Eat More Better

October 1, 2014
The creator and host of WNYC's podcast The Sporkful develops a humorous, witty narrative delivered in the form of a pseudo-textbook.Pashman's conceit of writing a textbook, complete with homework assignments, a commencement speech and diploma for Sporkful University, is a perfect delivery system for his comedic take on gustatory pleasure. The text is organized around such chapters as "Physical Science: Eating on Earth," "Language Arts: Better Communication, Better Consumption," and "Engineering: Construction as Cookery." The author's fake university is dedicated to eating as an education, with a goal of achieving "Perfect Deliciousness." Pashman aims his text at eaters rather than foodies, and his amusing narrative is a refreshing response to our often too-serious culinary culture. The author encourages readers to follow Sporkful University's motto to "masticate, ruminate and promulgate," while pondering the important questions eaters face. Pashman examines the pros and cons of popcorn shapes, why sparkling water is neither sparkling nor water, and how to employ buffalo-wing consumption techniques designed to reduce meat and napkin waste ("Drummettes have an average meat-to-bone ratio of 0.49, while flats have an average MTBR of 0.62"). Pashman also explores the technical difficulties presented by the "sliced cucumber conundrum" ("it tends to slide out the back [of a sandwich] when confronted with bite force") and shows how vertical plating of a grilled cheese sandwich preserves crispness. The author's clever use of language plays a leading role throughout his wry culinary journey. Paired with the copious diagrams depicting problems eaters/students may encounter during their trek, Pashman leads readers through the "eatscape," which he defines as "a community brought together by its members' common passion for eating and seeking deliciousness." The book closes with a glossary of key terms, including "semolina fulcrum," "meat umbrella," "face funnel," "porklift" and "toothsinkability." A good-natured, clever and informative romp through the modern culinary landscape.

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November 15, 2014

Pashman, who hosts NPR affiliate WNYC's podcast The Sporkful, is amusing in his first book. He fashions the work as the textbook of Sporkful University, complete with an assignment to be submitted to the author at the end of each chapter. The chapters are given titles of typical college subjects--language arts, philosophy, psychology, and so on--and end with commencement. The content is tongue in cheek; the math section discusses why pies aren't squared, for example. Also included are helpful suggestions or recipes, e.g., to eat a cheeseburger upside down so the cheese touches your tongue, a recipe for a veggieducken for Thanksgiving, and mac and cheese made with "potato cream" rather than milk. The black-and-white illustrations and diagrams are clever, particularly pictures of the "hover and dart" technique for navigating a buffet line and Pashman's Hierarchy of Cheeseburger Needs based on Abraham Maslow's theory. VERDICT A fun leisure read for lovers of food.--Christine E. Bulson, emeritus, Milne Lib., SUNY Oneonta

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