The Telling Room

Where has the time gone? September went by too fast!

Last month we read The Telling Room a Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge and the World's Greatest Piece of Cheese by Michael Paterniti.

This was not our favorite book, despite high hopes (since we love cheese). Some folks found it tedious and uninteresting, and couldn't figure out where it was going. The people who enjoyed it most seemed to be those who skipped the footnotes (that went on forever), although there were a few great asides here and there.

What we appreciated about the book, was the romance of leaving America to live off the land, free of conveniences. The characters, food, and deli chapter were likable. Liked the stories, such as the old woman who walked a far distance every day just to spit on her enemy's grave. (I wanted to know more about the assassin known as The Freckle...she sounded much more interesting them some grouchy old cheese maker.)

 We especially enjoyed the passion of the Spanish people, the crazy folk sayings (I shit in the milk of God), and references to Slow Food movement. The cheese descriptions were divine, as were those of local wine and sausage. 

Overall, there were too many distracting footnotes. It felt too long winded, as though he was trying to stretch a magazine article into a book. One reader said: "The book was like a bad date. The food was great, but I couldn't wait for the author to shut up."

We didn't have a big group, but we did have a good meal:

 

Dawn – Manchego and wine







Heather McN – egg tart with potatos and onions 

Katie W. – grapes, apples, pears 






 
Roberta - Paramo Guzman?

 

Sunny S. – Berry Shortcake and Cream   




Madeline - shrimp and pear salad 

Next month...I mean next WEEK, we will be discussing The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe by Mary Simses. This takes place in Maine and has all kinds of yummy foods in it, but no recipes (so far).

See you very soon!