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19th out of 470 books
—
986 voters
The Man Who Ate Everything
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."...more
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."...more
Paperback, 528 pages
Published
October 27th 1998
by Vintage
(first published November 4th 1997)
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wow, i have been "reading" this since july. i put it down a bunch and lost it once or twice, but still - it is shameful to have had this darkening my "currently reading" shelf for eight months. shades of Savage Girls and Wild Boys: A History of Feral Children. but today i finished it!!
and it is truly a wonderful book.
this man is the anti-foer. if i were ever to read that foer book - the one everyone says will turn me into a cowering meat-avoider, all i would have to do to recover is open this bo...more
and it is truly a wonderful book.
this man is the anti-foer. if i were ever to read that foer book - the one everyone says will turn me into a cowering meat-avoider, all i would have to do to recover is open this bo...more
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Steingarten's essays on food, more or less, from Vogue.
Steingarten has a great ear for detail and makes many clever asides. He's funny when you agree with him, annoying when you don't. He has strong opinions about food, nutrition, and diets, often expressed in extremes, sometimes inaccurate (e.g., the man can assert all he wants that lactose intolerance doesn't include cheese, but he's never had to sprint with me to the bathroom after a nice Quiche Lorraine consumed sans Lactaid). The tone is u...more
Steingarten has a great ear for detail and makes many clever asides. He's funny when you agree with him, annoying when you don't. He has strong opinions about food, nutrition, and diets, often expressed in extremes, sometimes inaccurate (e.g., the man can assert all he wants that lactose intolerance doesn't include cheese, but he's never had to sprint with me to the bathroom after a nice Quiche Lorraine consumed sans Lactaid). The tone is u...more
7 likes · like · see review
Oct 11, 2008
An
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Foodies and Lindsay
Recommended to An by:
TV
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
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The entire time I was growing up, my feminist lawyer mother had a subscription to Vogue. I can't completely explain it myself, but woman does love her shoes. Anyway, I spent elementary school reading Steingarten articles for the mag, where he is still the food columnist. My conclusion for this book is that he is probably best in small doses. Like, monthly doses. But, if you've never read any of his stuff before, I'd check this out in one-essay-at-a-time stints. Steingarten is obviously brilliant...more
Since I'm into cooking and, to a lesser extent, food writing, this book had been recommended to me several times over the last few years. I finally borrowed it from a friend at work and must say that it didn't really live up to my expectations. It's an interesting, engaging, often funny book, probably essential for the gourmand, but if you have a mere passing interest in gourmet and exotic food, you'd probably do well to skip it and read something by Mark Kurlansky instead.
I suppose my biggest c...more
I suppose my biggest c...more
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Another hastily written report:
This book is a collection of essays from the late 80s to early 90s by Jeffrey Steingarten, acclaimed food critic to Vogue magazine.
The title is no exaggeration: each essay details not simply a foray, but a deep involvement in countless different foods and cuisines. Steingarten’s exhaustive research and personal culinary experiments totally excuse the rumors of his unbelievable in-person pretension and the growing size of his paunch. Occasionally my eyes gloss over...more
This book is a collection of essays from the late 80s to early 90s by Jeffrey Steingarten, acclaimed food critic to Vogue magazine.
The title is no exaggeration: each essay details not simply a foray, but a deep involvement in countless different foods and cuisines. Steingarten’s exhaustive research and personal culinary experiments totally excuse the rumors of his unbelievable in-person pretension and the growing size of his paunch. Occasionally my eyes gloss over...more
My sister gave this book to me because I remembered a hilarious essay from Vogue, or somewhere, about a man who started eating soup to lose weight, and she though it could have been Steingarten. And I've been going through a rash of food books lately anyway, so it seemed like a good fit. Even so, I had a bit of culinary whiplash adjusting from M.F.K. Fisher to J.S. Where Fisher is a sensualist guru, Steingarten is a scientist manqué. At first, I was alienated by his use of "the computer" (very f...more
Although this book seems a little daunting and maybe even a bit tedious for someone who dislikes cooking PLEASE read it. Steingarten is very witty and makes most chapters of this book something memoirable. Very much like Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, this book is ten times better. Sure I loved that Bourdain took me to various countries and stuff and the experiences were great but he just wasn't witty enough! Steingarten takes you all over the place as well but giving you great recipes to a...more
jack of all trades but master of none...
the man who ate everything endeavors to discuss everything from nutrition to table manners to food science to cuisines of all kinds. it's a brill idea, but doesn't work. food is simply too broad a topic, and at 500 pages, this book is just a bit too big to swallow. in fact, trying to devour the whole thing in one sitting gave my brain indigestion.
what i liked about this book:
mr. steingarten is a man who loves his food and makes no bones about it. i love fo...more
the man who ate everything endeavors to discuss everything from nutrition to table manners to food science to cuisines of all kinds. it's a brill idea, but doesn't work. food is simply too broad a topic, and at 500 pages, this book is just a bit too big to swallow. in fact, trying to devour the whole thing in one sitting gave my brain indigestion.
what i liked about this book:
mr. steingarten is a man who loves his food and makes no bones about it. i love fo...more
Mr. Steingarten was shoved into the world of food appreciation willy nilly when he was asked to write for “Vogue” magazine. Thus he brought with his new job the guarded enthusiasm of someone who wasn’t an expert but wound up becoming one.
