Garlic and Sapphires

Goodreads summary: 

Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food. She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be anonymous when reviewing some of the most high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the world, a charge she took very seriously, taking on the guise of a series of eccentric personalities. In Garlic and Sapphires, Reichl reveals the comic absurdity, artifice, and excellence to be found in the sumptuously appointed stages of the epicurean world and gives us, along with some of her favorite recipes and reviews, her remarkable reflections on how one's outer appearance can influence one's inner character, expectations, and appetites, not to mention the quality of service one receives.

Such an interesting and entertaining read! Proof that sometimes truth is stranger (and funnier) than fiction. I don't read many memoirs, but when a friend recommended this to me and I read summaries and rave reviews I knew I'd have to check it out. Oh the disguises! There were a couple that made me laugh so hard! But it's not just the light bits of this book that made me love it, it's the deeper level that made me think about how individuals are treated based on their appearance - how I treat people based on how they look. That, and how changing our appearance can make us feel like a different person. There's some fascinating psychology explored in this book.

And the food. Yeah. This book made me hungry, and fortunately it also provides some amazing recipes. Ruth's descriptions of food are incredible and even convinced me that if I were sitting right there with her trying things like sushi and many other assorted (and sometimes bizarre-sounding) delicacies, I would find them delicious too.