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What We Eat When We Eat Alone by Deborah Madison

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This wasn't really the book I was hoping for. As a quirky, undisciplined collection of what various people do when they are eating along, well--it is. Are some of those entertaining? Sure.

But the recipes are...not inspiring. The vignettes are...flat. Even when they interview someone who is familiar to me (in this case, Laura Calder, author and host of French Cooking at Home) I was left feeling...meh.

I really was hoping for something insightful about how people do in solitary fashion something which has been so ingrained in our psyches as a social, communal activity. There may be flashes of empathy, or bemusement, or shared relief (depending on whether the person is unwillingly alone, extremely quirky, or indulging in the rare solitary meal), but no insight. And no recipes I feel compelled to try. :-(

Oh well.



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