Secrets of the Tsil Cafe

by Thomas Fox Averill

Young Weston Hingler becomes caught in the middle of his parents' culinary diversity, secrets, histories, infidelities, and needs as he grows up in a cross-cultural extended family that exists between two kitchens--one new World, the other traditional. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction, Food, Cooking, Coming Of Age, Culinary, Food Writing

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

An O. Henry Award story writer, Thomas Fox Averill is Writer-in-Residence at Washburn University of Topeka, KS. His novel, rode, published by the University of New Mexico Press, was named Outstanding Western Novel of 2011 as part of the Western Heritage Awards. His recent work, "Garden Plots," consists of poems, meditations, and short-short stories about gardens, gardeners, garden design, plants, and the human relationship to nature. They can be found on his website. His most recent novel is A Carol Dickens Christmas, published by the University of New Mexico Press in 2014.

Previous novels are Secrets of the Tsil Café, and The Slow Air of Ewan MacPherson. His story collections are Ordinary Genius (University of Nebraska Press) and Seeing Mona Naked (Watermark Books).

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Challenge 2018 - Bookish: book by an author from your state. Who doesn't love a book full of recipes? I read and taught this book to my sophomore English class many years ago through the PEN Faulkner foundation which provided each student in the class a copy and finally an opportunity to meet the author. Rereading the book through a different lens, I enjoyed it more, which is often not the case with a reread from many years ago. It is the coming of age story of Wes Hingler, growing up in the Kansas City area, in his father's restaurant and mother's catering kitchen. The book is replete with stories surrounding the food, including their recipes, and all the secrets of the Hingler household. There were some pretty interesting reveals that kept the drama of the story moving, but the food is what really motivated the story. Most of it I would like to try, even though it will be too spicy for me. I am still debating the eating of guinea pig or llama blood though. It was definitely an enjoyable book that any Kansas City native would enjoy and gourmands will find tasty.

[Becca Dawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching coming of age story tackling topics like individuality, culture, and family (including strong connection/love and complications) through the art of cooking, spice, and drama. Alongside my emotional reaction to this text and honestly getting homesick for my family while reading, I learned about unique ingredients and recipes to perhaps incorporate into my mostly unadventurous routine as well as their unique cultural background and history. Pleasantly surprised by this book found at a thrift store to last a trip (spoiler it hardly lasted the flight)

[Mia Parviainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book during my lunch breaks. Since the book was also about food, lunch was the perfect time to read it. It was hooked from day 1 and would be bothered when I realized that some days I wouldn't have time to read during lunch. It was one of those books that I didn't want to put down when it was time to get back to work.

Part of it is it's multiple layers. Wes, the main character, grows up with two restaurateur parents. His father adheres to a strict doctrine of New World ingredients only in his kitchen--that is, only ingredients that are native to North, South, and Central America. Throughout the book, there are recipes and informational blurbs about the ingredients mentioned in the book. The descriptions were especially helpful since I was not familiar with several of the ingredients mentioned--I had no sense of what their taste might be. It helped me imagine the flavors being described.

Part of me now wants to try a few of the recipes, if I can come by most of the ingredients called for. Some ingredients are clearly native to the southwestern part of the US, and I live in New England. Still, I'm starting to look towards one to try within the next week or so; the recipes look that good. By the way--don't skip over reading the directions for the recipe in the epilogue. Sometimes it's tempting to skim the directions to recipes to get back to the recipe. Make sure you avoid that urge with the last one.

In a narrative sense, the book is engaging because it is relateable and different at the same time. Wes, the protagonist, has a coming of age story. He has conflicts with his parents, his parents have conflicts with each other, and his family is full of secrets. All of this is familiar to readers. The differences come in the colorful details that flesh out the characters--his father's insistence on New World ingredients, the varying characters who work in the cafe his father runs, the complex inclusion of a restaurant reviewer who has an almost-too-close relationship with his mother.

It's a satisfying read, for the sake of fiction. For the sake of cooks, both professional and amateur (like me), it's a nudge to get into the kitchen and try something new, to satisfy that creative itch.

[Suanne Laqueur · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tale is full of recipes, some on the very edge of bizarre but all bursting with flavor and history. Definitions of New World foods, from maple syrup to pawpaws, are included, and Averill has managed to integrate both recipes and definitions into his richly unfolding story—no small feat. In the spirit of Like Water for Chocolate but far, far spicier.

This book was a ton of fun and I even bought a jicama to try one of the recipes. HIGHLY recommend for everyone, especially lovers of Latin American culture.

