"What is the Sound of One Hand Shopping?"

[Pontormo]

Just a quick note for those interested:

In today's Style section on page C9 of The Washington Post, Jonathan Yardley reviews a newly published collection of comic essays entitled Don't Get Too Comfortable (Doubleday).

According to the review "the best piece...[concerns]...a well-known restaurant in northern California whose owner is world famous as an advocate for humane and sustainable agribusiness, as well as being a renowned chef in her own right."

It sounds as if Rakoff does not dwell upon that one beloved establishment, but ranges broadly in lampooning the obsessions of foodies and their suppliers.

[Gifted Gourmet]

the link to the Washington Post article

and there is also an excerpt: from Canadian CTV News

[racheld]

Magical words. A haunting, hysterically funny piece---Lagerfeld's muffinbutt will be the stuff of uneasy dreams for many. This guy nails preposterone to the wall.

I'm not Rakoff's type--I'm female and married---but I think I've got a crush.

[moosnsqrl]

He had me from "hello." He's been making the rounds in support of this book release (Fresh Air, The Daily Show). In a previous collection of essays (Titled "Fraud") he found himself "covering" a variety of unlikely places (imagine him in a quaint inn at the holidays, preparing to climb a mountain with macho New Englanders?) and it was hysterical. Only David Sedaris can consistenly crack me up like he can.

I can't wait to get this new volume, even if he takes cheap shots at Alice

[Megan Blocker]

These two quotes alone are enough to get me to buy the book:

Surely when we've reached the point where we're fetishizing sodium chloride and water, and subjecting both to the kind of scrutiny we used to reserve for choosing an oncologist, it's time to admit that the relentless questing for that next undetectable gradation of perfection has stopped being about the thing itself and crossed over into a realm of narcissism so overwhelming as to make the act of masturbation look selfless.

As a homosexual delivered by cesarean section, I have spent my life at a double remove.

Oh, man - this is gonna be good. Anyone who looks at Chez Panisse and Hooters Air in the same book gets my vote.

[MarketStEl]

I wonder if David Sedaris was also delivered by Caesarean section? If so, then we obviously have a new early marker for witty social satire.

Anyway, it seems to me that his fruit is ripe for the picking. Even though I have my own form of the affliction, which does not require the purchase of merchandise, I generally find the consumption of stuff as a means of showing off one's own superiority offensive, if common nonetheless. Personal snobbery alert: It also is often a sign that the displayer merely has more money than he or she knows what to do with.

Tap water especially strikes me as inherently amusing. I still remember a Consumer Reports taste test of a number of different waters about a decade or so ago in which the two top scorers were the municipal water supplies of New York City and Los Angeles. Yes, water varies in taste depending on what minerals and other things are dissolved in it, but is water from a 3,000-foot-deep subterranean glacial pool in Idaho really that much better than what you can get by running your tap water through a filter that it justifies a price per gallon higher than that of premium unleaded? (All that said, I still stand by my praise for no-longer-produced Ephrata Diamond Spring water over on the Pennsylvania board.)

Yet I now also share his respect for Martha Stewart. I hadn't thought of this that much prior to reading the sentence quoted in the review--

"she advocates mastery and competence over purchase"

--but her perfectionism was indeed not about buying the right label but achieving the right result, which is not directly associated with either the brand name or the cost of the materials used to produce it. In that light, Everyday Food and her decision to lend her name to products sold at Kmart are both very logical extensions of her "brand," and if--as it appears--the time she served took the sharp edges off her personality, it may result in a whole new and different legion of fans for her.

One more observation: Washington Post book review editor Jonathan Yardley writes about the above phrase, "which to my mind tells only a very small part of the story." I would love to have him elaborate on what he thinks is the rest of it.

[Shalmanese]

Surely when we've reached the point where we're fetishizing sodium chloride and water, and subjecting both to the kind of scrutiny we used to reserve for choosing an oncologist, it's time to admit that the relentless questing for that next undetectable gradation of perfection has stopped being about the thing itself and crossed over into a realm of narcissism so overwhelming as to make the act of masturbation look selfless.

Bah, you can lampoon the hell out of everything else but stay the hell away from my collection of gourmet salts. I *can* taste the difference and it *does* matter.

