"Cuisines of the Axis of Evil and Other Irritating States: A Dinner Party Approach to International Relations," by Chris Fair, wins my vote for quirkiest, catchy title. Also, the title rocks because it promises to combine the ever-tantalizing motif of food with the ever-tedious realm of global politics, stirring in humor and good cheer along the way. Fair's book immediately piqued my curiosity. Alas, as soon as I opened this tome I saw that I had been duped, had grabbed at the book as if it was shiny jewel when it turned to be nothing but fool's gold. Despite the intriguing title and cover, a flip through the inside reveals an empty promise.
The book is divided into chapters, each exploring one of the countries that make up Fair's axis of evil. Fair begins by describing the country's evil role in the global political arena, then side-winds into a monologue about that country's cuisine, and ends with a few representative recipes. First of all, Fair's prose falls flat, nothing new or creative here. More importantly though, she offends, devoting an entire chapter to poor, beleaguered Israel, sounding like a mindless mouthpiece of the far-left as she tells of Israel's "crimes." Look, let me make this clear: I am no Middle East scholar. Far from it. Through the years I've tried over and over to make sense of the complicated history and politics, to no avail. I still don't know the difference between the Hamas and the Fatah. As a Jew I should know these things, and I'm embarrassed that I don't. I feel guilty, then I assuage my guilt by telling myself I must have missed that narrow window of opportunity when my younger brain was more compliant and agile. But there is one thing I do understand, about the situation in the Middle East, or anywhere else for that matter, and that is no conflict reduces to a neat black and white, good versus bad, scenario as one-sided as Fair presents in her Israel chapter. Adding insult to injury, Fair then goes on to "dis" Israeli cuisine, devaluing it completely because she claims it has co-opted its cuisine from the surrounding Arab countries. As if any country's cuisine develops in a vacuum. I am not usually one to toss out accusatory, paranoid cries of Anti-Semitism, but it makes one wonder....
In "Secrets of a Jewish Mother," by Jill Zarin, Lisa Wexler, and Gloria Kamen, the title's trailer, "Real Advice, Real Stories, Real Love," (the font italicized), should have tipped me off immediately. Still, as an aspiring Jewish mother (my kids would say I no longer need to aspire) I had to check it out. I'll be brief. There are no secrets in this book. "Secrets" is an advice book ala Miss Manners, with the same well-worn, usual suspects trotted out as the seemingly insurmountable problem du jour: How to deal with the (insert the adjective of your choice: overbearing, spineless, cheating, etc.), (insert the person's role in your life here: mother, daughter, gay friend, etc.) You get the idea. It might be less painful to sit down and talk to your own Jewish mother, who no doubt will ask you what you've been reading....
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