Since its earliest days, The New Yorker has been a tastemaker–literally. As the home of A. J. Liebling, Joseph Wechsberg, and M. F. K....
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May 21, 2008
Greg
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If you haven't read the New Yorker every week for the last 70 years, this is a good way to catch up on the food articles. The subject is captivating for any foodie, but the writing grabs anyone who has ever eaten. Many of the articles written in the 30s or 40s seems like they could have been published today.
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Jun 10, 2008
I have little hope of finishing this one during the brief time allotted to me by our local public library. I actually can't even finish an issue of The New Yorker in the time allotted, let alone this fatty fat food book.
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Mar 31, 2008
Andy
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This one was a very enjoyable compendium of food and drink articles from the New Yorker Magazine. I particularly enjoyed some of the looks back at restaurant life in the 40s and 50s, and some of the more modern reviews of food and drink. If you enjoy this kind of stuff, I definitely recommend it.
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Jan 06, 2012
Stephanie
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I commute ten hours a week, so I download a lot of audiobooks: the longer, the better. So, when I found this 20-hour compendium, I was elated. This only goes to show that I am an idiot. I'm the equal to the guy who watched Star Wars for the first time on a 13 inch black-and-white television. People who write for The New Yorker write prose that begs to be read. It is not performance art; it is visual. I should know that, but apparently I took all leave of my senses. So, I listed to all 20
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Mar 07, 2008
Christopher
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Fantastic writing about discovering the pleasures of the palette...what could be better??? I read the "New Yorker" every week, but I look forward to their annual "Food Issue" with great anticipation. This collection will make you drool.
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Mar 17, 2011
Nancy
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This is a perfect bedtime read for anyone who is interested in social history, food and the art of dining. New Yorker articles from the 1930's to the present showcase the terrific writing and wit that has distinguished the magazine and its writers for decades.
The book includes short (and longer) articles from notable foodies like M.F.K. Fisher, humorists such as Steve Martin and Woody Allen, and literary luminaries like John Cheever (on "The Sorrows of Gin"!)and Julian Bar More...
The book includes short (and longer) articles from notable foodies like M.F.K. Fisher, humorists such as Steve Martin and Woody Allen, and literary luminaries like John Cheever (on "The Sorrows of Gin"!)and Julian Bar More...
Nov 13, 2010
Last Book I Read (Isaac Mizrahi) . . . It's really, really good. There's this thing in there on casseroles that I loved."
Secret Ingredients, The New Yorker Book of Food & Drink
Since its earliest days, The New Yorker has been a tastemaker–literally. As the home of A. J. Liebling, Joseph Wechsberg, and M.F.K. Fisher, who practically invented American food writing, the magazine established a tradition that is carried forward today by irrepressible literary gastronomes, includin More...
Secret Ingredients, The New Yorker Book of Food & Drink
Since its earliest days, The New Yorker has been a tastemaker–literally. As the home of A. J. Liebling, Joseph Wechsberg, and M.F.K. Fisher, who practically invented American food writing, the magazine established a tradition that is carried forward today by irrepressible literary gastronomes, includin More...
May 18, 2008
Maureen
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There is no down side to this book. It's the perfect night table reading, especially if you love food. You can dip in and out but every essay is wonderful!
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Aug 17, 2009
Cathy
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This was a lot of fun, New Yorker pieces about (or at least somehow related to) food and wine, from the '20s to the 2000s. Highlights included a long profile of Euell Gibbons, who turns out to be incredibly interesting; several M.F.K. Fisher essays I'd never read; a nice piece about Julia Child; and more than I ever dreamed of knowing about artisanal tofu. There's also a hilarious dinner-party vignette from Dorothy Parker. And then there's the terrific essay from Change Rae Lee about trying sea
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Nov 21, 2010
Blaire
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I read this anthology in dribs and drabs over the last 6 months. I've given it 3 stars, although it's a strong 3. It has some really fantastic pieces and some that I didn't care for. Some of the pieces I enjoyed the most were historical; cooking and eating trends in the early part of the 20th century in New York. Others were humorous, like the one by Calvin Trillin entitled " An Attempt to Compile a Short History of the Buffalo Chicken Wing". I think this is best read as I did: a
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Aug 16, 2010
Kathleen
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I have read the first 6 essays --about 1/3 of the book. So far, it is a complete delight. I have been transported to France -- Provence and Paris. I have luxuriated in the descriptions of le grand cuisine of the pre-WW II variety. I have been reminded of meals we had in the Rhine Valley as well as in Paris, when we were young (and thin). MFK Fisher has treated me to tales from California. Anthony Bourdain has weighed in. Recently, I finished a swell piece of writing concerning Paul and Julia Chi
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Feb 20, 2009
RuthAnn
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Would recommend: Yes, but not to be read straight through
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection of essays. It's a bit hefty (500+ pages) to read from cover to cover, as I did, and I don't recommend that. As I expected, the pieces are well-written, thorough, and usually humorous. It was nice to read from authors I'd only heard in legend, and reprinted cartoons are a nice brain break between sections.
I gave myself license to skip anything I didn't like, and I only skipped three things on accou More...
Overall, I really enjoyed this collection of essays. It's a bit hefty (500+ pages) to read from cover to cover, as I did, and I don't recommend that. As I expected, the pieces are well-written, thorough, and usually humorous. It was nice to read from authors I'd only heard in legend, and reprinted cartoons are a nice brain break between sections.
I gave myself license to skip anything I didn't like, and I only skipped three things on accou More...
