The Donut Book

by Sally Levitt Steinberg

Ooey, gooey, sticky, and sweet, nothing is as irresistible as a freshly made donut. Sally Levitt Steinberg, a descendant of donut royalty, reveals the delicious history of these tasty treats with charming humor and nostalgia. Learn about famous donut makers and their creations, the secret of the hole, why donuts and coffee are made for each other, and much more. With 29 recipes to try at home and plenty of mouthwatering pictures, this fun tour of all things donut is a sweet indulgence. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Cooking, Food

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like cigarettes, it was not hard for mid-century captains of industry to whip up junk science to tout the health benefits of donuts, and even easier to find the PR hacks to turn those convenient facts into advertising for a product that (in this case) nobody then or now gave two shits about the alleged health benefits thereof.

In the delightful The Donut Book we are treated to a tasty variety of interesting factoids, recipes, and retro pix, including this disturbingly awesome one above, which I believe may document the precise moment when the American obesity crisis began.

Little seems to have been left out -- except the hole -- in this history of everyone's favorite portable breakfast delight, including proper dunking techniques, the aforementioned dubious health claims made for them, the place of the doughnut in pop culture, etc. Along with the recipes, it seems the author has tracked down and included every poster, photo, and brochure illustration ever done touting donuts. A lot of them are jocular in nature (inner tubes standing in as giant donuts, for instance). It seems a lot of movie stars in the golden age were photographed biting into, or dunking, "sinkers," as they were once called in the World War II era. There's a lot of WWII-era stuff in this, and that seems to have been some kind of golden age of the donut in popular culture. One of my favorite pictures here has the great Schnozzolla, Jimmy Durate, eating a donut that is not quite a match for his famously large proboscis.

The original edition of this book from 1987, which I have and which for a time became a collector's item, has a funkier and cooler cover than the one depicted here (a big donut with a cutout in the middle showing text about the book). This edition shows the 2004 reissue cover.

I was going to say something about this being Homer Simpson's favorite book until he succumbed to the pictures and ate it (too obvious), or that this is a paean to that favorite food of cops for providing the sugar high needed for busting heads (too tasteless, particularly given the recent news).

(KR @KY 2016)

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting history on donuts, but a bit repetitive and not as informative on the actual subject of making donuts as I'd like.

[Lin F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, not great. Even though it was written in 2004, it's surprising how much updating it needed. And any donut book that doesn't mention Shipley's Donuts is suspect at best.

[Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

I randomly saw this available at a bargain bookstore, only to find someone else had snatched it up before me and no other copies have been available for months. But I enjoy books about foods, so how could I resist? Years ago I read a book talking about the proliferation of donut stores in Southern California, partially driven by the influx of Cambodian refugees, so I was excited to read a more general book about the food item itself.

This colorful book is full of pictures and recipes of...donuts. History, fun facts, a timeline of donut-related events. It is an easy read that's light and fun and is really more of a superficial look at donuts, which is understandable considering its reputation as a fun food often eaten for breakfast but is not very good for you, etc.

The negative reviews are correct, though. The book was apparently first published in 1987, with the last update in 2004. It is definitely time for an update (the author refers to herself as a donut Pocahontas, for example). It is also fairly repetitive and while tries to be fun, the writing is not that great, either.

I am sure there are people who would love a book like this, it made for an easy read and there are some recipes, etc. But it is long overdue for an update, it is not a cookbook (so if you're looking into making donuts or really understand how to make donuts yourself, you're probably better off buying a baking/pastry/donut-specific book) and I really have to side-eye the author's reference to Pocahontas.

Bought this as a cheap used book and that was best. Wait for an update, look at other donut-related books, see if it's available at the local library (just save your money) and skip this one.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It contains many great histories and is chalked full of good recipes. Watch out donut lovers! This book will have your mouth watering and your hands itching to start cooking.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

FUN. And hungry-making.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a fun book to learn about the history of Donuts. I wish I had a deep fryer now so I could try some of the recipes.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun and interesting (yes, interesting) read for both history and donut buffs. Great photos, too!! Note: don't read if you're hungry.

[Susan]

great photos. Writing is very repetitive and not very good. Recommend flipping through to look at photos and scan text.