How to Be a Better Foodie: A Bulging Little Book for the Truly Epicurious

Sudi Pigott can make anything sound delightful and this is a great read as an introduction to being a foodie. At the time I read the first edition, there were some obscure ingredients I hadn't heard of yet and later did, plus the list of food festivals and restaurants is helping me plan my travels... I liked this so much, I've bought a stock of 10 copies to give to friends!

I approached this brownie shaped chunkie of a book with not a little trepidation. Scary title. But the colors, pink and brown, drew me in with memories of long ago. Yes, this combo is in retro-revival big time for everything from weddings to baby showers. But it goes way back, as does so much in this fun book. Ms. Pigott has much more going on here than meets the eye. Her themes run deep. Very English she is, and although a relative new comer (she has been around just over ten years), she breathes tradition in the best way. Better Foodie is a tour de force of a large world. Ms. Pigott treats most all of it, quickly, but clearly and nicely. She gives you the essence and leaves it to you to google it out for yourself. If you are a beginner, she gives you the fastest way to get up to speed on everything food. Beans, spice, meats, vegetables, hardware and holidays. Books and films to keep you going well on. She gives Persian cuisine its proper place. If you need a gift for a serious foodie, just do a bit of free-associating and she will give you the answer. Bright and breezy, she knows her stuff cold, or hot. She values the past and understands today. She is reliable and honest. And she does not get lost in the weeds, except to tell you which weeds are best for any application. Everything about this book is careful and thoughtful, but appears effortless. What a team she has got! Good editing. Great design by Amanda Grape. First rate binding by Penguin's Viking Studio. 50s retro illustrations decorate just right without goosing up the price with useless glossy photos. Even the type font is specially fitting. She has Baskerville, developed in the late 1700s, by an English grave stone carver, so when he moved to type, he broke all the rules being trained as a stonecutter. A genius result and made new again in the 20s. Crisp and clean and inviting like everything else here. Ms. Pigott is the very spirit of the new English ascendancy. Even if you are not a beginner, there is probably more than enough to round you out, so to speak. Not a reference book or one of deep scholarship, but she points you there, and that is the value of this book. Well worth the modest price.

I am a serious foodie. At times, I felt this author was speaking directly to my heart. Mostly just smiling along, nodding my head, drooling at times, and thinking "exactly" in a blissful state of epicurean solidarity. But at others times, I felt like a food-newbie! ( ...I only keep five varities of rice... what are these delicious borlotti beans she speaks of!? ...and who is Marc Veyrat? --a name I should surely know!) But the author does a pretty good job of filling in the blanks, keeping me in line, and whetting my palate for glorious new things to seek out. It is evident that the writer is from Europe but she doesn't ignore the food culture in the US or elsewhere globally. At times though, American and other readers might feel the disconnect (for when was samphire anything other than rare here in the US?) Still, it makes little difference. Just more great things to try! I am uplifted by this book and anytime I feel lonesome in my foodie world, I will pick up this book for more of that gluttonous solidarity. But a warning to pseudo-foodies; those who claim "I love food" but who still don't cringe upon being forced to dine at a chain restaurant, those who have never bailed on a recipe because the ingredients available weren't of fine enough quality, or felt the child-like giddiness overwhelm them as they walked toward a farmer's market.... you're not ready for this book yet. ;)

Loved this cute book. Would make a great hostess gift. Fun for any foodie. Makes you want to run out and buy $200 balsamic vinegar.

If you're wondering what to get your foodie friends for the holidays, you may want to consider making Sudi Pigott's "How to Be a Better Foodie" your stocking stuffer of choice. This chic little brown & pink book is choc full of entertaining food related tidbits: from a rundown of the "better foodie" cupboard essentials (Jordanian Zatar made the list, which I appreciated), to food quotations, to an index of flavors to enjoy when traveling and an almanac of seasonal produce. There's also a list of "better foodie stocking stuffers," which includes items like candied chestnuts and a hand-tied bunch of Madagascan vanilla pods. Altogether this is a light-hearted, enjoyable book that doesn't take itself too seriously and even seems to poke playful fun at the idea that serious foodies are snobs. Hence the references to the "linguine literati" and advice sections on the best better foodie pet. "Bee keeping has an endearing, albeit competitive buzz," the author muses, and on the topic of entertaining she recommends cultivating an air of "studied nonchalance" by flaunting your relationship with the local fishmonger. Foodies will appreciate the mixture of humor and real food-related content. I've added several obscure handcrafted cheeses to my "must try" list since reading this book, along with a generous helping of better foodie knowledge - who knew that chili heat is measured in scovilles, the official scale measure of hotness? Or that watercress was called "poor man's bread" in the nineteenth century? "How to Be a Better Foodie" won't become your go-to reference book, but it will become a much enjoyed conversation starter.