Best Food Writing 2007

by Holly Hughes (Editor)

Now in its eighth year, Best Food Writing 2007 hosts a literary feast of the finest culinary prose from the past year's books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and Web sites. With eight sections ranging from Food Fights to Fast Food, The World's Kitchen to Why I Cook, this stellar collection features both established food writers and rising stars who serve up their culinary forays, musings, and discoveries. By turns luminous, nostalgic, witty, sensual, and sometimes just plain funny, this delectable sampler will invoke your imagination and tantalize your taste buds-whether you're in the mood for tartare-or tacos.

Food fights --
Waiting for asparagus / by Barbara Kingsolver --
Local heroes? / by Barry Estabrook --
Rare tuna / by Todd Kliman --
French revolution / by Violaine Charest-Sigouin --
Do recipes make you a better cook? / by Daniel Patterson --
You may kiss the chef's napkin ring / by Frank Bruni --
Discovering new worlds / by Francis Lam --
Feast of burden / by Sara Deseran --
Organicize me / by Michael A. Stusser --
Home cooking --
Kitchen existential / by David Leite --
Cast iron skillet / by Andrea King Collier --
Death by lobster pad Thai / by Steve Almond --
Alabama's best covered-dish dinner / by John T. Edge --
The age of casseroles / by Irene Sax --
Someone's in the kitchen --
The great carrot caper / by Dan Barber --
Spoon-fed / by John Grossmann --
The Harveys circus / by Marco Pierre White and James Steen --
The best chef in the world / by Alan Richman --
Building the perfect pizza / by Laurie Winer --
Sharing in the feast with Johnny Apple / by Adam Noagourney --
Dining around --
My Miami / by Anthony Bourdain --
Then there were none / by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl --
Precision cuisine : the art of feeding 800 a night in style / by Melissa Clark --
The greatest restaurant on earth / by Ivy Knight --
Are you lonesome tonight? / by Gail Shepherd --
Mood food / by Tim Gihring --
Wedded bliss / by Jason Sheehan --
Post-it love / by Brett Anderson --
Fast food --
Don't call it a hot dog / by Joe Yonan --
In search of the transcendent taqueria / by Bill Addison --
Porno burrito / by Jonathan Gold --
Las fabulosas taco trucks / by Robb Walsh --
The world's kitchen --
The soulful crêpes of Brittany / by Nancy Coons --
Shanghai high / by Adam Sachs --
Old school Madrid / by Anya Von Bremzen --
Visiting the old city / by Madhur Jaffrey --
Waiting for a cappuccino / by Carolyn Thériault --
The Japanese paradigm / by John Kessler --
The insidious rise of cosmo-cuisine / by Salma Abdelnour --
The meat of the matter --
Meat / by James Sturz --
What's a stake at the butcher shop / by Pete Wells --
The best burger / by Raymond Sokolov --
Steak, well done / by Colman Andrews --
Personal tastes --
A memorable fruit / by Shuna Fish Lydon --
A sugar binge / by Charles Ferruzza --
The centerpiece / by Rita Williams --
A grandchild of Italy cracks the spaghetti code / by Kim Severson --
Why I cook --
The frying of latke 49 / by Steven Shaw --
Around the world to our kitchen table / by Ame Gilbert --
Give me credit / by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall --
Cooking for a crowd / by Matthew Amster-Burton --
Simple cooking, then and now / by John Thorne

Genres: Food, Food Writing, Nonfiction, Essays, Cooking, Food and Drink, Collections

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

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

Reviews

[Joyce]

The problem for me is that my idea of the best food writing is the most like historical exegesis, and this is the opposite of what I like. I wouldn't even have minded so much if they'd just reprinted articles from food magazines -- but internal evidence suggests they printed EXCERPTS of articles from food magazines. As soon as you start to relax into one of the pieces... it gets brutally cut off! I think 2007 might have been the ideal year for someone really smart to have explained why foodie culture and junk-food culture are two sides of the same deracinated approach to life... but this editor wasn't the person to get it done.

[Anina · Rating 3 out of 5]

i didn't finish this but it was interesting enough

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this collection of food writing at a used book store that was having a 50% off sale, and I was familiar with this particular "brand" sine I had read some of their travel collections back in college. I figured reading an older edition would be interesting to see what has stayed similar and what has changed in the last decade or so, in regards to food in general. Like expected, some things are exactly the same, while others trends felt new in 2007 and are common place now, such as food trucks. It's kind of hard to review or grade it as a whole, since as a collection, there's probably 100 different articles with just as many authors. I do appreciate how the editor grouped the articles into different sections, such as meat, or home cooking. It's very easy to pick up the book for one or two articles and then put it down for months since it isn't a linear story, so I actually read it over the course of a year in between other things I was reading, but for the most part, I did enjoy Ms. Hughes' collection.

[J.C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably won't be investing in any more of this series. I like food writing but most of these were magazine pieces and there was not a lot of long form pieces present in this collection.

[Mindy Burroughs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been reading backwards through these and 2007 is the first year that really feels like I’m reading history. For whatever that’s worth.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I actually finished this almost two months ago and have just been wretched about updating my goodreads - but. This book is a worthy read. Like most essay compilations, some of the selections are better than others. I did appreciate the scope of the topics - everything from ethical food growing and consumption to finding the perfect crepe in France to the snobbery of chefs in the food world; lots of the writing was funny and clever, some of it was poignant, and all of it was interesting.

