The House Witch by Delemhach

August 23, 2023

The House Witch by Delemhach

Finlay Ashowan is a house witch who serves as cook to the king and queen of Daxaria. Fin and his familiar, a kitten named Kraken, just want everyone to stay out of the kitchen and let him get on with putting meals on the table. Fin is able to keep it all under control and his identity under wraps, until war is looming with a neighboring country. At the same time, he is drawn to a highborn lady far above his station.

Cooking? Yes. Fantasy? Yes. Sign me up. Light romantic fantasy. A lot of the humor is on the 14 year old boy level and the writing could have been more polished (how many times does the author need to describe Annika as a black-haired beauty?). The main character also delivers a number of soliloquies on respecting others, political correctness, etc., which got old. Note to writers: show, don't tell. Recommended only if you're a diehard fantasy fan who reads only fantasy.

The art of kitchen witchery

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

April 6, 2023

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

Set in post-World War II Paris, American expatriate Tabitha meets budding chef Julia Child, who lives in the building across the street. Tabitha lives with her grandfather and "uncle" and tutors students in French and English while enjoying the Parisian nightlife. When an actor is found murdered in the basement of Julia's building after a late-night party at Julia's apartment, Tabitha feels compelled to find the killer.

Since I credit Julia Child's television show and cookbook with the fact that I can cook well, the title of this book screamed my name (my mother didn't allow anyone in the kitchen while she prepared meals, although I did learn from my grandmother how to boil canned asparagus for 45 minutes until it was gray slime as a special Thanksgiving treat). It's a decent mystery but unfortunately the narrative is slow-moving. The main character has to explain everything in detail, usually more than once. It's more interesting to show the action rather than describe or explain. I started skimming about halfway through. The author does get Julia's voice right - you can almost hear her talking - and there are fun cooking tips along the way (like how to make the perfect mayonnaise).

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Julia Child in the tiny kitchen in her tiny Paris apartment, circa 1949

The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan

June 24, 2021

The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan

Four women decide to compete in a cooking contest sponsored by a BBC radio program, for different reasons: newly widowed Audrey wants to win the prize to save her family's home and support her three sons; her estranged sister Gwendoline, married to the local lord who ignores and belittles her, want to win the prize to earn a spot as a radio presenter; Nell, a kitchen maid at Gwendoline's house, wants to win the prize to escape the life of a low-level servant and become a head cook; and Zelda, a self-trained chef working at a local factory but with a secret of her own, wants to win the prize to earn a spot as a head chef in the male-dominated world of fine restaurants.

The contest focuses on creative cooking using the limited ingredients available during rationing, and unexpectedly brings the four together despite being rivals. All four women want a better and different life for themselves. They end up supporting each other and forging bonds of friendship.

The heartwarming story is based on an actual radio program and contest. Food rationing began in England in 1940 and ran until 1954, with coupons necessary to obtain tiny amounts of basics like sugar, butter, and proteins. I had not realized that rationing went on so long in England.

British ration books from World War II

Feast of Sorrow by Crystal King

 July 11, 2020

Feast of Sorrow by Crystal King

Thrasius is a Greek slave, purchased by patrician Marcus Gavius Apicius to be his new cook.  Apicius is a gourmand, and also ambitious - he wants to be Caesar's gastronomical adviser for his banquets.  He is blocked by rival gourmand Octavius Publius, Caesar's current adviser, who is threatened by Thrasius' extraordinary cooking skills.  Thrasius unexpectedly finds a home, friends, and a family in the Gavius household, but his happy life is threatened when the entire household including the slaves is caught up in Roman politics and intrigue.

I love books set in ancient Rome, also about food and cooking, with well-developed characters, so this one checked a lot of boxes for me.  It was why I enjoyed Anthony Bourdain's lukewarm mystery Bone in the Throat - the mystery itself wasn't that great, but the descriptions of food and cooking were wonderful.

Apicius is the first known gourmand from ancient times, although there were undoubtedly others when you consider the scope of the banquets that the patricians held.  He left a collection of recipes (that his slave chef undoubtedly developed) that are the first known cookbook, dating from the 1st century C.E.  While there is no record of any of the slaves, there are a number of historical characters throughout the book.  For a look at life in ancient Rome, you may want to watch the PBS series I, Claudius, based on the two novels by Robert Graves, I, Claudius and Claudius the God.  The series is available on Acorn TV (subscription is around $6/month).

I needed a change after reading two mediocre books, and this fit the bill nicely.  Great cover art, too.  Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction set in the ancient world.