Eatymology

Starred review from March 1, 2016

The creator of the Twitter handle @RuthBourdain (a mashup of Ruth Reichl and Anthony Bourdain) and author of Comfort Me with Offal compiles a collection of newly coined words from the field of modern gastronomy. With the surge in popularity of the culinary landscape, a generation of new words has been introduced to describe this transformation. Some entries reflect the food industry's dogged determination to reach consumers, such as snackify, while others such as fat-washing reflect popular trends. Also included are terms that highlight current food issues, such as food swamp, blood cashews, and honey laundering. Readers may find themselves chuckling at humorous entries (brocavore, Goodfellas thin), each of which provides the word origin and definition as well as additional facts. VERDICT This entertaining and enlightening dictionary is chock-full of words that capture the vibrant world of modern gastronomy; sure to be a hit with foodies.--Melissa Stoeger, Deerfield P.L., IL

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