, 2015
I was very surprised at how little I cared for this book. From the synopsis I expected to love this book, but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it until the last quarter or so. I usually try not to write a review that is all negative, but other than the book being tehnically well-written, there isn't much positive for me to say. The story held a lot of promise, but the characters were unrelatable, the subplots unfinished and there was a lot of unnecessary background/side story information that didn't add to the novel.
*received a digital copy free through netGalley
*received a digital copy free through netGalley
January 5, 2021
This one is difficult for me to rate and review.
Warning: this review contains spoilers in a vague sort of way. But, the ending of the book is part of my reasoning for my rating and review and so it must be discussed in my review.
On the one hand, the writing is fairly solid. It is tight and concise but somehow also brings in a great deal of detail. I also enjoyed Fitten's use of metaphors.
On the other hand, I hated protagonist Elza, which is a problem both because the book is character- rather than plot-driven and because there is so little else in the book other than Elza, what she is thinking, what she is doing, what others are thinking and saying about her, etc.; there is just no relief at all from this miserable character. This character reads, at best, as a narcissist and at worst a sociopath.
I mean seriously, aside from the very many examples in the book (at least one per page) she:
1) tosses away her sex-buddy because she is no longer interested in him but then sets out to destroy him and his new love interest just because he has a love interest. And she apparently behaves in this despicable way because, according to her, their actions are all about her, and apparently because these people are not people in her eyes but rather appendages to be manipulated by her at her whim and pleasure.
2) almost kills a child and her first thought is 'how will this affect my business' and her second thought is 'what negative impacts will this have on my life'. She never has a third, fourth, nor any thought of 'how is that poor boy'. Yes, she voices platitudes about the child's well-being, but mostly in the face of threats from his uncles, and even still in her own thoughts, the entire situation is about herself and how this event is impacting on her, with no true thought and no true care to the well-being of the child that she almost killed.
These, and again many other examples, are textbook examples of actions by people with Cluster B personality disorders.
Given both the above-two paragraphs, I might even have rounded up to three stars but there were two additional factors that caused me to round up to two stars from one.
A) I hated the ending. Someone who is so completely miserable and horrible should not be allowed to have a happy ending. I realize that that happens all too often in real life but this is fiction, and blargh! Someone that terrible should have been allowed to sink into her own nastiness.
B) I hated the way that Fritten treat mental illness in this book.
Bi) It is unforgivable to create a character who is so completely narcissistic and sociopathic and to try and make that character somehow sympathetic by pretending that it is due to depression. It is completely, totally, and utterly NOT OK to equate being a POS with having a mental illness. To do so is to further stigmatize people who have mental illnesses. Mental illnesses are real illnesses and to play with them as a literary device, especially one to create pathos for a POS character is insulting to all of us dealing with mental illnesses.
Bii) The way the book is constructed further stigmatizes and diminishes the lived experiences of those with mental illnesses by entrenching faulty stereotypes that hurt those suffering from mental illnesses. The book start with 'Elza is not doing well in life because she has depression' (which she doesn't; she's not doing well in life because she is a horrible excuse for a human being, but let us pretend to go along with Fitten's premise). And then it leads to 'Elza decides to change her life so she paints some walls, shakes it off, and now isn't life wonderful'. Because, yeah, of course people can just shake it off depression, paint some walls and be cured of what ails them (Yes, that was sarcasm). This blasé way of treating mental illness is totally, completely, and utterly NOT OK. Depression is a serious, often life-threatening illness that can often be treated with strategies such as medication and therapy. However, like other serious, life-threatening illnesses, depression canNOT be 'just shaken off' by changing one's mind about how to feel about the day. So, here I will advise Fitten: if you would not portray a physical illness in this way then you should also refrain from treating mental illnesses in this way. Imagine have a character in a novel recover from cancer through redecorating and changing a restaurant menus. Sounds ridiculous, eh? Yeah, well it is just as ridiculous when depression, or any other mental illness is discussed in this way.
OK. That is all I have to say about that. I am so disappointed in this book because Fitten seems like he has some good talent as a writer. I even thought about looking up the other of his books that my local library carries. But, this book just ticked me off too much, plus the blurb for the other book suggests that I would just be reading about another Elza under a different name, and I have already wasted too much time on that.
p.s. the stereotyping of the Roma/Gypsies also way too much, but I am out of ranting energy for today.
Warning: this review contains spoilers in a vague sort of way. But, the ending of the book is part of my reasoning for my rating and review and so it must be discussed in my review.
On the one hand, the writing is fairly solid. It is tight and concise but somehow also brings in a great deal of detail. I also enjoyed Fitten's use of metaphors.
On the other hand, I hated protagonist Elza, which is a problem both because the book is character- rather than plot-driven and because there is so little else in the book other than Elza, what she is thinking, what she is doing, what others are thinking and saying about her, etc.; there is just no relief at all from this miserable character. This character reads, at best, as a narcissist and at worst a sociopath.
I mean seriously, aside from the very many examples in the book (at least one per page) she:
1) tosses away her sex-buddy because she is no longer interested in him but then sets out to destroy him and his new love interest just because he has a love interest. And she apparently behaves in this despicable way because, according to her, their actions are all about her, and apparently because these people are not people in her eyes but rather appendages to be manipulated by her at her whim and pleasure.
2) almost kills a child and her first thought is 'how will this affect my business' and her second thought is 'what negative impacts will this have on my life'. She never has a third, fourth, nor any thought of 'how is that poor boy'. Yes, she voices platitudes about the child's well-being, but mostly in the face of threats from his uncles, and even still in her own thoughts, the entire situation is about herself and how this event is impacting on her, with no true thought and no true care to the well-being of the child that she almost killed.
