This is the third installment that Ruth Reichl shares about her life. This book follows her as she becomes the NY Times restaurant critic.

While flying to NY to start the job she realizes that she's going to be recognized and must come up with a plan to eat out and not be treated as the NY Times restaurant critic. So she comes up with the fabulous idea of transforming herself into different people. She enlists help from her mother's friend and "becomes" her characters. She finds out that when she dresses up as these characters -- that she has within her to be that person as well. She even becomes jealous of some of her characters (Brenda) and despises others (Emily). It's such a great learning experience for her that I wish more people could do it as well.

This is fun to read and if you're not hungry starting out -- you'll definitely be by page 20. I love that instead of using pictures, she uses recipes to further illustrate her love and passion for food. It's as if you're at dinner with your best friend who's sharing every bite of food with you.

I read her past two books, Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me with Apples and thoroughly enjoyed them as well. I am eagerly awaiting her next book about her experiences as editor-in-chief of Gourmet. I'm going to have a dinner group -- where everyone has to read at least one of her books and bring one of her recipes. I highly recommend Ruth Reichl as an author. Enjoy!

If you love Food you will love Ruth Reichl! This was one of her most creative and insider looks at being a food critic. And everyone should meet Molly!

Interesting behind-the-scenes peep into what makes a food critic. This gave me a different perspective on what seems like the perfect job.

Still a great read, but not as good as Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me with Apples. Foodies will love the continued insight into restaurant review protocol, but the author really shines when she remembers early food experiences with her mom, dad and other relatives and friends. The highs are not as high, nor the lows as low in Garlic and Sapphires. Reichl has a long way to go to lose me as a reader; that said, I hope she has a few more early memories to incorporate in her next book.

I loved this book. It was educational and at the same time highly entertaining. There are several themes going on in the same book. First there is the actual review of restaurants and education of food and wine. Second, there is the truth about restaurants, food, and service that is exposed. Finally, there is the journey of the author and what she learns about herself, desires, and needs. All three themes are woven seemlessly to make a highly fun book to read.