Beth's review

[close]

blog this review

Copy/paste the text below into your blog. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80642.Garlic_and_Sapphires_The_Secret_Life_of_a_Critic_in_Disguise?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1170984667m/80642.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80642.Garlic_and_Sapphires_The_Secret_Life_of_a_Critic_in_Disguise?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5662.Ruth_Reichl">Ruth Reichl</a><br/><br/> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/10881576?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a> rating: 4 of 5 stars<br/>I remember hearing Ruth Reichl's food reviews on NPR back at least ten years ago and being so impressed with her vivid descriptions. Reading this book helped me better appreciate the art of the entire dining experience. Ruth's descriptions are so luscious (despite the fact that she sometimes overdoes saying that a particular dish is, "unlike anything I'd ever tasted before") that as I read this book I was inspired to eat a little more slowly and really savor the flavors of my meals. I happen to live in the NYC area so I have actually tried, or have knowledge of, some of the restaurants Ruth describes, which definitely enhances the experience of reading this book. But I think that anyone who has access to truly fine restaurants (even if you can only go once a year or so) would enjoy reading this book before a special night out. Interestingly, by the end of the book, I found myself, like Ruth, tired of reading about the fancy dining scene and feeling inspired to settle down in the kitchen and make my own creations (Ruth later takes a job as the editor of "Gourmet" Magazine). The main aspect of the book that I didn't like was the occasional self-congratulatory tone. Ruth puts on disguises so the servers don't recognize her, which in itself is kind of interesting, but the undercover "I'm really much smarter than you think I am...I may be playing someone dumpy, but I'm really oh so articulate and cultured" aspect of her role-playing annoyed me a little. I've been told by people who've read her earlier memoirs that I'd feel for her more if I'd read about her childhood and early adulthood. This is probably true. Eventually, I'd like to read "Tender at the Bone." For now, though, I'm ready for a novel. <br/><br/><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/95565?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>