Buttermilk Graffiti

Our daughter teaches Cultural Philosophy to Ph.D. candidates at our state’s flagship university. She’s a critical and IMO “picky” reader. I was surprised when she told me the book was a “fascinating read!” She’s since used it as an additional textbook for one of the classes she teaches.

In this age of celebrity chefs, Edward Lee has written a book about cooks in America. America is a collection of the nationalities that have moved here. Some have let their cuisines flow and blend with other cuisines (the melting pot) and others have kept a true line. Both are treasures.Edward Lee proves that there are genius cooks everywhere. He has refreshed my appreciation for the people in my town cooking their grandparents' food (Pasties Plus... yes!).To me, the most valuable conversation in the book is with Brian Shapiro, the fourth generation to make pastrami in Indianapolis. “We don’t call them [his cooks] chefs. It is family recipes that are made by everyone. It speaks to the culture of a group, not an individual. If we persist in making food that is an individual expression, our restaurants will only last as long as the artist’s whim or the public’s attention span. This . . .” He gestures to the room. “This can go on forever.”I hope Edward Lee, and the food world, understands what an achievement this book is. And the recipes look amazing!

As described

Before I read this book, I thought food was just food, nothing more, nothing less.But through this book, I learned that food is a characteristic of an individual, a memory of a group, and a record of an era. Most of all, I learned that food is the story of the people who make it, and the people who eat it.

I love this book. It has so many different perspectives of all types of cultures. Written wonderfully I immediately bought a copy for my daughter, too.

I spent some time to finish it. But in general is pretty cool.

This is the best book I have read in a long time. Not cookbook, but book. It awakens a foodie wunderlust I didn't know I had in me. His style of storytelling is warm, informative and addictive. I want to travel the world with him and his friends, making new friends while meeting and learning about strangers. I am also reading his first book, a quarter way into this I realized I had to absorb all the stories he has shared. Oh, and make the food!

Edward Lee is a great curator of stories about people and the foods they cook. This book is for all people who like to eat even if you never intend to try any of the recipes that Lee puts at the end of each chapter.

Gift for a foodie friend who loves reading about food and culture. He LOVED it.

dust jacket has numerous creases and damagesblack felt marker on all page edges as someone drew a line on the book