The Devil's Food Dictionary: A Pioneering Culinary Reference Work Consisting Entirely of Lies

by Barry Foy, John Boesche (Illustrator)

The Most Unreliable Food Book Ever!

Food writing has at last begun to devour itself. Nearly every culinary topic worth covering has been covered, and the well of dependable, interesting information on food, once thought inexhaustible, is beginning to run dry. In circumstances like these, author Barry Foy believes that an honorable writer has nowhere to go but sideways, into the realm of lies, misleading claims, and baseless speculation.

With nearly 1,100 entries on subjects ranging from ingredients to utensils to history to techniques, plus 246 footnotes, an extensive fraudulent bibliography, and 26 very peculiar illustrations, The Devil's Food A Pioneering Culinary Reference Work Consisting Entirely of Lies promises much-needed relief to the foodish reader who is sagging under the burden of reality-based, verifiable fact. Uniquely loony, edgy, and funny, The Devil's Food Dictionary is the most creative food writing of the 21st century!

Genres: Cookbooks

268 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2008

Reviews

[Chris Arterburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy cooking and eating as much as the next person, especially since I'm human. Using this book as a compendium for cookery would sort of be like using a banana as a glockenspiel. Ok, that made no sense at all. But the book is great. Not only does it give great insight into the world of gastronomic delights, it completely upends it in such a way that if you did use this book as a guide to kitchen and dining excursions you would most likely find yourself being talked to in hushed tones by the chef mafia, or trying to revived a loved pet who accidentally ate something.

In all respects, it is a funny book, and should not be construed as an inside guide to the Betty crocker cookbook (1954 edition).

Now I must be off to rearrange the ladle drawer.

[Brie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read to me aloud my by cousin

[Ken Albala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly hilarious lampoon of food reference works.

[Annie]

This book is a must read for foodies with a sense of humor. Hell, if you’re a foodie without a sense of humor, you need to read Barry Foy’s The Devil’s Food Dictionary anyway. It’s a collection definitions of food and cooking terms with hilariously satirical definitions. Plus, there are great running gags about chick peas, barbecue, and crispy, fried things in a bag...

Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type.