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112th out of 469 books
—
977 voters
Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover's Courtship, with Recipes
by
Amanda Hesser,
Izak
"Tender, wry, passionate, truthful. To read Hesser's prose is to hunger for more."—Nigella Lawson
Cooking for Mr. Latte is a delightfully modern dating story, recipes included. It's the true story of the courtship between Amanda Hesser, a food writer for The New York Times and author of the award-winning cookbook The Cook and the Gardener, and writer Tad Friend, the titular...more
Cooking for Mr. Latte is a delightfully modern dating story, recipes included. It's the true story of the courtship between Amanda Hesser, a food writer for The New York Times and author of the award-winning cookbook The Cook and the Gardener, and writer Tad Friend, the titular...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
May 17th 2004
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published May 19th 2003)
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Aug 23, 2007
Christina
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
catty women, nyt food column groupies
Shelves:
non-fiction
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.
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 you actually wish they w...more
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.
I remember pretty vividly one piece about eating fancy food on an airplane and sharing. I don't think I'm making that up.
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 experiences t...more
Jan 31, 2007
Carlie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Cooks, Romantics, New York City Residents
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
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 share it with the world and hono...more
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 share it with the world and hono...more
I was going to note Hesser's whiny, self-obsessed tone, but see that many other reviewers have already done that. And, if that represents Hesser's personality, we certainly want her to be true to herself. In fact, that is sometimes what makes the book interesting. How many women would be so afraid to return an unwanted wedding dress that they get their fiance to do it for them? How many marvel at being unrecognized in public when, in fact, most people would not recognize them? The book is honest...more
I have to apologize to Oliver because he gave this to me in 2004 and I have only finished it today and found it delightful. Back then I was much younger and took a hard line on books with chick-lit looking covers. I also didn't understand the significance of drinking a latte after dinner, except for the bloating and counter-digestive disturbances that might ensue. Twenty-something me stopped reading the book, not understanding why this was so deal-breakery. Thirty-something me doesn't care, thou...more
1 like · like · see review
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 great be...more
In summary, a great be...more
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...more
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 stories...more
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 relationship issues th...more
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 relationship issues th...more
This book reminded me a lot of Molly Wizenberg's A Homemade Life where each chapter is an autobiographical essay followed by recipes. However, A Homemade Life covers a rich lifetime of stories and recipes, while Cooking for Mr. Latte covers just one year of Hesser's life. Since her book draws on a relatively short period of time, some of the stories seem like insignificant space fillers. Hesser's New York food writer life is charmed and fun to read about. The book's anecdotes and recipes made me...more
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 grace t...more
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.
2 likes · like · see review
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
Aug 02, 2011
Sario Lawrence
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
Dec 13, 2007
Rebecca
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
foodies, women in love
Shelves:
culinary,
wickedgoodnon-fiction
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.
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. Regard...more
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
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 with some...more
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 with some...more
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
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
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 life...more
Even if you're a self-deprecating snob, you're still a snob.
A fun, romantic story with great recipes along the way!
May 10, 2009
Sari Lynn
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Foodies, fans of intelligent chick lit
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 - I'm...more
I thought I would like this book and at first I did. I liked the little vignettes about her life but I found her to be a horrible food snob.
I don't drink coffee, but I didn't realize it was such a sin to order a latte instead of an espresso after dinner or to get pasta at a French restaurant (why would it be on the menu if you're not supposed to order it?) I just thought you should order what you like or want.
I also thought most of the recipes were snobby. I didn't find any I wanted to try.
I mad...more
I don't drink coffee, but I didn't realize it was such a sin to order a latte instead of an espresso after dinner or to get pasta at a French restaurant (why would it be on the menu if you're not supposed to order it?) I just thought you should order what you like or want.
I also thought most of the recipes were snobby. I didn't find any I wanted to try.
I mad...more
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 bei...more
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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Amanda Hesser has been a food columnist and editor at the New York Times for more than a decade. She is the author of the award-winning Cooking for Mr. Latte and The Cook and the Gardener and edited the essay collection Eat, Memory. Hesser is also the co-founder of food52.com. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Tad Friend, and their two children.
More about Amanda Hesser...
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Jun 21, 2012 01:41pm