"gastronomical me" news and stories

The most recent edition of the New York Times Book Review features a write-up of A Stew or a Story, a new collection of short pieces by M.F.K. Fisher assembled by Fisher biographer Joan Reardon. The NYT review doesn't exactly make you want to run out and snatch up a copy, however. From what reviewer Julia Reed has to say, many of the pieces in the collection are less than essential reading. Rather, they're mainly instructive pieces that don't feature much of the intertwining of food and emotion for which Fisher was known. Still, if you're already a fan, as I am, A Stew or a Story sounds to be worth a look. If, however, you're looking to get into M.F.K. Fisher, as any human who reads and eats should, perhaps the best place to start is The Gastronomical Me, which is available as a standalone volume or as part of the collection The Art of Eating.