Sometimes you just need to read a book for sheer enjoyment, without any preconceived notions of enrichment or life-change. Like a good roller coaster, a book like that doesn’t make a lasting difference in your life, but it does offer a thrilling, laughing escape. Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan is just such a book.
Jim Gaffigan is my favorite comedian because of his clean-yet-cutting observations on life. Anyone familiar with his comedy routines knows that he talks about food. A lot. His most popular routine is regarding Hot Pockets, and he has come to be known as the Hot Pockets Comedian. Well, in Food: A Love Story he pulls out all the stops as he describes his adventures growing up and eating food, traveling for shows and eating food, hanging with his family and eating food—he’s eating food at every turn. Gaffigan is opinionated about food, and his hilarious anecdotes translate well to the written word.
Many will recognize portions of certain chapters from his stand-up routines, but these don’t come across as tired at all since there is so much new material here as well. In fact, this book works to canonize those well-worn routines alongside the new material into a warm, enjoyable whole, almost like a familiar dish with some new spices thrown in. (Naturally, this book review wouldn’t be complete without at least one food metaphor.)
Gaffigan is a family man, and this book often serves as a fond look back at his eccentric upbringing, and a loving tribute to his wife and five kids. On that level, this book is about more than just food, but also about those with whom we enjoy that food. Indeed, the entire acknowledgements section honors both the people Gaffigan holds dear, and the food he has enjoyed with said people. For him, food holds a sociological significance. This is not to say that this book holds a deeper meaning; it’s still a book about being in love with food for crying out loud.
My favorite chapter has to be the one entitled, “The Bagel: My Everything” which gives the reader a glimpse into Gaffigan’s early career as a struggling comedian from the mid-west working in dog-eat-dog New York City. Another great chapter lauds bacon as the “candy of meat.”
I found myself awkwardly crying with laughter on a crowded airplane while reading this fantastic book. If you are looking for some humorous escapism, or if you are a food lover—or both—I highly recommend this book.
Please Note: This book was gifted as a part of the Blogging for Books Reviewers Program in exchange for my unbiased review of this work. This has in no way influenced my opinion or review of this work.