Recipe is a collection of short essays and reminiscences by Lynn Z. Bloom of recipes and how we interact with them. Due out 5th May 2022 from Bloomsbury Academic, it's 160 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This
is one of a series of books on everyday items called "Object Lessons"
which team writers' observations and experiences with material foci:
recipes, stickers, bookshelves, bulletproof vests, traffic, TVs, and trees to give
a few examples.
The author does a very good job of first objectifying and deconstructing the concept of a recipe - what it is, where we find them, how they function, and how we interact with them - and then providing insightful essays about how recipes impact us, shape us, inform, and feed us, and occasionally affect us politically and socioeconomically. As a bonus, the author graciously provides a recipe for blueberry pie full to bursting with fresh berries. I haven't yet made it, but I definitely intend to do so.
There's a solid bibliography included with resources for further reading as well as a cross referenced index.
I have enjoyed a number of the books in this series. This one is erudite and thought provoking. It's a worthwhile addition to the series as a whole.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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