[slkinsey]

Tap water especially strikes me as inherently amusing.  I still remember a Consumer Reports taste test of a number of different waters about a decade or so ago in which the two top scorers were the municipal water supplies of New York City and Los Angeles.

Not to mention that quite a bit of the bottled water for sale is simply municipal water that has been filtered. I've never had bottled "spring water" that comes close to the NYC tap water I run through my massive plumbed-in under-the-sink water filter.

Mineral water, on the other hand, is entirely different. There are wide differences in the tastes of mineral waters.

Surely when we've reached the point where we're fetishizing sodium chloride and water, and subjecting both to the kind of scrutiny we used to reserve for choosing an oncologist, it's time to admit that the relentless questing for that next undetectable gradation of perfection has stopped being about the thing itself and crossed over into a realm of narcissism so overwhelming as to make the act of masturbation look selfless.

Bah, you can lampoon the hell out of everything else but stay the hell away from my collection of gourmet salts. I *can* taste the difference and it *does* matter.

Research would suggest that you can feel the difference due to the different shapes of various specialty salts, but that you cannot actually taste the difference between the salts (which makes sense, since aven fancy sea salts are something like 99.5% sodium chloride anyway). This is why it doesn't make sense to use fleur de sel to season the water you use to boil vegetables or to salt your soup.

[Pan]

Tap water especially strikes me as inherently amusing.  I still remember a Consumer Reports taste test of a number of different waters about a decade or so ago in which the two top scorers were the municipal water supplies of New York City and Los Angeles.

Not to mention that quite a bit of the bottled water for sale is simply municipal water that has been filtered. I've never had bottled "spring water" that comes close to the NYC tap water I run through my massive plumbed-in under-the-sink water filter.[...]

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You might change your mind if you go to Mount Shasta, California, and try some of the water that comes straight off the glaciers. Best-tasting water I've ever had!

[M.X.Hassett]

You might change your mind if you go to Mount Shasta, California, and try some of the water that comes straight off the glaciers. Best-tasting water I've ever had!

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but can I get it overnighted to my doorstep

From W.Post:

" Rakoff takes note of a brief article in the New York Times reporting about "ice cubes frozen from a river in the Scottish Highlands and overnighted to your doorstep -- the perfect complement to your single malt"

[MarketStEl]

Not to mention that quite a bit of the bottled water for sale is simply municipal water that has been filtered.  I've never had bottled "spring water" that comes close to the NYC tap water I run through my massive plumbed-in under-the-sink water filter.

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Appalachian Mountain Spring Water is one of those brands that is mostly "municipal water that has been filtered." Strangely enough, it's one of the few brands of bottled water that uses clear plastic for its one-gallon jugs. If you look at the label, you will see that it lists several sources for its water, one of them being "municipal supply"--which municipality is not mentioned.

As for NYC tap water: I believe there is now a company that bottles it and sells it outside the city to would-be water connoisseurs. "The Drink of Millions," I believe is their slogan. And it is true that New York City tap water actually enjoys an excellent reputation for taste and quality beyond the Big Apple.

[Carrot Top]

Could this piece, and indeed most of this author's writing, be termed a satire?

Was it about food? About "anything culinary at all"?

Or was it about the things that food "is" to people perhaps?

Some people believe that food is only food, nothing more nothing less. Food. A thing that sits.

A thing with no feathers.

The Washington Post thought this writing worthy of comment, and apparently lots of people also seem to appreciate it and get the benefit of a good laugh from it.

Interesting.

Why don't we get to see more of this I wonder? I would rather read this than watch a fast-food training video from some years ago that spoofs how to cook a dead hamburger. It would seem to be something that would bring a more fuller thought level. About food.

But that is just my opinion.

[Behemoth]

Tap water especially strikes me as inherently amusing.  I still remember a Consumer Reports taste test of a number of different waters about a decade or so ago in which the two top scorers were the municipal water supplies of New York City and Los Angeles.

Not to mention that quite a bit of the bottled water for sale is simply municipal water that has been filtered. I've never had bottled "spring water" that comes close to the NYC tap water I run through my massive plumbed-in under-the-sink water filter.[...]

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You might change your mind if you go to Mount Shasta, California, and try some of the water that comes straight off the glaciers. Best-tasting water I've ever had!

