I Love My Stupid Life: Eat Lit Food And Other Tasty Exploits

by Albert Cho

Biting, pungent, salty and – yes – sweet, too, this is the true story of Albert Cho’s life in food and the
paramount place of food in his life.

Writer Albert Cho has lived through a lot already - from the bland suburban Kiwi racism and heady dairy lolly-bag runs of his childhood to sexual abuse; from the lows of disordered eating to the highs of substance addiction; from obscurity to international modelling; from influencer success and controversy to 'C-list celebrity fame'.

In this book, he tells his story and reveals the restorative power of hot soup, family and friends, the invincibility of the truth and the liberation of love.

As a strong believer that food should always be shared, Albert includes recipes – his own, his mum’s and his friends’ - some of them New Zealand’s leading chefs. Inside you’ll find home baking Kiwi treats like melting moments and chocolate cake, traditional Korean classics, easy snacks and other hacks, Albert’s favourite restaurant and street food dishes, the meat pie that broke the internet, and more.

Part recipe book, part backstory to the phenomenon of @eatlitfood, part unapologetically sweary guide to eating and drinking and savoir vivre, I Love My Stupid Life is - above all - a powerfully candid and moving memoir from one of the most inimitable, unapologetic voices of our time. Essential reading.

Food is so much more than flavours and textures. One spoonful of food can hold infinite power and meaning, whether fond memories, nostalgia or trauma. Swallowing that spoonful can be a battle, but it can also be triumphant. It can lead to you sharing parts of yourself that you’ve never shared before..."

Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2022

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Realllly boring. Albert makes being healthy seem so pointless and uninteresting tbh. The only captivating passages are the front line ED/substance abuse anecdotes. I don't think this sensationalism is inevitable but rather a sign that Albert is not a very strong writer. The food writing is pretty trite too - like a slightly laddish BA, always a bit patronizing (babe ik what pâté is).

Interesting that there is no glancing mention of Chlita, despite Albert's pretty expansive discussion of his friends and their personal lives. Wonder if this was her call? Altho the guy does seem pretty worried abt being cancelled again..

So relieved tht I don't have to spend summer handselling this to mums trying to keep up w The Culture

[daniella ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

as someone who's followed albert since my last year in highschool (2017) i was really really anticipating reading this memoir (also wow a memoir at 25 but like you go it's kinda a slay tbh)
you know when you have this intense morbid curiousity over a stranger on the internet and you've been following them for a while so you are aware of litterings of things that have happened in their life and you put together these tiny slivers of information they share online but are missing huge and obvious pieces because you have no real or tangible insight into anything that has actually happened to them? (like literally besides seeing them on the street like a hundred times in the past five years and being way too scared to say hello because you don't wanna look like a weirdo) yeah well this book filled and satisfied every. single. one.

i actually tore through this book. i've been in a bit of a reading slump recently (as you could probably tell xx) but i started this book in the middle of the day at work and finished it the next morning. it was like reading all the tea you ever missed. it was so addicting to keep reading and i really really liked it. the way it's littered with these intense confessionals bookmarked with recipes of such comfort to him is really telling as although food is a constant struggle for albert, there is always this comfort and love that comes with it. its a tumultuous relationship.

the first half of the book is really heavy with content warnings and it does sort of veer off at the end but that's understandable because this book is part of an ongoing journey, there's so much still to come

really enjoyed it as someone who has followed him for years (from the modelling days oosh) it's funny and sad and fills you up and as always his voice and tone shines (i could literally hear him in my head)

if you're an auckland/nz girlie and you follow him on insta this is a solid reaad

[Sarah McKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please can they stop giving memoir book deals to 25 year olds?! I enjoyed the book… but I just know how much better it would read if it were written when Albert is 45 or 55 and there was room for more reflection and less plain storytelling. He has such an interesting and engaging voice throughout this book, but the content for a full book just isn’t there. Also, the book fully changed tenses halfway through a chapter which I didn’t love.

[Cherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I devoured this book, and I am someone who avoids memoirs.

My heart is heavy after finishing. You don’t need to be familiar with Albert to read this book, as it tell the story of all the decisions and sacrifices that led to the Albert today.

The honesty and vulnerability was truly heartbreaking but powerful, and he is also very funny.

I love my stupid life is a story of independence, resilience and the true joy of eating food. I honestly really loved this book and I would recommend it to everyone.

[Chanté Autar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book but my life hasn’t changed and I’m not feeling deeply inspired. I’ve followed Albert on socials for a while and have always enjoyed the lighthearted captions and ELF scale restaurant ratings- in saying that, I have really appreciated getting to know Albert a little more behind the social media façade. His writing is very real and casual and I really liked that it felt like a deep and meaningful conversation Cho was having with his followers. All social media personalities have real raw lives behind the scenes and it’s great that Albert has decided to share the realness.

