OP: The Literary Gourmet

Random House, New York, 1962. Hardcover. Very Good. First printing.

The value of a homey meal, a delectable treat, or a debauched feast to literary plot devices is not lost on us, both book and food people. Something about the concentration of sensory activity and a whole cast of characters gathered ‘round lends itself to pivotal, poignant moments that move a story forward better than any other occurrence. 

Linda Wolfe (1932–2020), a journalist with a master’s in American literature, respected the connection between food and writing so much so that she made it the subject of her first book, The Literary Gourmet (1962). Pulling recipes from historical records and cookbooks contemporaneous with the literary work, Wolfe juxtaposes book excerpts with the comestibles described within. We see some of the expected here—Proust’s madeleine and a musketeer feast from Alexandre Dumas—and some delightfully unexpected—the stew that cost the biblical Esau his birthright. 

We are very pleased to offer a first printing, the book block and case Near Fine. The jacket is clipped, toning, and worn about the edges. Handsomely printed on sturdy paper stock with duotone plates and illustrations in multiple colors.