Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink

As a foodie, New Yorker fan, and lover of good writing (I'm a professional journalist/writer), this turned out to be one of my favorite books of ALL TIME. This book represented so many different eras in food and culture. A masterful collection of the best food essays and articles ever written.

I've only just started to work my way through the book, but it has been a delight. It is especially pleasurable to read the pieces written long before I began reading the New Yorker, but re-reading old favorites is a joy as well.

This book is overall pretty good. However, some of the articles (especially the older ones) are pretentious and not all that great. There are a wide variety of writing styles, and I feel that most readers will be happier if they just skip some of the articles.

I gave this book as a gift to my husband. I was happy to find he loves it. He commented about how he enjoyed being able to skip around from one essay to another. He enjoys the variety of the essays from so many diverse authors. And of course, the fact that this book was edited by David Remnick is always a plus.

Witty, insightful and you can pick it up anytime for a good read. A must for the beside or a carry-on for that long flight. The best of the New Yorker is simply the best you can get.

Vic W