Elza's Kitchen

(Paperback)

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Description

For years, Elza has managed to get by. She has her own little restaurant in the Hungarian city of Delibab cooking quality versions of her country's classics and serving them with a smile. But lately her smile has become tired. She is weary of serving the same customers the same dishes, and the loveless affair with her sous-chef is now an irritation. With her country in a state of transition from communism to capitalism, Elza embarks upon her own change. She decides to woo The Critic, one of the harshest, most powerful restaurant columnists in Europe, in the hope of landing a glowing review that will push her above the competition. But as relationships in the kitchen sour, the food threatens to turn with them, and not even Elza's strained composure can prevent the chaos that seems fated to engulf her. Filled with charm and humour, Elza's Kitchen is a wonderful celebration of culture and cuisine, serving up all the heat, sensual delights and rich atmosphere of the restaurant itself. Resisting the comfortable pattern of her old life, Elza finds that true joy - and love - can be hidden in the most surprising of places.

Reviews

It's a great premise and Fitten writes well about food and restaurants. He is also very funny -- Wendy Holden * Daily Mail *
A mouth-watering tale of love and passion **** * Womans Own *
A charming celebration of culture and cuisine * Attitude *
Set in post-Communist Hungary, this surprisingly light and humorous confection challenges the initial darkness plaguing the restaurant chef Elza, some years after her divorce and tired now of her job and her life. Atlanta-based Fitten somehow brings about an odd combination of European prose style and American small-town manners for this quirky tale * Glasgow Sunday Herald *
With much warmth and some comedy thrown in, this is a charming look at the peculiarities of life * Womans Way *
Serves up a multi-course lesson in the dreams and challenges of contemporary life in Hungary ... a deliciously edifying goulash of Hungary old and new * National Geographic (USA) *

Author Bio

Marc Fitten was born in Brooklyn, USA, and lived in Hungary from 1993-1998. He is the former editor of the Chattahoochee Review and of the Red Hen Press Literary Translation series. Marc Fitten's first novel, Valeria's Last Stand, was published in six countries. He lives in Atlanta.