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Fed, White, and Blue: Finding America with My Fork

Simon Majumdar,

Alton Brown (Foreword)

3.44 · Rating details · 323 ratings · 43 reviews

Simon Majumdar is probably not your typical idea of an immigrant. As he says, “I’m well rested, not particularly poor, and the only time I ever encounter ‘huddled masses’ is in line at Costco.”

But immigrate he did, and thanks to a Homeland Security agent who asked if he planned to make it official, the journey chronicled in Fed, White, and Blue was born. In it, Simon sets ...more

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Hardcover, 308 pages

Published April 7th 2015 by Avery

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· 323 ratings · 43 reviews

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May 31, 2015 Todd Mcalpine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book is as much about the people Simon meets on his travels as it is about the food he eats. His authorial voice is great (watching "Cutthroat Kitchen" helps a little with this) and I can hear the man's voice in my head as I read. Also, while he is very much a Brit, I suspect he is a far more sentimental man than he claims to be in the book and a fantastic addition to American culture. This was a fun and educational read. I hope someday to meet the man.
...more

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Jul 10, 2015 Robin Shreeves rated it really liked it

My favorite hybrid genre is travelogue mixed with food memoir. This is a wonderful example of that - British man (who happens to be a Food Network personality) wants to decide if he should become an American citizen. He decides to figure out what America is all about via food.Travels the country and eats with people. The book will induce both hunger and wanderlust.

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May 11, 2015 Tom rated it really liked it

A book has never made me hungrier than this one, and my desire to go out and buy roasted green chiles has never been greater. Thanks Mr. Majumdar, my food budget isn't large enough to support the amount of things I now feel compelled to eat.

The book outside of the talk about food is also good, it's full of funny stories and moments with genuinely good people that made me feel better about the country I live in. ...more

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Sep 25, 2017 Sarah Booth rated it liked it

This was an interesting food travel journal about food and food issues from all over the United States. It was well written and factual but just didn't grab me in any sort of super exciting way. I did learn from it and think others would enjoy it, but it was just not what I was really looking for at the time. ...more

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Oct 08, 2016 Laura rated it liked it · review of another edition

Didn't change my life but a fun read nonetheless! I like Majumdar's writing style and the amount of travel and research he did is pretty staggering. ...more

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Apr 15, 2019 Eden rated it it was amazing

Shelves: area-usa-territories, nf-food-world

2019 bk 121. When Simon Majundar is confronted by a U.S. Customs official upon returning from England to his wife and home in the U.S. he has to ask himself, why not become a United States Citizen? This follows with, if I'm to become an American, I need to know more about America. And, thus begins the journey of this book. Seeking to know the essence of America through his world of food - but not the television world of food - the local world of food, Majundar uses his contacts and blog to seek ...more

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Jun 11, 2018 Reading For Sanity rated it liked it

Read this review and others at https://readingforsanity.blogspot.com... ...more

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Apr 24, 2018 Jessica rated it it was ok

Shelves: cooking-food

I knew who Simon Majumdar was from seeing him as an Iron Chef judge and on other Food Network shows, so I was interested to see what this book would be like. The premise is that when trying to decide if he wants to become a US citizen (after marrying his US citizen wife) he decides to find out more about America through food. He spends two years traveling all over the US eating all kinds of food and meeting all kinds of different people. He experiences everything from a competitive eating event, I knew who Simon Majumdar was from seeing him as an Iron Chef judge and on other Food Network shows, so I was interested to see what this book would be like. The premise is that when trying to decide if he wants to become a US citizen (after marrying his US citizen wife) he decides to find out more about America through food. He spends two years traveling all over the US eating all kinds of food and meeting all kinds of different people. He experiences everything from a competitive eating event, NASCAR, working on a farm, and fishing for salmon in Alaska. While I appreciate his efforts to really see the food of America, there were a lot of things he said that I didn't agree with and was surprised about his views of the industrial food industry - I would have thought someone who's entire career is based on food would understand the important of local and sustainable over industrial. He only spends 2 chapters on the "dark side" of American food - one on industrial beef/feedlots and one on food deserts when he works with a food bank. Overall, it was good, but not great. I don't know if I would read something else by him because I didn't love this one.

Some quotes I particularly did NOT like:

"Feedlots are not a particularly pleasant aspect of the U.S. beef industry, but they have become somewhat of a necessary evil, given the combination of delivering profit for the owners and consumer demand, which simply can't be met by a more ethical grass feeding system." (p. 128) [This is just straight up WRONG. The only reason industrial food "works" is because of massive government subsidies. If we paid less taxes we could all spend more money on higher quality food. And because of the industrial food industry we've trained consumers to only eat certain cuts and not practice more nose to tail eating that you would be more likely to do if you were closer to your food.]

