In debut novel 'Food Person,' a food writer ghostwrites a celebrity cookbook

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: Summary of "Food Person" by Adam Roberts

Episode Title: In debut novel 'Food Person,' a food writer ghostwrites a celebrity cookbook
Release Date: June 2, 2025
Host: Andrew Limbong
Author Featured: Adam Roberts

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Introduction to "Food Person"

In this episode of NPR's Book of the Day, host Andrew Limbong introduces Adam Roberts' debut novel, Food Person. The story centers around Isabella Pasternak, a dedicated food writer who faces a professional setback when she disastrously mishandles a chocolate souffle during an Instagram live session. In an effort to recover her reputation, Isabella is offered the unique opportunity to ghostwrite a cookbook for Molly Babcock, a high-profile celebrity known more for her tumultuous behavior than any culinary expertise.

Plot Overview

Adam Roberts provides an engaging synopsis of the novel:

“Her job at an online food magazine when she mucks up a chocolate souffle on Instagram live. On the rebound, she's offered the opportunity to write that is to ghostwrite a cookbook for Molly Babcock, an actor with a reputation for bad behavior and a career in need of a reboot. But does Molly have any recipes for food or for life?”
— Adam Roberts [01:25]

Isabella's passion for food starkly contrasts with Molly's indifference, setting the stage for an intriguing collaborative dynamic.

Character Development: Isabella and Molly

Roberts delves into the complexities of his main characters, striving to avoid the cliché of a superficial celebrity devoid of depth.

“I try to push past the idea of the shallow celebrity who doesn't eat and doesn't like food. I wanted to understand why does this character Molly resist the idea of actually cooking and eating?”
— Adam Roberts [02:44]

A pivotal moment in the novel reveals that Molly's aversion to food stems from her mother's legacy as a passionate home cook. This revelation adds layers to Molly's character and enriches the narrative.

“Family recipes can open family histories and that can be complicated, can't it?”
— Adam Roberts [03:11]

Themes Explored in "Food Person"

The novel intertwines the love for food with deeper emotional and psychological themes:

• Food as a Connection: Cooking serves as a medium through which Isabella and Molly bridge their differences and form an unexpected bond.

  “Food has a way of unlocking us and can open us up to each other, doesn't it?”
  — Adam Roberts [05:56]

• Emotional Stories Behind Recipes: Roberts emphasizes that great food writing goes beyond mere recipes, offering glimpses into personal lives and histories.

  “Even when you go to a restaurant and they describe a dish and they say this dish comes from the chef's grandmother who escaped World War II, it makes it taste different to hear the story before you eat it.”
  — Adam Roberts [05:10]

• Intimacy of Sharing Meals: The act of eating together is portrayed as a vulnerable and intimate experience that fosters deep connections.

  “We're vulnerable when we're eating. It's a bodily thing. You know, you're putting food into your body. It's very intimate.”
  — Adam Roberts [05:56]

Author's Influences and Inspirations

Adam Roberts shares his admiration for renowned food writers who have shaped his approach to storytelling:

“First and foremost, I would say Calvin Trillin. Actually he wrote a book a couple years ago called Feeding a Yin. And that was the first food book I ever read where it was really funny. And I thought, wow, you can be funny about food because so much food writing is self serious.”
— Adam Roberts [03:53]

Roberts also praises other literary figures like Ruth Reichl and M.F.K. Fisher for their ability to weave personal narratives with culinary delights.

Culinary Insights and Personal Touches

As a nod to his culinary passion, Roberts shares his favorite recipe, reflecting the personal nature of food in his writing:

“My favorite recipe comes from Lidia Bastianich and it's cavatappi with sun dried tomatoes and cannellini beans. And you make it by sauteing garlic and sun dried tomatoes in olive oil with chili flakes. Then you drop cavatappi into a pot of boiling salted water. Then you take the pasta water and you add it to the pan with the tomatoes and the garlic and it kind of makes a sauce. And then you add white beans to that and then you add the pasta and parmesan cheese. And it's truly. I mean, I make it all the time. It's my favorite pasta dish.”
— Adam Roberts [06:36]

This inclusion underscores how food serves as a central theme in both his life and his writing.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Food Person emerges as a heartfelt exploration of how food intertwines with personal identity, relationships, and emotional healing. Through Isabella and Molly's journey, Roberts illustrates that even the most unlikely collaborations can lead to profound personal growth and understanding.

“And I really tried to build the story so that the kitchen was the locus of all that change.”
— Adam Roberts [05:28]

Roberts' debut novel promises to resonate with readers who appreciate nuanced character development and the rich storytelling possibilities that food offers.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Adam Roberts on Character Depth:
  “I try to push past the idea of the shallow celebrity who doesn't eat and doesn't like food.” [02:44]

• On Family Recipes:
  “Family recipes can open family histories and that can be complicated, can't it?” [03:11]

• On Food and Intimacy:
  “We're vulnerable when we're eating. It's a bodily thing. You know, you're putting food into your body. It's very intimate.” [05:56]

• On Food Writing:
  “Even when you go to a restaurant and they describe a dish and they say this dish comes from the chef's grandmother who escaped World War II, it makes it taste different to hear the story before you eat it.” [05:10]

• Favorite Recipe Share:
  “I make it all the time. It's my favorite pasta dish.” [06:36]

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Adam Roberts' "Food Person" promises a delectable blend of culinary passion and emotional storytelling, making it a must-read for enthusiasts of both food and richly woven narratives.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. I will not name names, but sometimes super famous people do book projects. Say a kid's book or a cookbook. And you can tell. You can tell when it's sincere, when it comes from somewhere, and you can also tell when it's a phoned in vanity project. Today's book is a novel about the latter. In Adam Roberts, Food Person, our main character has to ghostwrite a cookbook for a big time celebrity who doesn' like food. But as Roberts tells npr, Scott Simon he wanted to push past this cliche of a celeb as vapid empty shell and find something worth connecting with in all his characters. That's ahead.

