On Eating: The Making and Unmaking of My Appetites

by Alicia Kennedy

With lush prose and evocative storytelling, Alicia Kennedy shares her journey “from eater to cook,” exploring how we can eat for both joy and justice in a warming, overworked, and globalized world.
 
As a girl, I ate like a king.  
 
So begins beloved author, journalist, and influencer Alicia Kennedy’s captivating new book. On Eating is more than a memoir; in true Alicia Kennedy style, it is also on desire, on the roles of women “in the kitchen,” on domesticity, on diaspora, on foodways and food sovereignty, on home and how we find home through food, on how food can help us bring us back to those we love.
 
Beautifully rooted in place—from Long Island (on oysters, on martinis) to San Juan (on plantains, on sugar), On Eating is not only a provocative bildungsroman and a celebration of appetite, it also challenges each of us to consider our own relationship with food, and how our need to eat—to live—impacts the world.  
 
Ultimately, On Eating is a paean on food and those who grow and cook it, asking the urgent questions in our world today about what and how we eat.  

Genres: Memoir, Food, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 14, 2026

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not so much a Food Memoir as a Memoir that mentions a lot of food, and the difference is a huge part of what sunk this book.

Kennedy is a lovely writer and when she’s actually speaking about food for its own sake, she’s a delight to spend time with. The problem here is that food isn’t really Alicia Kennedy’s favorite subject. Alicia Kennedy’s favorite subject is Alicia Kennedy.

Obviously a memoir of any sort affords a decent amount of navel gazing, and I always enjoy hearing women talk about what they love and what they’re good at. Where Kennedy lost me was in the mostly self-aggrandizing tendency to speak not of her opinions and talents for their own sake, but as things that make her superior to others, most notably to other women.

There’s some really overt woman-on-woman crime here: Vegan-at-the-moment Kennedy accuses female chefs who focus on meat of doing so because they’re trying to join the boys club and bow to the patriarchy. It’s a pretty spiteful, unprovoked attack, not to mention the issue of going after a group who struggles to fit in for, y’know, trying to fit in instead of those who make it difficult for them to do so. For all of Kennedy’s refreshing progressive politics, this has a real pot-kettle feel to it.

Also grating is the clear superiority Kennedy feels in her own indulgence. She takes what should be a good thing (essentially, life is short, eat the good stuff), and turns it into a thinly veiled sneer at those who might have reasons for curbing their appetites or eschewing rich foods. That her family drank whole milk when she was growing up is mentioned over and over as though it were a badge of honor rather than simply a preference.

And it doesn’t help that the barking morality is ever shifting. One minute we’ve drawn Kennedy’s ire for eating meat. The next, for not drinking whole milk. That Kennedy can’t seem to make up her mind whether she’s vegan or vegetarian is fine. That she’s fully prepared to shout at you from her soapbox either way is not.

Occasionally, Kennedy forgets all the airs and just talks food, and when she does this becomes a much better book. When she’s speaking of food culture in Puerto Rico or just about the taste of apples, she’s a delight to read.

Had the text devoted more space to food history or even to more of Kennedy’s personal cooking and eating experience, it could have a great read. But alas, as I slogged through all the chiding and self-congratulating, I could practically feel Kennedy sneering at me for drinking 1% milk.

All the unprovoked spikiness and grandstanding paired with a lot of repetitive content made this a tough hang. Lots of good food memoirs out there. Pick one that focuses more on the author’s love of food instead of their contempt for the ways others love it instead.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Jade Gu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rigorous and beautiful, thank you to Alicia for the review copy. The ethical stakes of food are inextricable from our appetites- the negotiation of these are always difficult for me and most others but Alicia’s writing and ethos surrounding food always inspire me to do better. More to come elsewhere on this book, hopefully.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't really read the synopsis, I just saw the title and knew this was a book I wanted to read. As someone in ED recovery, Alicia's perspective on food was incredibly refreshing. This was such an enjoyable book to read!! Alicia was able to help me see food (even if only for the slightest moment) in a way that didn't make it something I dread, something that is a required chore of my existence. Through her words, food became something worth celebrating and relishing, something that is worth the effort put in. For that alone, I am thankful. Hearing someone talk so lovingly and with such passion about the foodstuffs she consumes is healing in and of itself in its own way.

Thanks to Alicia, NetGalley, and Grand Central Publishing for the eARC 😊

[BethFishReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note this was barely a 3 for me.

