The Book of Eating

From New York magazine's award-winning restaurant critic, "a timely and delectable smorgasbord of dishes and dishing. . . honest, revealing and funny." -New York Times Book Review

A wildly hilarious and irreverent memoir of a globe-trotting life lived meal-to-meal by one of our most influential and respected food critics

As the son of a diplomat growing up in places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, Adam Platt didn't have the chance to become a picky eater. Living, traveling, and eating in some of the most far-flung locations around the world, he developed an eclectic palate and a nuanced understanding of cultures and cuisines that led to some revelations which would prove important in his future career as a food critic. In Tokyo, for instance-"a kind of paradise for nose-to-tail cooking"-he learned that "if you're interested in telling a story, a hair-raisingly bad meal is much better than a good one."

From dim sum in Hong Kong to giant platters of Peking duck in Beijing, fresh-baked croissants in Paris and pierogi on the snowy streets of Moscow, Platt takes us around the world, re-tracing the steps of a unique, and lifelong, culinary education. Providing a glimpse into a life that has intertwined food and travel in exciting and unexpected ways, The Book of Eatingis a delightful and sumptuous trip that is also the culinary coming-of-age of a voracious eater and his eventual ascension to become, as he puts it, "a professional glutton."

"A scarfable recounting of his travels, told through meals." -Food52

"Gastronomes and fans of Platt will savor this behind-the-scenes look at real life as a restaurant critic." -Publishers Weekly

"A candid, entertaining look at an often bizarre new gustatory landscape." -Kirkus Reviews

"Entertaining." -Booklist

"A delicious peek behind the scenes of a storied career." -BookPage, starred review