# Book food scenes that make your mouth water **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-food-scenes-that-make-your-mouth-water/265215 "2004-09-21T00:23:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-food-scenes-that-make-your-mouth-water/265215/41 "2004-09-27T14:08:27Z")
The obvious answer is any of the Provence books by Peter Mayle (?Too busy to make sure I remembered his name right). [summary: English couple moves to Provence and eats their way through the year] But for a non-obvious answer, I’m going for the James Herriot book where he’s on a cargo boat, and is amazed at how good the food is, particularly the scene where the cook whips up some beef tartare for him. Can’t remember which book it is right now, but that is definitely a mouth-watering scene for me. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-food-scenes-that-make-your-mouth-water/265215/42 "2004-09-27T18:22:39Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > But for a non-obvious answer, I’m going for the James Herriot book where he’s on a cargo boat, and is amazed at how good the food is, particularly the scene where the cook whips up some beef tartare for him. Can’t remember which book it is right now, but that is definitely a mouth-watering scene for me. It’s _The Lord God Made Them All_, and this part of the story is most definitely hunger-inducing! ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-food-scenes-that-make-your-mouth-water/265215/43 "2004-09-27T20:44:43Z")
I can’t believe nobody has mentioned _Like Water for Chocolate._ The book has all sorts of recipes in it, none of which I’ve had the guts to try yet (the proportions are mostly humongous – what am I going to do with enough _chiles en nogada_ for an entire rural Mexican wedding?). But quails in rose petal sauce sounds yummy, if only I had any idea where to find quails. Or enough rose petals without blowing a fortune at the florist, although florist roses are probably chock-full of pesticides anyway. Anyone wanna lend me an organic rosebush? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-food-scenes-that-make-your-mouth-water/265215/44 "2004-09-27T21:06:15Z")
**WhyNot** mentioned _Like Water for Chocolate_, but he kind of got distracted and never got around to talking about the food. MFK Fisher for me. Especially “The Best Peas I Have Ever Eaten,” from, I think, _The Gastronomical Me._ ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-food-scenes-that-make-your-mouth-water/265215/45 "2004-09-27T21:09:10Z")
By the way, I do beg **WhyNot’s** pardon if he is a she. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-food-scenes-that-make-your-mouth-water/265215/46 "2004-09-27T21:17:56Z")
The honeyed cakes they make in the book _The Red Tent_ always sound heavenly. Also, though it’s not a book, I’ve always wanted to try a sandwich from the lunchpail tree in _Return to Oz,_ which was one of the creepiest children’s movies I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-food-scenes-that-make-your-mouth-water/265215/47 "2004-09-27T22:35:53Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > My favorite food scene(s), cliched as the preference might be, have to be all the ones from Like Water For Chocolate (the book, not the excreble movie) - the favoritest being the sister running from the table and setting the shower on fire, only to run off with the strapping young soldier riding bareback and naked on his… > > …horse. > > excuse me, is it hot in here, or is it this book? 😃 Sorry I missed this the first time - that’s what I get for skimming. And sorry you didn’t like the movie - my boyfriend at the time it came found it to be quite…inspirational. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-food-scenes-that-make-your-mouth-water/265215/48 "2004-09-27T23:53:36Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > More bizarre is how hungry what should be a disgusting litany of foods makes me: What Templeton the Rat finds to eat at the fair. I obviously have a wire loose somewhere. _jiggles head violently_ You know, I’d completely forgotten about that, but I think I know what you’re talking about and I think I used to react in much the same way… 😃 The menu at Bilbo Baggins’ Unexpected Party sounds pretty good too, actually. Actually, this _thread_ makes me hungry, too, but that’s neither here nor there… 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-food-scenes-that-make-your-mouth-water/265215.md?page=2)