The Queen of Mold

by Ruth Reichl

Chapter One of Tender at the Bone .

Genres: Food

32 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2005

About the author

Ruth Reichl is an American chef, food writer, editor and author, widely recognized for her influence on American food journalism. She began her culinary career as chef and co-owner of Berkeley's Swallow Restaurant (1973-1977), while publishing her first cookbook, Mmmmm: A Feastiary (1972). She subsequently worked for New West magazine before joining the Los Angeles Times, where she served as restaurant editor and food critic. In 1993, she became restaurant critic for The New York Times, gaining a reputation for her detailed reviews and disguises, which allowed her to experience restaurants anonymously. In 1999, she was appointed editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, a position she held until its closure in 2009. During her tenure, she helped broaden the publication's literary and cultural scope. Reichl has written several acclaimed memoirs, including Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table (1998), Comfort Me with Apples (2001), Garlic and Sapphires (2005) and Save Me the Plums (2019). Her other books include the cookbook Gourmet Today, the novel Delicious! and My Kitchen Year. She also appeared as a judge on Top Chef Masters and received six James Beard Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.

Reviews

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 4 out of 5]

What makes The Queen of Mold so vital is Ruth Reichl's ability to point out how economic dependence is used as a leash to keep critical voices silent.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can't finish The Queen of Mold without noticing how Ruth Reichl lays bare the invisible chains of social validation that keep people from speaking up.

[Neenariddle]

This book made me look at mother daughter relationships differently, I like books that make me think.