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46th out of 384 books
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683 voters
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It Must've Been Something I Ate
In this outrageous and delectable new volume, the Man Who Ate Everything proves that he will do anything to eat everything. That includes going fishing for his own supply of bluefin tuna belly; nearly incinerating his oven in pursuit of the perfect pizza crust, and spending four days boning and stuffing three different fowl—into each other-- to produce the Cajun specialty ...more
Paperback, 528 pages
Published
November 26th 2008
by Vintage
(first published 2002)
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Tracey
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review of another edition
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Recommends it for:
foodies, but als those who like engaging essays, regardless of the topic
A pass-along from my mom, It Must've Been Something I Ate: The Return of the Man Who Ate Everything is an amusing collection of food-related essays.
Steingarten is a food critic for Vogue; however, in this collection, he focuses more on the history of certain dishes and foodstuffs, as opposed to reviewing the producers of the dishes. He travels to Italy, France and Mexico in search of traditional breads, cheeses, and tortillas; participates (kind of) in the slaughter of a pig and visi...more
Steingarten is a food critic for Vogue; however, in this collection, he focuses more on the history of certain dishes and foodstuffs, as opposed to reviewing the producers of the dishes. He travels to Italy, France and Mexico in search of traditional breads, cheeses, and tortillas; participates (kind of) in the slaughter of a pig and visi...more
It Must Have Been Something I Ate is another typical case of me being left unattended in a book store. It, too, was on the bargain table. It had a dog on the cover, who is looking into a bowl with a swimming man inside.
I had to buy it.
What it is about? Jeffrey Steingarten is food critic of Vogue. No, I don't read Vogue and I had never heard of him before, but he has a very entertaining style to write about food, funny and yet informative. And he really does eat everything. I l...more
I had to buy it.
What it is about? Jeffrey Steingarten is food critic of Vogue. No, I don't read Vogue and I had never heard of him before, but he has a very entertaining style to write about food, funny and yet informative. And he really does eat everything. I l...more
Jeffrey Steingarten is (was?) a food writer for Vogue magazine. He is more than a little arrogant ("despite an abundance of God-given modesty"). He is also guilty of repeatedly using some annoying phrases ("and the scales came off my eyes"). That said he has taken his passion for food to help inform and to debunk misinformation. This is his second book, and follows the same format as his first reprinting articles he wrote for Vogue where he does a deep dive into some aspe...more
This book was great - it can't top Steingarten's "The Man Who Ate Everything" but it's still excellent. I felt like I adored every story in the first book while in this one, there's a few stories I started and then skipped, such as his ode to phen-fen. Just didn't grab me.
But more often than not, I am so charmed by Steingarten's hilarious passion for food - for all things edible and for every part of the process of making things edible - that I get completely sucked in to...more
But more often than not, I am so charmed by Steingarten's hilarious passion for food - for all things edible and for every part of the process of making things edible - that I get completely sucked in to...more
For those who don't know him, the author, Jeffrey Steingarten, is a famous food writer for Vogue magazine and a frequent judge on Iron Chef America. On Iron Chef, Steingarten is famous for his sarcasm and dry wit, and all of this comes through in this book. The book is a compilation of the author's columns from the magazine, but they are fairly long, so it reads as a series of loosely related chapters. Steingarten is somewhat obsessed with several things, including recreating famous dishes, e...more
Jeffrey Steingarten is just such a pompous ass that I couldn't be bothered to finish it. He is smug, sure of himself, and lecturing, and proud of all these things. He writes his articles with his pompous bullshit at the center of them. The man clearly knows his shit in the kitchen, but I couldn't get myself to continue reading, despite the possibility that I'd learn something, because I couldn't bring myself to hang out with this guy annoying me in my bed, on the couch, on the subway, at lunch t...more
An amusing collection of food-related essays. Like in almost all essay collections there were some I laughed at, some I found interesting, and some I couldn't relate to at all. Steingarten does have a very entertaining writing style, but I must admit that I didn't care much about his adventures when going fishing or the quest for finding the perfect original French cuisine restaurant.