These, and again many other examples, are textbook examples of actions by people with Cluster B personality disorders.
Given both the above-two paragraphs, I might even have rounded up to three stars but there were two additional factors that caused me to round up to two stars from one.
A) I hated the ending. Someone who is so completely miserable and horrible should not be allowed to have a happy ending. I realize that that happens all too often in real life but this is fiction, and blargh! Someone that terrible should have been allowed to sink into her own nastiness.
B) I hated the way that Fritten treat mental illness in this book.
Bi) It is unforgivable to create a character who is so completely narcissistic and sociopathic and to try and make that character somehow sympathetic by pretending that it is due to depression. It is completely, totally, and utterly NOT OK to equate being a POS with having a mental illness. To do so is to further stigmatize people who have mental illnesses. Mental illnesses are real illnesses and to play with them as a literary device, especially one to create pathos for a POS character is insulting to all of us dealing with mental illnesses.
Bii) The way the book is constructed further stigmatizes and diminishes the lived experiences of those with mental illnesses by entrenching faulty stereotypes that hurt those suffering from mental illnesses. The book start with 'Elza is not doing well in life because she has depression' (which she doesn't; she's not doing well in life because she is a horrible excuse for a human being, but let us pretend to go along with Fitten's premise). And then it leads to 'Elza decides to change her life so she paints some walls, shakes it off, and now isn't life wonderful'. Because, yeah, of course people can just shake it off depression, paint some walls and be cured of what ails them (Yes, that was sarcasm). This blasé way of treating mental illness is totally, completely, and utterly NOT OK. Depression is a serious, often life-threatening illness that can often be treated with strategies such as medication and therapy. However, like other serious, life-threatening illnesses, depression canNOT be 'just shaken off' by changing one's mind about how to feel about the day. So, here I will advise Fitten: if you would not portray a physical illness in this way then you should also refrain from treating mental illnesses in this way. Imagine have a character in a novel recover from cancer through redecorating and changing a restaurant menus. Sounds ridiculous, eh? Yeah, well it is just as ridiculous when depression, or any other mental illness is discussed in this way.
OK. That is all I have to say about that. I am so disappointed in this book because Fitten seems like he has some good talent as a writer. I even thought about looking up the other of his books that my local library carries. But, this book just ticked me off too much, plus the blurb for the other book suggests that I would just be reading about another Elza under a different name, and I have already wasted too much time on that.
p.s. the stereotyping of the Roma/Gypsies also way too much, but I am out of ranting energy for today.
November 8, 2012
Elza’s Kitchen is a fairly short book, but don’t misjudge it for its size. It packs a powerful punch in terms of life lessons all wrapped in a simple and delightful story. Even if you don’t like to cook or find food boring, you’ll enjoy this book.
Elza is the owner of a small restaurant in Delibab, Hungary. It would be fair to say that her life has fallen into a rut of late. She sees the same customers in her restaurant. Her relationship with the Sous Chef is dull. Her menu is unchanging. So Elza decides to change things, by asking The Critic of a famed food journal to visit her restaurant and rate it. As she prepares for his visit, everything seems to go awry. Her relationship dissolves, her workers turn against her and the customers stay away. Elza needs to look at what she has and how to change it.
How Elza goes about changing her bad fortune into good (or at least tolerable) is admirable. Fitten doesn’t use any magical plot devices here – all of what Elza achieves could be done by any one of us and I think that’s where the magic in this book lies. Forget your self-help books; Elza is a role model for making great lemonade from life’s lemons. Likewise, Elza’s mishaps – a true accident, failing relationships and work issues are something that every one of us faces. Elza’s also not perfect herself – she comes across as rather naïve and gullible at times which makes her a much more believable character.
Fitten has also intrigued me by not giving all of his characters Christian names. For example, The Sous Chef is not referred to by name, despite being Elza’s partner (life and business) for years! Yet his new girlfriend is referred to as Nora, rather than ‘The Pastry Chef’. Likewise, The Critic is not referred to by name but the young boys who hang around Elza’s restaurant are. It’s interesting to try and work out why – many of these people play a pivotal role in Elza’s life, so why don’t they deserve a name? Is The Sous Chef so criminal in his betrayal of Elza? Or is he just a passing fad, not worthy of naming?
I came away with a smile on my face after reading this delightful book and a yearning for some home cooked food.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Elza is the owner of a small restaurant in Delibab, Hungary. It would be fair to say that her life has fallen into a rut of late. She sees the same customers in her restaurant. Her relationship with the Sous Chef is dull. Her menu is unchanging. So Elza decides to change things, by asking The Critic of a famed food journal to visit her restaurant and rate it. As she prepares for his visit, everything seems to go awry. Her relationship dissolves, her workers turn against her and the customers stay away. Elza needs to look at what she has and how to change it.
How Elza goes about changing her bad fortune into good (or at least tolerable) is admirable. Fitten doesn’t use any magical plot devices here – all of what Elza achieves could be done by any one of us and I think that’s where the magic in this book lies. Forget your self-help books; Elza is a role model for making great lemonade from life’s lemons. Likewise, Elza’s mishaps – a true accident, failing relationships and work issues are something that every one of us faces. Elza’s also not perfect herself – she comes across as rather naïve and gullible at times which makes her a much more believable character.
