What’s Good?: A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients

by Peter Hoffman

A culinary pioneer blends memoir with a joyful inquiry into the ingredients he uses and their origins
 
What goes into the making of a chef, a restau­rant, a dish? And if good ingredients make a differ­ence on the plate, what makes them good in the first place? In his highly anticipated first book, influential chef Peter Hoffman offers thoughtful and delectable answers to these questions. “A locavore before the word existed” (New York Times), Hoffman tells the story of his upbringing, professional education, and evolution as a chef and restaurant owner through its components—everything from the importance of your relationship with your refrigerator repairman and an account of how a burger killed his restaurant, to his belief in peppers as a perfect food, one that is adaptable to a wide range of cultural tastes and geographic conditions and reminds us to be glad we are alive.
 
Along with these personal stories from a life in restaurants, Hoffman braids in passionately curious explorations into the cultural, historical, and botani­cal backstories of the foods we eat. Beginning with a spring maple sap run and ending with the late-season, frost-defying vegetables, he follows the progress of the seasons and their reflections in his greenmarket favorites, moving ingredient to ingredient through the bounty of the natural world. Hoffman meets with farmers and vendors and unravels the magic of what we eat, deepening every cook’s appreciation for what’s on their kitchen counter. What’s Good a layered, insightful, and utterly enjoyable meal.

Genres: Memoir, Food, Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Biography Memoir

Audiobook

First published June 8, 2021

Reviews

[Randal White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hoffman relates the story of his growth as a chef, and the 26 years that he ran the NYC restaurant, Savoy.
Interspersed in the story are his reflections on fourteen "ingredients", but more on that later.
I would have to categorize the author as a "cerebral" chef. Always thinking, exploring, and experimenting. But always with a solid base of good morals, and of helping others. As I was reading this, I kept thinking to myself how different he is from the brash, hard-partying, rude chefs that seem so popular. Such as Anthony Bourdain. I was therefore shocked to read, well into the last half of the book, that he and Bourdain were high school buddies! And how their career paths diverged and the friendship floundered.
Where Hoffman really shines is in his interspersed chapters on his fourteen ingredients. From items as different as shrimp to apples, he excels in each chapter. His section on maple syrup took me back to my own past, when I would also tap maple trees and make maple syrup for the family. I now know more about strawberries than I thought there ever was to know. And on and on! Not at all dry or in a lecturing manner, they are easy to read and very very interesting and informative.
I hope that Hoffman writes more books. He has a unique and interesting outlook. Very refreshing.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ -- Enjoyable memoir

I enjoyed this one quite a lot. The author has a very engaging voice that kept me interested. I loved all the stories about his childhood. His time as a cook, chef, and owner of a restaurant. On top of that, we get a plethora of food stories with history about the food. How is it grown, harvested, etc. Recipes, and stories about the people producing some of these amazing foods. This is a definite recommendation for foodie lovers!

**ARC Via NetGalley**

[Jill · Rating 1 out of 5]

What's Good? Unfortunately to me, this book wasn't good. If Anthony Bourdain is the cool kid who breaks all the rules and still finds the glory, Peter Hoffman is the nerdy goody two shoes who is misunderstood and never quite gets the same glory and as a result seems like he has a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. I admire how he was ahead of his time with respect to Farm to Table and the notion of artisanal cooking, but for me, this book felt very disjointed.

Maybe I needed to read other works of his, but I felt like I was missing a lot of the backstory of how he became a chef, how he learned, and the challenges of opening/running the Savoy. And was he the chef? Owner? Chef/Owner? I appreciate that he didn't live the sex/drugs/rocknroll lifestyle that seemed predominate in most kitchens, but I really couldn't figure him out. And then he would intersperse some memoir-ish chapters with essays about food/agriculture, technique, etc., that was a little above my head.

I think I wanted more of story of a chef & his restaurant and experiences and this didn't quite hit the mark for me. And the end seemed sad, not exciting as he goes into this next chapter.

I love chef/restaurant memoirs, but this one wasn't for me.

[Glenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 - 4.5 stars

There were a lot of things I truly enjoyed about Hoffman's memoir.  Each chapter is its own little story, from childhood tales to the love and pain of owning a restaurant, and every little bit in between, all revolving around his passion for good food.  And then there's the actual food stories.  Shrimp, tomatoes, apples, kale, and beyond, each of the food-related chapters were not only informative regarding the histories but involved the stories of the real people who grow and harvest, the people who devote their lives to providing amazing foods  (the chapter that was my personal favorite was all about the making of maple syrup the "old school" way.  I loved it!!)  And let's not forget the recipes!   It's obvious that Hoffman has a deep love and appreciation for all food and has created a memoir to bring his passion to the masses.  My only complaint?  The seemingly petty and self-serving diss of a deceased chef which really had no place in this otherwise wonderful book.  Other than that, highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for offering this ecopy for review.