A memoir of the author's adventures in eating and baking.

Kennedy grew up in a multi-cultural home and ate a wide range of foods from an early age. She eventually turned to a vegan diet and made a name for herself as a vegan baker and a food journalist. Later she added more foods back into her diet, especially after marrying and moving to Puerto Rico.

I have mixed thoughts about this book, which I think will appeal mostly to younger readers who may be less familiar with classic food writing from the late 20th century. I found a lot of her writing, especially at the beginning of the memoir, to be derivative.

I was also concerned with her attitude toward veganism, which feels like it comes from a place of privilege. She noted that it was "easy" to be vegan and to buy fair trade everything. Well, yeah, if you live in a city and have money. To give her credit, she kind of admits to this near the end of the book, but by then I wasn't really onboard anymore.

Kennedy makes the point that pretty much all the food we buy and eat is a political/ethical issue--and I don't disagree. However, it's overwhelming for most daily cooks, especially those with few resources. A couple of sections that stuck with me: She wrote about how being an omnivore is an anti-feminist issue, and near the end of the memoir, she talks about the dilemma of tap vs. bottled water.

I know this book has gotten a lot of praise, from both general readers and professional book reviewers. So you might want to give it a chance. Sadly, it just didn't really work for me.

I listened to the audiobook, which was read by the author. Though she isn't a professional narrator, she did an okay job. She had some odd breaks and emphases, but I didn't have any huge issues.

Thanks to Hachette Audio for the review copy.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alicia did a great job focusing on the origins of food, the environmental impacts, plus her own life memories based around food. There was grief, happy times around food, and a lot of information/education. Her description of Entemann’s crumb cake donut was literally perfect.

Thank you NetGalley and Balance for my eARC!

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fascinating book! I loved Alicia's point of view and the way her voice came through on the page. It was extremely interesting to learn about the ups and downs in her life that came together to create the life and worldview she holds today. Hearing her perspective on food, culture and heritage made me think about these things from my own view. I learned so much about things we take for granted as "staple" foods in American society, and how these seemingly insignificant (they aren't!) foods are valued in other parts of the world. I feel more well rounded and more inquisitive after reading this book.. I recommend so highly! Thank you so much for the advanced readers copy.

[Yamini · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author’s approach to food goes beyond just eating. It narrows down to the smallest details, almost like breaking ingredients into tiny micro elements that define their identity. There are moments where she reflects on something as specific as the kind of apples she prefers, and that level of attention really stands out.

Her journey through being vegan, vegetarian, and then consuming meat is discussed in detail, and it does not feel linear or forced. It naturally flows into side conversations that expand the narrative beyond just food habits.

There is also a strong discussion around the role of women in this space, not just professionally but within homes as well. The responsibility of creating meals that balance nutrition, taste, and seasonality is touched upon in a very real way.

I experienced this as an audiobook, and it worked perfectly. Since it is narrated by the author herself, the emotions come through very clearly, especially when she talks about food, its origins, and everything that surrounds it. I would definitely recommend the audio version for this one.

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts of this book I loved, and other parts I just found super pretentious and self-serving.

This is a memoir, I partially read it as a print copy and partially listened to it as an audiobook narrated by the author. She discusses her past and moving to the present all while focusing on various foods she loves, hates, and respects.

On one hand, she does a thorough job of explaining her justification for becoming a vegan (now a vegetarian). I admire that she approaches eating and cooking both academically and ethically, she poured herself into baking and developing recipes using thoughtfully sourced ingredients. I also appreciate that she didn't/doesn't cave to using manufactured meat substitutes. No soy nuggets or tofurkey here.

On the other, she re-confirms for me (and for many others) many pretentious vegan stereotypes that give veganism a bad name. I did not care at all for her assertion that every female chef or cook who eats and embraces meat is bowing to the patriarchy and doing it just to get a seat at the table.

"Men took on cooking for intellectual or creative reasons, and they enjoyed professional success through restaurant kitchens- even the ones on TV, like Bobby Flay and Emeril, had that chef-whites' sheen of lived-in expertise; meanwhile, women like Ina Garten, Giada De Laurentiis, and Rachael Ray were tasked with making women's misery somehow more palatable and easy, as far as I could tell. They put a happy face on the unpaid labor of domesticity."

