The pedant in the kitchen

by Julian Barnes

2012

Publication

Atlantic, c2003

Library's rating

Status

Available

Description

This work is an elegant account of Julian Barnes' search for gastronomic precision. It is a quest that leaves him seduced by Jane Grigson, infuriated by Nigel slater and reassured by Mrs Beeton's Victorian virtues. For anyone who has ever been defeated by a cookbook.

User reviews

LibraryThing member cherien

This was a gift from a friend who knows how stressed I get when I can't find my measuring spoons. It had the effect of helping me get over my kitchen pedantry to some extent, which I don't think was the authors intention at all.

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LibraryThing member karl.steel

I suppose its virtue is in its making me want to eat: so I can lump it in with well-written gastronomical writing like that of MFK Fisher and AJ Liebling. It went well with the lamb and prune tagine I just ate. That said, this slim, slim book wouldn't have seen my table if it hadn't been Barnes and

if I hadn't been too hungover today to revisit, oh, the Barnes I do love (Cross Channel, or Something to Declare). A pleasant companion, but not much more.

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LibraryThing member foolplustime

Desperately well written collection of Barnes's Food columns but ultimately far too insubstantial.

LibraryThing member jon1lambert

I wouldn't like to be in a kitchen with the author who comes across as more than a pedant - irritating, demanding, irritable and a perfectionist are words that come to mind. However, I enjoyed the book and, in particular, the stimulating illustrations by Joe Berger, juxtaposing books and food. They

make the book. I liked the theme too - how should the classic cook books be interpreted: Beeton, David, Grigson, Pomiane, etc?. Be a bit flexible in interpreting what they say seems to be the best policy. The whole is an original perspective on cooking and the classic cook books.

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LibraryThing member anthonywillard

Humorous and wise essays about cooking. Does not contain recipes. Many comments about well-known English cookbooks, which are not all that well known in the USA but maybe should be. Can't get it from Amazon USA, except through their second hand sellers who were too expensive; went to Abe instead,

several of their booksellers had it, otherwise through Amazon UK, no problem. The book inspired me to do more purposeful cooking. It also made me laugh. It doesn't take long to read, very swift and conversational, cultivated English prose.

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LibraryThing member larryking1

I would have missed this short but lively tome about the 'eccentricities' of cookbooks had it not been by the acclaimed Julian Barnes (Flaubert's Parrot)! The 'pedant' part comes from his ongoing argument with the inexactitude of cookbooks. I have the same problem! (BTW, there is one wonderful

chapter removed from his dismissive doctrine, concerning that 'hodge-podge' drawer we all have in our kitchens: his contained 22 choptsticks, four bottle stoppers, a stolen airline fork, and an almond.) Herein, is my contribution to any potential sequel: I have before me this delicious-sounding recipe, Chicken & Potatoes with Mustard Vinaigrette. It says it takes 20 minutes, so by my standard, we are looking at an hour! It also makes six servings, so for me, that's about three! So now, I am fired up! But wait? It requires Kosher Salt! WTF is that? I already possess iodized AND non-iodized salt (and I have yet to know the difference), so now I need salt blessed by a rabbi? Why can't I use salt? Also, it requires one large garlic clove. How am I supposed to know about the size differential of garlic cloves? I am expected to know that? Oh, it is supposed to be 'minced;' I know that word: it describes the tiny steps Mick Jagger takes when he belts out "Satisfaction!" There can be no other meaning! Capers? Drained? What in God's name are those? (In Shakespeare's time, a 'caper' was a sort of joke.) And, finally, this kills me: the recipe asks for watercress, and it [?] must be 'stemmed.' What is watercress? And what is 'stemmed?' And, to make this recipe totally incomprehensibe, it wants me "to fold in" the mysterious stemmed watercress BEFORE serving! Fold in? Like paper folds? Like Ben Folds Five? I give up! No chicken for me, but rather a round mound of ground beef carefully grilled and put [folded?] into a mustard-laden 89-cent bun! I get it Julian Barnes! Let me into your club!

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LibraryThing member PDCRead

Barnes is not a natural cook, rather he is a follower of the recipe, an acolyte of the great cookery writers, but most of all a pendant.

In this delightful little book he takes several subjects and writes a short essay on each. He writes about dinner parties, the exact dimensions of a medium onion,

the frustrations of some cook books and the delights of others.

There is some great advice in here too. When doing a dinner party, do as they do in France, and buy one of two of the courses. Don't ever make the River Cafe chocolate nemesis, dried pasta is as good as fresh and that the most useful gadget for a home kitchen is a sign saying; This is not a Restaurant.

I am starting to like Barnes as a writer more, Not a word is wasted, nor is there a morsel out of place.

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LibraryThing member thisisstephenbetts

Zipped through this in a day. A fun kitchen memoir - Barnes describes himself as a pedant for wanting absolute clarity in his recipes, but I think he pointlessly overdoes this a bit, I guess to give the book some identity. Good for the David/Grigson/Slater brigade, and one or two good tips on

further reading. Insubstantial, but not unsatisfying.

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