On the other hand, I loved reading about his research of chocolate (who wouldn't!), his taste experim...more
On the other hand, I loved reading about his research of chocolate (who wouldn't!), his taste experim...more
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I came to read Steingarten's books from watching Iron Chef America. Every time I watched, I was baffled by his smug comments to the chefs and often exclaimed "Who is this guy?" in disbelief. So I did some research and found two of his books. I read The Man Who Ate Everything and fell in love. I just had to read this book as well and I have to say that it lived up to my expectations. He is the perfect judge of food because he truly has explored every corner of the earth and tasted every...more
I'm giving this book 4 stars, even though I don't personally find it interesting enough to finish. Steingarten is a food writer for Vogue Magazine, and It Must've Been Something I Ate is a collection of his previously published essays. He's very witty, a gourmand but not at all a food snob, and I liked the individual essays, but after I read the first half of the book I felt like that was enough. I'm at somewhat a loss to explain this reaction. I think I was expecting something along the lin...more
Essays on food from Vogue's food critic. Some of them are more interesting than others, but all are entertaining and educational. The recipes he includes are hilarious, mainly because I am not the type who enjoys cooking and several of them are five pages long and take three days to prepare. I do love to eat though, and aside from bamboo worms and assorted other insect life most of the food he discusses sounds absolutely delicious. Perfect read for the days leading up to Thanksgiving.
I am reading IT MUST'VE BEEN SOMETHING I ATE, by Jeffery Steingarten, a Vogue food critic (although the book has absolutely nothing to do with clothes style).
So far, I'm enjoying it (despite how slowly I'm reading it - I keep getting distracted - look! A butterfly!). Steingarten's writing is very good. He writes in a format similar to Atul Gawande's BETTER and COMPLICATIONS. He will have a little anecdote, followed by a longer description about an idea or curiosity he had about the...more
So far, I'm enjoying it (despite how slowly I'm reading it - I keep getting distracted - look! A butterfly!). Steingarten's writing is very good. He writes in a format similar to Atul Gawande's BETTER and COMPLICATIONS. He will have a little anecdote, followed by a longer description about an idea or curiosity he had about the...more
Seriously, I can't stand the guy on Iron Chef, even though I typically agree with his comments. The way he clutches his fork...
It was with much reservation that I started reading this book...and was shocked when I couldn't stop reading it! The first story about fishing for bluefin tuna was exciting and each story was fun, informative, and incited jealousy to stop everything and start a job as a food writer. Must read!
It was with much reservation that I started reading this book...and was shocked when I couldn't stop reading it! The first story about fishing for bluefin tuna was exciting and each story was fun, informative, and incited jealousy to stop everything and start a job as a food writer. Must read!
this guy might be the most pretentious prick on the planet earth, a pure hatter. If I ever see this guy on the street I would tell him that his book was not good and that he wrote it for his own ego, if he tried to defend his prickish ways, then I would force him to defend himself physically, this guy in on top of the list above Colin Cowherd in people I would like to assault. This book is not informative.
April and I went to the thrift store on base once, and we picked this up just because there was a part about turducken, which at that point Samantha still hadn't made me. The point was for us both to read it and then send it to Samantha - and finally, I can. I was startled at how much I liked a collection of cooking essays. I actually had to state at one point that I hadn't been getting turned on reading about French cooking!
"It had started as a ten-day hike, but on day nine ...more
"It had started as a ten-day hike, but on day nine ...more
The Gourmand Syndrome chapter was enlightening. I am convinced that it all began one fateful day when the boom hit my head in sailing class years ago. I used to think my obsession with food was just gluttony. Includes impressively well-researched recipes, such as roasting marrow bones for the pooch in your life, frying up a turducken and a very intricate recipe for pot-au-feu.
Oh, how I love Jeffrey Steingarten! A thoroughly enjoyable read, inspired by eating his amazing recipe for potatoes gratin at my friend Marina's house. Curmudgeonly, certainly, and very amusing on the subject of illegal diet pills (he loves 'em) but willing to admit his errors. If you enjoy a know-it-all narrator's voice and evocative food writing, I highly recommend it.
I'm still working on this, maybe, even though I've put it aside for now.
