Just One Taste by Lizzy Dent

 

3.5*

I’d give this 4*, but it didn’t capture my attention at first and I didn’t agree with Olive’s decision to sell her late father Nicky’s London restaurant or the abrupt way she shared it with Leo, the sous chef who was like a son to Nicky. As I read further, Olive’s thoughts about the restaurant, which she inherited when he died suddenly, began to shift, and I started warming up to the story. Amidst the stunning regions of Italy that Olive and Leo visited as inspiration to finish her father’s cookbook (Catania, Tuscany, and Liguria), the feelings between them began to grow. It was refreshing to read a love story between two kind and caring people that didn’t come with a heaping pile of angst or a mess due to miscommunication. Leo definitely had ideas about how to fix the dated restaurant and tired menu, and when Olive was receptive to hearing them, he shared, but he never put any pressure on her to decide to keep the restaurant if it wasn’t what was best for her. As his aunt said, he takes care of the people he loves and, unlike her father who put the restaurant before his family, Olive began to trust that Leo wouldn’t repeat her father’s mistakes.

 

In summary, this slow burn romance is a foodie’s dream and a love letter to the sights, tastes and smells of Italy. It might not be a book that keeps you up all night reading, but like a leisurely meal under the Tuscan sun, it’ll leave you feeling satiated and satisfied that all is right in Olive and Leo’s world. Recommended.

 

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

 

 

 

Save Me the Plums from Ruth Reichl

5*

In her latest memoir, Reichl shares her journey from hippie foodie in San Francisco where she hung out with Alice Waters and others to New York Times food critic to final editor of Gourmet Magazine in a casual and humorous voice readers have come to know and love. After having had the pleasure of sitting in on a cookbook author panel in Los Angeles recently, I can confirm that the voice is authentically hers. It’s fascinating to read about her battle to stay true to herself, her family and her ideals when taking the helm of an unapologetically high-brow magazine where perks such as a full-time driver were the norm. In the ten years she was editor of Gourmet, she totally remade it into a publication that was more relatable to household cooks without sacrificing quality. Yes, she lost some long-time readers, but with the help of people like revered LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold, she vastly increased readership until the internet spelled its demise. Aren’t we lucky that, as unfortunate as this is, it freed up Reichl’s time to share her story and some delicious recipes as well?

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Random House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.