Whose dish is it, anyway?
Reading Anya von Bremzen's marvelous 'National Dish' provokes plenty of thought — and makes me super hungry; therefore also 8 recipes the book made me crave.
Happy Friday, happy cook!
On my flight home from Paris, I finished reading Anya von Bremzen’s latest book, National Dish. Subtitled “Around the World in Search of Food, History and the Meaning of Home,” it’s Anya’s exploration of food history myths and marketing.
Learning how iconic foods, such as ramen, pizza, mole, jamón iberico and pot au feu, become symbols of their birthplaces is Anya’s jumping-off point. But uncovering the origin stories takes her to some terrible places in history — the Spanish Inquisition; America’s culture-cancelling culinary takeover of Japan after World War II; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yep, the book is a good deal more serious than its adorable Roz Chast cover suggests.
But it’s also highly engaging and fun — and a must-read for anyone who considers themselves knowledgeable about food.