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Cooking Narrative
An inspiring story for everyone who's ever dreamed of growing the food they eat
When Jeanne Nolan, a teenager in search of a less materialistic, more authentic existence, left Chicago in 1987 to join a communal farm, she had no idea that her decades-long journey would lead her to the heart of a movement that is currently changing our nation's relationship to food. Now a leader in the sustainable food movement, Nolan shares her story in From the Ground Up, helping us understand the benefits of organic gardening--for the environment, our health, our wallets, our families, and our communities. The great news, as Nolan shows us, is that it has never been easier to grow the vegetables we eat, whether on our rooftops, in our backyards, in our school yards, or on our fire escapes. From the Ground Up chronicles Nolan's journey as she returned seventeen years later, disillusioned with communal life, to her parents' suburban home on the North Shore as a single mother with few marketable skills. Her mother suggested she plant a vegetable garden in their yard, and it grew so abundantly that she established a small business planting organic gardens in suburban yards. She was then asked to create an organic farm for children at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, and she soon began installing gardens around the city--on a restaurant's rooftop, in school yards, and for nonprofit organizations. Not only did she realize that practically anyone anywhere could grow vegetables on a small scale but she learned a greater lesson as well: rather than turn her back on mainstream society, she could make a difference in the world. The answer she was searching for was no further than her own backyard. In this moving and inspiring account, which combines her fascinating personal journey with the knowledge she gained along the way, Nolan helps us understand the importance of planting and eating organically--both for our health and for the environment--and provides practical tips for growing our food. With the message that we can create utopias in our very own backyards and rooftops, From the Ground Up can inspire each of us to reassess our relationship to the food we eat. Praise for From the Ground Up "One of the most intelligent, surprising and impressive garden memoirs I've read in a long time . . . radiant with hope and love."--The New York Times Book Review "The joy of From the Ground Up is not Nolan's own happy ending but rather the illuminating way she applies her vision to practical problems. . . . The hardest memoir to write is the one that is honest but not self-obsessed; Nolan accomplishes this with clarity and poise."--Jane Smiley, Harper's "[A] rare and improbable thing: a gripping gardening memoir . . . [Nolan's] voice is an honest and reassuring one."--Chicago Reader "[A] refreshing narrative . . . From the Ground Up triumphs the backyard micro-garden as it imparts lessons from Nolan's life about family. . . . The book is a good read for foodies and lovers of a good story alike, and an inspiration to garden wherever you can find space."--Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star "From the Ground Up resonates powerfully with me, as a gardener, and inspires me to 'double dig' my garden bed. But even readers who keep their fingernails clean will benefit from this beautiful story and powerful message."--Sophia Siskel, president and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden
When Jeanne Nolan, a teenager in search of a less materialistic, more authentic existence, left Chicago in 1987 to join a communal farm, she had no idea that her decades-long journey would lead her to the heart of a movement that is currently changing our nation's relationship to food. Now a leader in the sustainable food movement, Nolan shares her story in From the Ground Up, helping us understand the benefits of organic gardening--for the environment, our health, our wallets, our families, and our communities. The great news, as Nolan shows us, is that it has never been easier to grow the vegetables we eat, whether on our rooftops, in our backyards, in our school yards, or on our fire escapes. From the Ground Up chronicles Nolan's journey as she returned seventeen years later, disillusioned with communal life, to her parents' suburban home on the North Shore as a single mother with few marketable skills. Her mother suggested she plant a vegetable garden in their yard, and it grew so abundantly that she established a small business planting organic gardens in suburban yards. She was then asked to create an organic farm for children at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo, and she soon began installing gardens around the city--on a restaurant's rooftop, in school yards, and for nonprofit organizations. Not only did she realize that practically anyone anywhere could grow vegetables on a small scale but she learned a greater lesson as well: rather than turn her back on mainstream society, she could make a difference in the world. The answer she was searching for was no further than her own backyard. In this moving and inspiring account, which combines her fascinating personal journey with the knowledge she gained along the way, Nolan helps us understand the importance of planting and eating organically--both for our health and for the environment--and provides practical tips for growing our food. With the message that we can create utopias in our very own backyards and rooftops, From the Ground Up can inspire each of us to reassess our relationship to the food we eat. Praise for From the Ground Up "One of the most intelligent, surprising and impressive garden memoirs I've read in a long time . . . radiant with hope and love."