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3rd out of 56 books
—
9 voters
Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs In and Out of the Kitchen
“Hot sex, looking good, scoring journalistic triumphs . . . nothing made Alyssa love herself enough until she learned to cook. There's a racy plot and a surprising moral in this intimate and delicious book.”
--Gael Greene, creator of Insatiable-Critic.com and author of Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess
Apron Anxiety is the hilarious and heartfelt memoir of q...more
--Gael Greene, creator of Insatiable-Critic.com and author of Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess
Apron Anxiety is the hilarious and heartfelt memoir of q...more
Paperback, 272 pages
Published
May 22nd 2012
by Three Rivers Press
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This was a publisher's advance copy of Alyssa Shelasky's memoir and I read this bad boy in an afternoon. Alyssa has lived quite a life, and brings up Sex and the City repeatedly just in case you don't already equate Chef with Mr. Big and her experiences with New York and L.A. glitterati with Carrie Bradshaw. (Alyssa doesn't end up marrying Spike Mendohlson, but he is the first chef she 'namedrops' throughout the book.)
That said, it reads like an engaging blog and the recipes she mentions in her...more
That said, it reads like an engaging blog and the recipes she mentions in her...more
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Maybe I am a bitter old lady in a cat sweater, but for the first 50 pages of this book I wanted to gag or punch something or both. It starts out as an autobiographical story about a young lady from the East Coast who has perfect parents, perfect friends and perfect food in her life.
Next she meets a chef, falls in love and learns to cook because she is alone in a new city without any of her amazing friends. I wanted to rejoice in her learning to cook, but part of me was even more annoyed. My ann...more
Next she meets a chef, falls in love and learns to cook because she is alone in a new city without any of her amazing friends. I wanted to rejoice in her learning to cook, but part of me was even more annoyed. My ann...more
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What a train wreck! I was emotionally exhausted after reading all of Alyssa's tears, tantrums, panics and explosions.
Alyssa has several unhealthy relationships, partly because of her emotional immaturity and partly because she is fully and completely a construction of her time and place. The story eventually gels when she starts dating a minor celebrity chef. She quits her job in NYC and moves to DC, with no job, no friends and limited personal relationship skills. She makes a pest of herself at...more
Alyssa has several unhealthy relationships, partly because of her emotional immaturity and partly because she is fully and completely a construction of her time and place. The story eventually gels when she starts dating a minor celebrity chef. She quits her job in NYC and moves to DC, with no job, no friends and limited personal relationship skills. She makes a pest of herself at...more
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Whine whine whine, that is all this gal seems to do. Poor me is her mantra in the first few chapters. Really do I want to hear about all your problems?
I had a very unsettling childhood but I don't write a book and complain about it. I must say it does pick up a bit after all the complaining is out of her system.
She manages to find a boyfriend that she never names but if you are resourceful you will find he is Chef Spike Mendelssohn fro...more
Whine whine whine, that is all this gal seems to do. Poor me is her mantra in the first few chapters. Really do I want to hear about all your problems?
I had a very unsettling childhood but I don't write a book and complain about it. I must say it does pick up a bit after all the complaining is out of her system.
She manages to find a boyfriend that she never names but if you are resourceful you will find he is Chef Spike Mendelssohn fro...more
Not a super great book, but 4 stars because it’s so salaciously entertaining. This memoir by Alyssa Shelasky focuses mostly on her relationship with a newly famous chef (whom she refers to as “Chef” rather than by his name which seems a little silly since, predictably, his identity has been revealed by everyone who ever wrote a review of her book).
When the energetic, high-maintenance Alyssa quits her job and moves to DC to live with the equally energetic and high-maintenance Chef, she finds her...more
When the energetic, high-maintenance Alyssa quits her job and moves to DC to live with the equally energetic and high-maintenance Chef, she finds her...more
I had not heard of Alyssa or her blog before getting this book from my Food for Thought book club. No matter, no previous experience with her is necessary to enjoy her tale of loves gained and lost, partier turned home cook, and enduring friendships.