"However, much as I admire craft food, I tend to have a more pragmatic approach to food production and often find such well-meaning speeches almost as irritating as they are inspiring. All too often they fail to recognize the fact that we not live in a world of over seven billion people. America does not exist in a vacuum and must play its part. Telling people we need to return to a mythical era of local and seasonal eating is Pollyanna-ish at best and down-right irresponsible at worst. It serves to disenfranchise those who don't have the time, opportunity, or income to do so, wherever they may be in the world." (p. 154) [See my previous comment with regard to government food subsidies. Eating local and seasonal is NOT Pollyanna - it's the way people around the world lived and ate for generations. You don't have to be a farmer either - you can support your local lunatic farmer.]

"I am not always the biggest fan of farmer's markets, as, quite frankly, I think there are far too many of them and not enough great producers to keep them supplied. The end result is that they often fill more spaces with stalls selling prepared meals and aging hippies making balloon animals for children than they do really good produce." (p. 232) [I don't know where he's been going to farmer's markets, but really?!?! Again, if there weren't so many government subsidies for industrial food maybe more smaller farms could make a go of things and make enough money to live. This may have been the worst few lines in the whole book and is VERY insulting to the many, many farmer's markets that do support local farmers and actually sell a lot of food.] ...more

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Aug 27, 2015 Barry Martin Vass rated it it was amazing

Simon Majumdar is a British chef and food critic and a long-time contributor to the Food Network and Food Channel. He also serves as a celebrity judge on such shows as Iron Chef, Cutthroat Kitchen, and Extreme Chef, and is the fine living correspondent for AskMen.com. Mr. Majumdar knows about food and food preparation. So when he decided to apply for American citizenship, it wasn't enough for him to simply fill out the forms; no, he decided to travel around the country for a solid year learning Simon Majumdar is a British chef and food critic and a long-time contributor to the Food Network and Food Channel. He also serves as a celebrity judge on such shows as Iron Chef, Cutthroat Kitchen, and Extreme Chef, and is the fine living correspondent for AskMen.com. Mr. Majumdar knows about food and food preparation. So when he decided to apply for American citizenship, it wasn't enough for him to simply fill out the forms; no, he decided to travel around the country for a solid year learning about American cuisine and everything that goes into it. Here are some of the trips he took and the things he did: cooked in a Filipino restaurant in LA for a few days; attended a wing-eating contest in Philadelphia with one of the contestants; fished and dug for clams in southern New Jersey and then cooked out on the beach; gone on an afternoon tour of ethnic food in the Bronx; spent a few days at the Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts, learning what the Pilgrims ate and how they cooked their first year in the New World, as well as how their interaction with the Wampanoag Indians changed their diet; manned a lobster boat in Maine and learned to make the perfect New England lobster roll; spent a few days around the Fourth of July in Brainerd, Minnesota; attended a BBQ competition in Kearney, Nebraska; ate a Shabbat meal in Overland Park, Kansas; spent a few days learning to make cheese in Wisconsin; survived a late-night eating and drinking tour in Koreatown, Los Angeles; toured South Central LA and Boyle Heights to observe the realities of street Mexican food. And on and on: working for a week at a farm in Santa Cruz; learning to make craft beer in Washington State; attending a farmer's market with a chile farmer in New Mexico; tailgating at Longhorn stadium; working at a food co-op in Texarkana; fishing for salmon in Alaska; cooking lunch for the team at Richard Petty Motorsports. But this isn't just about the food; it's about the people he met and interacted with, making new friends along the way. This is a very good piece of Americana, and what's most surprising about it is that it was written by a Brit. Great fun! ...more

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May 11, 2017 Jill rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio

When you are a foodie and a man of the world, and you decide at long last to become an American citizen, what do you do to learn about your new home country? You eat yourself from one end of the country to the other, of course. And that is exactly what food writer and well known culinary competition judge Simon Majumdar did. The result: one more American citizen, stories of vibrant American dishes to savor, and a book that details all of those amazing food adventures: Fed, White, and Blue.

From ...more

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May 24, 2015 Kyrie rated it it was ok

Shelves: nonfiction, cookbook

It's on my cookbook shelf, although it isn't a cookbook. It's just about food. I'm too lazy to make another shelf just for food.

It's about a British foodie who marries an American and decides he needs to travel America and try various food things before he decides if he really wants to be a citizen.

Yes, I think it's a really odd basis for deciding to be a citizen, but then food doesn't matter to me in the same way it does to Majumdar. He really gets into it, and the more exotic, the better (as ...more

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May 25, 2016 John Shaw rated it it was amazing

I passed this book by
several times until I noticed
the author.
Simon Majumdar
is one of my favorite people.
I have watched him eat & critique 100s
of dishes on the Food Network.
His charm
His love of food
His inherent smart assery
not to mention his accent
all make him a joy to watch.

