Eating My Words: An Appetite for Life, by Mimi Sheraton
I know! I already read a bio by a food critic earlier in the year. What is the deal? Was I hungry when I bought these books? I was almost certain there might be a third foodie book on my shelves as well, but I can’t seem to find it now. Maybe I’m thinking of these books.
Although it might seem that all I do is read, since this is my fourth review in a week, I assure you, it is not. It is about all I do besides working however, because I need something to get my mind off of it and reading does the trick. Just about anything else I do, cleaning, cooking, laundry, watching television, etc., my brain goes right back to work.
So back to the review. From the bn.com site:
As one of the country’s foremost restaurant reviewers, Mimi Sheraton set the standard for food writing and criticism. In this engrossing memoir, the doyenne of food criticism explains how she developed her passion for writing about food and wine, sharing the secrets of her career, including her years at the New York Times. Witty and honest, she talks openly about the importance of anonymity, her battle with weight, and the demands of juggling work with the needs of a husband and son. From fine dining to lunch in New York City public schools, Mimi Sheraton gives readers the big dish on a life in food.
I liked this book so much better than the one by Gael Greene. Where Ms. Greene’s book was a look at her sexual conquests as she dined her way around the world, Ms. Sheraton’s book is actually about the career of critiquing and writing about food. She discussed what makes a restaurant successful, what chefs can do to improve their food instantly (if a food critic is spotted in their dining rooms), and how food, restaurants, grocery shopping, and home cooking have changed in the five decades she’s dedicated herself to the subject.
I thoroughly enjoyed this discussion and found myself wishing that I could hear Ms. Sheraton talk in person. It is inspiring to find someone so passionate and knowledgeable about a subject. It is rather contagious.