The reading of Apron Anxiety flowed easily and quickly. Alyssa's tone is straight-forward, no holds-barred, like you would tell a tale to a close girlfriend. I appreciated all of this, and it endeared Alyssa to me. I'm not sure why she didn't name "C...more
The reading of Apron Anxiety flowed easily and quickly. Alyssa's tone is straight-forward, no holds-barred, like you would tell a tale to a close girlfriend. I appreciated all of this, and it endeared Alyssa to me. I'm not sure why she didn't name "C...more
"Alyssa Shelasky's memoir thoroughly details her childhood within a rather bohemian family, the subsequent death of one of her close friends on September 11th, her experiences as a celebrity journalist in New York and Los Angeles, her love life, and how she transformed from a woman who never cooked into a foodie and amateur cook. The book includes recipes, often reprinted from other sources, which nonetheless sound tasty. Her growth as a foodie and cook began during her relationship with celebri...more
I won this book from Goodreads Giveaways, and thought it looked at least a little interesting - that is, until I started reading the other reviews of the book. Dear Gods, I was almost afraid to pick this book up, assuming I was going to hate it. For the first two, two and a half, chapters, I did - hate it, that is.
For one, I felt as though she tried to make her childhood out to be this overly unique, bohemian, experience, to hear the way she talks about it, you'd think she'd been raised by Trav...more
For one, I felt as though she tried to make her childhood out to be this overly unique, bohemian, experience, to hear the way she talks about it, you'd think she'd been raised by Trav...more
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I'm the mother to four children, married my college sweetheart, couldn't wait to have kids, have loved being home with them...I have very little in common with the author of this book. But, incredibly, I LOVED it.
I loved how candid she was and how life doesn't always play out the way we've planned,but we have to find happiness anyway. It was funny, fast paced, and very touching. I really didn't want it to end.
Even though I'm a mom, I hate to cook. If these kids didnt need food to survive I'd tu...more
I loved how candid she was and how life doesn't always play out the way we've planned,but we have to find happiness anyway. It was funny, fast paced, and very touching. I really didn't want it to end.
Even though I'm a mom, I hate to cook. If these kids didnt need food to survive I'd tu...more
Because I received a copy of this from the publisher, I am reviewing it the same week it comes out! While I was given a copy for free, I wasn't asked for anything (nor did I ask for a copy!), so these are my honest thoughts.
Anyone who knows my feelings on memoirs should understand that four stars is no slight praise for Alyssa Shelasky. After all, I almost gave up in chapter 2, which I will refer to as the "name dropping chapter," where she talks about her days (more often: nights) as a writer f...more
Anyone who knows my feelings on memoirs should understand that four stars is no slight praise for Alyssa Shelasky. After all, I almost gave up in chapter 2, which I will refer to as the "name dropping chapter," where she talks about her days (more often: nights) as a writer f...more
Messy indeed, and delicious in texture and flavor, this not-quite-foodie memoir packs a solid punch with alternating blasts of humor and pathos. The story winds and weaves through good days and bad that are filled with friends, family, food, and all manners and degrees of love. This is not a "read at the beach" lightweight of a narrative, but rather a serious contender full of serious insight and comprehensive diagnoses of what makes us tick, what makes life worth living (and possible to survive...more
I went to camp and youth group with the author. She and I were not close, but I remember her as being extraordinarily likable and flirtatious (which she clearly still is!). One of our mutual friends sent me a copy of this book and I dove right in. The first third is pretty good. She writes a nice, witty back-story and is refreshingly forthcoming about her life, family, and experiences. As the book continues it becomes clear that, kitchen successes aside, what she lacks is self-awareness. As a re...more
This reminded me a lot of " Cooking for Mr. Latte" by Amanda Hesser except this is the reverse... She was the foodie and he the Unadventuorous eater. However the bigger difference is the incessant whining by Shelasky. Someone who gives up her life to follow her boyfriend she proceeds to spend a major portion of the book complaining that she gave up her life for said boyfriend., And then she learns to cook. I guess if you are interested in reading about high profile romances then it might rate an...more
