Undercooked: How I Let Food Become My Life Navigator and How Maybe That's a Dumb Way to Live

by Dan Ahdoot

A collection of hilarious essays about how food became one man’s obsession and coping mechanism, and how it came to rule—and sometimes ruin—his relationships, from the Cobra Kai actor, stand-up comic, and host of Food Network’s Raid the Fridge

“When most people say they have an unhealthy relationship with food, they mean they eat too much of it or too little. When I say I have an unhealthy relationship with food, I mean it’s what gives my life meaning. That’s a really dumb way to live your life, as the stories in this book will attest to.”

Despite an impressive résumé as an actor and writer, Dan Ahdoot realized that food has been the through line in the most important moments of his life. Growing up as a middle child, Ahdoot struggled to find his place in the family until he and his father discovered their shared love for la gourmandise. But when the tragic death of his brother pushed his parents to strengthen their Jewish faith and adopt a strictly kosher diet, Ahdoot and his father lost that savored connection.

To fill the absence left by his brother and father, Ahdoot began to obsess over food and make it central in all his relationships. This, he admits, is probably crazy, but it makes for good stories. From breaking up with girlfriends over dietary restrictions, to hunting just off the Long Island Expressway, to savoring his grandmother’s magical food that was his only tactile connection to his family’s home country of Iran, to jetting off to Italy to dine at the one of the world’s best restaurants, only to send the risotto back, Ahdoot’s droll observations on his unconventional adventures bring an absurdly funny yet heartfelt look at what happens when you let your stomach be your guide.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Biography

Audible Audio

First published March 21, 2023

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook….read by the ‘funny guy ‘…..
*Dan Ahdoot*
…..5 hours and 43 minutes

FANTASTIC….FANTASTIC….
FANTASTIC!!!!!

It’s audio-food-chatting-party-time!!!
…saucy-drippings for your arteries….
Break bread?
Nope ….
Break tongue?
Yep!

“Chew first, ask questions later”. 😁

There were so many phenomenal lifestyle travel/food stories that went far beyond anything I’ve ever done
I’m not in this financial class for one thing ……
but “Undercooked” is an exhilarating audiobook great time > travels, adventures, hunting, and a surprise dinner in Italy that had just been crowned “King Restaurant”
in the World that ‘day’……when Dan and his at-the-time fiancé, were there.
The story had me hanging by a thread.
…..as did his “Cream of Tarter” story!!

There are some mind blowing majestic exotic ‘WOW’ stories.
Impossible not to laugh and love them!!

There are plenty of great- thought-provoking laughs …..
while (maybe) …. like me - being incredibly impressed with how smart this comedian is — with a delicious vocabulary that was yummier than black bing cherries 🍒 or whatever your cream de menthe salivating pleasure is.

I had never heard of Dan Ahdoot until this audiobook. I simply was immediately hooked with the sample-audio.

I’m not a foodie— [but foodies will love this book] —
I wouldn’t want Dan to cook for me—his fancy-food-would scare me….
But….
everything about his style had me melting.

Danger for straight single or married women…and perhaps gay single or married others ….
If you Google Dan Ahdoot’s photo images…..
…..if it’s your first time seeing who he is….(like me)
because even if he was a fat sloppy obese guy — you already loved this man—
…..as this audiobook was a turn on (food or not) ….it’s outlandishly entertaining.
Well…..
Those photos of Dan???
Wow!!!
Viva-la-melty > I’d definitely do him!!! 😉
His killer smile alone - let alone that gorgeous body can make any woman - or man’s heart flutter.

So — I might not have a fancy food obsession— but …..
from appetizer, main dish, to dessert…..
“Under Cooked” was cooked perfectly…..
…..it’s now one of my all time favorite-comic-food-audiobooks.

The Epilogue - between Dan and his Mom
was soooooo great - Paul and I were laughing hysterically together!!!

Loved it!!!
I’ve got a new crush!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!

A FAVORITE AUDIOBOOK!!


Highly recommend for pure enjoyment!!!!!
Note….
If you’ve never heard of Dan Ahdoot — there is plenty of bio information to read about him on Google. I did, I was just too darn, curious not to.

[Susan Tunis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prior to reading this book, I had no idea who Dan Ahdoot was. So, his mild celebrity played no part in my picking this book up. But, I thought: he's Jewish, he's a comedian, and he's a foodie. What could be bad?

