Customer Reviews

Eating for Beginners: An Education in the Pleasures of Food from Chefs, Farmers, and One Picky Kid

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

(Note: this review is based on an uncorrected copy)

For one year, author Rehak planted herself in the kitchen of applewood, a Brooklyn restaurant that uses local produce, meats and cheeses whenever possible. This book chronicles that year, where Rehak learned not only to chop, slice, grill and fry, but to witness firsthand the relationship between small farmers, growers and fishermen and the people they feed.

Though I have read many books on the subject of small vs. global farming - (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; The Omnivore's Dilemma What Are People For; Stolen Harvest), Rehak's contribution has its place. First, her experience at applewood is a fascinating chronicle of a truly progressive foodie haven, where egos are checked at the kitchen door to make way for passionate, innovative cooking and one inexperienced author-turned-cook. Her stories from the kitchen are informative, inspiring and at times humorous.

Rehak's research doesn't stop in the kitchen, however. During her year at applewood, she visits a cheese maker, livestock farmer, fisherman, produce farmer and organic food distributor to track food from its source to the dinner table. In the end, Rehak (and the reader) gain a better understanding of the challenges and rewards of growing and eating locally.

The writing flows well and Rehak weaves a good story, with the exception of her anecdotes about her picky toddler's eating habits, which distracted me enough to make me wonder why they were included at all. Another questionable addition was the recipes at the end of chapters. In other books, such as Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life and David Lebovitz' The Sweet Life in Paris, the combination of prose and recipes relate better to one another and the recipes are incredible. Here, I'm not so inspired.

Those two points aside, it's still a good piece of writing. Well researched and written. Recommended.

Eating for Beginners: An Education in the Pleasures of Food from Chefs, Farmers, and One Picky Kid is an easy to read introduction to the issue of what we eat, where it comes from and what impact it has on the local and global environment as well as on the local economy. She addresses these important questions in a reasonable, non-preachy and often humorous manner.

As she thinks about what to feed her toddler, she considers the impact of shipping off-season fruits and vegetables across the country (and in some cases the world) on the environment. She balances this concern with her son's refusal to eat most foods (including toast) and her love of imported Austrian cookies that bring back fond memories of her childhood.

Despite a lack of any formal cooking education or experience, she takes a job in the kitchen of a local restaurant (called applewood) that serves mainly local produce and cheeses. She branches out to visit a local farm, dairy, meat co-op, and the distributor who collects those products to supply approximately 50 restaurants. She also survives a bad case of seasickness on a day trip on a fishing boat with no bathroom based out of New Jersey.

The author comes to realize how difficult it is for farmers to break even, let alone make a profit, and what the farms mean to the local communities (as far as open space, jobs, and connection to the food that sustains them).

This quote aptly demonstrates the shift in the author's thinking in the course of her experiences: "...the people and places I was visiting, applewood included, were making an intricate web of eating, environment, and community newly clear to me." She goes on to say, "And supporting them [local farmers] didn't mean I had to forgo the occasional bag of non-local carrots, which I bought when I had to because carrots were one of the few things Jules would eat. It meant making the right choice as often as possible, and accepting that that was all any of us could do."

I didn't find the description of her son's eating habits to be very interesting, but other parents might relate to her concerns about whether he was getting sustenance from the few foods he agreed to eat and her feelings of inadequacy as a mother. She reports what the children of chefs and farmers eat and is gleeful to learn that they too eat fast food and sometimes turn their noses up at vegetables.

The recipes alone are not a reason to buy this book. In order of appearance, they include:
* Candied Orange Peel
* Jicama Slaw
* Oblique-Cut Caramelized Parsnips
* Puffed Cayenne Rice
* Corn Off the Cob with Garlic
* Lucky Dog Creamed Spinach
* Easy Flip Raisin French Toast
* Not So Easy Flip Crab Cakes
* Lobster a l' Americaine a la Steve and Melanie
* Pasta with Delicata Squash, Sage, and Pine Nuts
* Brined Turkey
* Jean's Brussels Sprouts
* Pasta with Bacon, Farm-Fresh Eggs, and Cream
* Lucy's Osso Bucco
* No-grill Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Vinegar
* Pan-Roasted Sardines with Caper Butter
* Under the Bed Almond Cookies
* Melanie's Prune Bread Pudding

If you've already read The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan, there is likely not much here for you besides a few tales of a young picky eater and a handful of unremarkable recipes. If you haven't read it, Eating for Beginners: An Education in the Pleasures of Food from Chefs, Farmers, and One Picky Kid is a good intro to an important issue. The author quotes Michael Pollan in several chapters so you'll get a feel for his writing style and philosophy which could help you decide whether to continue exploring these issues by reading his work next.

Melanie Rehak's "Eating for Beginners" is an enjoyable read which delves into the day-to-day struggles of the modern parent trying to figure out what to eat. As the book begins, you assume that it will take a tone similar to many of Michael Pollen's books, however while there is much anecdotal storytelling sprinkled through the book about the author's personal experiences at various subsistence/organic farms, the bulk of the story leans away from the facts and figures which made most of Pollen's books informative rather than just entertaining. Whereas you might classify Pollen's work to be detailed enough to be filed in the Reference section of a local library or bookstore, Rehak's book would be solidly filed into the Non-Fiction category.