[Jen Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this one. While I liked the premise, it really relied on the “secrets being revealed” to a point where it got to be too much for my taste (although, to be fair “secrets” *is* in the title, so I should have known). I also didn’t like the main characters, the parents were so self-focused and the son was so angsty. However, the food descriptions were amazing (although I did get annoyed by all the history notes) and I’m so sad that all the restaurants were fictional. Because, let’s be honest, all these recipes are harder than I’m willing to try or have hard to find ingredients. And the side characters stole my heart - I wanted more of Juan, especially.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this was an enjoyable and well written book. I just really didn't care for the prominent characters. The story is told through Wes' point of view. He is the child of two chefs/cooks that run a restaurant and a catering business, and really are very selfish people. Many of the family secrets come out over the course of the book which is from Wes' childhood to after his parents retire. Even though I didn't care for the characters the book was an enjoyable read. That is just the difference of I like it to I really like it.

[Sandy D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're interested in New World foods and their, the restaurant business, or somewhat dysfunctional families with skeletons in their closets, you'll probably enjoy the coming of age story of Wes Tito Hingler, who grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Tsil Cafe.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only the book writes about unique progressive spicy recipes. But also it speaks about family matters, infidelity, and reconciliation. One fine literature. Funny and poetic.

[Alison Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

[Phylisha Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a foodie, I found this book about food and family quite interesting.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the food descriptions to be very pleasing and I was pleasantly intrigued by this book. A very sweet and interesting story, well written.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars, rounded down

I really struggled to get into this novel. Yes, the food descriptions were interesting, but the family drama overshadowed the food.

[Longfellow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had low expectations for this book, I confess. It came to me free from a generous librarian, and I mistakenly assumed that something free and something written by a resident of Topeka, KS, wouldn’t combine to make compelling reading. The title and the plugs on the book’s front and back covers blare that Secrets is a book about food—complete with recipes for god’s sake—but a novel nonetheless.

After reading several chapters, I became ashamed of my rash dismissal of the book. I’m not a foodie, and my palate is far from discerning; most often I eat only because it’s a necessity, and I usually do so impatiently. Despite this apathetic stance toward food, I found myself enjoying the sensory imagery Averill employs, scents, textures, and of course tastes; I wished I could read this book surrounded by a plethora of sample plates, nibbling, sipping, and smelling each item Averill describes so I could experience it myself. Often, after these items play a role in the narrative, a recipe is provided. Unfortunately, having minimal wherewithal to begin with, I don’t foresee myself attempting to recreate any of them. (I also went from reading the recipes to skimming them as I progressed, eventually skipping some altogether.)

More impressive in my judgment than Averill’s use of sensory imagery is his success in weaving character development, plot, and all major scenes around food, and he does so with skill. Even nuances in the characters’ personalities and relationships are communicated through the taste of food.

The Tsil Café is the narrator’s father’s restaurant, which serves food “New Mexico style” and uses only ingredients native to the “New World,” i.e. the Americas. Above his father’s restaurant, Wes’s mother has her own kitchen, which she uses to create dishes for her catering business, Buen AppeTito. These two fictional businesses are located in a two-story brick building on 39th St. in Kansas City, MO. Being a Kansas City native myself, and a frequent patron of an eclectic hole-in-the-wall on this very street, I was delighted with this setting. The narrator (Weston Tito Hingler) covers his life from childhood to early adulthood. While the creative strength of this story lies in its first half, I think most readers will become invested enough to read on through to the resolution at a brisk and steady pace.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

During the Nebraska Writing Project I started writing a memoir laced with recipes my family shared or that are significant and this book was recommended to me to read. The main character Wes shares a far more complicated relationship to food and cooking than I do. The story was ok, definitely full of secrets. There were lots of details about the recipes and of the Old World ingredients but I wanted more character development. Not being familiar with the ingredients, I found myself enjoying the historical bits but skipped over the prep directions (they are over my culinary head). It is a great coming of age story but I felt it took Wes a long time to be happy and find himself, maybe that's true for many people, but I kept wanting the guy to get a break. His parents were not particularly likeable to me most of the time and his family (extended) was even more complicated. Perhaps in this complication the book was more realistic than many I read and I found myself almost uncomfortable with some of the realities. The last 100 pages or so redeemed the book for me and were the quickest to read for sure. Foodies will no doubt love this book, and it is worth the time.