First, let me clarify... *I'm* a foodie. Dan Ahdoot is something else. You know how they say some people eat to live, and other people live to eat? Dan Ahdoot is the latter. This guy ain't fooling around! His life did sort of revolve around food. A few examples: he was an unpaid intern at a world class restaurant to learn to cook. He became a hunter to kill and prepare his own food. He spanned the globe visiting the most celebrated restaurants in the world.

Mr. Ahdoot knows food like a pro, and not your run-of-the-mill pro. No, he's a true sophisticate, with a refined and adventurous palate. And the man can write food porn with the best of them. But the subtitle of the book is, "How I let food become my life navigator, and how maybe that's a dumb way to live." So, it wasn't all bread and roses.

His obsession with food got in the way of relationships, with his family, with friends, with women he dated. This book is a memoir that details how he started down this path, how he indulged in this passion, how too much of a good thing became problematic, and his path towards a better balanced life.

And I think the above would be a fairly fascinating story in any competent writer's hands. But Mr. Adhoot is a successful comic. He's not going out of his way to write jokes, but he's a naturally funny guy. It was a delight spending time with him. I listened to the audiobook, which he reads himself, and of course that makes his story even more personal. He comes across as a very likable, slightly neurotic, everyman. Within the pages, he talks about his family, his Persian Jewish culture, his career, his friends, his romances, and more--all in addition to food, Food, FOOD!

This was an unexpected pleasure. I don't know if I'll ever watch the man perform, but I definitely hope to read more from him in the future!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

No idea how this book ended up on my to be read pile, had never heard of Dan Ahdoot! Good bedtime reading, just read a couple chapters each night. Loved the hunting stories, will never forget the story of the shit tent LOL.

[Elena Espinoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part food narrative, part memoir of one Iranian-American’s journey through life. Ahdoot will make you laugh, roll your eyes, and add food knowledge to your mental Rolodex with every line. A great light read.

[Mary Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dan Ahdoot is a well-known comedian and podcaster. I got the book after hearing an interview of him by Francis Lam on The Splendid Table in which he was very witty and funny. The book was rather a disappointment; the writing was uneven with some parts scarcely more than a listing of dishes or restaurants with little or no context in contrast with other sections where he was sharing stories of his family and career. I think I most enjoyed his copious use of footnotes; he confesses to being an aficianado of footnotes, and so am I-LOL It's a quick read at 222 pages.

[Ray · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this in the cook book section of my local bookstore. I love reading about peoples experiences with food. This isn’t one of those books. I had never heard of the author. It turns out he’s a comedian. The book isn’t funny though. It’s mainly about failed life experiences from setting the woods on fire during a hunting trip to lost loves. I’m on page 184, only about 20 pages from the end and I’ve had to stop reading again. He’s been going on and on about his lost lover. She was great, except for the celiac disease that left them unable to share great meals together. So he broke up with her but now wants her back. She said no and he is dragging all his friends out and rehashing his regrets with them. I can’t go on.

[Jamie Feuerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found out about this book after Dan Ahdoot was on my favorite podcast, Lovett or Leave It, and I thought he was very funny. I didn’t know anything about him and decided to give his book a shot and see how I liked it.

This book was hilarious and entertaining. There were many times I found myself laughing, but it didn’t feel like it was trying to hard to be a full on comedy book. I listened to the whole thing via audiobook (Ahdoot himself narrates), and I really enjoyed the way he told the stories (such as doing his family members’ and friends’ voices). The way he described the food he was eating made me so hungry and made me want to go get Persian food asap.

It’s hard to criticize a memoir for the things that happened in it since it’s a real person’s life. Without giving spoilers, I will say that I found his relationship with Katie (specifically how he treated her and broke up with her) and the events of the Elk Camp chapter just insane. I was just cringing while reading. I also wish more than one chapter and an epilogue were spent reflecting on how he’d changed after realizing that food ruling his life was a “dumb way to live.” It was great that he changed the way he thought and found a new way to bring meaning to his life, but that part of his story was barely there. Though I guess since it happened more recently in his life it makes sense that it isn’t a huge part of the book.

