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A Moveable Feast: Life-Changing Food Adventures Around the World
From bat on the island of Fais to chicken on a Russian train to barbecue in the American heartland, from mutton in Mongolia to couscous in Morocco to tacos in Tijuana - on the road, food nourishes us not only physically, but intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually too. It can be a gift that enables a traveler to survive, a doorway into the heart of a tribe, or a thread that weaves an indelible tie; it can be awful or ambrosial - and sometimes both at the same time. Celebrate the riches and revelations of food with this 38-course feast of true tales set around the world.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
August 30, 2019
I really liked this book. It combines two themes I love to read about ... food and travel. It was bittersweet to read Anthony Bourdain's contribution. I still miss him, and his down-to-earth honesty. I have included the table of contents, for your reference.
Food on the Hoof / Jan Morris
Daily Bread / Pico Iyer
Communion on Crete / Rhona McAdam
Of Boars, Baskets and Brotherhood / David Downie
Seasoning Jerusalem / Elisabeth Eaves
Couscous and Camaraderie / Anita Breland
Cooking with Donna / William Sertl
Salad Days in Burma / Karen J. Coates
Just What the Doctor Ordered / Alexander Lobrano
The Hair of the Cow / Laurence Mitchell
Siberian Chicken / Anthony Sattin
The Scent of Love / Stanley Stewart
The 'Cue Quest / Doug Mack
Propane and Hot Sauce / Liz MacDonald
A Pilgrimage to El Bulli / Matt Preston
Ode to Old Manhattan / Anthony Bourdain
Dorego's / Matthew Fort
Tijuana Terroir / Jim Benning
Like Father, Like Son / Andrew Zimmern
Dinner with Dionysus / Henry Shukman
A Feast on Fais / Lawrence Millman
Long Live the King / John T. Newman
Mango Madness / Amanda Jones
Adrift in French Guiana / Mark Kurlansky
Speciality of the House / Simon Winchester
Les Tendances Culinaires / David Lebovitz
Peanut Butter Summer / Emily Matchar
The Ways of Tea / Naomi Duguid
Breakfast Epiphanies / Ruth Rabin
The Potion / Johanna Gohmann
Himalayan Potatoes / Larry Habegger
Chai, Chillum and Chapati / Sean McLachlan
The Icing on the Japanese Cake / Stefan Gates
The Abominable Trekker / Jeff Greenwald
Italy in Seventeen Courses / Laura Fraser
Foraging with Pee / Jeffrey Alford
The Best Meal I Ever Had / Andrew McCarthy
The Rooster's Head in the Soup / Tim Cahill
3 Stars = I enjoyed this book. I'm glad I read it.
Food on the Hoof / Jan Morris
Daily Bread / Pico Iyer
Communion on Crete / Rhona McAdam
Of Boars, Baskets and Brotherhood / David Downie
Seasoning Jerusalem / Elisabeth Eaves
Couscous and Camaraderie / Anita Breland
Cooking with Donna / William Sertl
Salad Days in Burma / Karen J. Coates
Just What the Doctor Ordered / Alexander Lobrano
The Hair of the Cow / Laurence Mitchell
Siberian Chicken / Anthony Sattin
The Scent of Love / Stanley Stewart
The 'Cue Quest / Doug Mack
Propane and Hot Sauce / Liz MacDonald
A Pilgrimage to El Bulli / Matt Preston
Ode to Old Manhattan / Anthony Bourdain
Dorego's / Matthew Fort
Tijuana Terroir / Jim Benning
Like Father, Like Son / Andrew Zimmern
Dinner with Dionysus / Henry Shukman
A Feast on Fais / Lawrence Millman
Long Live the King / John T. Newman
Mango Madness / Amanda Jones
Adrift in French Guiana / Mark Kurlansky
Speciality of the House / Simon Winchester
Les Tendances Culinaires / David Lebovitz
Peanut Butter Summer / Emily Matchar
The Ways of Tea / Naomi Duguid
Breakfast Epiphanies / Ruth Rabin
The Potion / Johanna Gohmann
Himalayan Potatoes / Larry Habegger
Chai, Chillum and Chapati / Sean McLachlan
The Icing on the Japanese Cake / Stefan Gates
The Abominable Trekker / Jeff Greenwald
Italy in Seventeen Courses / Laura Fraser
Foraging with Pee / Jeffrey Alford
The Best Meal I Ever Had / Andrew McCarthy
The Rooster's Head in the Soup / Tim Cahill
3 Stars = I enjoyed this book. I'm glad I read it.
March 1, 2017
This is one of the best short story collections I've ever had the pleasure of reading - and it's from Lonely Planet! The unifying theme here, in case you couldn't tell by the title, is food, so what we have is an assortment of 38 stories - or courses - of culinary experiences from around the world.
Naturally, every short story collection is going to feature stories that range in quality, and that's no different here. The weakest story probably comes from Anthony Bourdain, whose inclusion is shouted about on the green sticker adorning the top right of the page. His story is only two pages, and, were he not Anthony Bourdain, I am quite certain it wouldn't have been included at all. But his name sells books, so there it is. But I didn't mind, because there are more than enough great stories here to make up for the odd misfire.
It's hard to say exactly which story I enjoyed the most. It might have been "The 'Cue Quest", about a father and son's mission to find the best barbecue joint in the midwest, or perhaps "Long Live the King", a story of a particularly pungent fruit found on an island in the Western Pacific. But let's not forget "Siberian Chicken", "The Scent of Love", or "Tijuana Terroir" all of which moved me in ways beyond just stimulating my appetite. And, of course, "Mango Madness", "Peanut Butter Summer", and "Breakfast Epiphanies", all of which made for delicious reading! "Speciality of the House" and "The Icing on the Japanese Cake" are both hilarious stories of adopting a "just say 'yes'" philosophy while traveling, and - oh, forget it. Better just read them all!