This ALL comes through
in this amazing book.
As Majumdar considers US citizenry
he decides to find the essence
OF AMERICA
by eating.
A great idea
America is defined by it's food.
Be it festival : 4th of July
Immigrant cooking : a The ...more

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Jul 18, 2017 Theresa Jehlik rated it really liked it

Shelves: cookbook-food

Married to an American of Filipino descent, Simon Majumdar (the product of a Welsh mother and Indian father) is wrestling with becoming an American citizen. He decides to embark on a food tour of America to decide what it really means to be an American. During the next year, he travels the country and explores many hidden food corners -- competitive food eating contests, Wampanoag cuisine on Plimoth Plantation, a sanctioned barbecue contest in snowy central Nebraska, a Shabbat dinner in Kansas C ...more

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Dec 30, 2015 Lloyd rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: listened

The book itself likely would have been a 3 out of 5, but the style (accent) and personality of the voice actor, Tim Andres Pabon, is so different from the text, of Simon Majumdar, that it bothered me through my whole listening experience.

There were bites of great material, but it is clear that Mr. Majumdar struggled to put it all together. And the chunks where he was describing non-food related details of American culture and history felt out of place.

I couldn't enjoy a book full of overeating. ...more

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Feb 22, 2016 Thomas rated it liked it

Simon Majumdar discovers the abundance and diversity of the USA through its food, and it was fun to go along for the ride. His self-deprecating humor lends itself well to this travelogue, and by the end he’s created a genuine memoir fitting to his conversion to US Citizen. At times I felt some of his choices of where to visit (and what to eat) lacked cohesion and depth, but then it all made sense: our diverse nation is anything but cohesive, and the sheer variety of food adventures that await ar ...more

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May 12, 2015 Linda Smatzny rated it really liked it

The author who is seen on the Food Network decides to visit various locations across America that have a meaning to being an American. Each chapter is a new destination. He visits Plymouth,Massachusetts, Los Angeles where he lives, a Longhorn tailgating, Alaska for salmon and many other places. It was a very enjoyable book. It was an easy fast read.

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Jun 06, 2015 Ann rated it it was ok

The Plimouth Historical Foubdation was the most interesting story in this collection of his eating his way through America. It was an okay read better photos would have made the book better but the book appeared to be a cheap version of Diners and Dives. I did like the Love Aapple Farm in Santa Cruz. The Chili section about Santa Fe , NM did not do justice to the area or the Chile King.

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Jun 28, 2015 Monica rated it liked it

Shelves: foodstuff, biography

This is a much better book than its predecessor - more informative, more detailed information about the people and the food he finds, more positive in response to what he encounters, less snarky, less whiny. Perhaps he's over his midlife whatever, or perhaps a happy marriage has turned his attitude around. In any case, it's a welcome change and makes for a decent light read for foodies. ...more

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Jan 01, 2016 Missy Graf rated it really liked it

Shelves: reading-for-pleasure

Very much enjoyed Simon's trek through the US to experience not only different food, but the culture and people of the area. Not only was there ethnic foods, but beer, cheese, kosher, and a chapter both on food desserts and fast foods. I will definitely review some of the chapters before I travel to these regions and it has heightened by desire to make it to specific places in the US. ...more

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Jan 04, 2016 Mia Couture rated it liked it

I read this book for my Book Riot 2016 book challenge for "A food Memoir". But It may not have been the best time for me to read this book as it is diet season and I felt myself getting distracted
A LOT. I enjoyed many of the stories especially Plymouth Plantation since I have been there myself and It brought back pleasant memories of traveling with my family. ...more

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Jan 13, 2016 Valerie rated it really liked it

A delightful look at many of the people & culinary treasures of the USA. The descriptions were so vivid I often felt like I could taste the dishes being described and I loved the amount of time spent in so-called flyover country. It was nice to see Midwestern cuisine represented in a positive light.

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Mar 01, 2016 Robert rated it really liked it

Shelves: foodies

I have been laid up in bed after surgery and catching up on my reading. This book was a great read for my recovery as I got to travel with the author, a well known foodie, as he traveled America. He did so to get to know the people and the food that makes America as he journeyed towards gaining his U.S citizenship. A good read for those interested in food and America.

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Jun 11, 2017 Lorna Van kley rated it it was amazing

A wonderful book that starts off as an idea to travel and eat and experience the people of the USA before he becomes a citizen. It's not just an adventure in food but a veritable history of the USA. You can definitely hear the author, Simon Majumdar throughout this book if you've seen him on any Food Network shows ...more

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Feb 27, 2015 Sarah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, memoirs, food, travel, immersion-journalism

This is a well-written book, and I found parts of it to be quite interesting. As much as I love to eat, I got tired of reading so many descriptions of food. This would be a good pick for a real foodie. (4/21/15)

I received an ARC from NetGalley! (3/19/15)

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Aug 31, 2015 Anusha rated it liked it

(Really 3.5 stars) Quick, enjoyable read. I picked it up at the library when I was locked out of my apartment for a few hours and it certainly made the waiting time more fun. It's your basic travelogue of the US but with a food focus. Nothing too serious or mind-blowing, just a nice, easy read! ...more

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Apr 21, 2015 Christina Dudley rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction, urbanfarmjunkie

Rounding up from 3.5. A fun and funny series of essays about American food. Don't read on an empty stomach! ...more

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May 18, 2015 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: memoir

Simon Majumdar's exploration of America through food is a lot of fun. His vivid descriptions of the food he ate along the way also made me hungry. ...more

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