An imagined gathering
1963 · Manhattan, New York
Claiborne cooks for David, the writer he most wants to publish, and tries to talk her into an American column.
Claiborne has been trying for a year to persuade Elizabeth David to write for The New York Times, and tonight he has her at his own table in Manhattan, which he hopes is more persuasive than a letter. He cooks crab and a bowl of guacamole, both of which she regards with the polite suspicion she reserves for American food.
David, who dislikes publicity and has no interest in being a celebrity, is unmoved by the flattery but interested in the argument. She asks about Claiborne's readers — who they are, what they cook — and by dessert she has not said yes, but she has not said no. Claiborne counts it a success.
Host: Craig Claiborne
Elizabeth David — Author of *A Book of Mediterranean Food*, whom Claiborne hoped to sign for the Times.
This gathering is an editorial recreation grounded in the biographies of those present; it did not necessarily take place as described.