Third Helpings

The Tummy Trilogy #3

by Calvin Trillin

New Ticknor & Fields, 1983. First edition. 8vo. Hard cover binding, 184 pp.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Humor, Food Writing, Travel, Essays, Memoir

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Calvin (Bud) Marshall Trillin is an American journalist, humorist, and novelist. He is best known for his humorous writings about food and eating, but he has also written much serious journalism, comic verse, and several books of fiction.

Trillin attended public schools in Kansas City and went on to Yale University, where he served as chairman of the Yale Daily News and became a member of Scroll and Key before graduating in 1957; he later served as a trustee of the university. After a stint in the U.S. Army, he worked as a reporter for Time magazine before joining the staff of The New Yorker in 1963. His reporting for The New Yorker on the racial integration of the University of Georgia was published in his first book, An Education in Georgia. He wrote the magazine's "U.S. Journal" series from 1967 to 1982, covering local events both serious and quirky throughout the United States.

Reviews

[Ensiform · Rating 3 out of 5]

More amusing essays. Trillin eats everywhere, from deepest Americana “stag oyster eats” with “flatfooting” (stomp-dancing on an old board) as entertainment to fine restaurants in Hong Kong. Again, Trillin’s mildly amusing (though not uproariously funny) and certainly a clever wordsmith, but he says nothing really informative about the culture or background of the places he goes and the food he eats. It’s all very lightweight. Unlike Trillin himself! Ha! Zing!

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

The capsule reviews on the back of this 1983 book say things like "this is the quintessential book for people who love to eat...and laugh." and "You'll laugh out loud."

Well...maybe people were more easily entertained in 1983. I didn't laugh out loud. Not once. I did smile several times. It's a quick, fun read (that I could finish in a day at the book store) which cover such things as the reason for replacing the Thanksgiving turkey with spaghetti carbonara, how to read menu Japanese for traveling to Japan, and an exhaustive comparison review of carnival fair, mostly Anthony Bourdain's favorite food--tubed meat. It was a fun read, but not side splittingly funny. Maybe so many similar books have been written since 1983 that it just pales in comparison.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, Calvin Trillin entertains, educates, and amuses readers with his unique takes on food and American culture. This book concentrates on Cajun cooking, beer, and continues his fight to make spaghetti carbonara the national dish of Thanksgiving. A quick read and suitable for anyone who wants to chuckle.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third and last book in the series Calvin Trillin wrote about his adventures in eating.

I really loved this series and this book is just as funny as the first two, weather he is describing trying to get his daughter Sarah to try eating catfish or his trip to Hong Kong, Mr. Trillin is always funny and tells a wonderful story.

[Chris "Stu" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diminishing returns after the first and second book, but still good and worth reading, especially if you want to write about food yourself, or perhaps get some ideas for where you should go for dinner.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of Ameroca's most entertaining writers and subtle commentators about American life over the past 25 years at least

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like me, Trillin has a deep and obvious inclination to rich, flavorful street food. He's sort of a Guy Fieri before Fieri. Based in NYC he praises Chinatown restaurants, including learning the characters printed on the wall for more authentic, challenging dishes. I can't go with that inclination, but I am right there with him on singing the praises of sausage sandwiches bought from a vendor booth at a street festival. His witty, self-deprecating writing explores the origins of Buffalo wings and sings the praises of rural fried chicken ventures as well as Chicago pizza. While Pennsylvania (Philly cheesesteak) and New England (clams, etc.) get a lot of attention from the NYC dweller, my own home state of Louisiana gets attention in two chapters. One is on the Baton Rouge baked duck saga around Didee's Restaurant. The other is a bizarre departure point to explore the dishes of Acadiana around Nathan Pritikin, the controversial nutritionist who committed suicide after treatment for leukemia, who tried to make Natchitoches ″the healthiest town in the United States.″ Pritikin’s diet and exercise methods were put to the test from 1980 to 1981 in Natchitoches when it had the highest death rate in Louisiana.

[Bjipson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Calvin Trilling was a very funny man; this read will make you laugh out loud. He purports to be a food researcher as he travels around the country, especially to the south, to do scientific studies that will determine the best boudin or oysters or dim sum to be found. Light read -- this won't change your life, but it will make you smile. Published in 1983, this definitely holds up!

[Susan Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, his 'tummy' books are lots of fun. Witty, intelligent, and self-forgiving text.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sleeper humor author, but occasionally belabors a point.