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a memoir about the author's development from a cook to a chef to the owner of a restaurant. He has now been running Savoy restaurant and Back Forty for over two decades. Interwoven throughout his personal story are alternating chapters about ingredients that follow the progress of the seasons over a year at Greenmarket in Union Square. In some ways, this is a book about the business of being in the food industry as well as his art and passion for food.

There were two things that I found particularly interesting. One was how the author was a locavore before it was popular. He felt eating locally, and sourcing fresh ingredients was the foundation of his cooking. He also talked about his family history and how religion weaves into his food.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/pet...

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love a good food/chef memoir, but I just couldn't get into this one. I wasn't familiar with Peter Hoffman or his restaurants before, but this just sounded like a book I would like. I made it over 100 pages to 1/3 of the way through and it just wasn't holding my attention. You know it's not the book for you when you have a chance to read and you're not picking it up. Not saying it's poorly written or awful, just not for me.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful read for all culinary lovers.A mix o f memoir and a guide to wonderful foods,Enjoyed reading about the authors childhood memories and the behind the scenes look at his ownership of the Savoy restaurant.#netgalley #Abramsbooks

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Hoffman’s book is equal parts a touching memoir and an education in farm fresh locally sourced food. I savored reading this book and really connected with the heartfelt stories. When I picked up this book I went in assuming that my favorite parts would be the recipes. While I did love the recipes that were included the stories were what made this book a 5 out of 5 to me. The chapter titled The Hive really stood out to me. The way that Hoffman appreciated and realized the worth of every member on his team and that every member regardless of how big or small their role as they all make a major contribution to the quality of the food cooked.

I am grateful that I was able to read this book. It was a great lesson in the interconnectedness between food sources and buyers. Thanks to my new knowledge I was inspired to visit my local farmers market and purchase locally grown produce.

Thank you Netgalley and Abrams Press for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a NetGalley advance copy of this book, and the following are my opinions on the read:

Loved it. While I tended to breeze through the discussions of specific ingredients, that does not mean they were were not a valuable part of the whole - I found them interesting and fun. But what I found was that I was looking forward more to the narratives on his choices as a business owner and as father/husband. Loved the insights from his marriage and how he and his wife complement each other - and pointed out the value in differences. But I most loved his restaurant-centered operational anecdotes on leadership, Human Resources, failures, successes, celebrations- so much to emulate. His heart is in the right place...and therefore the sum of his efforts (some successful, some less so...) add up to helping to steer the direction of the ship closer to the right course. That’s all a conscientious business owner can ask for - too much outright control may work in the short term, but that approach is unsustainable - you have to set up the parameters and expectations, and then step back and allow people to shine in their roles. People, ingredients, families, neighbors... the ecosystem.

Gems for me:
- excellence can be found in every person, regardless of their job description
- an ongoing tension of the delicate balance between “art” and “business”
- an ongoing tension between personal philosophies and making ends meet
- the parallels of the culinary and architectural worlds: between the place and their customs, ingredients, buildings, vernacular, context... but also travel and exposure to others.
- The discussion of the “Total Work of Art”

I laughed (actually LOL) when he described his family being exasperated at his need to stop at roadside vegetable/fruit stands and talk to farmers, etc... on my family trips, I am constantly teased for excessive tours of buildings and gardens (I’m an architect). Thank you Peter H, and thank you NetGalley.

[Caroline Hostettler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very important, very witty, very real, very compassionate, very honest recount and reflection. Bravo to Hoffman to find the perfect balance between opening up about his way of work and life, about his personal and professional evolution without putting his ego or his face in the foreground yet still keeping it intimate and true. Only very few and fine chefs find this fine and delicate lint to perfection with food. Hoffman also finds it with words!!!

A must read for everyone interested in food, society, sustainability, ecology, healthy economy, future, traditions, animal welfare, plants - well, for every one who cares and reflects about the love of life that makes sense.

This is one of the few books I will keep because I have a feeling that I will re read it, even if just in parts and pieces.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was eager to read this latest edition in the chef-memoir genre.

