Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table

Ruth Reichl

Broadway Books, 1999 - Biography & Autobiography - 282 pages

At an early age, Ruth Reichl discovered that "food could be a way of making sense of the world. . . . If you watched people as they ate, you could find out who they were." Her deliciously crafted memoir, Tender at the Bone, is the story of a life determined, enhanced, and defined in equal measure by a passion for food, unforgettable people, and the love of tales well told.  Beginning with Reichl's mother, the notorious food-poisoner known as the Queen of Mold, Reichl introduces us to the fascinating characters who shaped her world and her tastes, from the gourmand Monsieur du Croix, who served Reichl her first soufflé, to those at her politically correct table in Berkeley who championed the organic food revolution in the 1970s.  Spiced with Reichl's infectious humor and sprinkled with her favorite recipes, Tender at the Bone is a witty and compelling chronicle of a culinary sensualist's coming-of-age.

What people are saying

Review: Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table

User Review  - Cindy - Goodreads

In this memoir Ruth Reichl gives great detail into her life through the food she grew up on and encountered throughout her life. Reichl is a restaurant critic and her descriptions of the food and wine ...

Review: Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table

User Review  - Heather - Goodreads

In my fantasy life I spend long Sunday afternoons cooking with Ruth and listening to her tell me stories. I find her writing to be completely engaging. This book is compelling and delicious.

About the author

Ruth Reichl is the restaurant critic for the New York Times.  She lives in New York City with her husband, her son, and two cats.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table
• Author: Ruth Reichl
• Edition: reprint
• Publisher: Broadway Books, 1999
• ISBN: 0767903382, 9780767903387
• Length: 282 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / General