The Cassoulet Saved Our Marriage: True Tales Of Food, Family, And How We Learn To Eat (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
I think I'm withholding a star simply because of how narrow of a perspective this collection delivers. There is an overabundance of stories from upper middle class families mostly living in major metropolises like New York City and San Francisco, which is fine, but I would've appreciated a greater range. Maybe if the tagline reflected this, I wouldn't feel the need to address this in my review. However, I thoroughly enjoyed most of the stories in this collection. Better than some collections on food writing, worse than others. The stories are heartfelt, but a bit inconsistent. The themes around family eating, feeding children, learning how to share memories and pass them on, how to express care and affection, or anxiety and a lack of confidence through food are interesting, but not always compelling. In addition, as with most cookbooks, some of the recipes are absolutely worth keeping - others not so much. It would've been nice to see a broader conversation - given that north america is so much a country of immigrants. While there is a token nod to the american south, there isn't much in terms of ethnic and cultural diversity when it comes to authors included, nor is there a diversity when it comes to socioeconomic backgrounds that would have also made for a more interesting read than parents alternately celebrating and fretting over farmers markets they have access to.
What do You think about The Cassoulet Saved Our Marriage: True Tales Of Food, Family, And How We Learn To Eat (2013)?
Good collection of stories, all around family and food. Had a very real quality to the essays.
—jalend09
This is a great book about food, family and how we NOURISH ourselves. I will re-read it.
—supercupcake101