Through the book, Rehak is working as an intern at the local applewood restaurant owned by David and Laura Shea in New York City. Those hoping for the drug-addled and obscenities-filled kitchen akin to Anthony Bourdain or Gordon Ramsey's books will be sorely disappointed as applewood functions more like Thomas Keller's French Laundry or Eric Ripert's Le Bernardin - clean, respectful and civilized. Randomly through the book, Rehak takes "side trips" to various locations - such as the farms where the vegetables are grown, the ranch which supplies some of the meat, and a day trip on a fishing boat. At the same time, Rehak rotates through the positions within the kitchen, migrating from appetizers to fish to grill and eventually to desserts. From chapter to chapter are small mini-stories about her new son Jules' eating habits. I believe that the intent with the "Jules' Stories" was to try and make the reader think about how feasible eating sustainably or locally really is when confronted with real-life scenarios. Unfortunately most of the time these stories seem very detached from the main bulk of the narrative and they failed to make much of an impact on me at all.

Honestly reading through Melanie Rehak's book really won't provide you with much insight into anything. Her experience in the kitchen was just that - an experience. She did not truly live the life of a aspiring chef, but rather as a mother who didn't know what to cook who managed to get some insight from working at a kitchen for a year. Her attempt to instruct about the pro's and con's of organic/sustainable food falls short because it fails to site any references outside of personal experiences, nor does it really attempt to tackle or offer suggestions to any of the issues brought up by her sources. In fact, Rehak mentions Michael Pollen's The Omnivore's Dilemma so often, you should probably just go ahead and read his book instead if you're interested solely on that half of the story.

But why then do I give her book four stars?

Well, Rehak's narrative does well at its primary function - as entertainment. The book is an easy read with a very flowing style - the type of book where you will be surprised to find yourself 100 pages deep when you only intended on reading the first chapter. Keeping in mind that there are several books which tackle her main subject matters much more thoroughly than she did, I would still recommend "Eating for Beginners" for inclusion on the bookshelf of any self-proclaimed "Foodie."

Sorry, but there is nothing at all compelling about this particular food book.

The recipes come at the end of most chapters --- one after Chapter 2, one after Chapter 4, two following the section on traveling to the farm to buy fresh veggies, and so on.

But as another reader mentioned, there are no particularly dazzling recipes here --- creamed spinach and garlic corn are interesting, but ho hum, as are French toast and even crab cakes.

And I at least was not particularly interested in this writer's run-ins with fish in a frying pan. I have had enough of my own kitchen run-ins that I find nothing even slightly entertaining or amusing in reading about them.

I thought this would be an interesting read for a late teen interested in cooking. But after reading it myself, and finding it a dud, I'd say --- better left unread. It's not a bad book, exactly. On the other hand, I would have preferred not to bother.

Eating for beginners is well written and interesting. It does not, however, contain a single fact that would be new to me. I have been reading books by Tom Robbins, Michael Pollan etc etc for about 15 years and was excited about this new voice. I think that it would be a great book to start reading into this subject. It is also MUCH better than "hungry monkey" which is really just an excuse to brag about the kid. I couldn't award more stars because although I had a nice time reading it, I didn't have that "lightbulb moment".

When Melanie Rehak, the author, decided to write this book, she considered herself one of the 61 percent of Americans who were confused about what to feed their families (page 5). Jules, her son, was a little over a year old then, and about to enter new gastronomic worlds, and she wanted to know how to support him through his journey, and to pass along helpful information on making food choices.

Ideally, we would all want our children to make good choices when it comes to food and eating. In addition to consuming what pleases their palates, for example, we'd like them to eat nutritious foods too!

For Melanie, there were other considerations as well. When eating meats, is grass-fed more important than organic or vice versa? What about food miles, growth hormones, climate change, and land preservation?

To educate herself, she read a lot, and for a year, worked 10-hour shifts a few days a week at a local restaurant as an unpaid chef assistant. The restaurant was owned and ran by a young couple with strong commitments to sustainable agriculture, preferring to buy dairy, produce, and meats from local sources whenever possible.

With help from the young restaurant couple and experienced chefs manning various kitchen "stations", she learned how to prepare or make salads, cold appetizers, fish and meat dishes, and desserts in that order over the course of her one year apprenticeship.

With introductions from the restaurant couple to some of the restaurant's local suppliers, the author was able to arrange visits with a cheesemaker, a produce grower, a livestock farmer, and a fisherman. On these visits, she learned about the suppliers' food philosophies (what they feed their own families and why) and what's challenging and rewarding about their businesses, all while picking produce, milking goats, making cheese, or riding in a delivery truck to get supplies to customers.