While the unifying here may be food, it's also love - of travel, of discovery, and of life. This wonderful collection will bring a smile to your face, in addition to a craving to your belly.
Naturally, every short story collection is going to feature stories that range in quality, and that's no different here. The weakest story probably comes from Anthony Bourdain, whose inclusion is shouted about on the green sticker adorning the top right of the page. His story is only two pages, and, were he not Anthony Bourdain, I am quite certain it wouldn't have been included at all. But his name sells books, so there it is. But I didn't mind, because there are more than enough great stories here to make up for the odd misfire.
It's hard to say exactly which story I enjoyed the most. It might have been "The 'Cue Quest", about a father and son's mission to find the best barbecue joint in the midwest, or perhaps "Long Live the King", a story of a particularly pungent fruit found on an island in the Western Pacific. But let's not forget "Siberian Chicken", "The Scent of Love", or "Tijuana Terroir" all of which moved me in ways beyond just stimulating my appetite. And, of course, "Mango Madness", "Peanut Butter Summer", and "Breakfast Epiphanies", all of which made for delicious reading! "Speciality of the House" and "The Icing on the Japanese Cake" are both hilarious stories of adopting a "just say 'yes'" philosophy while traveling, and - oh, forget it. Better just read them all!
While the unifying here may be food, it's also love - of travel, of discovery, and of life. This wonderful collection will bring a smile to your face, in addition to a craving to your belly.
April 30, 2011
I always seem to read food books voraciously, as if getting through the words quickly will satiate the sudden desire I have to tear through a 10 course meal. I also always read them (and for that matter watch the food channel) when I'm starving. I then surprise myself by looking down to an empty box of fudgestripes or a bag of chips.
October 5, 2015
Excellent book of essays on food and travel by mostly food writers. Australia's Matt Preston has a nice piece about eating at El Bulli in it.
Interesting, thought provoking, but mostly reading it just made me hungry.
Read with a selection of snacks on hand. You will need them.
Highly recommended.
Interesting, thought provoking, but mostly reading it just made me hungry.
Read with a selection of snacks on hand. You will need them.
Highly recommended.
February 17, 2012
Borrowing its name from the Hemmingway classic, Lonely Planet's entry into the burgeoning travel + food genre is a thoughtful sampler menu of meals eaten around the globe. Some of the stories are quick and simple like a light lunch grabbed from a trattoria at a railway station in the north of Italy, while others are more substantial, more thoughtful, more deserving of a glass of wine and pleasant company.
(I don't normally make it a habit to take notes, however brief, on each story in a collection. However, the stories in this collection are disparate enough, and intriguing enough, that I wanted to be able to quickly reference who wrote what and what it was about.)
Food on the Hoof, by Jan Morris is a paen to the joys of eating while moving, the feeling of rushed happiness as one moves from one locale to another in search of whatever new adventure may lie in wait around the next corner.
Daily Bread by Pico Iyer is a quiet nod to the Californian monastary where the author retreats to a silence that is broken only by the Sunday lunch put on by the monks after mass. This story manages the difficult task of making simplicity and austerity things to be treasured. It is one of my favorites in the collection; I had no sooner finished the story than I was on Google, looking for the monastary.
Communion on Crete by Rhona McAdam left me a little cold. Although well written, it was not to my taste. The story tells of a communal dinner, each dish made locally and with care by the inhabitants of the village.
Of Boars, Baskets and Brotherhood by David Downie is another personal favorite from the collection. Downie recounts a stay in Genoa wherein he and his wife were able to befriend a local harbor pilot, describing in elegant turns the pride of the village, even as it empties and is encroached upon by a population of wild boars. The food sounds lovely, the town and its people lovelier still.
Seasoning Jerusalem by Elisabeth Eaves is interesting in that it strives to tell both sides of a story without actually going into that story itself. In this case, the big, untold story is that of the conflict in Jerusalem, and the narrative is the story of how the food can be so similar between two cultures that claim to have nothing in common.
Couscous and Camaraderie by Anita Breland tells of the author getting to know a culture through the shared making of a meal, even amongst those who do not speak the same language.
Cooking with Donna by William Sertl is my kind of story. It takes place on a private island, features trips by boats and days by the beach and ends with a tour of Mick Jagger's private residence. This is the kind of traveling I need to do.
Salad Days in Burma by Karen J. Coates is a story about cooking and journalism and what is and isn't allowed in the politically charged atmosphere of Burma. Interesting more for the ways Coates' students must deal with the violent changes in their lives than the food, this story is reminder that food can bring us together even in the midst of chaos.
Just What the Doctor Ordered by Alexander Lobrano describes the kind of experience most travelers crave: A random stop turned memorable by the kindness of strangers. In this case, a group of doctors who fed the author lunch.
The Hair of the Cow by Laurence Mitchell is a tale of being far too drunk in Georgia.
Siberian Chicken by Anthony Sattin was fascinating as much for its depiction of post Cold War economics as its chilling illustration of the perils of traveling in a still rough area of the world.
The Scent of Love by Stanley Stewart is an ode to Mongolia and the people who inhabit its empty reaches.
The 'Cue Quest by Doug Mack is the kind of father - son tale I like: about being friends and about shared joy in everyday things like the perfect barbeque.
Propane and Hot Sauce by Liz MacDonald, about the quest to obtain a kind of hot sauce made by a group of stoners in Hawaii, was fun enough, but it didn't do much for me.
A Pilgimage to El Bulli by Matt Preston questions whether a night at the famed restaurant is really worth its reputation.
Ode to Old Manhattan by Anthony Bourdain was disappointing, not because it was not well written, but because this is something I've heard from Bourdain so many times now that I could almost play the beats with him as his story wanders through restaurants who refuse to change with the times, who preserve a past long forgotten by most of the world. It was a pleasant enough story, just too familiar to anyone who has read Bourdain's books or watched his t.v. shows.
Dorego's by Matthew Fort tells us of a restaurant in the middle of nowhere and makes it sound like a place that is somewhere worth going.
