| Title | : | Food: A Love Story |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0804140413 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780804140416 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 340 |
| Publication | : | First published October 21, 2014 |
| Awards | : | Goodreads Choice Award Humor (2014) |
Bacon. McDonalds. Cinnabon. Hot Pockets. Kale. Stand-up comedian and author Jim Gaffigan has made his career rhapsodizing over the most treasured dishes of the American diet (“choking on bacon is like getting murdered by your lover”) and decrying the worst offenders (“kale is the early morning of foods”). Fans flocked to his New York Times bestselling book Dad is Fat to hear him riff on fatherhood but now, in his second book, he will give them what they really crave—hundreds of pages of his thoughts on all things culinary(ish). Insights such as: why he believes coconut water was invented to get people to stop drinking coconut water, why pretzel bread is #3 on his most important inventions of humankind (behind the wheel and the computer), and the answer to the age-old question “which animal is more delicious: the pig, the cow, or the bacon cheeseburger?”
Food: A Love Story Reviews
-
"Mind you, I'm not criticizing the biscuits and gravy or the chicken and waffles. I find them delightful. I'm just saying if I lived down there I would be dead." (p.48)
"I remember when I was ten years old looking around at my small Indiana town that didn't even have a McDonald's and thinking, I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. THERE'S BEEN SOME MISTAKE." (p. 53)
"They are heroes, really. Or drug dealers. Either way, they are allowed to be jerks. Thank you, arrogant ." (p.73)
"As a young child I'd see people eating a salad and think, THEY MUST BE DYING OR, EVEN WORSE, TRAINING FOR A MARATHON OR SOMETHING." (p. 93)
Gotta love that food-lovin' Jim Gaffigan and his book! The chapter on burgers was so scrumptious, I wish he would have given his opinion of the BOB'S BURGERS TV show and Bob's tempting procession of "Burgers of the Day." And on page 149 he mentions visiting Erie, Pennsylvania--AND experiencing one of those Moments of Truth right here!
The chapter titles tempt (the last one was the perfect parting bonbon cup), the photos are amusing, and get ready for the story of the guy who was walking through a store guzzling a cup of KFC gravy. There's even a Geography of American Food breakdown, complete with map. What's not to absolutely devour--with relish?
By all means, read when you're hungry, read while you're eating--laughter will keep the calories moving around at least! And you might need for your next read to be....another FOOD: A LOVE STORY, this one by Maureen Whitehouse.
Thanks for reading, and BON APPETIT! -
I think I found my long lost brother...
Yes Jim..I do.
A book on totally embracing all your food sins? Sign me up. I try and eat healthy..Avoid McDonald's, Not eat Bacon for everymeal (Notice how Bacon gets capitilized-it should always), eat some veggies..and fruit.
Who am I kidding? In this book you don't read it for the fruit! You read it to have fun with food. Even when it kills you.
Jim Gaffigan doesn't care if you eat McDonald's. He admits he does. Even when he hides behind the counters so that you can't see him there.
I think he might be a chubby evil genius though. He comes up with the idea of restaurants helping you when you go out to eat. Instead of wine sommeliers the joints should have "fattelier"
Case in point:
Fattelier: Well, I'd get the chili cheese fries with the cheese on the side. You get more cheese that way.
Genius.
Now is Gaffigan a foodie? Heck no. He is an "eatie" I think I'm going to give up being a foodie and just join his idea. It sounds like way more fun. Plus, I'm kinda lazy too. So win win.
Now I do know that Gaffigan gained some fame from his routine with "Hot Pockets" and there is mention of them in this book. But that part was the most boring thing in the book so I admit to skimming there. I'm not even brave enough to eat those suckers. So ain't nobody got time for that.
He also is not a big fan ofsea-bugsseafood so if you love the stuff just get prepared to maybe not love it so much after reading this book.
The book is fun though. He takes you to some of his favorite burger places, places to get BBQ, talks about grits in the south, describes the eating experiences of American holidays...I loved it.
So just embrace your eating. At least as long as it takes to power through this book. Because you gonna be hungry. Not for kale either.
Booksource: I received a copy of this book from blogging for books in exchange for review.
I got interested in this book through a twisty little road. First
Jeff's review of this book started it..then I went and saw
Kelly's review of this book..and she had food porn posted...with cake. So I knew I had to read this.
But I've always featured those two farters on this so I'm featuring
Licha's review. because she is awesome. Go show her some love...and eat some bacon and donuts. -
Find all of my reviews at:
http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
RELEASE DATE TODAY 10/21 - YUMMY YUMMY!
As a person who enjoys Jim Gaffigan’s stand-up routine, I jumped at the chance to read
Dad is Fat. Unfortunately (probably due to the fact that I’m raising my own brood of horrible offspring), that one fell just a tad flat for me. However, as a fellow chubbo I was all grabby-hands when it came to getting a copy of Food: A Love Story . . . Wait, you know what this review could use? A DONUT!
Ahhhhh, much better.
Where was I? Oh yes, being a fatty. Like Gaffigan, I too have been accused of “eating my feelings” a time or twelve – and my response is the same as Jim’s: “Yeah, but these feelings are DELICIOUS.” There are no endorphins released from eating tofu . . . but a giant plate of Chili Mac from Steak ‘N Shake can bring-a-da-happy.
(While we’re talking about Chili Mac let me take an aside to address the good folks at Pinterest. STOP trying to say you have a recipe for this concoction. You don’t. As someone who lived in a town without a Steak ‘N Shake for years I can tell you I’ve attempted to recreate this magic again and again. It simply can’t be done.)
As the title states, this is Jim Gaffigan’s ode to food. It’s about the foods he loves, the foods he hates, and of course – Hot Pockets.
While I’m not sure I’d recommend reading it from start to finish without taking a breather (like I did), I can say every chapter made me smile and several drew some big hardy-har-hars. Gaffigan is funny and once I saw he claimed Oklahoma Joe’s to be Kansas City’s #1 BBQ spot, I was a firm believer that he really knows his shit when it comes to porking out.
