Spoon Fed, Kim Severson



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At the suggestion, rather the model of, colleague Terri (who ran the International Foodservice & Restaurant Show), I've been working my way through some food-related memoirs. (But I put down Judith Jones’ Tenth Muse after the shellfish thing . Unreliable narrator, and all.)

Spoon Fed by New York Times food writer, Kim Severson is a memoir, yes, but instead of a chronological, “This is how I become me” book, it cleverly tropes around eight women that have shaped Severson as a writer, food lover, mother, professional and woman. The structure helped to make Spoon Fed a brisk read - I finished it over the first day of Passover.

When I look back at the lessons that I underlined (in pencil), there’s a recurring theme: to push through. Even when you doubt, even when you see no hope, even when you feel you simply can’t: push through. The book could have been called: Perseverance. Or even, Tenacity.

Here are some lessons learned:

“Giving someone a taste of something delicious at exactly the right moment is a fail-safe way to start a good relationship.”

“Know matter where you find yourself in life, no matter how badly you stumble, you can start over.”

“And over the years, [Alice Waters] has come to show me that an unwavering hand on the rudder, coupled with patience, can change things. No matter what anyone says.”

“At the end of the day, I’m a tough kid. Scared out of my mind but tenacious.”

Severson writes about, but doesn’t delve into: coming out (she’s gay, married and they have a small child) and past substance abuse. There’s no wallowing here, nor is this a book about becoming clean and sober, hardly. It’s about food. Our connection to food, her connection to food - how food is a connection to, well, everything.

I couldn’t help but think of many members of the food allergic community who may feel disconnected to food because of adverse or life-threatening reactions. As a food allergy coach, I encourage clients to read self-help books (if that's their interest). However, "self-help" titles aren’t always in the personal growth aisle. I believe many of you would enjoy Spoon Fed by Kim Severson: the stories about perseverance, about family, about food memories are universal, yes, even (if not especially) to us.

Comments

NYcaligirl said…
Kim Severson here. Thanks so much for reading Spoon Fed. I hadn't thought about how food allergies can make people feel disconnected from their culture and from the power that comes from sharing a meal with people. Another good lesson.

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