Tijuana Terroir by Jim Benning gives those of us North of the border a different look at a town famous for everything wrong with it. Benning tells us of at least one thing Tijuana gets right, and that's the food.
Andrew Zimmer's Like Father, Like Son was a little too long and too meandering for anyone not already a fan to get into.
Dinner with Dionysus by Henry Shukman is all about the pleasures of Greece and how they have weathered the test of time.
Lawrence Millman's A Feast on Fais is the best description of what it's like to eat a flying fox I have ever read. That it is the only description of what it's like to eat a flying fox that I've read doesn't bear consideration.
Long Life the King by John T. Newman tells of the exquisite Queen of Fruits, the glorious and delicate XXXX, and the King of Fruits: the foul smelling durian. Having heard of the durian from many a traveller, this one made me laugh while exciting my desire to travel to South East Asia.
Mango Madness by Amanda Jones is a quick story about the delights of a single mango presented under odd circumstances. Charming.
Adrift in French Guiana by Mark Kurlansky is one of the more truly exotic stories in this collection. It details the delights one can find in simple fast food Chinese after weeks in the jungle.
Speciality of the House by Simon Winchester is a funny story about the best piece of dog he's ever eaten and the horrified reactions of his readership when they learned of it.
Let Tendances Culinaires by David Lebovitz tells of the trends among French chefs and why he thinks that their day is far from over.
Peanut Butter Summer by Emily Matchar is a love story, that of the author and a boyfriend, and that of the author and food.
The Ways of Tea by Naomi Duguid contemplates how sharing a pot of tea can bridge the myriad gaps of culture, language, and lifestyle that divide us.
Breakfast Epiphanies by Ruth Rabin tells a cultural exchange of a different sort, that of being hit on and then being set up with locals when in a foreign land.
The Potion by Johanna Gohmann is a sweet reminiscance of what might have been long ago during winter days in Venice.
Himalayan Potatoes by Larry Habegger attempts to define the good and bad in our lives, the right and the wrong, by telling us of a pair of locals he met while lost, cold, and hungry on the hiking trails that lead up towards Everest.
Chai, Chillum and Chapati by Sean McLachlan is an amusing tale of one man's attempt to become enlightened by spending an afternoon with the yogis in India. And drinking cup after cup of chai.
The Icing on the Japanese Cake by Stefan Gates kind of bothered me. Personally, it was hard to read this story and feel like the author had very little grasp of everything he had seen and experienced. He is let into a cultural exchange available to very few and professes to have gained an insight into the Japanese mind that is given the lie by the preceeding few pages of bewilderment and confusion glossed over by gross simplifications is happening around him..
The Abominable Trekker by Jeff Greenwald is a funny tale about being the idiotic intruder into a culture and making the biggest of blunders. Well worth reading for anyone who has been in that kind of position.
Italy in Seventeen Courses by Laura Fraser tells of the author's first experience in Italy contrasted with the present through beautiful food.
Foraging with Pee by Jeffery Alford competes with 'Adrift in French Guiana' as the most exotic story in this collection. The author relates a story of a very different kind of food, the kind found on subsitance farms deep in rural Thailand.
The Best Meal I Ever Had by Andrew McCarthy is another tale of the unexpected happening and resulting in a memorable experience.
The Rooster's Head in the Soup by Tim Cahill teaches the most important lesson of traveling, wherever you go, whatever you do, don't offend your hosts, even if it means eating a rooster's head.
(I don't normally make it a habit to take notes, however brief, on each story in a collection. However, the stories in this collection are disparate enough, and intriguing enough, that I wanted to be able to quickly reference who wrote what and what it was about.)
Food on the Hoof, by Jan Morris is a paen to the joys of eating while moving, the feeling of rushed happiness as one moves from one locale to another in search of whatever new adventure may lie in wait around the next corner.
Daily Bread by Pico Iyer is a quiet nod to the Californian monastary where the author retreats to a silence that is broken only by the Sunday lunch put on by the monks after mass. This story manages the difficult task of making simplicity and austerity things to be treasured. It is one of my favorites in the collection; I had no sooner finished the story than I was on Google, looking for the monastary.
Communion on Crete by Rhona McAdam left me a little cold. Although well written, it was not to my taste. The story tells of a communal dinner, each dish made locally and with care by the inhabitants of the village.
Of Boars, Baskets and Brotherhood by David Downie is another personal favorite from the collection. Downie recounts a stay in Genoa wherein he and his wife were able to befriend a local harbor pilot, describing in elegant turns the pride of the village, even as it empties and is encroached upon by a population of wild boars. The food sounds lovely, the town and its people lovelier still.
Seasoning Jerusalem by Elisabeth Eaves is interesting in that it strives to tell both sides of a story without actually going into that story itself. In this case, the big, untold story is that of the conflict in Jerusalem, and the narrative is the story of how the food can be so similar between two cultures that claim to have nothing in common.
Couscous and Camaraderie by Anita Breland tells of the author getting to know a culture through the shared making of a meal, even amongst those who do not speak the same language.
Cooking with Donna by William Sertl is my kind of story. It takes place on a private island, features trips by boats and days by the beach and ends with a tour of Mick Jagger's private residence. This is the kind of traveling I need to do.
Salad Days in Burma by Karen J. Coates is a story about cooking and journalism and what is and isn't allowed in the politically charged atmosphere of Burma. Interesting more for the ways Coates' students must deal with the violent changes in their lives than the food, this story is reminder that food can bring us together even in the midst of chaos.
Just What the Doctor Ordered by Alexander Lobrano describes the kind of experience most travelers crave: A random stop turned memorable by the kindness of strangers. In this case, a group of doctors who fed the author lunch.
The Hair of the Cow by Laurence Mitchell is a tale of being far too drunk in Georgia.
Siberian Chicken by Anthony Sattin was fascinating as much for its depiction of post Cold War economics as its chilling illustration of the perils of traveling in a still rough area of the world.