Some of the passages in this book get terribly technical, mentioning various chemicals and compounds that bewilder the layman. Others are slightly less complex but are more interesting for their insider knowledge. Are you a connoisseur of ketchup? No? Mr. Stein...more
Some of the passages in this book get terribly technical, mentioning various chemicals and compounds that bewilder the layman. Others are slightly less complex but are more interesting for their insider knowledge. Are you a connoisseur of ketchup? No? Mr. Stein...more
I’ve been on a bit of a food kick lately. Not so much the eating part as the reading about, dreaming about, planning to make, and wishing I made better parts. I’ve been watching some new additions to Netflix Instant Play that are about food and have inspired me to try and add a bit of healthy variety to our menu (which has been a bit of derailed decision as the day after I made it we left on vacation).
One of the several books I picked up for vacationing purposes was this book – partly because of...more
One of the several books I picked up for vacationing purposes was this book – partly because of...more
This is a collection of food writings, ranging from international travel stories to lowbrow experiments in American cuisine. Jeffrey Steingarten is a master, managing to be funny (very, very), intelligent, and passionate all at once. He managed to make me reconsider my veganism in that I wanted to try ALL of the dishes he describes in the different essays, which is saying a lot. I appreciated that he writes fairly and lovingly about both the most haut and the most lowbrow cuisine, scorning nothi...more
Despite the Oliver Sacks-like title, this is a culinary florilegium by the food critic of Vogue and Slate. I quote the New York Time Book Review, bowing to its laconic accuracy: "Part cookbook, part travelogue, part medical and scientific treatise."
Steingarten is tireless in poring over the scientific research on nutrition and cooking, and clearly loves his subject as much as he loves to try the same recipe a dozen times, hunting for perfection. He praises the greatest cooking and the finest sim...more
Steingarten is tireless in poring over the scientific research on nutrition and cooking, and clearly loves his subject as much as he loves to try the same recipe a dozen times, hunting for perfection. He praises the greatest cooking and the finest sim...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I am not a foodie, I don’t watch cooking shows and only rarely read Vogue; I had no idea who Jeffrey Steingarten was when this book was loaned to me. The title and the recommendation from a friend were enough to convince me to give it a shot, though I had little idea what I was in for. Steingarten is many things: witty, clever, simultaneously pompous and self-deprecating, obsessive and thorough. Above all he is interested, which is what kept me interested. He’s curious about the way foods are ma...more
This book, though brilliant, depressed me a little, in a number of ways. One, while I might like to think of myself as a bit of a foodie, my husband and children are complete philistines to whom oven chips and turkey dinosaurs are a gourmet feast, and attempts at good food, whether cooked my me, or paid for in a resaurant, are a complete waste of time, effort and money.
Two, a large portion of the book is taken up by Steingarten's gastronomical holidays to, amongst others, Sicily, Tunisia and Kyo...more
Two, a large portion of the book is taken up by Steingarten's gastronomical holidays to, amongst others, Sicily, Tunisia and Kyo...more
TMWAE is the local chapter of Slow Foods' book club selection for November. Although I don't participate in the book club, I checked out a copy from the library nevertheless. And, I really enjoyed the first third of the book. Thereafter, my reading experience started to resemble one I often have when consuming an elaborate multi-course meal. I arrive hungry. The first couple of courses taste fabulous. At the point at which I'm satiated, the food still tastes good. Then, whoops, I've eaten too mu...more
I am totally loving this book. Jeffrey Steingarten is the awesome Iron Chef judge who has said that all things are better with bacon, and doesn't take any guff from the chefs or the other judges. I just love his style. And this book.
Each chapter is one of his investigative food features - illuminating some aspect of cuisine from around the world. And man, has this guy traveled. If you're familiar with his television work, the book's voice will be familiar. He sounds like the world's best dinner...more
Each chapter is one of his investigative food features - illuminating some aspect of cuisine from around the world. And man, has this guy traveled. If you're familiar with his television work, the book's voice will be familiar. He sounds like the world's best dinner...more
I didn't know what to expect with this book. I have never read any of Steingarten's columns in Vogue and was only familiar with him as a regular judge on Iron Chef America. His likable personality and dry humor really do shine through in his writing.
