The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation

I came to this book from an angle that many potential readers possibly share--I'm interested in food but am not a hard core "foodie"; I enjoy revelatory profiles of people but am not a gossip maven; I know some but by no means all of the characters, events, restaurants and so on addressed in this book. "Arugula", for me, is a compelling, spirited, and illuminating story, which Kamp tells with an eye ever on the parallel unfolding of the American character throughout the 20th century. Specific decades and regions are brought to life in ways not accessible to the survey of music or politics. What should be a dizzying amount of detail is delivered with a clarity and judiciousness that propel the tale forward. I came away from this book surprised and grateful that it had never been written before.

The United States of Arugula is ostensibly about how America changed from a burgers and fries, Swanson TV dinner, baloney sandwich and Fritos kind of country to a sushi and edamame, Whole Foods, imported bottled water nation. What it really is though, is a collection of some of the best gossip I've read in a long time. This is quality stuff. The stars of the story are food pioneers Craig Claiborne, James Beard, and Julia Child. Along with accounts of their careers, we learn of their various trysts and relationships. Even Julia Child, of whom there are no revelations of extra marital affairs here, comes across as rather bawdier than we are used to seeing her. Alice Waters gets the full treatment as well. What a busy bee she's been - that kitchen at Chez Panisse sure gets hot. Author David Kamp has really done his homework. We learn how Whole Foods, Zabar's, Dean & DeLuca, and Williams Sonoma got started. We get the lowdown on how the French cooking craze that Julia Child started morphed into Nouvelle Cuisine in New York and into California Cuisine in Berkeley. Chefs Jeremiah Tower, Thomas Keller, and Wolfgang Puck make cameo appearances. Find out how Peet's Coffee in the Bay Area begat Starbuck's. I can't think of anyone Kamp has left out of his book. Even Jane and Michael Stern, who specialize in finding the "best" greasy spoons, and The Frugal Gourmet (remember him?) are mentioned, if only in chatty and rather informative footnotes. But back to the gossip. Here you'll find out what food critic made Emeril Lagasse cry, what Alice Waters said to Rick Bayless when he appeared in Burger King commercials, and about the feud between Mexican food experts Diana Kennedy and Rick Bayless. Of course, if you'd rather take the high road, you can join in on the debate over whether America is better off, food-wise now than we were forty years ago. Were things more natural and healthier before high fructose corn syrup and DDT and Fast Food Nation? Or are they actually better now with organic choices and farmers' markets and the Food Channel? Argue amongst yourselves. I'm going to scour the footnotes for more gossipy morsels.

I just finished The U.S. of Arugula and I'm glad I read it. This subject could be tedious, but in Kamp's expert hands, that never comes close to happening. He keeps the action moving, keeps the history involving, keeps the players (Alice Waters, James Beard, etc.) fascinating. I can honestly say that, after reading this book, I will never look at pasta primavera or a plate of field greens again. It really does make you see (and eat) food under a new light. HIGHLY RECOMMEDED!

Nietzsche writes, "What good is a book that doesn't take you beyond all books?" David Kamp illuminates a rare but relevant subject and, wittingly or not, goes far beyond it to animate the culture of 20th century America, from which its subject springs. His book renders each of the last several decades vividly and down to astonishing detail. The buoyancy and wit of his storytelling, and the accompanying sense that you're in the good hands of a rational historian, make this book an immense pleasure to read.

David Kamp has written a terrifically entertaining account of how America went from being a nation of iceberg eaters to a culture of baby field greens connoisseurs. In this story of America's gourmet revolution (and revolution it indeed was), the author focuses on the the real-life characters behind the Big Names: Julia, Craig, James, Alice, et al come fully to life, thanks to lots of interviews and newly reported facts. Kamp brings the chefs and their passions vividly to life and shows the role each played, however unintentionally, in getting chipotle-blueberry-Ceasar dressing onto the nation's menu. The book isn't just for foodies, although anyone who is already interested in the subject will find a lot of new details and fresh ideas here. Like all really good non-fiction books, The United States of Arugula satisfies an appetite you didn't necessarily know you had.