is the story of Hassan Haji, a boy from Mumbai who embarks, along with his boisterous family, on a picaresque journey first to London and then across Europe, before they ultimately open a restaurant opposite a famous chef, Madame Mallory, in the remote French village of Lumiere. A culinary war ensues, pitting Hassan's Mumbai - toughened father against the imperious Michelin-starred cordon bleu, until she realizes that Hassan is a cook with natural talents far superior to her own. Full of eccentric characters, hilarious cultural mishaps, vivid settings and delicious meals described in rich, sensuous detail, Hassan's charming account lays bare the inner workings of the elite world of French haute cuisine, and provides a life-affirming and poignant coming-of-age tale. First Line: "I, Hassan Haji, was born, the second of six children, above my grandfather's restaurant on the Napean Sea Road in what was then called West Bombay, two decades before the great city was renamed Mumbai."
Random Quote: "The thing you need to understand, Hassan, is that kohlrabi is the bridge between the cabbage and the turnip, and it melds the flavors of both vegetables. Remember that. It's a subtle but important distinction that will help you decide when one vegetable is an ideal side dish, but not the other."
Review: My family is all about food and cooking. From my Seattle grandmother's elegant party fare to my father's amazing sauces and my own one-pot soups and stews, we have cooked and eaten our way through many cuisines. I grew up in various kitchens and some of my fondest memories are food-related - watching Julia Child with my grandmother, sneaking fried pies out of my other grandmother's kitchen, eating barbecued shrimp in New Orleans with the whole family - the list goes on and on. In my family we're typically eating and talking about what we're going to eat next. We also read. A lot. Every one of us is an inveterate library goer and reader of all kinds of things. Naturally, food porn is an important category and this book fits that need.
Tandoori Chicken in Mumbai - Image via WikipediaThe story of a young chef and his journey from India to Paris with stops in London and the French Alps, The Hundred-Foot Journey is all about food and the ways eating and cooking it inform and define us. Hassan Haji grows up in the kitchen of his family restaurant in Mumbai, flees with them to London when riots irrevocably change their lives, and finally lands in the French Alps where he meets Madame Mallory who will change his life much as he changes hers.
I loved this story's simplicity and joie de vivre and the descriptions of food are among the very best food porn I've read in ages. Whether writing about Indian food or classical French cuisine, Morais demonstrates an understanding of the pleasures of food and of its ability to connect us to each other and to remind us of who we are.
FTC Disclosure: Advance copy received from Inkwell Management
Rating: Purple
Reading Challenges: ARC Reading Challenge
Thank you to Inkwell Management for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour and congratulations to Richard C. Morais on the publication of his book and on being chosen by Oprah Magazine for their summer reading picks! Here's a list of stops on the author's blog tour:
July 5 and 6: www.devourerofbooks.com*
July 6: www.myfriendamysblog.com*
July 7: www.zenleaf.blogspot.com
July 8: www.jo-jolovestoread.blogspot.com.*
July 9: www.peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com.*
July 10: www.bookloons.com*
July 10 and 11: www.litchick.typepad.com*
July 11-13: www.chaoticcompendiums.com*
July 12 and 13: www.bookNaround.blogspot.com
July 13: www.luxuryreading.com*
July 14: www.rundpinne.com
*These blogs will also be giving away FREE copies of The Hundred-Foot Journey.
Check back in with me on 7/12 for my very first ever author interview with Mr. Morais and on 7/13 for the giveaway. In the meantime, go find something nummy to eat!
I really want to read this book. It sounds like I might enjoy it. Thanks for sharing with us Caitlin.
ReplyDeleteThis does sound yummy. I enjoyed your families eating history as well! I look forward to reading your interview with the author.
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