(That’s Oklahoma Joe’s. Yep, it’s a gas station . . . that also happens to sell the best barbecue in a city KNOWN for barbecue joints.)
If you’re contemplating when you’re going to go grab your next kale burger, this is probably not the book for you . . . but if you like to laugh almost as much as you like to eat then you should definitely check it out.
I feel like I would be a failure as a plump reviewer if I didn’t include some recommendations of my own, so here goes (if you’re on a diet, you best just back away from the computer now). I’m going to skip the obvious like “if you’re ever in Chicago, you should go to Gino’s East” because duh, if you’re ever in Chicago you should go to Gino’s East. Instead I’m going to focus on the place I grew up and the place I live now.
I’ll begin with my hometown of Galesburg, Illinois. If you ever find yourself stuck in flyover country, you probably won’t be surprised to know that the corn-fed members of the U.S. population eat pretty tasty stuff in order to maintain their physiques ; )
No trip to Galesburg should EVER happen without a stop at Dixon’s Coney Island. They’ve been in business since Jesus was a toddler and serve up the most delicious greasy coney dog you’ll ever shove in your face. This sounds grotesque, but order at least 4 (preferably 6). It’ll just save you a walk-of-shame back up to the counter begging for more.
Happy Joe’s now spans a few states in the Midwest rather than only Illinois and their taco pizza is something that’s been raved about for years, but I’m telling you to skip the taco pizza and get the BLT instead. Yes, mayo on a pizza. No additional charge for the heart attack.
Sometimes you don’t mess with perfection. The best cake in the universe comes from no other place than Costco. It only costs like $15 and it is to die for.
(Literally. If you eat more than one piece there’s a 98% chance you’ll get diabetes.)
If you want to eat a sea scorpion, order it from Legal Seafoods. It comes covered in seaweed and is alive and kicking until you put it in the pot of death.
(“Can you hear the lobsters screaming, Clarice????”)
Same goes for donuts. The best donuts, hands down, are made at Voodoo Doughnut in Portland. Pay the billion dollars and have a box shipped to you. It’s worth it. Make sure you order a maple bacon.
*insert Homer Simpson drool noise*
However, if you are in Kansas City and want to experience something other than the deliciousness that is Dunkin’, you should seek out the Donut King. Not only do they have every type of donut your heart desires, they cook them fresh 24 hours a day.
You’re probably asking yourself, “why is this dumb broad including a picture of her house?” Well, smartypants, it’s not my house. This is a pretty well-known establishment called Stroud’s. It’s been featured on about every “eating across America” type of program on the Food Channel and for good reason. Dinner is served family style, with heaping bowls of green beans, potatoes and gravy, cinnamon rolls, and, of course, chicken. I don’t eat meat with bones in it (that’s what she said, *rimshot*), so I always opt for the chicken fried steak. Trust me when I say it’s worth the clogged arties.
While you’re there, you can also get a super appropriate T-shirt to wear to your next parent/teacher conference:
Last but not least, if you’re ever in KC you should take a stroll down 39th Street. This is where the hipsters live, but don’t let that detract from your enjoyment. Regular weirdos like me have lived there too. The best place to eat is Fric & Frac. If you’re lucky, the wicked hot bartender will be working, but even if he’s not the food is killer. What do I recommend?
Why, the Kelly, of course : )
ARC provided by Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review -
Jim Gaffigan
Jim Gaffigan is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. His comedy routines are generally about fatherhood, indolence, being out of shape, and food. Gaffigan's books are based on his stand-up material, so if you've seen his shows or TV specials you know what to expect.
I read the author's first book, "Dad is Fat", and enjoyed the collection of fun anecdotes about Gaffigan and his wife Jeannie raising their five kids in a two-bedroom New York City apartment. In this second book, Gaffigan addresses another one of his favorite subjects - food.
Gaffigan likes to joke about his big belly and insatiable appetite, and notes, "I try to stick to three meals a day, and three more at night." The comic travels all over the country to perform, and - being 'too lazy' to research restaurants - relies on local residents and Twitter followers to direct him to tasty eateries.
Thus, the comic is well- acquainted with restaurants in every state, and riffs on all manner of burger places, pizzerias, sandwich shops, food courts, fine dining establishments, family eateries, buffets, diners, and so on. If he hasn't been to your favorite bistro, café, or deli, it's because no one pointed him in that direction.
Gaffigan asserts, "I'm not a foodie, I'm an eatie," and admits that some of his favorite foods are steak, cheeseburgers, bacon, French fries, Chicago deep dish pizza, Katz's pastrami sandwiches, New York bagels, Mexican food, cake, and more. On the other hand, Gaffigan shuns fruits, vegetables, and seafood.....and wants to stop the manufacture of American cheese.
To provide a feel for the humor in the book, I'll give some examples of Gaffigan's bits. Just picture the comedian reciting these quips.....
- I hate shellfish. If something looks like it could crawl out from under your refrigerator I won't eat it. There's not a nickel worth of difference between a lobster and a scorpion.
Lobster scorpion
- Oysters are like snot from a rock. And they're supposed to be an aphrodisiac. What? It's more likely that after you eat an oyster you're so happy to be alive you'll sleep with anyone.
Oysters
- Every city in the Southeast has its own unique type of food, found only in that city. And it all happens to be called barbecue. Touring the South, doing standup, feels like an 'eating barbecue' tour.
Barbecue place in Alabama
Barbecue place in Mississippi
- There's an old Weight Watchers' saying: "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." I for one can think of a thousand things that taste better than thin feels. Many of them are two word phrases that end with cheese, like: cheddar cheese, blue cheese, and grilled cheese.
Cheese plate
- At meals with our five children, my wife Jeanie likes to say Grace. I view saying Grace as ready, set..... and Amen is go.
Gaffigan family enjoying dessert
- Mexican food is so good you'd think the REAL immigration problem would be fat guys like me sneaking across the border INTO Mexico. It's hard to screw up Mexican food. The Midwestern suburban Mexican food I grew up with consisted of the same four ingredients: nachos are tortillas with cheese, meat, and vegetables; burritos are tortillas with cheese, meat, and vegetables. Ditto for tostadas and chimichangas. It's all the same stuff in different shapes.
