Nutgraf

I totally loved 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.

And who doesn’t love an obsessive? You get someone really going on a topic they feel truly passionate about, and you’re bound to learn something and contract some of their enthusiasm. I am absolutely going to add It Must’ve Been Something I Ate to my reading list.

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 companion to me. Gracious, hilarious, self-deprecating (when appropriate), decadent (also when appropriate) and a lover of all things food – I thoroughly enjoyed and learned much from his essays, whether he was examining the best fruit ripening technique (depends on the fruit) or testing the qualities of Kobe beef.

A chapter which I hope is taught in colleges around the country is the one about creating the cheapest possible diet. Steingarten explores the menu plan upon which food stamp allotments are (or were) based, and finds it to be thrifty, but repetitive, unimaginative and zestless. He manages to eat better – defined here as tastier and more healthful food – for less money, and I think some really important lessons may be drawn here.

This is a man who enjoys food. He studies it. He’s brilliant and obsessive and, well, obsessed. He wants to know the Best Way to go about everything and will hunt down the best performing ingredients, whether they are the elusive white truffle, or the cheap rice sold in bulk from a warehouse down the street. What a fantastic career he has made for himself.

• Would love to know what you’re reading. Please feel free to comment below or e-mail me at thea [at] nutgraf dot net.
• Check out BookGraf: The low-impact reading club on Facebook.

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