Fitten has also intrigued me by not giving all of his characters Christian names. For example, The Sous Chef is not referred to by name, despite being Elza’s partner (life and business) for years! Yet his new girlfriend is referred to as Nora, rather than ‘The Pastry Chef’. Likewise, The Critic is not referred to by name but the young boys who hang around Elza’s restaurant are. It’s interesting to try and work out why – many of these people play a pivotal role in Elza’s life, so why don’t they deserve a name? Is The Sous Chef so criminal in his betrayal of Elza? Or is he just a passing fad, not worthy of naming?
I came away with a smile on my face after reading this delightful book and a yearning for some home cooked food.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
June 6, 2019
Another delightful, insightful book by this author! I only wish he was more prolific!
It's uncanny the way Marc Gotten seems to be able to see into the very hopes and dreams of both men and women as we encounter the realities of our lives accomplishments at a stage where we may easily feel great disappointment and lose hope. He is a master of Hope, however, for every person, whatever their station, whatever their age. He is able to engender in the reader a sense of hope for not only his characters, but a sense of renewal, of possibilities, of inspiration and hope for our own lives.
It's uncanny the way Marc Gotten seems to be able to see into the very hopes and dreams of both men and women as we encounter the realities of our lives accomplishments at a stage where we may easily feel great disappointment and lose hope. He is a master of Hope, however, for every person, whatever their station, whatever their age. He is able to engender in the reader a sense of hope for not only his characters, but a sense of renewal, of possibilities, of inspiration and hope for our own lives.
May 10, 2012
I received this book for free from NetGalley.
This story was just OK. It really had promise to be a better than OK story but ultimately it just fell short. For me, it just stemmed from the fact that I didn't care about Elza, the main character. I found her uninspired and just plain boring. The story starts off with Elza lamenting over the fact that she doesn't love her boyfriend, she just wants a warm body next to her. Sees that her ex-husband, whom she left because he wanted to start a family, has moved on. He got remarried and started a family. Elza again starts lamenting about how she has nothing to show for her life. Nevermind the fact that she has a successful restaurant, a beautiful apartment, male customers who adore her, and a boyfriend who has asked her to marry him too many times. I can't stand people like this! She has so much yet, she can't be happy for what she has. This is why I just couldn't get into her or the story.
This story was just OK. It really had promise to be a better than OK story but ultimately it just fell short. For me, it just stemmed from the fact that I didn't care about Elza, the main character. I found her uninspired and just plain boring. The story starts off with Elza lamenting over the fact that she doesn't love her boyfriend, she just wants a warm body next to her. Sees that her ex-husband, whom she left because he wanted to start a family, has moved on. He got remarried and started a family. Elza again starts lamenting about how she has nothing to show for her life. Nevermind the fact that she has a successful restaurant, a beautiful apartment, male customers who adore her, and a boyfriend who has asked her to marry him too many times. I can't stand people like this! She has so much yet, she can't be happy for what she has. This is why I just couldn't get into her or the story.
January 28, 2017
What an enchanting book! Usually, I can't read omniscient point of view and point of view shifts, but this book kept me gripped from the beginning. The descriptions were unique as was the setting. So was the writers perspective and angle. The plot was full of surprises. I so wanted Elza's life to come right but everything progressively became worse. But it was full of happy surprises and twists and character arcs. Loved it!
September 10, 2018
Elza’s Kitchen ought to have been a beaut book for a Masterchef tragic like me. Set in post Soviet Hungary, it’s about an ambitious cook who dreams of getting a favourable review in Europe’s top gourmet magazine. It was the blurb that enticed me: it sounded like fun.
But it’s a disappointment, and not just a disappointment. With its stereotypical representation of Roma (called gypsies in the novel) it’s an offensive disappointment. Did it not occur to the Bloomsbury editor that portraying Roma relentlessly as beggars, thieves, greedy opportunists and scoundrels was just a tad inappropriate? (Maybe the Bloomsbury editor grew up reading Enid Blyton stories where the ‘gypsies’ were always fair game for negative stereotyping).
The plot is mildly engaging so I resisted the temptation to turf it, but really, it turned out to be more like another limp episode of Mystery Diners. The characterisation is feeble. I realise that the book is supposed to be a comic fable so most of the characters are stock types, labelled not by name but by their job (i.e. Sous-Chef, the Line-chefs, the Dishwasher, The Critic, &c) but Elza is such a driven personality, with no redeeming features, that it’s just not ever convincing that the Sous-chef is so in love with her that he persists in trying to marry her for three years. And her jealousy when he finds love elsewhere after she’s ditched him is pathetically sexist in conception and wholly unconvincing. And even a fable needs to be convincing.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2018/09/10/e...
But it’s a disappointment, and not just a disappointment. With its stereotypical representation of Roma (called gypsies in the novel) it’s an offensive disappointment. Did it not occur to the Bloomsbury editor that portraying Roma relentlessly as beggars, thieves, greedy opportunists and scoundrels was just a tad inappropriate? (Maybe the Bloomsbury editor grew up reading Enid Blyton stories where the ‘gypsies’ were always fair game for negative stereotyping).
The plot is mildly engaging so I resisted the temptation to turf it, but really, it turned out to be more like another limp episode of Mystery Diners. The characterisation is feeble. I realise that the book is supposed to be a comic fable so most of the characters are stock types, labelled not by name but by their job (i.e. Sous-Chef, the Line-chefs, the Dishwasher, The Critic, &c) but Elza is such a driven personality, with no redeeming features, that it’s just not ever convincing that the Sous-chef is so in love with her that he persists in trying to marry her for three years. And her jealousy when he finds love elsewhere after she’s ditched him is pathetically sexist in conception and wholly unconvincing. And even a fable needs to be convincing.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2018/09/10/e...