Mexican food
- I hate when I try to order a salad. My mouth says I'll have a double quarter pounder with cheese. It's like I have auto-correct in my mouth. My heart may be willing but my brain abdicated to my taste buds long ago.
Double quarter pounder with cheese
- Nobody likes fruit. Fruit takes too much work. You have to wash it. And you have to take off that sticker Al-Quaeda put on there.
Apple with sticker
- Bacon is the candy of meat. Bacon makes people happy. Bacon holds a special place in my heart....and my stomach. I love everything about bacon, even the name. You can't tell me some of the success of Kevin Bacon isn't related to his name. After all, no one wants to see a Kevin Tofu movie.
Bacon
Kevin Bacon
- I love going to the grocery store. For me it's like going to an art museum of food I've eaten. In grocery stores food is on display at its finest. All the fruits are shiny and color coordinated. I love the food packaging; it's like the clothing of food. It seems the fancier the food the nicer the packaging. While Pepperidge Farm bread is packaged in the equivalent of a three piece suit, generic cereal comes in plastic bags.....and lives on the bottom shelf, like it's homeless.
>
Grocery store
- Getting food delivered to my home involves two of my favorite activities. Eating and not moving. The worst part of delivery for me is getting up and answering the door.
Grocery delivery
- I find milk unappealing but what we make from cow's breast milk is truly amazing. Cheese, ice cream, whipped cream, butter. Everyone loves cheese. Supposedly the average American eats 23 pounds of cheese a year.
Milk products
- My thoughts on cheeses:
Cheddar is the utility cheese. It works great everywhere. Great on a hamburger, great on a sandwich, even great with a piece of apple pie.
Cheddar cheese
Blue cheese is an acquired taste, and I acquired it. It's not my daily cheese, but it's one of my favorites. Blue cheese is like the ice cream sundae of cheese.
Blue cheese
Swiss is the grapefruit juice of cheese. No one really wants Swiss cheese but it's nice to provide a choice for the occasional weirdo who wants something gross tasting.
Swiss cheese
American cheese - I hate American cheese. This would be my letter to Kraft:
Dear Kraft, I hope you are well. Regarding American cheese, I'd like you to stop making it please. It's disgusting and completely unsatisfying. Let me be clear up front. I'm a huge fan of cheese. I love cheese. I've gone to wine and cheese events just for the cheese. But American cheese is the worst of all cheeses. I think the plastic that you wrap the slices in is tastier than the cheese.
American cheese
- McDonalds is the true king of burgers. Burger King is the imposter king. It's motto is, "Not as good as McDonalds.'
McDonald's burger
Burger King burger
- If McDonald's is the one true king of burgers, Wendy's is the kingslayer. Wendy's is my favorite of the fast food chains. I always think of Wendy's as a real restaurant. I sometimes walk by Wendy's and think, 'Shoot, I wish I didn't just eat.' But then I just get a double anyway.
Wendy's burger
- Dessert is special. In diners and truck stops desserts are sometimes put in a rotating glass case, like they're some of Queen Elizabeth's jewelry.
Dessert display
- I travel a lot and spend an enormous amount of time in airports. If your job involves traveling, you understand. It's too exhausting. Counting the time going to and from the airport, packing, going through security, flight delays, and picking up checked luggage, a flight from New York to Chicago takes a week.
- Of all food options at airports I consider 'Auntie Anne's Pretzels' a last resort. I love pretzels and have contemplated a world with only pretzel bread on many occasions. But Auntie Anne's is not for me because I don't consider a grease soaked pretzel appealing. To be fair Auntie Anne's is not just pretzels. They also have pretzel dogs and pretzels with pepperonis on them and pretzels rolled in cinnamon sugar and....that's it. There are dipping sauces at Auntie Anne's that are distinguished by the ailments they cause: this sauce causes heart disease, this sauce causes liver failure.....
- I love living in New York City. My favorite part of NYC is the bagel. NYC has the best bagels. There's something special about the NYC bagel. I wasn't always a bagel snob. Back in Indiana I could go through a sleeve of frozen Lender's bagels before they were even thawed. As a college student in Washington DC I worked in a café and discovered the masterpiece that is a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese and bacon. But it was in NYC that i received my bagel education. Bagels in NYC are more dense, more flavorful, and when toasted develop this crunchy outer crust that becomes its own entity. When you bite through that crunchy outer layer and experience the warm chewy insides of a NYC bagel you will become a believer too and you will forsake all other bagels.
Bagels
******
I listened to the audio version of the book - narrated by the author - and got a lot of laughs. I'd recommend the book to readers (or listeners) who like clean stand-up comedy in book form.
Note: To me this book cover - Jim Gaffigan marrying a hot dog - is hilarious. Gaffigan would probably say though, that the wiener isn't as beautiful as his wife Jeannie.
Jeannie Gaffigan
You can follow my reviews at
https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.... -
Maybe all Americans should just eat starving people from other nations"....
.......maybe it's just me, but I was dying-laughing silly when Jim Gaffigan spit out the sentence.
I had another thought: perhaps the hungry people should eat the obese Americans.
Go ahead ... Spank me.. I've a sick sense of humor.. but I was very entertained during my walks with this book! WAY TOO FUNNY!!!
Audiobook=HILARIOUS!!!!
Crab, oysters, lobster, anchovies, and octopus, are nothing but sea buggers swimming at the bottom of the ocean - which can just stay there as far as Jim Gaffigan is concern....
and you know....( forgive me)... but I agree with him. I'm not a fan of ANY SHELLFISH...
I don't like it... and it doesn't like me! Shellfish and are not friends... so everything Jim was preaching about Shellfish was a feeling like 'coming home'. GO..GO...Jim!!!
Jim says he's an "eatie"... not a "foodie".... I can 'somewhat' relate. I know I'm not a foodie. I could care less about the gourmet foods that many of my friends so enjoy....
