My Fat Dad

Another memoir I read this month, My Fat Dad, written by Dawn Lerman.  This one on the surface seems a bit lighter read but there is again the underlying tension of growing up in her family that makes an impression that affects her career path and her relationship to food.  This is also a book full of recipes that look delicious.  Dawn grew up in the 1970s moving from Chicago to New York City with her parents and sister.  Her father, very overweight had a love hate relationship with food.  He worked in advertising and was like the Mad Men a copywriter, famous for such slogans as, Coke Is It, This Bud's For You, and Leggo My Eggo.  Dawn writes about her father's love of eating, her grandmother's love of Dawn and teaching her how to cook good, healthy, natural foods.  Her mother was at her best when surrounded by admirers.  It is interesting to see how growing up in this environment helped make Dawn the person she turns out to be as an adult, how her upbringing shaped her connection to her family.  How both of her grandmother's Jewish heritage informed their message and feelings about food.  How satisfaction can come from feeding the ones you love.