--The New York Times Book Review "The joy of From the Ground Up is not Nolan's own happy ending but rather the illuminating way she applies her vision to practical problems. . . . The hardest memoir to write is the one that is honest but not self-obsessed; Nolan accomplishes this with clarity and poise."--Jane Smiley, Harper's "[A] rare and improbable thing: a gripping gardening memoir . . . [Nolan's] voice is an honest and reassuring one."--Chicago Reader "[A] refreshing narrative . . . From the Ground Up triumphs the backyard micro-garden as it imparts lessons from Nolan's life about family. . . . The book is a good read for foodies and lovers of a good story alike, and an inspiration to garden wherever you can find space."--Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star "From the Ground Up resonates powerfully with me, as a gardener, and inspires me to 'double dig' my garden bed. But even readers who keep their fingernails clean will benefit from this beautiful story and powerful message."--Sophia Siskel, president and CEO of the Chicago Botanic Garden
2020 Foreword Indie Award Winner in the "Health" Category From the coauthor of The China Study and author of the New York Times bestselling follow-up, Whole Despite extensive research and overwhelming public information on nutrition and health science, we are more confused than ever--about the foods we eat, what good nutrition looks like, and what it can do for our health. In The Future of Nutrition, T. Colin Campbell cuts through the noise with an in-depth analysis of our historical relationship to the food we eat, the source of our present information overload, and what our current path means for the future--both for individual health and society as a whole. In these pages, Campbell takes on the institution of nutrition itself, unpacking: Why the institutional emphasis on individual nutrients (instead of whole foods) as a means to explain nutrition has had catastrophic consequences How our reverence for "high quality" animal protein has distorted our understanding of cholesterol, saturated fat, unsaturated fat, environmental carcinogens, and more Why mainstream food and nutrient recommendations and public policy favor corporate interests over that of personal and planetary health How we can ensure that public nutrition literacy can prevent and treat personal illness more effectively and economically The Future of Nutrition offers a fascinating deep-dive behind the curtain of the field of nutrition--with implications both for our health and for the practice of science itself.
From award-winning chef, author, television personality, and activist Melissa King comes an intimate, captivating memoir about family, food, and finding her voice as a queer Chinese American chef Embracing my love of food has empowered me to embrace every layer of who I am: my Chinese heritage, my American upbringing, and all the parts of me that felt too much and not enough. When I chose myself, I set her free. Just me. The girl who became king. As a kid, Melissa King lived for the moment she would come from elementary school, grab her prized Chinese meat cleaver, and prepare dinner for her family. She already knew cooking was her future, but she didn't know how hard she'd have to fight to make that dream a reality. Growing up, King felt like she was stuck in a box that was only getting smaller. Her Shanghainese and Cantonese immigrant parents had certain expectations--none of which included going to culinary school or falling in love with women. American culture also dictated that kitchens were a man's world. But trying to live by these rules felt like no life at all. Determined to forge her own path, she fought her way into the demanding world of Michelin-starred kitchens, while discovering a home in the queer community. When she entered Top Chef as a reluctant contestant, inspired by her grandmother's advice to follow her heart, she began embracing the flavors, culture, and parts of herself she had once forgotten. This journey of self-discovery through food leads her back to her parents, where love creates room for their strengths and imperfections. In this heartfelt memoir, Melissa King shows that empowerment comes from embracing all the different ingredients that make up who you are, and models the hard-won courage it takes to believe in yourself against the odds.
