A review by spiringempress
Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing by Anya von Bremzen

4.0

This was a nice memoir/nonfiction about Anya and her mother's life in the Soviet Union. Personally, I found some of the earlier chapters more interesting as it explored periods of rationing and shortage and how this affected the food quality and availability. Additionally, I liked that von Bremzen included the differences in how dishes were prepared depending on the cultural background of the cook since her mother was Jewish. It was also extremely interesting to learn about how American food was brought over and Russianized, as well as, the great Kitchen Debate. This book is not about cooking but illustrates the individual difficulties faced in the kitchen over multiple generations, who are living in different phases of a totalitarian society.