The Scent of Love by Stanley Stewart is an ode to Mongolia and the people who inhabit its empty reaches.
The 'Cue Quest by Doug Mack is the kind of father - son tale I like: about being friends and about shared joy in everyday things like the perfect barbeque.
Propane and Hot Sauce by Liz MacDonald, about the quest to obtain a kind of hot sauce made by a group of stoners in Hawaii, was fun enough, but it didn't do much for me.
A Pilgimage to El Bulli by Matt Preston questions whether a night at the famed restaurant is really worth its reputation.
Ode to Old Manhattan by Anthony Bourdain was disappointing, not because it was not well written, but because this is something I've heard from Bourdain so many times now that I could almost play the beats with him as his story wanders through restaurants who refuse to change with the times, who preserve a past long forgotten by most of the world. It was a pleasant enough story, just too familiar to anyone who has read Bourdain's books or watched his t.v. shows.
Dorego's by Matthew Fort tells us of a restaurant in the middle of nowhere and makes it sound like a place that is somewhere worth going.
Tijuana Terroir by Jim Benning gives those of us North of the border a different look at a town famous for everything wrong with it. Benning tells us of at least one thing Tijuana gets right, and that's the food.
Andrew Zimmer's Like Father, Like Son was a little too long and too meandering for anyone not already a fan to get into.
Dinner with Dionysus by Henry Shukman is all about the pleasures of Greece and how they have weathered the test of time.
Lawrence Millman's A Feast on Fais is the best description of what it's like to eat a flying fox I have ever read. That it is the only description of what it's like to eat a flying fox that I've read doesn't bear consideration.
Long Life the King by John T. Newman tells of the exquisite Queen of Fruits, the glorious and delicate XXXX, and the King of Fruits: the foul smelling durian. Having heard of the durian from many a traveller, this one made me laugh while exciting my desire to travel to South East Asia.
Mango Madness by Amanda Jones is a quick story about the delights of a single mango presented under odd circumstances. Charming.
Adrift in French Guiana by Mark Kurlansky is one of the more truly exotic stories in this collection. It details the delights one can find in simple fast food Chinese after weeks in the jungle.
Speciality of the House by Simon Winchester is a funny story about the best piece of dog he's ever eaten and the horrified reactions of his readership when they learned of it.
Let Tendances Culinaires by David Lebovitz tells of the trends among French chefs and why he thinks that their day is far from over.
Peanut Butter Summer by Emily Matchar is a love story, that of the author and a boyfriend, and that of the author and food.
The Ways of Tea by Naomi Duguid contemplates how sharing a pot of tea can bridge the myriad gaps of culture, language, and lifestyle that divide us.
Breakfast Epiphanies by Ruth Rabin tells a cultural exchange of a different sort, that of being hit on and then being set up with locals when in a foreign land.
The Potion by Johanna Gohmann is a sweet reminiscance of what might have been long ago during winter days in Venice.
Himalayan Potatoes by Larry Habegger attempts to define the good and bad in our lives, the right and the wrong, by telling us of a pair of locals he met while lost, cold, and hungry on the hiking trails that lead up towards Everest.
Chai, Chillum and Chapati by Sean McLachlan is an amusing tale of one man's attempt to become enlightened by spending an afternoon with the yogis in India. And drinking cup after cup of chai.
The Icing on the Japanese Cake by Stefan Gates kind of bothered me. Personally, it was hard to read this story and feel like the author had very little grasp of everything he had seen and experienced. He is let into a cultural exchange available to very few and professes to have gained an insight into the Japanese mind that is given the lie by the preceeding few pages of bewilderment and confusion glossed over by gross simplifications is happening around him..
The Abominable Trekker by Jeff Greenwald is a funny tale about being the idiotic intruder into a culture and making the biggest of blunders. Well worth reading for anyone who has been in that kind of position.
Italy in Seventeen Courses by Laura Fraser tells of the author's first experience in Italy contrasted with the present through beautiful food.
Foraging with Pee by Jeffery Alford competes with 'Adrift in French Guiana' as the most exotic story in this collection. The author relates a story of a very different kind of food, the kind found on subsitance farms deep in rural Thailand.
The Best Meal I Ever Had by Andrew McCarthy is another tale of the unexpected happening and resulting in a memorable experience.
The Rooster's Head in the Soup by Tim Cahill teaches the most important lesson of traveling, wherever you go, whatever you do, don't offend your hosts, even if it means eating a rooster's head.
January 28, 2016
I couldn't help but compare this collection to A Fork in the Road, another anthology of food/travel pieces published by Lonely Planet in 2013 (3 years after A Moveable Feast) - and for me, A Moveable Feast came up short. I found most every piece in A Fork in the Road genuine and captivating, and it was truly one of the first books that made me think so much more deeply about food culture both at home and faraway. On the flipside, I found many of the pieces within A Moveable Feast kind of obnoxious, stuffy and ultimately tiresome.
That said, I did really enjoy a few of the pieces in the collection, like David Downie's 'Of Boars, Baskets and Brotherhood', Matt Preston's 'A Pilgrimage to El Bulli' and David Lebovitz's 'Les Tendances Culinaires'.
That said, I did really enjoy a few of the pieces in the collection, like David Downie's 'Of Boars, Baskets and Brotherhood', Matt Preston's 'A Pilgrimage to El Bulli' and David Lebovitz's 'Les Tendances Culinaires'.
April 6, 2011
Simply amazing. A quick but for me, must read book. Hilarious, fascinating, poignant, and captivating. If this doesnt want to make you grab your passport and just go, nothing will. I will be retelling these stories for years, just not nearly as well as the original authors, so do yourself a favor and take some time near an open window, or on your porch, or with a good drink in hand and a nice meal and read this book.
October 26, 2014
This was every bit as much about the people and places and cultures visited as it was about the food. Some of the stories are not for "younger or more sensitive viewers," but the the truly stomach-turning were the few exceptions and even these gave fascinating glimpses of lives lived in other places. Easy to pick up and put down, easy to skip a story you find too much. Even this vegan found every one interesting.
