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  3. Garlic and Sapphires

EBOOK

Garlic and Sapphires

The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

Ruth Reichl
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Pages
352
Year
2006
Language
English
Publisher
Penguin Publishing Group

About

GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES is Ruth Reichl's riotous account of the many disguises she employs to dine anonymously. There is her stint as Molly Hollis, a frumpy blond with manicured nails and an off-beige Armani suit that Ruth takes on when reviewing Le Cirque. The result: her famous double review of the restaurant: first she ate there as Molly; and then as she was coddled and pampered on her visit there as Ruth, New York Times food critic.

What is even more remarkable about Reichl's spy games is that as she takes on these various disguises, she finds herself changed not just superficially, but in character as well. She gives a remarkable account of how one's outer appearance can very much influence one's inner character, expectations, and appetites.

As she writes, "Every restaurant is a theater ... even the modest restaurants offer the opportunity to become someone else, at least for a little while." GARLIC AND SAPPHIRES is a reflection on personal identity and role playing in the decadent, epicurean theaters of the restaurant world.

Related Subjects

  • Essays & Narratives
  • Cooking
  • Adult Nonfiction
  • Editors, Journalists, Publishers
  • Biography & Autobiography
  • Women

Artists

Ruth ReichlAuthor

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