May 5, 2017
Elza’s Kitchen by Marc Fitten appears initially to be a simple tale of a successful women in her middle years becoming disillusioned with her life. It follows Elza an attractive petite woman in her late 40’s and owner of the only good restaurant in a small Hungarian town. She is in a fairly loveless relationship with her young sous chef which shortly ends badly because she refuses to marry him. She is dissatisfied with her success and has plans to win a coveted prize and she hatches a plot to lure a critic whose regular column she follows to this end. Elza is definitely the protagonist of this book but it also follows the lives of the Sous Chef, Dora the pastry chef and the critic.
I first discovered Marc Fitten with his first novel Valeria's Last Stand about an older woman having a final stab at romance. He really does have the feel for the characterization of an older woman and all of his people in both these books feel quite substantial and real.
Also contained within is a fabulous informal recipe for chicken paprika. There are various twists and turns and not the plot is not without setbacks but overall the book left me smiling. There are several wildly funny moments but generally it is a gentle flow to a satisfying ending.
Read more of my bookish going's on here at my book blog : https://engrossedblog.wordpress.com/
I first discovered Marc Fitten with his first novel Valeria's Last Stand about an older woman having a final stab at romance. He really does have the feel for the characterization of an older woman and all of his people in both these books feel quite substantial and real.
Also contained within is a fabulous informal recipe for chicken paprika. There are various twists and turns and not the plot is not without setbacks but overall the book left me smiling. There are several wildly funny moments but generally it is a gentle flow to a satisfying ending.
Read more of my bookish going's on here at my book blog : https://engrossedblog.wordpress.com/
July 19, 2017
Some good ideas
This book was a bit all over the place. I kept turning pages, wanting so much to like it and connect with the characters, but it really never happened. Loving to cook, I pick up many books related to food. They are usually warm hearted and full of rich characters. This story left me dry and hungry for depth. The restaurant owner and her customers and staff were primed for the reader to fall in love with them, but the storyline never got to that depth.
This book was a bit all over the place. I kept turning pages, wanting so much to like it and connect with the characters, but it really never happened. Loving to cook, I pick up many books related to food. They are usually warm hearted and full of rich characters. This story left me dry and hungry for depth. The restaurant owner and her customers and staff were primed for the reader to fall in love with them, but the storyline never got to that depth.
September 22, 2012
Elza has her own restaurant in Delibab, Hungary and has made a living for some years now. She opens for lunch and dinner and serves good, wholesome Hungarian food ‘like your grandmother made’ in a fine dining setting. She has always enjoyed her job, her restaurant and served her food with a smile, getting to know her regulars. But lately she’s experienced a dissatisfaction that threatens to consume her. And her relationship with her much-younger sous-chef is no longer tolerable.
The answer for Elza it seems, is to lure a notorious Italian food critic to her restaurant. He specialises in haute cousine, fine dining, particularly French food and Elza reads his column in a magazine religiously. She feels that she has the perfect meal for him, something he would love and she begins preparing it, testing it until it is perfect. Then all she needs to do is track down the critic – easier said than done. He’s always on the move and he’s always busy, but Elza is persistent.
When they get word that the critic is finally coming it couldn’t be at a worse time. Elza has finally ended her relationship with the sous-chef, refusing his marriage proposal for the last time. The sous-chef has retaliated by taking up with the pastry-chef and the kitchen is in chaos. Elza has very little time to whip them -and her restaurant- into shape for the critic’s special visit.
As I’ve mentioned, books set in places I’m unfamiliar with really appeal to me. This one is set in Hungary and it actually might be the first book I’ve ever read in my life that is set in that particular country. I found that aspect of it rather fascinating – it’s set after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the “freeing of the Eastern bloc” and therefore there’s a theme of opportunity that runs through this book. The residents of Hungary have a freedom and the opportunity to do things that they haven’t had before.
Elza is in her late-40s, divorced and seems to live her life free of any attachment to anyone. She has no family and while she has been sleeping with her sous-chef for the past three years, she has no real attachment to him. She’s unbothered by him other than a warm body some nights and she constantly refuses his proposals of marriage. It therefore seemed to make little sense to me that she became so infuriated by his moving on to her pasty-chef. She didn’t care for him, she readily admitted that she didn’t. Both the sous-chef and the pasty-chef were very good at what they did and made the restaurant quite popular. I’m not sure why she sabotaged this because of a jealousy that made such little sense to the reader. It was written as an impotent fury, like Elza was the woman scorned when in fact she was not in any way.
When this book focused on the food, on Elza’s desire to lure the critic, on the pastry-chef’s beautiful creations, on the meals Elza cooks herself later on in the book for her customers, it was truly beautiful. It made me deliciously hungry for food I’ve never tasted before – chicken paprika, which seems a kind of Hungarian signature dish, creamy omelette’s with peppers, pork served in a beautiful dill sauce. I wanted to try absolutely everything described in this book, and I’m not a particularly adventurous eater! The language and description were fabulous, mouth-wateringly evocative. I enjoyed the idea of Elza luring this famous critic to her small, home-food style restaurant in Hungary and the process that took to make it happen. I even enjoyed the character of the Critic himself (a lot of characters in this book are never given names, simply referred to as the Sous-Chef, the Critic, the Motorcyle Officer, etc).
