"Calvin Trillin" news and stories

I've stumbled across something of an food writing crisis. Namely, my problem stems from the fact that I don't always want to feature cookbooks in a column that is clearly labeled "Cookbook of the Day." In the past, I've stretched the limits of the category, spotlighting books of essays that include a few recipes or even once writing about a cookbook that teaches you how to cook for your dog. Today's Cookbook of the Day is a volume written by Calvin Trillin, one of the greatest food writers to ever live. However, it does not contain a single recipe.

In spite of the fact that it doesn't offer the reader lists of ingredients and cooking instructions, Alice, Let's Eat is a book that is rooted firmly in the world of eating and pleasure. First published in 1978, it contains essays that were previously published in the New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly as well as other publications. Despite that, it reads like a cohesive volume, taking the reader to barbecue joints in North Carolina, local markets in England and crawfish stands in Martinique.

This is one of the books that I turn to when I start to lose touch with my love for food, when the busy-ness of life prevents me from fully appreciating the process of shopping, cooking and eating. Lately I've been struggling to see food as a joy and have instead seen it as just one more thing I have to deal with. Trillin always sees eating as a pleasuresome adventure and his enthusiasm usually helps me shake off my malaise and jump back into the joy of food.

Source

Recipes from Home is shaped unlike any other cookbook I've ever known. It is a thick paperback that is tall and narrow, making it very satisfying to hold because it feels like it comes from another age. As you start to flip through it, you discover that it is filled with childhood pictures of the authors and lots of chatty anecdotes about the origins of the recipes.

The book is born from David Page and Barbara Shinn's New York City West Village restaurant that is also called Home. The way I became aware of it was that four years ago I was up in New York for a weekend with some friends. My friend Una planned a brunch at Home and sent an email out to the rest of us with details, including the link to the restaurant. Upon discovering this book, I fell into a state of instant infatuation and immediately ordered it (the recipes looked intriguing and the Foreword was written by Calvin Trillin. I figured any food he was endorsing had to be good).

And I was correct. This book is filled to bursting with really amazing food. In the summer I like to make their "Sweet Corn, Red Onion and Basil Relish." I'm a big fan of their "Sage Corn Bread." I drool over their recipe for "Chocolate Pudding" (which is available on their website, on the cookbook page, at the bottom of the recipe window). And I love the fact that there is an entire section devoted to cheese (what you can do with it, not how to make it).

I don't call this cookbook a must-have if you are trying to keep your collection carefully edited. But if you are the type (like me) who approaches cookbooks as something akin to inspirational literature, then this one would be a good book to check out.

Source

I just discovered, via the Amateur Gourmet, that Charlie Rose has made his archive of interviews available (for free!) on his website. He's got a food category under the enigmatic heading 'Other' that has 46 conversations with members of the fooderatti, including Ruth Reichl, Mario Batali, the Zagats and the grand dame of food television herself, Julia Child. The clip you see above is a July 2003 show in which Rose talks to Calvin Trillin (who is one of my favorite food writers because of his ability to blend humor with food) about Trillin's book Feeding a Yen. If you've got some time to kill and want to hear smart people talk about food, culture, history and writing, this is a great resource.