Reviews

this was a wide-reaching yet personal meditation on cooking. i really loved the descriptions of rebecca may johnson cooking the same pasta sauce recipe over and over, and how she connected the way we use recipes with the reception of classical texts (aka how they are read, translated, repurposed, rewritten). it was fun to see the many different ways the dish changed over time, depending on her mood and the people she was cooking for - it reminded me of my own relationship with a specific penne alla vodka recipe (lmao)

i thought a lot of the literary examples and references she brought into the mix were interesting. they almost gave me some familiar footholds within the work and i enjoyed going on the mental journey of thinking deeper about cooking. however, i can see why some reviewers felt some of the arguments and connections made in the book felt farfetched. the majority of the sections talking about the odyssey did not resonate with me, and i felt lost during certain sections of the second half. overall, an interesting experiment that left me wanting to read other food writing.