First published 2021
This collection gathers outstanding food writing from 2020, when the pandemic transformed how Americans ate, cooked, and thought about food. Editor Gabrielle Hamilton, the celebrated chef and author, selected pieces that capture a food world stopped cold. The anthology reveals the industry's hidden problems and food's ability to bring people together during crisis. Writers document Sikhs feeding thousands during lockdown, a woman quarantined with her Michelin-starred chef boyfriend, and restaurants charging wealthy diners $200 per person while death tolls climbed. Contributors include Bill Buford, Ruby Tandoh, Priya Krishna, Liza Monroy, Navneet Alang, Kelsey Miller, Helen Rosner, and Ligaya Mishan. These stories create a portrait of a shaken food industry while showing how restaurants, grocery stores, and food workers became lifelines. The collection demonstrates food's power to connect us when connection matters most.
Genres: non-fiction, 21st-century, food, food-writing
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Period: 2020
240 pages · ebook · Mariner Books
Content warnings: death