Eat Like a Googler

This morning, DK Publishing held a breakfast launch event for its latest publication, Food 2.0: Secrets from the Chef Who Fed Google by Charlie Ayers.

Ayers was the first cook hired by Google in 1999, when the company had barely 50 employees. The idea was to have a full-time chef cook nutritious energy food to boost productivity by keeping Googlers on campus and away from Wienersnitzel. Ayers said that in the beginning, all the employees wanted were versions of fast food and take-out stuff they were already eating: hamburgers, burritos, sushi, Indian food, and so on. So Ayers created a menu of simple, healthy ingredients that mimicked many of their favorite foods and introduced them to new ones--like tofu stroganoff. Ayers also said it was a challenge to keep everyone happy, from the Taco Bell crowd to the yoga-mat vegans.





Spending a few minutes with Food 2.0, there are two things that I immediately appreciated. First, most of the recipes contain common pantry products (so you don't have to buy an entire jar of cardamom pods for one tablespoon in one stinking recipe). Second, Ayers covers techniques for stocking your pantry, freezing food and herbs, and keeping your refrigerator tidy. The book is as much cooking philosophy as recipes. Some may find it preachy or obvious, but there is definitely some useful stuff here.

As far as the recipes go, though many are standard fare, Ayers throws in enough curve balls (either with preparation or common-yet-innovative ingredients) to make it interesting. My one complaint is that Ayers spends too much time on condiments, health drinks, and salads. Apparently the Googlers were big hot sauce fans, because Ayers includes multiple recipes.

Ayers left Google in 2005, when the company had grown to 1,500. At that point, Ayers had five sous chefs and 150 prep cooks and dishwashers working under him. The company is even larger now. It has created a food-court type cafeteria with many different offerings, including Charlie's Caf, which still serves Ayers dishes. Many of us balk at the mere mention of the word "cafeteria," harkening back to school days spent eating prison-grade sloppy joes. But I have to admit, the Google cafeteria concept sounds compelling given the daily dilemma we office trolls face five days a week--deciding what the hell to eat for lunch. The healthy options are often expensive and the cheap options are gut-bombs. I'd rather have a good meal on a plastic tray than cover my Arby's Big Roast Beef with Horsey Sauce just to make it not taste like astronaut food.

Food 2.0 will be available in bookstores in May 2008.