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Hungry Monkey: A Food-Loving Father's Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater
A memoir about the joys of food and parenting and the wild mélange of the two Matthew Amster-Burton was a restaurant critic and food writer long before he and his wife, Laurie, had Iris. Now he’s a full-time, stay-at-home Dad and his experience with food has changed . . . a little. He's come to realize that kids don’t need puree in a jar or special menus at restaurants, and that raising an adventurous eater is about exposure, invention, and patience. He writes of the highs and lows of teaching your child about food--the high of rediscovering how something tastes for the first time through a child’s unedited reaction, and the low of thinking you have a precocious vegetable fiend on your hands only to discover that a child’s preferences change from day to day (and may take years to include vegetables again). Sharing in his culinary capers is little Iris, a budding gourmand and a zippy critic herself who makes huge sandwiches, gobbles up hot chilis, and even helps around the kitchen sometimes. Hungry Monkey takes food enthusiasts on a new adventure in eating and offers dozens of delicious recipes that "little fingers" can help to make.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 19, 2009
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2439 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Amster-Burton
7 books62 followersMatthew Amster-Burton is the author of the YA novel OUR SECRET BETTER LIVES and four nonfiction books, including HUNGRY MONKEY (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009) and PRETTY GOOD NUMBER ONE: AN AMERICAN FAMILY EATS TOKYO (2013), which was a bestseller in Japan and has been optioned for film. He has written for Gourmet, the Wall Street Journal, and the Seattle Times, and has appeared in the BEST FOOD WRITING anthology five times.
Matthew is the cohost, with Molly Wizenberg, of the hit comedy podcast Spilled Milk, which reaches over 13,000 listeners. He lives with his family in Seattle.
Matthew is the cohost, with Molly Wizenberg, of the hit comedy podcast Spilled Milk, which reaches over 13,000 listeners. He lives with his family in Seattle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 362 reviews
September 5, 2015
I've nailed down the reason I never like memoirs based on food blogs, although I think it might have more to do with what I read into them: a kind of dishonesty, an attitude of "hey, look at my beautiful life!", an unwillingness to delve deeply into how this lifestyle is maintained - we can't all be freelancers waxing rhapsodic about strawberries. Anyway, this is a memoir by a hip stay-at-home dad in Seattle, about what he cooks for his family, what his daughter likes, and how her tastes change over time (she is four during the book's present-tense moments). It's not that I was unable to relate to his enthusiasm for food and cooking, but that it's written from such a position of privilege and hipster-dom, so that even the asides about eating boxed macaroni and cheese and frozen ravioli did not work as a way to make Amster-Burton and his family likeable to me. As such, most of the humorous one-liners came off a little annoying. I would recommend The Big Rumpus and Dirty Sugar Cookies by Ayun Halliday for a better mixture of humor, parenting, and cooking.
November 3, 2009
I had mixed feelings about this book.
Parts of it were quite funny.
There were some recipes that I'd like to try sometime (I probably won't)
But
It was also just a series of vignettes about how lucjy he is that his daughter was adventurous in food.
A lot of people probably pick up this book hoping to find out hw he did it so they can try it too - but what you find out is that his daughter - while she goes through food phases just like all children seems to have the same kinds of idiosyncrasies as most kids.
It made me jealous that I don't live in a city (which is funny because if I got the chance I probably would not take it)
So if you are looking for help you probably will not find it -though you may find out that you are not alone in the struggles of feeding children. In fact the best most heartening part about the book was reading about how the author - a totally foodie who will eat anything - was according to his mother - one of the pickiest eaters ever throughout his childhood. This gives me hope. And so perhaps for that alone - I am glad I picked this one up
Parts of it were quite funny.
There were some recipes that I'd like to try sometime (I probably won't)
But
It was also just a series of vignettes about how lucjy he is that his daughter was adventurous in food.
A lot of people probably pick up this book hoping to find out hw he did it so they can try it too - but what you find out is that his daughter - while she goes through food phases just like all children seems to have the same kinds of idiosyncrasies as most kids.
