literature

Feast's food literature from the New York Times or the recesses of online. Our favorite stories showcase foodies.

Curried Sausages
Unspoken words hang in the evening air. Outside, two little grey moths flutter aimlessly around the wan patio light. I hear the never-ending howl of the highway close by in the night, familiar as the sound of my own, quiet breath.
By I. D. Reevesa day ago in Feast
The User
I'm a bit embarrassed. I began playing a fantasy RPG to kill time during the pandemic, and I'm still playing now that things are "back to normal." I am middle aged, and have marking to do. I shouldn't be doing this, says my incredulous conscience. It is a diversion designed for those who do not enjoy reading. You are too old and weird to be wasting what little life remains, trying to find the sacred arrow that will kill the wyvern in the hills. Resource farming? Ransacking Reddit for hints? Come on. Write something of your own, for pity's sake. It will be better than most of what you find here.
By D. J. Reddall4 days ago in Feast
The Ramen Wars of Culinary School
In culinary school, they teach you to respect food. They teach you the mother sauces. They teach you knife cuts with names that sound like ballet moves. They teach you to taste everything, season in layers, and never send out a plate you would not be proud to eat yourself. I graduated with honors, and I took every bit of that seriously.
By Overdrive Records12 days ago in Feast
A Few Beers with Michael Douglas
Everyone randomly sits on a weathered deck outside the restaurant patio late summer left to my own devices as my acquaintance who invited me here wanders off to mingle with old friends and family she once estranged. I think it is a first communion or something of the sort. Resembling swaying daisies in the distant field, little girls run in white dresses being chased by little boys or maybe it is a formal kids birthday party. My acquaintance told me what the occasion is, my mind elsewhere at the time it had been so long since I’ve been out of the city I really didn’t care about the occasion, just getting out was a welcoming delight. Not knowing the children or their parents or what the celebration is I sat quietly in the welcoming sunshine and sipped on a cold beer listening to my thoughts in general and the woman are looking lovely so there is that. To my surprise one of the lovely ladies in a short skirt sat across from me, a slight sideways glance, an attempted smile, her eyes never left me as she slowly sat keeping her knees tight as a trap. I didn’t stare back but could feel this penetration of sight on my body, a magic she seems to possess. Struggling not to notice her short skirt and her healthy thighs crossed at the knee gives me the sweats, a feeling of nervous tension as Michael Douglas may have had in that movie. The title of the movie momentarily slips my mind under these circumstances but late summers tapping on autumns shoulder expelling warm sunshine, a comfortable heat, a warmth that wouldn’t produce sweat from sitting motionless, I could feel my arm pits moistening with these tensioning thoughts of all the days pleasures being offered to me, where skin meets hem and that shadowy space between her crossed legs and I try not to make a scene of that particular point of interest.
By Gerry Thibeault13 days ago in Feast
The Bowl That Never Had a Name
It was after midnight and the only light in the kitchen was the one above the stove. His mother had already gone to bed. His sister was upstairs with the door closed. He was sixteen and still awake because the house felt too quiet after his father left for the second time that year. He opened the refrigerator because he did not know what else to do with his hands.
By Overdrive Records14 days ago in Feast
The Forbidden Sandwich
I leaned forward, hands upon the counter, and stared at the implements I had obtained in my fugue state. A bag of Nature’s Own honey wheat bread.
By Aaron Morrison24 days ago in Feast
Fish-Head Drinking Isn’t a Shandong Rule. I Lived There 40 Years and Never Saw It.
Last winter, in a small restaurant in Jinan, a fish stew in an iron pot had just arrived. A Shandong man turned the fish head toward me and asked, “Is fish-head drinking really that fierce in Henan?”
By Jinabout a month ago in Feast
Closing the Emotional Buffet.
The word mistress implies a secret. It suggests a woman hidden away in the dark, kept under lock and key, brought out only when it is convenient, and tucked back into the shadows when the real world demands attention. But an emotional mistress doesn’t hide her body; she hides her soul. She is the woman who leaves the door to her mind wide open, allowing broken, fragile, hollow men to walk inside, dust their boots off, dump their heavy baggage on her rug, and drink until they are full.
By Syl De'Vil2 months ago in Feast
The Taste of Home
I haven't been back to that market in a long time. The market began at six every morning. People arrived early to prepare for business, arranging fresh vegetables, fish, and meat, putting price tags on everything, and waiting for customers to come. They bargained, negotiated, and eventually settled on what felt like a fair exchange.
By Alix2 months ago in Feast
The Orange Peel Waterfall: A Lesson in Being Seen
One photo shows orange peels pouring down from a stall. From a distance, it looks like a bowl of noodles overflowing onto the street. Another shows a huge skeleton propped up in front of a barbecue stand. A third reveals a supermarket owner who used dried chilies and garlic cloves to arrange faces on cabbages. The vegetables look alive.
By Jin2 months ago in Feast
If meals are planned well, Ramadan is actually a great time to lose weight in a healthy way.
If meals are planned well, Ramadan is actually a great time to lose weight in a healthy way. The key is choosing the right foods for Sehri (Suhoor) and Iftar and avoiding overeating, as fasting already limits eating hours. Here is a straightforward guide to losing weight during Ramadan.
By Farida Kabir8 months ago in Feast
Ramadan's Digital Detox: Why It Matters
Ramadan's Digital Detox: Why It Matters The Beginning Our lives today are cantered on screens in a world that is so hyperconnected. Digital devices have become inseparable from our daily routines, from checking emails, watching videos, and responding to endless notifications to scrolling through social media feeds. Technology brings distraction, stress, and mental overload, in addition to offering convenience and connection.
By Farida Kabir9 months ago in Feast