I rather eat something near my own town - ( if not in my own kitchen)... than spend my time traveling afar just to eat the best 'whatever-ever'.
Where I don't relate is that everything tastes better with cheese... and I don't like gravy -I'm not a fast food eater... ( nor do I care much for fancy cuisine)...
So, I'm sorta a plain-Jane- boring eater - who likes basic food the way Mother Nature grows its.
No matter if you are a veggie boy or girl.., a proud junk food eatie...follow a paleo diet...
eat food at all - enjoy laughing --want to know learn where to get a great BBQ meal in Kansas with 5 kids... ( local gas station)...and other 'around-the-country' food tidbits of interesting information .... Then READ THIS BOOK FOR PURE FUNNY-BONE laughs.
Better yet...listen to the audiobook. Jim ( not slim-Jim), Gaffigan is a lovable guy too! -
Thank you, Mr. Gaffigan, for my first book of 2016 - and a good way to start!
In spring of 2000, I went to The Late Show with David Letterman - the guests were Jackie Chan and up and coming (and little known) comedian Jim Gaffigan. I am excited that years later I can say that I was there to see someone before they were big (and, have the opportunity to name drop in a Goodreads review).
I enjoyed Gaffigan's cynical and humorous approach to foods of every kind. While I didn't always agree with his sentiment (I love shellfish), I knew exactly what he was getting at and realized I had thought the same thing myself from time to time. Also, his poking fun of something, followed by praise, often made me wonder if he loved it or hated it.
Another thing I like was that the humor was clean. Not that I mind cuss words, but it seems like lately when I try and watch a stand up comedian, they use foul language as a crutch, and the material doesn't end up being very funny.
Food lovers of the world unite - and read Food: A Love Story (between bites of your burrito)
Note: I listened to this book and at one point I did pull over and buy a burger because Gaffigan made me want one SO BADLY! -
The Hook I love food but food, or actually the calories, don’t necessarily love me.
The Line Triscuits are just shredded wheat in cracker form.
The Sinker – My GR friend Elyse recommended this book. Ha, she’s the one who complained today that I’m adding books to her TBR pile. Doesn’t she know that books to lovers of reading are worse than potato chips?
Some readers have watched Jim Gaffigan perform stand-up comedy and were disappointed that some of the material in Food: A Love Story is covered in his shows. Others who are familiar with his routine were easily able to enjoy the old and the new. I didn’t know Jim from Adam so all the monologues were new to me. What I wondered was whether I would be able to listen to six discs of Jim talking about food? No problem. Even with a few repetitive segments, I found myself just enjoying my daily walk with Jim.
You know immediately that Gaffigan knows of what he speaks. He’s a big guy, he’s the first to call himself, well to be polite, not thin. He embraces all that food I’ve given up. You know, bacon, Cinnabon, pizza with lots of cheese and meat, full fat ice cream; the list goes on.
There’s much to laugh at and much to laugh with Jim as he describes his passion for food. Each reader is bound to feel a connection with Jim as he covers the food they can’t resist. For me the segment about Triscuits (the cardboard kind) had me laughing as I opened yet another box, a staple for me.
Forgive me for this. Jim’s take on oysters had me gob-snot snickering.
Jim can’t resist mentioning cops and donuts. Who hasn’t seen a cop in a donut shop, no offense intended? For that matter, this gal who hasn’t had a donut in years found myself craving a good ol’ bismark like they used to make at a donut shop in RI (name escapes me).
Whether Jim’s talking about Fast Food venues, famous restaurants, ethnic specialties or City food, all get the Gaffigan treatment. Did I mention the humor is clean? I really appreciated that. Need a chuckle in your life? Take a chance and read or listen but don’t begin if you’re hungry. -
If aliens studied Earth, they would come to the conclusion that the United States is somehow consuming food on behalf of other countries.
And so begins Comedian Jim Gaiffigan's Food: A Love Story. Actually, that's not how it begins. I just thought the quote sounded almost philosophical, plus I wanted to use the grandiose "And so begins...." I could have just as well started with...
I’m convinced that anyone who doesn’t like Mexican food is a psychopath.
...because that, my friend, is fact!
Gaffigan loves food. If you've ever watched one of his comedy specials this will soon become apparent. Food usually makes its way into his routine sooner or later, and his skewering of Hot Pockets has become legendary. No doubt the big success of his previous book pushed him into doing a second book, and so why not do one solely about food?
Gaffigan's a casual eater, not a connoisseur. He's not even obese, he's merely overweight. So why should we care what he has to say about food? Because he's funny, that's why. Disagree with me? Then you can just get out! Go on, this review ain't big enough for the two of us!
Food: A Love Story is not knock-you-over-the-head funny from start to finish. It's got a conversational tone, especially if you listen to the audiobook, which I always suggest when reading a comedian's book. Yeah, you may know their voice, but inflection is of paramount importance and you're not as clever in that regard as you think you are. But anyway, my point was, if you came purely for the punchlines you will be disappointed. The book isn't joke after joke, it's more like this:
It would be embarrassing trying to explain what an appetizer is to someone from a starving country. “Yeah, the appetizer—that’s the food we eat before we have our food. No, no, you’re thinking of dessert—that’s food we have after we have our food. We eat tons of food. Sometimes there’s so much we just stick it in a bag and bring it home. Then we throw it out the next day. Maybe give it to the dog."
Of course this book isn't as funny as his stand-up. Comedians work really hard to come up with an hour's worth of material, which they tour with for often a year. Here we have six hours of material written for this book. I doubt he wrote it with the idea that he'd do a six year tour with it.
Gaffigan isn't a particularly healthy eater. Junk food fills these pages like it fills our guts and the deepest, darkest places of our empty souls...
You ever talk to an old person? I mean a really, really old person. They always have this exhausted look on their face that says, I can’t believe I’m still here! I would’ve eaten so much more ice cream. Why did I ever consume kale?
