I read it early (thus this review is coming way late from my initial reaction to the book and I'm writing and saving to appear at the end of the month!) while I was on a trip to New York for my cousin's wedding. 5 hour plane rides make for lots of quality reading time.
There are aspects of the book that I loved.
I love that she stumbled into the world of pastry. It just happened.
She knows how to cook and has survived all kinds of positions in the kitchen.
We get a good peek into the kitchen. The relationship between waiters and the cooks, the various business models and the life of a restaurant in NYC.
And there was this one thing that disappointed me.
Her ending! What is it with authors who are incapable of writing a good ending? It's probably due to the fact that their lives aren't over yet. The next step isn't defined. Some of these cooks aren't even real writers so of course their story is weak. And conclusions are always the worst part of a paper right? Introductions and conclusions were one of my weak spots.
But the problem with that is it leaves this weird aftertaste in your mind. That was the ending? Where is she now? What's going on? She worked at a series of restaurants and now she's just in limbo? That's pretty much how I feel and it doesn't necessarily allow me to relish all the previous enjoyment because it's done. Oh well.
Was anyone else cheering for her and her head chef?
At the end of the day it was definitely a fun quick read. Was it as enjoyable as I hoped? Not really, but it still gives me that kick in the pants and hope that one day I'll step foot in a kitchen and make desserts.
As always, refer back to The Kitchen Reader for a full list of participating bloggers and their reviews of Spiced.
Yes, I was cheering for her and the head chef as well!
ReplyDeleteGood for you for not letting the antics deter you from a passion for cooking!
ReplyDeleteThe restaurant world is not an easy one, as the author describes it. In Spanish we have a saying "pagar derecho de piso" than means that you have to pay for every step along the way. Nothing is for free, especially when you are mistreated for your co-workers. Isn´t that nasty? You will only succeed if you are willing to take all that stuff and focus on your career.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, and great book choice! I'm new to Kitchen Reader so this was my first month participating. It was the perfect book to get me going - a fun, quick read with real insight into the restaurant world! Yes, I agree about the ending - although it seems to be how many of these books end! From what I've been able to gather she hasn't published anything since. I think she had a baby as she'd hoped and is focusing on a family for now.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this book but have to agree that the ending was anti-climactic. The book kind of just ended. It was worth the read though.
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued by your comment about owning a bakery. Can you tell us more, please? Is this the kind of dream for which you are already making plans? Several of the Kitchen Reader books have made me see that I could never work in a restaurant, but I think owning a little cafe wouldn't be so bad. Thanks for your pick this month! I'll ask you again soon, I imagine. :)
ReplyDeletei was definitely cheering for her and her head chef, and also really disappointed by the ending! i tried googling her to see what she's up to now, but didn't find much...
ReplyDeletehow excited that you are interested in opening a bakery or becoming a pastry chef/baker! a friend of mine has been working as a baker (with her eye on the pastry chef prize) at a restaurant here in town. she loves it, even getting to work at 2am. ;) can't wait to hear more over time!