Overall though, if you can set that aside, this is an intriguing look at food. Particularly since she lives in Puerto Rico, whose food and culture I really didn't know much about before reading this. I really wish she would have included recipes for some of these foods she describes, because I love to cook and would love to try some of the more unique things she talks about.

If you like food related memoirs, definitely give this one a chance because even though it has some issues for me, I was still fascinated throughout.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anytime there's a book about food, I'm showing up for it. There have been ones that I've been deeply affected by and others that I've generally given up on and this one pulled me in with the whimsy of organizing it by a food or drink like "on mushrooms" or "on bread" and then providing an avenue to share a story or two about her life, her background, geographical location and history of a specific food item, a memory, etc. wrapped in the warmth of a love and appreciate of eating.

It was enchanting and important to Kennedy, you can tell by the writing and care of the subject and organization. It's one of the good ones in that it mixes the autobiography without being too heavily skewed in that direction. A warmth like a hug about appreciating food, preparation of food, and connection through food.

"It was a drudgery I'd seen my mom take on: "You'll spend your life doing it," she told me. "For a man." The venom of that last part, from someone who never made any feminist avowals, struck me like lightning: If having to make dinner every day could turn my mom into someone who names the patriarchy when usually she seemed rather politically disinterested, then there must be no fate worse. The heteronormativity of this assumption aside, I took her advice to heart, because aside from my grandma, I'd never seen women truly happy in the kitchen unless they were on television. Men took on cooking for intellectual or creative reasons, and they enjoyed professional success through restaurant kitchens- even the ones on TV, like Bobby Flay and Emeril, had that chef-whites' sheen of lived-in expertise; meanwhile, women like Ina Garten, Giada De Laurentiis, and Rachel Ray were tasked with making women's misery somehow more palatable and easy, as far as I could tell. They put a happy face on the unpaid labor of domesticity."

[Siobhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and have compiled a list of at least four friends I'm going to gift it to. I'll also be picking up a copy for the little free library outside our community garden.

Alicia Kennedy, a food writer now based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, grew up on Long Island in one of those working-class towns that people from the city started flocking to after World War II. My mother's family was one of them. Like Kennedy, my family history is rife with silences, mixed marriages, rupture, addiction, exile, displacement, estrangement, early deaths and, despite it all, an insatiable curiosity about the wider world. I was hooked from page one.

Part food history, travelogue, and sociocultural history, On Eating will appeal to readers who love to cook; to history buffs; to those concerned about where their food comes from and how climate change is affecting growing conditions. It's also an invitation to those of us feeling stuck in small, repressive towns to look for, and embrace, the cultural treasures at our doorsteps.

Kennedy is a natural travel writer whose mixed heritage inspires her to become curious about where her ancestors came from and the cultural practices, and recipes, they left behind. Infused with a love for humanity and what brings us together—in this case, food—it's a celebration of humanity, of taking risks, of peeling back layers of pain and staying with them long enough to remember shared moments of love and tenderness. On Eating is a book infused with hope and vision. And it's delightfully insightful and funny.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Hachette for an ARC, and to Alicia Kennedy for writing a book that has touched me to the core.

[Claire Talbot · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique food memoir, written in essays, combines Kennedy's love of food with her personal and ethical beliefs with family memories and the actual taste of the food. You start with Alicia as a child, who would "devour lobster from the shell and dip the flesh in butter" and request lamb chops from her beloved grandmother. When her grandmother dies when Alicia is just five years old, she begins her journey with grief and loss. She shares memories of her mother telling her "not to cook and serve an unworthy man", and her struggle with fitting in her Catholic school and her father's demanding expectations of perfection in school and athletics. When her father loses his job, she commutes to college from home, and struggles financially. At first, Alicia loves writing and attempts to get into magazines by starting as a lowly copy editor. As her life changes, she makes the decision to be vegan, and starts her own micro-bakery. We learn how her brother dies of an overdose, and Alicia decides to eat oysters again - and she changes to a vegetarian. When she breaks up with her boyfriend of 11 years and moves out, she closes her bakery, but opens a new chapter in her career. She talks about apples, chocolate, plantains, and her fear of drought and always weaves the food back to her life choices. She discovers cocktails, and tells us about gin. Later after she meets her husband to be, she discovers wine. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and Alicia does a great job narrating. I listened to it in one sitting on a car ride home from visiting my daughter. Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette audio for an advance copy.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful read! Sharing her journey from “eater to cooker, we are treated to a virtual feast of memories, good food, historical and the joys of eating.

