Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table - Hardcover

Reichl, Ruth

4.08

37,663 ratings by Goodreads

9780091875053: Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0091875056 ISBN 13: 9780091875053

Publisher: Ebury Press, 2000

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This memoir is the story of a life determined, enhanced and defined in equal measure by a passion for food, unforgettable people and the love of tales well told. Beginning with Reichl's mother, Reichl introduces us to the fascinating characters who shaped her world and her tastes.

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Review:

New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl shares lessons learned at the hands (and kitchen counters) of family members and friends throughout her life, from growing up with her taste-blind mother to the comfort of cream puffs while away at boarding school on "Mars" (Montreal seemed just as far away) to her most memorable meal, taken on a mountainside in Greece.

Her stories shine with the voices and recipes of those she has encountered on the way, such as her Aunt Birdie's maid and companion, Alice, who first taught Reichl both the power of cooking and how to make perfect apple dumplings; the family's mysterious patrician housekeeper, Mrs. Peavey, who always remembered to make extra pastry for the beef Wellington; Serafina, the college roommate with whom Reichl explored a time of protest and political and personal discovery; and, finally, cookbook author Marion Cunningham, who, after tales of her midlife struggles and transformation, gave Reichl the strength to overcome her own anxieties.

Reichl's wry and gentle humour pervades the book, and makes readers feel as if they're right at the table, laughing at one great story after another (and delighting in a gourmet meal at the same time, of course). Reichl's narrative of a life lived and remembered through the palate will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.

Review:

Reading Ruth Reichl on food is almost as good as eating it. "Washington Post Book World"
An absolute delight to read...How lucky we are that [Ruth Reichl] had the courage to follow her appetite. "Newsday"
A poignant, yet hilarious, collection of stories about people [Reichl] has known and loved, and who, knowingly or unknowingly, steered her on the path to fulfill her destiny as one of the world s leading food writers. "Chicago Sun-Times"
While all good food writers are humorous...few are so riotously, effortlessly entertaining as Ruth Reichl. "New York Times Book Review"
A savory memoir of [Reichl s] apprentice years...Reichl describes [her] experiences with infectious humor...The descriptions of each sublime taste are mouthwateringly precise...A perfectly balanced stew of memories. "Kirkus Reviews""

"Reading Ruth Reichl on food is almost as good as eating it."--Washington Post Book World

"An absolute delight to read...How lucky we are that [Ruth Reichl] had the courage to follow her appetite."--Newsday

"A poignant, yet hilarious, collection of stories about people [Reichl] has known and loved, and who, knowingly or unknowingly, steered her on the path to fulfill her destiny as one of the world's leading food writers."--Chicago Sun-Times

"While all good food writers are humorous...few are so riotously, effortlessly entertaining as Ruth Reichl."--New York Times Book Review

"A savory memoir of [Reichl's] apprentice years...Reichl describes [her] experiences with infectious humor...The descriptions of each sublime taste are mouthwateringly precise...A perfectly balanced stew of memories."--Kirkus Reviews

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