Fat Cat Chef

For some sadistic reason, I read the weekend edition of the New York Times. Why, I don't know. (Well, I kind of know, but that's another story).

The June 6 Book Review had a cookbook section, so naturally we decided to have a little look-see.

My expectations are always low when I pick up the NY Times, and I was promptly rewarded when the cookbook reviewer listed "The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating", written by an English chef, as a modern classic.

First of all, when was the last time good food came out of England? Second, listen to this description:

"[The Whole Beast], by the English chef Fergus Henderson, is a terrifically dour, Edward Gorey-ish guide to cooking with offal...".

Dour? Yipee, just the kind of cookbook I'm looking for. And who the F is Edward Gorey? More importantly, who cares?

Typical NY Times jerkalism: pompous, condescending ramblings to show that the jerkalist is smarter -- and more worldly -- than you.

But the worst part of the cookbook reviews -- aside from the whole section actually -- was the snarky swipes at the Cook's Illustrated cookbooks, starting with "Inside Americas Test Kitchen: New Recipes and Product Ratings From Public Television's Favorite Cooking Show":

"But the long and rigorously dweeby explanations about how the editors arrived at the final version of a recipe, which works O.K. on television, can be tedious beyond imagining in print. Reading all this throat-clearing (''One last procedural issue we investigated . . .'') works as an appetite suppressant -- like listening to a guy in a white smock overexplain a sonnet or a Wilco song or his girlfriend. The books have a Ben Stein drone."

Hmmm, I say the exact same thing about every article that I read in the NY Times. So I guess we're even.

But remember, those "dweeby explanations" serve a purpose, it's called "understanding how to cook really good food". Gee, I guess we unwashed Fat Cat masses lack the culinary sophistication of you Upper West Side intellectuals, Mr. Jerkalist.

Next up on the chopping block (so to speak), Steaks, Chops, Roasts, and Ribs: "Buy it for the carnivorous straight-A student in your life." Yes, of course, the "heavily researched" recipes just don't appeal to your typical high school flunky.

Finally, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen: Easy Seasonal Suppers for Family and Friends by Cook's Illustrated editor Jack Bishop: "... his enticing new book has none of the galloping nerdiness of [the Cook's Illustrated] books."

Just can't leave well enough alone, can you? Ah well, the NY Times never disappoints me.

:: More Fat Stuff ::
The New York Times Cookbook reviews for June 6, 2004 -- free access usually ends after 2 weeks, so read it soon... or not. No great loss.

Cookbooks from the Cook's Illustrated bookstore