Hungry

Hungry: Eating, Road-tripping and Risking It All with the Greatest Chef in the World by Jeff Gordinier, 230 pages

Summary from Goodreads: Hungry is a book about not only the hunger for food, but for risk, for reinvention, for creative breakthroughs, and for connection. Feeling stuck in his work and home life, writer Jeff Gordinier happened into a fateful meeting with Danish chef Rene Redzepi, whose restaurant, Noma, has been called the best in the world. A restless perfectionist, Redzepi was at the top of his game but was looking to tear it all down, to shutter his restaurant and set out for new places, flavors, and recipes.

This is the story of the subsequent four years of globe-trotting culinary adventure, with Gordinier joining Redzepi as his Sancho Panza. In the jungle of the Yucatan peninsula, Redzepi and his comrades go off-road in search of the perfect taco. In Sydney, they forage for sea rocket and sandpaper figs in suburban parks and on surf-lashed beaches. On a boat in the Arctic Circle, a lone fisherman guides them to what may or may not be his secret cache of the world's finest sea urchins. And back in Copenhagen, the quiet canal-lined city where Redzepi started it all, he plans the resurrection of his restaurant on the unlikely site of a garbage-filled lot. Along the way, readers meet Redzepi's merry band of friends and collaborators, including acclaimed chefs such as Danny Bowien, Kylie Kwong, Rosio Sanchez, David Chang, and Enrique Olvera.

I wasn't familiar with Noma until I started reading this book. I was just drawn to the title and description. I was not disappointed. Gordinier weaves a great story about Redzepi and his philosophy towards cooking. I especially enjoyed the parts that talked about the variety and nuances of moles. I would highly recommend this book!

The Hundred-Foot Journey

The Hundred-Foot Journey  by Richard Morais   245 pages

Born above his grandfather's modest restaurant in Mumbai, Hassan Haji first experienced life through intoxicating whiffs of spicy fish curry, trips to the local markets, and gourmet outings with his mother. But when tragedy strikes, the Hajis leave India and embark on a journey around the world, eventually opening an Indian restaurant in a small town in the French Alps. The family takes the village by storm, provoking the ire of their neighbor, Madame Mallory, the proprietress of an esteemed French relais. Only after waging culinary war with the immigrant family does Madame Mallory finally agree to mentor young Hassan, leading him to Paris and a host of new adventures.

This is a story that will appeal to a gourmand given the incredible descriptions of the exotic ingredients and culinary processes and exotic ingredients involved in the selection and preparation of meals from common Indian fare to elaborate French cuisine. Although I am not a vegetarian, I am squeamish when it comes to raw meat – the sight, the smell, the feel, oh my! –the hunting, slaughtering, and preparation details were so vivid as to make me uncomfortable.

Although food figures prominently in the story, it is ultimately the story of the personal and professional journey of Hassan as he navigates the culinary world, a journey that returns him back to where he began, having learned the moral that no one makes the journey through life alone. The author could have explored this concept more thoroughly, but fails to do so. In spite of the vivid details throughout the story, the conclusion feels hurried and confused – an unfortunate ending to an otherwise engaging read.

Posted By:   Regina C.

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler            Hardback Book: 303 pages               

I loved this book!    I learned about it when reading a magazine that included an interview with Kristen Stewart (of the film series “Twilight” fame).    She mentioned in the article it was her favorite book.   I remembered the title and thought I would check it out.   She was right.   It is a most excellent story.   Near and dear to my heart this story is.   When I read the inside cover to see what the story was about I was hooked.   It is a great telling of the story of the Tull Family.    Dad is a salesman younger than the mother.  Mother is a beauty nearly considered an old maid because she has not accepted any of the many marriage proposals she has received from all of her suitors over the years, till she was swept head over heels by savvy talking, tall handsome Beck Tull, that is.    They have a good life together while it is just the two of them but once the children come, and Beck is on the road all the time, things begin to change.   Beck begins to stay on the road more and more, and his wife Pearl assumes role of both parents though the reader will often question her ethics.    As more distance grows between Beck and Pearl, an animosity grows in her or perhaps was always there just comes to the forefront more and more as time passes.       Little things the kids do begin to grate on her nerves and she lashes out smacking them hard across the face,  screaming at them and threatening to throw them out the window or other bodily harm.   The oldest Cody responds by being belligerent, not doing great in school and running the streets making mischief.   He doesn’t really have friends only the occasional partner in crime.  When Cody was a baby and got really sick once, Pearl got so scared.  She and Cody were home alone, she didn’t know any one (she wasn’t the type to seek out people to become friendly with), Beck was gone and he was her only help as far as she considered it.   She did eventually get Cody’s fever to break and he did get well, but, that close call made her think, what if Cody had died?   Pearl decided then and there, she needed a spare child in case something happened to the first.    She told her husband when he returned from his most recent trip.   “We need to have another child.”   Beck was astonished, “Really?”   He was all for it, as Pearl was never much for romance.  They got on it right away.   Enter child number 2, Ezra.    Where Cody was brash and in your face and fearless, Ezra was meek and mild with a smile that lit up his face that everyone who met him seemed to fall under a spell and always liked and praised him.   This miffed Cody something awful.    Their mother made no secret that Ezra held a special place in her heart.  Cody spent his life doing everything he could to make Ezra’s life horrible, yet, Ezra adored Cody and hero worshipped him.    Some years later along came Jenny who always seemed to fall for the wrong guy.   Her relationships were always flawed though she tried her best.    One day Beck just tells Pearl he is leaving and does so.    Pearl thinks he will return, even though she receives a note from Beck now and then with postmarks from all over the country telling how great he is doing occasionally enclosing a small check to help with expenses for the children.   Pearl doesn’t tell the children right away but just says, “Your father is busy on the road.”    This goes on for quite sometime and while she assumes the children have figured it out, they don’t pay much attention to their father’s absence believing he is working on the road.    There are so many things that happen, the story is so well developed, the characters so real and the situations described with such finesse I had to force myself to put the book down when I had other things I needed to do.   This is such an excellent book, I highly recommend it.     There is so much more I could tell you about this intriguing book, but, I don’t want to give too much away.   I think you will find yourself reacting Charlie Brown’s, “Arggghhhhh!”  out loud a lot while reading this one.   It is gripping.   Well done, Anne Tyler.

Stars So Sweet

Stars So Sweet by Tara Dairman, 278 pages

In the third and final book in the All Four Stars series Gladys is beginning seventh grade in a new school.  Although some of her friends will be there, she is nervous about meeting new people and learning a new routine.  Gladys is also prepared to tell her parents about her freelance job as a restaurant critic but is sidetracked when her aunt, Lydia, surprises her with a visit.  Gladys doesn't know what to do when her editor wants to meet face-to-face.  She is also overwhelmed with requests for help with bake sales for several school clubs.  Despite all of her troubles, Gladys finds that she's enjoying school, her aunt's company, the restaurant reviews and even the bake sales.  If she can figure out how to handle some of the problems, Gladys just might have a great year.  I really loved this series.  It's a little sweet but some parts are hilarious and Gladys is easy to root for.  This is a good pick for elementary and middle school kids who like realistic fiction.