Who Would Like This Book:
If you love witty food writing, quirky culinary adventures, and learning the science (and sometimes madness) behind what we eat, this book is a treat. Steingarten's voracious curiosity, sarcasm, and infectious appetite for both cooking and debunking food myths make for addictive reading. Foodies, home cooks, and fans of shows like Iron Chef or food travelogues will get a real kick out of his globe-trotting experiments and obsessive quests for the perfect bite. His blend of humor, research, and personal challenge (he sets out to conquer every one of his food aversions) gives his essays irresistible flavor.
Who May Not Like This Book:
If you prefer books with a single, continuous storyline, the episodic, essay-by-essay format might feel choppy or overstuffed. Some readers find Steingarten’s exhaustive research and heavy use of statistics a slog, especially when he dives deep into food science or nutrition fads (much of which is now outdated). His writing style - opinionated, sometimes self-assured to the point of arrogance, and occasionally dismissive of things like vegetarianism - can rub people the wrong way. Lastly, trying to binge this book can feel like overeating at a buffet: best enjoyed in small servings.
About:
'The Man Who Ate Everything' by Jeffrey Steingarten is a collection of food essays that showcase the author's deep passion for food and culinary adventures. Steingarten's writing style is a delightful mix of witty humor and informative insights, as he embarks on various food quests and experiments, from baking yeast-free bread to conducting ketchup taste tests. The book offers a blend of cooking tips, travel anecdotes, and humorous observations, making it an entertaining and educational read for food enthusiasts.
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From The Publisher:
Winner of the Julia Child Book Award
A James Beard Book Award Finalist
When Jeffrey Steingarten was appointed food critic for Vogue, he systematically set out to overcome his distaste for such things as kimchi, lard, Greek cuisine, and blue food. He succeeded at all but the last: Steingarten is "fairly sure that God meant the color blue mainly for food that has gone bad." In this impassioned, mouth-watering, and outrageously funny book, Steingarten devotes the same Zen-like discipline and gluttonous curiosity to practically everything that anyone anywhere has ever called "dinner."
Follow Steingarten as he jets off to sample choucroute in Alsace, hand-massaged beef in Japan, and the mother of all ice creams in Sicily. Sweat with him as he tries to re-create the perfect sourdough, bottle his own mineral water, and drop excess poundage at a luxury spa. Join him as he mounts a heroic-and hilarious-defense of salt, sugar, and fat (though he has some nice things to say about Olestra). Stuffed with offbeat erudition and recipes so good they ought to be illegal, The Man Who Ate Everything is a gift for anyone who loves food.
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The Man Who Ate Everything?
About the Author:
Jeffrey Steingarten trained to become a food writer at Harvard College, Harvard Law School, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Harvard Lampoon. For the past eight years he has been the internationally feared and acclaimed food critic of Vogue magazine. He has been the food correspondent for the online magazine Slate. For essays in this collection, Mr. Steingarten has won countless awards from the James Beard Foundation and the International Association of Culinary Professionals. On Bastille Day, 1994, the French Republic made him a Chevalier in the Order of Merit for his writing on French gastronomy. As a man who ate everything, Chevalier Steingarten has no favorite food, color, or song. His preferred eating destinations, however, are Memphis, Paris, Alba, Chengdu-and his loft in New York City.
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