But the real treat has been the new book by Bill Buford, Dirt, and my rereading his first one, Heat. He is a most talented ruminative writer – his two-decade experience as an editor at The New Yorker probably helped. We went many times to Lyon, and so his immersion in living and working in kitchens in Lyonnaise restaurants was fun and familiar to both the Resident Wine Maniac and myself. (Most of the time, we read very different books from each other). You will enjoy Buford’s memories of Michel Richard in Washington DC. Having baked and learned from the Lenotre books on pastry, I was surprised to find out that Michel Richard practically wrote them when he worked for Lenotre. Buford’s friendships (some more hard-earned than others) in French restaurants are just fascinating. He documents his own fears in not supporting victims of abuse in these kitchens.
You will be drawn into both Heat and Dirt with Bill Buford’s immersion into frenetic restaurant kitchens and his solitary hikes to visit rarely sought food destinations. And he takes you on his literary and culinary hikes through old books on French and Italian cooking. I was very touched by his inclusion of personal cookbooks he collects, some from flea markets in France and others from eBay, recipe notebooks from grandmothers to their daughters and granddaughters, to one in particular – an imprisoned French soldier in World War II who had written detailed recipes of his favorite dishes as he remembered them.
In Heat, you get a strong whiff of Mario Battali’s predatory behavior, and in Dirt, there are some reflections on the women in restaurant kitchens who invite comparison to his experiences in Italy. Buford’s stage was at La Mere Brazier. And perhaps you’ll find, as I did, that his writing became sharper, more focused, in his second book. I also had to use my calculator to figure out how much wine was drunk at certain meals in both books, and although math is not my strong point (number of drinks in bottles, magnums jeroboams etc) Buford did strain my credulity. But his Italian sojourn does not end with his work in the now-defunct Babbo but with a wildly weird and now famous butcher in Tuscany, Dario Cecchini. If you missed seeing the episode on Chef’s Table, at least take a look at his website. I particularly admired Dario’s press section.
There are no recipes in either book, but Buford’s digression on how to really make polenta has altered how I do it at home. Even though you probably are not going to pop the skins off your peas, you may learn a few new things from his semester at the Bocuse Cooking School and hard-won expertise in the restaurant kitchens in Lyon.
Consider any time you spend with Bill Buford on your summer reading list to be time well spent.
After owning one of the best cooking stores in the US for 47 years, Nancy Pollard writes a blog about food in all its aspects – recipes, film, books, travel, superior sources and food related issues.
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You've inspired me to order "Dirt" for my Kindle post haste. And, yes, I agree, "Cooking with Fernet Branca" was a yawn. Keep up the good posts, I always enjoy them. They take some of the sting away from not having La Cuisine around anymore. It was a great shop.
Hi Leslie,
let me know what you think about Dirt. I find comfort that I was not the lone dissenter on Cooking With Fernet Branca!
Nancy
After one of your other recent posts, I ordered a used copy of Lenotre's Desserts and Pastries. That will be my summer reading though Dirt sounds very good and may go on the list for Book Club.
Jennifer,
That might be an excellent choice for a Book Club discussion. Buford puts a lot out on the table in both books.
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
I picked up a used copy of Lenotre's Desserts and Pastries, too, and was surprised to learn that Michel Richard worked on this book. No wonder! The first croissant I ever tasted was at his busy, busy bakery in Los Angeles after Yoga class. I still see him behind the counter with sweat on his brow delivering a tray of croissants hot out of the oven.
And thanks to Kitchen Detail, I ordered a beautiful de Buyer Mineral B 12 inch crepe pan. It is a perfect pan, really heavy, just love it. As difficult it is to imagine cooking with Fernet Branca I am heartened that La Cuisine continues to touch our lives beyond charming Old Town.
Tori
Tori,
Lucky you to have been to his bakery in his younger days. I ordered the same large crepe pan (I left my old one at a beach house years ago) and I love it too.
Nancy