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Lebanese spring water...thousand year old melted snow coming out of a rock.

[Chef Shogun]

Someday I hope to be cool enough to be able to see exactly the extent to which everything around me is so completely uncool.

Edited to realize: But I probably wouldn't be able to write about it as well.

Edited October 13, 2005 by Chef Shogun (log)

[Pontormo]

The horror......the horror.

[rancho_gordo]

There's a new thrill in putting down what are perceived as food snobs, isn't there? The dining room described does not resemble the Chez Panisse I've been to. Maybe if Alice Waters had just shut up and we had continued out downward spiral towards crappy food, we'd all be a lot better off.

It's probably a lot of fun to put down the culinary extremists but from the travelling around our great country that I've done, the much bigger problem is the way the average American eats. And looks as a result of this "diet". We've got a long way to go and I think describing the flavors one gets with a box of Tuna Casserole from aisle 6 is much funnier and more worthy of parody than someone who insists on fresh vegetables.

[Megan Blocker]

There's a new thrill in putting down what are perceived as food snobs, isn't there?

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Well, every trend has its backlash.

I would say, however, that there's a difference between someone who appreciates and prefers fresh vegetables and someone who refuses to eat something that isn't up to their pristine standards - or who looks down on those who disagree with them about it.

This latter type, I think (or, rather, suppose, as I haven't read the book yet) is the sort of person the book lampoons - those who are so disdainful of those around them (rather than, say, simply passionate about something and eager to share their love of it) that they become ridiculous.

[Behemoth]

There's a new thrill in putting down what are perceived as food snobs, isn't there? The dining room described does not resemble the Chez Panisse I've been to. Maybe if Alice Waters had just shut up and we had continued out downward spiral towards crappy food, we'd all be a lot better off.

It's probably a lot of fun to put down the culinary extremists but from the travelling around our great country that I've done, the much bigger problem is the way the average American eats. And looks as a result of this "diet". We've got a long way to go and I think describing the flavors one gets with a box of Tuna Casserole from aisle 6 is much funnier and more worthy of parody than someone who insists on fresh vegetables.

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Yeah, but he writes for the NPR crowd, and I'm guessing they are not the primary customer base for Tuna Helper. I get what he is saying in some ways, but with the caveat that he is speaking to a very exclusive audience.

[rancho_gordo]

I would say, however, that there's a difference between someone who appreciates and prefers fresh vegetables and someone who refuses to eat something that isn't up to their pristine standards - or who looks down on those who disagree with them about it.

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I have no idea where I fall in the snob-o-meter but I have lived in Italy, have lots of Italian friends and I find the Olive Garden restaurant chain disgusting. I won't eat there. I'd rather have a deli sandwich or a burrito. I have heard people tell me that it's just as good, if not better, than actual food in Italy. Same situation with Mexican food. What should my reaction be? These people sincerely believe it is Italian food and probably are laughing at me for being a snob. Maybe you are, too. But where do you draw the line? Chef Boyardee (sp)? Taco Bell?

And where are all these snobs who are so offensive? It's more likely the author and those that choose to laugh along with him don't understand what the food was about.

[rancho_gordo]

Yeah, but he writes for the NPR crowd, and I'm guessing they are not the primary customer base for Tuna Helper. I get what he is saying in some ways, but with the caveat that he is speaking to a very exclusive audience.

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Yes, you're right, but he's really exagerrating to make a point. It's like that silly editorial from the Julie & Julia book. Is it really such a problem? Let's tackle something that makes a difference rather than beat up on a very few silly people who are actually helping us all have access to better food.

Sorry if I'm a little strident this a.m.

[Pontormo]

Rancho:

I am very sympathetic regarding your support of Alice Waters...she's a hero of mine in so many ways.

When I posted notice of the book review, my intentions were quite innocent. I haven't read anything by the author and do enjoy clever, articulate writing...especially when the subject is close to my heart. I had no idea comments would move in ways that would make anyone feel defensive. Elitism is not always a bad thing. (I for one agree with *Deborah* about grammar and the spelling of "its" and "it's.")

Most of us do have a sense of humor and an ability to be self-depricating. I hope we do. There are aspects of culinary elitism that do seem excessive, but by golly, I know I am passionate and very humorless about things that matter to me....like Parmigiana Reggiano and farmers markets.

