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50 Foods: The Essentials Of Good Taste (2013)

by Edward Behr(Favorite Author)

3.55 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1594204519 (ISBN13: 9781594204517)

languge

English

genre

Food & Cookbooks

publisher

Penguin Press HC, The

review 1: This book discusses 50 foods, each in (ahem) a bite-sized chapter. The five-star rating is for what the book attempts to be, which is a discussion of foods as they are used primarily in European cuisine. Though not explicitly stated, the author appears to rank cuisines and origins of ingredients generally as follows (with exceptions for specific foods, e.g. Parmigiano-Reggiano, salmon):(1) French(2) French(3) Italian(4) American(5) Swiss(6) German(7) Japanese(8) everywhere elseIf you expect a discussion of foods as they are used and valued in, say, India or China, you will need a different book.Also, this is not a cookbook; there are no recipes as commonly thought of, and even few descriptions of ingredients in specific dishes. Presumably the reader has cookbooks and/or kn... moreows how to use a search engine.The author is clearly opinionated, but has also clearly researched all of these foods extensively, not only via first-hand tasting but also investigating their history, talking to modern chefs, and traveling to where they are produced. His opinions are well-grounded in fact and experience. The book is clearly a labor of love. On a related note, I have trouble imagining the size of his pantry and refrigerators.Highly recommended for what it is trying to do.
review 2: I received this book through a GoodReads giveaway.50 Foods: The Essentials of Good Taste by Edward Behr is a book I will not soon finish reading. This is a book that I will continually use as a reference to enhance my knowledge, selection and use of many of the 50 foods listed (not all – no sweetbreads for me, thank you).This is in no way a cookbook, rather it is a complement to cooking. Each chapter is usually 3-10 pages long, with the 12 pages being the longest (Goat’s Milk Cheeses – yum!). The information is brief, but in depth and appetizing. If it weren’t so appetizing, I would use this book as bed-time reading, sort of a culinary devotional. I may feel compelled to add to this review after I experience the practical application of a few chapters.This is a book that, had I not won it, I definitely would purchase. And almost, Edward Behr has me convinced that I need to make my own vinegar… less

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