The author tells of her life so far, starting about the time she moves to NY for college, but largely focuses on two important events in her life that take place over roughly one year. First, she falls in love with a famous chef (Spike Mendelson, for anyone who cares) and second, overcomes her disinterest in cooking (yes, even though she is with a chef!). Prior to meeting the chef, she has a busy, exciting life first in NY and then for awhile in LA. When she meets him, she is working for People...more
Picked up this book because an ad on Goodreads made it look interesting. Plus I've been seeing a lot of cooking memoirs come out lately, but haven't read any yet so thought I'd give it a shot. Granted most of those were written by professional chefs, whereas this was written by someone dating a professional chef so I think I might still need to try another one before I dismiss the whole genre. This was a whiny book that I didn't find very engaging. And I do normally like memoirs, even if this is...more
It's an ok read. I found it hard to care for the main character. She moved to D.C. to follow her boyfriend, a hard-working Chef (Spike Mendelssohn, though he's not mentioned by name--I googled it), who is opening a new business and has lots of commitments, and doesn't have time for Alyssa. She, after abandoning her life in NYC, leaving her job, family, and friends behind, is all of a sudden very surprised that Chef doesn't spend every minute of his waking hours with her. She is, subsequently, go...more
I really liked this quick read which is a mix of memoir and recipes, but reads like a novel. I was hooked when she quoted John Updike, a quote I had never seen before: "The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding." Well it isn't a secret now--I'm a believer! I loved a whole bunch of the author's prose here, which made me think I could definitely be friends with her!
"Coach says I'm not experienced enough and coldly dismisses me like I...more
"Coach says I'm not experienced enough and coldly dismisses me like I...more
FTC Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book from the Amazon Review program in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not really sure what I was expecting from this book.I think I was looking for something deeper. However, it was an ok read and would probably be a good summer beach read. The writing the flowed smoothly with a light-hearted beat. However, I often found myself wondering why I should care about the story. Perhaps if I had known who the author and her fiancee were before readi...more
I'm not really sure what I was expecting from this book.I think I was looking for something deeper. However, it was an ok read and would probably be a good summer beach read. The writing the flowed smoothly with a light-hearted beat. However, I often found myself wondering why I should care about the story. Perhaps if I had known who the author and her fiancee were before readi...more
I also read a memoir over the weekend: Apron Anxiety by Alyssa Shelasky. This probably seems like an unlikely beach read, but I loved it. Shelasky's memoir basically details her love affair with a famous reality TV chef she calls Chef in the book. She leaves her enviable job in New York to follow her chef and her heart to Washington, D.C. where Chef and his investors have started a restaurant and other projects. Shelasky is not a foodie (a word she doesn't like), and she quickly seems lost and u...more
I enjoyed many aspects of this book, though Alyssa's need to constantly name drop was quite irksome. Also, at times, I felt as though I was just reading snippets of her personal journal, rather than a more refined novel. That said, she is clearly intelligent, a good writer, and knows how to charm people in her own "special" way. I would recommend it as a quick, fun read, but be warned--her tendency to use her connections/drop names at every turn of the page can be completely distracting/annoying...more
I wanted to love this book, and it did have several interesting moments. I like the way Ms. Shelasky writes - descriptive without being overly so. However, I found it very hard to feel any kind of empathy for her. She seems to have an overblown high opinion of herself, and it seemed to me that many of the problems in her life were brought on by her complete lack of self-awareness and overwhelmingly self-centered attitude. At one point she talks about deserving something wonderful "after the hell...more
Shelasky is likable and funny as she details her foray into cooking. This is a very light book - there isn't much depth or any deep moral truths here. It's kind of like Sophie kinsella, but with food. Chef's behavior broke my heart-there's a part if me that hopes he matures and they get back together.
