From Booklist
No doubt about it, twenty-first-century Americans are obsessed with food. The only things they apparently enjoy more than eating it are watching it being cooked on television and reading about it on blogs and in magazines and newspapers. This latest annual anthology of short writings reveals a nation sorely conflicted about food’s nutritional benefits versus the sheer sensual pleasures of the table. Americans (and increasingly a worldwide audience) support a vast impersonal, international food-service industry while simultaneously lionizing chefs who work only with local meats, cheeses, and produce. Distressed with the gastronomic mediocrity of the McRib, Katherine Shilcutt acknowledges its evident allure to a vast swath of citizens. Those determined to live off land closer to home should consider squirrel as meat of choice, writes Mike Sula. Many essays cite Copenhagen’s Noma, reputed to be the world’s greatest restaurant, so Matt Goulding meticulously guides readers through its dinner’s 20-plus courses. --Mark Knoblauch
Review
Kirkus Reviews, 11/1/13
“A literary trek across the culinary landscape pairing bountiful delights with plenty of substantive tidbits.”
Bookviews, November 2013
“If you are a “foodie” then you will surely enjoy Best Food Writing 2013...Its seven sections, ranging from “A Critical Palate” to “Home Cooking”, has plenty to enjoy…Hughes…has produced another winner this year.”
Taste for Life, December 2013
“This collection will leave you both chuckling and pondering, and perhaps a little wiser about the American food scene.”
CurledUp.com, December 2013
“Offers a diverse collection of articles that provide mouthwatering entertainment for foodies. Highly recommended.”
Library Journal, 12/1/2013
“Hughes once again has found well-written articles that depict the current interests of foodies…Recommended.”
PortlandBookReview.com, 12/12/2013
“Serves up a feast of delicious morsels which will have you thinking about food like never before…This book will be like a feast with evocative language that one cannot digest in one sitting.”
Publishers Weekly website, 1/6/14
“Eclectic…Informative as well as entertaining.”
New York Journal of Books, 1/15/2014
“The essays are thought-provoking and moving…This is an absolutely terrific and engaging book...There is enough variety, like a box of chocolates, that one can poke around the book looking for the one with caramel and find it.”
San Francisco Book Review, 2/4/14
“This year’s Best Food Writing 2013 collection…contains everything a foodie (and perhaps non-foodie) might want to read…A top-notch collection, Hughes brings together a wonderful mix that is sure to please the foodie in all of us.”
Campus Circle, 2/4/14
“Delicious as ever. Holly Hughes does a terrific job putting together the year’s scrumptious pieces, from far and wide.”
Great Falls Tribune, 6/11/14
“A must-read for literary food enthusiasts, Hughes curates a collection of dozens of well-crafted culinary essays on topics often worthy of further digestion.”
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 7/9/14
“Imagine a smorgasbord set up along the shoreline, a feast so vast and varied that it disappears into the horizon. This annual anthology of the best American food writing is that exactly, and perhaps the perfect beach book for the food-focused set. Grab an icy cold something from the cooler, recline the sand chair back a notch, and settle in for the literary equivalent of grazing…No matter which of the 49 entries you choose, it’s guaranteed to be delicious.”
“A literary trek across the culinary landscape pairing bountiful delights with plenty of substantive tidbits.”
Bookviews, November 2013
“If you are a “foodie” then you will surely enjoy Best Food Writing 2013...Its seven sections, ranging from “A Critical Palate” to “Home Cooking”, has plenty to enjoy…Hughes…has produced another winner this year.”
Taste for Life, December 2013
“This collection will leave you both chuckling and pondering, and perhaps a little wiser about the American food scene.”
CurledUp.com, December 2013
“Offers a diverse collection of articles that provide mouthwatering entertainment for foodies. Highly recommended.”
Library Journal, 12/1/2013
“Hughes once again has found well-written articles that depict the current interests of foodies…Recommended.”
PortlandBookReview.com, 12/12/2013
“Serves up a feast of delicious morsels which will have you thinking about food like never before…This book will be like a feast with evocative language that one cannot digest in one sitting.”
Publishers Weekly website, 1/6/14
“Eclectic…Informative as well as entertaining.”
New York Journal of Books, 1/15/2014
“The essays are thought-provoking and moving…This is an absolutely terrific and engaging book...There is enough variety, like a box of chocolates, that one can poke around the book looking for the one with caramel and find it.”
San Francisco Book Review, 2/4/14
“This year’s Best Food Writing 2013 collection…contains everything a foodie (and perhaps non-foodie) might want to read…A top-notch collection, Hughes brings together a wonderful mix that is sure to please the foodie in all of us.”
Campus Circle, 2/4/14
“Delicious as ever. Holly Hughes does a terrific job putting together the year’s scrumptious pieces, from far and wide.”
Great Falls Tribune, 6/11/14
“A must-read for literary food enthusiasts, Hughes curates a collection of dozens of well-crafted culinary essays on topics often worthy of further digestion.”
Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 7/9/14
“Imagine a smorgasbord set up along the shoreline, a feast so vast and varied that it disappears into the horizon. This annual anthology of the best American food writing is that exactly, and perhaps the perfect beach book for the food-focused set. Grab an icy cold something from the cooler, recline the sand chair back a notch, and settle in for the literary equivalent of grazing…No matter which of the 49 entries you choose, it’s guaranteed to be delicious.”
