Anyone reading "An Economist Gets Lunch"?

[mskerr]

Started reading Tyler Cowen's book "An Economist Gets Lunch: New Rules For Foodies" and find it really interesting! He is against food snobbery, and against any notion that great food has to cost a lot, and goes about explaining all sorts of things from an economist foodie's point of view. I think his main mission is to explain to people how to find great food at small prices.

He makes all sorts of points on all sorts of topics: "why great city centers are bad for food," why crappy decor can be a sign of great food, how to get honest answers out of your waiter, why the best barbecue is found at places that open early in the morning in towns of less than 50,000 people, why good ribs are much more widely available than good brisket, the economics behind (in his opinion!) why Texas BBQ is better than North Carolina BBQ, why Thai food is becoming bad in the US, why Pakistani food is on average better than Indian food in the US, how to get 'real' Chinese food at an Americanized Chinese restaurant... And it goes on!

Also, early in the book he has a chapter called "How American Food Got Bad". He blames four things:

(1) Prohibition.

(2) restrictions of immigration in the early twentieth century, around the time of prohibition, the Great Depression, and World War 2.

(3) Kids and

(4) Television.

"[Americans] also spoil our children by catering to their food preferences, but this damages dining quality for everyone. American parents produce, buy, cook, and present food that is blander, simpler, and sweeter, and in part that is because the kiddies are in charge. Children love sweets, French fries, unornamented meats, and snacks. Since it is easier to cook for the whole family, American food followed this simpler, blander path. You simply cannot count on children to monitor the quality of food. Few children will complain that the vegetables are not fresh, that the sauce is under- seasoned, or that the fish is overcooked.

In France, in contrast, the wishes of children , whether for food or otherwise, are more frequently ignored. The kids are simply expected to eat what the adults feed them. A lot of American food is, quite simply, food for children in a literal sense. It's just that we all happen to eat it."

Though he also says American food has a bad reputation it doesn't fully deserve, as much of our finest produce could not survive shipping to, say, Europe without a serious dent in quality, so much of what the world thinks of as American food is things like McDonalds, which is not exactly a flattering representation.

Anyone else reading it?

[FrogPrincesse]

The subject matter could have been interesting, but the book seems full of generalities. After reading the review in the New York times, I was not interested in reading it.

[mskerr]

I'll read the review after I read the book. I like to make up my own mind about things, and while the book probably isn't hugely revelatory to a lot of experienced foodies, it's a really interesting summer read for me, especially since I don't know anything about economics.

[Hassouni]

As someone who lives in the DC area, Tyler Cowen's reviews are basically the gospel, but I feel if you read his blog enough, the book is probably unnecessary (haven't read it)