Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef's Journey to Discover America's New Melting-Pot Cuisine [ARC] by Edward Lee

3.94 AVERAGE

meryl_kate's review against another edition

3.0
This was good! It made me hungry! It also felt surprisingly safe, though. I think I was expecting a little more edge from Chef Lee.

bigjohnspud's review against another edition

4.0
hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

egould1's review against another edition

4.0
I really liked this. Like the written version of the show Taste the Nation. I appreciated and identified with Lee’s musings, especially in the German Mustard chapter and epilogue.
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words_flavors_adventures's review against another edition

4.5
informative inspiring fast-paced
notesfromthebookdrop's profile picture

notesfromthebookdrop's review against another edition

3.5
funny informative reflective medium-paced
pagesofpins's profile picture

pagesofpins's review against another edition

3.0
Another good Thanksgiving read, both because it focuses on food, but also because it's thoughtful without the subject matter being too heavy.

linchart's review against another edition

4.0
adventurous informative reflective medium-paced
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readingwithhippos's review against another edition

4.0
My husband and I discovered after bingeing all available seasons of The Great British Bakeoff that we really enjoy food-related television, and our fascination led us to Netflix shows like Cooked, Ugly Delicious, and Salt Fat Acid Heat. Buttermilk Graffiti is like those shows, but in book form. Chef Edward Lee traveled around America, eating in local restaurants and worming his way into as many kitchens as he could, because he wanted to learn about the kinds of cooking being done in different regions by different cultures. It didn’t always go well—he often followed whims rather than plans, tried to infiltrate some very insular communities, and his main MO was to walk up to strangers and start asking questions. He at one point purchased a raw chicken sort of against his will and then didn’t have a way to refrigerate it, so he tried to give it to his server at a chicken restaurant—an impulse born of good intentions, but clearly not one bound to be received well. Despite these and other false starts, Lee does some meaningful reflecting on ideas like authenticity, cultural gatekeeping, and appropriation, and it’s fun to go along for the ride with him (especially since you’re not actually there suffering the awkwardness in person).

katreadsalot's review against another edition

2.0
This book was well-written, but I couldn’t get into it. The essays were a little disjointed for my taste, I prefer more story. This is certainly a book that I can see how others would love, but just isn’t for me.
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southern_librarian's review against another edition

5.0
adventurous informative reflective medium-paced
Community Read 2024 signature title. FANTASTIC. Probably the best Community Read pick ever. I LOVED every page of this one! It's hard to classify. I put it on like 500 shelves here. It's part biography, part travelogue, part cultural exploration, part cookbook, part history. Each chapter covers a different trip that that author takes to explore a specific cuisine. Some of it is expected, such as Appalachian food in Appalachia and Cajun food in New Orleans. Some of it is a delightful surprise, such as Middle Eastern food in Dearborn, Michigan. Edward Lee is an excellent writer. He is able to make not only the food but also the atmosphere come to life in your mind. There were many places where I literally got hungry reading the descriptions. And each chapter ends with 2-3 recipes to try! He explains that he purposefully leaves out photos in sharing recipes so that everyone will feel willing to try them, without fear that their attempt won't turn out like the professional's. The only very tiny drawback is that the recipes often call for ingredients that are hard to find or expensive, or for techniques/tools that the average Jane might not possess. Nevertheless, I would absolutely love to let Mr. Lee cook for me anytime! I am going to maybe attempt one or two of the recipes he provides. I am so excited for this book and have been telling everyone to read it. You won't be disappointed.