2/3 of the Tummy Trilogy

American Fried and Third Helpings, by Calvin Trillin*

Trillin is one of my favorite food writers, and these books were just what I needed to wash the sour taste out of my mouth from some of the other terrible things I had been reading. A foodie before there was even a word for such a thing (his wife Alice politely referred to the species as "food crazies"), Trillin writes humorously and passionately about his constant quest for something to eat -- not the most trendy, most expensive, most organically-grown-and-locally-sourced item of the day, but something that tastes good. Whether he's discussing his friend Fats Goldberg the pizza baron, daydreaming about the Italian West Indies, or assiduously eating his weight in baked duck and dirty rice in a valiant attempt to trace the origin of the recipe, Trillin always makes me laugh and leaves me hungry.

*Edited to ask: Can anybody help me find a free or cheap copy of Alice, Let's Eat? Mom's has disappeared, and BookMooch has been disappointing on that score.