Review: The American Plate

Title: The American Plate: A culinary history in 100 bites

Author: Libby H. O'Connell

Narrator: Tanya Eby

Date Completed: 15 May 2016

A while back I had seen this book on the new books shelf at the library and added it to my virtual 'to-read' list. They library had a free eAudio version which I borrowed to listen while I drove around town and cleaned house.

The author takes 100 American foods, which she calls "bites," and uses it as a framework to take the reader through American history from colonization to the present. I learned quite a bit about the origins of "American" food I did not know, and as a result I started interjecting random trivia facts into mealtimes with friends and family. (Have to keep my librarian know-it-all game strong!)

It's a light read that made for good educational entertainment while I had my hands busy. The audiobook was less that 10 hours and the narrator had a good voice. Good meaning it didn't put me to sleep or grate on my nerves like some audiobooks have done in the past. If you're a casual foodie with an interest in American cuisine or how food trends in North America have changed over the centuries, I'd give this books a go.