I have to add: In the instances the writer has been able to convey the idea of what people eat and describe it in a plausible way, it has made the reading experience more real to me. I love food. Food is one of the basics of the everyday life, and it should have it's place in any work of fiction. Describing food that has no common link to the food we eat every day would be fruitless I guess. There has to be some recognition.