*A Finalist for the Spirited Award for Best New Book on Drinks Culture, History or Spirits*
*A Guardian Best History and Politics Book of 2022*
"At last, the feminist history of booze we've been waiting for!" --Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist
The James Beard Award-winning history of women drinking through the ages
Strawberry daiquiris. Skinny martinis. Vodka sodas with lime. These are the cocktails that come in sleek-stemmed glasses, bright colors and fruity flavors--these are the Girly Drinks.
From the earliest days of civilization, alcohol has been at the center of social rituals and cultures worldwide. But when exactly did drinking become a gendered act? And why have bars long been considered "places for men" when, without women, they might not even exist?
With whip-smart insight and boundless curiosity, Girly Drinks unveils an entire untold history of the female distillers, drinkers and brewers who have played a vital role in the creation and consumption of alcohol, from ancient Sumerian beer goddess Ninkasi to iconic 1920s bartender Ada Coleman. Filling a crucial gap in culinary history, O'Meara dismantles the long-standing patriarchal traditions at the heart of these very drinking cultures, in the hope that readers everywhere can look to each celebrated woman in this book--and proudly have what she's having.
*A Guardian Best History and Politics Book of 2022*
"At last, the feminist history of booze we've been waiting for!" --Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist
The James Beard Award-winning history of women drinking through the ages
Strawberry daiquiris. Skinny martinis. Vodka sodas with lime. These are the cocktails that come in sleek-stemmed glasses, bright colors and fruity flavors--these are the Girly Drinks.
From the earliest days of civilization, alcohol has been at the center of social rituals and cultures worldwide. But when exactly did drinking become a gendered act? And why have bars long been considered "places for men" when, without women, they might not even exist?
With whip-smart insight and boundless curiosity, Girly Drinks unveils an entire untold history of the female distillers, drinkers and brewers who have played a vital role in the creation and consumption of alcohol, from ancient Sumerian beer goddess Ninkasi to iconic 1920s bartender Ada Coleman. Filling a crucial gap in culinary history, O'Meara dismantles the long-standing patriarchal traditions at the heart of these very drinking cultures, in the hope that readers everywhere can look to each celebrated woman in this book--and proudly have what she's having.
"Insightful tour de force... Farrell's writing is as informative as it is intoxicating" -- Publishers Weekly
Shanna Farrell loves a good drink. As a bartender, she not only poured spirits, but learned their stories--who made them and how. Living in San Francisco, surrounded by farm-to-table restaurants and high-end bars, she wondered why the eco-consciousness devoted to food didn't extend to drinks.
A memoir and manifesto from the world's most Michelin starred chef, Alain Ducasse, with introductions by internationally renowned writer Jay McInerney and chef Clare Smyth.
At twelve years old, Alain Ducasse had never been to a restaurant. Less than fifteen years later, he received his first Michelin star. Today he is one of just two chefs to have been awarded twenty-one stars.
Now, for the very first time, Ducasse shares a lifetime of culinary inspirations and passions in a book that is part memoir and part manifesto. Good Taste takes us on a journey from his childhood, where he picked mushrooms with his grandfather on a farm in Les Landes, to setting up groundbreaking schools and restaurants across the world. He is now taking off his chef's whites and passing on what he knows to the next generation.
Ducasse writes a poignant ode to the humble vegetables that have inspired his entire cuisine and to the masters that guided him along the way, from Paris to New York to Tokyo. As he looks to the future, he reflects on just what 'good taste' means.
Straight from the roux bayou, a culinary memoir about how a centuries old Cajun and Creole secret―gumbo―has become one of the world's most beloved dishes.
The product of a melting pot of culinary influences, gumbo reflects the diversity of the people who cooked it up: French aristocrats, West Africans in bondage, Cajun refugees, German settlers, Native Americans―all had a hand in the pot. What is it about gumbo that continues to delight and nourish so many, in America and around the world?
