For many, cooking is simply the mechanical act of reproducing standard
recipes. To Maryse Condé, however, cooking implies creativity and
personal invention, on par with the complexity of writing a story. A
cook, she explains, uses spices and flavors the same way an author
chooses the music and meaning of words.
In Of Morsels and Marvels, Condé takes us on a literary journey around
places she has travelled to in India, Indonesia, and South Africa. She
highlights the tastes and culinary traditions that are fascinating
examples of a living museum. Such places, Condé explains, provide
important insights into lesser-known aspects of contemporary life. One
anecdote illustrates what becomes of the standard Antillean dishes of
fish stew and goat curry by two Antilleans who own a restaurant in
Sydney, Australia. Cuisine changes not only according to the individual
cook but also adapts to foreign skies under which it is created. The
author also recounts personal memories of her lifelong relationship with
cooking, such as when Adélia, her family's servant, wrongly blames
little Maryse for mixing raisins with fish and using her imagination in
the kitchen.
Blending travel with gastronomy, this enchanting volume from the winner
of the 2018 Alternative Nobel Prize will delight all who marvel at the
wonders of the kitchen or seek to taste the world.