An interesting mix of science, medical/psychological/sociological information, history, opinion, recipes, and his own [obsessive:] quests to replicate dishes. I even picked up a few tips and tricks to apply to my own cooking. His curiosity and tenaci...more
An interesting mix of science, medical/psychological/sociological information, history, opinion, recipes, and his own [obsessive:] quests to replicate dishes. I even picked up a few tips and tricks to apply to my own cooking. His curiosity and tenaci...more
Jeffrey Steingarten is a celebrated food author and critic of whom I have become a big fan. This is his first book, a national bestseller. In numerous short essays devoted each to a single topic, he details culinary adventures such as making perfect homemade sourdough bread, living off the welfare diet, and hunting for rare truffles. He's also
I really did enjoy every minute of this book. It's a smooth and easy read, and he's as sarcastic as he seems on TV (a quality I very much like in him). I...more
I really did enjoy every minute of this book. It's a smooth and easy read, and he's as sarcastic as he seems on TV (a quality I very much like in him). I...more
Best known for his role as one of the Iron Chef judges, he also writes about food extensively - both in books and Vanity Fair (?).
This book has - at its core - the concept of researching in exquisit experimental detail - food. He takes us through the journey of making bread, understanding parmasean cheese and a host of other journeys that I just did not want to end.
The title - the man who ate everything - is based on his very strongly held belief that our north american notions of "i am allergi...more
This book has - at its core - the concept of researching in exquisit experimental detail - food. He takes us through the journey of making bread, understanding parmasean cheese and a host of other journeys that I just did not want to end.
The title - the man who ate everything - is based on his very strongly held belief that our north american notions of "i am allergi...more
The book The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten has strengths and weaknesses. One strength of the book is that it has very specific detail about the places, food, and cooking procedures. Another strength that the book has is that it has a variety of different topics. Jeffrey writes about cooking, travel, and the scientific and medical aspects of food. A weakness of The Man Who Ate Everything is that it does not fully capture the reader’s attention. At times, the book can get too deta...more
Jul 13, 2010
Vanessa
marked it as unfinished
Probably not going to finish this one. I am not going to make it to book club, and, frankly, I don't like the book, or the author. He can be witty and smart enough at times, and I liked it for a while, and maybe it's just the bar-study grumpiness talking, but I really resent that large chunks of this read like a "dieting" memoir, and that if it were written by a woman it would not be considered some kind of clever high-mindedness, but rather just some woman ranting about weighing herself four ti...more
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Jul 19, 2007
Griffin James
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who love to read about food
This book is great for all those who find themselves thinking about food during their idle hours. It also happens to be really funny! I often compare Steingarten to a food-obsessed version of Hunter S. Thompson. Pehaps no one has contemplated food in such depth, humor, and sometimes down-right obesessiveness as Jeffrey Steingarten.
A collection of essays from the man I know as one of the Iron Chef judges. Most of the essays are from his articles as a food writer for Vogue magazine, so you don't have to read the book cover to cover, you can jump in anywhere. I was interested to see how much research went into the articles, some of which were dated because the book is, after all, over ten years old. But most of it was still relevant and all of it enjoyable - some laugh out loud moments and some snide snickering moments. Some...more
I thought I would like this one, 'cause I like food writing (generally) and I think Jeffrey Steingarten is funny on Iron Chef. This book was not what I expected. It seems like it is a collection of his articles for Vogue (for which he was/is a food writer). There are a lot of chapters about health and diet that get very sciencey. I'm a scientist...who likes food! And I still found it a little dry.
I expected the book to be more a collection of anecdotes about his life as a food writer. I read a...more
I expected the book to be more a collection of anecdotes about his life as a food writer. I read a...more
I read this book years ago. I bought it on the strength of a chapter headed 'Salad the Silent Killer'. I read the whole thing from start to finish. In the years that followed I've dipped into it often. It's going tatty and dog eared with love.
The Man Who Ate Everything is a collection of articles by a man who loves food. What's more, he has the sort of mind that makes him experiment with things to shake out how they work. The chapter about his efforts to recreate the taste of Evian were hilario...more
The Man Who Ate Everything is a collection of articles by a man who loves food. What's more, he has the sort of mind that makes him experiment with things to shake out how they work. The chapter about his efforts to recreate the taste of Evian were hilario...more
Sometimes, you don't want to eat. Sometimes you fall out of love with food. Maybe because it's a new diet has bored you. Maybe it's because a new lover has made you feel insecure. Maybe it's because your best friend broke you heart. Whatever the reason - food doesn't enthrall, it barely nourishes. Then you pick up Steingarten's text. You fall into the well researched, tightly woven, concise narrative. You fall in love with the application of a strong legal mind to issues in food that continue to...more
I sorta enjoyed this book. Probably the best stuff came in part four: "Journey of a Thousand Meals" in which our author recalls his experiences traveling to countries for culinary experiences. If the whole book was like that I would have loved it. However, most of the book (which in reality is just a bunch of Vogue articles that were anthologized) was about the author sitting in his kitchen trying to recreate memorable dishes, which was nice but not great. There was also a section in the book de...more
actually I hate the word foodie. but seriously, this book makes food really interesting
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| eBook edition? | 1 | 9 | Feb 11, 2010 09:22pm |
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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“Whenever I travel to the South, the first thing I do is visit the best barbecue place between the airport and my hotel. An hour or two later I visit the best barbecue place between my hotel and dinner.”
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“But the goal of the arts, culinary or otherwise, is not to increase our comfort. That is the goal of an easy chair.”
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