anniew415's review
4.0
Gossipy, full of zingers and name-dropping cattiness... Yet, a comprehensive history of foodie culture in America - definitely worth reading!
I enjoyed it because much of it surrounds the history of Northern California cuisine, the ideals of "locally grown" and organic...so much of what I grew up with in San Francisco is discussed and celebrated in this book.
Very entertaining!
I enjoyed it because much of it surrounds the history of Northern California cuisine, the ideals of "locally grown" and organic...so much of what I grew up with in San Francisco is discussed and celebrated in this book.
Very entertaining!
kristennd's review
4.0
When reading the intro, I was afraid that this book was rehashing all the stuff that I already knew, but he did end up going into all sorts of new-to-me detail. Although it was still detail on familiar people/places/trends. There was only one name that I didn't recognize, and she was in Wisconsin. It was really clear that he writes for Vanity Fair, however. I didn't need all the asides about their sex lives. And most of the interviews seemed to involve provoking famous chefs and or food writers to take digs at other (still living) famous chefs and/or food writers. I've never read good things about Amanda Hesser from anyone anyway, but a lot of the rest seemed gratuitous. But when he's not dishing, he's pretty funny, and again, there's a lot of good detail as well as a very balanced look at the more recent foodie controversies.
szeglin's review against another edition
5.0
The United States of Arugula is very much about the personalities of the people who changed American cooking & eating habits. The mix of gossip, history, and the descriptions of food preparations kept me amused, informed, and hungry the whole time I was reading.
gretabeth's review against another edition
2.0
A quick read, but fun (and deliciously gossipy). I feel relatively knowledgeable about the current crop of celebrity chefs, but was lacking background on the big names of the fifties to seventies. Now I see the staid old New York Times Cookbook in a new light and can nod knowingly when my issue of "Fine Cooking" refers offhandedly to Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
jwmcoaching's review against another edition
5.0
This sprawling history of American food and the revolution that swept away all of the old, tasteless crap during the 20th century is examined in detail in this wonderful history. From the big three of 'Foodieism' -- Julia Child, James Beard and Craig Claiborne -- all of the way up to Emeril, Wolfgang Puck and Rachel Ray, this history illustrates the whole spectrum of 20th century food cultivation and its progress over the years. This is a must for anyone interested in food, loves American history or even just wants to read something different.
spiralbound's review
2.0
This was a very well written book and very concise in its coverage of the way our country has moved towards gourmet food, fine dining and fresh ingredients. Kamp tells the story through the lives of James Beard, Craig Claiborne, Julia Child and Alice Waters and he does a good job of it. But the focus on the chefs is why I didn't find the book as enjoyable as I would have if it had been written from the perspective of the nation as a whole. I didn't really find the details of their lives very interesting. I often skipped over pages that went in-depth into their personal lives and would go straight to the commentary on the American diet and various food movements.
If you're looking for a book that doesn't really read like a text book, this is the one for you.
If you're looking for a book that doesn't really read like a text book, this is the one for you.
ejimenez's review
1.0
I don't normally review books that I ditch after fewer than 10 pages, but within the first few pages of this book, it managed to be breathtakingly racist at least four times. So yeah, 1 star from me.
lisagfrederick's review
5.0
So maybe I'm just a dork, but I loved, loved, loved this fascinating insight into the groundswell of American food culture. It's tightly paced and cleanly written, and also provides astute portraits of the flawed culinary giants of the 20th century (Alice Waters, M.F.K. Fisher et al). It's a wonderful tale of how we evolved, for better or worse, into a nation of food snobs.