Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Eating: A memoir

Rate this book
Jason Epstein, the legendary editor and publisher of Norman Mailer, Vladimir Nabokov, Gore Vidal, and E. L. Doctorow, among many other distinguished writers, and the editor of such great chefs and bakers as Alice Waters, Wolfgang Puck, and Maida Heatter, takes us on a culinary tour through his eventful life, beginning with his childhood summers in Maine, where his decision to improve upon his grandmother’s chicken pot pie led to a lifetime at the stove.

From the great restaurants of postwar Paris to the narrow streets of New York’s Chinatown today; from a New Year’s dinner aboard the old Ile de France with Buster Keaton to an evening at New York’s glamorous “21” restaurant with the dreaded Roy Cohn; from Chinese omelettes with the great Jane Jacobs at the edge of the Arctic Ocean to a lobster dinner with the Mailers on Cape Cod, as well as a warning to examine the chair before you sit down to dinner with W. H. Auden, this delicious book celebrates a lifetime of pleasure in cooking and eating well.

The author agrees with the Greek philosopher Heraclitus that you can never step in the same river twice, that every act is unique and so is every dish. In Jason Epstein’s hands, rather than being presented in the usual rigid formula, recipes unfold as stories that he would tell a friend in stove-side conversation . And as Epstein demonstrates his personal touches in putting a dish together, he inspires his readers to be creative.

A rich and provocative book, Eating will whet the appetites of all who love good food and delightful company.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

11 people are currently reading
204 people want to read

About the author

Jason Epstein

16 books7 followers
Jason Wolkow Epstein was an American editor and publisher. He was the editorial director of Random House from 1976 to 1995. He also co-founded The New York Review of Books in 1963.

(wikipedia)

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
16 (8%)
4 stars
40 (21%)
3 stars
70 (37%)
2 stars
45 (24%)
1 star
16 (8%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Chris.
557 reviews
February 15, 2016
Really 2 1/2-3 stars.

A review from "Newsweek" on the cover says, "An unpretentious chronicle of an extraordinary life well lived." Unpretentious? Um, I don't think so. Epstein, an editor with Random House, has worked with some of the finest writers including Norman Mailer and Nabokov and edited Alice Waters's cookbooks, a definite name dropper. Unpretentious he is not. We hear he went to Columbia at least twice, he has a penthouse in Manhattan and a house in Sag Harbor, he lived next door to Craig Claiborne and Sheila Lukins, and the way he wrote about his career, he made it sound like he was the one who thought of publishing hard cover books into paperback was his idea. (Maybe it was, but still.)

Yet, this hoity toity Manhattanite does have a great story to tell, and have to admit I wanted to run out and get a two-pound lobster to make the lobster roll recipe he gave. (I'll have to wait until I go to Maine, though.) Each chapter was sprinkled with his take on recipes he'd either eaten in restaurants or had cooked for him by a chef. Although my pocketbook doesn't lend itself to affording duck or lobster on a regular basis or eating at upscale restaurants like Lutece and 21 in the city, imagining what it would be like to live the life of a privileged editor in the country's greatest city, where you could walk and find all sorts of sights and smells of food in your own neighborhood did appeal to the cook in me.