The intro was smart and funny and hooked me. He's much more adorable in writing than when I've seen him talking. Reading on, the cute continues, along with a lot of well-researched information. It's easy to become intoxicated with his giddy obsessions. Unfortunately, there's something lost with time. These pieces were written in the late '80s and early '90s, and could stand a new edition to update what is really...more
The intro was smart and funny and hooked me. He's much more adorable in writing than when I've seen him talking. Reading on, the cute continues, along with a lot of well-researched information. It's easy to become intoxicated with his giddy obsessions. Unfortunately, there's something lost with time. These pieces were written in the late '80s and early '90s, and could stand a new edition to update what is really...more
Steingarten continues to be an entertaining writer with vast food knowledge and a true passion for good eating. This collection of essays and collumns seems to skew more towards exotic food and locales than his earlier book, "The Man Who Ate Everything." I enjoyed the former more than the latter, but this was still a fun read that I'd recommend for any foodie friend.
Okay Sharon you do have a point about reading books about food. There were a lot of chapters on meat that I didn't really get into but still enjoyed. I liked the south of the border, coffee Thai and sweets chapters the best. Karen I think you'd enjoy if you want me to send you the book let me know.
Enjoyable, funny essays. Some are too NYC-centric for me (do I really need a street-by-street listing of various restaurants?!), but overall this book is fun to pick up for quick reading when time is short. The author thinks highly of himself (and the French) but he's so unapologetic about it (and does make fun of himself!) that his ego doesn't get in the way.
So far so good...well excellent! I've tried a few recipes with astounding success. Very informative and very funny! I love the way he refers back to other articles/chapters in the book, weaving a narrative out of many individual gastronomic moments.
Once again, Steingarten's thoughtful and humorous description of tasting, traveling, exploring, learning, experimenting, and critiquing conveyed his authentic passion for "real" food. This is a book I will read again. Next time with a highlighter and pen so that I can absorb and reference the knowledge Steingarten imparts in this dense, yet enjoyable, compilation of essays.
This is very good--the descriptions of making turducken were especially inspirational, and in general, his approach to trying to make things is one that I can more relate to than not
Steingarten has always annoyed the heck out of me as a judge on "Iron Chef", so I was shocked to read this collection of his articles from Vogue magazine and find him not only likable, but charming. Go figure. The man knows food, and he's not afraid to get dirty (i.e., to actually cook it himself) to get what he wants. If you're a foodie, you'll love all the in-depth information about everything from finding the best Parmesan to making your own blood sausage (not for the squeamish)....more
I absolutely adored this book. With a subtle sense of humor, Steingarten dives into the hidden world beneath popular recipes and restuarants. I could not stop laughing the entire book and my new life's ambition is to become the food editor at Vogue.
Steingarten is probably the best food writer around . . . this book is funny as hell, and will make you hungry as you read the descriptions of all the food he is eating
Not of the 99%, Steingarten. Not big on moderation either. Delectable.
Valerie
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Tori, Julie, Mom, Amy
Recommended to Valerie by:
Debbie
Shelves:
cookbooks
Steingarten is my favorite food writer. His willingness to try anything once, even the garnish on an airline food tray, gives him ammunition for his wonderful wit.
There are people who cannot stand Steingarten. I think he is an original. Obsessive, annoying,and funny. Thoroughly enjoyable book.
The biggest jerk of a judge from Iron Chef America is also one of the most entertaining food obsessed nut jobs ever. A must read for foodies.
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Jeffrey Steingarten is an American lawyer and culinary critic/columnist. He is a regular columnist for Vogue magazine. He has also written for Slate. His 1997 book of food-related essays, The Man Who Ate Everything, is a Julia Child Book Award winner and was also a James Beard Book Award finalist. In 2002, Steingarten published a second collection of essays entitled It Must've Been Something I Ate...more
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“As a leftover sixties liberal, I believe that the long arm and beady eyes of the government have no place in our bedrooms, our kitchens, or the backseats of our parked cars. But I also feel that the immediate appointment of a Special Pastry Prosecutor would do much more good than harm. We know the free market has totally failed when 89 percent of all the tart pastry, chocolate-chip cookies, and tuiles in America are far less delicious than they would be if bakers simply followed a few readily available recipes. What we need is a system of graduated fines and perhaps short jail sentences to discourage the production of totally depressing baked goods. Maybe a period of unpleasant and tedious community service could be substituted for jail time.”
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