Best Food Writing 2013

In the latest edition of this series, Hughes once again has found well-written articles that depict the current interests of foodies. New this year were the popularity of food trucks and kale and continued interest in tasting menus and community-supported agriculture. There are articles that will result in tears, such as "His Saving Grace" (the success story of Curtis Duffy), and those that will result in laughter, for example, "Beer and Smoking…" which chronicles a barbecue cook-off. For animal lovers, "Hogonomics," a graphic portrayal of growing supermarket pork, will be difficult to read. Other strong pieces are Matt Goulding's lavish description of a 26-course meal at Noma's in Copenhagen and Katharine Shilcutt's grotesque account of her first time eating a McRib. Seven of the articles feature recipes (e.g., New England clam chowder, marinara sauce, and poached eggs). Hughes draws from a variety of sources, such as magazines (Food and Wine; the Atlantic), newspapers (the New York Times; the Financial Times), books (Michael Pollan's Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation; Eddie Huang's Fresh off the Boat: A Memoir), and websites (Food for the Thoughtless; Serious Eats).