His road-touring life hasforced himgiven him the golden opportunity to pretend he has no choice but to eat poorly, thus bringing him into close and constant contact with what passes for restaurant food here in America. Fast food joints come in for a good, solid de-pantsing as he does a virtual tour around the States listing his "favorite" chains, and then breaking it down to the regional chains like WaffleHouse and Whataburger. Regional foods (I almost said cuisine, ha!) are reminisced, such as Chicago's deep-dish pizza, Seattle's coffee, NY bagels and the South's maternal love for bbq.
After reading this, I had to clear my head of Gaffigan's intentional food nonsense by reading Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma. You're just not going to find deep, scientific insight in Food. This is for the laughs. Although, there are some borderline poignant passages:
Nobody believes in racial profiling until they get a red-haired sushi chef with a southern accent.
I think everyone is aware how disgusting snails are, and that’s why they are served in a bowl of wine and butter and called “escargots,” which is a French word loosely translated as “denial.”
Often on the menu, oysters will be listed as “oysters on the half shell.” As opposed to what? “In a Kleenex?” Even the way you are supposed to eat an oyster indicates something counterintuitive. “Squeeze some lemon on it, a dab of hot sauce, throw the oyster down the back of your throat, take a shot of vodka, and try to forget you just ate snot from a rock.” That is not how you eat something. That is how you overdose on sleeping pills.
Okay, so those weren't poignant at all, but they did give me a chuckle and that's all I truly expected from this book. -
I think it was Plato who struggled over the question "What is the difference between seeing a doughnut and wanting to eat a doughnut?" The answer is, of course, "One second."
Until this book ended up in my hands, I really wasn't too familiar with comedian Jim Gaffigan. I bought it for the subject matter - food. I love food, particularly food that is not good for me. Gaffigan loves food even more than I do. Just take a gander at him.
He looks like a typical TV sitcom dad - pudgy and middle-aged, yet somehow endowed with an impossibly hot wife. Come to think of it, that sort of describes my husband. (Just kidding, honey.)
This is a guy who knows all about irresistible cravings, and obviously lacks willpower.
Just like me . . .
"I often find myself thinking about what I will eat at my next meal while I'm in the middle of eating a meal."
I see nothing wrong with that. I've had days where dinner is honestly the best thing that happens to me.
Despite Gaffigan's status as a stand-up comedian, his book is not just a series of "Did you ever notice . . . " quips, but a well-organized, and well-written treatise on the American lifestyle.
If anything defines American eating it is the quantity of food we consume. That would explain why the "All-You-Can-Eat Buffet" is such an American phenomenon, and it makes perfect sense that it started in Las Vegas. Some of the most amazing restaurants in the world are in Las Vegas, but the real local specialty is the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet. Buffets are as common in Vegas as glitter and regrettable behavior. The Vegas casino buffets are expansive and ridiculous. In other words, completely American. You can get sushi, mac and cheese, and doughnuts all in the same meal. God Bless America.
It would be embarrassing trying to explain what an appetizer is to someone from a starving country. "Yeah, the appetizer -- that's the food we eat before we have our food. No, no, you're thinking of dessert -- that's the food we have after we have our food. We eat tons of food. Sometimes there's so much we just stick it in a bag. Maybe give it to the dog.
Some other things that made me snicker:
If you don't know what a churro is, just try to picture a ribbed doughnut stick. A churro is not fluffy like a doughnut but rather hard and crunchy. It's like the pipe cleaner of pastry.
It seems everyone I knew had that same thin bottle of A.1. It always felt like it was empty right before it flooded your steak. Ironically, the empty-feeling bottle never seemed to run out. I think most people still have the same bottle of A.1. that they had in 1989. Once I looked at the back of a bottle of A.1. and was not surprised to find that one of the ingredients was "magic".
Gaffigan's take on Easter:
GUY 1: Easter is the day Jesus rose from the dead. What should we do?
GUY 2: How about eggs?
GUY 1: Well, what does that have to do with Jesus?
GUY 2: All right, we'll hide them.
GUY 1: I don't follow your logic.
GUY 2: Don't worry. There's a bunny.
Highly recommended to all who live to eat, rather than those who eat to live. Most especially recommended to those of you who are reaching for the car keys right about now because you suddenly NEED to make a trip to Dunkin' Donuts.
We all know seeing a doughnut happens occasionally. Wanting a doughnut is a continuous desire. I had a doughnut recently. I was with my friend Tom and we were walking by a doughnut shop, and I asked him if he wanted to get a doughnut. He responded that he wasn't hungry. Understandably I replied, "What does that have to do with it?"
Gaffigan is definitely my kind of guy. -
Warning: Do not read this book when you are hungry. The discussions of pizza, cheeseburgers, bacon, doughnuts, steak, and all kinds of yummy foods could break your diet.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan loves food and talks a lot about it in his standup routines, including his popular bit on Hot Pockets. This fun book talks about the different foods he likes and dislikes, and his favorite restaurants around the United States. I was tickled to note that I had eaten at a few of the places he mentioned, and filed away other recommendations for future trips.
He has a good sense of humor about being overweight, and says he never takes food or restaurant advice from a skinny person because they aren't passionate enough about food to overdo it. He also takes issue with the dieters' claim that Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. "I for one can think of a thousand things that taste better than thin feels. Many of them are two-word phrases that end with cheese. Even unsalted French fries taste better than thin feels."
I think my favorite section in the book is when he shows a map of the U.S. and has divided it into different food sections, such as Coffeeland in the Northwest, Seabugland in the Northeast, Steakland in the Plains, Wineland in Northern California, Mexican Food land in the Southwest, Super Bowl Food land in the Midwest, etc. He reserves the distinctive name "Food Anxiety Land" for New Orleans, because the food there is so good and he whenever he visits he panics because he feels he never has enough time to eat enough of their delicious food.
I also liked that Gaffigan doesn't call himself a foodie; instead, he prefers the term "eatie."
"I don't have anything against foodies. I appreciate their love of food and I envy their knowledge and culinary escapades, but I'm generally satisfied with what I've been eating. Foodies seem to be on a never-ending search for new restaurants and interesting dishes. I don't have an insatiable desire to discover what makes something taste good or to find exotic combinations ... There is plenty of regular food I still want to enjoy."
