amwatt226's review against another edition
4.0
Not only is Ayun a humorous and enjoyable author, but she includes recipes sporadically in the book. I have tried several and enjoyed them all. Her recipe for Gub-Gub Brownies (translation: gooey vanilla brownies w/ chocolate chips) is not only a personal favorite, but has made me very popular with my team at work.
mrsthrift's review against another edition
4.0
This is the story of the culinary awakening of a picky eater. I spent a lot of time going, "I AM (WAS) EXACTLY LIKE THAT!" I am also a former picky eater. Like Halliday, I cook for a kid with peculiar food preferences, albeit not as limited as Inky. I, too, spent time in college dabbling in hippie foods. Some might make the case that I still dabble in hippie food, and to that, I say, I challenge you to a duel.
I love Ayun Halliday's zine, the east village inky, and I have to give her big extra credit for not just rolling old material from the zines into this book. This book is as funny, witty, clever, and charming as her zines and every David Sedaris book you ever read. It's a quick, enjoyable read with a few recipes scattered through. Some of the recipes sound genuinely gross. They are part of the story, however. The mise en place is more important than actual taste tests. I did convince my wife that we should try Ayun's chili verde recipe, though. The ingredients are waiting at my house, tomatillos and all. I have high hopes that it will magically be done in time for dinner. *sending psychic messages to my wife*
I love Ayun Halliday's zine, the east village inky, and I have to give her big extra credit for not just rolling old material from the zines into this book. This book is as funny, witty, clever, and charming as her zines and every David Sedaris book you ever read. It's a quick, enjoyable read with a few recipes scattered through. Some of the recipes sound genuinely gross. They are part of the story, however. The mise en place is more important than actual taste tests. I did convince my wife that we should try Ayun's chili verde recipe, though. The ingredients are waiting at my house, tomatillos and all. I have high hopes that it will magically be done in time for dinner. *sending psychic messages to my wife*
violetu's review against another edition
4.0
I love Ayun Halliday - something about her writing really resonates with me - so this was a very cool glimpse into her life.
I laughed heartily at her semi-obsession with a children's cookbook from her youth; I had a similar obsession with a kids' cookbook that I had as a child (and ended up re-buying it at a "rare" book shop because it was discontinued in print and someone lost my copy!)
All told, a nice, light-hearted, funny, culinary adventure + bonus bio.
I laughed heartily at her semi-obsession with a children's cookbook from her youth; I had a similar obsession with a kids' cookbook that I had as a child (and ended up re-buying it at a "rare" book shop because it was discontinued in print and someone lost my copy!)
All told, a nice, light-hearted, funny, culinary adventure + bonus bio.
innae's review against another edition
3.0
A fun little trip back to a time when I was a picky eater (not that I have strayed too terribly far from the pickiness, but I am more likely to try something now than I was then). I liked the anecdotes, but the best part were the recipes. A snarky sense of humor added something to the recipes, and I admit I did save a few of them.
missnicelady's review
3.0
Mostly amusing tale of one woman's journey from picky eater to omnivore to frustrated mom of a picky eater. The prose could have been tighter and less adjective-intensive for my tastes -- I often found myself praying, "Please, Baby Jesus, not another tangent about your classmates or ex-roomies! Get to the good stuff!"
library_brandy's review
3.0
Not what I wanted this to be. While it's a collection of essays on the theme of culinary awakening, it's more about the "awakening" than the "culinary."
I wanted food porn. What I got was a mash note.
The essays are a little scattershot, running from the few things she'd eat as a picky child to the bizarre things in her hippie pantry post-college to feeding her own picky child, but it's not quite chronological or topical in its organization. On the bright side, it's still light and funny--just not what I'd expected it to be.
I wanted food porn. What I got was a mash note.
The essays are a little scattershot, running from the few things she'd eat as a picky child to the bizarre things in her hippie pantry post-college to feeding her own picky child, but it's not quite chronological or topical in its organization. On the bright side, it's still light and funny--just not what I'd expected it to be.
mcmoots's review
3.0
It was a fast, cute little read, with all the nutritional content of the eponymous cookies. I felt empty after finishing it.
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