Author Kim Sunée

Abandoned by her mother in a Korean market at the age of 3, Kim Sunée
was discovered by police officers three days later, who found her
clutching a fistful of cracker crumbs. Adopted by an American family and raised in New Orleans, Sunée later lived in Provence and Paris, where she learned
classical French cooking technique and respect for the fine ingredients
that were literally in arm’s reach.

Her memoir, Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the the Search for Home (Grand Central Publishing), recalls, in vivid imagery, a young woman’s restless journey around the world, seeking self by nourishing others and absorbing their unique food culture. She will be visiting Philadelphia on Sun., Nov. 16 as
part of this year’s First Person Festival. A reading from Trail of Crumbs will follow a brunch based on recipes from her book at Fork restaurant in Old City. Sunée (soo-NAY) corresponded with Meal Ticket, answering questions with the same detailed, immediate language that characterizes her book.

Meal Ticket: How does it feel to do readings in front of large groups when your memoir is so intensely personal?

Kim Sunée: Readings are actually enjoyable. It’s the Q&A sessions
I sometimes find difficult. Memoir is not autobiography. You can
write several in a lifetime. In Trail of Crumbs, I wrote what I
thought important to the narrative of this story, the heart of what I
was trying to say—that which relates to hunger, love, and the search
for a place to call home. But I’m often asked very personal questions
about what I did not include.

MT: Since you speak so many languages (Swedish, French, English) and have lived so many places, it
would seem you could be at home anywhere. What places and foods do you
miss acutely when you have been absent for a while?

KS: It seems when I travel I find new flavors that make me feel “at
home.” I just got back from San Francisco and had the most amazing egg
dish at Boulette’s Larder. The eggs were softly scrambled, topped with
a frothy cream and Buddha’s Hand citrus zest. I talked about it for
days. There’s a photo of it on my Web site. When I
was in Florence a few months ago, I was focused on the crostini di
fegatini and fried squash blossoms at Cammillo Trattoria, so I didn’t
miss any other foods. When I lived in France, though, I did find
myself longing for a spicy brown jambalaya or a really good fried
oyster po-boy — dressed, of course. And now that I no longer live in
France, I miss the cheese — especially a ripe Vacherin du Mont D’or.

MT: What advice could you offer readers who may have a similar story to
yours … or, what is the moral of the story of Trail of Crumbs?

KS: I do believe everyone has a story. In telling mine, I‘ve met so
many people who want to open up about their own fascinating
experiences. Knowing that we’re not so alone in our sorrows and losses
has been one of the most rewarding aspects of publishing Trail of Crumbs. For those who want to write their own stories, I think it’s
important to remember to include only those details which help move the
narrative along. Not everything one did or saw or ate or thought is
going to be interesting — focus on the heart of what you are trying to
say.

I’m not sure there’s a “moral” to Trail of Crumbs. I think it’s a
story of how we search for a sense of self and our place in the world,
what we can contribute. And no one can give that sense of self to
another — it’s truly a unique journey. Hopefully from others, we can
glean some knowledge of how to love and live better, fuller lives.

Kim Suneé at Fork Restaurant, Sun., Nov. 19, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., $45, 306 Market St.

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