I was disappointed in this, because when I saw Judith Jones speak a couple of years ago (Julia Child's editor, how's THAT for name dropping?! :-)) Epstein is a friend of hers and she mentioned the book, which is why I bought it. And here's an interesting tidbit that's not in the book. Epstein refers to his current wife, Judy Miller, who worked for the New York Times. A Google search led me to find it was THE Judith Miller, who served time in jail for not revealing her source in the Valerie Plame case!
Profile Image for Kristen Northrup.
322 reviews25 followers
January 7, 2010
This is a very small book, not only a thin one. But although I was thus warned that it would be brief, it was still disappointingly so. Epstein stays away from outright gossip, for which I am grateful, but I really could have used more anecdotes. Easily a third of the text is (tasty) recipes, most involving lobster. There's also a pretty creepy story about a lobster dinner. I will definitely need to try adding duck fat to a burger. There's a chapter on M.F.K. Fisher (recounting her own memoirs; he didn't meet her) that makes me both more interested and more apprehensive about finally getting around to reading her. In a completely different realm, the section on Joseph McCarthy, Roy Cohn and the Kennedys is fascinating, at least if it's almost all new to you like it was to me. Sadly, nothing on Nabokov, although the jacket says he knew him. Esptein was involved in the creation of trade paperbacks (which he mentions) and the Library of America (which he doesn't), so there's so much more literary ground he could cover. Not to mention his time living in Paris. I did love his repeated technique of offering a chef a cookbook contract whenever he enjoyed their food, so that he could get the recipes. He does do a wonderful job of evoking a sense (and love) of place. There is no separate recipe index.
Profile Image for Autumn.
345 reviews6 followers
June 22, 2017
This book felt very much like a vanity memoir. The author name drops and gives the reader a number of unnecessary recipes, but doesn't have much to say about publishing, or food, that hasn't been said better before. No narrative, no poetry, no panache.
Profile Image for Amy.
331 reviews5 followers
December 28, 2009
This is a beautiful, very personal memoir built within a framework of recipes and meals fondly remembered.
Profile Image for Dave.
491 reviews9 followers
December 13, 2024
Two roads converged in a yellow wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by. Had I known (although, really, I don't know if the world of publishing would have been opened to me), I might have been the the second generation. This is a tour-de-force book in which Epstein, who brought several cookbooks into existence because he liked the food that was being offered to him, shares his experiences with recipes from said cookbooks. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous!!!!!!!
Profile Image for Norman Van Aken.
Author 3 books8 followers
December 28, 2022
Meeting and then getting to know Jason Epstein was one of the highlights of my career. Dining with him. Cooking with him. Being published by him were something I'll always revere. He was feared by many in publishing but one on one he was one of the most brilliant people to just be with over a meal. He and his wife Judy were both incredible to us.
Profile Image for Heather.
770 reviews21 followers
March 10, 2012
I started this book feeling a little grumpy: when I finish reading a novel and pick up a work of nonfiction, it requires a little adjustment—and maybe this is especially true when switching from a novel to episodic nonfiction like this book. Eating started not as a book but as a recipe column in the Style section of The New York Times, and it feels it: it's not exactly a chronological memoir, as Epstein goes from talking about Paris circa 1954 in one chapter to lobsters in the next to cooking Chinese food at home in the next. It's a very snacky sort of book, and at first I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

The way that Epstein integrates recipes into the text took some getting used to, too. "Recipes should be more like stories than like maps or formulae," he writes in the first chapter, and his recipes are indeed story-like: they're in prose and are process-based; they don't always give precise measurements, and they're often in the first person and sometimes in the past tense: he's telling the story of something he made (as in: "I boiled a three- or four-pound lobster for fifteen minutes or so in just enough water to cover and a glassful of white wine") (3, 90). The style was interesting but also tricky for me: when I read some books with recipes, I skim the recipes until or unless I find something I'm really interested in. But here it felt like that would somehow be cheating, since the recipes are prose, not lists of steps and ingredients. But it's hard work, isn't it, to read that kind of recipe? I mean, to really pay attention to it, to actually think about its components, to imagine, say, a man in his kitchen making pasta: the water boiling, the oil heating, the smell of garlic, jalapeño, oregano. Pleasing, but the sort of thing I can only read in small bits or else it all becomes a blur. And, too, there were moments where Epstein seemed to be writing for a fairly limited audience of city-dwellers, which is OK I guess, but slightly off-putting, even though I'm one of those city-dwellers. Like, in one recipe he says to use "only very fresh mozzarella, made the same day"—well, sure, here in Brooklyn I actually can walk to the Italian store ten minutes from here and buy very fresh mozzarella, sometimes still-warm, but not everyone lives somewhere where that's possible. And the recipes assume a certain level of competence in the kitchen, or at least a willingness to seek out complementary recipes that are more step-by-step: there's more than one recipe that mentions using homemade mayonnaise, without actually telling you how to make it.

