Product Description

Jeffrey Steingarten is to food writing what Bill Bryson is to travel writing. Whether he is hymning the joys of the perfect chip, discussing the taste of beef produced from Japanese cows which are massaged daily and fed on sake, or telling us the scientific reasons why salad is a 'silent killer', his humour and his love of good food never fail. The questions he asks (like 'Why aren't the French dropping like flies?') will challenge everything you assume you know about what you eat, yet his characteristic wit imparts masses of revelatory information in the most palatable of ways. A must for everyone who's ever enjoyed a meal - this book contains everything you ever wanted to know about food, but were too hungry to ask...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48907 in Books
• Published on: 1999-07-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Jeffrey Steingarten was a lawyer until 1989, when an invitation to write for American Vogue effected his metamorphosis into a food writer--unquestionably a higher form of life. As the self-styled Man Who Ate Everything, he could allow himself no favourite foods nor irrational dislikes; consequently, the first piece in the book describes his heroic efforts to purge himself of all food phobias in preparation for his new post. The Six-Step Programme he devised was largely successful: as a result, kimchi (Korean pickled cabbage), anchovies, Greek food and clams ("I feel a mild horror about what goes on in the moist darkness between the shells of all bivalves...is the horror deeper than I know?) all assumed a place in his diet. He became the "perfect omnivore". Now he seems to travel the world, eating. The Man Who Ate Everything deals to a certain extent with food and cooking, but its real subject (aside from Steingarten himself) is our attitude towards what we eat--what our food choices reveal about us. So he discusses the complex issues surrounding choosing the best brand of bottled water; the pros and cons of cooking "French" fries in horse fat; the deadly toxins that infest a virginal salad. He travels to Alsace in pursuit of le Veritable Choucroute Garni, to Piedmont to join white-truffle hunters, to Kyoto to worship at the shrine of kaiseki ryori, formal Japanese haute cuisine. By turns witty, learned, satirical and riotously farcical, The Man Who Ate Everything is never less than passionate about his subject. --Robin Davidson

Amazon.co.uk Review
Jeffrey Steingarten was a lawyer until 1989, when an invitation to write for American Vogue effected his metamorphosis into a food writer--unquestionably a higher form of life. As the self-styled Man Who Ate Everything, he could allow himself no favourite foods nor irrational dislikes; consequently, the first piece in the book describes his heroic efforts to purge himself of all food phobias in preparation for his new post. The Six-Step Programme he devised was largely successful: as a result, kimchi (Korean pickled cabbage), anchovies, Greek food and clams ("I feel a mild horror about what goes on in the moist darkness between the shells of all bivalves...is the horror deeper than I know?) all assumed a place in his diet. He became the "perfect omnivore". Now he seems to travel the world, eating. The Man Who Ate Everything deals to a certain extent with food and cooking, but its real subject (aside from Steingarten himself) is our attitude towards what we eat--what our food choices reveal about us. So he discusses the complex issues surrounding choosing the best brand of bottled water; the pros and cons of cooking "French" fries in horse fat; the deadly toxins that infest a virginal salad. He travels to Alsace in pursuit of le Veritable Choucroute Garni, to Piedmont to join white-truffle hunters, to Kyoto to worship at the shrine of kaiseki ryori, formal Japanese haute cuisine. By turns witty, learned, satirical and riotously farcical, The Man Who Ate Everything is never less than passionate about his subject. --Robin Davidson

Jennifer Paterson
'Absolutely not to be missed.'

Customer Reviews

Give a copy of this book to ALL your friends
Anyone who begins a chapter with the words, 'I like salad, eaten in moderation like bacon or chocolate, about twice a week' ought to be compulsory reading, for Steingarten's insouciant wit makes every chapter in this delightful book an indulgent pleasure. Cheer up your library with this work; give it to friends in hospital who care about real food - Steingarten does, e.g. in Primal Bread he writes: 'The world is divided into two camps: those who can live happily on bread alone and those who also need vegetables, meat, and dairy products. Isaiah and I fall into the first category....' A joy to enjoy, and it's calorie-free.

This book will make you hungry
Or if it doesn't make you hungry, it will certainly change the way you think about food. Funny and informative, this collection of essays is a treat for foodies everywhere. The author looks at food myths and cultures, shares recipes and ideas but most of all shares his love for food.

This made me hungry!
A great book. One must remember that it's actually a collection of separate magazine articles, so it's somewhat unfair to try and review it as a single cohesive critique of food and the industries around it.

However, I have to agree with the reviewer who commented on the 'olestra' thing - this is completely out of keeping with the writing in the other sections. At the end of it he writes 'If fat is poison....', even though in a previous section he describes the same view of fat described by another author as 'dangerous nonsense'. I'd be interested to know how he justifies his views on Olestra.

However, this doesn't detract from the book itself. The recipes are marvellous (especially the Choucroute Alsacienne), the humour is just right, and most of his points are spot on.