I used to be a foodie, but I'm not anymore. It's not because I don't like food anymore. My waistline is proof of that. The thing is I went from being a food connoisseur to a food artist the day I went to culinary school (and eventually graduated.) Now, I make my living as a sous chef.
As a chef, there're tons of opportunities to go nuts. You feed people day in and day out. You attempt to create a work of art and people 'in the know' take it back because you put walnuts in a quiche or didn't make a bacon tomato grilled cheese that way their mom used to. In order to keep from going ape poop crazy either personally or on a customer you've got to find humor in things.
That's where this book comes in. I've been a fan of Jim Gaffigan's for a while now. His bits on the various VH-1 I love the (insert decade here) series left me in stitches. Then one day a few years ago, I heard Gaffigan's epic take on the culinary oddity called the Hot Pocket and a love affair was born.
Tim Allen is the manly man's comic. Larry the Cable Guy and Jeff Foxworthy are the redneck's comic. Well, Jim Gaffigan is the foodie and chef's comic. Though I've never gotten to see him in person, I've seen several of his specials and I must say he's pretty special.
'Food: A Love Story' is filled with many of Gaffigan's bits about food. Along with a chapter devoted to the Hot Pocket, there's the comedian's take on cake (it needs booze), his feelings on take out, and his battle with not knowing how to say no. There's quite a lot of new stuff that I've not heard of the comic's stand-up routines so this book was like unearthing a director's cut of one of Gaffigan's Comedy Central shows.
While Gaffigan points out the both the hypocrisy of the ultra-health nut food craze as well as the problem with our nation's obsession with fast food, I wasn't always agreeable to his ideals and ideas 100%. The comic pokes fun at pretentious food and food fads. He seems to not have a favorable outlook on them nor does Gaffigan really seem to understand food fads. But as a chef, I'm always experimenting with new trends because in order to keep up with the public's demands you've got to have your finger on the pulse of what's hot and new in food.
For example, I hate kale as much as Gaffigan does. But right now it's the in super food. So, that means I got to cook with it. It just doesn't mean I have to use it every day or go insane and make a kale gazpacho with a kale brownie crumble either. Besides, it's those food fads that will sometimes lure your customers into your establishment. And let's not forget that hot dogs, waffle cones, and hot sauce were once considered food fads. Now they're everyday items around the house.
The great thing about Jim Gaffigan is that he's clean. Not everything he talks about is for all age groups. But I just read 340 pages of his stuff and I don't remember very many swears and the f-word was nowhere to be found. Unless you count the word 'fat.'
This book is Gaffigan's second work. Speaking of fat, the name of his first book is called 'Dad is Fat.' After really enjoying this funny tome, I want to find it. I just hope it's as much as a treat as this edition was.
Lastly, I want to throw something out there just in case this review ever stumbles across Jim Gaffigan's way. I really think 'Food: A Love Story' would make a great series on History Channel or Travel Channel. I see it as a cross between a history of food show mixed in with some cooking segments and a peppering of Gaffigan's humor in between. It would be like Seinfeld meets Man Vs. Food. If Jim ever does make a series based on my idea all I ask for is the following: an autographed book, two tickets to a show, and to be in one episode of the series.
Worth Consuming
Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.
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