ingredients

I wandered through the bookstore yesterday, killing time before meeting a friend for dinner. I happened to pick up a book and start reading... only to find myself, 25 minutes later, lost in the second chapter of maybe one of the best books I have ever read. I bought the book, tucked it in my handbag, and finished it tonight. I am already anticipating reading it a second and third time. I have a feeling it will become one of my favourite comfort foods.

The book is called The School of Essential Ingredients and reading it is like rolling sweet and sour around on your tongue at the same time. I don't normally use this blog for things like this - but I feel like this book should be shared. I can't explain it other than to say it makes you want to cry, and laugh, and cook sauce and whip up some sumptuous butter cream icing. It will wrap around you like a favourite quilt, and satisfy you like a pot of rich, hot cocoa.

I've included one of my favourite parts for you below. I promise you, this book will change the way you think about food and life.

"Spaghetti del mare," she said, coming through the door, "from the sea."

In the large, wide blue bowl, swirls of thin noodles wove their way between dark black shells and bits of red tomato.

"Breathe first," Charlie told him, "eyes closed." The steam rose off the pasta like ocean turned into air.

"Clams, mussels," Tom said, "garlic, of course, and tomatoes. Red pepper flakes. Butter, wine, oil."

"One more," she coaxed.

He leaned in - smelled hillsides in the sun, hot ground stone walls. "Oregano," he said, opening his eyes. Charlie smiled and handed him a forkful of pasta. After the sweetness of the melon, the flavor was full of red bursts and spikes of hot pepper shooting across his tongue, underneath, like a steadying hand, a salty cushion of clam, the soft velvet of oregano, and pasta a warm as beach sand.

from The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Bauermeister