But this book did let itself down (for me) in the rather random story of the young gypsy Roma children who hang around the restaurant generally being a nuisance and begging for money and/or food. I found it detracted from the story of Elza and the Critic and also the Sous-Chef and his story and to be honest, I didn’t care about the gypsy kids, what they were doing and how Elza dealt with them and the ramifications and guilt because of that. I just wanted them (and that whole story) to shoo so I could get back to the kitchen so to speak and read more descriptions of food and Elza trying to reboot her restaurant. That’s where the book’s strength was, getting bogged down in the gypsy community did the book no favours and it was also sort of pointless. It portrayed the gypsies as scavengers and sheisters (which they well be) but to a stereotype that was almost painful to read. I didn’t feel for them, I didn’t sympathise with them, mostly they just irritated me and I wanted them gone from the page so I could get back to what I felt was the core of the story.
This book had so much promise but I just feel it failed to deliver on it. I found Elza prickly and unenjoyable unless she was cooking and her reaction to the Sous-Chef and her pastry-chef was just out of place and irrational. She almost allowed her jealousy to sabotage the one thing in her life that seemed to actually mean something to her and I’m glad that in the end that didn’t happen because it just would have been so unnecessary. Less focus on gypsies and jealousy and more focus on food and Hungarian tradition and culture would’ve made me truly love this book
The answer for Elza it seems, is to lure a notorious Italian food critic to her restaurant. He specialises in haute cousine, fine dining, particularly French food and Elza reads his column in a magazine religiously. She feels that she has the perfect meal for him, something he would love and she begins preparing it, testing it until it is perfect. Then all she needs to do is track down the critic – easier said than done. He’s always on the move and he’s always busy, but Elza is persistent.
When they get word that the critic is finally coming it couldn’t be at a worse time. Elza has finally ended her relationship with the sous-chef, refusing his marriage proposal for the last time. The sous-chef has retaliated by taking up with the pastry-chef and the kitchen is in chaos. Elza has very little time to whip them -and her restaurant- into shape for the critic’s special visit.
As I’ve mentioned, books set in places I’m unfamiliar with really appeal to me. This one is set in Hungary and it actually might be the first book I’ve ever read in my life that is set in that particular country. I found that aspect of it rather fascinating – it’s set after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the “freeing of the Eastern bloc” and therefore there’s a theme of opportunity that runs through this book. The residents of Hungary have a freedom and the opportunity to do things that they haven’t had before.
Elza is in her late-40s, divorced and seems to live her life free of any attachment to anyone. She has no family and while she has been sleeping with her sous-chef for the past three years, she has no real attachment to him. She’s unbothered by him other than a warm body some nights and she constantly refuses his proposals of marriage. It therefore seemed to make little sense to me that she became so infuriated by his moving on to her pasty-chef. She didn’t care for him, she readily admitted that she didn’t. Both the sous-chef and the pasty-chef were very good at what they did and made the restaurant quite popular. I’m not sure why she sabotaged this because of a jealousy that made such little sense to the reader. It was written as an impotent fury, like Elza was the woman scorned when in fact she was not in any way.
When this book focused on the food, on Elza’s desire to lure the critic, on the pastry-chef’s beautiful creations, on the meals Elza cooks herself later on in the book for her customers, it was truly beautiful. It made me deliciously hungry for food I’ve never tasted before – chicken paprika, which seems a kind of Hungarian signature dish, creamy omelette’s with peppers, pork served in a beautiful dill sauce. I wanted to try absolutely everything described in this book, and I’m not a particularly adventurous eater! The language and description were fabulous, mouth-wateringly evocative. I enjoyed the idea of Elza luring this famous critic to her small, home-food style restaurant in Hungary and the process that took to make it happen. I even enjoyed the character of the Critic himself (a lot of characters in this book are never given names, simply referred to as the Sous-Chef, the Critic, the Motorcyle Officer, etc).
But this book did let itself down (for me) in the rather random story of the young gypsy Roma children who hang around the restaurant generally being a nuisance and begging for money and/or food. I found it detracted from the story of Elza and the Critic and also the Sous-Chef and his story and to be honest, I didn’t care about the gypsy kids, what they were doing and how Elza dealt with them and the ramifications and guilt because of that. I just wanted them (and that whole story) to shoo so I could get back to the kitchen so to speak and read more descriptions of food and Elza trying to reboot her restaurant. That’s where the book’s strength was, getting bogged down in the gypsy community did the book no favours and it was also sort of pointless. It portrayed the gypsies as scavengers and sheisters (which they well be) but to a stereotype that was almost painful to read. I didn’t feel for them, I didn’t sympathise with them, mostly they just irritated me and I wanted them gone from the page so I could get back to what I felt was the core of the story.
This book had so much promise but I just feel it failed to deliver on it. I found Elza prickly and unenjoyable unless she was cooking and her reaction to the Sous-Chef and her pastry-chef was just out of place and irrational. She almost allowed her jealousy to sabotage the one thing in her life that seemed to actually mean something to her and I’m glad that in the end that didn’t happen because it just would have been so unnecessary. Less focus on gypsies and jealousy and more focus on food and Hungarian tradition and culture would’ve made me truly love this book
December 19, 2021
I could not get past page 70 in this one. The main character should be appealing to me, but is not. And the food angle is not enough for me. And the idea that this is about being an entrepreneur in a post-socialist era/country is not working for me, either. I did like the idea that you can tell how people like your food the way they use their napkins.
July 31, 2025
The end of this book kind of saved it because it gave some feel good energy. But this was (with all due respect to the author) a bit of a nowhere read. Not particularly interesting. Also, *spolier* the scene with the critic and the sex worker after his dog passed? Uhm okay.
December 14, 2025
This book was good. Colorful characters, and interesting storyline, set in Hungary.
And it was about food! It was about finding your strengths--and realizing you don't always have to compete. We can co-exist.
