Book Review:

The Best Food Writing 2011 Edited by Holly Hughes

Now that 2012 is almost over, it's a good thing I finally got around to reading a compilation of the best food writing of 2011! The thing I love about food writing compilations is that, when properly edited, the books instantly become the perfect bedside companion. Sadly, I've read quite a few that didn't quite make the cut for perfection. Their entries were often too long for a quick read before bed. Their content lacked flow from page to page. I've even read the occasional "Best Of" book, who's content, honestly shouldn't have been considered the best of anything. But you can rest assured that everything those other compilation books lacked, this book delivers!

Holly Hughes is a writer/editor who knows good prose, and has been proving so since her first "Best Food Writing," dating back to 2000. I felt that each selected article in the 2011 edition had earned it's spot in this book. There was no skimming or skipping, not once did my mind wander or did I drift off to sleep mid-sentence. The selected content covers a wide variety of topics and locals, yet they effortlessly flow from one to the next. My only wish is that there had been a few more recipes, but I guess it goes to show that you don't need to teach people how to cook to help them appreciate the food!

And the best part? Ms. Hughes is coming out with a "Best Food Writing of 2012," too. Which means that in just a few short weeks -- publication date: October 23, 2012 to be exact -- we can dive into her selections one more time, and hopefully time and time again for years to come.

Book Review:

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
With Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver

You know you have a busy schedule when it takes you over two months to read a single book! I hate to admit thats the time frame it took me to work my way through Mrs. Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, but it's the truth. Instead of diligently reading away everyday, I let all those fun life things interrupt instead: I cooked, I traveled, I worked, I played, I did everything a carefree twenty-something girl is supposed to do, and all along I kept this little gem as my sidekick. From bedside table, to office desk, to carry-on, I made sure I was (almost) never without this book, because, like all of Mrs. Kingsolver's work, it is incredibly, poetically and lovingly written.

If you have never read a Barbara Kingsolver book, you should right that wrong, immediately. I've been a fan for a few years now and when I saw this book for sale, I snatched it right up (at full price, mind you, says the girl who's been known to wait around for the best possible bargain). Animal, Vegetable, Miracle chronicles one family's goal of "living local" for a year. We have all heard of the Local Movement, but I don't think we have realistically thought about the amount of work that goes into making this ideal a reality. This book is a thoughtfully written account of exactly that. The long days, the summer nights lost to canning, the nameless animals raised for slaughter. I pulled one of my favorite paragraphs (yes, I marked the ones that painted excellent mental images, of which there are far too many to actually count) so that you could have a simple sample of her writing style:

"Good people eat. So do bad people, skinny people, fat people, tall and short ones. Heaven help us, we will never master photosynthesis. Planning complex, beautiful meals and investing one's heart and time in their preparation is the opposite of self-indulgence. Kitchen-based family gatherings are process-oriented, cooperative, and in the best of worlds, nourishing and soulful. A lot of calories get used up before anyone sits down to consume. But more importantly, a lot of talk happens first, news exchanged, secrets revealed across generations, paths cleared with a touch of the arm. I have given and received some of my life's most important hugs with those big oven-mitt potholders on both hands."

Now, can't you just imagine standing in her kitchen, receiving one of those oven-mitt potholder hugs? Mix in a bundle of throughly researched information on garden growing, some interesting tidbits on animal husbandry and a dash or two of life's lessons learned along the way, and you essentially have 354 pages of some of Mrs. Kingsolver's best work. As an added plus, her husband and eldest daughter each contribute sections about food politics and nutritional aspects, respectively. The perspective of three different family members, with three very different educations, but the same common goal, make this a truly great read. Sure, it may be easy to put down and walk away from, from time to time, but you can be sure that this is one book that will never be left behind. For every foodie who has ever wanted their own kitchen garden, or for the common joe who maintains a passion for eating organic, this is the book for you. By the end, you wont think twice about choosing those slightly-more-expensive cage free eggs at the farmer's market. And you will think it truly odd to see a bunch of bananas at the grocery store, in January, in the midwest. But most importantly, you will begin to see just how eating locally works, and the amount of work, love and dedication that it takes to make it happen.

