Tom Parker Bowles: Year of Eating Dangerously

By JULIETTE ROSSANT You would expect the son of Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, to be cosseted in some respectable job in the City. However, Tom Parker Bowles is part of a long line of European travel writers who indulge and delight in finding the most exciting and daring adventures around the world -- in his case, about eating. In The Year of Eating Dangerously (St Martin's Press 2007) he wanders far afield, in search of culinary adventure. His adventures are delightful to read because they illuminate who he is, as well as the people amongst whom he mixes: The Year of Eating Dangerously is not so much about picaresque daring do (although there's a little of that, albeit rather windy), but a fascination with the world's most diverse cuisines... I went looking, not just for bizarre food, but to see if local food cultures were standing up in the face of ever-more homogenized fast food and processed pap. (pp. xx-xxi) To that end, his first chapter starts with a trip in his native Britain to the Severn River to take part in a fishing expedition for "elvers," illusive glass eels, once abundant, now worth GBP 400 (USD 812) per kilo: The first time I came across cooked elvers was in a London restaurant. I was fascinated by this ruinously expensive pile of threads (GBP 25 for a side plate's worth) and they arrived at the table, sizzling in a terracotta dish. They were cooked in the Spanish style, which meant chili and garlic and I'll never forge that first taste; their texture is superb, soft but faintly crunchy. And their flavour is subtle and elusive, just tempered by a whisper of the sea. (p. 9) Tom joins father and son anglers as they catch elvers at several fishing spots, expecting to be set upon by local thugs and Chinese dealers. He escapes unharmed, even catches a few elvers himself, though he never gets to taste any. He captures the sound and spirit of the local fishermen in their all night vigil: My expectations of pitched battles were thankfully proved wrong, though this is a world to treat with respect... I realize that the truly scary part of the night on the Severn -- the rapidly dwindling stocks of wild eel. (p. 34) Another adventure takes him States-side to become an official judge, receiving a KCBS (Kansas City Barbeque Society -- not Knight of the City of BS) official Judges Certificate Program and becoming a judge in the 16th Annual Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbeque. Tom, it turns out, is addicted to heat. His fellow countrymen do not share his passion for great barbeque: At first glimmer of sun, we British like to light up our barbeque, play with fire and sink a few litres of beer. The food resembles a fossilized turd and tastes unspeakable but we're so happy to be outside that we rarely care. (pp. 129-131) He turns his wit on describing his fellow judges, the mountains of meat he devours and the additional meals of fried chicken at Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville. He muses on Calvin Trillin and Kansas City Barbeque and its origins among the poor who had to make tough cuts of meat tender. The excitement (and queasy feeling from overeating) grows as Tom gorges his way through pulled pork, chicken, ribs and brisket. His disdain for the dessert that follows is hilarious. In my fevered, sated imagination they are advancing towards me en masse, a malevolent army of sugary warriors ready to split me open at the belly. (p. 156) Where TV food travel shows might show you the food, Tom makes you travel with him, almost experiencing it. There is real pleasure in reading descriptions of food adventures -- less frustrating than watching a Food TV show. There is simply more substance to The Year of Eating Dangerously than any Food TV show: food, plus the characters he encounters, plus the humor, self-deprecation, and always observant eyes of Tom himself. Previous articles: [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Tom Parker Bowles --> back to Super Chef