"Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir," by Ruth Reichl

Regular readers of this blog may remember that I am a “foodie” (although I have very mixed feelings about the label…). Mainly this means, of course, that I -- like most of you, I am sure -- enjoy eating good food, especially at good restaurants, but it also means that I like to read about and learn about good food, especially restaurant food, and the restaurant world. So finding and reading excellent memoirs about the world of food and restaurants is an enjoyable experience in which my foodie side intersects with my reading side. Usually these memoirs are by those who work in the restaurant business; in the case of Ruth Reichl’s books, we learn about the experiences of someone who has spent most of her adult life writing about food and restaurants. Among the books (and other writings) I have read by her are three terrific and engaging memoirs, “Tender at the Bone,” “Comfort Me with Apples,” and “Garlic and Sapphires.” These tell the stories of her growing up as a child and young adult unusually tuned in to the tastes and pleasures of food, and later of her time as the restaurant critic of The New York Times. Reichl’s newest memoir, “Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir” (Random House, 2019), recounts her experiences during her ten years as the editor of Gourmet Magazine. It is a fascinating story, well told, with detailed explanations of and insights into the workings of the magazine, the personalities involved, Reichl’s own feelings along the way, and of course depictions of some wonderful food and food-related experiences. Her descriptions of food are inspired, almost poetic. Speaking of poetry: Poetry readers may note that this book's title refers to the iconic William Carlos Williams poem, “This Is Just to Say,” which, because it is short (and just plain wonderful!), I will include here: “I have eaten/the plums/that were in/the icebox///and which/you were probably/saving/for/breakfast///Forgive me/they were delicious/so sweet/and so cold.” What could be simpler yet more vivid and evocative? Reichl’s new memoir, like the poem, is also simple (in the sense of accessible and also primal), vivid, and evocative, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I think you would too.