Gastropolis – A New Book About New York City Food

I was doing one of my typical morning searches for all things New York food related and stumbled across a new book titled Gastropolis: Food and New York City (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History).  This book provides a historical perspective on New York cuisine.   I can’t tell you how excited I was to see another book touching on this topic.  After all to date the only similar book I’m aware of is Arthur Schwartz’s book Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food: An Opinionated History and More Than 100 Legendary Recipes.  Anyway the book is currently available for pre-order from Amazon.com.  I ordered my copy today. 

Here is a little more detail about the book from the Columbia university Press website:

“.. An irresistible sampling of the city's rich food heritage, Gastropolis explores the personal and historical relationship between New Yorkers and food. Beginning with the origins of cuisine combinations, such as Mt. Olympus bagels and Puerto Rican lasagna, the book describes the nature of food and drink before the arrival of Europeans in 1624 and offers a history of early farming practices. Essays trace the function of place and memory in Asian cuisine, the rise of Jewish food icons, the evolution of food enterprises in Harlem, the relationship between restaurant dining and identity, and the role of peddlers and markets in guiding the ingredients of our meals. They share spice-scented recollections of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, and colorful vignettes of the avant-garde chefs, entrepreneurs, and patrons who continue to influence the way New Yorkers eat. …”

Fore a little more information check out the following Q&A session with the authors published in the New York Times.

• Answers About New York Food History: Part 1
• Answers About New York Food History: Part 2
• Answers About New York Food History: Part 3

What is "New York Food"

If you walked down 5th Avenue in Manhattan and asked a hundred people to define "New York Food"  I am quite certain you would receive a hundred different answers.  With that in mind I thought it might be useful to provide my own definition of "New York Food" which will help frame any future posts.

At a high level I believe New York food to be a regional American cuisine.  The notion of any American food being identified as a unique regional cuisine is highly debatable.  This is mainly due to the fact that the majority of American foods are actually derivatives of ethnic foods brought to America by immigrants.

My own justification for defining New York food as a regional American cuisine is that the food I identify most with being from New York has been altered so much from their original state that they no longer resemble the imported version.  For example I challenge you to find a Chicken Parmesan Hero in Italy.  So in my mind, this is what makes the notion of New York regional cuisine so amazing.  Basically it is a hotchpotch of mutated or evolved ethnic foods from all over the world seamlessly blending into one new regional cuisine.  So what are those mutated or evolved ethnic foods?  Here is a partial list.

• Italian Food:  New York Style Pizza (and specifically sold by the slice), Chicken Parmesan (Hero or on a Plate), Cannolis,  Italian Delis with Sandwiches made to order with just about any combination of meat and cheese on great bread and always to large to fit in your mouth
• Jewish Food:Bagels, Rye bread, Dill Pickles, matzah Ball Soup, Pastrami, Corned Beef, Bialy, challah, blintzes, Knishes.
• Chinese Food: Fried Wonton Skin Crisps (always on the table), duck sauce, spare ribs, Chop Suey

For more information on American and Northeast regional cuisine you can look at these Wikipedia articles.

Wikipedia - Cuisine of the United States

Wikipedia - Cuisine of the Northeastern United States

Welcome to the New York Food Anywhere Blog

What happens to a New Yorker who leaves New York? He spends night and day tirelessly searching for the food he left behind!

Over ten years ago I left New York and have lived and visited many places. In each of those places I have made it my quest to find the best New York food to satisfy my cravings. Whether it's pizza, bagels, deli, or cannolis I have tried to find it all. This blog is my way of sharing my wealth of knowledge on where to get the best New York food outside of New York!

So to all expats, traveling New Yorkers, or folks who just love New York food I hope you will find this blog incredibly helpful in ensuring you can always eat the food you love no matter where you are.