The School of Essential Ingredients

by Erica Bauermeister

I feel like I’ve read this book before. It’s sort of The Friday Night Knitting Club meets Ruth Reichl, except Reichl is a master of food writing. Great food writing. This is just weird. Oh, wait, I know what this reminds me of—Sweet Love by Sarah Strohmeyer. I read that novel within the last year.

Anyway, this is the story of a cooking class. Lillian teaches the course in her cozy little restaurant and calls it “The School of Essential Ingredients.” Everyone attending the class is damaged in some way. Everyone finds redemption in food preparation. You get the picture.

I guess what really bugged me about this novel is that I felt embarrassed while reading it. The cheesy use of description (way too much) and the corny plot were just too much for me. For great food writing, try Ruth Reichl or Jeffrey Steingarten. Avoid this one.

8/21/09