Dividing her book into chapters associated with apples, oysters, lamb, martinis, chocolate and other food, we get insight to where these foods came from, how they’ve been used, their history and their importance to the author’s journey in life. I loved the chapter on martinis especially their migration from gin (my preferred) to vodka.

I was very moved by the parts associated with the author’s brother’s death. The author’s lyrical writing was so tender and deep. But her paean to him was her returning from veganism to vegetarianism brought her back to food enjoyment, at the art of a good life.

I enjoyed the curiosity the author brought to food and to sharing this and the love for good food. Plus the book cover is arresting enough to want you to enjoy food and read this marvelous book.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC.

[Luv2TrvlLuvBks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chaotic writing style detracted from an equal parts memoir and equal parts food history for a potential good read.

While not a Reader who must have a lineal, chronological format in non-fiction, do need a semblance of cohesiveness. The chapter titles clearly set the expectation of the reader as to what to expect. Each chapter was more of a mishmash. For example, the chapter on apples traced the origin of the fruit as well as its historical contribution. Then there's a detour to the strife between her parents. Felt book was a series of short stories and unable to engage with the writing.

If you've read Ruth Reichel's novel "Comfort Me with Apples" or Jenni Ferrari-Adler's edited compilation of "Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant" that are albeit different formats, you'll see what this Reader means when you compare the three publications.

Thank you Grand Central Publishing | Balance for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Dev (lit.lark)]

Thank you Hachette Audio for this gifted audiobook!

There were parts of this I enjoyed, and parts I really did not. I loved the personal stories sprinkled in, but the book did jump around a lot and it felt a bit choppy at times. I did expect more of an emotional connection to food throughout this book that I didn't quite get, but the instances we DID get that I loved so much. I think I expected this story to be more of a love letter to food so that's on me.

I think a lot of the topics in the second half of this book read better for me, specifically her time in San Juan and her attempts at connecting to her Puerto Rican background. The first half of the book, the tone of the writing really came across as a bit pretentious and pick me (which feels harsh, I really don't like critiquing memoirs). But either way there is a lot of great knowledge about eating and food in this book and I enjoyed the author's narration as well.

[Kimberly Tierney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.

On Eating is a beautiful memoir tying a food or beverage to a specific stage in the author's life. These stages include grief, renewal, epiphanies, breakups, and acceptance. She weaves her story, from a child in Long Island to a food writer in San Juan, using food to mark each new phase of life. Within these food-phase increments, we learn not just about her life but also about her decision to become vegan, her decision to move to Puerto Rico, and the reason she champions ethical agriculture. This is more than a memoir; it is a guide, a manifesto, an inspiration to be a more responsible and informed consumer.

[Kendall P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book a solid 3.5 stars.

I appreciate the thought and connections Alicia put into the memory crafting around food. As someone who has spent the entirety of their life obsessing over food - in both good and bad ways - I enjoyed her spin on a food memoir.

I think the book is branded exceptionally well and love love love the subtitles ("on oysters").

I would have loved a companion edition with some recipes, though, because boy, oh, boy - do I love plantains!

I do not think this is a rereadable book, but would make an excellent addition to your shelf or coffee table!

Received via NetGalley.

[Nicole Hancock · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars - I enjoyed this! A combination of memoir and and examination of the ethical, political, gendered aspects of food and our eating of it. As a vegetarian of over 20 years, I appreciated her discussion of veganism/vegetarianism without the book being "about" vegetarianism. You don't see that a lot in "regular" writing about food. Some interesting takes on food I had not considered.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication date: April 14, 2026.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book off of NetGalley (thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing/Balance for an advance copy) because I love food writing. Part memoir, part feminist treatise, part cultural history, part literary critique, On Eating is extremely well written. Without knowing anything about the author, the writing and stories suck you right in. I read this as an e-galley but I feel like this would be excellent on audio, especially while preparing a loving and meditative meal. I immediately went and borrowed her other book, No Meat Required, from the library.

[Critter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an audio ARC.

This book takes an interesting look at food. It tries to examine the history and ethics of food. I do think there were a lot of interesting aspects to this approach. I also enjoyed how the author weaved her own experiences and life into this book. I did think there were some issues with the way the book flowed and felt like it jumped around frequently. The author also nattated this book and did a great job with the narration.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

On Eating by Alicia Kennedy is a moving and thought-provoking memoir exploring how food and eating has intertwined with the authors experiences of gender roles, cultural identity, grief, ethical values, career, relationships and more, and a call for a more sustainable future driven by a deeper connection with our local sources of food. It was a surprising and engaging read by a woman I had never heard of, and I'm glad I came across it.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

This is a review of the audiobook.