It made me jealous that I don't live in a city (which is funny because if I got the chance I probably would not take it)
So if you are looking for help you probably will not find it -though you may find out that you are not alone in the struggles of feeding children. In fact the best most heartening part about the book was reading about how the author - a totally foodie who will eat anything - was according to his mother - one of the pickiest eaters ever throughout his childhood. This gives me hope. And so perhaps for that alone - I am glad I picked this one up
August 21, 2012
This guy was too hip for me. But like so many hipsters, he thinks he's not one and goes out of his way to prove it...before diving right back into the sea of hip where no one else could possibly follow and splashing the water ostentatiously. Sometimes I had to put the book down and breathe deeply until the waves stopped crashing to their indie beat. I think I was supposed to think this was funny. But PS: What's with all the foodie dads who publish recipes that I wouldn't even use for fancy Sunday dinner? What are the moms doing? (Probably trying to balance the poor baby's diet of bacon and sushi with some good old fashioned bananas and peas). At least there weren't any pictures of the baby in a Deathcab onesie licking fudge sauce out of a Molly Moon bowl at 11 PM. (And I think I just proved that I don't know hip from hop.)
November 19, 2018
4.0 Stars
This is a light-hearted and entertaining memoir about a foodie father attempting to raise an good eater. While this book provides some advice on child feeding techniques, it's more conversational than instructive. I would recommend this enjoyable memoir to laid-back parents who want to raise healthy children without stressing too much over the details.
This is a light-hearted and entertaining memoir about a foodie father attempting to raise an good eater. While this book provides some advice on child feeding techniques, it's more conversational than instructive. I would recommend this enjoyable memoir to laid-back parents who want to raise healthy children without stressing too much over the details.
April 21, 2010
Really quite charming: the tale of a food writer's daughter's culinary journeys. I got this book because I find the author's podcast (Spilled Milk, made with another food writer) to be entertaining and informative and friendly for a hopeless cook such as myself. His voice shines through just as clearly in print.
If you're a beginning cook, Everyday Food will ask you to stretch, but not very far. There's a monthly feature called "Have you tried...?" introducing a special ingredient, such has canned chipotles in adobo, pecorino Romano, or radicchio. (If I were the editor, for the April issue I would feature something like "Have you tried...chicken?" or "Have you tried...beer?")
I laughed aloud at several points and even eyed a couple of the recipes (which come at the end of each chapter, after they've been introduced in proper context), but mostly just sat back and appreciated. I kept reading this even when I was knocked flat on the couch by dire allergies and the clock was ticking past midnight on a work night.
I saw a lot of my niece's eating habits in there (and some of my own childhood pickiness) but where I got frustrated with my niece, Amster-Burton somehow makes these traits, well, cute and funny. When Iris announces that she won't be eating vegetables, it's not doomful, just a wry twist away from her earlier openness. His easygoing attitude will, I suspect, ease many a parent's mind about the travails of getting their children to eat something, anything, other than X brand of cereal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And it'll be amusing while it goes about this reassurance: win-win!
October 1, 2009
The style of this book is perfect. It's not a cookbook, it's not a memoir, it's just a dad and his kid (Iris) traversing the rocky road of childhood eating habits. The author just happens to tell you how he makes the easy-peasy recipes for Iris at the end of each chapter. I am definitely stealing the 6-ingredient phad thai recipe!
One of the things I really enjoyed were the references to other food-for-kids books. Amster-Burton balances his food expertise and experiences raising a foodie kid against health & child-rearing experts in the field, debunking or praising the advice they give. Some of this is based out of practicality, some of it's just laughable--I think other children's food writers must not have kids based on the time-consuming & elaborate food preparations they advocate!
Amster-Burton is a local food writer for the Seattle Times and a bunch of hoity-toity foodie magazines. He writes with a relaxed and amiable tone, kind of like you're having a beer with him instead of reading a book.
I highly recommend this for expecting or current parents who want to raise adventurous eaters. Mind, this doesn't mean not-picky--most kids have picky eating habits, as does Amster-Burton's daughter, Iris. Amster-Burton instead focuses on the importance of sharing your foodie passion with your kids, how to feed them without worrying about whether the food is okay for their age-range, and throws a few super tasty recipes into the mix.
Duck Ragu, I'm gonna eatchu!
One of the things I really enjoyed were the references to other food-for-kids books. Amster-Burton balances his food expertise and experiences raising a foodie kid against health & child-rearing experts in the field, debunking or praising the advice they give. Some of this is based out of practicality, some of it's just laughable--I think other children's food writers must not have kids based on the time-consuming & elaborate food preparations they advocate!
Amster-Burton is a local food writer for the Seattle Times and a bunch of hoity-toity foodie magazines. He writes with a relaxed and amiable tone, kind of like you're having a beer with him instead of reading a book.
I highly recommend this for expecting or current parents who want to raise adventurous eaters. Mind, this doesn't mean not-picky--most kids have picky eating habits, as does Amster-Burton's daughter, Iris. Amster-Burton instead focuses on the importance of sharing your foodie passion with your kids, how to feed them without worrying about whether the food is okay for their age-range, and throws a few super tasty recipes into the mix.
