Helen RandellGarlic and Sapphires
July 17th 2010 20:41
A friend of mine lent me this book, and I have already recommended it to other people. Garlic and Sapphires in the true story of Ruth Reichl, a former New York Times food critic. As you can imagine, this book contains some wonderful descriptions of some of the best food in New York, and although the content is a little out of date (with most of the action taking place in 1990s) you can't help but feel inspired to visit and dine at some of these restaurants.
Not just a story about food, Ruth begins this memoir with a tale of her trip to New York from Los Angeles when she has only just accepted the position. On the plane she is spotted and identified by a waitress who informs her that every restaurant worth it's weight already has a picture of Ruth pasted to a wall in the kitchen. This is so staff will be aware of her presence and therefore pay more attention to her as a diner. Suddenly the ability for Ruth to dine un-noticed, and therefore offer a fair review goes out the window.
But, it is not long before Ruth comes up with a plan to let her dine anonymously. With the help of a theatrical friend and a friendly wig maker, Ruth comes up with several disguises and identities which allow her to be just another dining guest.
As the story progresses, it is just as much about Ruth's struggle with these identities as it is about her profession. This does make for entertaining reading, and it is interesting to hear about the obvious differences in service and food quality between Ruth 'the New York Times food critic' and Ruth 'the everyday old lady'.
My favourite passages in the book are the descriptive 'food safaris' which Ruth is taken on. Led around New York by people who are clearly in the know, you can picture every run down shop front which houses a spectacular array of the best produce, from cured meats to perfect bruschetta and the thickest, creamiest natural yoghurt in the world.
To really help you salivate, Ruth has also included a number of recipes in the book which allows the reader to make what she is describing. There are certainly a couple in there which I am keen to try out!
I have recently seen that there are a couple of other books which Ruth has written, and with such a wonderful introduction to her gastronomic world, I think I might just have to give them a go.
Definitely recommended - makes you want to become the New York Times food critic!
| 112 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by Samantha Elley
Food Journo
The Sandwich Shak
Vintage Foodie
Little House among the Canefields
Thanks for sharing Helen,
Sam
Comment by Helen Randell
Rough Cooking