How to Cook a Moose, a culinary memoir by New York Times best-selling author, Kate Christensen, launches next week. The book, which has already received rave reviews from Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Shelf Awareness, tells the story of Kate's move from New York City to Portland, Maine, her discovery of the inspiring local food community, and the history behind traditional, New England fare from lobster to wild blueberries. Kate, who is a talented home cook, also offers many of her favorite seasonal recipes to complement each chapter.
In preparation for the launch, we sat down with Kate to discuss her current and past projects, her love of food, and more about her writing life.
IP: You're an accomplished writer, who's written everything from novels to book reviews. Can you tell us a little about your work?
KC: I’m the author of six novels, including "The Epicure’s Lament," the PEN/Faulkner award-winning "The Great Man," and "The Astral", as well as two food-centric memoirs, "Blue Plate Special: an Autobiography of My Appetites," and now, "How to Cook a Moose." I also write about food, drink, books, and life for Vogue, the New York Times Book Review, Elle, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal, Bookforum, and many other publications, as well as many anthologies.
IP: How do food and writing connect for you?
KC: I love to cook and to write about food, but I’m not a trained chef, I’m self-taught and still learning. Basically, I’m a home cook of the improvisational, what’s-in-the-cupboard school, which is also, possibly not coincidentally, my strategy with writing. Just as the ingredients at hand can dictate a dish, the characters who arise in my imagination and are set in motion at the beginning of a novel can dictate its plot, tone, and themes. It’s crucial to both enterprises to keep on hand excellent ingredients, especially spices, oils, and produce.
IP: You've lived in a great many places over the years. What are some of the foods that come to memory from each region?
KC: I was raised in Berkeley, California in the 1960s, long before the Bay Area became the American locavore/foodie mecca; we moved to Arizona in 1970, back when it was a cultural desert, pun fully intended. My favorite childhood dinner was hot dogs, “creamy corn,” and boiled carrot coins with margarine. In 1980, after graduation from Green Meadow Waldorf School, I lived and worked as an au pair for a year near the town of Moulins, in the Allier district of France, where I learned to make mousse au chocolat and rabbit stew and discovered cheese, butter, and wine. At Reed College and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, I regressed out of economic necessity to Top Ramen, hamburgers, and bean burritos. But then I moved to New York City in 1989, where I discovered the writings of MFK Fisher, learned to eat well, and began to realize my lifelong passion, both literary and culinary, for food.
IP: What audience did you have in mind when you wrote "How to Cook a Moose?" And what are your hopes for the book?
KC : This book was written for fellow lovers of Maine, good food, and books about food. I hope "How to Cook a Moose" will entertain, interest, and delight its readers, as well as inspiring them to eat well, simply, locally, sustainably, and with gusto!
Thank you so much, Kate!
We invite you to celebrate the launch of "How to Cook a Moose" on Tuesday, September 22 at Sonny's in Portland, Maine from 5-7 p.m. We'll have copies of the book for sale, and Kate will be available to sign. Light refreshments will also be served. Cash bar.
Can't make the launch? Visit our online bookshop and check out where Kate will be signing next!
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