by Spencer Merolla
A buffet of short stories from Lara Vapnyar.
Conventional wisdom dictates that you should never shop for groceries while hungry. I would further advise that you not pick up a copy of Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love (Pantheon, $20) by Lara Vapnyar on an empty stomach — it is impossible not to crave a steaming bowl of borscht after dipping into Vapnyar’s latest literary offering. Conveniently, then, this collection of six short stories is followed by an appendix of as many recipes.