‘The American Way of Eating,’ by Tracie McMillan

The San Francisco Chronicle • Feb. 19, 2012

The American way of eating is terrible. So says Tracie McMillan, who spent a year pretending to be a poor person eking out a living at menial levels of the nation’s food system, including farm fields, Walmart groceries and an Applebee’s kitchen. A New York writer and senior fellow at Brandeis University accustomed to top-tier provisions, she descends the class ladder a few rungs (her expression) to venture undercover and figure out why the hoi polloi eat so badly. Continue reading “‘The American Way of Eating,’ by Tracie McMillan”

A witness to where food gets its start

Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2012

Readers curious about food have been able to deepen their knowledge exponentially over the last decade. They know how bad fast food is (thanks to Eric Schlosser), understand the complexities of food production (thanks to Michael Pollan), and know how hard it is to work in a kitchen (thanks to Bill Bryson). There are shelves upon shelves of books about how, why and what we eat by restaurateurs, farmers, chefs and even moonlighting novelists. Continue reading “A witness to where food gets its start”

The Mindful Carnivore and The American Way of Eating: Reviews

Toronto Star • Feb. 18, 2012

Formerly known for her fatty-sweet recipes, TV cooking show host Paula Deen came out as a closet diabetic last month and announced she was the new spokesperson for a diabetes drug company.

Chef, author (Kitchen Confidential) and TV personality Anthony Bourdain responded with this twitter quip: “thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business, so I can profitably sell crutches later.” Continue reading “The Mindful Carnivore and The American Way of Eating: Reviews”

Where to buy good food

The Detroit News • Dec. 30, 2011

Author Tracie McMillan walks through Honey Bee/La Colmena Market on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, selecting garlic on Detroit’s southwest side. Metro Detroit and Michigan are prominently featured in her forthcoming book, “The American Way of Eating,” which examines growing challenges many Americans face to eat healthy. Continue reading “Where to buy good food”

PW Review: The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee’s, Farm Fields, and the Dinner Table

Publishers Weekly • Nov. 28, 2011

Hailing from a middle-class rural Michigan background in which Tuna Helper and iceberg-lettuce salads were the usual dinner fare and later schooled at NYU, journalist McMillan (City Limits magazine) resolved to learn firsthand how the food America eats (mostly packaged and processed) is grown, distributed, and bought. Why does good, fresh food have to cost more and be harder to find than fast food? Continue reading “PW Review: The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee’s, Farm Fields, and the Dinner Table”

Kirkus Review

Kirkus • Nov. 15, 2011

During the course of a year, former City Limits managing editor McMillan examined the process by which food goes from the field to the table.Whether picking bunches of table grapes, sorting peaches or cutting garlic, the author discovered firsthand the rigors of farm labor working alongside Mexicans and other migrant workers struggling to survive on paltry wages. Continue reading “Kirkus Review”