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3.2 AVERAGE
3.2 AVERAGE
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
I should know better than to read stunt nonfiction. This was, at least, a fun hate-read! I wanted to yell at the sheer weight of unexamined privilege, the Brooklyn neighborhood, the part time job, the food blog. I don't fault the central stunt itself, having eschewed restaurants for the duration of the pandemic. I just... the sheer number of Lady Stunt Blog Book Deal tropes this checks off made me positively surly. And I don't like to cook nearly as much, so the fussy gourmet recipes ticked me off. Also, I think she's lying about her grocery spending.
At first when this novel was selected for bookclub I doubted that this would be very interesting, however Erway's experience with food was captivating.
I really enjoyed this book! I came upon it at a time when I was just beginning to explore my own strengths in the kitchen, so I felt Icould relate to many parts of her journey. It was very interesting to hear about the challenges and delights she experienced in determining to eat only at home for a full year - in New York of all places. She had many reasons for her decision, some of which I could certainly relate to - such as the mundaness of eating the same thigns over and over, the ordeal of tying up so mcuh time at a restaurant, and certainly the very high expense! Her journey, as is often the case, lead her down fascinating "forks in the road" and the opportunity to meet a lot of intersting people along the way. She went on an edible plant walk in Central Park and learned about foraging for native plants (I have since done one myself - very fascinating!); meeting and "shopping" with freegans who dumpster-dive for tossed out food (I have not done this! but I did watch a documentary about it called "Dive" after the fact) and peopel she met at and through vcarious potlucks and home cooking events. She also introduces the reader to the world of secret supper clubs, which I hope someday to participate in. A very fun read for any foodie.
I just couldn't keep going with this. Her writing was so weak, and I can't read a book about food and cooking when the "writer" didn't know that you can buy yeast in individual packets at the market. Yes, even in New York City.
I adore this story about an amazing challenge a young New Yorker set for herself. What struck me most about this book was how readable it was. Relaxing to read but it kept pace well. Great if you're interested in food and cooking!
I absolutely loved this book! Shared some great recipes and a great story as well.
Another in the string of blog-turned-memoir titles on the market. Better written than Julie and Julia (the author of which has a blurb on the back cover), since Erway is able to keep a clear timeline (usually) and avoid too much whining. Each chapter features a couple of recipes for dishes referred to in the text - a must-have for any foodie memoir, it seems.
Erway spends two years avoiding restaurants (most of the time), instead exploring cooking new foods on her own, "freeganing" and foraging with others, and participating in underground supper clubs and popular local cook-offs. The first few chapters are engaging, but her recitations of what she ate and how she prepared it become pretty boring by the end. A decent effort overall, but not terribly compelling.
Erway spends two years avoiding restaurants (most of the time), instead exploring cooking new foods on her own, "freeganing" and foraging with others, and participating in underground supper clubs and popular local cook-offs. The first few chapters are engaging, but her recitations of what she ate and how she prepared it become pretty boring by the end. A decent effort overall, but not terribly compelling.
While I'm an avid home cook, I was drawn to this book to get the perspective of someone new to home cooking. I was intrigued by the author's commitment to not eating out for 2 years! Each chapter covered a different aspect of her journey to becoming a skilled home cook. Her experiences of exploring foraging, dumpster diving and supper clubs especially pulled me in as those are topics I'd not read about before. I also like that the end of each chapter included a couple recipes related to that chapter. This was a fun read, all the way around, especially for anyone who enjoys cooking or aspires to cut down on the expense of eating out frequently. Her cost analysis of eating in vs. eating out seems very convincing to me, but I didn't need to be convinced!