read: culinary intelligence by peter kaminsky

"There is a thing I call Kaminsky's Constant: namely if a man lives long enough, eats long enough, and drinks long enough, there comes a time, usually in his early forties, when his age, waistline, and IQ are the same number."

-- Peter Kaminsky

Just read this book a few days ago. Though not really ground-breaking in its contents, its nice (and reassuring) to know that food critics gain weight too, and that by eating better, and tastier you can take it off!

The advice in this book is pretty standard - don't load up on empty carbs, make sure you cook for yourself so you know what goes into your food, pick the best ingredients you can afford etc. The question is: is Kaminsky more convincing because he's saying all this from his lofty perch as a food critic, whilst quoting his contacts in the food industry? (Denny Meyer, Thomas Keller etc.)

Maybe the answer is yes, because we're too caught up in thinking that "healthy food" will taste bland, and that we have to deprive ourselves to lose weight. The book tells us that all of us are human, and are completely fallible to our stomachs, so rather than denying ourselves gastronomic pleasures, we should go ahead and indulge... in moderation. 

Want a condensed version of the book? Read Kaminsky's interview with PBS on Kitchen Careers.