Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family

by Art Smith

Hyperion, October, 2001.
Hardcover, 286 pages.
ISBN: 0786868546

Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family by Art Smith

Art Smith, personal chef to Oprah Winfrey and contributing editor to O magazine, has very strong feelings about food and its preparation. Raised in the South, Art grew up feeling the strong connection between food, family and friends. His philosophy is that cooking should be used as a way to connect with the people you care about. This cookbook is the example of Art's refreshingly anti-modernist views. In our cold, rushed world of modern technology where children at McDonald's more than they eat around the family table, Art Smith brings a timely and wonderful approach to cooking.

The chapters are organized around different types of get-togethers, such as "Breaking Bread," "The Family Meal," "Food Is Love" "Bless the Table" and "Friends as Family." And believe me, when your friends and family get a taste of such delicious dishes as Sweet Potato Pecan Waffles, Grilled Chicken Burgers with Tomato Chutney, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Coconut Cake with Fluffy Icing (complicated but worth the fuss), Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie and Peach Buckle, they will wholeheartedly embrace the idea of coming together for a meal.

Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family is available for purchase on Amazon.com

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This review was published in the Dec. - Jan., 2002 of The Internet Writing Journal.