With an introduction by Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini, foreword by Fast Food Nation author Eric Schlosser and recipes contributed from chefs Daniel Boulud, Alice Waters, and Deborah Madison, The Pleasures of Slow Food is truly an all-encompassing and collaborative effort. Beginning with the story of the Slow Food movement, the book moves swiftly into stories of artisans near and far, knit together by Kummer (a recipient of three James Beard Journalism Awards, including the MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award), whose vivid descriptions will whet your appetite. “They take the wedges in their hands,” Kummer describes of a woman preparing testaroli, “and lick the pesto that oozes from the soft, thick crepes off their fingers.”
The stories are divided among cheese, wine, salt, meat, and more. The recipes complement these chapters, choosing a particular vegetable or rare cheese to showcase. Steve Johnson of the Blue Room restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts contributes his Fried Plantains with Chipotle Ketchup. Master chef Daniel Boulud offers his extraordinary lamb stew, and Judy Rodgers (a Chez Panisse apostle) shares her Blackberry Peach Summer Pudding recipe.
The final product is a patchwork book that balances simple recipes, inspiring stories, and beautiful photographs with writing from some of the bigwigs of Slow Food. It makes a great introduction to the history and principles of Slow Food for those just beginning to discover the movement.
