Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine, The (Paperback)

~ Steve Rinella (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

No, this is not a book about dumpster diving. Instead, it's the account of how Rinella, an Outside correspondent, set off on a quixotic year-long adventure in the wild with the end goal of preparing a three-day, 45-course banquet chosen from master chef Escoffier's classic 1903 Le Guide Culinaire, now considered (by most people) an exotic historical document rather than a working cookbook. Rinella intended to shoot, fish, slaughter, raise (as in pigeon husbandry), gather and otherwise procure the ingredients for these dishes himself, with help from his fishing and hunting buddies (also with the aid of freezers, which Escoffier would no doubt have envied). Rinella's girlfriend is a vegetarian, and he's aware that this project may seem distressing to some, but he offers a spirited defense of choosing to "make his own food." Rinella's year took him all over the U.S. and Canada with plenty of unusual outdoor adventures: frog gigging, eeling, "glassing" for elk, making headcheese and sparrow-trapping. Preparing the feast, with its huge list of ingredients, took more than a week, with hard-breathing last-minute tension. Some dishes worked, some didn't (e.g., Crayfish Mousse, and Elk and Antelope Kidney Pudding). This unusual memoir could serve as a tasty gift for sporting types. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Rinella brings bohemian flair and flashes of poetic sensibility to his picaresque tale." -- Wall Street Journal

"Steven Rinella’s The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine is a walk on the wild side of hunting and gathering." -- Jim Harrison

"[A] mouth-watering memoir." -- Kirkus

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Miramax (March 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401360173
• ISBN-13: 978-1401360177
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #252,138 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent, engaging read!!, May 11, 2006

By	Bonnie Rivers "Book lover" (Vermont) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine, The (Hardcover)

The review in Publisher's Weekly made me curious about Rinella's book, and I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. Given the title, I had half expected the book to be a collection of hunting stories, but what I found instead was an engaging narrative about one man's dedication to live responsibly off the land and to respect the passions and lifestyles of others, no matter how eccentric or random they might seem. Along with Rinella's often humorous and personal insights, he also weaves in social and scientific history to create a really fascinating read. I highly recommend that you put this book on your summer reading list!!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a magical adventure, September 4, 2006

By	birdmanct (West Hartford, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine, The (Hardcover)

I found this book in the bookstore at the Culinary Institute of America while I was waiting for the college's tour to begin. The title caught my attention, and the first paragraph hooked me. After reading parts of it for 10 minutes, I bought it and finished reading it over the next three days. I took my time, savoring each chapter, each conversation, each morsel offered up by this delightful young author.

I have never hunted and rarely eat red meat, but I have backpacked and experienced nature in the raw. Reading Rinella's book, I felt so engaged, so alive, so thrilled with his adventures that it seemed I was living them myself. His sense of humor and his insightful observations about wide-ranging subjects [history, technology, human nature, wilderness, ecology, hunting and survival skills, animal behavior, the culinary arts] increased my pleasure. This was one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A DIY geek's introduction to hunting and cooking., May 15, 2006

By	Jeremy C. Noble "Kitchen Dork" (St. Paul, MN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine, The (Hardcover)

I don't read outdoor books, and am only mildly interested in food writing, but I really admire renegade DIY personalities. This book is all about people doing things their own way. From the author to the crazy characters he encounters, this book will inspire you to think about doing things yourself rather than having them done for you. Which is an interesting way of life, to say the least. Maybe I won't build an eel weir anytime soon, but I'm glad to have read about somebody who did.