Play with your food
By Mr. Henry 
“Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.”
This is sound advice representing balanced good-sense values. Although Mr. Henry was not the first to coin the remark, he heeds its admonition conscientiously.
Proper care must be taken in handling both the gun and the cannoli, and each can be useful in a pinch, but the cannoli is the subtler means of persuasion. As a general rule of etiquette, Mr. Henry advises you to take the cannoli.
Do you know who said it, and in what movie? If you do, you’ll triumph at the new parlor game Foodie Fight, a Trivial Pursuit-style competition quiz that the Henry posse finds irresistible – lowdown fun at high table.
Children are instructed NOT to play with their food. But isn’t playing with food the essence of the international food revolution? Don’t chefs play both with ingredients and with presentation? Don’t we place high value on such food-play?
Many years ago Mr. Henry climbed the stairs to visit his photographer friend Maggie. On her table under the big umbrella lights that day lay piles of green peppers and bags of black-eyed peas. Maggie was busy shooting How are you Peeling?, another book of visual genius from Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers.
Fast Food is the newest one, appropriate for anyone over the age of two. It’s delicious.
September 16th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I’ve heard of this one, but I’m not sure I would be any good at it.
And as for cannoli being a means of subtle persuasion, have you ever had it made and served for you by an Italian Nonna? Because there is nothing subtle about it, I assure you!
September 21st, 2008 at 10:38 am
[...] Mr. Henry… As a general rule of etiquette, Mr. Henry advises you to take the cannoli. [...]