A Stew or a Story: An Assortment of Short Works

by M.F.K. Fisher, Joan Reardon (Introduction)

Like the savory, simple dishes she favored, M.F.K. Fisher's writing was often “short, stylish, concentrated in flavor, and varied in form,” writes Joan Reardon in her introduction to this eclectic, lively collection. Magazine writing launched and helped to sustain Fisher's long, illustrious career and in these fifty-seven pieces we experience again the inimitable voice of the woman widely known to have elevated food writing to a literary art.

This book covers five decades of Fisher's writing for such notable and diverse publications as Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Ladies Home Journal, Atlantic Monthly, Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Vogue. But collected here also are articles nearly impossible to find from lesser-known, more ephemeral magazines. Essays on people, places, and of course food, mix here with delightful fiction to become a delectable feast.

The bylines attempt to capture the contributor as “America's best-known writer on the sensuous, “Culinary Queen,” or “Food Sophisticate,” but it is impossible to categorize M. F. K. Fisher. As a writer and a woman, she was truly in a class of her own.

Genres: Food, Essays, Nonfiction, Food Writing, Cookbooks

400 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2006

About the author

Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher was a prolific and well-respected writer, writing more than 20 books during her lifetime and also publishing two volumes of journals and correspondence shortly before her death in 1992. Her first book, Serve it Forth, was published in 1937. Her books deal primarily with food, considering it from many aspects: preparation, natural history, culture, and philosophy. Fisher believed that eating well was just one of the "arts of life" and explored the art of living as a secondary theme in her writing. Her style and pacing are noted elements of her short stories and essays.

Reviews

[Diane Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection by one of my favorite writers on one of my favorite subjects, food and wine. Also included are 3 short pieces of fiction, which I skipped. As much as I love her writing style, fiction is not her forte.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fair disclosure, I did not read every short story/essay in the book. I read most. Some were just not my cuppa tea this time, so they can wait for a later date.

M.F.K.Fisher is who you read if you need to be reminded to stop and really savor life. She writes about food and places as rich experiences, rather than bland targets of consumption.

The short stories in the beginning are surreal and a bit dark, and wonderful. I didn't know she wrote fictional stories, and the boarding school story was especially good.

The writings on food are a wonderful reminder to stop striving for complexity and pare down to fresh, local ingredients and simple flavors that are satisfying. And to enjoy that luxury and soak it all up. I loved the essay on "reviving and comforting" foods. M.F.K. Fisher is the reason I tried cinnamon in cream of tomato soup years ago and loved it. As weird as it might sound, it is delicious, and incidentally, back when I was trying to suss out Chicken Tikka Masala from my favorite Indian Restaurant years ago, it was the one missing ingredient that took the longest to nail down. So...cinnamon and tomato... a weirdly magical combination!

She writes about places, and things. She points out the importance of certain dishes for certain roles throughout her writing. In the comfort/reviving food essay, she talks about the perfect vessel for her tomato soup. I realized I could relate - I have favorite dishes for specific causes...this bowl for chinese food, that bowl for popcorn... my favorite pottery mug that I use for my tea. The mug is not ideal for other drinks, even hot chocolate or coffee, but it is just right for morning tea. It holds the perfect measurement, and it is shaped so that it cuts in at just the right spot to trap heat and stay warm for a long time. It's thick enough to not get too hot to handle, but just thin enough to transmit enough heat to keep my hands warm. It's the right shape to be held in both hands on a cold day. I use it every single day and I worry about it being broken. I've never had a mug that was so perfect and that I felt so possessive about. I thought that was a little funny, once I stopped to think about it.

Her writing on places is intimate, and I love the essay about the old church. Some of these essays I did skip and won't probably read until I get a chance to explore more of California and recognize the places she's talked about (or how they've changed).

Overall, I think this was a very interesting collection of her writings. I enjoyed it. Made me stop and realize I have not been savoring experiences in life the way I should be.

[Arrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fifty-seven articles, some from major magazines such as Gourmet, Bon Appetit, New Yorker, but many from other hard-to-find sources, by the incredible MFK Fisher, who literally elevated writing about cooking and eating into a literary art form. From the review on Amazon, "Essays on people, places, and of course food, mix here with delightful fiction to become a delectable feast."

Filed on my Cooking and Eating bookshelf, it could easily also be placed on the general literary shelf. Anyone interested in her writings (you should be!) will find it worth owning this book.

