Best Food Writing 2013

Praise for the
Best Food Writing
series

“Not just for foodies! This will delight anyone who enjoys the pleasures of a good read and a good meal. Highly recommended.”
—Library Journal

“Hughes once again pulls together the year's tastiest examples from the growing field of food writing . . . In an era of celebrity chefs and much-hyped restaurants, this collection is thankfully absent the pretentious musings of restaurateurs and TV stars . . . A collection of strong writing on fascinating topics that will appeal to foodies and essay lovers alike.”—Kirkus Reviews

“There's a mess of vital, provocative, funny and tender stuff . . . in these pages.”—
USA Today

“An exceptional collection worth revisiting, this will be a surefire hit with epicureans and cooks.”
—Publishers Weekly
, starred review

“If you're looking to find new authors and voices about food, there's an abundance to chew on here.”
—Tampa Tribune

“Fascinating to read now, this book will also be interesting to pick up a year from now, or ten years from now.”—
Popmatters.com

“Some of these stories can make you burn with a need to taste what they're writing about.”
—Los Angeles Times

“Reflects not only a well-developed esthetic but also increasingly a perceptive politics that demands attention to agricultural and nutritional policies by both individuals and governments.”
—Booklist

“This is a book worth devouring.”
—Sacramento Bee

“The cream of the crop of food writing compilations.”
—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“The book captures the gastronomic zeitgeist in a broad range of essays.”
—San Jose Mercury News

“There are a few recipes among the stories, but mostly it's just delicious tales about eating out, cooking at home and even the politics surrounding the food on our plates.”
—Spokesman-Review

“The next best thing to eating there is.”
—New York Metro

“Stories for connoisseurs, celebrations of the specialized, the odd, or simply the excellent.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“Spans the globe and palate.”
—Houston Chronicle

“The perfect gift for the literate food lover.”
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A
LSO
EDITED BY
H
OLLY
H
UGHES

Best Food Writing 2012

Best Food Writing 2011

Best Food Writing 2010

Best Food Writing 2009

Best Food Writing 2008

Best Food Writing 2007

Best Food Writing 2006

Best Food Writing 2005

Best Food Writing 2004

Best Food Writing 2003

Best Food Writing 2002

Best Food Writing 2001

Best Food Writing 2000

A
LSO BY
H
OLLY
H
UGHES

Frommer's 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers

Frommer's 500 Places to See Before They Disappear

Frommer's 500 Places to Take the Kids Before They Grow Up

Copyright © 2013 by Holly Hughes

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information, address Da Capo Press, 44 Farnsworth Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02210.

Set in 10-point Bembo BQ by the Perseus Books Group

Cataloging-in-Publication data for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

First Da Capo Press edition 2013

ISBN: 978-0-7382-1717-8 (e-book)

Published by Da Capo Press

A Member of the Perseus Books Group

www.dacapopress.com

Da Capo Press books are available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the U.S. by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more information, please contact the Special Markets Department at the Perseus Books Group, 2300 Chestnut Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19103, or call (800) 810-4145, ext. 5000, or e-mail
[email protected]
.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

C
ONTENTS

Introduction

T
HE
W
AY
W
E
E
AT
N
OW

Good Food Everywhere,
From
GQ

    
By Brett Martin

The End of Anonymity,
From
Seattle Arts & Performance

    
By Bethany Jean Clement

Tyranny: It's What's For Dinner,
From
The Atlantic

    
By Corby Kummer

Is Seasonal Eating Overrated?,
From
Food & Wine

    
By Katherine Wheelock

The Terrible Tragedy of the Healthy Eater,
From
Northwest Edible Life

    
By Erica Strauss

Slow Cooking, Slow Eating,
From
The Art of Eating

    
By Edward Behr

Cooking Isn't Fun,
From
Slate

    
By Tracie McMillan

The Meaning of Local,
From
The Washingtonian

    
By Todd Kliman

A C
RITICAL
P
ALATE

Confronting a Masterpiece,
From
Roads and Kingdoms

    
By Matt Goulding

The View from West 12th
, From
The New York Times

    
By Pete Wells

Takaya or Leave Ya,
From
Riverfront Times

    
By Ian Froeb

I Ate My First McRib, and I Regret It,
From
Houston Press

    
By Katherine Shilcutt

Back When a Chocolate Puck Tasted, Guiltily, Like America,
From
The New York Times

    
By Dan Barry

F
ARM TO
T
ABLE

Forgotten Fruits,
From
Mother Jones

    
By Rowan Jacobsen

Earth Mothers,
From
Edible Boston

    
By Erin Byers Murray

The Cheese Artist,
From
Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine

    
By Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl

A Snail's Tale,
From
Edible San Francisco

    
By Molly Watson

Yes, We Can,
From
EcoCentric

    
By Kim O'Donnel

T
HE
M
EAT OF THE
M
ATTER

Hogonomics,
From
Gastronomica

    
By Barry Estabrook

The Upstart Cattleman,
From
the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

    
By John Kessler

The Ibérico Journey,
From
The Financial Times

    
By Tim Hayward

Beer and Smoking in Danville, Illinois,
From
Blood-and-Thunder.com

    
By Alan Brouilette

Chicken of the Trees,
From
Chicago Reader

    
By Mike Sula

Tasting Notes: Heart,
From
Meat Eater

    
By Steven Rinella

Awful Mercy,
From
Honest-Food.net

    
By Hank Shaw

H
OME
C
OOKING

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner,
From
Bon Appétit

    
By Gabrielle Hamilton

How to Make Real New England Clam Chowder,
From
SeriousEats.com

    
By J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Step Two: Sauté Onions and Other Aromatic Vegetables,
From
Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation

    
By Michael Pollan

Cooking With Friends,
From
Tin House