Feeding the Gods

the long version

"In the hands of the author, who writes of growing up from girlhood to womanhood in her native land, food and ritual become intimate experiences which shape day-to-day life for the women of that culture. As memories of food preparation take shape, recalling associations of taste, smell and texture, a parallel thread of social commentary calls forth sharp observations; for example, how certain foods are 'forbidden' and what Bengali widows cannot eat. Eminently readable, this volume combines rigorous research into food and cultural history, social critique and the intimacy of memoir."--Jacket.