Throughout the book, Hoffman keeps coming back to "the why." Why do we dine out? Do we like predictability or do we crave variety? Do we want exoticism or comfort? Dependability and predictability, is this what diners crave? Are we seeking high-end snob food or locally sourced food made with a reverence to the ingredients?

These questions struck me and I do say that I found myself examining my own food and restaurant experiences. By asking these questions along the way, What's Good? is more Hoffman's life-in-food philosophy than a memoir in fourteen ingredients. (See below.)

The first chapter on leeks presents the premise of the book, eating and cooking driven by the seasons. Hoffman finds himself buying up and storing leeks, his go-to winter vegetable. "Rather than viewing my hoarding as aberrant behavior, I channel being a biennial" (7). He had me craving leeks by the end of the chapter.

As Hoffman reflects on his childhood (it is a memoir, of course), he describes his early restaurant experiences when dining out with his family. His obsession with shrimp cocktail as a boy shows that he always wanted to seek out the finer things (76). Unfortunately, this generic appetizer of a previous era was "off the list" because of the price. He discusses how farm-raised shrimp has made this seafood "ubiquitous and cheap" and another agricultural factory enterprise producing tasteless and low quality cuisine. (I had to reflect on some of my older family members who order shrimp "anything" whenever it is on the menu. I wonder if they had the same experiences when they were children, now seeing a shrimp on a menu as elaborate and a sign of "making it.")

Hoffman's view on his restaurants was refreshing. He never set out to be a rock star chef with numerous restaurants around the world. On building his restaurants, he realizes that "small could be uplifting, even enthralling" (90).

Food with guts and beauty; that was our food. (96)

I loved the literary-themed dinners that he created and developed with local poets and authors (180). How I would have loved to experienced these.

His employment of the "garlic bunker" and doling out only two bulbs at a time throughout the winter was a survival tactic to make it to the next garlic harvest. He had to ration these cloves out to his wife, Sue, who views garlic not as a seasoning but a vegetable (135). I think I am in that camp as well.

I'm an old farm girl at heart and I appreciated his discussions about properly raised pork and beef and the dramatic taste and texture between farm-raised/grass-fed and feedlot raised animals.

I was surprised when Hoffman's teenage friend Tony, whom he had met in a creative writing summer school program, turned out to be Anthony Bourdain (206-207). As much as I love Anthony Bourdain, I could totally envision Hoffman's portrayal of him as a young chef in the mid-90s---that of a brash, uncaring cook. "Baste it with a lot of butter, and then serve it up"(207) ....who cares about the diners. "He was smugly dismissive: everything and everybody was expendable" (207). I hope at the end of his life, his outlook had changed and that this view did not lead to his death. RIP.

Hoffman moves from the refined (if unpretentious) Savoy experience to his Back Forty restaurant(s). "If the staff were less knowledgeable about wines and food, they had spunk to make up for it" (275). It was at this point that Hoffman let go of some of the micro-managing that comes with being a chef-owner.

"The Burger that Killed My Restaurant," one of the final chapters (299-304) was ironic, a bit humorous and poignant.

From those opening questions in this review as to why we dine out, I found this line to be the most true.

We go to some restaurants because the menu never changes, to others because the menu always changes, and then there are the restaurants we go to because we are changed by the menu. (187)

So, what are the fourteen ingredients of this memoir?

Leeks
Potatoes
Butter
Maple syrup
Shrimp
Skate
Strawberries
Garlic
Calçots
Rosemary
Stone Fruit
Grenada Peppers
Apples and Pears
Kale and Radicchio

I'm not sure that I followed the "fourteen ingredient" structure. (And, as you can see here, there's more than fourteen ingredients.) Instead, I found Hoffman's journey more evident in his greenmarket foraging and his restauranteur evolution.

There was a lot to be inspired from and I was tempted to visit my local Farmer's Market and make a meal inspired by what was able to be found. Instead, I focused on these recipes.

Jansson's Temptation (12), a potato, anchovies and leek gratin
The Back Forty (48), a warming whiskey cocktail with maple syrup
The Red and Black (122), a tequila-strawberry cocktail. (I will have to wait until the spring to make this.)
Ophioskordalia (145), a traditional Greek hors d'oeuvre with potatoes, almonds, and garlic scapes.
Pork Shoulder with Pimenton Rub (166), the secret is "properly raised pork" along with fennel, rosemary, chiles, pimenton, and garlic.
Susan's Pastry Crust (232-235), a very involved process that I doubt I really ever try to master, but the instructions are detailed and honest.