Duck Ragu, I'm gonna eatchu!
May 9, 2013
As the first book I read post-baby, this had a marvelous way of calming my fears about starting our dragon on solids and keeping me laughing in the scattered few moments I could cobble together to read it. In particular, the first few chapters made me laugh at my own hyperactive worries about raising a healthy water and it had great overarching ideas about good foods to try, but unfortunately I'm a bit of a culinary "all-thumbs" so most of the later recipes, while delectably described, just intimidate and overwhelm me. I did like the "little helpers" ideas a lot too but would have liked more dishes that could involve kids more.
Grateful though for the inspiration to be inventive, to encourage my darling dragon to help out (yet not necessarily expect his participation) and for the much needed guffaws before my sleep deprived brain drifted off. Recommend more as a lighthearted and fun read of parental adventure than as "how to" raise an adventurous eater, but it still is encouraging to know we're not alone in our failed attempts at times.
Grateful though for the inspiration to be inventive, to encourage my darling dragon to help out (yet not necessarily expect his participation) and for the much needed guffaws before my sleep deprived brain drifted off. Recommend more as a lighthearted and fun read of parental adventure than as "how to" raise an adventurous eater, but it still is encouraging to know we're not alone in our failed attempts at times.
May 23, 2009
Great fun! I enjoyed hearing about Matthew, Iris and Laurie's adventures from his perspective, and of course I particularly enjoyed the literary allusions and references to those I know (although somehow I did not find any BT mentions - in other ways, Matthew comes close to the perfect spouse). Every time I picked the book up I got hungry again although I am less sophisticated than Iris and would probably not survive for long in this household. I am trying to remember what I ate when I visited Laurie in Seattle but I think we went out to dinner with Lisa Motherwell, then returned to Laurie's for cupcakes. Please, no eel the next time I come!
August 13, 2015
I have a picky eater and this book doesn't really help with that. I found myself becoming incredibly jealous that his kid eats sushi, duck, and everything under the sun even though Matthew claims that she hardly eats anything. Also, he has time to go grocery shopping every day? Yeah... not practical for me. Some of the recipes that Matthew suggests I might be able to do, if I could find the weird ingredients to go in them. Overall, this book is not what I had hoped it would be.
Read
April 28, 2009It's funny! It quotes from obscure children's books! It makes me hungry! I like the part about me.
February 25, 2025
I gave this one three stars because I did enjoy reading it. I liked the authors style and I enjoyed the humor. However, it you are planning to read this for any parenting tips for helping your kids eat adventurously (or at least not pickily) that is not what this book is. It’s primarily a fairly pretentious (but filled with self deprecating humor) overview of all the things he likes to eat, and therefore his kid likes to eat, and all the time they spend eating it together.
I suppose one of the things that always makes me skeptical is parenting books in which the person talking about ‘raising adventurous eaters’ has only been a parent for 4 years. While the author does not proclaim to be an expert, writing a book about raising an adventurous eater implies some expertise or intent to impart wisdom on the rest of us plebes. And well, I just don’t believe it based on 4 years experience with one child. Get back to me when you have done this for an entire childhood and/or with multiple kids. And there, I suppose, is my own pretentiousness showing on who should be allowed to write a parenting memoir :D
Some of the recipes did sound pretty tasty though.
I suppose one of the things that always makes me skeptical is parenting books in which the person talking about ‘raising adventurous eaters’ has only been a parent for 4 years. While the author does not proclaim to be an expert, writing a book about raising an adventurous eater implies some expertise or intent to impart wisdom on the rest of us plebes. And well, I just don’t believe it based on 4 years experience with one child. Get back to me when you have done this for an entire childhood and/or with multiple kids. And there, I suppose, is my own pretentiousness showing on who should be allowed to write a parenting memoir :D
Some of the recipes did sound pretty tasty though.
April 30, 2018
More of a put-your-mind-at-ease type book than a researched-technical-feeding-advice type book. Definitely more of a memoir. But still, good, and it DID put my mind at ease regarding some of the tasks ahead (I've been terrified of raising a picky-eater, but Matthew makes it clear that that is likely to happen no matter how hard you try, and it's also totally fine). Recipes look good but I haven't tried my hand at any yet. Back of the book has some recommendations for more technical, researched parenting advice books that I'll probably be picking up.
December 28, 2022
Fun book about trying to raise a kid who loves food as much as you. Funny, some good tips on cooking with a child, and manages to sprinkle in enough recipes to count as a cookbook while telling a cute story.
Stay at home chef-dad sounds like a dream job, but for now I'll have to settle for part-time chef.