And it was about food! It was about finding your strengths--and realizing you don't always have to compete. We can co-exist.
October 14, 2020
Slow start, didn't particularly like any of the characters, but the growth of the main character at the very end was nice to see.
January 18, 2026
I want to read this book
November 27, 2012
Elza's Kitchen is the story of a Hungarian woman in the grip of a mid life crisis. Her restaurant is a success, she entertains a virile young lover and she enjoys bourgeois comfort but her passion for life has faded, much like her youth. Casting around for inspiration she seizes upon the idea of attracting a well known Parisian food critic to her restaurant in the hopes that he will recommend it for the prestigious Silver Spoon Award but change will not come easily and Elza stands to lose it all.
In many ways I feel like this novel didn't quite come together, I thought the focus was too often pulled away from Elza, by the Critic mourning his dog, the Sous-Chef and Dora's new venture and the mischievous Gypsy family. It didn't help that I found it difficult to care much for Elza whose dissatisfaction seems selfish, all the more so when she discards her besotted lover, her Sous-Chef, but objects to his developing relationship with Dora. She is oblivious to his hurt feelings and, it seems, deliberately obtuse about the impact of her rejection on their working relationship. As a result the kitchen begins to fall apart, yet Elza accepts no blame for it.
For me the strength of this novel lies in the description of dining on Elza's simple Hungarian fare with a creative twist, a Paprika Chicken that is both tangy and sweet, pork tenderloin marinated in white wine with a paprika and dill sauce. Elza's menu is mouthwatering, especially when dessert pastries are added.
An interesting yet inexplicable, aspect of the novel involves the naming of the characters. While the women in the story are referred to by their first names - Elza, Dora and Eva, all the men (excepting the young Gypsy boy, Pisti) are referred to by description - the Sous-Chef, the Dishwasher, The Critic, The Motorcycle Man etc. It is clearly a deliberate choice made by the author and I wonder at its significance.
I am left feeling fairly ambivalent about Elza's Kitchen, while I thought the writing was stylish and I was interested by the unfamiliar setting of post communist Hungary, I didn't really connect with the characters or the story. Still, I was glad when Elza rediscovered her passion for her restaurant and I headed for my recipe books looking for a recipe for paprika chicken when I had finished the last pages.
December 21, 2012
Elza’s Kitchen
By Marc Fitten
Elza’s Kitchen is the second novel in a series, all of which take place in Hungary as it transitions from the Soviet bloc to the global market economy. The first, Valeria’s Last Stand, is a hilarious romp of a novel—less a novel than a fabliau, a comic tale about lust, greed, and the trickery ordinary people use to satisfy these all-too-human urges.
Elza’s Kitchen has fewer laughs out loud but far more moments of real and complex feeling. Valeria is an older, crotchety peasant woman who, to the amusement of her village, unexpectedly falls madly in love just as Hungary is beginning to join the West. Elza is an older, far more sophisticated woman in the city during the 1990s at a later stage of Hungary’s global integeration. Divorced and in an unserious affair with a younger man, what drives Elza is not a relationship but her career. She owns a successful restaurant whose meals merely in their description will make you hungry or (in my case) scurrying off to cookbooks for recipes involving large amounts of paprika. Yet Elza senses that something is lacking in her life. Without really knowing why, she casts off the young lover and begins a search for greater glory in the restaurant business. From there on, nothing turns out as expected.
But this description fails to convey the unforgettable delight of the novel, where at the end of the day everything is comic: Elza’s former lover the sous-chef and his new mistress; the restaurant Critic Elza hopes will help get to the next level of culinary success; the gypsy children whose stunted lives move Elza and (this) reader. We can only enjoy all of them and wait for the third novel that will complete the trilogy.
By Marc Fitten
Elza’s Kitchen is the second novel in a series, all of which take place in Hungary as it transitions from the Soviet bloc to the global market economy. The first, Valeria’s Last Stand, is a hilarious romp of a novel—less a novel than a fabliau, a comic tale about lust, greed, and the trickery ordinary people use to satisfy these all-too-human urges.
Elza’s Kitchen has fewer laughs out loud but far more moments of real and complex feeling. Valeria is an older, crotchety peasant woman who, to the amusement of her village, unexpectedly falls madly in love just as Hungary is beginning to join the West. Elza is an older, far more sophisticated woman in the city during the 1990s at a later stage of Hungary’s global integeration. Divorced and in an unserious affair with a younger man, what drives Elza is not a relationship but her career. She owns a successful restaurant whose meals merely in their description will make you hungry or (in my case) scurrying off to cookbooks for recipes involving large amounts of paprika. Yet Elza senses that something is lacking in her life. Without really knowing why, she casts off the young lover and begins a search for greater glory in the restaurant business. From there on, nothing turns out as expected.
But this description fails to convey the unforgettable delight of the novel, where at the end of the day everything is comic: Elza’s former lover the sous-chef and his new mistress; the restaurant Critic Elza hopes will help get to the next level of culinary success; the gypsy children whose stunted lives move Elza and (this) reader. We can only enjoy all of them and wait for the third novel that will complete the trilogy.
February 28, 2013
One of the first things that struck me – and I am not sure of the reasoning behind it – is that all the male characters are referred to by their career i.e. the Sous-Chef, the Dishwasher, The Critic, The Policeman etc. – the young Gypsy boy being an exception to this. All the female characters were called by their first names – Elza, Dora and Eva. It didn’t deter from the story, just had me wondering as to why?
