Book Review:

Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl

Have you ever wondered what makes a foodie? Wondered exactly what defining moment turns an interested home cook to a full fledged connoisseur? If so, let me recommend: Tender at the Bone, the sweet story of how Ruth Reichl grew from her family's "guardian of the guests" to San Francisco Magazine's Restaurant Critic. I know, I know, Mrs. Reichl has gone above and beyond a simple magazine restaurant critic. In fact she was recently named one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Food Folk in America by the Daily Meal. That's the thing, the story of how Ruth Reichl rose to the top of the American food world doesn't just fit in one simple book, but rather a collection of three well written, witty, memoir-style story books about her life, her lessons learned and the people she loves.. well, until her mid-20s, at least.

Tender at the Bone showcases just how compelling a writer Ruth Reichl is. Each of her stories provide excellent insight into the making of a foodie. Starting with stories of her mother, the world's most dangerous dinner host with the "iron stomach" and tendency to inadvertently make her guests ill. As you sit and read, you start to picture a small, curly haired child franticly running about trying to save guests from consuming the sure-to-be-dangerous creation of her mother's most recent kitchen experiment. This vivid story book writing style carries on throughout the book, painting each scene with impressive detail. Willfully dulling out stories from her life, from an adolescent Ruth cooking late night snacks for her first crush, to traveling with her college roommate to Tunisia to share bottles of wine and freshly brined olives at a small cafe, and then off to Crete to a small cottage to enjoy freshly grilled fish with her first husband. You slowly start to piece together the makings of a foodie, you come to understand that it doesn't just come from a few cherished recipes (many of which she shares with the lucky reader) but rather a collection of soul touching experiences and lessons learned.