Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table (Random House Reader's Circle)

by Ruth Reichl

I learned early that the most important thing in life is a good story.

Alice would have snickered derisively at the notion, but she was the first person I ever met who understood the power of cooking. She was a great cook, but she cooked more for herself than for other people, not because she was hungry but because she was comforted by the rituals of the kitchen.

“Hope never hurt anyone,” she replied.