FRIED BUTTER: A Food Memoir

In this debut volume, Opincar delivers an evocative book filled with reminiscences conjured up by food. Traveling between past and present, he recollects ingredients from the black radishes that take him back to waiting in Paris with his friend Sophie as she anticipates her husband's return, to the taste of a Chateau d'Yquem that reminds him of a dying Dalia, who was responsible for his overseas education and pushing him out into the world. In turn, recollections generate memories of food, When Opincar was sent to school in France at 15 he learned proper French table manners, though he mis-speared an under-ripe peach to disastrous effect, an anecdote he recounts as farce. Not all memories are his own; some are from such friends and acquaintances as Iranian Reza (of saffron), as well as from Niang (with her sad memories of childhood and yams in China); and Opincar's mother remembers the soothing smell of eggs frying in butter when she was pregnant with him. While each group of memories forms an interconnected chapter, the volume lacks an overall structure, sometimes seeming as if the stories were picked at random. Despite this slight drawback, the book is a charming read and a nice addition to the world of food writing. (Apr.)