This is an amusing and enjoyable book and I frequently laughed out loud while reading it. I recognized some parts from his standup routine, but it was still funny in print. My one criticism is that it is a bit long for a humor book — it's more than 350 pages. It was my mistake that I tried to read it straight through, when it's better to give comedy a little time to breathe, like wine. Trying to gulp a humor book down in one sitting means it will get repetitive and taste like slop. However, I would still recommend this to anyone who likes Gaffigan's humor or who also likes American food; just don't try to imbibe it all at once.
Now if you will excuse me, I need to go order some pizza. -
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Oh
Jim Gaffigan, how you make me laugh! I've never read a book by Gaffigan before, but I loved
Food: A Love Story ALMOST as much as I love his stand-up.
What it's about: Jim Gaffigan literally writes/talks about food for hours.
I listened to this book because I heard that Gaffigan was the narrator which lets face it, when Gaffigan is narrating I will listen. This was my very first audiobook and I no longer think listening to a book is "cheating", it takes a lot to completely concentrate when you are listening to a book! No matter how much you may love the narrator.
Gaffigan somehow manages to talk about food in what I would imagine is every single sentence of the book. It kind of blew my mind at how that was possible, but I guess the book IS an ode to food so it only makes sense. I feel like there are quite a few people that won't like this so if you don't want to hear/read about food that much, I would skip this one.
I am a huge fan of Gaffigan's stand-up, and while I wouldn't say he is quite as emphatic with his reading of the book as he is doing stand-up, I still loved listening to him. He did a few different voices throughout and made for a very entertaining experience. I didn't think it was AMAZING, but it was definitely a solid 4 stars for me.
Final Thought: If you are a fan of Gaffigan's stand-up like I am then I would HIGHLY recommend listening to the audiobook as opposed to reading this one. When I get to his other book,
Dad Is Fat, I will definitely be listening to that one too. Jim Gaffigan is super funny, and I believe most people will not be disappointed with this novel! Especially if you listen to it. ;) -
Food: A Love Story is another great book by comedian and actor Jim Gaffigan.
This is seriously a laugh-out-loud book. Some of this is repeated from his stand up, but I don't care.
Give me more Gaffigan, and spray cheese!
5***** -
I actually didn't know anything about Jim Gaffigan. I've heard of him before, but never seen any of his comedy or anything like that. I heard this recommended on my favorite Podcast and I will have to say it was pretty funny... and much of it very true! If you think you would like this sort of book, I would definitely recommend consuming it on Audio.
-
It is because I like
Jim Gaffigan so much that I enjoyed this book so little. With his last book,
Dad Is Fat , I put part of the blame on the topic (fathering five children), and some of the fact that I read (and did not listen to) the book. So, I thought I was being clever by listening to
Food: A Love Story .
It turns out, I was not clever enough. Why? Because, for me, this was almost all material that I have heard Jim do—just delivered in a slightly less funny manner. Now here's where things get tricky: this is an amalgam of food-related bits from
Beyond the Pale,
King Baby,
Mr. Universe, and various other specials. So, I suppose that if, for some reason, you really wanted to avoid anything relating to topics other than food, then this would be your way to go… -
3.5 Stars
I found Food: A Love Story to be a truly enjoyable reading experience. I am a fan of Gaffigan, and I had his voice in my head while reading. If you aren't familiar with Gaffigan, I would recommend the audio version of this book; I don't think his humor would necessarily translate if you are not familiar with his voice. -
I really wanted to like this. But I think Jim Gaffigan and I just feel just too differently about food for me to find much humor in this. I would never consider myself a foodie, but the foods we love/hate are completely opposite. So after the great introduction, which had me laughing out loud, the jokes fell flat after a few chapters. I gave it a good shot tho, making it over 100 pages, and skipping forward a few more chapters just to double check but no...I just could not enjoy this book.
It doesn't really feel like a love story about food, more like random commenting on food. It's a shame...because I really loved Dad is Fat, and I still think this has a great cover. I wonder how many other foods they tried before settled on the hot dog. -
If you love food, you WILL love this book.
If you don't love food, there is something wrong with you. -
Freakin' hilarious. I highly recommend listening to Mr. Gaffigan read it on Audible. It's like going to one of his stand up shows. I think he is funny no matter what he talks about, but in my opinion he is at his best when he talks about food. I listened during work with ear buds plugged into my iPhone and it made for a very pleasurable work day. I burst out laughing countless times. Food is something we all can relate to in one way or the other but his spin cracks me up because truth is stranger than fiction. I especially love his bits on the Waffle House...I can remember the first time I ever saw a Waffle House on a trip down south. Living in Chicago, we have nothing like it. I would probably have to say that being a true fan and knowing his material inside and out, this is the best compilation so far since food is universal. I've known only one person who really and truly had no interest in food and eating. For the rest of us, I can't imagine someone not seeing themselves as part of the material.
-
Much funnier than his first book, Dad Is Fat. Maybe because food is a subject we can all relate to no matter what age. With Dad Is Fat, I felt like I was over having raised a small child, so it was more painful to have to read about someone else's excruciating thoughts on child-rearing. Been there, done that, no need to read on it. Or maybe I was just tired of hearing one too many stories about how cute someone else's child is. I work with someone who must tell everyone everything about what her children do. Everything becomes a cute and worthy-of-telling story, from how the eighth tooth has grown in to the color of poop her child did the night before. (And that is a true story.) I guess I had had it with the children stories you must feign interest in.
But food? I can relate. I chuckled a good amount, enough to pass muster. Had some silent chuckles that didn't quite make me want to exert any energy, but at least entertained me enough to keep reading. I'd say I only had about three or so moments where I was laughing so hard that I knew I was making a fool of myself and the more conscious I became of that fact, the harder it was to stop laughing. The chapter on drinking gravy was hilarious.
The book includes pictures of his adorable children. Pictures, I can handle those. -
This book is really funny, if I would add a quote of everywhere I laughed out loud, that would be a very long review.
