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May 08
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Tony
marked as to-read:
Snow Crash (Paperback)
by Neal Stephenson
bookshelves:
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my rating:
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Tony
marked as to-read:
Under the Black Flag: The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates (Paperback)
by David Cordingly
bookshelves:
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my rating:
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Tony
marked as to-read:
The Secret Life of Lobsters: How Fishermen and Scientists Are Unraveling the Mysteries of Our Favorite Crustacean (P.S.)
by Trevor Corson
bookshelves:
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my rating:
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Tony
gave
to:
Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise (Paperback)
by Ruth Reichl
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read in May, 2008
Tony said:
"Ruth Reichl is a good writer. She's a good critic. She's apparently a good chameleon, as well. GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES, Reichl's memoir of her time as the restaurant critic at the NY Times, is an enjoyable read, for the most part, that tells more tha...more
Ruth Reichl is a good writer. She's a good critic. She's apparently a good chameleon, as well. GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES, Reichl's memoir of her time as the restaurant critic at the NY Times, is an enjoyable read, for the most part, that tells more than just the travails of a food critic. Reichl delivers some interesting "inner monologues" on the nature of self, and the several potential personalities that dwell within all of us. She also serves up a smattering of recipes, and several courses of her own reviews.
Personally, I enjoyed reading the reviews more than the memoir itself. And, I am looking forward to testing out some of her recipes. But, I must say, that, as well-written as this book was, it made me realize that I am more interested in the preparation of food than I am in the eating of it. Reading about a critic enduring excellent or poor service, or a "food warrior" espousing on the mental image of a sunny wood land path that helps him to remember the qualities of a wine, or another's subtle ability to parse out the nearly undetectable flavors of a consomme--it's a literary flavor that sits dully on my tongue. Compared to the most recent books I have read that focus on the gustatotial arena, I just didn't enjoy this course as much.
When I try to put my finger on why, when I try to parse out the subtle flavor of this narrative dish that is troubling my palatte, I come up with air. The author's adventures as "someone else" were certainly entertaining, and I did like the book. I only think that I might have enjoyed it more if Reichl spent more time writing about cooking and less time writing about eating. But, of course, she couldn't do that...it's my hang up, not her shortcoming. ...less
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April 29
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Tony
gave
to:
Middlesex (Paperback)
by Jeffrey Eugenides
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my rating:
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read in October, 2005
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March 27
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Tony
gave
to:
Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany (Hardcover)
by Bill Buford
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read in March, 2008
Tony said:
"When I first heard about HEAT, I was under the impression that it was about an untrained kitchen enthusiast who somehow finds himself learning about culinary techniques from celebrity chef Mario Batali. I was intrigued by this book for several reason...more
When I first heard about HEAT, I was under the impression that it was about an untrained kitchen enthusiast who somehow finds himself learning about culinary techniques from celebrity chef Mario Batali. I was intrigued by this book for several reasons. I spent a few years in the "food service" industry, so the subject was interesting to me. I like to cook, and I thought I might pick up some things from a celebrity chef's teachings. I knew Buford was a renowned writer/editor/journalist, so I expected a well-researched and well-written story of his ordeals as a "kitchen slave." This book delivered that and much more.
I was not expecting HEAT to be the culinary exploration that it turned out to be. This book is not even close to an "I-went-in-to-investigate-this-industry/practice/person/persona-and-this-is-what-I-learned" type of journalistic endeavor. What it is is a memoir of a man on a quest to learn about himself, a culture, and his food. It is philosophical, entertaining, informative, and, at times, beautiful. And, what really is a semi-rambling picaresque of food-related tales and travels, is held together by the occassional appearences of the "subject," Mario Batali, who acts as a sort of absentee tour guide, taskmaster, and Fallstaffian comic relief.
I am no huge fan of Molto Mario, but I am a fan of "la cucina." So, in a way, the limited exposure to the sometimes bombastic Batali worked in this book's favor. Buford, also, threads a little Dante and a lot of Renaissance food lit into the wale of his story, and that is never a bad thing. This book is a winner. You want to read about a man coming to face to face with a pig, butchering it himself in an effort to comprehend the source of his protein? You want to ponder the mystery of who put the first egg into a pasta recipe, a couple or three hundred years ago? Then check this one out. You want to spend a weekend in the kitchen with Mario? You're better off watching the Food Network. ...less
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Tony
marked as to-read:
Mumbo Jumbo (Paperback)
by Ishmael Reed
bookshelves:
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my rating:
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Tony
marked as to-read:
Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time (Hardcover)
by Rob Sheffield
bookshelves:
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my rating:
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Tony
marked as to-read:
Then We Came to the End (Hardcover)
by Joshua Ferris
bookshelves:
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my rating:
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Tony
marked as to-read:
Assassination Vacation (Paperback)
by Sarah Vowell
bookshelves:
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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