I\u2019ve read a few of Ruth Reichl\u2019s other non-fiction books, mainly about her life growing up and working for Gourmet magazine. This book is a collection of recipes that she wrote up in the year following the end of Gourmet magazine and the beginning of her search for her next steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right away something about this book\u2019s format rubbed me the wrong way. She introduces each section with (what I am guessing is) a tweet that she made at that time, and they\u2019re sort of written like a little poem\/haiku\/emotion bomb. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCool, rainy. Autumn\u2019s on its way. Pasta, perhaps? Cauliflower, olives, anchovies. Rich red wine. Ripe pears. So fine.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
There are a lot of these throughout the book and so each chapter I had another chance to be annoyed. I guess I just didn\u2019t really enjoy the attempt to over-romanticize the experience of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHot. Hawks dance in the air. Grass prickles. Warm peanut butter and jam on thick white bread. Summertime picnic. Feel about five.\u201d<\/p>p. 397<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
But enough about my grouchiness – the recipes were why I was reading, and they are a great selection of different kinds of foods, mainly fitting an American diet. I liked that the format was simply a description and not written analytically. It was like hearing how to make something from a friend in the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, I\u2019d recommend the book for the variety of recipes. Reading about how a very successful lady survived a year off work while living between two of her houses and shopping for organically grown heirloom vegetables at the local farmer\u2019s market every week – well, that wasn\u2019t so compelling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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