Particularly good (especially for my local goodreads friends) is an essay by former City Pages food writer Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl, (now an editor for Minnesota Monthly, which *almost* saves that magazine from being the biggest piece of unsolicited crap to clog my mailbox every month, right behind my Qwest bill). Anyhow, her essay in Best Food Writing of 2007 is called "And Then There Were None" (an Agatha allusion, anyone? :) and the essay is spectacular and sad. But. Happily, City Pages still has this essay in their online archives, so you needn't even buy the book to read the essay: http://www.citypages.com/2007-01-31/r...

But I'd buy the book anyway. It's good. And since it's from 2007, and I've just finished it in mid-2009, surely you can find this book on the discount rack. Or borrow it from me. Please look for my review of Best Food Writing 2008, which I will likely read and write about in 2010.

[Jacqie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read a few of these essays before in various food magazines, but the quality of all was generally high. I liked the piece on the now sadly defunct Royal Peacock Indian restaurant of Boulder, and it really made me want to eat there. The Jim Thorne piece that ends the book is actually the beginning of his own book,which I've read, so I was a bit disappointed that the ending was a repeat for me.
But a field of very talented writers, short, easily digestible pieces (ha! see what I did there!, and a good way to get in just a bit of reading time bit by bit when you don't have the energy or time to take on a bigger project.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was my fault. I have been searching for food essays as wonderful as Laurie Colwin's, and so far I haven't found them. Most of these essays were okay, but many seemed to be written with a punchline in mind. My favorite was the excerpt from Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," which was both well-written and interesting on a deeper level than some of the high-jinx essays in the book.

If you want to read some wonderful cooking essays, try Laurie Colwin's "Home Cooking" and "More Home Cooking."

[Sheral · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading all the different food writers in one place . Gives you a broader look at the subject even if you don't subscribe to the publications that these authors write for.
I would probably enjoy reading the other years that have been published as much as the 2007 year book.
It's an easy read as the articles themselves are not very long, so you won't lose the rhythm of the story if your interrupted while reading.
All an all I enjoyed this book enough to think of reading the others by this editor and even reading more by some of the various writers.

[Jared Gillins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a little surprised to find that "the best" included some essays that had awesome topics and less desirable writing, some that had amazing writing but drier topics, and that the number of essays that combined the best of both were a little more rare.

However, I did enjoy it overall. And it includes recipes, which is awesome. I'd definitely recommend it for people who enjoy both food and essays.

[Andromeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have even a hint of foodie in you, you will probably like at least something in this collection. Geographically and culturally diverse, it also isn't afraid to represent various viewpoints on social issues like the slow foods movement. I would recommend reading after you eat, though, because it will certainly send you to the refrigerator.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like food and the culture surrounding anything related to food, you'd enjoy this book. I liked that it was so easy to read in spurts because it's a compilation of articles rather than an actual book per se. Quite fascinating, but if you don't like an article you can always skip ahead or skip around.

[Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent fifty cents on this book at a local book sale and what a bargain I received--lots of fun reading about one of my favorite subjects. Particularly wonderful is the essay entitled, You May Kiss My Napkin Ring which lampoons the celebrity chef and their self- aggrandizing restaurants in which customrs are subjugated to the preferences of the chef.

This would make a great beach read.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading this series it gets me excited to get into the kitchen and to try something new. This year i was pleased to see John Thorne made the cut. I like his writing and his steadfast personality!

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a foodie, a food writer, or anyone just interested in what people are saying about food and our food supply, the annual collection of food writing from Holly Hughes is a must read each year. I loved it!

[Kerith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really recommend this series of anthologies. I'm looking forward to reading 2008's. If you enjoy reading about all aspects of food these are delicious. I really appreciated the fact that more essays discussed food and restaurants from the middle of the country, not just NY and LA, this time.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really really enjoying this! Short bits from various food writers, restaurant owners, awesome. Picked this up at a friend's house to kill some time and couldn't put it down! I may get the other editions! Great for foodies or people who like to cook.

[Arun Rajappa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good collection of food essays that brings out not only the tastes and smells, but also the zany characters in the food world.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the 2006 issue was a lot better but still an enjoyable book to pick up every now and again.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best two essays (the first two, one by Barbara Kingsolver and the other by Todd Kliman) I had already read in their original publication. The rest of the essays were mediocre.

[Berit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yum!

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not particularly insightful or groundbreaking, but good, fun airport reading. Keeps one away from the Cinnabon concession, which is a good thing, right?

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are only so many stories you can read about localvores and seasonal eating. It does include a handful of good articles.

[Rachel]

i love all food writing/essays.......this book has some great stories, it's my favorite form of non-fiction.....

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually, I'm reading Best Food Writing 2005, but they don't have it listed on Goodreads. Very enjoyable to dip in and out of, although reading it makes you awfully hungry.

[Karlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually I read Best Food Writing of 2005 but they don't have it on the list. An Anthology of non fiction food writing. The only thing better than eating food is reading about it!

[Shanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fits the bill for good, lighthearted, short pieces about food. Nice selection and range of writing, and organized well.

[Terrell Plotzki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall pretty decent, a bit too much overlap in some of the topics. John Thorne is a master food writer.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say - I can't resist good food writing.

[Ivonne]

15.95