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Dec 17, 2009

Christina rated it:

Put this book down and read a Reichl book instead. Actually, xerox the recipes, then put it down. This book annoyed me to death. The author has to be one of the least likable voices on the planet. It's basically a story of how she wooed her man, laced with recipes and pith. Amazingly, you get no sense of who Mr. Latte is. I did not empathize, cheer on her love life, or clap at the end. You'll need to cook something to get the gross aftertaste of this book out of your mouth.

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Nov 19, 2008

K rated it:

Ok, the cover looks stupid. But I remember really liking this when I read it years ago. I think Ruth Reichl said she's a bitca which I can see. But I still like her food writing.
I remember pretty vividly one piece about eating fancy food on an airplane and sharing. I don't think I'm making that up.

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Apr 01, 2010

Christine rated it:

This is "Sex and the City" with food -- literally (Mr. Latte = Mr. Big.) Totally self-indulgent on the author's part but hey, she convinced her editors at The New York Times to pursue it and later published the columns in this book. She is a classically trained cook (notice I did not say chef?) so she knows what she's talking about culinary-ily speaking. It is somewhat pretentious but worth the read if you want to vicariously experience some of new York's and beyond's finest dining exp More...

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Dec 16, 2009

Carlie rated it:

Not a bad book. It has some yummy sounding recipes! The back cover claims (twice) that she's the next MFK Fisher. I beg to differ. Although she's fun and some of the recipes look quite tasty, she's no classic. This is a fluff book. A cozy, Sex In The City style read that will have you dreaming of food, but its just fun. No real deep literary value here, and certainly no deep insight into life or eating. Just one fun chick's experience. Its kind of fun to read as a New York City area resident...y More...

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Dec 31, 2008

Antof9 rated it:

Is there a genre for Chick Lit Foodie books? There should be, and this would be at the top of the list.

My review from BookCrossing: I needed something light and fun to read on the back deck yesterday when I finished working, and this was just the ticket! I had just put it into a pile of books to get ready for The Chef's Challenge hosted by eggiweg, in honor of her son.

Little did I know I'd want to buy my own copy afterward! Yes, I could keep this one, but why not shar More...

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May 12, 2011

Darcy rated it:

If you love food and cooking and a cute story about a courtship then this is an enjoyable and easy read that I couldn't put down. Ms. Hesser has a wonderful way with works and a witty writing style and I will definitely be sampling some of her recipes. Think Julie & Julia with a bit more sophistication (Ms. Hesser was a food critic and writer for the NY Times and is a professionally trained chef). The book is a collection of short stories more than chapters of one book.

In summary, a More...

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May 11, 2010

Ciara rated it:

when i first moved to lawrence, one of their themed shelves at the library (they have several, & rotate them monthly) was on cooking. this was one of their featured selections. i considered it, but then moved on. the copy on the flap just didn't grab me, i don't know. some months later, someone told me that this book is actually really clever & fun, so i went back to the library & picked it up. & then i read it, &...i don't know. i am disappointed. it was a really quick read (because i only skim More...

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Aug 27, 2009

Davida "Davi" rated it:

I wanted to read this book because I enjoyed Hesser's columns in the New York Times, and they are part of what inspired me to cook more and to learn more about high-quality food. I don't think I would have been as excited about this book if I realized that it is almost exactly like her columns. There is hardly any additional material that I noticed, except that instead of just one recipe, usually two side-dishes, or a cocktail or something like that is included. There were hardly any new stor More...

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Oct 28, 2009

Seth rated it:

I thought when I started this book that I was absolutely going to hate it. It seemed like the author had a superficial life and a horribly immature approach to relationships.

But she managed to progress during the book, and perhaps that was the point. I really liked the chapter where she realizes that she and her one-day-husband have to create their own "culture". And while I don't condone or endorse living together before marriage, it was great to see them work through the More...

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Oct 03, 2010

carrietracy rated it:

Amanda Hesser is wildly unlikeable. You'd think her editor would have pointed that out to her. She is incredibly impressed with herself and is not at all ashamed at the snobbery that pervades every fiber of her being. I knew I'd be annoyed when she expected me to know (and care) about the difference between a foodie, a gourmet and a gourmand. I couldn't help cheering when Mr. Latte secretly spiked her espresso with equal (she didn't notice - point to Mr. Latte). The only time she has the gr More...