Also this was my last book of the year! 57 books in 2023

[Thomas Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would rate this book 3 1/2 out or 5 stars

Can you imagine having a child who graduates from John Hopkins University with honors who plans on attending medical school at Cornell University but instead gives it up to be a comedian. You may know the author from his time on television. From a young age the author was a foodie with his father being a middle child it was his thing to do with his father. They went to some the best restaurants of the time around New York City the likes of Mezzaluna, Les Halle's and Le Cirque. While food is the undertones of this book there are few story lines to follow with him being a comedian, a television star and other ventures along with his personal relationships. There is humor sprinkle throughout the book while some maybe a little sophomoric you still get some pretty good laughs especially when he describes the hunting adventures with college friends especially when you consider his friend and himself not being noted as typically the hunting type. While this is not in my opinion the likes of "Kitchen Confidential" it is still a pretty good read.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good one sitting book.

[Mark Fajet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a few chuckles from the book.

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The intro I was cracking up - but unfortunately that was only like 5 pages. Can always appreciate a fellow foodie though. Breaking up with someone who has celiacs because they ruin your restaurant adventures? Harsh but valid. That is a cross I am not willing to bear myself #gluten4lyfe

[Kate Moore Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t really want to finish this one, but food memoirs are my favorite, so I owed it to the genre.
I enjoyed Ahdoot’s humor and use of footnotes; however, this is his first book and it felt like it. His writing style told the stories, but fell short of guiding me through his internal growth as the stories progressed. I was left unsatisfied at the end of the book, feeling like he’s explained his neurosis around food, but not really what he’ll do with it to grow.
Not my fav. But I’ll always pick up a food memoir.

[Jon Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not familiar with Dan before reading this, but that didn't prevent me from loving the book. The way he weaves stories together with tales from his food adventures made him seem like a seasoned (heh) author. Hilarious and hunger-inducing, I'd recommend this to everyone!

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adhoot might say the basis for Undercooked: How I Let food Become My Life Navigator and How Maybe that's a Dumb Way to Live was his obsession with food. While that is true, food memory plays a huge part in each of Adhoot's connected personal essays. Food did (and still does) mean a lot to Adhoot but his memory of food becomes the catalyst, it's those memories with his father as they bonded over food that he tries to recover and recreate.

It's also the very first topic of conversation for his podcast Green Eggs and Dan: "What's your first food memory?" What answers does he get?

Every guest's memory is either 100 percent positive or 100 percent negative. My first food memory lives in a nostalgic purgatory. It started as a tale of love, but over time erred to the negative, and is now somewhere in between. (38)

Adhoot's first food memory was falafel on a trip with his parents to Israel; then came Falafel Phil. (Can the entertainment industry be more stereotypical banal and ignorant? I mean how did they even create someone like Falafel Phil? It was only in 2011 that Kickin' It aired. I've hope we've come a long way since then.)*

As stated above, the book is formed into essays that could stand alone but are better read together.

In the namesake chapter, "Undercooked," Adhoot and his then fiancé score a reservation at Osteria Francescana.§ The couple struggled with whether or not they have the audacity to actually send back crunchy risotto at the absolute Numero Uno restaurant in the world. On the exact day that it was announced the best restaurant in the world. What would you have done? And, if you knew it that "filet of mackerel" would be a replacement? Would that help you make your mind up to keep mute?

This culinary experience was supposed to be the once-in-a-lifetime perfect meal: "The whole point of these pretentious endeavors is that for three hours life is perfect and nothing can go wrong. It's less of a dining event and more of an art installation that you play a part in. And that risotto took down the whole veneer, from which we never recovered" (69). The risotto took down his engagement and may have been the spark for him to examine his own undercooked life.

The chapter containing the homage to his grandparents specifically his grandmother's food was heartfelt. It also contained a very informative and descriptive run down on Persian food and the connection it has for his family: "Food in our family is more than just sustenance. It holds memories, joy, pain, family, heritage, and heritage lost"(123). ß

I truly laughed out loud while reading. Not to be gross, but his "s#!t tent" episode in the elk hunting chapter had me crying. Then, there's the scene where he's trying to impress a young lady by substituting cream of tartar for coke. He has explosive sneezing attacks but ends up making her a souffle.

Undercooked is a bittersweet read. He uses food experiences to substitute for his father's relationship (after the death of his brother), he participates in a truly horrible television show, he loses a fiancé (another relationship that he tried to hold together with food), and doesn't explore a promising relationship because of a food allergy.

