Why M.F.K. Fisher’s How to Cook a Wolf Stands the Test of Time

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When a book coaching client comes to me and says their next book is inspired by current events, I’ll ask: If you’re still writing this book in two years, will it be worth it?

Sometimes, they say yes. Other times, not.

Writing about shared experiences is largely what every book is about. But believing that just because we have a shared experience, it will automatically make our book something people will want to read, is a path to disappointment.

So, when I picked up M.F.K. Fisher’s How to Cook a Wolf at the beginning of the global pandemic, I was reminded why I loved her so much.

Published in 1942, Fisher gives simple recipes and solutions with wartime rations and bombing attacks in mind. But beyond that, she uses some key principles in her work to make it stand out, regardless of what decade you’re reading it in.

Carving Out a Space in Time

We don’t speak a lot about time when it comes to food memoirs, or memoirs in particular, but it’s a driving force behind great writing and the mediocre kind.

Fisher wrote How to Cook a Wolf in response to World War 1, but later wrote and revised it with World War II in mind. But all of these instances were with war in mind. 

The particulars of both World Wars are wildly similar in many ways, so luckily for Fisher, there wasn’t a lot that had to be altered. But we know the stakes as soon as we begin reading. We’re in the middle of wars with rations and a sense of survival built in. 

This isn’t just a book about making the most of what you have with any old day in mind.

 And that’s where a lot of food memoirs go wrong. Readers need a sense of grounding in the work, so they know where they are and where they’re headed.

Weaving in Facts for Context

With any period piece, there are elements future generations might not understand. But you don’t need to add paragraphs upon paragraphs to do so.

Fisher adds in the chapter “How to Carve a Wolf” how Parisian chefs were protesting the restaurant trends of young people, and the effects it was having on the industry itself. She used this to lay out her point of multiple ways to roast meat — and the beliefs behind each way. 

She moves through the chapter, laying out the importance of utilizing the entire animal and questioning our prejudices against certain cuts of meat over others. Also, for every recipe, she notes where she got it from or who influenced it, which in the world of recipes is vital.

Throughout, Fisher pops in facts to not only present an argument, but to cement the reader in a solid context of the environment. And oddly enough, her arguments then sound like some conversations Anthony Bourdain has had on any number of his shows.

Using (Mostly) Standard Ingredients and Simple Recipes

Okay, so I don’t know where I’d find a calves’ head off the top of my head, but the majority of the ingredients in How to Cook a Wolf are easily found now. Plus, Fisher doesn’t use more than a handful of ingredients for each recipe.

Yes, this would keep in line with a book around wartime cooking, but it also speaks to a very real belief of mine that most recipes don’t have to be overly complicated.

It makes you more likely to go back and try the recipes for yourself, even if you don’t want to eat a calves’ head.

Having a Distinct Voice

Most writers are afraid of their individual voices.

Am I too sassy?

Is this not funny enough?

Should I be more formal, so people think I’m an authority?

Often in school or even writing workshops, you’re taught how to write like anyone other than yourself. So, how do you sound like yourself?

Write like you’re speaking to a friend. Yes, it will sound a little bit different when you put the words on the page, but overall, there’s an added warmth (if you like this imaginary friend you’re writing to) that’ll leap off the page.

No matter how many times I’ve read M.F.K. Fisher, I feel like she’s pulling up a chair at her kitchen table for me and handing me a big cup of coffee. There’s no pretense — just goodness.

And it’s that goodness that transcends time — even if it was written almost 100 years ago. Because for every fact she adds to a seemingly mundane task or simple sentence recipe creation, you feel like you’re with someone you can trust. You’re with a beloved friend who won’t steer you wrong, and that keeps you coming back time and time again.

Feel like you’re ready to craft a book readers can keep on their bookshelves for years? Grab your spot on my coaching waitlist here, so we can get moving on those big book dreams now.