The downside of any book from a blog is that you always feel like you could have gotten a lot if it 'for free'. Also, I've read a lot of the nooks that influenced her, so those recipes and ideas wer...more
The downside of any book from a blog is that you always feel like you could have gotten a lot if it 'for free'. Also, I've read a lot of the nooks that influenced her, so those recipes and ideas wer...more
Started off a bit too self-involved for my taste, describing her family personalities, and nodding gratuitously at the 9/11 death of a high school friend. Shelasky hits her stride soon after the intro, and I liked the book more and more with each page. Her main idea (the theme of her blog) is that she had no cooking skills but cooked anyway, with more success than failure. I like this theme~I like this attitude. The recipes in the book are sure to be winners, because she is (if not the lowest) a...more
I'm sure you've figured out by now that I love memoirs. I am a shameless voyeur, and anytime I get a glimpse inside someone's mess of a life, even if a bit exaggerated, even better.
I never read Alyssa Shelasky's blog, and quite frankly I didn't even know she was the editor of Grub Street at NY Magazine until I started reading reviews of the book...she is not the best writer nor is her story extraordinary by any means, but I enjoyed the relationship between her and Chef and the way she dealt with...more
I never read Alyssa Shelasky's blog, and quite frankly I didn't even know she was the editor of Grub Street at NY Magazine until I started reading reviews of the book...she is not the best writer nor is her story extraordinary by any means, but I enjoyed the relationship between her and Chef and the way she dealt with...more
I love finding new, exciting blogs whether they're cooking blogs, knitting blogs, or book blogs. So when I found out the author of a food/life blog had come out with a memoir, I was really interested to see what it would be about. In the blogging world, it seems like everyone has such perfect lives, but we only see what bloggers want to share. There is so much more than internet lives, so it was very interesting to be able to see the real story behind a blogger!
Now I never read non-fiction. Lik...more
Now I never read non-fiction. Lik...more
I had a mixed reaction to this book but I am glad I read it. This part memoir - part cookbook is basically the story of Alyssa Shelasky who was engaged to celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn - who she refers to as just "Chef"- Carrie Bradshaw's "Mr. Big" as a foodie. The relationship ended up going sour and I have to say I was told the book did not paint Chef in a flattering light, but I didn't find that the case at all. If anything, Alyssa comes off as pretty insecure and apparently completely clue...more
When I first saw the title of this book, I knew I wanted to read it, because I'm a foodie and have worked in the food industry for most of my life.
Goodreads was offering a giveaway and I decided to enter and happily won an advanced copy. I was prepared to not really care for the book when I read some of the reviews on this website, but I finally gave it a go and I was pleasantly surprised! Alyssa really spoke my language when she shared her experiences about her foray into the food scene and her...more
Goodreads was offering a giveaway and I decided to enter and happily won an advanced copy. I was prepared to not really care for the book when I read some of the reviews on this website, but I finally gave it a go and I was pleasantly surprised! Alyssa really spoke my language when she shared her experiences about her foray into the food scene and her...more
Alyssa's passions were writing and Chef, her celebrity chef boyfriend. When she chose to put Chef first and leave everyone and everything she'd ever known to live in Washington, D.C., she did so believing love was enough. When she had to face the reality that by choosing love, she'd given up her own identity, she invents a new one - in the kitchen. That one room of the house that she'd steadfastly avoided her whole life became her new sanctuary, and in Apron Anxiety she gives us a taste of her j...more
The author and I couldn't me more different - she seems like she was very much a "eat to live" kind of girl. She was one of those alien girls who never baked cookies for a boyfriend, didn't try cook in her dorm room when she got sick of cafeteria food and once thought sweetbreads were actually sweet bread. (she said it, I didn't.)
Her journey to food lover, cook, baker and food writer is an interesting one even if I still don't understand how someone could be so useless in a kitchen that she tri...more
Her journey to food lover, cook, baker and food writer is an interesting one even if I still don't understand how someone could be so useless in a kitchen that she tri...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not what I expected | 1 | 7 | Aug 03, 2012 08:23pm | |
| Read It Forward: * APRON ANXIETY by Alyssa Shelasky | 1 | 19 | May 24, 2012 12:47pm |