A seasoned journalist, Ken Wells sleuths out the answers. His obsession goes back to his childhood in the Cajun bastion of Bayou Black, where his French-speaking mother's gumbo often got started with a chicken chased down in the yard. In Gumbo Life: A Journey Down the Roux Bayou, Wells shares his lifelong quest to explore gumbo's roots and mysteries. He spends time with octogenarian chefs to make a gourmet gumbo; joins a team at a highly competitive gumbo contest; visits a factory that churns out gumbo by the ton; and observes the gumbo-making rituals of an iconic New Orleans restaurant where high-end Creole cooking and Cajun cuisine first merged.
Gumbo Life, rendered in Wells' affable prose, makes clear that gumbo is more than a dish: it's an attitude, a way of seeing the world. This is a tasty culinary memoir―to be enjoyed like a simmering pot of gumbo.
This edition includes recipe additions as well as a story about the author's quest for authentic Cajun Dark Roux, which involved a hunt for (thankfully scarce) bear lard.
An eye-opening and soul-nourishing journey through Chinese food around the world. *A PEOPLE MAGAZINE BEST NEW BOOK* *A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITOR'S CHOICE* *A NEW YORK POST BEST NEW BOOK* From Cape Town, South Africa, to small-town Saskatchewan, family-run Chinese restaurants are global icons of immigration, community and delicious food. The cultural outposts of far-flung settlers, bringers of dim sum, Peking duck and creative culinary hybrids, Chinese restaurants are a microcosm of greater social forces. They are an insight into time, history, and place. Author and film-maker Cheuk Kwan, a self-described "card-carrying member of the Chinese diaspora," weaves a global narrative by linking the myriad personal stories of chefs, entrepreneurs, labourers and dreamers who populate Chinese kitchens worldwide. Behind these kitchen doors lies an intriguing paradox which characterizes many of these communities: how Chinese immigrants have resisted--or have often been prevented from--complete assimilation into the social fabric of their
new homes. In both instances, the engine of their economic survival--the Chinese restaurant and its food--has become seamlessly woven into towns and cities all around the world. An intrepid travelogue of grand vistas, adventure and serendipity, Have You Eaten Yet? charts a living atlas of global migration, ultimately revealing how an excellent meal always tells an even better story.
new homes. In both instances, the engine of their economic survival--the Chinese restaurant and its food--has become seamlessly woven into towns and cities all around the world. An intrepid travelogue of grand vistas, adventure and serendipity, Have You Eaten Yet? charts a living atlas of global migration, ultimately revealing how an excellent meal always tells an even better story.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER - Become the perfect host and learn how to foster community as an adult with this modern guide to hosting every type of gathering. In a world that often feels disconnected and transactional, there's nothing more radically hospitable than welcoming people into your space, your table, and your life. In this accessible, inviting book on hosting and entertaining, author, CEO, and internet big sister Chelsea Fagan guides readers on creating moments worth staying in for. From designing the right space, to crafting a menu that won't keep you in the kitchen all night, to revitalizing the lost art of cultivating grown-up communities, this book will make you the perfect host at every budget. Having People Over includes guides for: - Curating a space optimized for entertaining, so people can drop by without it sending you into a tailspin.
- A brief history of the cocktail hour--and its imagined future--including recipes with and without spirits.
- The 101 tutorial for all things dinner parties inviting guests, setting the table, planning a menu, creating a mood board, and actually enjoying the evening yourself.
- Facilitating a (platonic) adult sleepover--and why you definitely should!
- How to be good guest wherever you go, from when to show up, to what to bring, to what absolutely not to do. With chic, stylized photography and charming, illustrative line drawings throughout--providing everything from sample tablescapes to charcuterie board maps--and plenty of actual recipes for your next gathering, Having People Over will transform your relationship to entertaining, one apéritif at a time.
- A brief history of the cocktail hour--and its imagined future--including recipes with and without spirits.
- The 101 tutorial for all things dinner parties inviting guests, setting the table, planning a menu, creating a mood board, and actually enjoying the evening yourself.
- Facilitating a (platonic) adult sleepover--and why you definitely should!
- How to be good guest wherever you go, from when to show up, to what to bring, to what absolutely not to do. With chic, stylized photography and charming, illustrative line drawings throughout--providing everything from sample tablescapes to charcuterie board maps--and plenty of actual recipes for your next gathering, Having People Over will transform your relationship to entertaining, one apéritif at a time.
