Comments on: Review: Eating Between the Lines, by Rebecca Huntley

By: elra

elra — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:06:17 +0000

I agree with Christy on "some men do cook", infact, in Balinese society, the man will actually in charge on most cooking for the festivals. And I see more and more in the U.S, the young man (my son and lot's of his friends) starting to enjoy cooking.

Since I haven't read the book, and visited the link that you've provided here, I can already see myself get irritated just reading your review. I would normally, just don't ever bother to get the book. I know this bad, just rely on one person review. It just part of my personality that I have to change.
Thanks for the review, duncan!
Cheers,
Elra

By: Christy

Christy — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:21:29 +0000

I have to agree on one point with you: some men do cook, and do love cooking. I think that the generalisation on her part is very much gender-biased, as it's all very open to your cultural upbringing. I, for example, know of some girls who would not, for the life of them, step into the kitchen for anything (I used to be one of them until I got the bug and fell in love with it a few years ago). My boyfriend, on the other hand, not only cooks, but also serves the food up for me prettily plated.

But I think that Food and Equality in Australia as a sub-title of her book is very general and thus open to the readers' interpretation and expectations of what the book is supposed to carry. I am obviously not as aware of the issues regarding food, Australia, or much of the intellectual topics surrounding them both, but judging by your review I think that I can say that her book needs to have a more specific title, or be the size of a dictionary to sufficiently address all the issues involved.

By: kathryn

kathryn — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:48:56 +0000

It is an odd little book isn't it. Never quite gets into the juice of any particular topic, but skirts over many, making generalisations along the way.

I saw Rebecca Huntley interviewing Raj Patel (who wrote Stuffed & Starved) a while back. She came across as smart, opinionated and interesting – so I was looking forward to the book.

But found it ultimately disappointing and unsatisfying. Plus some of the generalisations are breathtaking . . . and not in a good way.

By: Duncan

Duncan — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 09:12:40 +0000

Hi Zoe. I felt it was important to take into account the extent to which social conditioning over an extended period can make it difficult to break the mould (for anyone), especially when all groups reinforce their own and others' behaviours (to varying degrees).

(And hooray for local libraries I borrowed my library's copy to review.)

By: Zoe

Zoe — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:42:29 +0000

Hi Duncan – I'm interested what other factors you mean when you say "But Huntley dwells on men not cooking, or only learning to cook because of necessity, with limited consideration of other factors."

(I haven't read the book yet, but have requested it from my local library.)

By: Duncan

Duncan — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 23:53:15 +0000

Great comments Amelita! You've added another perspective about men cooking, and also the diet of people. (The book didn't feel like it had deep understanding of real trends in different social groups, or of changes over time.)

And yes, it's true that supermarkets (at least in some areas) have lots of men shopping. Part of Huntley's gripe was that men do it voluntarily and get praised for it, while women do it cos they're expected to. More younger men can cook and do, but it still seems that women end up doing most of the cooking in relationships. Huntley didn't really explore the newer dynamic. I think Neil has much more to say about that.

On the face of it, it might look like Neil and I disagree, but for me it feels like we've just seen different aspects. I think Neil has explained the value of the book and the issues it raises, whereas I've dwelt more on the way the subject matter was approached.

By: Amelita (Squishy)

Amelita (Squishy) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 21:53:54 +0000

I find it really interesting that yourself and Neil had both completely different views on this book. Men are in the kitchen and are loving it. My husband doesn't cook out of necessity, he cooks because he enjoys it. My best friends husband loves to be creative and cooks his little tooshy off every night. Come to think of it, most of the men I know in the suburban lower income range life love to cook, actually I have male friends both in high wage category as well who love to cook. So I am a bit confused. From what I gather there has been a huge change in the kitchen with men and how they feel about cooking and it has been active for a good 10 to 15 years now. One of my customers teaches cooking and not just everyday crap cooking, good quality imaginative recipes and short courses to get the inside scoop on cooking like a chef and the majority of his students are men who want to learn because they enjoy it. I go shopping for food everyday for dinner and there are heaps of men out there buying great food that yes needs to be cooked, you see it in their shopping trolleys. I live in a place where the majority is male due to army, air force, and the mining sector. We also have a huge indigenous sector here. The supermarkets have had a very significant change over the past ten years, they are stocking less junk and fatty products and are stocking more healthy options and alot of gourmet options for the home cook.

So I am a bit confused about what planet this woman is living on. When you are like me and are out there in the shops everyday, are observent of other peoples shopping habits, and I like to check out the shelves repeatedly for new things like someone in a good bookshop you notice these things.

Sorry to sound so blunt but she sounds like a bit of an opinionated cow.