Garlic and Sapphires - Hardcover

Reichl, Ruth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1844138429 ISBN 13: 9781844138425

Publisher: Century, 2006

Synopsis

"Garlic and Sapphires" is Ruth Reichl's riotous account of the many disguises she employs to dine undetected when she takes on the much coveted and highly prestigious job of "New York Times" restaurant critic. Reichl knows that to be a good critic she has to be anonymous - but her picture is posted in every four-star, low-star kitchen in town and so she embarks on an extraordinary - and hilarious - undercover game of disguise - keeping even her husband and son in the dark. There is her stint as Molly, a frumpy blonde in an off-beige Armani suit that Ruth takes on when reviewing Le Cirque resulting in a double review of the restaurant: first she ate there as Molly; and then as she was coddled and pampered on her visit there as Ruth, "New York Times" food critic. Then, there is the eccentric, mysterious red head on whom her husband - both disconcertingly and reassuringly - develops a terrible crush. She becomes Brenda the earth mother, Chloe the seductress and even Miriam her own (deceased) mother. What is even more remarkable about Reichl's spy games is that as she takes on these various guises, she finds herself changed not just physically, but also in character revealing how one's outer appearance can very much influence one's inner character, expectations, and appetites.

About this title

About the Author

Ruth Reichl is the editor in chief of Gourmet and the author of the bestselling Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me With Apples. She has been the restaurant critic at the New York Times and the food editor and restaurant critic at the Los Angeles Times. Reichl lives in New York with her husband and son.

From the Back Cover

Genuinely touching...wonderfully revealing
New Yorker

Praise for Comfort me with Apples
'Ruth Reichl savours her way through love, adventure and heartache with an awe-inspiring passion for food' Independent on Sunday

'A pleasure from start to finish' Guardian

From the Inside Flap

Garlic and Sapphires is Ruth Reichl's delicious and compulsively readable account of her time spent as an undercover restaurant critic.
Reichl knows that to be a good critic you have to be anonymous, but when she lands the much coveted and highly prestigious job of the New York Times restaurant critic, her picture is posted in every four-star, low-star and no-star kitchen in town. And so, in an attempt to avoid the inevitable red carpet treatment, she embarks on her adventures in deception.

First there is her stint as Molly, a frumpy blonde in an off-beige suit. At Molly's first meal at Le Cirque, she is duly ignored, mishandled and condescended to by the sniffy staff. Then, when restraunteurs get wise to Molly, Reichl transforms herself into the eccentric, mysterious red head on whom her husband - both disconcertingly and reassuringly - develops a terrible crush. Then, she becomes Brenda the earth mother, Chloe the seductress and even Miriam her own (deceased) mother.
But what is remarkable about Reichl's spy games is that as she takes on these various guises, she finds herself changed not just physically, but also inwardly and discovers how one's outer appearance can profoundly influence one's inner character, expectations, and appetites. 'Every restaurant is a theatre, even the modest restaurants offer the opportunity to become someone else, at least for a little while.'

Edition details

• Publisher: Century
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1844138429
• ISBN 13: 9781844138425
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352