New York Times bestseller
From the Winner of the James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award
Now a Netflix Original Series
Acclaimed cookbook author Jessica B. Harris has spent much of her life researching the food and foodways of the African Diaspora. High on the Hog is the culmination of years of her work, and the result is a most engaging history of African American cuisine. Harris takes the reader on a harrowing journey from Africa across the Atlantic to America, tracking the trials that the people and the food have undergone along the way. From chitlins and ham hocks to fried chicken and vegan soul, Harris celebrates the delicious and restorative foods of the African American experience and details how each came to form such an important part of African American culture, history, and identity. Although the story of African cuisine in America begins with slavery, High on the Hog ultimately chronicles a thrilling history of triumph and survival. The work of a masterful storyteller and an acclaimed scholar, Jessica B. Harris's High on the Hog fills an important gap in our culinary history.
New York Times Bestseller * The inspiration for the TV series starring Dan Aykroyd
"There aren't many books this entertaining that also provide a cogent crash course in ancient, classical and modern history." -Los Angeles Times Beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola: In Tom Standage's deft, innovative account of world history, these six beverages turn out to be much more than just ways to quench thirst. They also represent six eras that span the course of civilization-from the adoption of agriculture, to the birth of cities, to the advent of globalization. A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the twenty-first century through each epoch's signature refreshment. As Standage persuasively argues, each drink is in fact a kind of technology, advancing culture and catalyzing the intricate interplay of different societies. After reading this enlightening book, you may never look at your favorite drink in quite the same way again.
Does God have a recipe?
"Holy Food is a titanic feat of research and a fascinating exploration of American faith and culinary rites. Christina Ward is the perfect guide - generous, wise, and ecumenical." -- Adam Chandler, author of Drive-Thru Dreams
"Holy Food doesn't just trace the influence that preachers, gurus, and cult leaders have had on American cuisine. It offers a unique look at the ways spirituality--whether in the form of fringe cults or major religions--has shaped our culture. Christina Ward has gone spelunking into some very odd corners of American history to unearth this fascinating collection of stories and recipes." -- Jonathan Kauffman, author of Hippie Food: How Back-to-the-Landers, Longhairs, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Eat
"An engaging book that shares everything from little-known facts to illuminating profiles of historical figures. Best of all, Ward shares recipes from historic religious communities, updated to reflect modern cooking technology. A must-have for food historians, religious historians, or just the curious and hungry folks in your life. " -- Dr. Julia Skinner, author of Our Fermented Lives
Independent food historian Christina Ward's Holy Food explores the influence of mainstream to fringe religious beliefs on modern American food culture. Author Christina Ward unravels the numerous ways religious beliefs intersect with politics and economics and, of course, food to tell a different story of America. It's the story of true believers and charlatans, of idealists and visionaries, and of the everyday people who followed them--often at their peril. Holy Food explains how faith pioneers used societal woes and cultural trends to create new pathways of belief and reveals the interconnectivity between sects and their leaders.
Religious beliefs have been the source of food "rules" since Pythagoras told his followers not to eat beans (they contain souls), Kosher and Halal rules forbade the shrimp cocktail (shellfish are scavengers, or maybe G-d just said "no"). A long-ago Pope forbade Catholics from eating meat on Fridays (fasting to atone for committed sins). Rules about eating are present in nearly every American belief, from high-control groups that ban everything except air to the infamous strawberry shortcake that sated visitors to the Oneida Community in the late 1800s. Only in the United States--where the freedom to worship the God of your choice and sometimes of your own making--could people embrace new ideas about religion. It is in this over-stirred pot of liberation, revolution, and mysticism that we discover God cares about what you put in your mouth.
