Eat Up: Food, Appetite and Eating What You Want

“Food is, in many ways, more complex and controversial than ever,” asserts former Great British Baking Show finalist Tandoh (Crumb) in this earnest if imperfect culinary manifesto. Contending that society’s relationship with food has been complicated by contradictory messaging around the right and wrong ways to eat, Tandoh writes “the most elemental, easy, joyful thing we can do has become a chore and source of anxiety.” Determined to work against that mentality, she looks at food as a “whole picture,” sharing facts and culinary studies that will uplift readers—from waxing poetic about the liberating joys of baking to citing studies that correlate the pleasure humans derive from food to its nutritional power. Appearing just as often, though, are flimsy claims that lack accompanying evidence; in one such example, she casually references “studies” that purport that “people classed as overweight have... reduced susceptibility of certain diseases,” without further consideration other than the glib pronouncement that “fat bodies are big and perfect, and deserve plates of meatballs.” Still, home cooks will appreciate the handful of recipes sprinkled throughout, such as a sweet potato and smoky butternut squash stew with chickpea dumplings. There are valuable nuggets of insight, but too much sifting is required to get to the good stuff. Agent: Molly Friedrich, Friedrich Agency. (July)