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Jun 11, 2011

Emily rated it:

At first I thought this book was just going to be filled with food snobbery, and it was. Not in a good way. There were lots of interesting recipes throughout, some that I might actually try, so that was redeeming. Also I can't get over Mr. Latte's real name: Tad Friend. It sounds like a superhero's alter ego. Maybe he IS a super hero.

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Nov 27, 2010

Alexis rated it:

I thought this book was quite cute, but I don't really think it would have as much appeal to people outside my demographic. This is basically a diary with recipes. Food writer Amanda Hesser starts dating a new guy, and describes their courtship and interactions with family and friends. Some parts of this book were so true. I think most people who care about food are always slightly shocked or appalled by the kitchen/food habits of the people they start dating. I found these details to be the fun More...

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Jul 18, 2009

Jean-Marie rated it:

If the commentary in this otherwise excellent cookbook did not have a whiney self-indulgent tone, it would be a five-star. No matter: Try the Chicken Roasted with Sour Cream, Lemon Juice and Mango Chutney and the Puree of Peas and Watercress ("His Turn" chapter) and the Almond Cake ("A Tough Act to Follow" chapter). I've made all three many times and they are win-win. The almond cake is ugly but just wait until you take the first bite. If your kid is bringing home a date yo More...

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Aug 02, 2011

Sario added it

I consider myself a bit of a foodie. I obsess over cooking blogs, spend way too much time lingering in the cookbook isle at a book store, and cannot resist walking through random grocery stores just to see how things are laid out. All that being said, I'm also a realist and know that there are a considerable number of people who are much more invested into dining as entertainment than I am, my incredibly talented chef sister for one! If my sister read this book, she'd have a much better grasp on More...

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Dec 13, 2007

Rebecca rated it:

If you could define your life in a series of recipies, what would they be? That's the premise behind this cute cookbook. It also delves into food we love, people we love, and food we love to cook for people we love.

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Sep 12, 2010

Lisa rated it:

This was a perfect vacation read. The short, breezy stories which were previously columns, reveal Hesser's attitude toward food. There's a simplicity to what she seemed to gravitate to in the food world. Her own cooking was first about choosing ingredients carefully, and there was a restraint that I'm rarely capable of executing. I want to try every recipe, and there are a few at the end of each story. Of course she has particular food opinions, and I agreed with most of them but not all. Regar More...

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Jun 14, 2011

Meredith rated it:

Amanda Hesser is a skilled writer, which makes this book an easy read. Unlike in many food memoirs, her recipes really did pique my interest, and I agree with many of her opinions and attitude towards food. Each chapter is somewhat self-contained, so some are better and more insightful than others. The overarching narrative of the book, however, is somewhat lame. I feel like with all of her experiences, she could have written about something more interesting. Also, I can't help but cringe at the More...

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Oct 16, 2009

Amy rated it:

This was a fun, quick read. It was very entertaining, and maybe I learned a little bit about lifestyles among foodies in New York City. In some ways I felt like I was reading about a foreign culture, but I'm sure they'd feel the same way about me and my life.

I'm not sure what they would think was weirder about me: the fact that I got married before I was 30, I'm a full time Mom with more than 1 or 2 kids, or that my life is completely devoid of coffee and alcohol. Could I write a book More...

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Aug 07, 2011

Alana rated it:

I love Amanda Hesser's style- it's brings air and light to a rather stuffy and pretentious subject: the journey of the foodee (while still, at times, falling victim to a very entitled and removed atmosphere). I originally wanted to give this book two stars, because it is my second attempt (you reach about halfway through and the rest suddenly feels like she's trying to meet a deadline, with the resulting loss of passion), but the recipes were enough to knock it over the edge. They're delicious More...

