I haven't actually cooked out of this book in years, but it is a sentimental favorite and remains within easy reach on the shelf. De Groot cut a dashing if intimidating figure in the culinary world a generation ago, but is almost forgotten today. Eye injuries he received during the blitz in London caused him to go blind about 20 years later, and so his descriptions of meals are rich, evocative, extremely visual—"and made up," a friend sniffed. Well, yes, his books are fictionalized. But I'm from the South, where everything is fictionalized, and I generally take a more charitable view. Besides, like all good fiction, there is something real and true on every page. Feasts For All Seasons was the first cookbook I read that celebrated the natural world, all over the world. It is where I discovered Pacific king salmon, Hungarian cold cherry soup, and Spanish moros y christianos. One easy, economical supper dish that I found myself eating almost year-round was Lemon-Cream Spaghetti with Fish Stuffing. It's not a typical tuna noodle casserole, all ginned up with canned cream of mushroom soup and crushed potato chips, nor is it intellectually challenging. But it manages to be bright and mellow simultaneously, and there are times in your life when that's all you need. The book, published in 1966, is out of print, but copies can be found online at Amazon and Ebay.
Classic Cookbooks: Feasts for All Seasons
04.25.07
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