Book Club May 2021 - "My Kitchen Year" by Ruth Reichl

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It's been a busy couple of days here at Chez Goddess, so I'd better get cracking on leading this book discussion. Since the "theme" of this book is similar to the book Kathleen moderated (The Art of Escapism Cooking), some of the questions may be similar.

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When Condé Nast ceased publication of Gourmet Magazine after nearly 70 years, Ruth Reichl found her life in upheaval. After ten years as editor, she was suddenly unemployed. She took to cooking to heal her soul.

What is the most dramatic upheaval you have experienced in your life? Or at least the most impactful you are willing to share. How did you approach it? What did you do to keep your sanity?
 
I began this book with much anticipation, but about halfway through grew less enthused. I'm not sure I understand completely the reason she wrote the book. Why did she take so long to find another job? With her experience she should have had one pretty quick. Also I found that going to expensive markets to buy food you were worried about buying is kind of wasteful if you're having to watch your money. There were many things about her story that puzzled me. At any rate, there are some really good recipes in the book and nice pictures even if I only saw them in black and white on my Kindle. I am a little let down, but reading for me is never a waste of time. Looking forward to the next selection. :chef:
 
Linda, did you buy the Kindle version of the book on Amazon? Amazon has a free Kindle app for use on a Mac or Windows computer. That would show you the pictures in colour.
 
...Also I found that going to expensive markets to buy food you were worried about buying is kind of wasteful if you're having to watch your money. There were many things about her story that puzzled me...
That comment got to me, too, since she and her husband seem to have much more than many people. Then again, when you have a place in NYC and a self-designed home in upstate NY, your expenses are higher than Joe Average worker. Her husband was a producer for CBS at one time, and she's sold a number of books, so they can't be poor, right? It's all your perspective based on your lifestyle, I guess. When my hubby, the sole provider in our household of two, was laid off at the age of 63, the fact that our house was paid off and we could still pay bills/buy food made me feel like we were really blessed.

I found a NY Times article from September, 2015, about six years after she left Gourmet and around the same time this book was published. It gives a bit more information that might make it easier to understand why she presents the way she does in her book. I found this bit rather interesting:
"...In as much time as it takes to peel a peach, she went from the top of the heap into free fall. No more Condé Nast salary, black cars at her beckoning and $30,000 budgets to shoot a Thanksgiving spread." Quite a shock even years after a job loss. And this: "“It’s really scary when you’re old because who the hell is going to hire you?” she said." When Himself was laid off, it took him through two years of unemployment and another year of waiting to reach full age for Social Security before his psyche could heal.

If you'd like to read the entire article (about five minutes long, I guess), you can find it here:

Ruth Reichl Recharges in the Kitchen
 
Still have not received my book. Beginning to realize that I probably won't till after everyone has finished theirs.

But from articles I looked up and other comments including those here, I'm going to jump in and say that I rather think CG is spot on with her comments. Although, I admit, my first thought was like LindaZ's as in "if you have 2 houses, most obviously in area's that command the higher prices, what are earth are you worried about financially? - Sell one!"

I guess it is all perspective - not only for financial reasons but for phycological reasons. The actual thought of even looking for a job at that age must be daunting.
 
I think she wrote the book simply as a way of working through the what was a devastating, unexpected episode in her life. I have an idea of what she was going through, since I was forced to quit working for medical reasons. It was very difficult to accept that my working life, a big part of my identity, was over, because of circumstances beyond my control.

I'm kind of skipping around the book, since it's spring and I'm more interested in those kinds of recipes right now. But I have bookmarked a few from the fall and winter that I'll come back to later in the year.
 
I can totally understand the feeling of falling off a hill when you are at the top and then having to rebuild when you no longer have your hill. It isn't as much about houses for some, but a loss of identity. Many retirees feel this sort of loss even when they initiate their retirement.

Also, she was the cog in the wheel. The one who did the problem-solving for others and likely went to no one else to solve her own problems.

She has lost her identity. People who experience this need to rediscover their purpose...their non-monatery worth...their identity.
 
Linda, did you buy the Kindle version of the book on Amazon? Amazon has a free Kindle app for use on a Mac or Windows computer. That would show you the pictures in colour.

I did get the Kindle version - I have a Kindle Paperwhite and it doesn't do color. I have the app on my laptop, but I don't like reading on it. Even in black and white I still enjoyed the pictures. :yum:
 
I did get the Kindle version - I have a Kindle Paperwhite and it doesn't do color. I have the app on my laptop, but I don't like reading on it. Even in black and white I still enjoyed the pictures. :yum:
I didn't mean to read the book on the computer. I meant that you could look at the colour pictures on the computer, if you were interested.
 
Since I haven't seen anyone else pick another book to read, might I suggest "Food Americana" The following is from the intro on Amazon.

#1 New Release in History Humor, Food & Cooking, and Media Tie-In Cooking

David Page changed the world of food television by creating, developing, and executive-producing the groundbreaking show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Now from the two-time Emmy winner David Page comes the book Food Americana, an entertaining mix of food culture, pop culture, nostalgia, and everything new on the American plate.