[Scott Simon]

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[Isabella Pasternak]

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[Adam Roberts]

Her job at an online food magazine when she mucks up a chocolate souffle on Instagram live. On the rebound, she's offered the opportunity to write that is to ghostwrite a cookbook for Molly Babcock, an actor with a reputation for bad behavior and a career in need of a reboot. But does Molly have any recipes for food or for life? Food Person is the debut novel from Adam Roberts, a food writer himself who joins us from our studios in New York. Thanks so much for being with us.

Thanks for having me, Scott. This is really cool.

It's cool for us. At first glance, this doesn't seem like such a promising partnership, does it?

No. Molly is a celebrity who does not like food. And Isabella is as passionate about food as anyone is passionate about anything. Her whole life is food. And it's somewhat autobiographical because even right now as I'm sitting here talking to you, I'm thinking about what I'm going to have for lunch. So some people are just built that way where food is their priority. And Isabella, she just loves cooking and she loves collecting cookbooks and cookbooks are her passion, which is sort of what sets up the conflict with Molly because Molly doesn't care about cookbooks nearly as much as Isabella does.

Molly has her reasons for not being warm about food, doesn't she?

Yes. You know, in writing this book, I try to push past the idea of the shallow celebrity who doesn't eat and doesn't like food. I wanted to understand why does this character Molly resist the idea of actually cooking and eating? And halfway through the book, there's a revelation that you find out that her mother was a passionate home cook and had a collection of recipes. So that sort of unlocks her character a bit and helps us get deeper into the story.

Family recipes can open family histories and that can be complicated, can't it?

Yeah, family recipes. I mean, there are stories that go with those recipes and oftentimes the stories are better than the recipes. You know, I think a lot of us have things that our parents made or our grandparents made. My mother in law makes a lasagna with cottage cheese, and I think that's very common around the country. But, you know, as. As the food culture has grown and grown, you'll see more and more, quote unquote, authentic lasagnas with ricotta cheese. But for my partner, like, eating it with cottage cheese is so sentimental and emotional. So I think that there's a lot of psychology that goes into the food that we eat and the way we think about the food that we eat.

That sounds good, actually.

Yeah, I think it's a good substitute.

I wonder how much. What food writers do you admire and have they influenced you?

Oh, I have so many. I mean, first and foremost, I would say Calvin Trillin. Actually he wrote a book a couple years ago called Feeding a Yin. And that was the first food book I ever read where it was really funny. And I thought, wow, you can be funny about food because so much food writing is self serious. And I love that he didn't take himself too seriously. And I love him. I love Ruth Reichl, I love MFK Fisher. I mean, you name it, I love him.

And Isabella notes that the really great food writers, it's not just recipes to them. Right. It's a peek into their lives.

Absolutely. You know, the very first essay of Calvin Trillin's that I read was about his daughter going away to college and saying she would only come back to New York if he could track down the pumpernickel bagel that she loved growing up. That story, you know, as much as it's about food, that's about so, so much more. It's about a father losing his daughter to the wider world, wanting her to come home. And I think we wrap up so much emotion in These stories about food. And even when you go to a restaurant and they describe a dish and they say this dish comes from the chef's grandmother who escaped World War II, it makes it taste different to hear the story before you eat it. So I think it's really important we.

Should reveal, without revealing too much, that Molly and Isabella do learn from each other, don't they?

Mm. My starting point was that Isabella was very withdrawn and disconnected from people. You know, the opening of the whole book, it talks about how she brings cookies to work every day that she can hand out to people so she doesn't have to talk to them.

Yeah.

Molly, on the other hand, is extremely extroverted. Over the top, loves attention, loves being in the limelight, but is not necessarily thoughtful. And so these two women, through cooking together, sort of are forced to kind of. And I really tried to build the story so that the kitchen was the locus of all that change.

You are reminded and maybe. I don't know if this fell into your design or not. Food has a way of unlocking us and can open us up to each other, doesn't it?

Absolutely. I mean, just the concept of breaking bread. Most of these things happen at the table when we're eating, and I think it's because we're vulnerable when we're eating. It's a bodily thing. You know, you're putting food into your body. It's very intimate. So to do that and somebody else's company is very relationship forming. And I think that's why, you know, you go on a date, usually to a restaurant and you share food together and there's a lot of emotional transactions that happen at the table. And I think that there's so many books about that. There's one called Life is Meals and I think that's pretty much true.

I do not ask this of every first time novelist. Can we have a recipe?

Okay. My favorite recipe comes from Lidia Bastianich and it's cavatappi with sun dried tomatoes and cannellini beans. And you make it by sauteing garlic and sun dried tomatoes in olive oil with chili flakes. Then you drop cavatappi into a pot of boiling salted water. Then you take the pasta water and you add it to the pan with the tomatoes and the garlic and it kind of makes a sauce. And then you add white beans to that and then you add the pasta and parmesan cheese. And it's truly. I mean, I make it all the time. It's my favorite pasta dish.

Adam Roberts debut novel food person. Thank you so much for being with us.

Thank you so much Scott. This was a real pleasure.

[Scott Simon]

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[Isabella Pasternak]

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