bookmarksnbreadsticks's reviews
188 reviews

American Cuisine: And How It Got This Way by Paul Freedman

informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Thoroughly researched and very current, published in 2019. Such a good read and I flew through it as an audiobook. If you're looking for a great food history for America, Paul Freedman is your guy 

The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers

adventurous hopeful inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Dave Eggers makes Mokhtar a hero we can all root for and the fact that Mokhtar is real made it even better. It's an amazing immigrant story, an inspiration, and actually makes me want to try a $16 cup of coffee knowing it supports the people of Yemen 

A Rainbow Palate: How Chemical Dyes Changed the West's Relationship with Food by Carolyn Cobbold
Did not finish book.

I got to chapter 7 out of 8. This book is thoroughly researched. It is very chemistry forward. When examples of food with dyes (like butter) enter the equation the reading becomes more enjoyable and easier to follow. Unfortunately this just was too science forward for me when I approached the book believing it was food writing. While food is impacted by the use of dyes this book is first and foremost science 

An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage

informative slow-paced

2.0

I much preferred A History of the World in 6 Glasses, so I'm rather disappointed. I found the book extremely dry and did not hold any information to truly keep my interest. I was hoping this book would have a similar approach to his prior work, where each chapter would focus on a different piece of food that impacted history. This book felt much more like a general critique of mankind's shift to nomadic life, the history of agriculture, and food processing.

There's nothing wrong with the study of industrialization or the impact and understanding of a global supply chain but this book was unfortunately so try. It tried to encompass too much in a small book. It really feels like he is saying that farming is the root of all evil.

 

High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This is a fantastic book about black culinary history. The role of African cuisine in America started with slavery, but it didn't end there. Dr. Harris's book is interested, exciting, and full of triumph for African Americans. Highly recommend if you're a fan of Michael Twitty's The Cooking Gene.

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

dark sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

We all have learned about The Jungle in US History classes, at least in the states, I learned about it in high school. I honestly didn't realize this book FICTION when I was growing up, so I had to read it again for myself. Woof, it's a doozy and man do I hate capitalism and CAFOs/Meat processing

Birdseye: The Adventures of a Curious Man by Mark Kurlansky

adventurous informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

One of the most curious and interesting men I have ever read about. 

The Fixed Stars by Molly Wizenberg

emotional sad tense medium-paced

3.0

I just was not meant for this book. 

The Chicken Sisters by K.J. Dell'Antonia

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Honestly, I just really disliked Mae and found it hard to root for her as a protagonist. Amanda needed to grow a backbone. It's not a bad book, it's a good Sunday read to breeze through, but felt like a 90 minutes romcom that wrapped up too conveniently 

Pepper: A History of the World's Most Influential Spice by Marjorie Shaffer

informative slow-paced

3.0

While compared and praised highly as a companion to Mark Kurlansky's SALT, I found this book bloated and rather slow. There was a lot about the role of pepper in trade and then at the end just a quick note about potential medicinal properties of pepper.