January 8, 2012
A great book, one that I got through much faster than I had expected. I loved most of the stories, although many of them were Thailand/SE-Asia oriented. Many of the authors had an amazing capability to really transport you to a particular setting. Loved reading about the food-- Chapters of interest include Peanut Butter Summer and Italy in Seventeen Courses. An amazing read over all.
March 6, 2013
Very cool compendium of travel & food stories.
May 26, 2018
Really enjoyed reading this collection of essays about travelers’ experiences with culture, connections, and food. All serious travelers can related to these experiences, but this book would be good for travelers just starting out as it provides some roadmaps on how to respond in situations that challenge our beliefs and culture and leave us feeling vulnerable— how to be and how to eat when you’re the stranger in the strange land.
October 16, 2018
I got this from the library and was unsure if I'd even read it. However, this was a really enjoyable, funny and interesting read. A wide variety of writers and experience from all over the globe.
June 28, 2014
This book is a short story collection about food and travel. Since I love reading about both, I couldn’t wait to read this book Each chapter tells of a certain situation the author experienced with food and travel.
All the stories were interesting, some more than others, but each gives a look into what the food and places are like across the world.
One of my favorite stories was about a young girl and her boyfriend who backpacked their way through Europe. The author, Emily Matchar loved learning about the food in the different places they went to, but her boyfriend Peter was content to eat from a jar of peanut butter he’d put in his backpack while packing. She loved talking to the locals, he did not. So, in the end they went their This book is a short story collection about food and travel. Since I love reading about both, I couldn’t wait to read this book Each chapter tells of a certain situation the author experienced with food and travel.
All the stories were interesting, some more than others, but each gives a look into what the food and places are like across the world.
One of my favorite stories was about a young girl and her boyfriend who backpacked their way through Europe. The autor, Emily Matchar loved learning about the food in the different places they went to, but her boyfriend Peter was content to eat from a jar of peanut butter he’d put in his backpack while packing. She loved talking to the locals, he did not. So, in the end they went their separate ways, but still keep in touch from time to time.
What intrigued me most about this particular story was that Peter was on a trip most of us would give anything to take, and there he was content to be a loner and eat peanut butter from home. I love peanut butter too, but come on!! Emily was dining on lentil curry at a Pakistani restaurant while Peter ate “rubbery” cheese pizza from the kids menu. I can’t imagine not wanting to taste the foods of far away places. You can get pizza in the U.S. any time you want it. Don’t get me wrong, pizza is my favorite food, but I definitely wouldn’t order it over a lentil curry in Pakistan.
This book took me to places I’ll never be able to visit. It introduced me to the food of each place the authors visited.
Overall I loved this book. Learning more about the people and food of places across the world is something I really enjoy and this book has such a variety that I was engrossed all the way through.
This was the June pick for a book club, and I’m so glad it was because I’d have never bought the book on my own.
Would I recommend this book? Yes yes yes!! If you love food, love travel, or just want a quick light read, pick this up. I don’t think you’ll be sorry! ways, but still keep in touch from time to time.
What intrigued me most about this particular story was that Peter was on a trip most of us would give anything to take, and there he was content to be a loner and eat peanut butter from home. I love peanut butter too, but come on!! Emily was dining on lentil curry at a Pakistani restaurant while Peter ate “rubbery” cheese pizza from the kids menu. I can’t imagine not wanting to taste the foods of far away places. You can get pizza in the U.S. any time you want it. Don’t get me wrong, pizza is my favorite food, but I definitely wouldn’t order it over a lentil curry in Pakistan.
This book took me to places I’ll never be able to visit. It introduced me to the food of each place the authors visited.
Overall I loved this book. Learning more about the people and food of places across the world is something I really enjoy and this book has such a variety that I was engrossed all the way through.
This was the June pick for a book club, and I’m so glad it was because I’d have never bought the book on my own.
Would I recommend this book? Yes yes yes!! If you love food, love travel, or just want a quick light read, pick this up. I don’t think you’ll be sorry!
All the stories were interesting, some more than others, but each gives a look into what the food and places are like across the world.
One of my favorite stories was about a young girl and her boyfriend who backpacked their way through Europe. The author, Emily Matchar loved learning about the food in the different places they went to, but her boyfriend Peter was content to eat from a jar of peanut butter he’d put in his backpack while packing. She loved talking to the locals, he did not. So, in the end they went their This book is a short story collection about food and travel. Since I love reading about both, I couldn’t wait to read this book Each chapter tells of a certain situation the author experienced with food and travel.
All the stories were interesting, some more than others, but each gives a look into what the food and places are like across the world.
One of my favorite stories was about a young girl and her boyfriend who backpacked their way through Europe. The autor, Emily Matchar loved learning about the food in the different places they went to, but her boyfriend Peter was content to eat from a jar of peanut butter he’d put in his backpack while packing. She loved talking to the locals, he did not. So, in the end they went their separate ways, but still keep in touch from time to time.
What intrigued me most about this particular story was that Peter was on a trip most of us would give anything to take, and there he was content to be a loner and eat peanut butter from home. I love peanut butter too, but come on!! Emily was dining on lentil curry at a Pakistani restaurant while Peter ate “rubbery” cheese pizza from the kids menu. I can’t imagine not wanting to taste the foods of far away places. You can get pizza in the U.S. any time you want it. Don’t get me wrong, pizza is my favorite food, but I definitely wouldn’t order it over a lentil curry in Pakistan.
This book took me to places I’ll never be able to visit. It introduced me to the food of each place the authors visited.
Overall I loved this book. Learning more about the people and food of places across the world is something I really enjoy and this book has such a variety that I was engrossed all the way through.
This was the June pick for a book club, and I’m so glad it was because I’d have never bought the book on my own.