[Emma Gilpin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Procrastination read, was an interesting one. Definitely a bit vulgar at times, but very much on brand. I didn’t realise there were recipes in it but some seemed alg so might have to try. The classic kiwi bants and the constant cursing made it hilarious. Overall lots of heavy stuff but written lightheartedly, worth a read if you appreciate eatlitfood 🤝

[Nicole Mudgway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading prior reviews persuaded me to write my own - as I think the book is exactly what you should expect from Albert’s humour and the way he writes on social media. It was entirely on brand: funny and serious, crass at times but he’s never pretending it’s not true to himself. It was captivating and he’s definitely got a way with words. Learning about his past WITHOUT the benefit of a lifetime to reflect made it all the more interesting and close to the surface. The recipes from popular Auckland eateries were a bonus!

[Raphael Villareal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Influencer memoirs are hardly at the top of my list but this one was a good exception to make. If a foodstagrammer can make me laugh with their captions then he must be doing something right

The author, some would debate is really not a “good person” but the book does allow you to understand they he has his own demons to fight. And to be honest, regardless of whether he’s an asshole or not, he has some damn good stories to tell. There’s enough deep and scandalous topics to keep you hooked but not enough to drown you in a dark depressing hole.

This was a good summer read that felt like you were having a hungover brunch with a mate and they were telling you all the gossip.
And anything related to food is always a good bonus for me.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t expect I would enjoy this as much as I did, but I was hooked. He is definitely a great storyteller. Definitely should come with a big ole trigger warning tho.

[Maddy Magrath · Rating 3 out of 5]

really enjoyed this book, easy to read and funny

[rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been putting off writing this for two days now because of how this book hit me. It is not a cookbook, it is an autobiography with the odd recipe within. As someone who has anorexia this book provided the most accurate account into the mind of someone suffering, so much so I thought I was reading my own internal monologue at points. This might be because Albert himself acknowledges he is not fully over his struggles with food so the narrative is coming from someone within a disorder as opposed to recovered (outside looking in). I noticed other reviews mentioned not recommending this text to people with eating disorders but this book make me feel seen, not alone and hopeful for my future. Maybe it was appealing to my disease and not myself or maybe it’s because I am actively trying to recover unlike some others with my condition, but regardless it felt like a friend was talking to me. It was real, he didn’t try change who he was or “virtual signal” he is a normal person opening up to you like a mate. One day I would love to meet him and tell him how soothing I actually found the book as someone within the mist of an eating disorder. Thank you Albert, this book made me feel a hope and a calm no other text has allowed me too.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know too much about this one random person now. Esp when I paired sections of the book with the TV segments of his Instagram.

Might try some of his recipes once I have my life back coz I skipped them during the book - it stopped the story momentum for me.

Also I walked (limped coz twisted my ankle 20 min before) up to him in face club to show the Libby widget of his book on my phone and was like 👌and he was like 🙏 and his mate asked if I wanted a pic together in hand gestures like 🫳🤏 but I didn’t understand coz I wasn’t thinking about that. I just felt 😳😳 confused about my reality because this suppose to be book character is in front of me rn in a club and he’s so much taller and cool chill.

Shortly after, someone invited me to his new restaurant and I just couldn’t coz I felt like I was too close to his life already what if he see my face again and thinks I’m stalking him. I will go in 1 month coz it looks yum.

Anyway I found who Theo was and most characters he mentioned.

Thought this book was goin to be like Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat for some reason (in terms of takeaway to learn how food science works) but it’s okay it was a good book slump cure (if i skipped some of the recipe sections) and I just want to go out and eat now and have long lunches maybe

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite interesting and couldn’t wait to read more at some points, other times felt long and boring (talking in depth about food or travelling). Felt like I was reading secrets or gossip, and the akl relatability made me more compelled to read. Went way too in depth about bulimia and anorexia, which I thought was unnecessary, but did add shock to the book. Would read again, but wouldn’t want anyone in my life to read it as fear of them picking up the bad habits. Felt very close to albert after reading, he shared a lot of personal stories.

[Naomi Gribble · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have been following Albert on his eatlitfood account for years now and have thought his take on food reviews is excellent. This came through in his book whilst being incredibly vulnerable about his issues with substance use/disordered eating. Not the best book I’ve read but still an entertaining/interesting read.

Only point to note will be to not gift this to people who are struggling with disordered eating as it details a lot of diets you can do…

[Jas Philp · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the best book i have read in a very long time, albert sparked my love for reading again and i read this book in one sitting, i simply wasn’t able to put it down. i could not recommend this book enough, i have no shame in saying i have forced all of my friends to read it

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining but also well written memoir and sometimes brutally honest. He engages with life and his upbringing openly and candidly. The extra value is some great recipes!

[Reena Kainamu Softail_stories · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fucking. Fabulous. Read. And recipes! Korean NZ gay man who has packed 4 lifetimes in his 25 years. His coming of age.

[Clare Stowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, it was a great read!

[Sue Ying · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars Honest (brutally at times), funny and down to earth. Albert has just opened a restaurant in Auckland and I hope that it does amazingly well.

[Rosie Sloan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This needed to be written down in 15-20 years time. A memoir at 24 years old doesn’t work cos your frontal lobe hasn’t finished developing lmao

[mercuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this but at the same time it felt really shallow

[Phoebe Qian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very down to earth, very funny and shocking at times, and a very lovely stortelling voice. Wish the ending didn't feel so rushed, but overall enjoyable and didn't feel boring at all.