Memoir Monday... Blood, Bones & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton

I love "food" memoirs; memoirs that give us a little behind the scene look at the restaurant business, as in Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphire: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise or Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. So I was excited to receive in the mail recently an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton from Random House. Here's what the publishers have to say...

If you were to take the heartfelt food memories of Ruth Reichl’s Tender at the Bone, mix them with the complex family relationships of Augusten Burroughs’s Running with Scissors, throw in a little of the behind-the-scenes revelations of Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, then strip the mixture down to its grittiest core, you’d get a sense of Gabrielle Hamilton’s new memoir BLOOD, BONES, AND BUTTER.

Before Hamilton opened her acclaimed New York City restaurant, Prune, she spent twenty fierce, hard-living years trying to find the purpose and meaning in her life. BLOOD, BONES, AND BUTTER recounts this unconventional journey through the many kitchens Hamilton inhabited. The result is an unflinching and lyrical work that marks the debut of a tremendous literary talent.

Hamilton will appeal to both foodies and literary audiences alike as she deliciously divulges her experiences in love, life, and food. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, GQ, Bon Appétit, Saveur, and Food & Wine. She also authored the eight-week “The Chef” column in The New York Times, and her work was anthologized in six volumes of Best Food Writing.

Just leafing through the book, I found Gabrielle Hamilton's writing to be compelling; easy to get lost in; enjoyable. And I'm really looking forward to sinking my teeth into Blood, Bones & Butter! This is the next course on my plate! Next month look for my full review...

Memoir Monday... Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

"Every Restaurant is a Theater"

...Ruth Reichl

They say that you are what you eat, but really Who are you when you eat? For Ruth Reichl in her funny and at times bittersweet memoir, Garlic and Sapphires, she is many people. You see Ruth Reichl was the restaurant critic for The New York Times for six years, and in New York City, her reviews could make or break a restaurant. From the very beginning of her journey to become the most influential restaurant critic in the country, literally, she was recognized. Flying from LA to NYC, Ruth sat next to a woman on the plane who was way too familiar with her. "Do I know you?" Ruth asks..."No" the woman says... "But I know you. I even know why you're on this plane." And it's through this conversation that Ruth finds out her photograph is pinned to every bulletin board at every restaurant in New York City, so she'll be recognized the minute she walks in. And that's not all... "they" also know about her husband and child! So begins Ruth's adventures in disguising herself to get an honest look, feel and taste of the restaurants she's reviewing.

Ruth Reichl is funny, insightful and a great writer. Her food descriptions are dangerous to read while hungry, but prove her ability to judge a plate of food. Some of her disguises made me laugh out loud! I loved reading about her elaborate disguises as she went restaurant hopping, but the behind the scene glimpses into the world of the food critic, the New York Times, and restaurant life make this book come to life. There have been plenty of "food memoirs" since Garlic and Sapphires was published in 2005, but this was one of the first to give us a glimpse into what was simmering in the pot! If you enjoy food, dining out and a good sense of humor, you'll enjoy Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires!

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!