CONSUMING by Charlotte McCaffrey

Consuming consumed me and fed me, delighted and invited me to the front-of-house, back-of-house, after-hours scenes and personalities that I before-hand had only thought was my own table, companions, and the glorious tastes on my tongue. Open these pages and meet Dog and Duck and Rat and Tom Cat, Miss Mary, and the many faces of Old Chef. Feel the slip of egg whites through your fingers. Hear the tinker-like, in-the- backdoor, knife sharpener sharpening and gossiping as he works his way down the alley, carrying (as this book does for us) tales door to door—a culture, a world, a wonder just over there, behind this kitchen’s door.

–gail ford, Director, The Writers Studio San Franciso

Charlotte McCaffrey’s Consuming offers a feast of poetic vignettes about restaurant staff, the addictive rush of their work, and the intimate connections with the people they feed. Based on her years as a chef, McCaffrey’s colorful collection teems with humor, pathos, and vivid descriptions of the food she prepared. Bon Appetit!

–Patricia Feeney, MFA; Author; Instructor, Lindenwood University MFA Program (Ret.)