Would I recommend this book? Yes yes yes!! If you love food, love travel, or just want a quick light read, pick this up. I don’t think you’ll be sorry! ways, but still keep in touch from time to time.
What intrigued me most about this particular story was that Peter was on a trip most of us would give anything to take, and there he was content to be a loner and eat peanut butter from home. I love peanut butter too, but come on!! Emily was dining on lentil curry at a Pakistani restaurant while Peter ate “rubbery” cheese pizza from the kids menu. I can’t imagine not wanting to taste the foods of far away places. You can get pizza in the U.S. any time you want it. Don’t get me wrong, pizza is my favorite food, but I definitely wouldn’t order it over a lentil curry in Pakistan.
This book took me to places I’ll never be able to visit. It introduced me to the food of each place the authors visited.
Overall I loved this book. Learning more about the people and food of places across the world is something I really enjoy and this book has such a variety that I was engrossed all the way through.
This was the June pick for a book club, and I’m so glad it was because I’d have never bought the book on my own.
Would I recommend this book? Yes yes yes!! If you love food, love travel, or just want a quick light read, pick this up. I don’t think you’ll be sorry!
August 17, 2023
A collection of very short food stories that bridge pretty much the whole world.
An excellent side book for when you are reading something heavy or just want to pick up and read for a short time. I wouldn't advise reading through this all at once as many of the tales follow a very similar thread of how an unexpected meal turned out to be life changing.
The book covers most of the world but almost always from a western point of view and mostly a very privileged one at that which can become grating. There are some truly great pieces of food writing in here but many are too short or too vague to have much of an effect.
I do want to go to the naked man festival in Nagoya at some point...
An excellent side book for when you are reading something heavy or just want to pick up and read for a short time. I wouldn't advise reading through this all at once as many of the tales follow a very similar thread of how an unexpected meal turned out to be life changing.
The book covers most of the world but almost always from a western point of view and mostly a very privileged one at that which can become grating. There are some truly great pieces of food writing in here but many are too short or too vague to have much of an effect.
I do want to go to the naked man festival in Nagoya at some point...
August 30, 2017
Like a five-course meal, some parts may taste better or worse than the other. This is what A Movable Feast essentially is. I'm not a big fan of Lonely Planet's guidebooks, but I am, however, a reader of travel writing - so I picked this up since it's an intersection of my two favorite things: travel and eating. The book is a collection of written pieces by travelers and chefs alike, exploring the culinary exoticness of other cultures and lands.
This I where I'll attach a disclaimer: I've been spoiled by the standards of Rice, Noodle, Fish: Deep Travels Through Japan's Food Culture and Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain's Food Culture - two fine examples of travel writing with depth, heart, and context. So you can say I've walked into A Movable Feast with high expectations. I walked away slightly disappointed, but still enjoying the experience nonetheless.
The first parts of the book are a slight bore to read. Fact is: food writing is not only about the writer's experience, but also the context they've landed themselves in. Some pieces focused entirely on their emotions, with reflections I couldn't take away much from, and not doing what food writing is supposed to: make me salivate and want to go there for a taste as well.
No problem though, A Movable Feast picks up a little after halfway through the book with some solid gems if you make it through the appetizer. Maybe that's what makes travel (food) writing so tricky, you need to have a fine balance of culture, reflection, context and emotion. Certain pieces such as those set in the home of a Morrocan cook, or a father-son road-trip across the U.S. for a perfect plate of ribs, or an awkward sharing of an honorary meal with a less than delectable dish.
A Movable Feast is a delicious read, with some yummy pieces after the main dish. It's not spectacular, but it'll do.
This I where I'll attach a disclaimer: I've been spoiled by the standards of Rice, Noodle, Fish: Deep Travels Through Japan's Food Culture and Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain's Food Culture - two fine examples of travel writing with depth, heart, and context. So you can say I've walked into A Movable Feast with high expectations. I walked away slightly disappointed, but still enjoying the experience nonetheless.
The first parts of the book are a slight bore to read. Fact is: food writing is not only about the writer's experience, but also the context they've landed themselves in. Some pieces focused entirely on their emotions, with reflections I couldn't take away much from, and not doing what food writing is supposed to: make me salivate and want to go there for a taste as well.
No problem though, A Movable Feast picks up a little after halfway through the book with some solid gems if you make it through the appetizer. Maybe that's what makes travel (food) writing so tricky, you need to have a fine balance of culture, reflection, context and emotion. Certain pieces such as those set in the home of a Morrocan cook, or a father-son road-trip across the U.S. for a perfect plate of ribs, or an awkward sharing of an honorary meal with a less than delectable dish.
A Movable Feast is a delicious read, with some yummy pieces after the main dish. It's not spectacular, but it'll do.
July 10, 2014
Excellent writing. This book transported me to Italy for a wedding feast so elaborate and with so many courses that the writer was, quite regrettably, unable to try everything. I "visited" Thailand, where I discovered that red ant egg salad was a delicacy (and I sincerely feel a little sad, as I doubt that I will likely ever be able to try it.) I learned about the Naked Man Festival in Japan. I felt the compassion of a lone man in Nepal who saw two lost, hungry hikers and invited them into his home for a simple but memorable meal. I laughed at a man's first experience with the durian fruit in the Banda Islands, as it reminded me of my own first experience with the so-called "King of the fruits".
I followed a son and his father as they went on a pilgrimage of sorts to find a famed barbecue joint. Actually, there were a number of good father/ son stories -- parents instilling in their children a love of good food -- and one particularly sad story of a family teaching their daughter that food was something to be afraid of, as it has the potential to make one fat. (Fortunately she overcame that, but what a burden to bear.)
I also learned that if I ever find myself in Georgia (the country, not the state), it is considered rude to toast with beer.
There are so many wonderful stories in here. I've read a lot of travel writing and this book is one of the best. I am unable to travel very far at this stage in my life (but I'm saving up for it!) so this is how I learn about the world around me for now. These stories are written by people who I guarantee you do not have photos of themselves standing in front of tourist-attraction signs. They have actually lived among the residents of other countries and their lives are the better for it. That's how I feel about having read this book.
