Hearty: On Cooking, Eating, and Growing Food for Pleasure and Subsistence

by Andrea Bennett

Thoughtful, wide-ranging essays exploring food as a source of pleasure, practical creativity, and sustenance

Food is the primary way andrea bennett connects with the world. They worked in the restaurant industry for a decade, and though they don’t eat much meat and can’t eat gluten, they take as much pleasure in food as Jeffrey Steingarten, Anthony Bourdain, or Guy Fieri. When they want to show someone they care, they cook them a meal. The essays in Hearty offer a snapshot of the North American cultural relationship to food and eating. Hearty dives deep into specific foods, such as chutney, carrots, and ice cream, but also explores appetite and desire in food media, the art of substitution, seed saving and the triumphs and trials of being a home gardener, how the food system works (and doesn’t), and complex societal narratives around health and pleasure. Combining journalism, cultural commentary, and personal reflection, Hearty follows bennett’s curiosity into kitchens, gardens, fields, and factories, offering a compassionate and compelling perspective on food from seed to table.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Essays, Audiobook

248 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2024

About the author

andrea bennett is a non-binary National Magazine Award–winning writer, editor, and sometimes-illustrator who lives on the northern Sunshine Coast in BC.

Their first book of essays, Like a Boy but Not a Boy: Navigating Life, Mental Health, and Parenthood Outside the Gender Binary (Arsenal Pulp Press), was a CBC Books’ pick for the top Canadian nonfiction of the year, and one of Autostraddle’s best queer books of 2020, as well as a 2022 selection for the American Library Association’s Over the Rainbow longlist. Their next book of essays, Hearty: Essays on Pleasure and Subsistence, will come out with ECW Press in 2024.

They are also the author of two poetry collections, Canoodlers (Nightwood, 2014) and the berry takes the shape of the bloom (Talonbooks, 2023), as well as two travel guides to Montreal and Quebec City.

Reviews

[Dessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sipped at this book slowly, which felt perfect, sometimes reading a paragraph and sometimes a page and sometimes an essay and a half at a time. Every essay feels like someone telling you a story as they cook, and you the reader sitting at the counter with a glass of wine. I particularly liked where bennett wove together family history and wider food history, tracing back a history of beans, or potatoes, or tomato chutney. There’s something very grounding about this book and it made me more resolute to plant sweet potatoes on my ten square foot balcony this summer, which almost certainly won’t go well, but which is also almost certainly the point. A few years ago I read a tumblr post that said something like “I beg you to find ways to mark the passing of time that are not manmade. Take pleasure in the fruits of each new season. Ground yourself in the calendar of birds winging away and returning, new buds springing up in the soil. I beg you to notice and tie yourself to these patterns.” This book and that tumblr post are shaking hands, hugging, kissing. Wholesome, and needed.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of Hearty narrated by Panta Mosleh. Hearty is an interesting mix of memoirs, food and non-fiction.

I enjoyed the majority of Hearty. Author andrea bennett discusses researching to know and understand when it is ok to make substitutions in a recipe. Andrea also discusses using parts of a plant that might not be perfect (due to home growing) and also using parts of a plant that might not ordinarily be used (such as broccoli leaves). Mmmm ... the chutney recipe sounds marvelous.

The author delved into the world of restaurant help as there was substantial work experience in this industry. Interesting games created when customers were scarce. I felt like I learned some things (especially my own naivety) about this industry.

The author is Canadian and I enjoyed listening about the "Toronto/Guelph, Ontario" area (as I worked in the area a little) as well as time in Montreal and the Pacific Northwest (and microclimates for growing).
 
Very unusual for an audiobook, ALL referenced links were read.
https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-...
(This was about two hours of the 9hr 21min audiobook.)

Many thanks to NetGalley for introducing me to this new to me and debut author andrea bennett. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher ECW Press Audio for approving my request to listen to the advance listen version of Hearty in exchange for an honest review. Publication date is Sept 3, 2024.

The narrator did a very good job. I can see where this book might not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it very much.

[Vicuña · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly, for clarification, this book is by a Canadian author, not a British author of the same name. I was looking for a hard copy to order and the title has been incorrectly attributed on some commercial sites.

I have the audio version which is well narrated and I’ve enjoyed listening to it. Bennett has a unique perspective on food and the book is a series of unrelated but interconnected essays on food, our relationship with it, veganism vegetarians, commercial production, processing and growing. It’s diverse in subject matter, but each chapter takes the reader or listener on a thought provoking journey. Bennett’s relationship with food has been shaped by difficulties in her early years and right from the outset where there’s a wonderful recipe for lilac syrup, I was hooked.

This isn’t a recipe book in any way, but there are numerous ideas that will touch anyone with creative cooking spirit. Nor is it a diatribe for or against veganism (although I found the analogy with a pet cat persuasive). It’s an original and thought provoking exploration about food; preparation, eating, growing, producing and much more. There are extensive notes and, for me, this is a book I’ll be looking for in hard copy to Ollie up on some of the footnotes and bibliography. Definitely one of my favourite and very different non fiction titles this year.

