lastmanstanding
Senior Cook
I agree with you that she wrote for personal reasons. Just like movies or games for the majority of people, cooking is for Mandy I guess.I think that Mandy Lee wrote the book for cathartic, personal reasons. I once moved 9 times in 11 years, but I loved bouncing around the world. At the time, I truly thought I would never be anywhere long. Mind you, I was born in a location where there are seven generations buried in the local cemetery (and I have lived in my current place for almost 30 - that still shocks me.) During those years, I escaped via cooking family recipes and, as I get older, I often wish myself back. Cooking family foods kept homesickness at bay. While I did dip toes into the local foods, I was never as far as Mandy Lee was in that I could always base new foods on familiar ingredients and techniques. Sure, I could not find red molasses, but I could find blackstrap. And while it was not quite the same, it worked for the moment.
Mind you, I never was "stuck" in a location for six years. While I am the type of person that can generally see the light side of most situations, I don't know that I have the ability to "sustain sunshine" for six years if I found the place truly disagreeable.
I do have food preferences, but I also LOVE to explore new foods, techniques, and flavorings. I've always been a "Jack of All Trades, and Master of None." I get bored staying in one lane for too long, so I am very excited by the thought of trying some of the "new" ingredients and recipes.
Like CG, texture can be an obstacle for me. As I move through the book, it is something in the back of my mind that I will keep in thought when I weigh which recipe to try.
\I cook to escape often. Sometimes to reduce anxiety. Sometimes to "go somewhere" when I have no time to travel. Lots of reasons, so I can empathize that much with Mandy Lee. I do appreciate her writing even though she does come across angry. However, it seems that her voice comes through and allows me to sense what she is feeling. I do like that.
Although I am still to read the book in whole, or at least a few pages of it, I like the style of her writing.