Book Report: The Man Who Ate Everthing

Well it took a month and change but book one of 10 is finished. I read, and very much enjoyed, Jeffrey Steingarten's "The Man Who Ate Everything."

If you like food -- eating it, making it, or just talking about it -- I strongly recommend this book. The writing is smart, self-deprecating and aware of realities of most people's lives. While Steingarten was able to take weeks at a time to master the art of home-made French Fries, he wrote the book and engaged the reader in a way that understood that most of us aren't being paid to have food experiences to write about.

And he is really funny. Reading this book helps me understand his crazy appearances on Iron Chef America.

One problem was that the book is a bit dated. The statistics were about 20 years old but the stories remain extremely interesting, educational and appropriately silly. Far too often food books take themselves too seriously. Foodies believe that they are the reason for life itself. Steingarten loves his great food stuffs, but also loves a Milky Way. And that is how it should be.

4.5 out of 5 Stars.