Tender at the Bone
Growing Up at the Table
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4.3 • 96 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The debut memoir from the renowned author of Save Me the Plums, about the people who“steered her on the path to fulfill her destiny as one of the world’s leading food writers” (Chicago Sun-Times).
“An absolute delight to read . . . How lucky we are that [Reichl] had the courage to follow her appetite.”—Newsday
At an early age, Ruth Reichl discovered that “food could be a way of making sense of the world. If you watched people as they ate, you could find out who they were.” Her deliciously crafted memoir Tender at the Bone is the story of a life defined, determined, and enhanced in equal measure by a passion for food, by unforgettable people, and by the love of tales well told.
Beginning with her mother, the notorious food-poisoner known as the Queen of Mold, Reichl introduces us to the fascinating characters who shaped her world and tastes, from the gourmand Monsieur du Croix, who served Reichl her first foie gras, to those at her politically correct table in Berkeley who championed the organic food revolution in the 1970s.
Spiced with Reichl’s infectious humor and sprinkled with her favorite recipes, Tender at the Bone is a witty and compelling chronicle of a culinary sensualist’s coming-of-age.
Featuring a special Afterword by the author and more than a dozen personal family photos
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Reichl discovered early on that since she wasn't "pretty or funny or sexy," she could attract friends with food instead. But that initiative isn't likely to secure her an audience for her chaotic, self-satisfied memoirs, although her restaurant reviews in the New York Times are popular. Reichl's knack for describing food gives one a new appreciation for the pleasures of the table, as when she writes here: "There were eggplants the color of amethysts and plates of sliced salami and bresaola that looked like stacks of rose petals left to dry." But when she is recalling her life, she seems unable to judge what's interesting. Raised in Manhattan and Connecticut by a docile father who was a book designer and a mother who suffered from manic depression, Reichl enjoyed such middle-class perks as a Christmas in Paris when she was 13 and high school in Canada to learn French. But her mother was a blight, whom Reichl disdains to the discomfort of the reader who wonders if she exaggerates. The author studied at the University of Michigan, earned a graduate degree in art history, married a sculptor named Doug, lived in a loft in Manhattan's Bowery and then with friends bought a 17-room "cottage" in Berkeley, Calif., which turned into a commune so self-consciously offbeat that their Thanksgiving feast one year was prepared from throwaways found in a supermarket dumpster. Seasoning her memoir with recipes, Reichl takes us only through the 1970s, which seems like an arbitrary cutoff, and one hopes the years that followed were more engaging than the era recreated here.
Customer Reviews
Bitter sweet
This is an amazingly candid account of Reichl's loves and losses, as well as her introduction into the world of food. I cried more than once while reading this - both through tears of laughter and heartbreak. A great read written in Reichl's approachable banter.
Tender to the Bone
One of the most charming books I've ever read. I am heartbroken that I've finished it! I am blessed to have stumbled upon it!!!!!
Tender at the Bone, another brilliant journey by Ruth Reichl
As a home chef and novice food writer, Ruth Reichl's work is always inspiring. To read about her childhood and introduction to food is heartwarming. It reminds me of my own early memories of food and those who were complicit in my passion for food and sharing it with everyone around me. Ruth reminds us all how important it is to make food part of our own journey and family album.
Ruth Reichl is one of the best food writers of our time. I can barely contain my excitement about her upcoming books.