For years SeriousEats.com has delighted food lovers on the Internet but the transition from beloved food blog to great book isn’t always a slam dunk. For every success there seem to be a fair amount of lackluster offerings that are a repackaging of the online content stripped of its interaction and immediacy. Thankfully Serious Eats, the book, manages to maintain the sense of fun and discovery that draws people to the website.
Serious Eats isn’t serious, it’s more akin to a Food Network show than a cookbook (it’s closest to a written version of “The Best Thing I Ever Ate”). The book intersperses food finds across the nation with recipes for a few favorites. Quests for the ultimate sandwich or the perfect gelato may inspire your own food-centered road trip. The book hits that sweet spot of food voyeurism that has made food blogs so popular. Foods described are mostly known favorites and fall into the sweet, crispy, gooey and creamy food groups. The recipes are accessible and designed to satisfy, offering versions of everything from the perfect egg sandwich to triple chocolate brownies . Little bits of food trivia and information provide interesting sign points on the way from the difference between a slider and a mini-burger to the full spectrum of pizza types (we are way beyond simply thin or deep dish here). Perhaps no one cares more about the proper meat-to-bread ratio than the Serious Eats bloggers. The perfect chocolate chip cookie and the ideal ice cream are also discussed in depth. The last section of the book brings it full circle with a look at the suppliers of all this bounty: a love note to the farmers and other food producers who make sure that we all eat well.
This is not the book to read on an empty stomach. It may well be the most hunger-inducing book you read all year with its potent combination of restaurant delicacies and flavor-driven recipes. You won’t find too many vegetables or calorie-conscious selections here but that’s the point. This isn’t a cook book, it’s a pleasure book, a glorious celebration of all things food.
