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gwoodrow 's review for:
Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin
by Kenny Shopsin, Carolynn Carreno
A good friend took me to Shopsin's General Store for breakfast back in late 2007 when I was visiting NYC. I knew nothing about the restaurant, and so was surprised that this tiny place in a market stall was so packed with people. Eager diners hovered around the perimeter like wolves, waiting for a seat to be vacated. It was like a more anxious and perverse game musical chairs. After we got seats ourselves, ordered, and ate, we left supremely satisfied. Oddly, I don't even remember exactly what it was I ordered. I just remember the feeling of contentment afterwards.
And really, that's what Shopsin's book is all about. It's not about soaring, high-minded, beautifully plated, edible works of art. It's about good food, comfort, and community. Just don't think it's a "Hey y'all," church lady, down-home country cooking time of book. Far from it. Kenny does his food and community thing his own way. He's crude, abrasive, impatient, and curmudgeonly. Those qualities, mixed with probably the deepest core of love for cooking that I've ever read on the printed page, make the whole enterprise shine -- restaurant, book, recipes and all. I love this guy. Wish I knew him.
Eat Me is the only cookbook I've ever read cover to cover, including all the recipes. Sometimes the intro to the recipes has next to nothing to do with the actual food and more to do about someone or some incident connected to it. It's a cookbook about memories and conflict and constantly growing. And the recipes themselves are amazing and already have me thinking about how to be more creative in my own cooking without getting too stuck-up or complicated about it. Great stuff.
And really, that's what Shopsin's book is all about. It's not about soaring, high-minded, beautifully plated, edible works of art. It's about good food, comfort, and community. Just don't think it's a "Hey y'all," church lady, down-home country cooking time of book. Far from it. Kenny does his food and community thing his own way. He's crude, abrasive, impatient, and curmudgeonly. Those qualities, mixed with probably the deepest core of love for cooking that I've ever read on the printed page, make the whole enterprise shine -- restaurant, book, recipes and all. I love this guy. Wish I knew him.
Eat Me is the only cookbook I've ever read cover to cover, including all the recipes. Sometimes the intro to the recipes has next to nothing to do with the actual food and more to do about someone or some incident connected to it. It's a cookbook about memories and conflict and constantly growing. And the recipes themselves are amazing and already have me thinking about how to be more creative in my own cooking without getting too stuck-up or complicated about it. Great stuff.