Written with a strong narrative and peppered with recipes (Reichl says she wants the reader to taste what she is tasting), this book can sometimes read like a novel, much to its credit. Her solution for this was to disguise herself, in order to find out what it is really like to be a diner, rather than a food critic, in these often pretentious restaurants. She quickly discovers that every restaurant has a picture of her in their kitchen, and some offering rewards for spotting her in their restaurant. Reichl describes her move from LA to take on the prestigious job of the food critic of the New York Times. She went on to be the editor of Gourmet Magazine until 2009 when, for some idiotic reason, the publishers Conde Nast shut it down in favour of their other title, Bon Appetit. Fortunately, Garlic and Sapphires is accessible, witty, entertaining and astute. The book covers the period Reichl was the restaurant critic of the New York Times. Reading non-fiction, and particularly memoirs can be a chore, unless you are a) obsessed with the author/subject or b) are sadomasochistic.
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