A collection of strong writing on fascinating topics that will appeal to foodies and essay lovers alike.
A delicious anthology of the best American food writing from 2012.
Hughes once again pulls together the year’s tastiest examples from the growing field of food writing. The editor has chosen wisely from an abundance of blogs, magazine articles and books, and this collection presents an eclectic mix of food experiences. In an era of celebrity chefs and much-hyped restaurants, this collection is thankfully absent the pretentious musings of restaurateurs and TV stars. It’s the unexpected approaches to the genre of food writing that are the most appealing. Take, for instance, Rowan Jacobsen’s “Gumbo Chronicles,” about searching for the ingredients to make gumbo in post–oil spill Gulf waters. In “A Matter of Taste,” Barry Estabrook exposes readers to the fascinating world of tomato cultivation. “Still Life with Mayonnaise,” by Greg Atkinson, is an ode to the ubiquitous yet rarely appreciated condiment. In “On Killing,” Hank Shaw presents a meditation on hunting, and John Birdsall explores the production of pastrami as a lost (and very expensive) art form. Kevin Pang’s “A Chef’s Painful Road to Rehab” gives readers a disturbing taste of the darker side of being a professional chef. Some of the best essays explore the emotional connections between food and memory. Elissa Altman ruminates on family relationships in her short but powerful “Angry Breakfast Eggs,” and in one of the most moving essays, “They Don’t Have Tacos in the Suck,” Katharine Shilcutt layers a visit to taco trucks in Houston over a visit with a long-lost friend, an explosives expert stationed in Afghanistan.
A collection of strong writing on fascinating topics that will appeal to foodies and essay lovers alike.Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7382-1603-4
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Da Capo
Review Posted Online: Sept. 24, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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