[Ruth Bogan]

I discovered this book on the shelf at the AirBnB in San Rafael, CA and asked my hostess if I could take it with me to read on the flight. I own or have read most of M.F.K. Fisher's non-fiction, but this one was new to me. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are three short stories: one I loved; one I liked; the third I didn't finish. But the newspaper and magazine pieces--delightful! Sitting here, now, the lasting image I have is of Fisher in bed with a good book and a mug of Campbell's tomato soup--her comfort meal.

[Anna Sangrey Roussel · Rating 5 out of 5]

M. K. Fisher is known for her food writing. This book, both fiction and nonfiction essays, fully relayed to me her elegance, her expertise, and her passion. A delightful read, a collection of snapshots, an introduction to the world of food--taste, place, and people--that launched me on to her recommended lists. A delightful read.

[Kerianne Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading MFK Fisher’s food writing feels like being in conversation with a youthful but worldly Aunt. In reality, there isn’t a way to adequately describe the writer Auden once deemed one of the best prose writers in America. This book is different from others by her because it is an assortment of separately published pieces that come together in a very pleasant mish-mash of fiction, food writing, and memoir. The small sprinkling of her fiction, something I was a bit worried might distract, paired well with what was mostly musings on food, drink, and their place in the good life.

My very favorite thing is when one book leads me to another. This one delivered and I am now eagerly awaiting a biography of Brillat-Savarin as well as a copy of his Physiology of Taste, translated by none other than MFK Fisher herself. If you have enjoyed books like Tucci’s “Taste,” then you should do yourself the favor of reading Fisher, whose influence on these later foodie gems is surely apparent to those who read way too many (non-cookbook) books about food.

[Julie]

I believe I read this. In any case I read a collection of her writings that included "Tomane Junction or Christmas 1965."
"You are now entering tomane [sic] junction,” she wrote of the near-disastrous meal. “In my unreasonable desire to have everything culinary well under control, so that we could all sit around and talk and enjoy the baby and so on. . .I had blandly advised Bill to stuff the turkey at night, and roast it the next morning. I knew better. I was not thinking. This was dangerous enough, with quantities of raw oysters chopped in the warm dressing and packed into the very perishable carcass, and to compound my idiocy the weather turned very balmy during the night the bird sat on the back porch. A perfect prescription for. . .mass murder… ”

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short pieces for the bus. I skipped the fiction and flipped around the essays. The House Beautiful stuff from the 1940s was more interesting as a artifact and way to lady-like for me to actually enjoy. Otherwise great.

"A new fine baby smells good. So does a basketful of Bibb lettuce. Of course, one is edible and one is not, but at least they are THERE." (140)

On holding an egg in one's hand: "Such a moment of what amounts to communication between a human being and an object is ready foray almost all of us, and I believe that it can deepen our enjoyment of more outward, obvious touchings." (134)

[Molly]

I didn't actually finish reading this one before it went back to the library but I enjoyed the parts I read! It's a collection of M.F.K. Fisher's early writings in Ladies' Home Journal-type publications, and they give an interesting glimpse into what was important at the time (in the 40s and 50s, I believe). I have been wanting to read more of her stuff and plan to do so. I think I'll return to this one after I've read her later writing.

[Virginia]

Review from The Week magazine: No food writer has ever matched the late great MFK Fisher. The newly gathered short pieces in this collection were written mostly for magazines, but that's no cause for lowered expectations, because Fisher was happiest writing short. An ode to the best stew she ever had is included, as well as her thoughts on the "essential qualities of a gourmet."

[Ambica Rajagopal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first real introduction to MFK Fisher..she speaks to me as a contemporary women though she was my grandma's contemporary..her food writing is delightful...what a life she led for a woman of her time or of any time..her fiction was surprisingly good as well..

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the fiction more than I expected, but though the food writing could be evocative, there is a pretentiousness to Fisher that I found off-putting. Her style is archaic and the life she led seems so distant from me as to be unrelatable.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eh. It was sort of hit or miss.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heard good things about her writing, but didn't love this book.
She's well known amongst the food writing community.

[Peter Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I've always been in love with her essays, I've never read her short fiction and it's bloody brilliant - not as genteel as you would expect.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the stories are fiction and I don't really care about those. But her food writing is so great.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is quite a treat!