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philippakmoore's review
3.0
I love food writing and this was a solid collection of essays that varied from a company making vegan meats and eggs to the search for the perfect ragu. In fact, there were quite a few essays devoted to ragu this year which even as a vegetarian I enjoyed as it used to be one of my favourite dishes. While I enjoyed some essays more than others, it worked well as a collection and among the best were a travel diary through Bologna, a rather fascinating history of the now ubiquitous pumpkin spice latte, a moving meditation by a cancer sufferer on being brought food by loved ones during his illness, and my favourite, a vivid and quite heartbreaking account of a young woman's struggle to build a healthy relationship with food after a difficult upbringing (Elissa Altman's "Infrequent Potatoes"). You know a collection has some gems when you make a note to seek out some of the contributors' other work.
Enjoyable and satisfying, not unlike a good plate of food.
With thanks to the publishers for supplying me with a review copy via Netgalley.
Enjoyable and satisfying, not unlike a good plate of food.
With thanks to the publishers for supplying me with a review copy via Netgalley.
rebecita's review
4.0
(Watch as I tear through this anthology and then forget about food writing until the next edition.) "Coding and Decoding Dinner" was a most illuminating take on de facto segregation in restaurants. You can read it online. Other highlights: the R&D behind the PSL, cast iron mythbusting, and veggie beef of the future.
pearseanderson's review
5.0
Not as good as 2014, but good. Some beautiful pieces about the simplest things: a sled from Eleven Madison Park, gelatinous Osteria Francescana ragu, the Pumpkin Spice Latte history. 9/10, very enjoyable, very digestible, very emotional.
18thstjoe's review
4.0
these stories made me very hungry, more short-form than other "Best of" books I've read
sarathebibliophagist's review
4.0
How do you review an anthology like this? I can't go into detail on each piece, because that would take ages, and you probably don't care. So let me just keep my review short and to the point -- I was pleasantly surprised by this collection of articles.
I didn't know what to expect going in, because I haven't read any of the previous Best Food Writing books. I love to cook, so I was thrilled to see articles about making a great bolognese, or how to make proper carnitas. Some were great life lessons too, like important things to know about cast iron pans. Others were great to think about, like why exactly people don't cook when they easily could.
When I finished this book, I actually felt like I had learned something about cooking, and about food culture in general.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy!
I didn't know what to expect going in, because I haven't read any of the previous Best Food Writing books. I love to cook, so I was thrilled to see articles about making a great bolognese, or how to make proper carnitas. Some were great life lessons too, like important things to know about cast iron pans. Others were great to think about, like why exactly people don't cook when they easily could.
When I finished this book, I actually felt like I had learned something about cooking, and about food culture in general.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free copy!
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