Ironically, it's delivering Meals on Wheels that provides an epiphany to him, that maybe his obsession with the perfect meal is meaningless. It is totally NOT that he's delivering 5 star food to his MoW clients. If anything, it's barely adequate cafeteria style food in Styrofoam trays. But his clients are thrilled with the deliveries. Perspective is everything. Connection and memory are everything. ∫

Good restaurants aren't the ones winning all the awards; they're the ones creating a nourishing community through food where anyone can play. (202)

While I wouldn't classify this book as a rollicking laughfest, I probably enjoyed it more because of the truths that Adhoot uncovers.

Don't skip the Epilogue as Adhoot tries to get a dill rice recipe from his mother. It's complete with a transcript of a wacky mother/son phone conversation. And, whatever you do, do not skip the footnotes. They are a laughfest. (And are much funnier than mine below....much funnier.)

*If you haven't read the book, know that Adhoot was cast (much to his dismay) as Falafel Phil in the Disney series Kickin' It. I pulled up one clip on YouTube and could only watch about 30 seconds of it.
§ They weren't a couple long after this meal.
ß There's that memory motif again.
∫ Another memory reference footnote.

[Conner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't quite sold on this guy and almost gave up on the book within the first 20 pages, but it turned out to be a pretty fun read with memorable stories. Hunting in New Mexico, working as an up-and-coming chef in New York, doing stand-up comedy at colleges across the U.S., and wrapping things up with a Meals-On-Wheels trip that brings healing and peace to his soul. He's a pretty impressive individual, having completed medical school from Johns Hopkins to then make the most 180 of 180 decisions and pursue a career in stand-up comedy. He lands an acting role on Disney's Kickin' It as Falafel Phil, a role he would halfway regret and halfway cherish. He entered the culinary scene through the Spotted Pig, a restaurant formerly owned by Mario Batali, and continued to pursue his culinary passion by testing and trying different dishes. Among his passions is hunting. The book includes a few exciting recounts of hunts in New Mexico and Arizona. In New Mexico, he lands an elk, makes some new friends, and possibly started a forest fire. His passion-drive obsession with food was also turning into a curse. It was ruining his relationships. That was until he joined a buddy on a Meals-On-Wheels drop off. There, he met people that, despite their tough predicaments, found enjoyment from the simplest dishes.

So overall, I walked away with a few laughs, a few valuable insights, and a handful of dishes I want to try and possibly cook (we'll see about the cooking part).

[Esther Victory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious, heartfelt, and honest. Such a fun, quick read—once I picked it up, I didn’t want to put it down and finished in 3 hours!! I didn’t know Dan Ahdoot prior to this book but I enjoyed our time together and I feel like I gained a friend. I always love a good food memoir. I also really appreciated the use of footnotes, they’re so underrated

[Hannah Kimball · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me a while to read, and it wasn't for me. Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Su · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many people, I had to google who Dan is. He played as a stereotypical role because of his race in a Disney Show which he immensely hated. It is interesting how this book touches on many topics and how he compares his experiences with food for his relationships / childhood.

[Keren Xu · Rating 2 out of 5]

the author talks about how food affects his relationships. the meals on the wheel part is interesting. After his encounter with one of the meals on the wheel customer who visited the top restaurants worldwide and eventually lived on the unflavored salmon, the author revisited his relationship with food - he is no longer obsessed with trying out new restaurants but decided to stick to some familiar restaurants for the culinary experience. But I still did not see what motivated the author to change his opinion on food and how he put efforts into those changes or these changes affected his life.

[Heather M L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like some other reviewers I didn’t know who Dan Adhoot was. The book caught my eye in a bookstore (And no, Dan, I’m not a grandma) and it looked like a light funny read which is what I was in search of. It was only after I walked back to my hotel with it that I realized he was a comedian. The book is interesting, funny and warm. It’s not slap you in the face comedy that comedians do when trying to write about offbeat topics. It the perfect amount of subtle humor as if you’re in conversation with a good friend and his good knowledge and interest in the topic is real and authoritative. This is really a book for so many people, especially if you come for the foodie talk.

[Aimee Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea who Dan Ahdoot was, but decided to put this audiobook on my hold list when I saw it was popular. I loved it. It had me laughing a lot. He's a great storyteller.

[Mohsen Shad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what you wanna read. The first 3 chapters were funny though.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, quick read. I like Dan and I like his book. 🤷‍♀️

[Dean Jones]

Undercooked is an enlightening and endearing memoir by Cobra Kai star/comedian Dan Ahdoot about his life journey through the world of food. Dan, in turns, is an assistant chef, hunter, and gastronome navigating life with food as a reference.