Holy Food looks at how the explosion of religious movements since the Great Awakenings (the nationwide religious revivals in the 1730s-40s and 1795-1835) birthed a cottage industry of food fads that gained mainstream acceptance. And at the obscure sects and communities of the 20th Century who dabbled in vague spirituality that used food to both entice and control followers. Ward skillfully navigates between academic studies, interviews, cookbooks, and religious texts to make sharp observations with new insights into American history in this highly readable journey through the American kitchen.
Holy Food features over 75 recipes from religious and communal groups tested and updated for modern cooks. Also includes over 100 historic black-and-white images.
"Ward uses deep-dive research on religious history, and an equally deep knowledge of food, to show us how the two are intimately connected. Not only do we eat and drink within our religious rituals, but religion informs what and how we eat as well (and what and how we eat informs religion, too). An engaging book that shares everything from little-known facts to illuminating profiles of historical figures. Best of all, Ward shares recipes from historic religious communities, updated to reflect modern cooking technology. A must-have for food historians, religious historians, or just the curious and hungry folks in your life. " --Dr. Julia Skinner, author of Our Fermented Lives
Weaving together memories, recipes, and wild tales of years spent in the kitchen, the acclaimed author of Happy All the Time delivers a beloved cookbook manifesto on the joys of sharing food and entertaining. - With a foreword by Ruth Reichl. "As much memoir as cookbook and as much about eating as cooking." --The New York Times Book Review From the humble hotplate of her one-room apartment to the crowded kitchens of bustling parties, Colwin regales us with tales of meals gone both magnificently well and disastrously wrong. Hilarious, personal, and full of Colwin's hard-won expertise, Home Cooking will speak to the heart of any amateur cook, professional chef, or food lover.
Inspired by her new home in New England and the slow food movement re-energizing sustainable farming, Kate Christensen picks up where she left off in her last memoir, Blue Plate Special. In an ode to How to Cook a Wolf, M.F.K. Fisher's classic culinary guide about surviving poverty and war with grace, Christensen creates a tempting, modern stew that will delight readers as only she can, using the magic ingredients of true love, personal appetite, humor, history, and original recipes. Christensen also examines the dilemma of food scarcity in a time of possible climate collapse, turning to her own backyard for long-term solutions. Taking tips from the lives and landscapes of the farmers, fishermen, hunters, and families who live in this grueling northern climate and still produce abundant, healthful food, she retraces the histories of staple ingredients native to the region and explores what it's like to live, love, and cook on the edge.
Did you know that ancient Egyptians mummified beef ribs for their dearly departed to enjoy in the afterlife? That Roman gladiators were relegated to a vegan diet of grains and beans? That the fast-food hamburger was a result of a postwar, high-efficiency work ethic?
This snackable collection of essays is a chronological journey through the culinary history of humankind, packed to the brim with juicy tidbits. With author Uta Seeburg as your guide, you'll learn how certain dishes serve as windows into broader historical trends and the cultural values of the people who first invented them. As you read, you'll discover why:
. . . and much more. Foodies and history buffs alike will savor every amusing yet educational historical snapshot, from how a bureaucratic society fixated on record-keeping brought us one of the oldest recorded recipes (lamb stew with barley and onions) to how modern-day chefs are turning invasive species into haute cuisine. How Would You Like Your Mammoth? is a fascinating look at how the food we eat defines us--and always has.
A food critic chronicles four years spent traveling with René Redzepi, the renowned chef of Noma, in search of the most tantalizing flavors the world has to offer.