[Jessica Milliner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book is something I enjoy. The book revolves around Alicia's journey through the pleasures of eating. It also provides information about her story. Each chapter, essay, or prose is a story related to food and drink. This book explores more than just the significance of eating. It's about so many things that bring out beautiful moments and experience the impacts of life.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kennedy's memoir echoes those early days of food writing when the scrappy part-timers in the industry were drowned out by names like Bourdain and Chang, who ruled the genre. On Eating is a pleasure for those seeking a food memoir that values not only foodways but also the work and passion Alicia Kennedy has brought to every step of her career.

[susieqlaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a reader who enjoys books written by chefs about their careers and restaurants, I decided to read this book about a similar subject, food and life and found it to be delightful. The author did a good job narrating the book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book.

[Leslie Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love to eat but also deeply worry about how our food systems impact our environment and identity then this book is for you! I just left a book event with the author Alicia Kennedy and she’s as thoughtful and lovely as her book would suggest. Really quick read and as with most memoirs I listened to this one- read by the author. Highly recommend!

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like ALICIA Kennedy I grew up in a household that loved Entemanns baked goods and east coast favorite..Following her food tastes & reading about how her personal food tastes developed made this a truly original hybrid a memoir mixed in with recipe’s.

[Madeleine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful read! Alicia's way of navigating memories, whether grief-filled or joyful, around food and the ethical dilemmas surrounding our consumption choices was a really interesting way of learning. Alicia's perspectives on food is refreshing and new; she sees food in a very particular way that not everyone does, and it really opens you up to seeing food in a new way as well. Learning about the origins of foods and the environmental impacts around different foods was really interesting for me, and Alicia narrating this audiobook really just made me feel closer to the story she was telling us.

At times, I did find it a little difficult to follow along; it felt like we would very abruptly jump from discussion around a certain ingredient or food to a personal memory sometimes and I would have to rewind the chapter a bit to listen again.

[Ivy Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I especially enjoyed the chapters on grapes and bread.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd read a number of Alicia Kennedy's pieces over the years, so was excited to hear that she had an upcoming memoir and jumped at the chance to get an early copy.

Following a loosely chronological format, "On Eating" opens with Kennedy's earliest memories as a young child growing up in Long Island, wanting lamb that her grandmother cooked for her to her foray into the complex and alluring food culture of New York City, to her eventual move to Puerto Rico. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to a specific food or ingredient - from lamb to chocolate, beans to bread, and even a nod to the classic martini. Each of these items are key memories to Kennedy's life and journey, and in between she weaves in her own personal stories, from her decision to become vegan (and then return to vegetarianism after the devastating loss of her brother Brian, her journey into food writing at the Village Voice, and her trip to Puerto Rico that was intended to be brief - but became her future home. In between, she's weaved components of history, folklore, and religion that add greater context to the food at focus, which add greater context and an educational component to her memoir as well.

As someone who's been in NYC for the past decade and has thoroughly enjoyed the food and restaurant culture, this was a joy to read - the nods to current and past restaurants, the farmers markets that I also frequent, and the struggles that I also understood as a fellow woman (with an appetite!) made this an easy book to finish within a day. Kennedy's writing is descriptive and thought-provoking, and it's clear she has placed a great deal of love and time into "On Eating: The Making and Unmaking of My Appetites", which chronicles not only her personal food journey. how the focus and approaches to it have evolved at large.

[cambria ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars -- I love books about food, and this one did not disappoint. I loved the chapter headings and musings on each food (ex: On Oysters, On Plantains). There were quite a few personal stories with family and relationships (as expected with any memoir). I enjoyed the settings, mainly taking place in NYC, Long Island, and Puerto Rico (the latter of which I did not know much about the local food, so I loved learning more). Overall, an engaging, thoughtful, and reflective food memoir!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Megan Beech · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to books like cookbooks, I tend to read them in the same way I would a novel and this book checked off every mark in my mind for a great story as well as a cookbook. It's personable yet poetic and really gets into the depths of someone who is described as going from an eater to a cook. It's absolutely relatable in every stretch of the imagination and I'm very happy I had the chance to check out this book for myself!