A review by msjoanna
Feeding A Yen: Savoring Local Specialties, From Kansas City To Cuzco by Calvin Trillin

4.0

I enjoy reading Calvin Trillin. When he writes about his now-late wife, Alice, it's some of the most touching prose I've ever read. His descriptions of food and his wonderful willingness to throw himself into a search for the best fish taco is fabulous. But I agree with another reviewer who commented that Trillin seems to withhold too much of himself in these essays. He comments lightly on trying to convince his daughters to return from California to New York, but never really delves more deeply into his feelings or his relationship with them. While it's certainly his right to maintain his privacy and that of his family, it does make the food writing sufficiently less personal and thus ultimately more forgettable.

But as someone who has moved from New York to mid-Missouri (and not even to Kansas City where at least a variety of great BBQ would be available), I miss the food options that Trillin has so readily at his fingertips. I too used to have more delivery options than I currently have restaurant options within an hour's drive. I admit to a bit of envy at the life reflected in Trillin's ability to gather up a few appropriate friends for a jaunt to South America to look for specific foods.

All that said, the book was comforting and entertaining and light. Recommended to foodies who have their own memories of fabulous meals eaten.