Up for grabs in our next and final raffle is a brand new (dare I say autographed?) copy of one of the best food books out there, if truth and factual accuracy mean nothing to you. I’ve written about The Devil’s Food Dictionary: A Pioneering Culinary Reference Work Consisting Entirely of Lies before, and I likely will again. I will continue to write about this book until it takes its rightful place on shelves alongside (maybe even in front of) Ruhlman and Bourdain and Fisher. An excerpt:
fig Known as "Nature's racy metaphor," the fig is a luscious tree fruit that, at its ripest and most succulent, has a disreputable air of wantonness and sensuality. Figs can be dried into a tasty, durable snack food or incorporated, either dried or fresh, into works of fiction. Adam and Eve are said to have employed fig leaves to "cover their shame" after their expulsion from Eden. Sometime later, their son Cain murdered his brother Abel after the latter publicly joked that a whole leaf was not necessary to cover Cain's shame, but merely a single fig.
See? It’s good, wholesome fun for the whole family!
You may remember author Barry Foy as the guest poster extraordinaire who introduced us to his canned bean CSA over the summer. I came along to his Toot Hollow Farm CSA pickup last fall down a long, long, very long asphalt road in the middle of nowhere, pepper spray hidden in my pocket and firmly in my grasp the whole time, and, let me tell you, it was a delight! Really, you smell it before you see it.
Anyhoo, he just did a book signing thing out in Seattle as well as a radio interview that was pretty funny. If you’d like a chance to win this book, I’ll meet you down there in the comment section.
That sounds like a great book! Just finished In Defense of Food. That was a interesting but a little dry, ya know?
Posted by: danish | December 16, 2009 at 11:03 AM
I have no clue what to do with figs. This book might help. And your last entry inspired me, I went and made your layer cookies, or Magic Bars as I call them. Only I substituted caramel chips for butterscotch chips because I really hate butterscotch. My house smelled heavenly and now I have chewey gooey goodness in the house. Thank you!
Posted by: MidLifeMama | December 16, 2009 at 11:52 AM
I want this. Realllllly want this.
Posted by: Sally | December 16, 2009 at 11:58 AM
The culinary world's version of "The Areas of My Expertise!" Sign me up! :)
Posted by: Rachel Patterson | December 16, 2009 at 12:03 PM
I'm a big lover of trivia, and not particularly bothered when the "facts" turn out to be not true, so this book would be great to read! Hope you are having a great holiday season!
Posted by: Sandicita | December 16, 2009 at 12:07 PM
It is unfortunate that this is a random drawing, as I am certainly the reader most deserving of this book.
1. I live near Seattle and missed the book signing.
2. I refer to myself as the Queen of Beans and consider "Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit" to be my theme song.
3. I'm Irish, but have been known to clear a pub after joining in for the Craic singalong.
4. I recently completed a post-graduate Gastronomy class through the Cordon Bleu, and can certainly see the merit of Mr. Foy's book in the reading material of such a course - much more so that some of the heavier academia.
That being said, please enter me in the drawing.
Posted by: kitchensinkroslyn | December 16, 2009 at 12:14 PM
I would loved to be entered in the drawing. I love to read and that makes me deserving enough. Other food trivia food based books that are great reads are: Pollan's first book 'Botany of Desire' shorter than Omnivore... and In Defensive Of... but equally as informative. Taras Grescoe, 'The Devils Picinic' & 'Bottomfeeder' are awesome picks, the later has changed how I eat seafood forever! and am working my way through 'The making of a chef' by Ruhlman right now.
Posted by: Megan Carroll | December 16, 2009 at 12:25 PM
This is an embarrassingly content-free comment in the hopes of getting my undeserving greedy mitts on this book. Please forgive me.
Posted by: tallasiandude | December 16, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Oh ho - what a lively read that will be! Thank you for offering this contest, and I would so appreciate being added to the crowd trying to get this book ;)
Posted by: Cynthia A | December 16, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Sounds like a great read! Enter me please!
Posted by: Cheryl S. | December 16, 2009 at 01:44 PM
Food and funny, yes please! I think I've read mostly food books in 2009. Might as well continue the trend in 2010.
Posted by: Allison | December 16, 2009 at 01:47 PM
I'd love to be entered in this drawing! There's nothing like pestering my significant other with questionable food facts!
Posted by: Kate | December 16, 2009 at 01:57 PM
Sounds like a wonderful book. I love anything that helps me learn about food! Just the other day I had some fig preserves that helped me to understand why so many people are obsessed with the fruit!
Posted by: Katherine | December 16, 2009 at 02:08 PM
Oh bring it!
Posted by: Kasumi | December 16, 2009 at 02:08 PM
me, me, me. i love reading food books. they are better than a lot of other non-fiction (or even some fiction) that is out there......
Posted by: E in NYC | December 16, 2009 at 02:17 PM
I bought this for someone else last year, but don't have my own copy. So I need to win it, I think.
Posted by: mary | December 16, 2009 at 02:34 PM
Sign me up, please!
Posted by: Mark | December 16, 2009 at 02:51 PM
Would love to have a copy of this book - sounds hilarious!
Posted by: Alexis | December 16, 2009 at 03:31 PM
My dear Hubby would LOVE this book---the cook in the family! Thanks!
Posted by: Nicole | December 16, 2009 at 04:13 PM
This is a non-entry comment, as I already own this book. Just wanted to say I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!! (good luck to all of the REAL entrants!)
Posted by: NurseJen | December 16, 2009 at 05:35 PM
I love irreverent books! I'm in!
Posted by: Kim | December 16, 2009 at 06:30 PM
i never win these things!
Posted by: Alyson | December 16, 2009 at 06:44 PM
This book sounds great. Thanks for all the giveaways you've done lately.
Posted by: Sam | December 16, 2009 at 08:08 PM
Two of my favorite things, humor and food... if it came with a banjo playing monkey, my utiopia would come to life :)
Posted by: Kelley | December 16, 2009 at 08:51 PM
I really enjoyed his guest post and would love to read his book. I may just get it on my own... if I don't win.
Posted by: Julia | December 16, 2009 at 09:31 PM
Perfect, I'd been looking for a good frog ham recipe! Please consider me :-)
Posted by: Gail | December 16, 2009 at 09:36 PM
Please excuse me while I beg cravenly. I am a big fan of Ambrose Bierce, of the original Devil's Dictionary (a brutally funny book). To combine FOOD with the Devil's Dictionary?!?! My mind boggles, and so here I am, begging cravenly.
Pick me? Please? Pleasepleaseplease?
Posted by: Susan | December 16, 2009 at 11:43 PM
Don't know if I am too late...but this sounds like a very entertaining read.
Janet
Posted by: Janet | December 17, 2009 at 05:49 AM
I would love to win this book.
Merry Christmas, too!!
Posted by: Molly | December 17, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Geeze... what's a sister got to do to get some preferential treatment around here...
Posted by: Sis | December 17, 2009 at 12:19 PM
did i say i'm in?
Posted by: snippy | December 17, 2009 at 02:03 PM
i' m in too
Posted by: Lolo | December 17, 2009 at 03:49 PM
me me me - ok, I'll stop jumping up and down but that book really sounds like a fun read.
Posted by: Gwen | December 17, 2009 at 09:03 PM
I'm cutting it off here. Winner TBA...
Posted by: Tammy | December 17, 2009 at 09:12 PM