Still, all these quibbles aside, I found myself quite enjoying this book after all. Epstein is really good at capturing specific meals as well as the atmosphere of a particular time and place, whether that time and place is New York City after 9/11 or Maine in the years around WWII. It was wonderful to read about Epstein's food memories: lobster rolls or fried clams on Long Island, a hamburger from a lakeside shack in Maine, sundaes from the now-defunct Bailey's in Boston (where he would get vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge, marshmallow, and pecans: oh my goodness I want one right now). There are passages like this, about Hamburger Heaven in the '50s and '60s:
In those genteel surroundings, where Holly Golightly might occupy the next seat, one was served at the counter or at seats along the wall with hinged trays, like infants' high-chair trays, by stately black waiters in white coats who delivered our hamburgers like a sacrament with ketchup and bowls of sweet pepper relish and raw onion. After lunch on days when the Queens or Caronia had landed, I would walk across Park Avenue to the Holliday Bookshop to buy the latest Henry Green or Ivy Compton-Burnett. (25)


Other highlights include a satisfying chapter that talks about/quotes M.F.K. Fisher (not so much about food as about life in Europe on the edge of the crisis of WWII) and a description of a 1953/1954 transatlantic boat trip Epstein took (on this boat), courtesy of his job/combined with his honeymoon. I loved this sentence, from his description of arriving home in New York at the end of the trip: "On deck as we approached our pier, an Italian father was holding his two small sons in his arms, pointing to the Manhattan skyline and shouting, "Fantastico, bambini, fantastico." (74) I think that sentence captures what I liked best about this book, actually: Epstein's eye for detail and sense of romance.
Profile Image for Evelyn.
468 reviews21 followers
August 14, 2011
OK, full confession: I'm a a sucker for gastro-memoirs. I love reading about food, food prep, meal consumption and even menu planning. If the author has led a really intriguing life, and/or eaten amazingly diverse and even oddball foods in interesting locations, even better. And if there are a few accessible recipes thrown in, including some things I might even be able to duplicate, or at the very least learn from, my reading experience is complete.

Jason Epstein, who for many years was the editorial director of Random House, has certainly led an interesting life, and even better dined with some amazing people at some astounding (perhaps I should say enviable) venues. And he loves to cook, something he says quite often throughout this slim volume, and which he bolsters by providing loosely formulated recipes for some of his favorite foods. Though I enjoyed the book, and because of it's slimness was able to read it in one day, I found the selection of essays uneven...some were utterly engaging, particularly those that reflected on his youth and early career, while others seemed shallow and poorly thought out (harshly put, they felt like filler content). The recipes were even more disappointing, many because they discussed the preparation of shellfish or meat and poultry with heaps of butter (all taboo for those of us who keep a kosher diet), some because they were simply too complicated, and all because they were written for cooks who are completely confident in their skills, and can find their way to a successful outcome with no more than a pinch of this and heaping spoonful of that.

I gave this book 4 stars because I enjoyed the experience overall, but if the system allowed for half points, a more accurate rating would have been 3.5.
Profile Image for Trish.
1,413 reviews2,686 followers
July 14, 2011
I read this a couple of years ago in one or two sittings. It is a wonderful summer read: literate and memorable. Epstein, once a titan of the publishing world, has such a wide range of interests, friends, capabilities, that reading this book is like sitting in his kitchen, chin in hand, the sun slanting in, while he talks and putters, making a tarte, perhaps, or a blueberry pie. That he makes it just a little differently from your mother's is just curious, not catastrophic. I don't know quite why I never wrote a review of this at the time I read it, but I wish I had. I've remembered it fondly for several years and just went to recommend it to someone and discovered I'd never said I liked it. It is charming, and since one is unlikely to have the chance to spend time with Epstein in person, one may like to see the man relaxed and chatting easily. Epstein knows a lot about books, and he knows what makes for interesting reading. I don't think I would be wrong to say he enjoyed writing this one.
Profile Image for Melise.
480 reviews1 follower
October 29, 2015
I got this book from the library--I tend to scroll through the listings of e-books available at the library and just randomly choose books that I think might be interesting--what the heck, they are free and I can always delete them with a click of the button--I don't even need to return to the library!

