An Exclusive Interview with Jim Gaffigan, Author of Food: A Love Story
Jim Gaffigan is a food-loving, kid-raising, everyman comic—if, that is, your average everyman’s musings about Hot Pockets could get millions of views on YouTube. Gaffigan is hilarious on fatherhood (see: Dad Is Fat), he’s hilarious on TV shows and movies (see: Flight of the Conchords and It’s Kind of a Funny Story), and now he’s circling back around to be hilarious on food again, this time in Food: A Love Story. Here’s Gaffigan on comedy specials, dystopian breakfast sandwiches, and why french fries are, if anything, underrated.
Food: A Love Story
Hardcover $26.00
Food: A Love Story
By Jim Gaffigan
Hardcover $26.00
Food: A Love Story is your second book of essays, following the hilarious parenting-themed collection Dad is Fat. Do you find writing a book to be very different from writing a comedy special?
Essay writing is liberating, but labor intensive. Standup is all about the shortest way to the funny, while essays are about the journey to the funny. With essays you can stretch out and ease into topics. I find most standup can translate into an essay, but most essays do not necessarily make good standup.
In your special “Beyond the Pale,” which was released in 2006, you successfully predicted the advent of the Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich, which Dunkin Donuts made a reality last year. What is your next food-abomination-that-will-become-an-actual-menu-item prediction?
I just stumbled upon that prediction. I write a little bit about this in Food: A Love Story. I believe Americans are never satisfied when it comes to food options. I don’t think anyone could predict Jim Bean Jalapeño-flavored sunflower seeds. Yes, they do exist.
What was it like moving from the Midwest, where you grew up, to NYC, one of the most foodcentric places in the world?
The convenience of NYC-easy food (bagels and pizza) fits the pace of NYC, but I think Chicago-unhealthy food (deep dish pizza, hot dogs, Italian beef) had a bigger influence on my love of eating.
As a father of five, do you feel as though you’ve passed your love of food on to your children? Have they taught you anything about food?
Yes, I see my eating habits in my kids and frankly, it worries me. Thankfully my wife, Jeannie, sets a good example of healthy eating.
Do you ever believe anyone who says they are “too busy to eat”?
Yes, but I would never take food advice from them. Bad priorities.
Please tell me that someday you’ll have your own cooking show.
Besides making bratwurst during the summer, I don’t enjoy cooking. I understand and appreciate a love for cooking but I’m an eater.
Will you ever be opening your own fancy NYC eatery or steakhouse? What would it be called?
I guess I’d love to have a steakhouse, but the name would be tough. I guess I’d go with The Jim Gaffigan School of Ballet. That way someone could say, “Last night I went to the ballet,” but they were really eating steak.
There are so many diet books out there—did it make you feel like a renegade to write a book in praise of food? Do you consider yourself a food ambassador?
I guess I consider myself the Dr. Oz of unhealthy eating.
What do you think is the most misunderstood food? The most overrated food?
I don’t think french fries get the credit they deserve. They are the loyal sidekick for so many dishes—we order the burger with fries, the gyro with fries. Fries are amazing. But I’ve never had a strawberry that has lived up to expectations.
You’ve said that you collaborate with your wife when it comes to writing your material. Did she have any input when it came to the striking cover image for Food: A Love Story, which shows you on a wedding cake next to a hot dog? (And if you had to marry a food, would it be a hot dog? You two do look really good together.)
I do everything with my wife, Jeannie. We write everything together. She had a heavy influence on Food, but the point of view is most definitely mine. Jeannie likes fish and vegetables. The cover was inspired by the wedding toppers Jeannie and I had at our wedding. On our wedding cake the bride was Supergirl, and I was the straight man groom. I do love hot dogs, but it was a photographic balance we were looking for on the cover. I love bratwurst, but they aren’t attractive to look at. I love bacon, but same issue. I love steak, but visually it doesn’t work either. So the hot dog won, which is fine. Everyone loves hot dogs. Well, except weirdos.
Author photo by Alan Gastelum
Shop all Humor books >
Food: A Love Story is your second book of essays, following the hilarious parenting-themed collection Dad is Fat. Do you find writing a book to be very different from writing a comedy special?
Essay writing is liberating, but labor intensive. Standup is all about the shortest way to the funny, while essays are about the journey to the funny. With essays you can stretch out and ease into topics. I find most standup can translate into an essay, but most essays do not necessarily make good standup.
In your special “Beyond the Pale,” which was released in 2006, you successfully predicted the advent of the Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich, which Dunkin Donuts made a reality last year. What is your next food-abomination-that-will-become-an-actual-menu-item prediction?
I just stumbled upon that prediction. I write a little bit about this in Food: A Love Story. I believe Americans are never satisfied when it comes to food options. I don’t think anyone could predict Jim Bean Jalapeño-flavored sunflower seeds. Yes, they do exist.
What was it like moving from the Midwest, where you grew up, to NYC, one of the most foodcentric places in the world?
The convenience of NYC-easy food (bagels and pizza) fits the pace of NYC, but I think Chicago-unhealthy food (deep dish pizza, hot dogs, Italian beef) had a bigger influence on my love of eating.
As a father of five, do you feel as though you’ve passed your love of food on to your children? Have they taught you anything about food?
Yes, I see my eating habits in my kids and frankly, it worries me. Thankfully my wife, Jeannie, sets a good example of healthy eating.
Do you ever believe anyone who says they are “too busy to eat”?
Yes, but I would never take food advice from them. Bad priorities.
Please tell me that someday you’ll have your own cooking show.
Besides making bratwurst during the summer, I don’t enjoy cooking. I understand and appreciate a love for cooking but I’m an eater.
Will you ever be opening your own fancy NYC eatery or steakhouse? What would it be called?
I guess I’d love to have a steakhouse, but the name would be tough. I guess I’d go with The Jim Gaffigan School of Ballet. That way someone could say, “Last night I went to the ballet,” but they were really eating steak.
There are so many diet books out there—did it make you feel like a renegade to write a book in praise of food? Do you consider yourself a food ambassador?
I guess I consider myself the Dr. Oz of unhealthy eating.
What do you think is the most misunderstood food? The most overrated food?
I don’t think french fries get the credit they deserve. They are the loyal sidekick for so many dishes—we order the burger with fries, the gyro with fries. Fries are amazing. But I’ve never had a strawberry that has lived up to expectations.
You’ve said that you collaborate with your wife when it comes to writing your material. Did she have any input when it came to the striking cover image for Food: A Love Story, which shows you on a wedding cake next to a hot dog? (And if you had to marry a food, would it be a hot dog? You two do look really good together.)
I do everything with my wife, Jeannie. We write everything together. She had a heavy influence on Food, but the point of view is most definitely mine. Jeannie likes fish and vegetables. The cover was inspired by the wedding toppers Jeannie and I had at our wedding. On our wedding cake the bride was Supergirl, and I was the straight man groom. I do love hot dogs, but it was a photographic balance we were looking for on the cover. I love bratwurst, but they aren’t attractive to look at. I love bacon, but same issue. I love steak, but visually it doesn’t work either. So the hot dog won, which is fine. Everyone loves hot dogs. Well, except weirdos.
Author photo by Alan Gastelum
Shop all Humor books >