What’s Good?: A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients

A pioneer of farm-to-table cooking blends memoir with a deep exploration of the ingredients he uses and where they come from

What goes into the making of a chef, a restaurant, a dish? In his

highly anticipated first book, influential chef and food thinker Peter

Hoffman offers delectable answers to these questions. Hoffman, a pioneer

of farm-to-table cooking in New York, tells the story of his

upbringing, professional education, and career as a chef and restaurant

owner in a series of charming and illustrative tales of a life in

kitchens—everything from the importance of your relationship with your

refrigerator repairman to an account of how a burger killed his

restaurant.

Mixed in with Hoffman’s personal stories are

passionately curious explorations into the cultural, historical, and

botanical backstories of the foods we eat. Following the march of the

seasons and moving ingredient to ingredient through the bounty of the

natural world, Hoffman meets with farmers and greenmarket vendors and

unpacks what we eat, why we eat it, and how to make it delicious. What’s Good is as complex, thought-provoking, and enjoyable as a perfect meal.