Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl

From Goodreads: Fans of Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me with Apples know that Ruth Reichl is a wonderful memoirist--a funny, poignant, and candid storyteller whose books contain a happy mix of memories, recipes, and personal revelations. What they might not fully appreciate is that Reichl is an absolute marvel when it comes to writing about food--she can describe a dish in such satisfying detail that it becomes unnecessary for readers to eat. In her third memoir, Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, Reichl focuses on her life as a food critic, dishing up a feast of fabulous meals enjoyed during her tenure at The New York Times. As a critic, Reichl was determined to review the "true" nature of each restaurant she visited, so she often dined incognito--each chapter of her book highlights a new disguise, a different restaurant (including the original reviews from the Times), and a fresh culinary adventure. Garlic and Sapphires is another delicious and delightful book, sure to satisfy Reichl's foodie fans and leave admirerers looking forward to her next book, hopefully about her life with Gourmet. --Daphne Durham

My review: This was the August selection for the monthly book on my online book club and isn’t something I would normally pick up to read. I am as far from a food connoisseur as you can pretty much be so I wasn’t really sure I would like this book. I was pleasantly surprised in how much I enjoyed it. I thought this book would be primarily about food but food was only a small part of the entire story. Ruth creates alternate identities to hide herself in while she visits restaurants to remain anonymous so that she doesn’t get unusual and beneficial treatment. Surprising herself, she fell into these new rolls quite well, in fact so well she would respond to questions, to food and to the restaurant’s environment in the way the character would, rather than the way Ruth would. These instances caused her to examine the staff, food and ambiance differently and opened her mind up to what other people experience when visiting the same restaurant.

Almost a story of psychology more than food, some of the more startling aspects of the book were the reactions, responses and the treatment Ruth received as her other characters. From her doorman’s reaction when she dressed a bit more revealing to his caring assistance when she was in character as her mother, the citizen’s of New York City responded in different manors depending on how she was dressed and who she pretended to be, with exception her son. He could see through the makeup, perfume and clothing to find his Mom every time. I found this fascinating and it brings first impression judgments to the forefront. Based off her limited experience, it would appear that people deeply judge by how a person looks, their age and how they talk. I find myself making that same type of judgment of others at times but attempt to reel in my mental judgments by reminding myself that sometimes people just have bad days or are under more stress than they can handle.

Ruth’s view towards food was interesting and above my understanding most of the time. I didn’t know what many of the foods were when she would name them but the way she described them with such color, detail and emotion, I found that I didn’t need to know exactly what the item was to understand and follow along. She includes a handful or two of recipes that are mentioned or that she makes at home. Some of them looked like they would be tasty but far from what normally adorns our dinner table. In all, I thought this was a very unique and interesting book that made me laugh and think.

Grade: B

Finished: August 20, 2010. 2010 Count: 77