(Steeplechase + BWF) If You Can't Take the Heat by Geraldine DeRuiter - 5 stars

[Ellen]

This book was a surprise and a whole lot of fun. DeRuiter is very funny and can poke fun at herself in hilarious ways. She came into the national spotlight when she wrote an essay about the sexual harassment accusations surrounding celebrity chef Mario Batali and his subsequent apology complete with a recipe for cinnamon rolls. What? Sort of like "Gosh, I'm sorry but here's a delicious breakfast pastry for you to bake." She received plenty of thanks from readers but probably even more negative comments. Misogyny runs rampant in the food industry. Although it has gotten better in the last decade or so, most celebrated chefs are men.

One of my favorite essays concerns menus. On a trip to Italy (fortunately the author speaks the language) she wanted to treat her husband to dinner. Her menu had no prices; his did. The waiter imparted this pearl of wisdom; "Women don't want to think about money." Apparently this was common practice even in the US years ago. The author also discusses the decision she and her husband made to not have children and the angry responses posted on her blog. There are numerous examples of misogynistic behavior by both sexes in the food industry. Along with being a very funny book (some very salty language at times), it is an eye opener.