The Eleventh Muse

If Judith Jones considers the tenth muse ‘Gasterea the Muse of Taste’ I am going to draw my own conclusions and award the eleventh Muse to the love of Books.  Always there is the simple joy of books and how they open one to a labyrinth of possibilities.

I am going to admit something here, I am rather late to the cook book The Chef’s Table by Stephanie Alexander….. 130 Recipes to Share with Family and Friends.  I know her books are a big deal in Australia and around the world.  It was really Stephanie’s telling of the tale on a podcast I listened to recently and how she came to see and not meet the food icon Elizabeth David that intrigued me.   

I love this book, so beautiful and the book design is divine…..The Cook’s Table by Stephanie Alexander

When I realised she shared some of the inspirations behind the meals made and shared in this book that I pursued getting my hands on a copy.  I am slowly working my way through each chapter devising food menus and more excuses to find more books on her food heroes, that is a given, although I was already wanting to read Sybille Bedford and Richard Olney’s books, it is just a matter of time.  Always the wonder of another rabbit hole to go down, I love that about books.

It is funny but sometimes I have been known to go straight to the back of the book just to read the Further Notes or Recommended Reading or a page that is devoted to References.  Just the possibility of what else is on offer gets me stupidly excited, but that is a good thing.  It means something is happening or will happen.  Although I did take a little step back when I opened the book randomly and read that one should offer bread with their cheese not just crackers.  It is rather Australian to just add some savoury crackers to the plate and be done....... I have been guilty of this a thousand times.  I like cooks with definitive ideas, a sort of line in the sand approach.

I don't know but for some reason I am stewing on the idea to try, dare I say try, to cook all of the recipes in this book.  I know it would be a massive challenge but it would expand my repertoire by a thousand, maybe more.  I smile when I start to read it and peruse a recipe because the truth is I have no idea how I would do this.  There is a lot I do not know in the land of cookery, certainly it would be a sharp learning curve but I like a creative challenge.  

What did Epictetus the Greek Philosopher say? “If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid”.  I may have to surrender to that.
mj x

Postnote:

The podcast I mentioned:

Books and Ideas at Monalto with:

Stephanie Alexander - In Conversation with writer and food critic Larissa Dubecki.......

Visit: https://stephaniealexander.com.au

Book mention:   The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food by Judith Jones