[Niamh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very kindly given an e-ARC audiobook via Netgalley and ECW Press Audio.

Because this is an essay collection, there's something in here for everybody. I can't say I enjoyed every essay, but you never like every chocolate in the chocolate box. My interest in regenerative farming or the minutia of houseplants might be minimal, but for others, it's exactly what they want to read! Other people might not want to know about andrea's attempts to perfect an English trifle or make dozens of different varieties of ice cream - but I loved it! I'd have loved to have seen more of those essays, but hey ho. This is exactly the kind of food essay collection that I love to read - it's a collection of essays about the joy of food that aren't particularly interconnected, but excellently written.

'Hearty' is available from September 3rd.

[Britney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Foodies tend to be obnoxious about sharing their opinions (and judgement) about others' food choices. This author is very accepting and recognizes people have all sorts of barriers to and opinions about organic, whole-food diets. It is quite refreshing, to be honest. I listened to the audiobook, and it feels like a conversation with the author/narrator about cooking and growing food, our complicated relationship with food, and how the food system does and doesn't work.

This is a good book for foodies, home gardeners, people who enjoy cooking for others, and people who enjoy looking at the big picture.

I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review, and my honest opinion is that I enjoyed this book.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting and thought-provoking book of short essays, about food. Not only about food, but people's relationship with food, how food establishes community, where food comes from and the importance of sustainability, and family traditions. There are some fun chapters, too - i especially enjoyed the trials and tribulations of making macarons, and all about Heinz tinned beans. There is a lot of 'food for thought' within these pages. I really enjoyed the author's passion and love for food.

I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in food, eating, the environment, a few chuckles, and some very good writing.

[toria (vikz writes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

At its base, this book is food writing. It even has recipes. But, it is more than that. It is a celebration of food and a call for changes in the way that food is produced. In addition, it is a memoir of the lived experience; trauma, family breakdown, working in the catering industry and a lifelong relationship with food.  really enjoyed the experience of reading this book . However, it is an essay collection, you are going to like some essays more than others.  The writing is both lyrical and plain spoken, making it poetic and accessible. I would say that, if you enjoy small fires, then you will

[Hannah Pape · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I have no strong feelings about this book one way or the other, it was just okay. It didn't leave a deep impression on me. A few of the essays I enjoyed and found them to be interesting, insightful, and funny. However most of the essays were not my cup of tea, not due to the author's lack of writing ability, but due to my lack of interest in some of the focal topics.

[Enid Wray]

An interesting title for anyone who reads Michael Pollan, or Mark Bittman, or who read The 100-Mile Diet… but compared to those titles it felt like less than.

Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for granting me access to an early digital arc.

DNF

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of stories about food and nourishment. It covers topics such as humane sourcing, food integrity and how certain recipes are created. It's an interesting and little-discussed take on food.

[Marina Lagacé · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pleasure and a comfort to read. The writing is very intimate, while being highly relatable. If you love food, and are hungry for something without all the criticism, categories and judgement one often finds in food writing, this is the book for you.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An essay collection by accomplished author andrea bennett. This book is about cooking, gardening and eating. I really enjoyed this collection. I think reading about andrea's cooking exploits was my favour part of the book. They are a much more accomplished cook than me.

[Jess Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and inspiring. Each essay explored the complexities of life within our local food economy. Such a pleasure to read and makes me want to get my hand dirty both in the kitchen and out in soil.

[Kaitlyn (ktxx22) Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and its discussion on food sustainability and ethical consumption. This is one of these books that I would like to own. For the recipes used throughout. I also enjoyed the talk about community and feeding your people.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Hearty is a well curated essay collection about food, food culture, and growing and eating food by andrea bennett. Due out 3rd Sept 2024 from ECW Press, it's 240 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

The author has a vital, restful, interesting voice and the ruminations from the book are well written and pleasant, occasionally profound, and engaging. From making lilac syrup to real conversations about what and how we prepare food, how we take care of our community, what interpersonal relations mean in a context of food and nourishment, and even the politics/philosophy of dietary restrictions and vegetarianism.

This is not in any meaningful way a recipe/cooking book. It's worth reading, but not for the recipes. It's not an academic treatise either, but it is well annotated, and the chapter notes are likely worth the price of the book just for the links for further reading. A few of the essays included in this collection were previously published in other forms in other publications.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours 21 minutes and is beautifully read by Panta Mosleh. She has a rich alto voice, very well modulated, and there's a contemplative, gentle cadence to the read which her voice suits very well. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

andrea bennett was not previously on the radar, but is certainly now one to for whom to keep an eye out. They write well and perceptively.

Four and a half stars. The book would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home use, smallholders, gardening groups, and gifting.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[W.M. Rhodes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for an Arc of this book.

Such a delight- Full of interesting recipes, lifestyle and culture. a recommended read.

[book_leafs]

DNF @40%

[Nada Loughead · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my review at https://canadiancookbooks.ca/hearty/

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific listen, especially for fans of essays by Aimee Nezhukumatathil and Ross Gay.