The End of Craving and Food IQ

THE END OF CRAVING by Mark Schatzker is subtitled “Recovering the Lost Wisdom of Eating Well” and, like Schatzker’s other works (e.g., The Dorito Effect), has been of interest to our students and faculty. In his latest offering, Schatzker once again draws on his science and writing background to explore our increasingly dysfunctional relationship with food in an engaging and informative manner. Schatzker travels the world – sharing stories from Italy, India, the United States and elsewhere – in order to highlight the value of healthy, joyful eating and nutrition. He points to contrasts in government efforts to require additives like vitamins versus taking steps to promote lifestyle changes. A significant portion of the book is devoted to notes and references which will be a huge help to our student researchers interested in eating disorders, obesity, and mind-body connections.

FOOD IQ by Daniel Holzman and Matt Rodbard is a forthcoming text that takes a new spin on cookbooks which have been more apt of late to include personal stories.  The authors do that here, too, but they really focus on some unusual “food facts” by exploring “100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts.” There are sections on ingredients, tools, and favorite dishes, for example. Each chapter contains multiple questions (Which onion – red, white, or yellow – should I use? OR Should I feel guilty for loving my microwave?), plus personal connections and/or interviews with experts, pictures, and relatively simple recipes (e.g., Braised Chicken Thighs with apricots and spices or Quick and Creamy Guacamole). I think this would have been a very fun book to write (brainstorming the questions must have been quite a creative endeavor). It’s difficult, though, to predict whether this entertaining work will have more appeal to the novice or experienced cook. Our Applied Arts (Gourmet and Foods classes) teachers might like to share vignettes, techniques, or recipes with their students.