Book Review:

How to Pick a Peach: The Search for Flavor from Farm to Table by Russ Parsons

I have the most amazing used book store around the corner from my apartment which just so happens to be over-flowing into the streets with books (literally, I'm sure this problem will be a little more tolerable now that the snow has *fingers crossed* gone for the season). I find myself perusing it's stacks at least once a month, though I'm sure I will be making weekly visits in the coming season, since it's prime location is right along my foot path to the farmer's market! The absolute best part about this used book store is that it's situated in the perfect neighborhood for any used book junkie: Hyde Park. This part of town contains an eclectic mixture of neighbors, ranging from the President of the United States to the dirt poor college kid. As a result, it's collection of books is unbelievably varied! This bodes well for the foodie in me, since the "Cookbook & Foods" section is constantly being stocked with must-read books at must-buy prices! I found this book nestled in the stacks a few weeks ago and have had my nose buried deep in it every night before bed, and here is what I've learned:

1. The American food system will very rarely produce anything remotely similar to what it might perfectly resemble. Though to be fair, anyone with a trained palate and a large chain grocery store around the corner could tell you that. The quote on the front cover says it best: "Tired of tomatoes the size, taste, and texture of softballs?..." Why yes, I am, and I long for the days of being barefoot and carefree, picking fresh tomatoes from my grandparent's garden, which as my memory serves me, were far tastier than any store bought tomato I can recall!
2. Bananas will continue to ripen after picking (obviously) but at a much slower rate than most any other fruit! I find this astonishing since my bananas seem to turn brown the second I turn my back to them. Conveniently I've learned to love them, all spotted and soft (on the verge of being the perfect banana bread ingredient, a recipe that I plan to share with you all in the next week or so).
3. Figs are actually a cluster of flowers turned inside-out! Those little "pops" you feel when you eat them are actually hundreds of tiny seeds. And for many varieties, the only way to fertilize the flower is with the aide of a two-millimeter long wasp which crawls inside of the fig through a small hole in the base and then deposits its pollen. And even stranger, if the wasp stays inside for too long, a naturally occurring, protein- digesting enzyme called ficin will dissolve it and any pesky eggs which might be loitering for too long. Weird.
4. Small farms can actually function quite successfully within the conventional farm circuit, without completely relinquishing their souls... this is hope after all.
5. I am a very bad person for enjoying a bowl full of salad greens everyday at lunch in the midst of winter.

Okay, I could go on for a while like this.. do yourself a favor, read the book! It's packed full of fun little tidbits (some of which I used when writing about souffles and lemon curd a few weeks back). Each section ends with an explanation of where your food is grown, how to choose it at the market, how to store it once you get home and a few fabulous recipes, almost all of which sound like they are worth trying. My only quibble: he recommends storing most everything in plastic, which I'm not a fan of in the slightest, why choose plastic when you can stock up on reusable glass containers or my personal favorite, the brown paper lunch sack.

Book Review:

Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl

Have you ever wondered what makes a foodie? Wondered exactly what defining moment turns an interested home cook to a full fledged connoisseur? If so, let me recommend: Tender at the Bone, the sweet story of how Ruth Reichl grew from her family's "guardian of the guests" to San Francisco Magazine's Restaurant Critic. I know, I know, Mrs. Reichl has gone above and beyond a simple magazine restaurant critic. In fact she was recently named one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Food Folk in America by the Daily Meal. That's the thing, the story of how Ruth Reichl rose to the top of the American food world doesn't just fit in one simple book, but rather a collection of three well written, witty, memoir-style story books about her life, her lessons learned and the people she loves.. well, until her mid-20s, at least.

