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One of the most striking and engaging aspects of Dayna Macy's writing is how unflinchingly personal it is. Her story includes vignettes from her past. Her difficult relationship with her father and its unfolding, from her childhood through his illness and death, is interwoven with memories of particular foods, traditions, and recipes. She describes time she spent with a lover in Europe, shortly after her father's death when she was still sorting out her grief and conflicted feelings. Macy openly confesses her attraction toward a meditation teacher and chef she visited during her journey in writing this book, even though she is happily married to writer Scott Rosenberg. Her visit to a humane cattle ranch and her witnessing of the slaughter leaves her deeply affected; she describes retching at the sights and smells, yet does not make a decision for vegetarianism. And, over and over again, she opens up about her inability to reconcile with the lack of control she has over food in her life. There's a lot of heavy, thought provoking material here, punctuated at the end of each chapter with wonderful, healthful recipes meant to nourish the spirit as well as the body.
This book however, is not all unfathomable depth or darkness. There are many light and even funny moments. Macy has a gift for bringing her readers in to her wonderful family with its Jewish traditions and making us feel at home there. There are warm scenes of her cooking for and with her husband and sons, and of a joyful Passover seder with her extended family. Her matzo ball soup recipe appears on page 107, the recipe that finally satisfied her mother's palate. Throughout the book, Dayna Macy urges readers to experience food with joy, and she also demonstrates her commitment to sustainable agriculture and food production practices. The book is never preachy, yet she does question the impact of big corporate interests on not only the quality of our food, but on how we view it and relate to it in our culture.
"Ravenous" is an extremely readable and touching book, and one that certainly many readers will relate to. Its short chapters are each a story in themselves, each taking us to a different farm or artisan's shop, or to a new aspect of the meaning of food. Each chapter ends with a delicious recipe that is not overly challenging to prepare. The only negative here is that some of the foods and experiences which Macy describes are probably not accessible to the average American. Macy and her family live in the Berkeley area of California and have the access to and means to purchase some very high end artisanal foods. Additionally, Macy is able to consult with yoga instructors, chefs, and other culinary professionals that most of us do not have access to. Nonetheless, this is all the more reason to read the book. It brings readers in to a culinary world that perhaps could be at least partially explored given the resources that might be available to us in our own home towns.
So does Dayna Macy truly find her way "from obsession to freedom" by the end of "Ravenous?" Well, like any conundrum in life, the answer is really not that simple. I was left feeling as though Macy, like myself, is still on that journey but feeling more and more comfortable with her relationship with food and its meaning every day. I highly recommend reading this beautiful book if you would like to judge for yourself.
Disclosure and purchasing information:
I was given this book by its publisher, Hay House, in exchange for writing an honest review based on my opinion of it. Fortunately, I was able to truly say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book! What follow are links for purchase, should you also like to read this compelling story:
Hay House
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Chapters Indigo (Canada)
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