My new "must-have" book

I’ve posted before about my love of cooking shows. If I don’t have anything to do on a weekend morning, I’ll lie in bed watching them until one in the afternoon.

Living in Northern California, I’ve become what’s been known as a “foodie.” In my old job – where I was making a bit more money and my life was a lot simpler – trying out new restaurants in San Francisco was a form of entertainment. Now, instead of going out to restaurants, I’ve ventured into trying to cook for myself. Oftentimes with mixed results. But whatever.

When people ask me what I think would be a dream job, I always answer “food critic.” I mean, what other job requires that you dine out at different restaurants every week and share with your readership your perceptions about the quality of food, speed of service, ambiance, etc. Plus, the cool thing about being a food critic for a magazine or newspaper is that your employer picks up the tab. How sweet is that? At first, I thought about doing some kind of web project in which I’d visit different restaurants and write about them. But with the advent of a myriad of like-minded websites and blogs, how was I going to make mine stand out?

I'm still working on trying to come up with something.

So anyway. Former New York Times Food Critic and current Editor of Gourmet Ruth Reichl has a new book out called “Garlic and Sapphires.” Chronicling her tenure at the New York Times, Reichl mentions her use of disguises and various identities she takes on when she reviews a restaurant. As you can imagine, when your photo is plastered in every kitchen of every restaurant in Manhattan, you have to find creative ways to ensure your anonymity. Reichl’s playing with different identities also parallels her own personal transformation of self that brought her to her current position at Gourmet.

Sounds like an interesting read. I can't wait to get it.