Stay at home chef-dad sounds like a dream job, but for now I'll have to settle for part-time chef.
March 20, 2025
This was so annoying! Moderately funny and easy reading, but also super pretentious and not actually helpful for learning about feeding your kid. Some of the recipes were intriguing, but they also felt out of reach because I am not an urban food writer at home with my kid during the day with multiple grocery stores within walking distance and disposable income to mail order my bacon from Wisconsin?
May 31, 2009
I finished this book today and gave it to my husband so he could read it while on a business trip. I am already regretting that decision because I won't have Hungry Monkey in my hands again for 6 whole days. As soon as I read the last page I wanted to start over again with some little sticky flags in my hand to mark recipes I wanted to try and passages where Amster-Burton says specifically that kaiten sushi is ideal baby food. But no, I was all, "This book is hilarious. It's about cooking and kids and Seattle. You're going to love it. Why don't you take it to LA with you?" And now I can't make dumplings or cornmeal pizza crust until Friday. If you know me at all, and you might not, you'll understand why these four reasons alone merited my five-star rating of Hungry Monkey:
-Amster-Burton writes about Seattle and makes me feel like an insider, even though I live in Bellevue;
-he references Bread and Jam For Frances multiple times, which is possibly the best book ever written;
-he got a 5 on my humor rating scale, meaning I was laughing out loud to myself AND making my husband listen as I read funny parts aloud;
-the way he talks about food and feeding his family is equal parts Anthony Bourdain and M.F.K. Fisher, which is no easy feat.
What I was drawn to most in this book is the author's respect for both his daughter and the food they make together. Their relationship as depicted in the book is really quite lovely and illustrates that one does not have to dumb down conversations, expectations, ideas or flavors just because one lives with someone who happens to be a toddler.
And, on a personal note, as I sat in a nearly empty restaurant today and waited for our order that I could SEE on the warming tray for over 15 minutes (including one child's order of mini hamburgers and grapes...yawn) while my own toddler got increasingly flappy and bouncy in her high chair, I thought about our last visit to our favorite sushi place where she happily ate her fill of tamago sushi and edamame as soon as we sat down. Then I thought about Hungry Monkey and realized that I'm glad to have its message, its spirit and its recipes to guide me through these next several years of eating, cooking and throwing food on the floor.
-Amster-Burton writes about Seattle and makes me feel like an insider, even though I live in Bellevue;
-he references Bread and Jam For Frances multiple times, which is possibly the best book ever written;
-he got a 5 on my humor rating scale, meaning I was laughing out loud to myself AND making my husband listen as I read funny parts aloud;
-the way he talks about food and feeding his family is equal parts Anthony Bourdain and M.F.K. Fisher, which is no easy feat.
What I was drawn to most in this book is the author's respect for both his daughter and the food they make together. Their relationship as depicted in the book is really quite lovely and illustrates that one does not have to dumb down conversations, expectations, ideas or flavors just because one lives with someone who happens to be a toddler.
And, on a personal note, as I sat in a nearly empty restaurant today and waited for our order that I could SEE on the warming tray for over 15 minutes (including one child's order of mini hamburgers and grapes...yawn) while my own toddler got increasingly flappy and bouncy in her high chair, I thought about our last visit to our favorite sushi place where she happily ate her fill of tamago sushi and edamame as soon as we sat down. Then I thought about Hungry Monkey and realized that I'm glad to have its message, its spirit and its recipes to guide me through these next several years of eating, cooking and throwing food on the floor.
July 31, 2009
I recently picked up a copy of a new food memoir titled "Hungry Monkey" by Matthew Amster-Burton...because you got me...I loved the kitchy title, its cover and because it was about food. Oh, and the author is from my home - Seattle. What is there not to like about this book? Well, nothing! After a busy Saturday morning with my a$$ firmly planted on my upper deck I devoured this food memoir, enjoying every bite of it!
Yes, I did take some reading breaks! The first break was to try almond milk - steamed milk + almond syrup + lots of foam milk on top! Only my version had three shots of Nespresso espresso. I bring the caffeine, I bring it strong! Head back to the upper deck for more reading! And I got about half way into "Hungry Monkey" realizing my next break needs to be page markers. So I go inside and gather my Eiffel Tower Post-It note collection! I am flagging pages left and right of stories that make me LOL and recipes that I must, must try. Like stew. I have never in my life made a stew...that will change in Fall because I will be making some type of stew that will include bacon, and the good smoked bacon Matthew raves about in his book - Neuske's bacon. Oh, and Trader Joe's Greek style yogurt with fig puree. OMG! How have I missed this product on my bi-weekly TJ's visits? Tj + Figs is a kismet combination that I simply must try. And farmer's markets.
