Best Food Writing 2006

by Holly Hughes (Editor)

Best Food Writing 2006 assembles, for its seventh year, the most exceptional writing from the past year's books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites. Included are the best writers on everything from celebrated chefs to the travails of the home cook, from food sourcing at the greenmarket to equipping one's kitchen, from erudite culinary history to food-inspired memoirs. Like past collections, the 2006 round-up will include pieces from food-writing stars such as Robb Walsh, Ruth Reichl, Thomas McNamee, John Thorne, Calvin Trillin, Amanda Hesser, Colman Andrews, Jason Epstein, and Jeffrey Steingarten. Opinionated, evocative, nostalgic, brash, thought-provoking, and sometimes just plain funny, it's a tasty sampler to dip into time and again, whether you're in the mood for caviar — or hot dogs.

Genres: Food, Food Writing, Nonfiction, Cooking, Cookbooks, Humor, Essays

384 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2006

About the author

Holly Hughes has edited the annual Best Food Writing series since its inception in 2000. The author of Frommer's 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers, she lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this compilation of food themed magazine articles and essays, some more than others. Lots of interesting info on sourcing ingredients, what really goes on in restaurant kitchens, being a reviewer, etc.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am going through the Best Food Writing series as time allows; so far, I have it made up through 2006, which I just completed. Unlike previous editions, the 2006 version just isn't as good, so I gave it 3 stars

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seriously, this book got me back on track. Who would have known a bunch of restaurant reviews and assorted musings about food origins, travel, and perfect plates would be so inspirational? I surely didn't. I was more interested in the few recipes inside, always looking for something new to cook. I had been in a cooking lull for months, this book was the jump start I've needed to get back into savoring the entire experience of food. Recommended, and perfect for readers who don't have a lot of time at once to read, as it is broken down into separate reviews, easy to read in a few minute to 1/2 hr time frames.

[Kip · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up in at the Powell's in downtown Portland at the beginning of our Spring Break road trip and it turned out to be a nice collection of short little essays and anecdotes about food. Brian and I would read it to each other while we were waiting for dinner to cook on the backpacking days or in parts of the car ride where the ipod was recharging and the radio options were slim.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of reviews, essays, and ruminations on food and culture. Some of the highlights:

Anthony Bourdain recalling a disastrous New Year's Eve;
Bill Buford apprenticing with Mario Batali;
Laura Taxel relating a supermarket encounter that reveals America's true culinary state;
Bill McKibben's experiment to eat nothing but local foods for an entire Vermont winter.

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have all but one volume of this series---they are great for bathtub or bus reading because they are a collection of mostly magazine articles and some book excerpts that are easy to read in small doses.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a few essays in this book that I really liked, but overall I just thought the book was okay. And I didn't come out of reading it with any new authors to try, which is one of my marks of a good anthology.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books...it's like getting a year's worth of food magazines and culling out the good parts.

[Ariela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh please. This is a no lose book (assuming you like reading and eating).

[Dexter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read some of the short stories from magazine articles in this book, very enjoyable. Anthony Bourdain's stuff is the best

[Mike Bleed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting, some not as much, but a nice subset of food writing from many different perspectives, cook, farmer, server, critic...