I know Ahdoot, mainly for his comedy and entertaining stage performances. I’ve enjoyed his work in binge-worthy works such as Shameless and Cobra Kai. I’ve also seen his standup work and known him from his Podcast “Green Eggs and Dan” where he talks to celebrities about the contents of their fridge. This book shows a personal, vulnerable side of him that reveals the human behind the actor/comedian. Ahdoot, a first-generation immigrant, discovers himself through the unique perspective of using food as his navigator. Through various chapters, he documents his relationship with food throughout his childhood, teenage years, and adulthood.

Ahdoot’s nostalgia, wit, and insight allow readers to gain an understanding of the complexities of how food impacts a person’s life. The book shows a humorous side of Dan in his anecdotal writings, but the memoir speaks too much deeper about experiences, such as losing his brother and how this had an effect on this family's life that would influence his later life.

He vividly recounts the memories of his family’s powerful traditions that were once reconstructed through his homelands. Through Dan’s unique journey, he reveals his need to imitate the recipes of his ancestors to connect with them.

Ahdoot talks about his ambition and passion to become a successful comedian and his experience working in a famous restaurant as an assistant chef. He also admits his longing to be with an irresistible culture of delicious food rather than the supposedly cool L.A. vibe.

An avid hunter, Ahdoot has an amusing and also insightful piece about a hunting trip that had an unexpected turn. Ahdoot has a great chapter about his work at Mario Batali’s “Spotted Pig” restaurant and the life of working behind the scenes in a restaurant. These chapters are fun and engaging and give us a good sense of the many sides of Ahdoot’s life.

From a unique and rewarding narrative of his memories, Dan reveals the depth of his emotional bond with food as a form of cultural identity. In a poignant story, he talks about how his attachment to food sabotaged a relationship. His story gives us an understanding of what our need for belonging may force us to do, and how powerful and decisive our individual decisions are.

His storytelling is light and funny, yet profound and authentic in its delivery. Offering layered sound bites of his life experience and insights, Ahdoot’s journey will have readers in both fits of laughter and tears. It is a book that will leave readers feeling understood and inspired.

[Mmtimes4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of hilarious essays about how food became one man's obsession and coping mechanism, and how it came to rule--and sometimes ruin--his relationships, from the Cobra Kai actor, stand-up comic, and host of Food Network's Raid the Fridge

"When most people say they have an unhealthy relationship with food, they mean they eat too much of it or too little. When I say I have an unhealthy relationship with food, I mean it's what gives my life meaning. That's a really dumb way to live your life, as the stories in this book will attest to."

Despite an impressive r�sum� as an actor and writer, Dan Ahdoot realized that food has been the through line in the most important moments of his life. Growing up as a middle child, Ahdoot struggled to find his place in the family until he and his father discovered their shared love for la gourmandise. But when the tragic death of his brother pushed his parents to strengthen their Jewish faith and adopt a strictly kosher diet, Ahdoot and his father lost that savored connection.

To fill the absence left by his brother and father, Ahdoot began to obsess over food and make it central in all his relationships. This, he admits, is probably crazy, but it makes for good stories. From breaking up with girlfriends over dietary restrictions, to hunting just off the Long Island Expressway, to savoring his grandmother's magical food that was his only tactile connection to his family's home country of Iran, to jetting off to Italy to dine at the one of the world's best restaurants, only to send the risotto back, Ahdoot's droll observations on his unconventional adventures bring an absurdly funny yet heartfelt look at what happens when you let your stomach be your guide.GR Description

This was a book club choice for Humor. I listened to this book read by the author. It had moments of "funny" but overall a good story about how he learned lots of life lessons. It touches on family relationships. He does use lots of the "f" word!

[Kylie Sagisi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

A collection of stories from the author of how food has been at the center of his life throughout family, friend, and relationship dynamics, as he pursued his career as a stand up comedian, actor, and writer.

I felt connected with many his stories - his defining “food snob” moment of only going out for pizza for his 9th birthday; making a career pivot away from the echelons of immigrant parent hopes and dreams for their kids (in his case, turning down medical school); the fantasy of working in a restaurant kitchen, trying to get a recipe from your immigrant mom / grandma over the phone when they have no recipe, and especially the chapter about his own grandma, Mumun Helen.