I selected ELZA'S KITCHEN because it is set in Hungary – and in a few months I will be visiting this country. I had hoped it would give an insight into what I can expect. I can tell you that it has given me a whole list of Hungarian delicacies to look out for – there is more to Hungary than just goulash. I always expected this would be the case, but it is nice to have the conformation. Her description of the dishes that Elza created in her kitchen had me drooling. When she cooked it was the only time the character came alive on the pages. I have Paprika Chicken on my must try list – and anything with dumplings!
I can’t say that I really connected to any of the characters much at all; they just didn’t come completely alive for me. I was reading Elza’s story but not relating to Elza; I guess because she didn’t know what she wanted from life; which direction she wanted to go; she was just floating along without an aim and it is hard to connect to someone like that. By the time I started to feel something for her the story was just about over. I guess at the beginning she was without hope, no aims not future and maybe, just maybe, there was the glimmer of a future for her.
I selected ELZA'S KITCHEN because it is set in Hungary – and in a few months I will be visiting this country. I had hoped it would give an insight into what I can expect. I can tell you that it has given me a whole list of Hungarian delicacies to look out for – there is more to Hungary than just goulash. I always expected this would be the case, but it is nice to have the conformation. Her description of the dishes that Elza created in her kitchen had me drooling. When she cooked it was the only time the character came alive on the pages. I have Paprika Chicken on my must try list – and anything with dumplings!
I can’t say that I really connected to any of the characters much at all; they just didn’t come completely alive for me. I was reading Elza’s story but not relating to Elza; I guess because she didn’t know what she wanted from life; which direction she wanted to go; she was just floating along without an aim and it is hard to connect to someone like that. By the time I started to feel something for her the story was just about over. I guess at the beginning she was without hope, no aims not future and maybe, just maybe, there was the glimmer of a future for her.
July 2, 2012
I received this book as GoodReads First Reads giveaway.
At first, I found it hard to really get into this story. The writing style reminded me a little bit of 'stream of consciousness' narrative, and I've never been a fan of that before. However, the 2nd time I picked it up to continue reading, the story really took off and I finished it in that sitting.
Elza is a likeable character that many readers can probably relate to, while at the same time make readers cringe at her behavior throughout the book. I felt for her desperation, loneliness, and feelings of betrayal, but at the same time her lack of empathy and choice of actions really sealed parts of her fate, too. Watching her 'awakening' develop and flourish unexpectedly was such good, emotional reading, and I was glad to see the story take that path as it unfolded.
The parts of the book shown from the other characters' perspectives kept things interesting, and added pieces to the story in an out of the ordinary, enjoyable way as I found out how everything finally fit together. The 'foodies' out there will also enjoy this read, as the actual kitchen scenes were so wonderfully descriptive, and at times almost tangible. This aspect, for me, added to Elza's character as we saw her true passion finally revive itself, and in doing so gave a real heart to the story.
At first, I found it hard to really get into this story. The writing style reminded me a little bit of 'stream of consciousness' narrative, and I've never been a fan of that before. However, the 2nd time I picked it up to continue reading, the story really took off and I finished it in that sitting.
Elza is a likeable character that many readers can probably relate to, while at the same time make readers cringe at her behavior throughout the book. I felt for her desperation, loneliness, and feelings of betrayal, but at the same time her lack of empathy and choice of actions really sealed parts of her fate, too. Watching her 'awakening' develop and flourish unexpectedly was such good, emotional reading, and I was glad to see the story take that path as it unfolded.
The parts of the book shown from the other characters' perspectives kept things interesting, and added pieces to the story in an out of the ordinary, enjoyable way as I found out how everything finally fit together. The 'foodies' out there will also enjoy this read, as the actual kitchen scenes were so wonderfully descriptive, and at times almost tangible. This aspect, for me, added to Elza's character as we saw her true passion finally revive itself, and in doing so gave a real heart to the story.
February 17, 2014
I chose this book because I thought it sounded really quite similar to my own - a bit quirky and food-centred. It turned out there are similarities but not that many.
The plot is sparse really, and revolves around fairly mundane situations which seem to built up to more than they are. The main character isn't particularly loveable, and I'm not entirely sure whether there was meant to be a moral to the story or not. Don't aim too high maybe? Appreciate what you have?
I felt that some aspects were unusual just for the sake of giving the book an arty feel. Very few people have names, instead they are referred to as 'the professor of sauces' or the 'professor of meats'. I'm not sure the book gained anything by that or what the point was.
However, I did actually quite enjoy the book. It just plods along, with some nice food imagery and several little internal tales that are amusing in themselves. I'm not sure I would go so far as to recommend it seeing as I think it's a really acquired taste and won't be a general crowd pleaser. The writing was really wonderful in places though. will I be looking for more work by the same author? Umm...not sure. I might. Or I might not bother. That's the feeling the book left me with really.
The plot is sparse really, and revolves around fairly mundane situations which seem to built up to more than they are. The main character isn't particularly loveable, and I'm not entirely sure whether there was meant to be a moral to the story or not. Don't aim too high maybe? Appreciate what you have?
I felt that some aspects were unusual just for the sake of giving the book an arty feel. Very few people have names, instead they are referred to as 'the professor of sauces' or the 'professor of meats'. I'm not sure the book gained anything by that or what the point was.
However, I did actually quite enjoy the book. It just plods along, with some nice food imagery and several little internal tales that are amusing in themselves. I'm not sure I would go so far as to recommend it seeing as I think it's a really acquired taste and won't be a general crowd pleaser. The writing was really wonderful in places though. will I be looking for more work by the same author? Umm...not sure. I might. Or I might not bother. That's the feeling the book left me with really.
January 5, 2015
This was a fast read with a mildly interesting plot.