There were some chapters that I enjoyed more than others and I do have to confess that I skimmed a few. I would recommend this book to those that are interested in the origins of local eating or who enjoy a good chef coming of age story. I do wish there had been an index of recipes.

[Michael Doane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s Good?: A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients is a deeply thoughtful, quietly joyful meditation on food, work, and attention. Rather than a traditional chef’s memoir built around triumphs and accolades, Peter Hoffman offers something more intimate and enduring: a philosophy of cooking and living rooted in curiosity, restraint, and respect for origins.

Structured around fourteen ingredients and the seasons that produce them, the book moves fluidly between personal memory and cultural inquiry. Hoffman’s stories from restaurant failures and unlikely lessons to the everyday relationships that keep kitchens running feel refreshingly honest and unvarnished. He treats missteps not as confessions but as essential ingredients themselves, shaping a career defined less by ego than by listening.

What makes this book stand out is Hoffman’s ability to connect the act of cooking to broader systems agriculture, labor, ecology, and time. His encounters with farmers and market vendors ground the narrative in real people and places, reinforcing the idea that good food is inseparable from how it is grown, traded, and valued. These passages deepen the reader’s appreciation not only for ingredients, but for the invisible networks that sustain them.

Hoffman writes with clarity and humility, resisting nostalgia in favor of presence. The prose is measured, warm, and observant, inviting readers to slow down and notice what is already in front of them on the plate and beyond it. What’s Good? is not a cookbook, though it will change how you cook. It is not a manifesto, though it quietly reshapes how you think about food.

This is a book for cooks, eaters, and anyone interested in how meaning is built over time through care, repetition, and attention. Like a well-made meal, it satisfies without excess and lingers long after the last page.

Michael

[Zippy Kitten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, some very interesting facts (yeah, Hoffman is very very smart) and you could learn quite a lot about ingredients and recipes.
What I didn't like was the smug, holier than thou approach to other people's eating. Sure he had hero worship from the loyalists who went to his restaurants, but when I go out to eat, I like to CHOOSE according to my own tastes and priorities. I don't want to be preached to or told why my choices aren't good enough for him as a chef to provide. Could that be the real reason why his operation ultimately could not sustain itself? He obviously thinks he knows more about what I should eat than I do. The implication that because his model failed, the entire restaurant industry will perish is the height of arrogance. I mean, come on.
Also, trashing a friend who reached more celebrity than he did, especially a beloved one who committed suicide is just not a good look. The author may not have achieved the level of fame that "Tony" Bourdain did, but his take down should be in another forum. Tasted, uh, well, bitter

[David Carriere · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s Good? A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients by Peter Hoffman is a delightful blend of culinary memoir, cultural history, and personal reflection. Hoffman invites readers into his world as a pioneering chef, sharing formative experiences, professional insights, and the philosophy behind the ingredients that shape both his dishes and his life.

The narrative is structured around fourteen key ingredients, each serving as a lens through which Hoffman explores everything from his upbringing and career in restaurants to broader lessons about food, culture, and human connection. Rich in anecdote and research, the book intertwines stories of kitchen triumphs, culinary mishaps, and encounters with farmers and vendors, revealing a profound appreciation for the natural world and the bounty it provides.

For food lovers, aspiring chefs, and readers intrigued by the intersection of memoir and culinary exploration, Hoffman’s work offers an engaging, flavorful, and thoughtfully layered experience.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for me review.

I really wanted to love this memoir. I loved the concept of ingredients establishing the framework for the story and I was interested in learning about how Savory came to be through the author's personal journey.

The memoir seemed to take a quiet, meandering journey as the story was told. Most chapters began with an introduction of the ingredient, then a history of the ingredient, and the author's connection to it. Plus, some chapters included a recipe! Peppered throughout readers learn more about the author's personal life and then how everything relates to the restaurant.

Again, looking at this description, I wanted to love it, yet I just couldn't connect with the author and found myself skimming as I went along, looking for the recipes.

I think most readers will love this book, it just wasn't the right time or the right book for me.

[Anne Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

What would be on your menu if you owned your own restaurant?

My restaurant would have caprese salad, so I better plant more tomatoes so it’s always fresh and tasty.