"If you want to understand modern restaurant culture, you need to read this book."--Ruth Reichl, author of Save Me the Plums Hungry is a book about not only the hunger for food, but for risk, for reinvention, for creative breakthroughs, and for connection. Feeling stuck in his work and home life, writer Jeff Gordinier happened into a fateful meeting with Danish chef René Redzepi, whose restaurant, Noma, has been called the best in the world. A restless perfectionist, Redzepi was at the top of his game but was looking to tear it all down, to shutter his restaurant and set out for new places, flavors, and recipes. This is the story of the subsequent four years of globe-trotting culinary adventure, with Gordinier joining Redzepi as his Sancho Panza. In the jungle of the Yucatán peninsula, Redzepi and his comrades go off-road in search of the perfect taco. In Sydney, they forage for sea rocket and sandpaper figs in suburban parks and on surf-lashed beaches. On a boat in the Arctic Circle, a lone fisherman guides them to what may or may not be his secret cache of the world's finest sea urchins. And back in Copenhagen, the quiet canal-lined city where Redzepi started it all, he plans the resurrection of his restaurant on the unlikely site of a garbage-filled lot. Along the way, readers meet Redzepi's merry band of friends and collaborators, including acclaimed chefs such as Danny Bowien, Kylie Kwong, Rosio Sánchez, David Chang, and Enrique Olvera.
Hungry is a memoir, a travelogue, a portrait of a chef, and a chronicle of the moment when daredevil cooking became the most exciting and groundbreaking form of artistry. Praise for Hungry "In Hungry, Gordinier invokes such playful and lush prose that the scents of mole, chiles and even lingonberry juice waft off the page."--Time "This wonderful book is really about the adventures of two men: a great chef and a great journalist. Hungry is a feast for the senses, filled with complex passion and joy, bursting with life. Not only did Jeff Gordinier make me want to jump on the next flight (to Mexico, Copenhagen, Sydney) in search of the perfect meal, but he also reminded me to stop and savor the ride."--Dani Shapiro, author of Inheritance
"If you want to understand modern restaurant culture, you need to read this book."--Ruth Reichl, author of Save Me the Plums Hungry is a book about not only the hunger for food, but for risk, for reinvention, for creative breakthroughs, and for connection. Feeling stuck in his work and home life, writer Jeff Gordinier happened into a fateful meeting with Danish chef René Redzepi, whose restaurant, Noma, has been called the best in the world. A restless perfectionist, Redzepi was at the top of his game but was looking to tear it all down, to shutter his restaurant and set out for new places, flavors, and recipes. This is the story of the subsequent four years of globe-trotting culinary adventure, with Gordinier joining Redzepi as his Sancho Panza. In the jungle of the Yucatán peninsula, Redzepi and his comrades go off-road in search of the perfect taco. In Sydney, they forage for sea rocket and sandpaper figs in suburban parks and on surf-lashed beaches. On a boat in the Arctic Circle, a lone fisherman guides them to what may or may not be his secret cache of the world's finest sea urchins. And back in Copenhagen, the quiet canal-lined city where Redzepi started it all, he plans the resurrection of his restaurant on the unlikely site of a garbage-filled lot. Along the way, readers meet Redzepi's merry band of friends and collaborators, including acclaimed chefs such as Danny Bowien, Kylie Kwong, Rosio Sánchez, David Chang, and Enrique Olvera.
Hungry is a memoir, a travelogue, a portrait of a chef, and a chronicle of the moment when daredevil cooking became the most exciting and groundbreaking form of artistry. Praise for Hungry "In Hungry, Gordinier invokes such playful and lush prose that the scents of mole, chiles and even lingonberry juice waft off the page."--Time "This wonderful book is really about the adventures of two men: a great chef and a great journalist. Hungry is a feast for the senses, filled with complex passion and joy, bursting with life. Not only did Jeff Gordinier make me want to jump on the next flight (to Mexico, Copenhagen, Sydney) in search of the perfect meal, but he also reminded me to stop and savor the ride."--Dani Shapiro, author of Inheritance
