Buttermilk graffiti

I loved it. Part memoir, part food writing, part journalism, part cultural reflection. It takes you to all sorts of pockets of America to show you what's there and why. It asks questions about race and culture, and examines how food is a common thread through it all. Really worth a read.

Edward Lee travels all over the United States seeking food that is a blend of cultures. He visits the South and tries slaw dogs and pepperoni rolls; he goes trawling for shrimp near Galveston; and he tries Cambodian food in Lowell, Massachusetts. This book has some of everything I love—recipes, travel, even poetry and philosophy—and it just may be the best nonfiction book I read this year.