Elza is going through a mid-life crisis as she feels herself adrift in the world. She owns a restaurant in Delibab, a small Hungarian town, but running it is now mostly her employees task, and she can't help feeling bored there. She's also divorced and though having someone to warm her feet, she does not feel her heart warming towards him.
This is about her trying to find a way out of her situation. Her attempts are nothing spectacular, but she'll realize soon enough that often the solution comes from an unexpected source!
Marc Fittten writes in a way that I find engaging, but the plot never really picked up for me. Maybe I'm bored by midlife crisis type of books? Also most of the time Elza comes across as a sharp passionless woman, which disengaged me a bit from the story. Only when she was doing some cooking, I could feel some passion (and expected a bit more of that in the book!).
Elza is going through a mid-life crisis as she feels herself adrift in the world. She owns a restaurant in Delibab, a small Hungarian town, but running it is now mostly her employees task, and she can't help feeling bored there. She's also divorced and though having someone to warm her feet, she does not feel her heart warming towards him.
This is about her trying to find a way out of her situation. Her attempts are nothing spectacular, but she'll realize soon enough that often the solution comes from an unexpected source!
Marc Fittten writes in a way that I find engaging, but the plot never really picked up for me. Maybe I'm bored by midlife crisis type of books? Also most of the time Elza comes across as a sharp passionless woman, which disengaged me a bit from the story. Only when she was doing some cooking, I could feel some passion (and expected a bit more of that in the book!).
August 22, 2012
This is a charming book about a chef in a small town. Only three characters in the book get names (the rest of the characters are named after their jobs--Professor of Sauces, Critic, Shopkeeper, etc.). Elza is a little sour, and a lot feisty. Her plans don't work out as expected, but everyone's better off for it. This is a soft-lens, cozy sort of story.
And mouthwatering. Bump from 3 stars to 4 because of descriptions like this:
"People came . . . for her potato pancakes--golden fried disks covered with a healthy dollop of sour cream and shredded Havarti cheese. The sour cream had minced garlic in it that made mouths water."
A nice diversion for a few hours. The Hungarian setting was original. Otherwise, sort of a cross between "Chocolat" and "The Elegance of the Hedgehog."
And mouthwatering. Bump from 3 stars to 4 because of descriptions like this:
"People came . . . for her potato pancakes--golden fried disks covered with a healthy dollop of sour cream and shredded Havarti cheese. The sour cream had minced garlic in it that made mouths water."
A nice diversion for a few hours. The Hungarian setting was original. Otherwise, sort of a cross between "Chocolat" and "The Elegance of the Hedgehog."
June 5, 2013
I wanted to like this book...set in a fictional Hungarian town 10 years after the fall of communism, the story of a female chef/restaurant owner caught my attention on the library "choice reads" shelf. The plot deviated from this potentially fascinating tale when the focus shifted from one unlikely romantic relationship to another. It could have been set in most any town in any country, with only minor changes to the story. Also, the female protagonist seemed unnecessarily whiny and flat. Very little of her skill and experience as a female chef came through until very late in the book. The final few chapters, though somewhat rushed, redeemed the story a bit. Ultimately, though, I just didn't find enough to recommend the book and I was disappointed by the absence of those things that drew me to this story.
June 8, 2014
Not sure where this story was supposed to go. Elza -- a great but unknown chef, was uninspired by the way her life was and how she was living. But other than trying to get her restaurant a prestigious award (which she didn't get), there was nothing else she did to improve her lifestyle.
This book could have been great. Although Elza's personality was unlikeable, I understood how a person can become the person she was -- overworked, uninspired, taking other people for granted, unfulfilled, feeling unloved -- a total recipe for disaster. However, even her character development was left -- well -- unfinished.
There were also too many other secondary characters with not enough development. The story ends without the reader really being able to grasp the connectivity of each character and where this story was really supposed to go.
This book could have been great. Although Elza's personality was unlikeable, I understood how a person can become the person she was -- overworked, uninspired, taking other people for granted, unfulfilled, feeling unloved -- a total recipe for disaster. However, even her character development was left -- well -- unfinished.
There were also too many other secondary characters with not enough development. The story ends without the reader really being able to grasp the connectivity of each character and where this story was really supposed to go.
April 22, 2012
This novel was the perfect combination of everything that I look for in a book. Elza runs a restaurant that serves traditional Hungarian food. It is really about her rediscovering who she is and what she wants from life. I loved all of the scenes incorporating descriptions of food. It was a really interesting story, and it held my interest throughout. I liked how the author used exclamation points. Those are not often used, and I thought it was a good stylistic choice. I really felt a connection with the main character, Elza, and I was hoping that things would turn out well for her in the end. I would recommend this book to people who like cooking, like strong main characters, or like books with elements from other cultures.
*I won this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
*I won this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
April 18, 2012
This was a goodreads giveaway that I won. I was excited to read this book because I have worked in kitchen for years. But, the only thing that I really liked in this book was the restaurant, like the food and the odd things that happened in a kitchen.
I couldn't get into liking the people. Other then the main girl, Elza, everyone one else has titles instead of names. Like the Sous-Chef, The Professor of Sauces and The Professor of meats. I just couldn't connect with the people in the story. And it didn't help that Elza was hard to like. She did get better latter on in the story, but in the begining I didn't like her at all.
I couldn't get into liking the people. Other then the main girl, Elza, everyone one else has titles instead of names. Like the Sous-Chef, The Professor of Sauces and The Professor of meats. I just couldn't connect with the people in the story. And it didn't help that Elza was hard to like. She did get better latter on in the story, but in the begining I didn't like her at all.
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