Tasting Poison Food by Ugo Furst

[TrishCT]

For Ugo:

You had a dangerous job fer sure... To quote the prophetic Meatloaf, "I will do anything for love, but I won't do that..." Of everything you had to taste for the royal court was there something you ever balked at and refused?

For Peter:

I remember you in The Times Square Two from the Smothers Brothers.... Although that would seem to make me 97, I am in fact just 45....

You have definitely whetted my appetite for The Food Taster... I am gonna see if the local Barnes & Noble has it this morning (if not I'll cause a scene and demand they order it forthwith)... Have the movie rights been secured? It seems like a natural....

[Peter Elbling]

Im very flattered that you remember me from the Times

Square Two. I barely remember them myself. As for your

age, you cant be any older than I am and I havent hit

thirty yet. Regarding the movie rights, there has been a

lot of talk...and I'm doing most of it. Bah boomp bom! But

seriously folks... there is talk but its still in the early

stages.

Another question has been asked about which foods Ugo

refused to eat or what was the worst food he ever ate.

Rather than have him repeat himself, look at that one.

Better yet read the book. You should be able to

get it everywhere.

[TrishCT]

Indeed, I picked the book up this morning. Barnes & Noble in Danbury, CT...shame on them... didn't have it in stock (probably because it flew off the shelves....) but Waldenbooks at The Danbury Fair Mall had 3 copies, they now have 2 available...

Tomorrow night I am going to make the Chicken with Diced Lemons...

Glad I read The Da Vinci Code this summer...to prepare me for this tome.

[Peter Elbling]

yes, shame on Barnes and Noble for not having the book. But I'm glad you found it. Hope you enjoy it.

[TrishCT]

Peter:

All I can say is Wow! I bought The Food Taster yesterday, and with the rain and all decided to spend a quiet night in with it. I am up to page 174... this is a GREAT read!

You truly capture the feeling of living in an Italian royal court. The characters are engrossing and the plot has a nice labyrinth of twists alternating between laugh out loud funny and horrifying pain... nicely surprising. Also, enjoyed your little observations of life such as if you go to a city with a gate, and the gate has a guard, then the guard is bound to be stupid.

Don't want to spoil this for others who may read it, so pardon my crypticness, but kudos to you for a particular section in the book where a certain person discusses his faux "royal" lineage in such a manner that it turns out to be a little joke within a joke within a joke...

Can't wait to find out the ending! Definitely movie material!

Edited September 16, 2003 by TrishCT (log)

[TrishCT]

Just made the Chicken with Diced Lemons recipe from the book....very good, tangy and juicy at the same time... kinda like Ugo...

[Peter Elbling]

Thanks so much for the kind words. I hope you still feel the same at the end. Diced chicken was good huh? Great!

[TrishCT]

Thanks so much for the kind words. I hope you still feel the same at the end. Diced chicken was good huh? Great!

Finished reading it last night, and the ending was as satisfying as the main course. Wheeeeeeeew!

[Peter Elbling]

Thank you. Im so glad you enjoyed it.