Farmer's markets was break number three. I turned on my laptop and searched for when/where my local West Seattle Farmer's Market is to discover it was the next day! So Sunday morning I woke up extra early, got lots of cash, and headed to the WS farmer's market. And blew through my $40 in less than 4 minutes too! Here's what I got: A flat of blueberries and raspberries, olive bread, white goat cheese with chives, blueberry butter, 2 delicious gluten free pastries (a biblical experience) (yum) (very yum), and flowers.
And to quote Arnold Schwarzenegger...I'll be back!!! Farmer's Markets ROCK!
Check out Matthew Amster-Burton's blog: http://www.rootsandgrubs.com
Yes, I did take some reading breaks! The first break was to try almond milk - steamed milk + almond syrup + lots of foam milk on top! Only my version had three shots of Nespresso espresso. I bring the caffeine, I bring it strong! Head back to the upper deck for more reading! And I got about half way into "Hungry Monkey" realizing my next break needs to be page markers. So I go inside and gather my Eiffel Tower Post-It note collection! I am flagging pages left and right of stories that make me LOL and recipes that I must, must try. Like stew. I have never in my life made a stew...that will change in Fall because I will be making some type of stew that will include bacon, and the good smoked bacon Matthew raves about in his book - Neuske's bacon. Oh, and Trader Joe's Greek style yogurt with fig puree. OMG! How have I missed this product on my bi-weekly TJ's visits? Tj + Figs is a kismet combination that I simply must try. And farmer's markets.
Farmer's markets was break number three. I turned on my laptop and searched for when/where my local West Seattle Farmer's Market is to discover it was the next day! So Sunday morning I woke up extra early, got lots of cash, and headed to the WS farmer's market. And blew through my $40 in less than 4 minutes too! Here's what I got: A flat of blueberries and raspberries, olive bread, white goat cheese with chives, blueberry butter, 2 delicious gluten free pastries (a biblical experience) (yum) (very yum), and flowers.
And to quote Arnold Schwarzenegger...I'll be back!!! Farmer's Markets ROCK!
Check out Matthew Amster-Burton's blog: http://www.rootsandgrubs.com
December 27, 2009
A fun read. Enjoyed the solidarity of foodie-ness + parenthood in the author's life and also mine. Amster-Burton is a no health food freak and is one of the most guilt-free child feeders that I've ever run across, I aspire to his level of mental freedom about what constitutes "right" eating and what is acceptable fare and practice for youthful meals. I have occasional fantasies about living in Seattle and this book didn't help that little delusion any...the author's world sounds like a paridisically edible corner of the planet. Lots of recipes scattered through the book and lots of inspiring food descriptions...stuff I can't wait to try with my kids and for my myself.
All that said, Amster-Burton makes no secret of the obvious fact that he's just a guy who loves food and happens to have a four year old...he's no childrearing, parenting expert. Its not a book you turn to for advice and guidence its a place for parents to go for a little common understanding, a lot of good chuckles and a liberating sense of connection and community in the society of those who are just making this whole kid/food thing up as they go. When it comes right down to it...none of us are experts...we're just folks, trying to share what we love with our kids as much as we can stand to and trying to hold onto our own food romance.
All that said, Amster-Burton makes no secret of the obvious fact that he's just a guy who loves food and happens to have a four year old...he's no childrearing, parenting expert. Its not a book you turn to for advice and guidence its a place for parents to go for a little common understanding, a lot of good chuckles and a liberating sense of connection and community in the society of those who are just making this whole kid/food thing up as they go. When it comes right down to it...none of us are experts...we're just folks, trying to share what we love with our kids as much as we can stand to and trying to hold onto our own food romance.
January 3, 2010
This was a Christmas gift, and the last book I read in 2009.
First, it's important to note that the subtitle is misleading. Amster-Burton clearly wants his daughter to be an adventurous eater, but he gives up on that when she learns that she can say "yuck", around 24 months of age. The book is really about how to cook for a family that includes a picky toddler without making multiple meals and sacrificing taste for the adults.
Caveat number two: Amster-Burton is a stay-at-home dad with two hours each day to work on dinner. He is upfront about this, but it does lead to some meals that sound great but aren't going to be my weeknight fare.
Apart from those two issues, this is a fun book. The style is breezy and fun. It's filled with great ideas that I'm sure I'll return to when my kid gets a little older. A good reminder that cooking can be fun family time, and eating is something everyone can enjoy together. Recommended for anyone cooking for a family with kids.
