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Secret Ingredients (Abridged): The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink: Unabridged Selections Audiobook
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(4.01) - 528 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Since its earliest days, The New Yorker has been a tastemaker–literally. As the home of A. J. Liebling, Joseph Wechsberg, and M.F.K. Fisher, who practically invented American food writing, the magazine established a tradition that is carried forward today by irrepressible literary gastronomes, including Calvin Trillin, Bill Buford, Adam Gopnik, Jane Kramer, and Anthony Bourdain. Now, in this indispensable collection, The New Yorker dishes up a feast of delicious writing on food and drink, seasoned with a generous dash of cartoons. Whether you’re in the mood for snacking on humor pieces and cartoons or for savoring classic profiles of great chefs and great eaters, these offerings, from every age of The New Yorker’s fabled eighty-year history, are sure to satisfy every taste. There are memoirs, short stories, tell-alls, and poems–ranging in tone from sweet to sour and in subject from soup to nuts. M.F.K. Fisher pays homage to “cookery witches,” those mysterious cooks who possess “an uncanny power over food,” while John McPhee valiantly trails an inveterate forager and is rewarded with stewed persimmons and white-pine-needle tea. There is Roald Dahl’s famous story “Taste,” in which a wine snob’s palate comes in for some unwelcome scrutiny, and Julian Barnes’s ingenious tale of a lifelong gourmand who goes on a very peculiar diet for still more peculiar reasons. Adam Gopnik asks if French cuisine is done for, and Calvin Trillin investigates whether people can actually taste the difference between red wine and white. We journey with Susan Orlean as she distills the essence of Cuba in the story of a single restaurant, and with Judith Thurman as she investigates the arcane practices of Japan’s tofu masters. Closer to home, Joseph Mitchell celebrates the old New York tradition of the beefsteak dinner, and Mark Singer shadows the city’ s foremost fisherman-chef. Selected from the magazine’s plentiful larder, Secret Ingredients celebrates all forms of gustatory delight.
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"I really enjoyed this collection of articles from The New Yorker. I'd say that about 80% were up my alley, but it was easy enough to skip over the ones that were just too blah. Some of my favorites included "All You Can Hold for Five Bucks" by Joseph Mitchell, "Don't Eat Before Reading This" by Anthony Bourdain, "The Secret Ingredient" and "Nor Censure Nor Disdain" by M.F.K. Fisher, "The Magic Bagel" by Calvin Trillin, "Dry Martini" by Roger Angell, pretty much anything in the Tastes Funny section, "Taste" by Roald Dahl, and "The Sorrows of Gin" by John Cheever. For anyone who likes food, The New Yorker, or good writing in general, this is definitely worth a look through."
— Ashley (4 out of 5 stars)
Secret Ingredients Listener Reviews
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" This book is amazing, and so much fun. I read it straight through, and I wish it were longer so that I could read more! It makes you realize that food is so essential to life, and often I would not even remember an article was about food, being so drawn in to reading about its pivotal role in our lives. Highly recommend for anyone who cares about food. Or life, for that matter. "
— Eric, 2/20/2014 -
" Loved the insights this book gave me into different places and times. Nothing like good food writing to explain history, society, politics, love and lust. "
— Anne, 2/13/2014 -
" There's a lot of good stuff in the book, but it wasn't as consistently interesting to me as I expected it would be. The "Local Delicacies" section was by far my favorite. "
— JulieK, 2/12/2014 -
" I really enjoyed the more current essays, although the older ones gave a curious inside to culinary sensations of long ago (like the crazy NYC "Beefsteak Dinners" of the 1930s). John McPhee's account of foraging with Euell Gibbons is absolutely incredible; Gibbons' "Stalking the Wild Asparagus" is on my to-read list. "
— Maris, 2/8/2014 -
" Hey, if you like food, like to cook, or just like to read about both this is an entertaining book. Some older articles are in here, but they are still good to read. It's an easy pick up, put down book. Great bedside reading, though watch out, you might get out of bed for a snack! "
