Cookbooks Evolve as Narrative Forms with Ella Quittner and Tanya Bush Publications
Two new cookbooks by Ella Quittner and Tanya Bush demonstrate how culinary publications are expanding into narrative writing. Quittner's 'Obsessed With the Best' blends cultural essays with recipes, exploring themes like American buffets and competitive food culture. Bush's 'Will This Make You Happy' combines memoir with baking instructions, chronicling a formative year in her twenties. Both authors discuss how cookbooks can foster intimacy and resist algorithmic trends in contemporary food media. Their works follow a tradition of experimental food writing that includes figures like Salvador Dalí and Alice B. Toklas.
Key facts
- Ella Quittner published 'Obsessed With the Best,' a cookbook with cultural-historical essays.
- Tanya Bush released 'Will This Make You Happy,' a narrative cookbook structured around seasons.
- Both books integrate personal storytelling with culinary instructions, moving beyond traditional recipe formats.
- The authors explore themes like viral food culture, personal identity, and analog cooking practices.
- These publications continue a lineage of genre-blending food writing exemplified by historical figures.
Entities
Artists
- Ella Quittner
- Tanya Bush
- Salvador Dalí
- Alice B. Toklas
- Gertrude Stein
- Nora Ephron
- Calvin Trillin
- Alice Waters
- Molly Baz
- Alison Roman
Institutions
- Bon Appetit
- Food52
- Little Egg
- Cake Zine
- The New Yorker
- William Morrow Cookbooks
- Chronicle Books
Locations
- United States
- Japan
- Italy
- Des Moines
- Kofu
- Brooklyn