I followed a son and his father as they went on a pilgrimage of sorts to find a famed barbecue joint. Actually, there were a number of good father/ son stories -- parents instilling in their children a love of good food -- and one particularly sad story of a family teaching their daughter that food was something to be afraid of, as it has the potential to make one fat. (Fortunately she overcame that, but what a burden to bear.)
I also learned that if I ever find myself in Georgia (the country, not the state), it is considered rude to toast with beer.
There are so many wonderful stories in here. I've read a lot of travel writing and this book is one of the best. I am unable to travel very far at this stage in my life (but I'm saving up for it!) so this is how I learn about the world around me for now. These stories are written by people who I guarantee you do not have photos of themselves standing in front of tourist-attraction signs. They have actually lived among the residents of other countries and their lives are the better for it. That's how I feel about having read this book.
November 21, 2016
Mongolians don't believe in wasting any of their beloved sheep. Everything was in the bowl, floating in a sort of primeval ooze: lungs, stomach, bladder, brain, intestines, eyeballs, teeth, genitals. It was a lucky sheep dip; you were never sure what you were going to pull out. I fished carefully, not too keen on finding myself with the testicles. My first go produced an object that resembled an old purse dredged up from the bottom of a stagnant canal. I think it might have been an ear. I had better luck with the intestines, which were delicious, and once brought to the surface, went on for quite a while.
That's why we read books like this, which is sub-titled Life-changing Food Adventures Around the World, isn't it? For the startling meals we would never have thought of as edible, let alone the company-best casserole, written about by people with a willingness to do anything as well as a good sense of humor. This anthology put out by Lonely Planet is, as with every anthology, a mixed bag of the fantastic, the heart-warming, the pretentious and the slightly boring. The count is loaded towards the fantastic, with the best story of all by Tim Cahill, The Rooster's Head in the Soup, which manages to be instructional, touching and very, very funny. Other stand-outs included a story about Kansas City barbeque by Doug Mack and a short bit by Andrew McCarthy (yes, that Andrew McCarthy) set in Thailand, about how a meal among friendly strangers can ease loneliness.
That's why we read books like this, which is sub-titled Life-changing Food Adventures Around the World, isn't it? For the startling meals we would never have thought of as edible, let alone the company-best casserole, written about by people with a willingness to do anything as well as a good sense of humor. This anthology put out by Lonely Planet is, as with every anthology, a mixed bag of the fantastic, the heart-warming, the pretentious and the slightly boring. The count is loaded towards the fantastic, with the best story of all by Tim Cahill, The Rooster's Head in the Soup, which manages to be instructional, touching and very, very funny. Other stand-outs included a story about Kansas City barbeque by Doug Mack and a short bit by Andrew McCarthy (yes, that Andrew McCarthy) set in Thailand, about how a meal among friendly strangers can ease loneliness.
March 27, 2011
It was a good book, but not great. I think it would have helped if I'd bought a physical copy of the book--it's the type where pictures of pretty food in pretty settings probably help the less-than-stellar writing. If I'd gotten a physical copy, I'd also have realized that Bourdain did not provide a lot of the essays, which was a BIG reason for me downloading it. I really think Bourdain's talents are more suited to the arena of writing than cooking, but most of the other essays...well...the writers should stay in the kitchen. Or writing about other things than food.
Something titled A Moveable Feast should make the reader HUNGRY--not just for food, but for travel, for new experiences, for making new friends and renewing old ones. Most of the essays did not. A few of them, I'm going to re-read when it's time to start a diet or when I'm broke and can't travel to make me feel better about being stuck at home. I will say the good essays outnumber the bad, and Anthony Bourdain's, Andrew Zimmerman's, Jan Morris's and a few others were more than good and ventured into great.
It's a really good coffee table book, but not much more than that.
Something titled A Moveable Feast should make the reader HUNGRY--not just for food, but for travel, for new experiences, for making new friends and renewing old ones. Most of the essays did not. A few of them, I'm going to re-read when it's time to start a diet or when I'm broke and can't travel to make me feel better about being stuck at home. I will say the good essays outnumber the bad, and Anthony Bourdain's, Andrew Zimmerman's, Jan Morris's and a few others were more than good and ventured into great.
It's a really good coffee table book, but not much more than that.
June 18, 2015
I love reading about food, and travel, especially while traveling, which is why I started this book the last time I was on a plane. I clearly felt no need to finish it, however, and only slogged through the last half months after beginning. The writing is alright, for the most part, but all short previously published bits that feel like magazine filler, nothing flushed out, nothing standing out. The voices and experiences are all so disparate nothing unifies it as a whole. Pieces fall generally into two camps - this simple rustic thing was the best thing I ate and I ate this weird gross thing while someplace remote. Nothing groundbreaking. This is what I ate as a child. This is what I discovered as an adult. Emotions and food and experiences and memories are linked. What really knocked this down, however, was the inclusion of some weirdly racist pieces, by several authors, that are just so tone deaf in their marveling at the foreign 'other', casting them as non-human and fetishizing their 'exoticism' and coming off awfully offensive. It all started to feel rather icky towards the end.
April 3, 2017
I enjoyed this travel book while travelling. I love trying new foods so this book was a perfect read for me. The 38 short articles were perfect as one could read here and there as one goes. The down side is sometimes as I got into a story, it ended, almost wanting to know more. The upside is that there was a preface before each story pointing one to their web site or blog.
From the bizarre like baked bat or searching for frogs to the urbane, such as the best restaurant in the world and several Michelin star food incidents to the downright fun searching for the best BBQ food or heading over the border for Mexican food in Tiujanna, plus several Himalya incidents, tthere seems to be something for everyone. The most notable was Simon Winchester's incident about eating dog in Korea and the King of the Fruits. One realizes that as one travels, one needs to try the local food to expand their horizons. required reading for travelers.
