Best Food Writing 2011

October 24, 2011
Hughes's compilations of culinary essays and observations have always served as an erudite wrap-up for the year's trends, and the 2011 collection lives up to this precedent. Continuing the tradition of breadth and depth, this collection includes: essays on the importance of African-American soul food (Jessica B. Harris's "We Shall Not Be Moved"); a profile of a Texan who has fried everything from corn dogs to Coca-Cola (Katy Vine's "I Believe I Can Fry"); and Christopher Kimball's pursuit of a pitch-perfect recreation of the labor-intensive Mock Turtle Soup in the essay of the same name. In addition, Hughes (Frommer's 500 Places for Food and Wine Lovers) includes investigative essays on food deserts, the impact of Yelp! and social media, and issues facing dairy producers. They aren't all winnersâTim Hayward's arch take on oysters is the nadir of pretensionâbut the good outweighs the mediocre. Hughes's sense of humor (a profile of molecular gastronomist Nathan Myhrvold is immediately followed by an impassioned essay on the importance of handwritten recipes) and deft selections keep things balanced. There is truly an essay for every foodie here.

October 1, 2011
The latest edition of the food-writing series, edited by former Fodor's Travel Publications executive editor Hughes. The collection is light on celebrity-chef profiles and restaurant reviews, offering instead wide-ranging essays on topics ranging from how we find solace in food (David Leite's "When Food Doesn't Heal") to cross-cultural disorientation (Chang-Rae Lee's "Magical Dinners"). A new section, "Foodways," contains stories of African-American culinary influences of the 1960s and '70s, Venetian seafood, farming Kenyan vegetables in Minneapolis, the egalitarianism of drive-thrus and how eating local in New York City translates into a delicious fusion of Italian and Chinese flavors. Readers will learn what attracts people to shark fin soup, what constitutes a food desert and why access to grocery stores is important. Another new section, "Guilty Pleasures," includes mirthful thoughts about Vienna sausages, tater tots and the "food of depravity": pimiento cheese, Doritos, smoked oysters and other unforgettable midnight munchies. Three stories delve into the use of digital media by foodies: Nick Fauchald describes his online food diary (zero followers three weeks into his Twitter feed), Sara Deseran laments the burgeoning social-media use by foodies in San Francisco and Ike DeLorenzo describes the good and bad about online food sites Yelp, Chowhound and Citysearch, and the move by Facebook and Google to encourage restaurant reviews. As DeLorenzo writes, diners are redefining the table setting: "Fork on the left, knife on the right, iPhone top center. It's chew and review, toast and post." Other contributors to this year's anthology include newcomers Gabrielle Hamilton (Blood, Bones, and Butter, 2011), Lisa Abend (The Sorcerer's Apprentices, 2011) and stalwarts Colman Andrews, Christopher Kimball and Floyd Skloot. A smorgasbord of essays to satiate the hungry reader's palate.

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