John Thorne (1)

This book made me cranky more often than not. The authorial voice is one I found annoying due in no small part to the use of 'myself' when 'me' would have done. The recipes were interesting, to be sure. However, I found them presented in a supercilious and smarmy fashion. Thorne rabbits on about how he never follows a recipe in a book, then condescends to share his tweaked and polished recipes with you. Surely you, dear reader, will not need to take any liberties! He hastens to assure you that if you do, he won't mind a bit, and he probably wouldn't. But still, he rubbed me the wrong way. I remember liking his earlier _Serious Pig_ but after this book, I won't go back to check. Just in case.… (meer)

Pot on the Fire is a collection of essays about food and cooking, each one exploring a particular dish or ingredient or meal, with recipes. It is all fascinating and eminently readable, and reading it I learned quite a lot about such diverse subjects as the history of the potato in Ireland, the Vietnamese sandwich and pizza-making in Naples. All this from a writer who, it appears, never leaves his home states of Maine and Massachusetts. I even discovered, finally, how to cook perfect rice. I don’t know if I’ll try any of the recipes, but the essays inspired me to be more thoughtful and self-aware of my own cooking, to consider the history of the foods I eat and to always strive for a better recipe.… (meer)

John Thorne has written five books, Simple Cooking, Outlaw Cook, Serious Pig, Pot on the Fire, & Mouth Wide Open, each of which is a compilation of essays about food, cooking, and cookbooks. In one sense, these five books are among the best written, best tested, and best tasting cookbooks available today. He approaches a wide variety of classic recipes or food item (Chowder, Pasta with Anchovies, French Toast) like a proverbial blood hound. Initially, he circles around the recipe, describing its origins, historical variations, and analyzing its tastes and flavors. Then he zeroes in for the kill; first deconstructing and then reconstructing it until he has perfected the recipe to his tastes.

However, these five books are far more than just recipes. Food and cooking are just Thorne's gateways to writings and reflections about the human condition. He takes simple, home-based, everyday events and items and unearths surprisingly savory qualities. By exploring a specific food's or recipe's history and context, Thorne reveals larger truths about the relationship between the food we eat and the values we share. All of his books are worth reading, cook or no cook.

See my full review of John Thorne's books.… (meer)