First, it's important to note that the subtitle is misleading. Amster-Burton clearly wants his daughter to be an adventurous eater, but he gives up on that when she learns that she can say "yuck", around 24 months of age. The book is really about how to cook for a family that includes a picky toddler without making multiple meals and sacrificing taste for the adults.
Caveat number two: Amster-Burton is a stay-at-home dad with two hours each day to work on dinner. He is upfront about this, but it does lead to some meals that sound great but aren't going to be my weeknight fare.
Apart from those two issues, this is a fun book. The style is breezy and fun. It's filled with great ideas that I'm sure I'll return to when my kid gets a little older. A good reminder that cooking can be fun family time, and eating is something everyone can enjoy together. Recommended for anyone cooking for a family with kids.
August 25, 2009
Disclaimer: I don't have kids. And I read this at someone's house, so I mostly skimmed the second half, and I didn't read any of the recipes.
It's more of a fun read than a step-by-step how-to, but it's great for perspective, even for those who do not frequent their local Asian market. The basic message is to give your baby/child the opportunity to be as non-picky an eater as they can be, but as picky as they need to be (and still give them the opportunity to come out of whatever phase they're in), and approach it all with with sanity.
He completely shreds the "never give your baby anything but the most sanitized bland stuff" philosophy, and it was fun to stand on the sidelines for that one, thinking "get 'em get 'em get 'em!" Child-feeding should not be a religion, and people have been feeding their babies long before Gerber and self-help books came along.
It's more of a fun read than a step-by-step how-to, but it's great for perspective, even for those who do not frequent their local Asian market. The basic message is to give your baby/child the opportunity to be as non-picky an eater as they can be, but as picky as they need to be (and still give them the opportunity to come out of whatever phase they're in), and approach it all with with sanity.
He completely shreds the "never give your baby anything but the most sanitized bland stuff" philosophy, and it was fun to stand on the sidelines for that one, thinking "get 'em get 'em get 'em!" Child-feeding should not be a religion, and people have been feeding their babies long before Gerber and self-help books came along.
June 25, 2009
I love books that reinforce my own prejudices, and this book does so in spades. I love books that star people I know and like. I especially love books that make me laugh and follow my family around to read aloud to them. Amster-Burton strikes all the right notes in this memoir-cookbook hybrid. He's wryly hilarious and sweet without being treacly. His recipes are clear and readable and mostly appetizing, though I remain unconvinced regarding polenta. His loving, warm descriptions of his 4-year-old daughter may come back to haunt him when she's a teenager (Oh. My. God. Dad, how *could* you?) but it will have been worth it to the rest of us. Highly recommended for people who have ever had children or have ever been children.
May 21, 2012
According to the author (a restaurant critic & food writer, who reads the American Pediatric Journal- for the articles), picky eaters are not made, it just happens- as he and many others in his food circle (including chefs) can attest to. One day his daughter is eating spicy foods, sushi, fish, etc., the next week she's not, and still is not. This book had many funny, laugh out loud parts. The author is very entertaining, as well as encouraging. I thoroughly enjoyed this book having a child who went from eating everything to nothing overnight, and who is slowly making his back to eating more.
July 2, 2012
A food-writing Seattle dad tries (with varying degrees of success) to create an adventurous eater out of his daughter, Iris. Some good recipes are sprinkled in with his anecdotes, and they're heavy on the meat. I especially enjoyed the brief appearances of other Seattle foodies and food writers. One might call this name dropping but Amster-Burton seems too down to earth to call it that. Dads will especially appreciate this book, even more so if they are in charge of the bulk of their household's cooking.
June 1, 2013
Hungry Monkey was fun to read. I'd probably love any book about cooking and eating. This book made me feel better about having a picky eater, because he says, among other comforting arguments, that the solution to picky eating is "recognizing that it isn't a problem" (p. 107). This book also made me feel a lot of other emotions, but it mostly made me hungry. I'll be saving some of the recipes and trying them out with my two hungry monkeys.
July 28, 2009
A very quick and enjoyable read. The author is pretty funny and I found myself laughing at many of his adventures with 4-yr old Iris. I'm not sure how many of the recipes I'll make, but his approach is refreshing.
May 24, 2015
Great book with a healthy mix of humor and information. I'm looking forward to teaching my own daughter the joy of cooking and eating a wide variety of food
March 18, 2018
Having found Pretty Good Number One a reasonably entertaining read, I decided to pick up Amster-Burton's Hungry Monkey as a follow up piece of light reading. In the Epilogue, Amster-Burton writes:
"If you've read this far, you're probably thinking that this book was supposed to be about the challenges of feeding a young child and it didn't sound at all challenging. Guilty as charged."