[Blaire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really grew on me. The prose is simple and lucid - a style that I've come to associate with the Iowa Writers' Workshop. It's a coming-of-age story, which is pretty common, but the setting and milieu take it out of the ordinary. The protagonist's parents are both cooks. They have an unconventional, extremely dynamic relationship and they expose their son, Wes, to the rarified world of fine food from a very early age. The father in particular cooks New World food, using only ingredients that were available before the arrival of European explorers. I found that aspect of the book to be really fascinating, although I have to admit that I didn't find the recipes to be particularly appetizing. The other strength of the book is the cast of supporting characters. They are drawn with great sensitivity and sympathy. All in all, I found the story to be unpretentious and comforting.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who loves-loves-LOVES food, this book practically jumped off the shelves into my heart. I didn't grow up with food being a main ingredient in life but this story, despite the sorrow and heartache, made me wish I had. I wonder what "character" I would have developed had I. Oh how I wish I been exposed to such a story! It's obvious that I couldn't relate to the main character on any level of shared experience but found myself being and feeling as he may have. I cried at the end, for life lessons already learned and the joy knowing I have grown from and for them, cried for the lessons I will undoubtedly wade, swim and practically drown from in the future. Well written, especially for a story spanning such a long life. Extended family characters hard to follow at times, but that seemed real somehow too. Recipes..?..well, we'll see, won't we :)

[Will · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very quick read and a decent book for foodies. I thought about giving this book three stars... but dropped back to 2. There's a lot of family drama in this book. It gets in the way more than I would have liked. It's also a story a boy coming into his own as a teen and where it seems he would turn his back on food learns to embrace it his own way.

This book is also filled with recipes... some interesting... others not so much... but what is key is there are great footnotes on nearly every ingredient mentioned in this book. Some I knew, others gave me new information on items I use each day.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book and my mouth is still watering. I need to buy my own copy so I could try more recipes. This is a coming of age story about a man who grew up with parents who both cooked for a living;his mother running an Italian catering business and his father who had a restaurant and only used New World ingredients. It is about finding out who you are in the midst of family and the world. And it's about food -- why we eat, what we eat and food as metaphor for life. If you like food from New Mexico with a twist, you will like this story. I give it a four jalapeno rating.

[C Joy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an OK read, not something I'll recommend or share to others. True it has a book with recipes but not to offend the others, I doubt if they'll taste good. I didn't appreciate much of the recipes although it's fascinating to have parents who know their way around the kitchen. Everything is resolved through cooking and their specialties are two worlds apart. It's about a boy growing up and learning about cooking and sex, the story just goes on without a definite ending.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book for the bus. It reminds me of the sort of book we had to read in school, i.e., I could tell it was supposed to have messages embedded about learning to become your own person and that sort of thing. The story is about food so recipes are sprinkled throughout. I tended to skip them.

[Book Concierge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A culinary novel with a twist. Wes is the son of "dueling" chefs. His father has the Tsil Cafe - specializing in Authentic (with a capital A) New Mexican cuisine. His mother runs a traditional Italian catering company from the family's apartment kitchen (above the Cafe). Wes has to find a way to honor his parents while forging his own path. I was hungry for more.

[Starla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very complex book. The cultures, the family, friends and the amazing description of food (with recipes).
I think the book could have been good with just The main characters.
So many people thrown into the mix and everyone sleeping with everyone else just kind of brought the star rating down for me.
The "meat" of the book, however, was quite good.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay story line. A bit contrived. I may use some of the food notes for my food unit at the end of next year. The plot idea is strong. I love that the father only cooks with foods from the New World. The character development and over emphasis on extramarital affairs gets old quick. Did I try the recipes? No. Will I? Not likely.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had some really great moments (and wonderful descriptions of food, though also the problem of making me hungry while reading), but I found the jumping around in chronology a bit annoying at times and some of the characters weren't well-developed enough for my taste. But I found myself very moved by the end, so I was more invested than I thought.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the book's concept. Parents who both have culinary minds raising a son to be strong in each of their kitchens. There were some scenes I found very offensive. Though I appreciated and enjoyed the main theme of the book, I despised the sub-plot which focused on the infidelity of both parents.

[Jan Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It was different, but I thought the author did an excellent job describing the differences of Wes's father and mother and how their personalities were expressed through food. Wes was truly caught in the middle and eventually learned to find his own voice or food style by blending his parents qualities.

This was the last book in our Let's Talk About it series for Fall 2013.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pleasant surprise! I expected this to be more a place-as-character book. The Tsil Cafe was a character, but a minor, background one. Written almost as a memoir, it was an enjoyable read.

My quibbles were that it was a little predictable and a little dramatic. But it is a book about food and family, and I think that's an ambitious undertaking!

[Flo Schell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book years ago; recommend often. Great story of a young boy who grows up in a home where Italian mom loves to cook and Mexican dad owns a restaurant. Filled with scents and tastes of both cultures, the young boy grows up to own a restaurant himself. There is lots of family love here. I cannot wait to read it again!

[Lauren Tamraz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whole lot about what Averill terms "New World' cooking--as in, North, central, and South America unadulterated by 'Old World (European) foods. Very good recipes included in this saga of a chef family--a great story.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up in Lawrence KS, I knew actor Ric Averill quite well. This is his brother. Excellent book. Good story encompasses food. I am fascinated. Originally read November 2001.

June 2011 I'm re-reading this.