Ever since his father died suddenly when he was young, Kostya has been sensing ghosts. Their last meal lingers on his tongue and they torment him. But late one night, he discovers that by recreating their favorite foods, he can briefly reunite the ghosts with their loved ones – and the memories they left behind. It is the ultimate catharsis and gives new meaning to the term “ghost kitchen.” Kostya, himself, is chasing closure with his father and is desperate to reconnect over a plate of food. As his rare and unique talent gets noticed, Kostya is catapulted to the top of the culinary scene where his work might have disastrous consequences for the veil that separates our world from that of the dead.
While I very much enjoy fantasy, I’m not super into magical realism so it’s a testament to this writing (and my wholehearted agreement that food is strongly linked to memory) that I still gave it 4 stars. I thought the interstitials between chapters of “The Konstantin Duhovny Culinary Experience” were an inspired way to keep the reader engaged – I felt like I was chasing something, just like Kostya – and to share the repercussions of Kostya’s work in lieu of an epilogue. I did not care for the love story piece…other than the love story between Kostya and his father or Kostya and Frankie. But I did like how his relationship with Maura pushed him (and the reader) to revisit grief.
4 out of 5 stars.
Pair with: a shot of vodka chased by sour cherry kompot
Peaches to Apples 