cover image Best Food Writing 2013

Best Food Writing 2013

Edited by Holly Hughes. Da Capo, $15.99 trade paper (400p) ISBN 978-0-7382-1716-1

Editor Hughes's annual anthology has once again successfully captured the mood in today's food world. "The season of foam and gels has passed," she reflects in the introduction, "and the Year of the Pork Belly has given way to the Year of Kale." What follows is a collection of essays by bloggers, journalist, big name chefs and foodies alike all published within the last year. Highlights include Michael Pollan's "Step Two: Saute Onions and Other Aromatic Vegetables," Jonathan Gold's profile of Kogi co-founder Roy Choi entitled "The King of the Food Trucks Hits Hawaii," and Brett Martin's GQ article "Good Food Everywhere." Edward Behr meditative essay "Slow Cooking, Slowing Eating" is especially powerful. He writes, "Slowness really means living at the right speed for whatever you are doing, living more in the present moment, rather than looking always ahead to the next thing%E2%80%A6 It means you pay attention." This eclectic anthology would not be complete, however, without occasional paeans to questionable food items. Katharine Shilcutt, for example, writes about McDonald's in "I Ate My First McRib, and I Regret It." Dan Barry bemoans the Hostess bankruptcy in "Back When a Chocolate Puck Tasted, Guiltily, like America." Pieces like these add lightness and levity to the volume as a whole. They provide necessary balance, making it informative as well as entertaining. (Nov.)