However, I couldn’t get behind some of the writing stylistic choices and depth of the story telling. Since the author is a comedian, I see why his buttoned up stream of consciousness writing style includes interjections and a multitude of jokes in the footnotes. But I felt like it detracted from the story being told and tbh made it a bit cringe to read whenever they came up.

The author did a beautiful job sharing greater complexities of love with regard to his relationship with his parents and other family members. However, the reflections he shared around his dating history and losing the love of his life felt shallow in comparison. Especially towards the end of the book where the author starts to reconcile the toxic pedestal food represents in his mind with the price it’s had on his relationships with others. The lessons he learned and how that’s fundamentally changed how he values his eating experiences and the approach to sharing that with others felt like it was glossed over in a few pages before the book ended.

But overall enjoyed it and it was a quick, entertaining read!

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually (ok, always) look at the new books at the library,* but not always at non-fiction. This made me glad that I did: although you know the book's premise from the subtitle, it's a heartfelt book about coming to terms with food, family, and relationships.

For a person whose relationship with their father is, in part mediated or explored by food, to have said parent go kosher in the aftermath of a family tragedy means not only the tragedy but also the loss of an eating partner. As Ahdoot explores food, it does indeed frame his relationships, but mostly, I should note, his romantic ones. Those with his family, and his close friends,** are supplemented by food but not driven by it. In the end, he realizes that restaurant meals can be enjoyed without always finding the new, the best, the trendiest, even as his love for them shines through.

The writing is engaging, and breezy.*** Although liberties may have been taken, it's interesting to look at a comedy career through the prism of food. And maybe Felafel Phil wasn't so bad, if it provided income, happiness for kids, and a springboard back into comedy.

*Sorry, Dan, but it's true: library first. It helps that my local library adds a message on the bottom of the slip, telling me how much I've saved this year (by not buying the book) and since I became a member. Suffice to say, it's a ridiculous amount of money. Our tax dollars at work!
**love hunting with Mo!
***easy to read, not facile.

[Matt Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved undercooked—I thought that Ahdoot did one of the best jobs I’ve ever read of showing how good connects us to each other, how it can be a wedge, a refuge, a lifestyle. The chapters were all engrossing, his perspective unique, and his descriptions of his food were perfect at straddling the line between love and pretention.

I loved his descriptions of how food became a bond between his father and him that got ripped away when his brother passed away, and how he became a hunter, a reluctant hunter, and then an accomplished hunter. How food is such a force in his life that he has ended relationships over it, and how that might be stupid but that’s just who he is.

I did think that the writing was a little voicey, at times to the detriment of the book. Ahdoot loves an aside, and at time the asides are structured like a comedy set; I’m not sure it translated over the written word.

Overall, I felt seen and represented by this book—someone who understands the crazy things food makes us do, and the heights we’re willing to go to for it. I loved reading about someone’s love of food who isn’t in the industry too. Overall, loved and would read again.

[Kate McKinney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Memoirs of a guy who runs his life around food. The author is apparently a stand-up comedian; so maybe it's not that surprising that his book has a tone of terminal cleverness that tends to irritate quickly. Not even slightly funny! Somehow, he chooses to talk immediately about Jewish/Muslim issues (w/only a thin veneer of the food theme), then on to hunting tales w/garish details of a very sad incident while hunting a duck & an attempt to humorize an unfortunate, irresponsible incident of widespread fire that he accidentally set (& then covered-up w.his friends) burning an entire area of the forest where they were hunting. Ugh. Instantly turned-off by this guy & his book. Either Boring, Disgusting, Offputting or Annoying. Obnoxiously Vulgar at times. Sensationalistic. And what kind of mental-health issue does he have, which prompts him to spontaneously break up w/girls for reasons like having a gluten-intolerance?! Insensitive & even offensive at times, but he turns it all into a joke. Random writing-style without cohesion. Pretentious. All over the place. The author is fairly unlikable & annoying, which negatively impacts the book throughout.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prior to reading this book I had no idea of who Dan Ahdoot is and now I know that he's a comedian. Prior to reading this book I had also never read a foodie memoir written by a comedian. I'm not sure it works. I enjoyed the portions of the book that spoke to actual food experiences (yes, even the hunting ones) because they were as authentic as he gets. That said, all his snarkiness (is that a word?) and hopeful comedic relief just didn't work. If I wanted a comedy routine I would go elsewhere. Perhaps that's a harsh comment but some of the parts of the book where he relates his experiences with food and other foodies read so well that I felt he actually worked against himself by trying to be the funny man here.