How to cook a wolf

In 1942, in the thick of World War II, food writer M.F.K. Fisher published How to Cook a Wolf—a cookbook that was much more than a collection of recipes. It was a manifesto of resilience, wit, and culinary imagination in the face of scarcity. The “wolf” in the title is a metaphor for hunger and hardship, scratching at the door during wartime rationing and economic uncertainty. But rather than flee, Fisher invites readers to confront it. With warmth and intelligence, she shows how to outsmart the wolf—and even feed it. Instead of surrendering to fear, she dares us to welcome adversity in, and cook it.

Fisher didn’t just teach people how to cook with limited ingredients and simplicity—she showed how to keep your spirit strong in difficult times. Her writing feels personal and thoughtful, reminding us that food is about more than survival. It's about how we live, about simplicity and creativity even in hard times, and find small moments of joy.

Decades later, How to Cook a Wolf found new life in the form of a restaurant, first opening in 2007, Inspired by Fisher’s spirit, the restaurant borrowed its name from her iconic book and now spans three locations. While not directly tied to the book, the restaurant honors her spirit through a commitment to simplicity, seasonality, and understated elegance. Its Mediterranean-inspired menu focuses on fresh, local ingredients, presented with a minimalist touch. Unlike humble, accessible dishes such as okonomiyaki, which carries the same idea of creativity during war and hard times, the how to cook a wolf restaurant’s leans toward fine dining, it honor Fisher’s ideas in a different way, showing creativity and simplicity in a more refined, modern context.