Jim Gaffigan loves junk food, his food choices are quite similar to kids choices (and he doesn't like sea food or any fish, that made me empathize with him quite easily). He is not a foodie, he is an eatie. Foodies seem to be on a never-ending search for new restaurants and interesting dishes. I don’t have an insatiable desire to discover what makes something taste good or to find exotic combinations. I guess I’m not that bored... I'm also too lazy. Foodies will travel for miles in search of the perfect hamburger... Mostly, I just want the closest best burger in town. Jim loves food, wants food, and wants it fast. Unless it is worth to wait in line, and then he will wait in line, even though he doesn't like lines (What is this, Russia?).
He knows for a fact that Granola is healthy, because it is not tasty, it tastes like gravel. Oatmeal is healthy, it has no taste at all. And Kale is healthy, it tastes like bug spray. He wants to believe that coffee is a vegetable because it comes from coffee beans, and that fake salads like potato salad are still good for you. And the food pyramid is just a pyramid of taste, to show that vegetables the lowest of the scale.
He makes fun from everything, every food and every food chain. And I am pretty sure that you know what he is talking about, whether it is going to McDonalds and hoping to encounter anybody you know (I am just here for the ATM), or the airport food or air travel experience (can you imagine the flight attendant as your mom and the pilot as your dad? Jim can).
4 stars and much laughter. Highly recommended. -
I like Jim Gaffigan, I think he's a very talented pretty comedian and enjoy watching his stand up if I ever come his specials on Comedy Central. I chuckled at a few parts in this book an always enjoy reading about food but I got a bit bored after a while with this novel. I also got really tired of hearing about his wife and beautiful and amazing she is, was she standing over Jim's shoulder the entire time he was writing this book? I enjoyed the conversational writing style and how quick each chapter was and the great observations on Hot Pockets and certain fast food restaurant (McDonald's). My biggest problem with this book was the statement that cake is better than pie. No true. Absolutely not. Pie is life. Cake is crap.
-
This book does its one job profoundly well. It makes me want to eat more. And that's a great thing (well, it's bad too). I don't think I'm alone in this opinion here, but lemme just say—or type, rather—that food is amazing in all its bountiful concoctions...and author/comedian Jim Gaffigan is steadily enjoyable throughout this love letter-like romp of his. Gaffigan's pointed views on bottled water, fish, and salads are right on the money, among many other hilarious musings. I loved listening to this audiobook and his voice, to me, is a perfect reading voice. So this tasty morsel was very easy to digest. Food: A Love Story also glides by like a kite in the sky. It's smooth sailing, and when it ends, it graciously lands on the ground neatly and nicely. And you can't help but smile. Recommended!
-
~ When someone orders a salad at lunch, it's presented as the decision of a martyr giving up their happiness to the waiter. ~Jim
This book is delicious and hilarious. :) (3.45/5)
Written by Jim Gaffigan, A steak eater; the manly eater, who's an eatie not a foodie & the only time he stop eating is when he's sleeping. :D He'll make you travel from BBQ land to steakland to foodland to seabug land to coffeland and what not.
It is definitely a love story of an eatie about his favourite and not so favourite food such as Steak, pies, bacon, pizza, cheese, burgers, fries, doughnut, ketchup, Kale, vegetables etc
The good thing about this book is, it's about food
The bad thing about this book is, it's just about food.
At times I laugh out loud :D :D :D :D :D
seriously this book will crack you up. While at other moments I get bored too because he dragged the food discussion too much in few chapters without any joke coming out :/ and I was like aghhhhhhhh -_- this man is just eatin-talking-eating-talking and all about food, food, alot of food, too much food and only about food. Nevertheless, this book is really enjoyable I like it.
Go for it :)
Precautions: Don't read this book when you are full, don't read it either when you are hungry.
This book has so many boffolas but I couldn't resist myself sharing few here which I like the most :)
~ A good cheese burger is the mother's hug of meat.
~A burger and fries together is one of the great culinary marriages of all time.
~ If you are eating fries, you definitely are treating yourself.
~ A muffin is just a bald cupcake.
~ I have a rule that if food looks like something that crawl out from under a refrigerator, I don't put it in my mouth.
~ Eating fries without salt feels like a sacrifice.
~ If tasting horrible is an indication of something being healthy, Kale is the healthiest thing out there. Kale tastes like bug spray.
~Guy: I just ate Kale.
Me: I don't care.
~ I'm a meat lover and steak is the tuxedo of meat.
~ The only time I stop eating is when I'm sleeping.
~ I don't like to eat the baby bird's wings. I'm not a barbarian. That's why I prefer to eat their legs. I'd rather not take away a bird's ability to fly.
~ How do we know chicken can't fly? May be the chicken have become too dependent on those legs. Legs are just making birds lazy.
~ Occasionally, raw, naked unenhanced vegetables are shamelessly presented as if they are actually desirable.
~ Cauliflower: What the hell am I doing on this table? I can't compete with a bowl of peanut-butter-filled pretzels! As if that ranch dressing is going to help me. -
Fun. Loved hearing him going from town to town.
Review to come.
Audiobook comments
I absolutely love it when the author reads his/her own book. His comedic timing is spot on.
YouTube |
Blog |
Instagram |
Twitter |
Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads -
3.5 stars
(apologies to my vegan/vegetarian friends)
I doubt anyone would confuse Jim Gaffigan for an epicure. (The cover's Gaffigan/Hot Dog marriage should dispel any doubts as to what direction Gaffigan's culinary love goes). I'm not sure what I was expecting (as I'm really picky about stand-up comedy, and have never once watched any of his gigs; the only thing I'd seen him in was an episode of Portlandia, appropriately enough: selling stew from a trailer
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6w7YpLD... ) but I kept getting the feeling (even with ample photographic visuals of Gaffigan and brood) that Homer Simpson was conducting this food tour: "mmmm Donuts. Mmmm Bagels. Mmmm Cheeseburgers. Mmmm Guacamole") This seemed to be just a one note love letter to all that is unhealthy to eat (with plenty of sophomoric gibes to those things he hates to eat, like "seabugs" (shellfish, especially crabs and lobsters) and salads, and anything with even a whiff of healthful properties.