From the bizarre like baked bat or searching for frogs to the urbane, such as the best restaurant in the world and several Michelin star food incidents to the downright fun searching for the best BBQ food or heading over the border for Mexican food in Tiujanna, plus several Himalya incidents, tthere seems to be something for everyone. The most notable was Simon Winchester's incident about eating dog in Korea and the King of the Fruits. One realizes that as one travels, one needs to try the local food to expand their horizons. required reading for travelers.
February 15, 2015
Don George presents 39 travel stories about food; though, really, the stories are about people. Locations range from dense, depopulated jungle, to the slopes of the Himalayas, to the midwest U.S., to the great chefs of Paris. There are many moods, but bemusement a common theme - along with some unexpected moral conundrums. My favourite stories were "Mango Madness" by Amanda Jones, "The Potion" by Johanna Gohmann, and "Chai, Chili and Chapati" by Sean McLachlan. Some of the stories seemed vaguely pointless, but most were beautifully written, some with surprising insights. What most shone through was the constancy of human hospitality and the many ways food, culture and taste intertwine as a basic fact of our lives.
August 21, 2017
A part of me wants to rail on these pieces for being pretentious, overly sentimental works written by entitled white authors traveling the world over. Another term you could use here would be jealousy.
My other gripe is that many of the works follow a similar formula: A catchy opening paragraph, a recurring theme of heartfelt moments when a well-off person is treated to a traditional meal by the poor locals, at least one word per page requiring a layman to consult a dictionary, and a witty closing paragraph that ties everything together.
On the other hand I have to admit that this formula works, the writing is magnificent, and I’ve earmarked several pieces to re-read, in particular the real standouts that don’t follow the pre-prescribed formula.
My other gripe is that many of the works follow a similar formula: A catchy opening paragraph, a recurring theme of heartfelt moments when a well-off person is treated to a traditional meal by the poor locals, at least one word per page requiring a layman to consult a dictionary, and a witty closing paragraph that ties everything together.
On the other hand I have to admit that this formula works, the writing is magnificent, and I’ve earmarked several pieces to re-read, in particular the real standouts that don’t follow the pre-prescribed formula.
February 10, 2016
Now I'm just hungry.
I read this book after 7 weeks of living in Thailand and I had two very opposite, but almost obvious, feelings as I read. The first: I was starving for bread, and cheese, and savory meats, and good old Irish potatoes boiled with butter. The second: every day I'm living my own version of each of these stories, today I bought fresh mango at the market!
I loved reading each author's take on very similar stories. It's amazing to hear how all different foods in different countries can make us all feel a very particular set of feelings.
Hearing from so many incredible writers greatly increased my "to read" list yet again.
I read this book after 7 weeks of living in Thailand and I had two very opposite, but almost obvious, feelings as I read. The first: I was starving for bread, and cheese, and savory meats, and good old Irish potatoes boiled with butter. The second: every day I'm living my own version of each of these stories, today I bought fresh mango at the market!
I loved reading each author's take on very similar stories. It's amazing to hear how all different foods in different countries can make us all feel a very particular set of feelings.
Hearing from so many incredible writers greatly increased my "to read" list yet again.
March 10, 2011
I'm only on the Third Chapter of this book, which is Rhona's part called Communion on Crete. So far, I dig how these chefs are talking about food and culture in such a different way. I was hooked when George talked about how he went to this small village in Japan where they didn't like outsiders and just gave him a fish to eat. He ate it. I love to explore the cultures of the world and I'm crazily becoming a foodie. It's mixing my two great ideas of traveling and food. I can't wait to get to Bourdain's section.
January 15, 2023
Not the Ernest Hemmingway work, but a collection of foodie travel tales from around the world. Like any collection and indeed like food itself, there is a certain joy to savouring favourite stories and skipping through those of less appeal. The anthology contains a satisfying mix of humour and reflection and includes stories to which all travellers can relate, regardless of specific location, however, the fact that I devoured the ebook while savouring a post-meal hot chocolate while overlooking an Italian alps snowscape may have affected my enthusiasm.
February 28, 2013
I picked this up right after reading Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. His story in this book is barely worth mentioning, and (I think) was cannibalized as part of a late season episode of No Reservations. However, I am still grateful to Mr. Bourdain for making me pick up this book. It houses several great stories, some by authors I've heard of or read before and some that are new discoveries that I'll be seeking out more from in the future.
April 6, 2013
There are some decent stories here. Bourdain's is short, and is nothing you wouldn't already know if you watch him on TV. Zimmern's story was a little meatier and enjoyable. Given that this was a book brought to us by The Lonely Planet I probably shouldn't be surprised that there were a lot of stories about trekking in far flung places eating crazy stuff while life hung in the balance, but by the end of the book it was a little tiresome. Okay, I get it, your life is an adventure.
November 22, 2016
Good to dip in and out of, although not every story is created equal. Some are four star worthy, some are two. This is a happy compromise. Bourdain's contribution is about two pages long, as if he did it for a quick favour; Matt Preston goes into intricate detail about something most readers will literally never even get the opportunity to experience.
(Although, of course, I can't imagine needing to read this more than once).
(Although, of course, I can't imagine needing to read this more than once).
April 23, 2011
What a fabulous collection of short stories-I would recommend this to anyone-not just foodies!!
Each vignette is a an exploration of the world outside our front door, and that makes each encounter special.
A book to pick up for a 5 minute romp that will immediately give the whole day a 'pick me up.'
Each vignette is a an exploration of the world outside our front door, and that makes each encounter special.
A book to pick up for a 5 minute romp that will immediately give the whole day a 'pick me up.'
August 5, 2011
It was interesting enough short-stories, some more than the other. There were some that I didn't care to read, but that's a good side of short-stories. Obviously some writers are better than the other, and some made me laugh so hard, some brought back some memories of my childhood, some made me want to travel just to eat their food. But I'll give only 2, or maybe 3.
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