Best Food Writing 2014

P
RAISE FOR THE

Best Food Writing

SERIES

“Longtime editor Hughes once again compiles a tasty collection of culinary essays for those who love to eat, cook and read about food . . . A literary trek across the culinary landscape pairing bountiful delights with plenty of substantive tidbits.”
—
Kirkus Reviews

“What is so great about this annual series is that editor Holly Hughes curates articles that likely never crossed your desk, even if you're an avid reader of food content. Nearly every piece selected is worth your time.”
—The Huffington Post

“This latest annual anthology of short writings reveals a nation sorely conflicted about food's nutritional benefits versus the sheer sensual pleasures of the table.”
—
Booklist

“The essays are thought-provoking and moving . . . This is an absolutely terrific and engaging book . . . There is enough variety, like a box of chocolates, that one can poke around the book looking for the one with caramel and find it.”
—
New York Journal of Books

“A top-notch collection, Hughes brings together a wonderful mix that is sure to please the foodie in all of us.”
—
San Francisco Book Review

“This collection will leave you both chuckling and pondering, and perhaps a little wiser about the American food scene.”
—
Taste for Life

“Not just for foodies! This will delight anyone who enjoys the pleasures of a good read and a good meal. Highly recommended.”
—
Library Journal

“There's a mess of vital, provocative, funny and tender stuff . . . in these pages.”
—
USA Today

“An exceptional collection worth revisiting, this will be a surefire hit with epicureans and cooks.”
—
Publishers Weekly
, starred review

“If you're looking to find new authors and voices about food, there's an abundance to chew on here.”
—
Tampa Tribune

“Fascinating to read now, this book will also be interesting to pick up a year from now, or ten years from now.”
—
Popmatters.com

“Some of these stories can make you burn with a need to taste what they're writing about.”
—
Los Angeles Times

“This is a book worth devouring.”
—
Sacramento Bee

“The cream of the crop of food writing compilations.”
—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“The book captures the gastronomic zeitgeist in a broad range of essays.”
—
San Jose Mercury News

“There are a few recipes among the stories, but mostly it's just delicious tales about eating out, cooking at home and even the politics surrounding the food on our plates.”
—
Spokesman-Review

“The next best thing to eating there is.”
—
New York Metro

“Stories for connoisseurs, celebrations of the specialized, the odd, or simply the excellent.”
—
Entertainment Weekly

“Spans the globe and palate.”
—
Houston Chronicle

“The perfect gift for the literate food lover.”
—
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A
LSO EDITED BY
H
OLLY
H
UGHES

Best Food Writing 2013

Best Food Writing 2012

Best Food Writing 2011

Best Food Writing 2010

Best Food Writing 2009

Best Food Writing 2008

Best Food Writing 2007

Best Food Writing 2006

Best Food Writing 2005

Best Food Writing 2004

Best Food Writing 2003

Best Food Writing 2002

Best Food Writing 2001

Best Food Writing 2000

A
LSO BY
H
OLLY
H
UGHES

Frommer's 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers

Frommer's New York City with Kids

Frommer's 500 Places to Take the Kids Before They Grow Up

Copyright © 2014 by Holly Hughes

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information, address Da Capo Press, 44 Farnsworth Street, 3
^rd
Floor, Boston, MA 02210.

Set in 10 point Bembo BQ by the Perseus Books Group

Cataloging-in-Publication data for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

First Da Capo Press edition 2014

ISBN: 978-0-7382-1792-5 (e-book)

Published by Da Capo Press

A Member of the Perseus Books Group

www.dacapopress.com

Note: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. This book is intended only as an informative guide for those wishing to know more about health issues. In no way is this book intended to replace, countermand, or conflict with the advice given to you by your own physician. The ultimate decision concerning care should be made between you and your doctor. We strongly recommend you follow his or her advice. Information in this book is general and is offered with no guarantees on the part of the authors or Da Capo Press. The authors and publisher disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

Da Capo Press books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the U.S. by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group, 2300 Chestnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, or call (800) 810-4145, ext. 5000, or e-mail
[email protected]
.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

C
ONTENTS

Introduction

T
HE
W
AY
W
E
E
AT
N
OW

Age of Innocence,
From
Saveur

By Jay Rayner

Are Big Flavors Destroying the American Palate?,
From
Food & Wine

By Kate Krader

A Toast Story,
From
Pacific Standard

By John Gravois

Five Things I Will Not Eat,
From
CivilEats.com

By Barry Estabrook

Baconomics 101,
From
The Tastemakers

By David Sax

The Right to Eat,
From Alimentum

By JT Torres

A T
ABLE FOR
E
VERYONE

America, Your Food Is So Gay,
From
Lucky Peach

By John Birdsall

Debts of Pleasure,
From the
Oxford American

By John T. Edge

The Dignity of Chocolate,
From
Edible Vancouver

By Eagranie Yuh

The Indulgence of Pickled Baloney,
From
Gravy

By Silas House

Austerity Measures,
From
SF Weekly

By Anna Roth

Waiting for the 8th,
From the
Washington Post

By Eli Saslow

B
ACK TO
B
ASICS

A Sort of Chicken That We Call Fish,
From
PoorMansFeast.com

By Elissa Altman

Forget the Clock, Remember Your Food,
From
Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook

By Joe Yonan

Meals from a Hunter,
From the
Minneapolis Star Tribune