Tender at the Bone showcases just how compelling a writer Ruth Reichl is. Each of her stories provide excellent insight into the making of a foodie. Starting with stories of her mother, the world's most dangerous dinner host with the "iron stomach" and tendency to inadvertently make her guests ill. As you sit and read, you start to picture a small, curly haired child franticly running about trying to save guests from consuming the sure-to-be-dangerous creation of her mother's most recent kitchen experiment. This vivid story book writing style carries on throughout the book, painting each scene with impressive detail. Willfully dulling out stories from her life, from an adolescent Ruth cooking late night snacks for her first crush, to traveling with her college roommate to Tunisia to share bottles of wine and freshly brined olives at a small cafe, and then off to Crete to a small cottage to enjoy freshly grilled fish with her first husband. You slowly start to piece together the makings of a foodie, you come to understand that it doesn't just come from a few cherished recipes (many of which she shares with the lucky reader) but rather a collection of soul touching experiences and lessons learned.

Book Review:

Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table by Sara Roahen

I love reading about people falling in love. Reading about the moment when they realize that they have found that one true being that completes their soul, fills them with butterflies and complete satisfaction. These experiences are exactly what Sara Roahen describes in "Gumbo Tales," a book about a Midwest girl who finds her soul mate in a Southern city. No, not a story of girl meets boy. A story of how Sara Roahen actually fell in love with a the city of New Orleans: it's history, neighborhoods, celebrations, people, colors and most of all, it's food.

"Gumbo Tales" is an impressive piece of literature that will lure you in with the offer of whisking you away to New Orleans, each time you open the book. Her ability to animate simple situations, such as her first attempt at boiling crawfish or her many expeditions to the city's Vietnamese neighborhood, will leave you feeling as though you've lived each moment along side her. Through her time in New Orleans, Sara discovers an array of experiences and meals, equivalent to any foodie heaven, and captures each culinary adventure with true delight. After reading this book, you'll be left with the need to find a steaming bowl of Gumbo Z'Herbes to take the edge off of a long work week or start a lazy Sunday morning with a piping hot cup of coffee with chicory.

This book is the reason why New Orleans is on my top 5 cities to see, in the world. Why I cook Red Beans 'n' Rice at least once every two weeks. And why I'm on a mission to find an old fashioned bar that actually knows how to make a Sazerac. A must-read for anyone who has ever dreamt of lingering around the French Quarter, on a hot, sticky, summers night.

Book Review:

What to Eat: Marion Nestle

I have to admit, after reading this book, Marion Nestle quickly became one of my role models, and definitely one of my Top 5 favorite food industry figures. I initially read "What to Eat" at the recommendation of a good friend, on the basis that I like food and nutrition, which is exactly what Mrs. Nestle writes about. It took me a few nights of bedtime reading to really get into this particular book, but I soon found myself completely enamored, reading during my morning coffee, free time and lunch breaks.

I respect her ability to look at issues within the food industry as both a professional and a consumer (a talent also recognized by the New York Times, natch). I also love her style of writing. Not since Harold McGee have I seen an author be able to so clearly explain an issue/topic, so that an interested bystander is able to enjoy and understand, just as clearly as a professional might, without losing anyones attention in the interim.

Mrs. Nestle encroaches upon numerous topics within this 524 page guide to conscientious eating. Addressing issues from the ever prevalent HFCS and trans fats to seemingly newer topics of irradiation and genetic modification. (I say "seemingly newer" as I feel these issues have yet to have their time in the American spot light, in due time, I suppose.)

If you have ever wondered how to navigate the grocery store, or how to decipher those nutritional claims on food packages, this is THE book to read. Each topic is explained, analyzed and argued, not just from the point of view of a food industry advocate, but also a budget minded mother, making it an approachable guide to be used by all. I guarantee, no matter what your previous views on a topic might be, you will find yourself agreeing with Mrs. Nestle by the end of each section. Sure, maybe now you couldn't care less that the fish at your seafood counter was farmed in Scotland but I guarantee that by the end of "What to Eat" it will be one of the many issues you are ready to write to your Congressional representative about.