I'm no food snob. I do consider myself a foodie (unlike Gaffigan, who insists on calling himself an "eatie") but I've watched my fair share of Food Network and Travel Channel programs celebrating low-brow cuisine (embarrassingly enough, I watched every episode of "Man Vs. Food" (and cringed as the titular "Man" Adam Richman nearly destroyed his body with monsterous eating challenges across the nation)). Though Gaffigan and I have mostly opposite views on culinary love (I *urp* every time Gaffigan touts poutine...the Canadian french fry/gravy/cheese curd concoction...as haute cuisine), my favorite parts of the book were his sharing his favorite hot dog, hamburger, and pizza purveyors (most midwestern, in a arc-shaped swath from Wisconsin (his wife Jeannie's home) to Indiana (his home, which might explain Gaffigan's lack of culinary sophistication: how many foodies come from Indiana, really?)) (totally loved that he gave shout-outs to my two fave burger joints: Kopp's and Culver's...both with insanely fattening "butter" burgers).
I mostly enjoyed Gaffigan's humor, one-note and unsophisticated though it often was. I'll tell you what, though: it's just a dirty trick randomly displaying photos of his family throughout this book. Every time I'd start thinking "ugh...this book blows" he'd insert a pic of his wife or one of his five adorable kids, chowing down on something yummy! Totally unfair! It's impossible to dis someone's book with pics of his kids drinking ketchup, enjoying ice cream, savoring ribs! Not sure I'd like his stand-up comedy (I'm guessing if it's anything like the book, it's probably staid and family-friendly...and probably often mentions Hot Pockets...ugh) but the book was plenty entertaining...for now, anyway. (at least until Aziz Ansari (who I've seen several times with cameo appearances on TV restaurant-tour shows) writes his own foodie book. That book I'd line up at Books-a-Million for). -
There were moments in this book that were laugh out loud funny and other moments that elicited a "huh?" response from me. I got it - lets laugh at ourselves as we consume vast quantities of fast food. I kept thinking "Is Jim Gaffigan really THAT addicted to fast food?" Then again, I also now have such a craving for McDonald's that I will definitely be going there this week. Thank you, Hot Pockets. I haven't been to the golden arches in years.
I'd like to make a few observations about this book.
1. Jim is so right about cake being celebratory and pie being for funerals. The most astute chapter in the book.
2. We always say the Denver airport is in Kansas but it's not a stretch to say it's in Missouri.
3. Loved the cup of gravy chapter.
4. How can anyone dislike seabugs????
5. Thanks, Jim. I used to really like Subway. (I can tell Jared still had the good guy persona when this was published.)
6. Yep, totally a Whole Foods plot to make us eat kale.
7. Memories of my Dad charring the steaks on the charcoal grill when I was young, followed with the ubiquitous A1 sauce. I almost got A1 as my personalizd plates when I got my first car. Sadly, those letters were already taken.
8. I've despaired of the line at Voodoo Doughnuts (or rather, my husband has) and walked away. I'm apparently on the edge of becoming a psychopath but Jim, they're not THAT good!
So, my prior comments aside, this book was almost too long. The "fast food that's so awful I can't stop eating it" theme got old. Does this guy realky love junk food that much? Who eats like this?
But I do agree that Brussels sprouts are God's cruel joke on mankind. -
I have to say that getting this in audio, read by Jim Gaffigan is the way to go. I popped those CD's in while I was in the car and it was a blast. I've loved this comedian for such a long time. His standup is better than his books, but these are great too.
The first half was the best for me. There were sections in the middle that were just, eh. But then he'd get on a topic that was hilarious and I would be cracking up.
He riffs on every kind of food, and every kind of food related activity out there. Nothing is left unexplored.
I loved the section on the naming of "Cheese Whiz". What about Cheese Squirts or Cheese Runs?
Reflections on the tiny ketchup packet... (Not for individual resale? really?) And the fact that fast food places may give you two packets and treat you like you're stealing from their private stash when you ask for more.
Kid you not, after making his joke about the doughnut sandwich, it was actually made.
-
3.5 Stars
Jim Gaffigan is one of my favorite comics. Not only is he funny, but he also comes off as a normal guy (living in a NYC 2-bedroom apartment with his wife and 5 small kids). I knew this book was going to be a delight, and I was right.
Warning: Don't listen or read this book while hungry. I was craving BBQ while listening to it at work haha.
He covers a lot about food (no surprise there!), and there's lot of good sections. Ex. He covers food geographically ex Chicago deep dish pizza, Texas steak, Buffalo wings- as a Buffalonian I was proud!
He also discusses lots of fast food- Burger King, Carl Jr, Subway, etc. as well as the unfairness that McDonald's gets as a bad rap for being unhealthy, which they never claimed to be. Also, whatever happened to Grimace/Mayor McCheese, Hamburgular.... what WAS Grimace???
I did laugh out loud at many parts. This was a good audio book, narrated by Gaffigan himself. -
Do you want to read every predictable, cliche "joke" about food and popular culture that currently exists? Then this is the book for you! Aside from my complete agreement with Gaffigan that seafood is really sea bugs, I found this book to be a complete snore. There was nothing unique about his commentary and I could guess what he had to say on each topic before I even read it. He does a great job of setting himself up as the affable non-foodie, but he doesn't do it in a way that brings anything new to the table. I get it, Jim. You love food. You're a bit overweight. But you love food.
-
Hmm...I went back and forth with this book. In the beginning, I found this hysterical. But after awhile, no so much. I don't know Jim Gaffigan or his comedy. I picked this one up as it was about food and I heard a good bit about it. It is definitely about food, but I think in the end, just not the kind of food I eat. I try to eat whole grain and eat vegan, and this was more about fast foods, bbque, junkfoods, etc. I love to read any books about food, but this one just after some time became a bit tedious to me.