I supposed if he'd led with this admission, fewer people would pick up his book. Hungry Monkey, as the cover proclaims, is about "a food loving father's quest to raise an adventurous eater". Stories about their meals and eating experiences? Check. Recipes that he's prepared for the family? Check. Tips on how to raise and adventurous eater? Nope. We learn that Iris, Amster-Burton's daughter, is her own person. As a one year old, she is naturally adventurous - she loves spice, eats enchiladas, sushi, Szechuan food and what have you. Not every kid is this way, even if their parents deigned to feed them enchiladas instead of, say, steamed butternut squash and minced chicken. But when she turns two, Iris's pickiness genes are activated and she refuses vegetables. AND THERE IS NOTHING HER PARENTS CAN DO ABOUT IT. They just have to keep plugging away, offering her a taste of different foods, jumping with elation inside when she accepts the taste, sighing inwardly when she refuses. So Amster-Burton's "quest" is really more an account that most parents would be familiar with - eating with young children and dealing with their evolving preferences and tastes.
So two stars for this book because, well, the contents fall short of what the title promises, there's nothing terribly unusual/interesting about the nature or details of Amster-Burton's quest (although, being the daughter of a food writer, Iris does seem to be very well educated about food), and because I found his brand of humour quite lame. What elevated Pretty Good Number One to three stars was, well, because Japan. But that's a gaping absence in the case of Hungry Monkey.
"If you've read this far, you're probably thinking that this book was supposed to be about the challenges of feeding a young child and it didn't sound at all challenging. Guilty as charged."
I supposed if he'd led with this admission, fewer people would pick up his book. Hungry Monkey, as the cover proclaims, is about "a food loving father's quest to raise an adventurous eater". Stories about their meals and eating experiences? Check. Recipes that he's prepared for the family? Check. Tips on how to raise and adventurous eater? Nope. We learn that Iris, Amster-Burton's daughter, is her own person. As a one year old, she is naturally adventurous - she loves spice, eats enchiladas, sushi, Szechuan food and what have you. Not every kid is this way, even if their parents deigned to feed them enchiladas instead of, say, steamed butternut squash and minced chicken. But when she turns two, Iris's pickiness genes are activated and she refuses vegetables. AND THERE IS NOTHING HER PARENTS CAN DO ABOUT IT. They just have to keep plugging away, offering her a taste of different foods, jumping with elation inside when she accepts the taste, sighing inwardly when she refuses. So Amster-Burton's "quest" is really more an account that most parents would be familiar with - eating with young children and dealing with their evolving preferences and tastes.
So two stars for this book because, well, the contents fall short of what the title promises, there's nothing terribly unusual/interesting about the nature or details of Amster-Burton's quest (although, being the daughter of a food writer, Iris does seem to be very well educated about food), and because I found his brand of humour quite lame. What elevated Pretty Good Number One to three stars was, well, because Japan. But that's a gaping absence in the case of Hungry Monkey.
October 30, 2017
I picked up this book because Neil Patrick Harris recommended it. I was so disgusted I couldn't finish it. Some highlights:
"I highly recommend the emergency C-section. I joked with the anesthesiologist for a while, and then a nurse handed me a baby."
"Stirring together the formula powder and water for the first time, I felt like a jerk. Not because I was worried about nutrition....No, I was worried about flavor."
He also says he drank his wife's breastmilk without her permission. If you're a man that might not seem like a big deal, but to me that seems like some sort of violation.
"Okay, she's right: babies don't need added salt in their diet." He then goes on to say he added salt to all the food he fed his infant daughter. With these results: "I have to admit that Iris is a total salt fiend. If you put her near an open salt dish, she will continue dipping her finger in until the salt is gone." He then describes how she drinks dishes of soy sauce.
He also mentions that he fed his infant raw meat, but I didn't stick around long enough to get to that chapter.
"It's simple: your taste buds are smart....A diet based on values other than taste is, to use the swear word of the moment, unsustainable." (his emphasis)
"I have offered Iris beer several times, and she's just not interested. Whatever, kid." Keep in mind his daughter is four years old at the time of writing.
He treats food entirely as entertainment, not as the source of life and health. He has zero concern for what is the optimum diet for infants and toddlers, or what impact a diet heavy in meat and spices has on a baby. His only concern is what is most fun for him and seems "cool."
If you are a hipster, you might enjoy this book. If you are at all alternative or holistic, save yourself the aggravation.
"I highly recommend the emergency C-section. I joked with the anesthesiologist for a while, and then a nurse handed me a baby."