If you enjoy reading about food philosophies, or accounts of food anthropology at work, or an eyewitness account of how a particular restaurant business achieves training and operational efficiencies without losing its "soul", you will enjoy this book.

Most of the book's chapters end with recipes of appetizers, comfort food dishes, or desserts that the author learned to make at the restaurant. In and of themselves, the recipes are not remarkable, but if you enjoy a laugh or two, you may find the instructions for a few of them humorous or delightfully naughty (for example, Step 5 for Chapter Two's Candied Orange Peel recipe reads: Feed to your toddler against the bad advice of everyone who says it will ruin his teeth. Do not feel guilty.)

As for Jules, well he's turned out to be a rather picky eater. I had hoped the author had a magic formula that she could share with other parents of picky eaters, but alas, we may have to wait for another book: Eating for Picky Eaters?

Overall, I thought the book was well-written with small kernels of self-deprecating humor.

Let me first say to anyone and everyone that will see this review that I enjoyed this book a great deal, but will tell you it is not for the faint of heart. If you are a vegan, or are sensitive to reading about animal butchering, then you will want to avoid this book all together, or at least chapter 12. It has graphic details on a four month old calf named Wink being butchered for veal. Personally, I have never eaten veal and never will. Other than this startling revelation as to processing animals for consumption, the book really shows Rehak's passion for food. A passion that she will go to great lengths to satisfy.

If you like Michael Pollan's "Food Rules", then you will like this book and adore that Rehak takes Pollan's rules and runs away with them. I find the author to be a brave soul to accomplish all she did in the name of food. She makes me want to buy parsnips and go work at an organic farm. There are some great recipes included after each adventure.

Recipes:

Orange Peels
Jacama Slaw
Oblique Cut Parsnips
Puffed Cayenne Rice
Corn Off The Cob with Garlic
Lucky Dog Creamed Spinach (yum)
Easy Flip Raisin French Toast
Not So Easy Flip Crab Cakes
Lobster American (Adapted from Julia Child)
Pasta With Delicata Squash, Sage, and Pine Nuts
Brined Turkey (Bet that would work well for Chicken too)
Jean's Brussel Sprouts
Pasta with Bacon, Eggs, and Cream
Lucy's Osso Bucco (veal)
No-grill Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Vinegar
Pan-Roasted Sardines with Caper Butter
Under the Bed Almond Cookies
Melanie's Prune Bread Pudding

Adventures:

Becoming mom to picky eater
Garde Mange at applewoods
Cheese making at Cato Corner
Organic Produce at Lucky Dog Organic Farm
Preparing fish at applewoods
Produce Distribution with Joe Angello
Meat with Fancy Meats
Grill at applewoods
Fishmonger - Monkfish
Pastry at applewoods

After all, eating in our time has become complicated. Read this book and let it light your way.

Being an afficianado of the anthropology of food and studied the field, I found most of this book fascinating and thought provoking. The author describes her journey of discovery of organic and locally grown foods. Completely without experience she begins work at a restaurant in her New York City neighborhood that specializes in using locally grown foods -- meats, vegetables, fruits and cheeses that come from approximately a 250 mile radius of NYC. One of the very refreshing aspects of the restaurant is that they are practical in their approach to acquiring these foods and will, when necessary, buy items not meeting their normal organic or local standards. Watching her learn to cook in a restaurant kitchen and grow in her own culinary knowledge, skill and confidence is inspiring. She visits and works at the farms, distributors, fishing boats and dairies that serve the restaurant. The dilemnas of these small, local farmers and how they deal with their challenges and their goals was eye opening. Hearing that sometimes non-organic foods are actually better for you than organic was a comforting discovery.

The one or two recipes at the end of each chapter were a very mixed bag with some holding promise while others were uninspiring or even meant as a joke. Overall, they were a disappointment with few that I would be interested in trying.

Throughout the book the author continually interrupts an otherwise interesting and really enjoyable narrative with episodes of her problems with her toddler who is a picky eater. I found these stories to be bothersome and irritating and the author comes off as an incredibly over-obsessed parent. These interruptions made it difficult to get into and stay in the story. The book would be well served to leave the picky eater stories out -- they serve no purpose -- and concentrate on the author's own adventures of discovery. Most of this book is well worth reading, both enlightening and enjoyable. You just have to slog through the "picky kid" part.

This book reads like a good friend sharing her experiences and giving all the best information she can in the most accessible way. I love how expertly Rehak combines her parental anecdotes with tales of restaurant and farm life - with some fun recipes and silliness thrown in! It had me laughing on a nightly basis, drooling over delicious descriptions of food, ear marking recipes and quoting passages out loud to my husband constantly! I am not exaggerating when I say it was one of the best books I've read this year and maybe ever - I want to share this book with everyone I know!

*disclaimer* I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The author, confronted with her extremely picky toddler, ends up going on a year-long foray into food--what makes it good, how to prepare, grow, distribute it ethically. She works in a restaurant, and also spends days with farmers, fishermen, and produce distributors to learn more about how we get our food and why. She is chatty and comfortable to spend time with. There are even recipes.