— Elisabeth, 1/31/2014 -
" Intelligent and humorous articles from the New Yorker about food, cooking, eating and drinking. What's not to like? "
— Susanne, 1/29/2014 -
" I absolutely loved this book. I listened to the audio version, and from the very first story, I was completely hooked. Stories by and about culinary greats like Julia Child, Escoffier and MFK Fisher; topics ranging from the search for the world's greatest tofu and foraging for wild food; the history of the steakhouse from it's origins in Tammany Hall New York. The various readers were universally very good, and they kept a steady pace throughout. An absolutely must for any fan of the New Yorker or foodie. "
— Jdbaron, 1/22/2014 -
" Cheese nun! Raw cheese forever. "
— Mahria, 1/17/2014 -
" A feast for the mind to be nibbled or devoured! "
— Christine, 1/13/2014 -
" My husband (who is a chef) and I are reading this to one another and eating it up story by story. It is inspiring him and making me hungry. Good combo right? "
— Jesse, 1/1/2014 -
" This collection of food writing from "The New Yorker" covers the decades from the 1930s to the 2000s. It features fiction and non-fiction, from authors both famous (Anthony Bourdain, M.F.K. Fisher, Dorothy Parker) and non-famous. I had no idea that just reading about food could be so enthralling. "
— Susan, 12/23/2013 -
" This book has been an amazing read! It's a HUGE collection of articles and there've only been a few that I didn't find totally worth reading. Glad I bought it on my kindle b/c the paperback edition looks heavy! Am almost done w/it and am feeling sad that it'll be over soon! "
— Lee, 12/16/2013 -
" Wonderful essays, short stories, from 1920's to now. some very funny, too. "
— Sharon, 12/9/2013 -
" still bouncing back and forth in my love hate relationship with all things new york and new yorker. Currently trending to hate. "
— Gilg, 12/3/2013 -
" Most of them are great, but anything by Dorothy Parker or Calvin Trillin makes me pee my pants "
— Bryan, 5/21/2013 -
" Good book to pick up read an article, put down and pick it up again. All and all a good read. "
— Lance, 4/4/2013 -
" Entertaining, but definitely not something to look forward to before bed. "
— Maureen, 11/2/2012 -
" As always, The New Yorker fills us up with good things. Esecially love Trillin and Bourdain at his snarkiest. "
— Liz, 7/29/2012 -
" If you can get past the first few chapters written by annoying Francophiles, the rest of the compilation is a great read. The variety of writing is worth the time with some truly compelling works combined with some really creative ones. "
— Melissa, 7/14/2012 -
" Great essays about food and drink, by some unusual people! "
— Karen, 4/18/2012 -
" Once I got past the first section, which had a terrible pox of italics, all was well (despite what appears to be a significant overrepresentation of seafood). "
— Sarah, 10/18/2011 -
" Indispensable collection of food writing and fantastic writing. AJ Liebling is the sh*t. "
— Ted, 10/9/2011 -
" Considering how thick this was, I only skipped one article (not counting the few I'd already read elsewhere). "
— Thaddeus, 8/12/2011 -
" Fantastic writing about discovering the pleasures of the palette...what could be better??? I read the "New Yorker" every week, but I look forward to their annual "Food Issue" with great anticipation. This collection will make you drool. "
— Christopher, 7/31/2011 -
" Some essays are more dry than others...but most are very very funny. Esp. the modern food writers. "
— Katie, 5/21/2011 -
" a lovely romp thru the new yorkers collection of columns about food. i love the magazine and enjoyed this collection "
— Jeanne, 4/18/2011 -
" A collection of New York writings and cartoons about food and drink. An appetizing browse. "
— Virginia, 3/5/2011 -
" Good book to pick up read an article, put down and pick it up again. All and all a good read. "
— Lance, 2/14/2011 -
" Keeping to the high standards of The New Yorker Magazine, these essays and a smattering of food related cartoons for spice will have you smiling, chuckling, and guffawing. Wonderful collection. <br/> "
— Peg, 1/24/2011 -
" A feast for the mind to be nibbled or devoured! "
— Christine, 1/11/2011 -
" I had to return this to the library before I finished it, but I enjoyed most of the essays I read. I'll probably pick it up again sometime. "
— Whitney, 12/30/2010 -
