//Entertaining
Ph i l osoph ical Food C ru m bs : Cook i ng an d K i e rk egaard {wRiTTEn BY RAcHEL MORAn AnD EMMA SØRGAARD}
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Thus they banqueted. Soon, conversation had woven its beautiful wreaths about the banqueters, so that they sat garlanded. Now, it was enamored of the food, now of the wine, and now again of itself; now, it seemed to develop into significance, and then again it was altogether slight....now, only the clinking of glasses and the clattering of plates was heard and the feasting proceeded in silence, accompanied only by the music that joyously advanced and again stimulated conversation. Thus they banqueted.” ~from The Banquet, Stages On Life's Way,1845 by Søren Kierkegaard Søren Kierkegaard was a philosopher, writer, cultural critic—and foodie. He lived during the Golden Age of Denmark (1800-1850), a prolific period in the history of Danish arts culture. Kierkegaard’s works weren’t widely disseminated to the rest of the world until after World War II, when he became more widely read. Today, he is considered the Father of Existentialism, a school of philosophical thought made popular by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. Philosophy can be intimidating to would-be readers, and Kierkegaard’s writings address complex topics such as aesthetics, ethics, and religion; yet, they are full of references to everyday concepts like eating. Kierkegaard’s musings include references to society’s manners, family suppers, motherly love, coffee, and sneaky bakers. In fact, food is so frequently mentioned in his books, journals, and letters, that it spawned the idea behind the Kierkegaard Cookbook. The book debuted on the 200th anniversary of Kierkegaard’s birth and offers readers a charming approach to the philosopher, his ideas and stories about food. Even the title “Philosophical Food Crumbs” plays with Kierkegaard’s book “Philosophical Crumbs” (by his pseudonym Johannes Climacus). The Kierkegaard Cookbook was put together with the same kind of care and attention that goes into preparing a nourishing family meal and is suitable for home cooks of all levels of experience.
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