Anyway, I selected this book, started to read, and then realized that I had read the book once before. As I read through it for the second time, I enjoyed all the same things I enjoyed the first time through--I never realized that Iceland is actually so close to New York, and he has firmly cemented for me that I will never be able to cook lobsters.

The rest of the book is a quick and interesting read--nothing majorly fantastic, but smack dab in the center of most gastro-memoirs out there. If you like those kind of books, this one is worth a try, but, as you can see from the reviews, you may or may not enjoy it.
Profile Image for Joanne Clarke Gunter.
287 reviews51 followers
May 8, 2012
I liked this book and have read many foodie/chef books, but you would think that such a famous editor and publisher would have written a longer and better organized book. At a mere 165 pages, the book is slight, but the annoying thing is that there is hardly any demarcation between the author's written words and his recipes. They just sort of run together with the recipes in darker type. Plus, the recipes aren't that exact and I'm not sure the average cook could reproduce them. Still, I always enjoy reading about great eating experiences whether in famous restaurants, neighborhood dives, or proficient home kitchens and this book provides that. Jason Epstein's experiences with famous folk like Alice Waters, Gore Vidal, and Roy Cohn, to name a few, are interesting tidbits, but the book left me wishing he had written more.
287 reviews
January 2, 2010
I wanted to hear more about eating and recipes not publishing and old restaurants and old recipes that I've seen before. I'm all for memoirs with recipes but this is more for someone who actually likes Epstein or maybe old NYC restaurants and not just generally food. Other reviewers keep saying that this isn't just a cookbook and I think I'd have liked it more if it was just a cookbook. This feels like the kind of book that you'd write to leave to your children and family who know you and not the general public. Given Epstein's connection as a publishing insider that makes sense that it was published at all.
2 reviews1 follower
December 14, 2014
Fabulous. An amalgam of biography, cookbook, history, and personal little gems all tied up together. The details of his experiences enjoying food with others whom we all know from different areas of history are simply delicious. After finishing this book, I wanted nothing more than to make my own lobster roll and sit in a sunny window. I read this on a road trip and found myself reading it aloud to my husband, the driver, as Mr. Epstein's experiences traversed into the lives of other mid-20th century historical personas with whom we both share a keen interest. This was a book borrowed from the library but enjoyed so much I had to own a copy.
Profile Image for Keri Daskam.
225 reviews3 followers
December 9, 2009
This book was a great interim nonfiction between the classics. It was short, funny, and all about great food with great people. Jason Epstein has lived the kind of life and known the kind of people that made reading this book a little reminiscent of "A Moveable Feast" which is maybe my all time good food/good people book.

The recipes are super interesting and written in a conversational style. They lean heavily to seafood specific to the Northeast, but I will definitely remind myself of them if those ingredients are ever readily available to me.
239 reviews5 followers
December 18, 2009
This could have been so much more. Epstein enjoyed an interesting life as the editorial director of Random House and he can be quite entertaining. He really shines when he is describing old New York, Maine, and the Cape, or sharing anecdotes about his interaction with the likes of Gore Vidal and Norman Mailer. But even if you are able to overlook the hackneyed food "facts" and ambiguous recipes, the redundancies may drive you mad.
This editor is in desperate need of an editor.

Profile Image for Catherine.
663 reviews3 followers
May 12, 2010
Epstein was an important figure in the publishing industry. I’m pretty confident that assisted in his book getting published.

He offers a few brief thoughts on some well-known people who are his friends or acquaintances and pads out the book with unstructured recipes and very few details about his personal life.

