If there is such a thing as a comfort food book, Bemelmans'' stories are it. His evocative tales of grand hotel life have a reporter''s eye for sensory detail, yet he always manages to bathe his world and it''s lovable characters in the mood of a fairytale. Meet the girl-hungry hotel Magician, Kalakobe the African cook, Mr Sigsag, Monsieur Victor, Mespoulet and an unforgettable cast of down but not yet out hotel employees. A feast of food writing. And once you''ve read one Bemelmans'' tale you fall in love and want to read the lot.