"Stirring together the formula powder and water for the first time, I felt like a jerk. Not because I was worried about nutrition....No, I was worried about flavor."
He also says he drank his wife's breastmilk without her permission. If you're a man that might not seem like a big deal, but to me that seems like some sort of violation.
"Okay, she's right: babies don't need added salt in their diet." He then goes on to say he added salt to all the food he fed his infant daughter. With these results: "I have to admit that Iris is a total salt fiend. If you put her near an open salt dish, she will continue dipping her finger in until the salt is gone." He then describes how she drinks dishes of soy sauce.
He also mentions that he fed his infant raw meat, but I didn't stick around long enough to get to that chapter.
"It's simple: your taste buds are smart....A diet based on values other than taste is, to use the swear word of the moment, unsustainable." (his emphasis)
"I have offered Iris beer several times, and she's just not interested. Whatever, kid." Keep in mind his daughter is four years old at the time of writing.
He treats food entirely as entertainment, not as the source of life and health. He has zero concern for what is the optimum diet for infants and toddlers, or what impact a diet heavy in meat and spices has on a baby. His only concern is what is most fun for him and seems "cool."
If you are a hipster, you might enjoy this book. If you are at all alternative or holistic, save yourself the aggravation.
September 1, 2025
Around 1/3 of the novel are anecdotes about daughter which are sometimes funny or cute but sometimes not that interesting (one had to be there, I guess, or at least be related to her).
1/3 are recommendations on where to shop in Seattle or online for specific brands.
And 1/3 are recipes which are more often than not unfeasible if you are living with a picky eater.
The first part of the novel made me annoyed about how fortunate Matthew is with his toddler's open-mindedness (as if we've done things wrong with our two picky eaters and are already past the point of no return).
But turns out she also turns into a picky eater at a further age, just in a different manner than ours: gourmet/brand-specific choosy. Hah!
It was cool to see how she mimics her father's food-loving behaviour. Even starts cooking at a very young age.
I do not know who I would recommend this one to. Prospective or current parents are likely to be disappointed if they are hoping to use this as an inspiration. One of the hardest things as a parent is to accept that all children are different, and some may be more open to experimenting with e.g. unknown food than others - meaning you'll have to accept you can try to engage your child but that there is no recipe for success (pun intended). On the other hand, parents may find it endearing to read how you can share your passion with your mini-me, and wish they'd compiled a similar memoir or be triggered to fondly reflect back on similar recollections.
1/3 are recommendations on where to shop in Seattle or online for specific brands.
And 1/3 are recipes which are more often than not unfeasible if you are living with a picky eater.
The first part of the novel made me annoyed about how fortunate Matthew is with his toddler's open-mindedness (as if we've done things wrong with our two picky eaters and are already past the point of no return).
But turns out she also turns into a picky eater at a further age, just in a different manner than ours: gourmet/brand-specific choosy. Hah!
It was cool to see how she mimics her father's food-loving behaviour. Even starts cooking at a very young age.
I do not know who I would recommend this one to. Prospective or current parents are likely to be disappointed if they are hoping to use this as an inspiration. One of the hardest things as a parent is to accept that all children are different, and some may be more open to experimenting with e.g. unknown food than others - meaning you'll have to accept you can try to engage your child but that there is no recipe for success (pun intended). On the other hand, parents may find it endearing to read how you can share your passion with your mini-me, and wish they'd compiled a similar memoir or be triggered to fondly reflect back on similar recollections.
February 24, 2018
Amster-Burton is laugh out loud funny, and his advice is really quite simple, boiling down to just two rules. First is that babies and children can and should eat whatever you are eating -- no need for a special diet (other than what you are eating should be cut finer). Second rule is that at a certain age - your job is to provide the food, and let the child eat it (or not). All children seem to go through a picky eating phase, but with patience they can grow out if.
After 10 years, this book doesn't feel too dated, though Iris is a teenager now. Amster-Burton is a stay-at-home dad who loves to cook, and will go to the store everyday. He knows his way around the Asian market, and the farmer's market. Unfortunately, I don't have the same kind of time or access to exotic ingredients, which makes the author less relatable, despite his humor.
I do look forward to trying a few of the recipes provided.
After 10 years, this book doesn't feel too dated, though Iris is a teenager now. Amster-Burton is a stay-at-home dad who loves to cook, and will go to the store everyday. He knows his way around the Asian market, and the farmer's market. Unfortunately, I don't have the same kind of time or access to exotic ingredients, which makes the author less relatable, despite his humor.
I do look forward to trying a few of the recipes provided.
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