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Oct 01, 2009

Jess rated it:

This incredibly fluffy book no doubt worked better as a series of columns in the NY Times Magazine than as an upbeat take on the courtship narrative (and somewhat of a rewrite of Nora Ephron's Heartburn, the story of a marriage's dissolution, with recipes). The single best line of the book occurs when Hesser admits to not cooking from a popular, well-regarded cookbook because she can't stand the typeface. The rest of the time we learn very little of interest about her or Mr Latte (New Yorker-wri More...

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Nov 19, 2009

Eve rated it:

I was enjoying this book until I realized that I was reading it while frozen pizza. As the book progressed I felt more and more like a person on the wrong side of the glass at a fancy dinner party; I sort of wanted in but it was easier to just resent privileged people on the inside. I wouldn't mind heading out to the country to eat sumptuous meals with the in-laws cooked in beautifully well appointed kitchens but some of us have to work for a living. I know that I actually live a very rich li More...

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Mar 20, 2008

Sarah rated it:

Even if you're a self-deprecating snob, you're still a snob.

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Dec 08, 2008

Katie rated it:

A fun, romantic story with great recipes along the way!

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May 10, 2009

Sari Lynn rated it:

I recently read this most enjoyable book. It is a collection of the Food Diary columns Hesser wrote between 2000-2002 for the The New York Times Magazine - short personal reminiscences with accompanying recipes. I think it counts as a memoir. She'll tell you, for example about meeting her boyfriend's parents, and the dinner his mother cooked for them, and then give the recipes at the end of each chapter, telling you which cookbook it came from and how it was adapted. She writes wonderfully More...

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Oct 03, 2009

Peggy rated it:

This was probably my first food-related book after Kitchen Confidential, but that book felt like it was set in a totally different world than the one I lived in. This one felt slightly more accessible and I liked reading about the role food plays in other people's lives. Other than special food for special holidays, I've just never really thought about it much. I think between this type of books and the food in Denver and cooking more for myself, I really learned to embrace and love food and be More...

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Feb 11, 2011

Alex rated it:

I really wanted to enjoy this book. It had a catchy title, a quirky-cute concept (dating for foodies!) and some delicious recipes. Unfortunately, I found the author's narrative voice extremely off-putting. The name-dropping (restaurants, other food critics, friends in similarly privileged positions). The inability to understand that the gastronomical trips she takes to Europe are not the same as her Indian acquaintance's rare trip to New York (I had to put the book down for a few minutes after I More...

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Sep 27, 2010

Emily rated it:

This is a short, light book, and because it's composed of articles that Hesser wrote for the NYT, it's easy to read a bit at a time. I breezed through it in a few days and it was enjoyable, but really the whole reason I read it was because I had just read her husband's book "Cheerful Money", and I thought it would be fun to read her side of the courtship story. However, the writing didn't really inspire me to cook any of the recipes, so I can't say that her version of the story left mu More...

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Mar 28, 2009

Maneesha rated it:

This was a really cute story/cook book. Being a foodie and a big fan of Food Network, I was excited to read about her interactions with other food critics, especially the hilarious Jeffery Steingarten!

Some of the recipes seemed a little out of my league, but they sounded delicious. I loved how the author introduced each of the dishes with the storyline...it made the food seem that much more appealing! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but her prose really got my mouth wa

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Dec 03, 2008

N. rated it:

Combine food and romance and good writing, and you've got all my favorite things in one book. I was surprised by how good the writing was, and it was about her life but it wasn't super saccharine sweet, except one chapter which seemed so different from the rest. Amanda Hesser was the original food blogger before everyone had an obnoxiously ingratiating food blog. Her writing doesn't dip into cheap moments of trying to be cute like SO MANY FOOD BLOGS try to do. I liked it, I liked it a lot!

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Aug 07, 2009

Paula rated it:

This is a fun book for foodies. The author has my dream job, reviewing restaurants for the NY Times, and shares anecdotes about the life of a foodie organized around her courtship with Mr. Latte. Mr. Latte, of course, is a pseudonym for her boyfriend who is crass enough to order lattes as an after dinner drink. That's the first thing I learned is a no-no among food snobs. Each chapter ends with a couple of recipes mentioned in the narrative. Maybe I'll try some out.

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