Yes, we need to care about the ways Americans eat. I tried to raise interest in the illuminating (if very manipulatively produced) nature of reality television when it comes to this subject. See the inaccurately titled "Wife Swapper" in this very forum. Lots of members peeked, but only one of us bit. I commented again on the topic in the (currently) final post on KC thread. There might be a different way of approaching the topic. Please do.

I haven't been a member for very long, but I wonder if there has been a serious, thorough discussion here about Molly O'Neill's article, "Food Porn," most accessible perhaps in the most recent anthology of best food writing (2004) edited by Holly Hughes. Would others be interested in taking a couple of weeks to find it, read it, and devote a thread to a discussion?

Perhaps we should let poor Mr. Rakoff be and hope that other critics will be supportive enough for him to bring home the bacon. Shall we end this thread since it is no longer about his essay and take up some of the issues elsewhere?

[Behemoth]

Yes, you're right, but he's really exagerrating to make a point. It's like that silly editorial from the Julie & Julia book. Is it really such a problem? Let's tackle something that makes a difference rather than beat up on a very few silly people who are actually helping us all have access to better food.

Sorry if I'm a little strident this a.m.

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Exaggerating to make a point is the definition of satire. I think of him more as the Augusten Borroughs "amusing rant" type than a source of serious political commentary. My main problem with the Julie/Julia piece was that it was on the Op-Ed page of the New York Times. Another sign our country has a serious problem separating entertainment from news. Although, now that I think about it, I saw his rant about salt on his Daily Show interview.

[Megan Blocker]

I would say, however, that there's a difference between someone who appreciates and prefers fresh vegetables and someone who refuses to eat something that isn't up to their pristine standards - or who looks down on those who disagree with them about it.

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I have no idea where I fall in the snob-o-meter but I have lived in Italy, have lots of Italian friends and I find the Olive Garden restaurant chain disgusting. I won't eat there. I'd rather have a deli sandwich or a burrito. I have heard people tell me that it's just as good, if not better, than actual food in Italy. Same situation with Mexican food. What should my reaction be? These people sincerely believe it is Italian food and probably are laughing at me for being a snob. Maybe you are, too. But where do you draw the line? Chef Boyardee (sp)? Taco Bell?

And where are all these snobs who are so offensive? It's more likely the author and those that choose to laugh along with him don't understand what the food was about.

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I won't eat at the Olive Garden either, so I can relate to that. IMO, your reaction should be to educate to a point, and then to just let it go. It's their mouth - if they like what they're putting in it, so much the better for them. Doesn't mean you have to like it, but it also doesn't make you a better person. (Not that I think you think you're better, but the sort of people Rakoff is going off on might...)

Also, plenty of people who enjoy fine food and who are good cooks like things like Taco Bell and Chef Boyardee. They may not see them as the basis of their diets, but they do partake - nothing wrong with that. There are tons of eGulleteers who eat things like that all the time. I myself have a weakness for McNuggets, and like to eat them drenched in chemical-rich sweet and sour sauce. Doesn't mean I don't appreciate the finer things.

[Megan Blocker]

Yes, you're right, but he's really exagerrating to make a point. It's like that silly editorial from the Julie & Julia book. Is it really such a problem? Let's tackle something that makes a difference rather than beat up on a very few silly people who are actually helping us all have access to better food.

Sorry if I'm a little strident this a.m.

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Exaggerating to make a point is the definition of satire. I think of him more as the Augusten Borroughs "amusing rant" type than a source of serious political commentary. My main problem with the Julie/Julia piece was that it was on the Op-Ed page of the New York Times. Another sign our country has a serious problem separating entertainment from news. Although, now that I think about it, I saw his rant about salt on his Daily Show interview.

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I think it's an indication of "our country [having] a serious problem separating entertainment from news" that you just compared the Op-Ed page of the Grey Lady to the Daily Show.

And he definitely is exaggerating, leaving out the grey areas, etc. But that's what makes it fun to read (rather than strictly enriching ).

[Behemoth]

I think it's an indication of "our country [having] a serious problem separating entertainment from news" that you just compared the Op-Ed page of the Grey Lady to the Daily Show. 

That was intentional, you know.