The remarkable history of American food. What is American cuisine? What national menu do we share? What dishes have we chosen, how did they become “American,” and how are they likely to evolve from here? David Page answers all these questions and more.

Food Americana is engaging, insightful, and often humorous. The inside story of how Americans have formed a national cuisine from a world of flavors. Sushi, pizza, tacos, bagels, barbecue, dim sum―even fried chicken, burgers, ice cream, and many more―were born elsewhere and transformed into a unique American cuisine.

Food Americana is a riveting ride into every aspect of what we eat and why. From a lobster boat off the coast of Maine to the Memphis in May barbecue competition. From the century-old Russ & Daughters lox and bagels shop in lower Manhattan to the Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival. From a thousand-dollar Chinese meal in San Francisco to birria tacos from a food truck in South Philly.

Meet incredibly engaging characters and legends including:

The owner of a great sushi bar in an Oklahoma gas station
Alice Waters
Daniel Boulud
Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s
Mel Brooks
 
Still haven't received my book...
:mad:
ordered May 17th and they still do NOT have a shipping date.

Guess I should have ordered the Kindle after all! :rolleyes:
 
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Still haven't received my book...
:mad:
ordered May 17th and they still do NOT have a shipping date.

Guess I should have ordered the Kindle after all! :rolleyes:

What a bummer. Did you order on Amazon? You can cancel it and get the Kindle version.
 
What a bummer. Did you order on Amazon? You can cancel it and get the Kindle version.

Yes, I know. Is it even worth it? Only a difference in a dollar for price but everyone is ready to go on to the next book. If I cancel, I'm not re-ordering it.

Of course, if everyone acclaims the book as to be superb in recipes and info, I could change my mind. but I've not heard any reviews that would lead me to believe that.

Guess I'm just gonna cancel.
 
Rather than discuss the book, it seems like this thread has been more about psychoanalyzing Ruth Reichl. I did offer the question below to start the talk, so maybe you all don't have any upheaval of your own you're all willing to share? No discussion of how you handle a tough time in your own life? In case you missed it, the discussion questions were in this post, the last paragraph.


We could just can discussing this book and move on to the next one. Or we could wait for any of you looking for the book to find a copy and resume this thread at a later date. It's up to you guys.

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LindaZ, if "Food Americana" ends up being our next discussion, I know I won't be joining in. The regional library system doesn't have a copy. In fact, the main branch shows "one copy" as being on order. Heaven only knows when they will get it. I think it's easier to find a copy to read free when a book isn't just recently published. And I tend to not buy a cookbook until I've actually read a copy of the book. In fact, I checked the Ruth Reichl book out in 2016, but just now bought my own copy a few months ago.
 
Has anyone read any of her other books? This is not her first.

Has anyone noticed a difference in her writing, her choice of recipes, or other differences?

I would have thought the purpose of discussing would be as to why and what she's trying to say. The title and jacket blurbs clearly say the why of it, and what she's saying is how she dealt with it.

No, I personally am not prepared to bare all, I have done to a chosen few but when I think about it - if I could gain financially as authors do - then it would certainly be a way of coping with whatever upheaval has fallen upon you!

As my father always told us - 'Money can't buy you happiness - but it can help you cope.' (or words to that effect)
 
"What is the most dramatic upheaval you have experienced in your life? Or at least the most impactful you are willing to share. How did you approach it? What did you do to keep your sanity?"
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I've mentioned this before, but the worst upheaval of my life was when I had to quit working for medical reasons. It took me a long time, and a lot of therapy, to accept that I had physical limitations that would affect the rest of my life. At first, I thought I would be able to freelance, but that just wasn't possible.

DH suggested that I join the Master Gardeners, so I applied the next year (2013) and was accepted. Now, much of my time is spent volunteering for this fun group, educating the public on sustainable gardening techniques and related topics. I'm looking forward to when we can meet in person again.
 
I liked Linda's suggestion for the next book, but also understand not everyone can get it. DL, have you another suggestion? We don't want to lose anyone!

I think the only way to get deeper into books or have more authentic discussions would be to have face-to-face discussions. I'm willing to set up a zoom call if people would want to do it. However, finding a mutual time will likely be very hard to do. (If people do want to do it, they do not have to turn on cameras and we could share the link via PMs.)

So other suggestions?
 
I guess there is more than one author who has used cooking to come back. While surfing the town's library here, looking for "My Kitchen Year", only one book came up.

Title: Stir - My Broken Brain and the Meals that Brought Me Home
By Jessica Fechor. (I have not read a synopsis - think the title might be self-explanatory.)

I'm not putting it forward but am seeing more difficulties with our Book Club. We are restricted by availability in various areas, due either to the age of the book or (as in my case) delivery times. And theme bases.

Two of our three books are based on unhappy people turning to cooking. To be truthful - I have enough problems of my own and don't want to really become immersed in others' with their day to day angst on decision making.

Please don't mis-understand me. I am sympathetic and have compassion for these people, they found a solution. But I'm not into reading a whole book on it. And it is also true that I have not read either one of these books so perhaps I am misjudging.
 
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