The age-old practice of sitting down to a family meal is undergoing unprecedented change as rising world affluence and trade, along with the spread of global food conglomerates, transform eating habits worldwide. HUNGRY PLANET profiles 30 families from around the world--including Bosnia, Chad, Egypt, Greenland, Japan, the United States, and France--and offers detailed descriptions of weekly food purchases; photographs of the families at home, at market, and in their communities; and a portrait of each family surrounded by a week's worth of groceries. Featuring photo-essays on international street food, meat markets, fast food, and cookery, this captivating chronicle offers a riveting look at what the world really eats. The paperback edition of the 2006 James Beard Book of the Year featuring a photojournalistic survey of 30 families from 24 countries and the food they eat during the course of one week. Winner of the 2006 James Beard Award for writings on food, finalist for the 2006 IACP Cookbook Award for food reference/technical, and winner of the 2005 Harry Chapin Media Award. Includes more than 300 photographs plus essays on the politics of food by Marion Nestle, Michael Pollan, Charles C. Mann, Alfred W. Crosby, Francine R. Kaufman, Corby Kummer, and Carl Safina. The hardcover edition has sold 40,000 copies.Awards 2006 James Beard Cookbook of the YearThe Splendid Table Book of the Year 2005 Harry Chapin Media Award finalist for the 2006 IACP Cookbook Award Reviews"The photos are at once charming and astonishing in their honesty."--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel"A treasure trove of information . . . The photographs alone are worth the price of admission."--Travel Girl"Arresting, beautiful, enlightening and infinitely human, this is a collection of full-page photos of families around the world surrounded by what they eat in a single week -- from Bhutan to San Antonio. Read the illuminating statistics and the essays. This is a book for the family and for the classroom. You won't see the same old "aren't we better than them" attitude, nor will you be shamed. This book reminds us that what we eat is the simplest, yet most profound, thread that ties us together."--Lynne Rossetto Kasper, Host of American Public Media's Public Radio Program, The Splendid Table."the politics of food at its most poignant and provocative. A coffee table book that will certainly make coffee interesting." -Washington Post"While the photos are extraordinary--fine enough for a stand-alone volume--it's the questions these photos ask that make this volume so gripping. This is a beautiful, quietly provocative volume." -Publishers Weekly, starred review"This book of portraits reveals a planet of joyful individuality, dispiriting sameness, and heart-breaking disparity. It's a perfect gift for the budding anti-globalists on your list" -Bon Appetit"[A] unique photographic study of global nutrition" -USA Today"Grabs your attention for the startlingly varied stories it tells about how people feed themselves around the world. Its contents are based on detailed research, beautifully photographed, presented with often disturbing clarity." -Associated Press"The world's kitchens open to Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio, the intrepid couple who created the series of books called Material World.... As always with this couple's terse, lively travelogues, politics and the world economy are never far from view." -New York Times Book Review "illuminating, thought-provoking, and gloriously colorful" -Saveur magazine"Richly colored and quietly composed photographs....Hungry Planet is not a book about obesity or corporate villains; it's something much grander. Its premise is simple to the point of obvious and powerful to the point of art." -Salon.com"A fascinating nutritional and gustatory tour." -San Jose Mercury News"A grand culinary voyage through our modern world...a lushly illustrated anthropological study." -San Francisco Bay Guardian"The talked-about book of the season...the stories are fascinating." -Detroit Free Press"Unique and engaging" -Delta Airlines Sky magazine
Originally published as Relish, a fully revised and updated edition of the eye-opening story of one woman's incredible appetite for life: Dame Prue Leith, judge of hit show GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF, tells all from childhood in South Africa to becoming a DBE. "What a terrific tale it is - of a South African girl who could stand the heat and made the kitchen into a remarkable career." -Telegraph Prue Leith describes herself as greedy in all senses of the word. Cook, caterer, restaurateur, food writer, journalist, novelist, businesswoman, teacher, television presenter, charity worker, lover, wife and mother, she has certainly lived life to the full. Prue came to London in the early 1960s and, not long afterwards, opened Leith's Restaurant. By the mid-seventies she was a food columnist on the Daily Mail, had published several cookbooks and opened Leith's School of Food and Wine. But it wasn't all work. Prue writes with honesty of her love life, her longing for children, the birth of her son, the adoption of her daughter and much else besides. In this fully revised and updated edition she tells of how she met, fell in love with and married John Playfair as well as her exciting role as a judge on Great British Bake Off, now a hit show in the United States as well as the UK. Prue's down-to-earth attitude to life and her remarkable energy are an inspiration to women readers everywhere.