There wasn’t enough substance to be book worthy for me. It was a super quick read but overall disappointing.
Profile Image for Niya.
309 reviews13 followers
July 9, 2013
It's refreshing to see editors write books. The concise prose, the economy of words, the efficiently conveyed feelings are such a refreshing change from the adjective heavy text that can drag food memoirs to a grueling pace, eventually causing them to stall. While not all the recipes are ones I would cook, the story behind each, the location specific information woven with history and key personalities in the food scene make for an easy and engaging read.
21 reviews
December 30, 2009
Jason Epstein lived a life I would love to live. It was different era. The book left me wanting to know more, though. There are some nuggets, including my new favorite quote (by J.T. Peete): "Pray for peace and grace and spiritual food, for wisdom and guidance, for all these are good, but don't forget the potatoes."
Profile Image for Adeline Lutts.
Author 2 books9 followers
March 31, 2010
Reading his recipes is like listing to him talk at a dinner table. A quick read, with some good menus and a publisher's who's who in the food writing world. On a few occasions, mainly the east coast seafood bits, his food experiences really hit home for me. Creating a yearning for steamer clams that has not been satiated yet.
Profile Image for Emily.
360 reviews
August 8, 2010
for food and publishing/literary nerds. i doubt i'll make many of the recipes (heavy on the lobster, the oysters and the frying) but it was a great read. glimpse at the bygone days of the book business (martini lunches not mentioned but implied; jackie o and gore vidal make appearances). i really wanted to go to some of these parties.
Profile Image for Amanda.
90 reviews3 followers
August 11, 2010
So pretentious! The author clearly states that he's writer and not a chef, but he sure does command you to cook things like a chef. I understand that this is a memoir, but Epstein clearly lived a privileged life that he is quick to brag about. His writing style was to abrasive for me to even finish the entire book!
Profile Image for Charlotte.
40 reviews29 followers
February 20, 2013
Written as only the editor of Random House could write his memoir. The book is spiced with wondrous tid-bits of cooking & eating . His enthusiasm for all things food shines through this sometimes tender, all times candid little charmer. Who knew about "strattu"? My copy is copiously flagged with post-its, mostly marking great recipes to try.
Profile Image for Alise Napp.
627 reviews10 followers
November 24, 2014
Read my full thoughts over at Read.Write.Repeat.

Sadly, I have to chalk this one up to a genre failure. I will be back for plenty more food-based memoirs, but not from Epstein. The book doesn't have much actual content and I struggled to connect with Epstein.
151 reviews21 followers
December 1, 2009
It had such a great review in Newsweek that I got a copy right away. Sadly...I really had to force myself to finish it. I thought he had a few little stories that were nice....but his writing style was very boring. I was not even tempted by his recipes.
586 reviews10 followers
December 29, 2009
The review in the Washington Post made me want to read this book, but it's for a different reader than my humble self! This man knows important people and cooks important food (mostly seafood) using recipes I'd never dare try. O well!
Profile Image for Colleen.
604 reviews33 followers
May 6, 2010
Though I did enjoy this book, I felt it was only an appetizer to what could have been a glorious meal. "Please sir, can I get some more?"

I will definitely try some of the recipes, especially the lobster rolls. They sound delicious.
Profile Image for Anuradha Murphy.
133 reviews4 followers
July 12, 2010
This book is filled with good recipes, each one accompanied with background details of childhood memories, friends/family who shared the meal, and where many of the ingredients came from. A treat to read about someone who enjoys the process of acquiring, cooking, and eating good food!
Profile Image for Kristin.
Author 25 books16 followers
Shelved as 'cantfinish'
October 4, 2010
I wanted to like this, I really did, but it was such a very difficult read. Not really something you can sit down and read - I think it functions more as a recipe book (without measurements?). This is all very strange considering he's a well-known editor.
Profile Image for Tammy.
86 reviews22 followers
June 23, 2014
Meh. Probably wouldn't read it again or recommend it to anyone. The writing was okay, but felt like I was being talked down to a bit because I had experienced all of these fancy food places, cuisines, or people.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.