It all began with Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential." Long before he was the superstar TV personality traveling to places unknown, Bourdain described trudging home from school during a rainy afternoon to be greeted by the finest meal he's ever had, his mom's lovingly prepared Campbell's tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I was hooked.
From there I went to France with Julia Child and to the Culinary Institute with Michael Ruhlman before venturing into the sensuous writings of M.F.K. Fisher. But it was Ruth Reichl's "Comfort Me With Apples," and "Tender at the Bone" that convinced me that those graced with an artistic bent excel across the board. This creative chef, critic, and business woman has a glorious writing style and thanks to my relationship with publishers like Random House I was able to get an early copy of Reichl's marvelous memoir of her ten years at the helm of Gourmet magazine.
"Save Me the Plums," begins as Reichl is facing one of the most important decisions of her life. A plum position has been offered, editor-in-chief of
Gourmet, along with a stunning salary and ridiculous perks. Accepting would mean leaving her job as renowned food critic at the New York Times. On the other hand, she deludes herself into thinking, this career change would allow her to spend many more evenings at home with her husband and young son.
The dazzle of joining the Conde Nast family wins and Reichl takes readers inside the world of test kitchens, corporate shenanigans, world-wide travel, and five-star dining. From New York City's finest restaurants to the intimate little bistros off the beaten path in Paris, Reichl whets our whistles describing the joys of tasting foods that are both cutting edge and down to earth home-grown. She leaves no doubt as to which hat she prefers wearing. She may adjust well to being the chief, receiving the accolades to prove it, but her heart is always in the kitchen.
Many chef/writers allow their egos to get in the way. Not so, Ruth Reichl. She is as approachable and likeable as ever, even as she caves in to the use of a driver and trades her signature hippie, thrift shop clothing for the uncomfortable sin of an expense account at the finest stores in the city. She is generous with praise for her co-workers and equally generous with sharing her simplest yet finest recipes. Reichl is a joy to spend time with! Readers get the feeling that she'd be so much fun to dine with - not in a Michelin-starred restaurant but in a dive in the Village - and she'd never judge your alcohol intake!
If you enjoy food and wine as much as I do, and the foody memoirs that result from these earthy pleasures, then look for this wonderful addition to the genre coming out the first week of April.
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