Review: Food Americana: The Remarkable People and Incredible Stories behind America’s Favorite Dishes by David Page

My Interest

This sounded like a fun, foodie treat! It was available in audio on Net Galley so I took it.

The Story

Duane Purvis burger with peanut butter (photo credit)

Food-TV personality Dave Page takes us on a culinary tour of America’s favorite foods. Barbecue, burgers, sushi, Chinese food, ice cream, pizza and more–all the stuff Americans love to stuff our faces with on a regular basis. The chapters end with a recipe, but along the way we meet local personalities who dominate the market with their food. From a shack barbecue joint to a lobster truck to Ben & Jerry, we meet a colorful cast of food-loving entrepreneurs, food producers, fishermen, chefs, and more. We come to know a brief history of the food, how it has evolved, and who does it well. From a Purdue University favorite burger place with peanut butter and pickles atop the patty, to the best Po Boy shop in New Orleans–and I’d love to road trip ’em all! (Bow could he pick that Purdue place [asks the IU grad, child of two Purdue grads] and IGNORE The Working Man’s Friend in Indianapolis in the burger chapter? How? IU gets in the story with an amazing Chinese restaurant selling both American and “Chinese-Chinese” food).

My Thoughts

Longfei Chinese Restaurant near Indiana University (photo credit)

There were a few curious omissions though–especially in the last chapter on ice cream. No mentions of the frozen custard or soft serve industry and no mention of either Howard Johnson’s or Baskin Robbins. My Dad once ran an ice cream and milk plant for a diary company in the years Haagen Dazs and Ben & Jerry’s were getting into our bloodstream. He also sold ice cream mix to Dairy Queens and similar outfits. These were curious omissions. Root Beer Stands were another curious omission or even just drive-ins. I suppose he covered those enough on tv?

Bagels and sushi were great additions to the line up, I love both, but how could he have omitted the great American steak and steak houses? That is almost a sacrilegious omission! No mention of a nice thick, rare steak, baked potato with butter and sour cream and a wedge salad with blue cheese dressing? No Heinz vs A-1 vs no sauce? Or, no today’s version with hot rolls slathered in cinnamon butter and the potato loaded to the gills with bacon, cheddar, and green onions (if desired)?(But, thankfully, no praise for the modern obsession with creamed spinach as a steak side dish!) No pan-seared versus open-flame-grilled? No seasoned vs plain old butter? Lowry’s famous seasoned salt vs in-house seasoning blend? Fried chicken and chicken wings both get their own chapter but nary a hotdog or a bratwurst to be found! And, here I was listening in baseball season!! No onions and mustard vs straight ketchup? Not a string of kraut or a scoop of chili? And, where was chili?? And chocolate chip cookies? No where. Nada on muffins, too. Theses were puzzling.

There was no wrap-up at the end–it just ended after the ice cream recipe. In spite of this and the he steak omission, this was a fun book, its story well told in entertaining prose that kept my attention throughout. I listened to the audio version which was great.

My Verdict

3.5

due to the omission of steak

Food Americana: he Remarkable People and Incredible Stories behind America’s Favorite Dishes by David Page.

A Few of my other Foodie Book Posts

Book List for a Class on Foodie Life

Review: The Food of a Younger Land by Mark Kurlansky

Review: Save Me The Plums by Ruth Reichel

Review: Hippie Food by Jonathon Kauffman

Eating in Nature and Food in Seattle: Two Book Reviews