Rating: Very Good
Source: Library
Description: When Isabel meets Edward, both are at a crossroads: he wants to follow his late wife to the grave, and she is ready to give up on love. Thinking she is merely helping Edward’s daughter--who lives far away and has asked her to check in on her nonagenarian dad in New York--Isabel has no idea that the man in the kitchen baking the sublime roast chicken and light-as-air apricot soufflé will end up changing her life.
As Edward and Isabel meet weekly for the glorious dinners that Edward prepares, he shares so much more than his recipes for apple galette or the perfect martini, or even his tips for deboning poultry. Edward is teaching Isabel the luxury of slowing down and taking the time to think through everything she does, to deconstruct her own life, cutting it back to the bone and examining the guts, no matter how messy that proves to be.
Genre: Memoir - Foodie
Why I Picked This Book: The blurb just really hooked me. I loved the sound of the friendship.
My Impression: This is a very quiet book. There are no big events, there are no arguments or breakdowns or anything like that. This is two people who are feeling lost and adrift and just need something or someone to cling too. What they find is the dinners they share and each other. I enjoyed their relationship immensely. It's a friendship with a bit of a paternal air and really just lovely. As their friendship deepens there's a specialness that really shines through the pages.
Then there's the food! I'm craving steaks and souffles and I would pay serious money for Edward's martinis as well as most of his other glorious creations. The descriptions are marvelous and I could just imagine the beautifully set table and lovingly crafted food. At first I was disappointed that the book features no recipes but when I read more about Edward's exacting methods I'm not sure I'd have the courage to try to make them myself! It did make me want to take more care in my ingredient selections and to learn more and try more in my cooking methods.
This is a lovely quiet little book full of good friends and amazing food. I loved the stories, I loved getting to know Edward and Isabel, and I would dearly love to share a dinner with them both.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would. I enjoyed her voice and would love to read more from her.
Would I Recommend this Book? Absolutely! This is a lovely little book which is perfect for when you're looking for a quiet read but still want a read with heart.
I also liked this author and the book was great. I was inspired to make crab cakes from one of their dinners. I think most of her other work is investigative reporting though. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this one, too... a quiet little book that made me hungry :)
ReplyDeleteOh I like the sound of this one Katherine. I need a food memoir for the Better World Reading Challenge so I just put this on my wish list at Amazon for future reading. I like the idea of no great drama!
ReplyDeleteWell forget Amazon! It is at my own local library in large print, so that's where I'll be picking it up!!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good one, Katherine. The lesson of learning to slow down is one many of us need. I am glad you enjoyed this one--and the food talk. :-)
ReplyDeleteI do like the sound of this one - but as I managed to lose a stone last year and would like to keep it off, I probably won't be getting this one!
ReplyDeleteI remember you mentioning this book on an earlier post and I wanted to read it. I will have to check and make sure I shelved it on Goodreads. ☺
ReplyDeleteI totally didn't expect this book to be a memoir. How interesting. I'm adding it.
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