Eater's Digest: 400 Delectable Readings about Food and Drink

by Lorraine Bodger

Americans are as crazy about food as they are about trivia, and Eater's Digest is a deliciously unique and playful book that addresses both of these passions with a practical and quirky array of flavorful folklore and facts.

Have you ever wondered what astronauts dine on in space or how Sumo wrestlers achieve their beefy physiques? Do you know the 10 best Web sites for buying kitchen supplies, the 8 most hated kitchen chores, or the 5 hottest peppers? Just what are the 10 most appealing foods to eat in bed after sex? Lorraine Bodger, the prolific author of numerous cookbooks and books of lists, has combined her talents to create this appetizing and entertaining smorgasbord of short articles and lists that answers all these questions and so many more. Fun to dip into whenever you're looking for a tasty treat, Eater's Digest is filled with fascinating and hilarious tidbits to savor and share. Readers are sure to find it the most delicious fun they can have without gaining a pound.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[NyiNya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whether you want a decent reference book or simply an entertaining book about food, culture and eating habits, this book doesn't cut it. It's chock full of stale tidbits culled from other sources.

Open the book to any random page and you'll find something you've seen dozens of times before. Take page 42, for instance, where our diligent researcher points out that rice pudding, mashed potatoes and cinnamon toast are comfort food. Good info for those who thought these comprised Nouvelle Cuisine. On page 55, we are informed that apples, bananas and oranges are among the most popular fruits in America. Page 69 reveals that lettuce, cucumbers and watercress are low in calories, while the following pages warn that goose fat, lard and duck fat are not. Page 73 provides a real shockeroo: an entire box of filled chocolates contains many calories (and so does an entire strawberry cheesecake...no wonder my diet isn't working). Page 89 pulls the curtains back from the Secrets of Sugar, advising us that granulated sugar is grainy, while powdered sugar is powdery. Page 110 gives us a list of yellow foodstuffs, in case you were wondering what color yellow squash and yellow cake might be, or thought that lemons and bananas came in assorted designer shades.

Page 127 tells us what a latte is, pages 128 and 129 provide the disturbing news that potato chips are a favorite kids' snack, while bitter foods and something the author describes as "soggy yogurt" are not. On pages 140 and 141, we are told that parsley is a good choice for garnish, and ketchup, mustard and relish are popular condiments. But wait, there's more. Other revelations include: T-Bone steaks are generally enjoyed by most people who like steak; chopped celery may be added to tuna salad; cleaning the oven is an unpopular pastime; mashed potatoes are not usually found on pizza; Genoa salami comes from Italy; the Japanese eat miso soup for breakfast; minced ham, peppers and onions are good in an omelet. Page 197 lists such unusual stuffed foods as grape leaves, cabbage and mushrooms. We are also warned that the mushrooms called Death Cap and Death Angel should not be eaten. Drat, there goes my dinner menu. This book and its "information" are so ridiculous, I began to think it was a parody.

Beyond the silly lists, author Lorraine Bodger also takes the time to give us brief essays. One of these explains that crepes and blintzes are quite similar, another tells us that breast milk is good for babies. My favorite essay, which appears on page 286, deals with Food Safety Away From Home. Blodger advises us that all restaurant kitchens are dirty. "If you saw the inside of most restaurant kitchens, you'd never eat out again." She comes right out and warns us: "Don't eat sushi in restaurants." So where do we go? The bus station? She also lets us know that those specials at the top of the menu are the restaurant's revenge on clientele, comprising "the chef's fervent desire to unload the eighty-two pork chops and 12 pounds of crabmeat that didn't go over too well last week."

Get the picture? This could have been written in two hours by anyone with access to Google. Save your money. Buying this book will just leave a bad taste in the mouth.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides some tidbits, some hefty information and trivia about food, drink, restaurant industry, anything that foodies would love to read. Good read in between other scheduled readings because you cannot get lost in the flow of this book.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

From the first page, it’s so terribly infused with fatphobic language, I couldn’t go on.

[Jordan Munn · Rating 3 out of 5]

kinda goofy, kinda funny, kinda interesting. great coffee table reading.

[Lu]

Short essays of food

[Abraham Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for foodists!
Lot's of articles for lovers of food.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a discard from a colleague's own collection. I read the book in tidbits over a span of a few years. It's entertaining in three/four minute tidbits. A good coffee table book.