Jul 16, 2008
Sean
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Started out slow, picked up pace with exciting and interesting articles, then kinda fizzled out at the end. Loved the articles which explored interesting and unheard of delicacies. Even enjoyed articles about food processes I knew very little about, ie; cheese nun, the art of tofu. Also, very much enjoyed the Julia Childs article/bio, but overall found the entire collection together to be lacking. I find the New Yorker always has such interesting food-related articles, that it was kind of a let-
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Mar 06, 2011
Chris
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If it weren't for the inclusion of essays dating back nearly 100 years, this would be total foodie fluff. Thoroughly enjoyable foodie fluff, of course, but still . . . But some of the older essays give this a little more substance, and of course, the fact that it's a series of magazine articles mean that you can read a bit here, a bit there, in any order you want, when you're in the mood for this sort of thing.
Sep 13, 2010
Annie
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A brilliant collection of essays that are all based around food.... Food in Paris, food in New York City, food at home, good food, bad food, sad food. A.J. Liebling on the rich foods of France, Anthony Bourdain on restaurant kitchens and the food that comes out of them, John McPhee on foraging in the wild for one's food—all different authors, all different points of view. A delight...!
Mar 17, 2011
Eric
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This book is amazing, and so much fun. I read it straight through, and I wish it were longer so that I could read more! It makes you realize that food is so essential to life, and often I would not even remember an article was about food, being so drawn in to reading about its pivotal role in our lives. Highly recommend for anyone who cares about food. Or life, for that matter.
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Jan 16, 2012
I've been dipping in an out of this four a couple months now. A frankly amazing collection of authors: Bill Buford, M.F.K. Fisher, A.J. Liebling, Calvin Trillin, Roger Angell, Dorothy Parker (!), Malcolm Gladwell, Roald Dahl, and many more. So far almost all hits. But, like some essay collections, hard to take in large doses; an essay a week is about right for me.
Sep 09, 2010
Jgknobler
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This was a Mother's Day gift from my son, Ben, who for some reason likes to present me with very long books--one was a detailed history of the wives of Henry VIII. At any rate, I read this collection in small doses and enjoyed it quite a bit. In particular I liked a piece about clamming in the Great South Bay, written in I believe 1949: and a story by Matthew Klam.
Jun 29, 2011
Jana
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Food writing is great. The New Yorker's writing is great. The two together = splendid. I learned about living off the forest, running a high-end restaurant, making cheese and ventured out on many great food adventures in Paris and elsewhere. If you like food writing, this will keep you full a long time. If you like puns, you just said ha!
Oct 13, 2009
Maris
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I really enjoyed the more current essays, although the older ones gave a curious inside to culinary sensations of long ago (like the crazy NYC "Beefsteak Dinners" of the 1930s). John McPhee's account of foraging with Euell Gibbons is absolutely incredible; Gibbons' "Stalking the Wild Asparagus" is on my to-read list.
Aug 21, 2010
Ashley
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I really enjoyed this collection of articles from The New Yorker. I'd say that about 80% were up my alley, but it was easy enough to skip over the ones that were just too blah. Some of my favorites included "All You Can Hold for Five Bucks" by Joseph Mitchell, "Don't Eat Before Reading This" by Anthony Bourdain, "The Secret Ingredient" and "Nor Censure Nor Disdain" by M.F.K. Fisher, "The Magic Bagel" by Calvin Trillin, "Dry Martini" b
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Feb 04, 2009
Susan
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This collection of food writing from "The New Yorker" covers the decades from the 1930s to the 2000s. It features fiction and non-fiction, from authors both famous (Anthony Bourdain, M.F.K. Fisher, Dorothy Parker) and non-famous. I had no idea that just reading about food could be so enthralling.
Jun 15, 2008
Kristen
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This took six months to read but that's not unusual for anthologies. They're easy to just dip into once in a while, between longer reading. Overall, some great/classic selections. I'd already read about a third, but re-read every piece regardless. No poetry, although I know they've published some. The humor pieces weren't particularly funny (just very snide), but that's true for that section of the magazine these days in general, so the resulting pieces were what you'd expect from that editorial
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Aug 08, 2010
Kathleen
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there were some great essays in here. the one about julia child was fantastic. there's a fantastic essay on traditional tofu makers in japan that was also fantastic. the fruit detective was also pretty great.
there are some essays here that are unnecessary... however, it's easy enough to just skip them. that's what i did...
there are some essays here that are unnecessary... however, it's easy enough to just skip them. that's what i did...
Jun 27, 2008
Alyce
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Extremely entertaining, informative, and extraordinarily well-written collection of the best food writing to be found anywhere. This is a book to savor, for it is sublime. John McPhee's (1968) recount of a foraging expedition with Euell Gibbons is reason enough to buy the book; who knew that the "Grape Nuts guy" was such an interesting person? Joseph Mitchell's (1939) story of the clams from the Great South Bay is just as engaging, as are the stories by Woody Allen, MFK Fisher, Calvin
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Jun 07, 2010
Anne
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Unfortunately, I just couldn't plow through the dense collection. I'm sure there is some great writing about food in here -- after all, it's a collection from the pages of the New Yorker. I suspect it had more to do with my lack of time than a true lack of value in the book itself, and I think this is a failed read I'll come back to later when I have more time to explore the variety of essays.
Jan 24, 2011
Peg
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Keeping to the high standards of The New Yorker Magazine, these essays and a smattering of food related cartoons for spice will have you smiling, chuckling, and guffawing. Wonderful collection.
Jan 02, 2009
Eriel
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Collection of essays featured in the New Yorker from the perfect martini to seeking out Japan's Tofu Masters. And there were great New Yorker cartoons dispersed thoughout the pages
Dec 02, 2009
Jesse
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My husband (who is a chef) and I are reading this to one another and eating it up story by story. It is inspiring him and making me hungry. Good combo right?
