Grocery, Michael Ruhlman
Grocery, Michael Ruhlman
3 Rating(s)
List: $20.00 | Sale: $14.00
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Grocery
The Buying and Selling of Food in America

Author: Michael Ruhlman

Narrator: Jonathan Todd Ross

Unabridged: 11 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/16/2017


Synopsis

In Grocery, bestselling author Michael Ruhlman offers incisive commentary on America’s relationship with its food and investigates the overlooked source of so much of it—the grocery store.
 
In a culture obsessed with food—how it looks, what it tastes like, where it comes from, what is good for us—there are often more questions than answers. Ruhlman proposes that the best practices for consuming wisely could be hiding in plain sight—in the aisles of your local supermarket. Using the human story of the family-run Midwestern chain Heinen’s as an anchor to this journalistic narrative, he dives into the mysterious world of supermarkets and the ways in which we produce, consume, and distribute food. Grocery examines how rapidly supermarkets—and our food and culture—have changed since the days of your friendly neighborhood grocer. But rather than waxing nostalgic for the age of mom-and-pop shops, Ruhlman seeks to understand how our food needs have shifted since the mid-twentieth century, and how these needs mirror our cultural ones.
 
A mix of reportage and rant, personal history and social commentary, Grocery is a landmark book from one of our most insightful food writers.

About The Author

Michael Ruhlman has collaborated on several bestselling cookbooks, including The French Laundry Cookbook, Bouchon, and Alinea. He is the author of critically acclaimed books including The Soul of a Chef, The Elements of Cooking, Ratio, and Ruhlman’s Twenty. Ruhlman has written about food and cooking for the New York Times, Gourmet, Food Arts, and other publications. He lives in New York City.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Michael on June 04, 2017

A book that should've gotten five stars. I *love* grocery stores. I hoped that this book would give me all the inside scoop, like an expanded New Yorker article. Most of the book, however, is Ruhlman talking about the kinds of food we should be eating. He's a good writer, and his advice is pretty sol......more

Goodreads review by Lindsay on October 17, 2017

The title is grossly inaccurate. This book is mostly the author petaling or defending his food choices. Most of which have zero scientific backing... and the comments on vegans are embarrassing (for him). After spewing about how most Americans eat processed food devoid of nutrients he says vegans ne......more

Goodreads review by Rachel on July 08, 2017

This is really a 2.5 star review. Some chapters were OK but this was largely a self-serving book. The more accurate title would have been "Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food at Heinen's." I grew up on the west side of the Cleveland media market so I remember Heinen's ads as a child but since we......more

Goodreads review by Cade on January 05, 2025

ARC copy from ALA Midwinter--excellent microhistory.......more