Food and Books and Things

I have just finished reading Julia Child's (with Alex Prud'homme) book, My Life in France. It was left behind for me to read by November's visitor....

A very interesting book and I get the impression that Julia was a no-nonsense, fast talking woman who wanted to grab the world (especially France) by the balls and extract as much knowledge about food, and the preparation of, as humanly possible... There should have been so much more written, it seemed to me to be a quite condensed history with some pieces missing. I don't think I will watch the subsequent film made of Julia's life in France as I don't think it will quite have her 'essence'. (Yes, Meryl Streep is a superb actress and I have enjoyed so many of her performances but.... after seeing her in Mama Mia I don't think I can take her seriously again!).

I would have loved to have read her cookery books and maybe seen her television series, but I got stuck in the rut of English cookery - at school and once married. I do now possess a copy of 'Le petit Larousse de la Cuisine' which is becoming as dog-eared as my copy of 'The Good Housekeeping Cookery Compendium' that I bought some 40+ years ago. I also have a 'Readers Digest' Cookery Year from way back that is now falling to pieces.... How I love those three books, they are so useful.

There is another book though that I have discovered.... Take Three by Jenny White. I was given a copy by my son-in-law - much to my daughters disgust... "Don't worry" he said "I will get you another one!" wrong - he could not find another copy - he got it from a book club. Well, Take Three stayed with me for around 4 years.... My son-in-law never got round to finding another copy. So this year the original went back to my daughter.... I was bereft... I had lost a new friend...

I found a book company online.... I gave them the details of the book (Take Three) I was looking for (it had been advertised on Amazon at a phenomenal price!!!! 5 x's its original cost) and they logged my details. They contacted me after a couple of months and gave a link to another company - hey they had the book! An ex-librabry copy that had only been out of the library twice!!! And it cost under £6.00 (postage and packaging included) was I delighted or what!! I now feel that my kitchen library is again complete..

On the BBC they have show a 2 part adaptation of 'The Day of the Triffids' - which got me thinking of the John Wyndham books that I had years ago. Not only the Triffids, but Trouble with Lichen, The Kraken Wakes, The Midwitch Cuckoos, Chocky etc.... What on earth happened to those books? Did I loan them out or throw them out ? I just do not know where they went. I would like to read them again..... and yes I have found them - same place as Take Three. Really low price but postage a bit on the high side.... will investigate further and see if I can get a good deal.

My older sister lived in a house just outside the town close to where John Wyndham lived. The house is called Wyndhams (maybe it was his home) - she also worked at the school where Wyndham was a pupil.. I think that maybe there is a family connection.... albeit a tenuous one. 3 or 4 degrees of separation....

There are so many excellent science fiction writers that came out of England during the 30's and 40's and, of course, not forgetting H G Wells, books that J and I used to read through the early years of our relationship and marriage.