****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Poor Man's Feast is rich with layers - food, love, family, and transitions. I love the way the author, Elissa Altman, subtly juxtaposes the differences between fancy food and simple, city life and country living, family love and romantic love - and the joys of all of them. She weaves food into the story - which is of course of prime importance to this food writer and professional, trained cook/chef - without being cliched.While Elissa has a city girl's voice and demeanor - no nonsense, pragmatic, sensible but full of emotion - she's charmingly humble enough to show her innocence at discovering the primal pleasure of a tomato sandwich eaten in the garden. Elissa hadn't had one before meeting her girlfriend and now wife, Susan, until she witnessed, from the deck of her house, Susan and her mom enjoying a break from gardening by making the treat right there in the tomato patch. When Susan comes into the house offering to make the sandwich for Elissa, she is skeptical, but agrees. She's hooked. This is one of the most moving scenes in the book for me, not only because it brought back memories of eating such sandwiches with my own mom, who passed away recently, but it's so revealing of the author's own complexities - the pushes and pulls in her heart between her old life and her new one.The scenes with her mother and alternately, her father, are gems. We all have parents, and Elissa's experiences with hers are both unique and universal. Her descriptions of meals shared with her father will make you think of your own special times spent with your father. It was such a special relationship and it's obvious that Elissa has become a wonderful tribute to her dad.Of course, Elissa's relationship with Susan is magical. It really doesn't matter how you "identify" - this love story is quite beautiful and inspiring for anyone who has searched for their soulmate. I love the unpredictable way that Susan opens Elissa's eyes to a simple way of food while Elissa opens Susan's bemused heart to fancy, tall, esoteric dishes. It's a wonderful exchange that both women benefit from, and the reader does as well.So far I have made the tomato sauce and I can attest to its deliciousness. I look forward to trying the other recipes in the book - although this is not a cookbook the author offers some special foods that have meaning to her, making the memoir even more intimate, and interactive if you will. My own memories of living in NY in the 80s were brought forth making that sauce. So thank you to the author for helping conjure up my own memories.To sum up, this is just a great story, funny, sad, nostalgic (ah, New York in 1980s!). Poor Man's Feast would make a wonderful hostess gift when visiting friends or family over the summer. I have placed my copy on the nightstand in my guest room because it's also the perfect book to read on a lazy summer day, lolling in bed or lounging out on the hammock.My only criticism? No pictures! I love the author photo and wish there had been more in the book. Perhaps in the paperback version?