In Peter Hoffman’s new memoir, What’s Good?, he discusses how he refused to have a burger on restaurant menus. He was the Chef and Owner of Savoy and Back Forty. His memoir discusses his growth as a chef and struggles as a restaurant owner. I learned a lot about the “farm to table” concept and the difference between quality ingredients and quality cooking. It has a few recipes in it from a Greek Potato dip, Skate (a type of cheap fish), and Brown Betty dessert. Mostly he advocates for utilizing fresh, local ingredients.

[Dalyn Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s Good A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients by Peter Hoffman is a layered triumph deeply personal, richly informative, and overflowing with heart.

What stood out for me the most was the soul in every ingredient. You transformed ordinary foods into emotional landmarks and cultural storytellers. The vulnerability and humor, the reverence for farmers and seasons, the real world chaos of restaurants, even the refrigerator repairman every detail felt lovingly chosen, human, and alive.

Few memoirs manage to make you hungry, thoughtful, nostalgic, and emotionally moved at the same time. This one does it effortlessly. It made me reflect on food not just as fuel or profession, but as identity, connection, history, and joy.

This is genuinely a great book brave in its storytelling, imaginative in its structure, masterful in its delivery, and unforgettable in its impact.

I absolutely loved reading and reviewing it deep respect for the craft, the voice, and the legacy behind every page.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great lesson on the difference between being a chef and being a restaurant owner. It really was interesting seeing the balance between a chef’s creative choices, the costs of the ingredients and what will actually sell. The part about refusing to have a hamburger on the menu was hilarious. I also enjoyed the part about his serving sketchy skate fish to his friend who came into the restaurant.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wavered between giving this a three or a four. Parts of it I loved and parts of it were tedious. The recipes included were good. But when he went off on a tangent and described something only tangentially related to food and the memoir, my eyes glazed over. and I was listening to it as an audio book and could not just skip over the boring stuff!

I did appreciate his "eat local" approach to food, but sometimes he got pretty arrogant about it like he was the only one doing it.

[Angela Fatigati · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS book. It was so fun following Peter’s journey throughout his career while getting to learn about seasonal ingredients and memories behind recipes. It’s pretty hard to tie that all together, and Peter Hoffman did it flawlessly.

[Susan Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this Authors Farm to Table cooking. This is not a cookbook. It is a story of one mans rise to a major force in cooking and his love of natures food.

[Daphne Manning · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely memoir to keep and give.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is right up my alley. Memoir, food, place (NY), food history. I’d never heard of him or his restaurant before but am glad I found the book in Spring Green, WI. The writing is great.

[Hallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unexpected inclusion of philosophy and science in what I'd expected to be a food-centric memoir. Interesting.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books demand to be gobbled up quickly, but Hoffman’s book seems to have been written to be savored. It spent a few months on my nightstand, as I read just a few pages each evening before bed. Hoffman is a gifted writer, though I do wish that whoever edited the book had done another careful round of proofreading. I’m not holding that against Hoffman, though. His book taught me so much and reinvigorated my belief that sustainability is not just attainable, but preferable.

[Maineguide · Rating 3 out of 5]

The description of the book is better than the book itself.

[Kara Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the ingredient chapters more than the memoir chapters, but still pretty interesting.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but took me years to finish. Well written, no salacious stories, though. So if you’re seeking kitchen drama, this isn’t it. Talks more about ingredients, as the subtitle says.

[Tisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son has worked at the Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan for 20+ years. He proudly sells Deep Mountain Vermont Maple Syrup, a product that was grandfathered in when the market decided to limit offerings to products grown within 100 miles or so. This book is a memoir and tribute to Peter Hoffman’s restaurants, Savoy and Back 40, as well as to the Greenmarket from which he purchased the ingredients for his well-crafted menu offerings. I have been to the market many times but never cease to be amazed at the beautiful food and plants that the farmers work intensely hard to bring to their customers every week. Hoffman’s stories of individual foods/ingredients will entertain you, educate you, and instill in you a new appreciation for the restaurant business, the dedication of the farmers, the challenges of growing quality food, and the importance of how all these elements work together to create strong relationships among the people involved with every aspect of the food industry. He includes recipes for some of his favorite creations, and the chapter on Stone Fruit will stop you in your tracks with the description of his wife Sue’s pie crust masterpiece. After reading that chapter, I am confident that I will never make an acceptable pie crust. LOL. But maybe soon I will try!
I regret that I never had the pleasure of dining at either of his restaurants, but reading his account of his life in food is the next best thing. Hey, Peter, I hope to see you at the market the next time I’m there! And what’s your secret to a great burger? You know, the secret that allowed you to include the burger on your menu. Thanks for a terrific read!