something to food about

something to food about: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs by Ahmir Questlove Thompson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Creativity comes in all shapes, sizes, and flavors in this gastronomical collection of interviews by Renaissance Man Questlove.

First thoughts: This book has lots of recurring themes, almost like riffs. Food and music are very similar.

Food thoughts: Will I ever eat food from any of the chefs or at any of the restaurants mentioned in this book? I'm gonna say no, and that was the drawback for me. At times all I could think was "ehhh...rich people." Luckily Questlove's narrative voice is choice, and I loved his footnotes. It felt like he was talking directly to me as a reader.

Favorite quotes:

"Food can be magic. Food is magic. And yet it's not. It comes from somewhere - and from someplace and someone. Always. Food tells a story. Usually a very personal one." -Anthony Bourdain, p9

"Food without eating is just sculpture." Questlove, p62

"At the end of the day, I hate saying this and I hate hearing this, but I also believe it: it's just food." -Michael Solomonov, p 64

"I've mad so many mistakes, but I'm always finding new ones to make." Daniel Patterson, p182

Recommended for: foodies, chefs, chefs-at-heart, artists, musicians, creators, jammers, human encyclopedias.

Final thoughts: Interesting people are interested people. Everyone Questlove interviews is interested in food, its variations, the processes that go into making and serving it, etc. And Questlove himself is the most interested. He's a lucky (read: hardworking) guy - more power to him for having the time/talent/motivation to pursue this project.

Editor's Note: I received a copy of something to food about in exchange for an honest review.


View all my reviews