Best Food Writing 2007

[Fat Guy]

The "Best Food Writing" anthology for 2007 has just come out. I find this book very useful because, even though I read quite a bit about food during the year, I manage to miss several key pieces of food writing each year. I count on "Best Food Writing" to catch me up.

First things first: we're very proud that, this year, not one but two pieces from the Daily Gullet were chosen for inclusion. When you consider that there are only 52 selections in the book, that's a nice accomplishment for us. The two pieces are "The Greatest Restaurant on Earth," by Ivy Knight, and a thing I wrote last year for Hanukkah called "The Frying of Latke 49."

Our friend David Leite, publisher of Leite's Culinaria, was responsible for the other two online pieces in the anthology. He wrote "Kitchen Existential," which appeared on the Morning News website, and he published novelist James Sturz's ode to meat, simply titled "Meat," on Leite's Culinaria.

Of course the online/print distinction has blurred of late. Quite a few of the pieces in the book, such as pretty much anything in a major newspaper, appeared online and in print at the same time. You could piece together a good percentage of "Best Food Writing" just by Googling around. It would be a little harder to find the book excerpts, though.

Pretty much everything in the book is a good read. If I had to pick the single best piece of writing in the volume, though, I'd have to go with John Thorne's reflection, "Simple Cooking, Then and Now." This deeply thoughtful look back at 25 years of publishing "Simple Cooking" is the last selection in the book and, I think, the most essential for everyone to read. Even if you're not a fan of John Thorne (I only am sometimes), it's important to read this piece.

Also enjoyable: Alan Richman's profile of Michel Troisgros titled "The Best Chef in the World"; Laurie Winer's "Building the Perfect Pizza"; John Kessler's "The Japanses Paradigm"; and the entire section titled "The Meat of the Matter," which includes the aforementioned Sturz essay plus excellent pieces by Colman Andrews (steak), Pete Wells (butchering) and Raymond Sokolov (burgers).

[maher]

thanks FG, for both the review and the update...

Congrats to eG on the recognition. the quality of the writing and contributions on eG are evident to all of us who have made it an integral part of our lives.

[The Naughti Literati]

Yeah, great review, I have been wanting this since I first saw it but that evening I got Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink instead. I'll pick this up this weekend!

[The Naughti Literati]

I finally got this book this afternoon and I'm so glad I did. I'm about to lie down and dig in, with the pouring rain as background music. No better way to end the weekend as far as I'm concerned. I love this series, I now have 2001-2007 and will be buying 2000 as well!

[maggiethecat]

Ivy's piece, in the first edition, is mistakenly attributed to www.gremolata.com, Society member Malcolm Jolley's first -class site about all things food in Toronto, where Ivy cooks, and round the world. I received an email from BFW's editor last week. The second edition is rolling off the presses, and the correction has been made -- The Daily Gullet will receive proper credit.

Congratulations to Steven and Ivy. Your accomplishments here make this Editorial Director proud.

[moosnsqrl]

And I'd like to give props to Kansas City's own Charles Ferruzza, appearing in the anthology for the second consecutive year. He's a rose among thorns

[The Naughti Literati]

Yes, congrats to the Egulleters in this collection and thanks for the correction!

I'm REALLY enjoying this book. I will probably end up reading it cover to cover within the week. My favorite so far (I've only read a few) is Feast of Burden by Sara Desaran of San Francisco, originally published in 7x7. I also liked the piece on tuna (Rare Tuna, Todd Klimore, The Washingtonian) and why good tuna is so hard to find. LMFAO @ the Japanese chef saying that over there, "white tuna" is considered cat food!!

Definitely cover to cover reading.