" If you can get past the first few chapters written by annoying Francophiles, the rest of the compilation is a great read. The variety of writing is worth the time with some truly compelling works combined with some really creative ones. "
— Melissa, 11/22/2010 -
" I liked it for the reasons that I did and hated it for reasons similar. Food writing is stupid, but so is everything else. Woody Allen's piece is very funny. "
— Clark, 9/27/2010 -
" Liked everything but the fiction. How does the New Yorker's fiction manage to infuriate me so much? "
— Christie, 4/2/2010
About David Remnick
David Remnick has been the editor of the New Yorker since 1998 and a staff writer since 1992. His books include the Pulitzer Prize–winning Lenin’s Tomb: The Last Days of the Soviet Empire, King of the World: Muhammed Ali and the Rise of an American Hero, The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama, and two collections of his magazine pieces.
About the Narrators
John Lee is the winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He has twice won acclaim as AudioFile’s Best Voice in Fiction & Classics. He also narrates video games, does voice-over work, and writes plays. He is an accomplished stage actor and has written and coproduced the feature films Breathing Hard and Forfeit. He played Alydon in the 1963–64 Doctor Who serial The Daleks.
Mark Bramhall has won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration, more than thirty AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has repeatedly been named by AudioFile magazine and Publishers Weekly among their “Best Voices of the Year.” He is also an award-winning actor whose acting credits include off-Broadway, regional, and many Los Angeles venues as well as television, animation, and feature films. He has taught and directed at the American Academy of Dramatic Art.
Don Leslie has appeared on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theaters throughout the country. He has been heard in thousands of commercials, promos for all the broadcast networks and most cable stations, political campaigns, movie trailers, and over fifty audiobooks.
Susan Denaker is an actress and Earphones Award–winning narrator. Her extensive theater credits include numerous plays in the West End of London, national tours, many English rep companies, including a season with Alan Ayckbourn’s company in Scarborough. In the US, she has appeared in Our Town and Sweet Bird of Youth at the La Jolla Playhouse and Breaking Legs at the Westport Playhouse.
Kimberly Farr is an actress and winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards for narration. She has appeared on Broadway and at the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Roundabout Theatre, Playwright’s Horizons, and the American Place. She created the role of “Eve” in Arthur Miller’s first and only musical, Up from Paradise, which was directed by the author. She appeared with Vanessa Redgrave in the Broadway production of The Lady from the Sea and has acted in regional theaters across the country, including a performance in the original production of The 1940’s Radio Hour at Washington, DC’s Arena Stage.
Mark Deakins is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator and actor whose television appearances include Head Case, Star Trek: Voyager, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His film credits include Intervention, Star Trek: Insurrection, and The Devil’s Advocate. He wrote, directed, and produced the short film The Smith Interviews.
Stephen Hoye has worked as a professional actor in London and Los Angeles for more than thirty years. Trained at Boston University and the Guildhall in London, he has acted in television series and six feature films and has appeared in London’s West End. His audiobook narration has won him fifteen AudioFile Earphones Awards.
Arthur Morey has won three AudioFile Magazine “Best Of” Awards, and his work has garnered numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and placed him as a finalist for two Audie Awards. He has acted in a number of productions, both off Broadway in New York and off Loop in Chicago. He graduated from Harvard and did graduate work at the University of Chicago. He has won awards for his fiction and drama, worked as an editor with several book publishers, and taught literature and writing at Northwestern University. His plays and songs have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Milan, where he has also performed.