I'd really give this a 3.7, but I'll round up...This is one of those books I read and think 'I meant to have that life!' But I was born too late (there are probably a few other reasons I didn't get that life...). A fun, overview kind of a read--nothing is explored too deeply, but much is touched on. ( )

Charming summer read. ( )

This is a great book about the love of food and quality ingredients. It is so interesting how Americans have changed the way we cook over the last few decades! It only gets a four star rating because there were a lot of names that made it confusing and the narrative jumped around a lot. ( )

When I went over to my grandmother’s house on the weekends, I would undoubtedly find myself making cookies or banana bread or some other such thing on one of the days we were together. For her it was something exciting, for me it was something to pass the time. I have very fond memories of walking in to her kitchen with all of the cooking gadgets and gizmos scattered on the counters, in cupboards and on shelves, but I never wanted to bother with any of it for myself. As I got older, I used the griddle to make pancakes the way we used to on Sunday mornings, but that’s about all.

Then I picked up The Tenth Muse and I instantly thought of my grandmother. I devoured the pages like I would her banana bread or blueberry pancakes and as I read on I came to realize exactly what all of this cooking stuff was all about. The book did not convert me. I will never want to go in a kitchen and whip up a simple or elaborate meal, but I have learned a new appreciation for the people who do have that desire to cook somewhere in their blood. Thankfully Judith Jones doesn’t insist that reading her book will make everyone run out and pick up a pot or a pan. She accepts that there are people out there who just don’t have a cooking gene and is okay with that, though she does say she hopes to see more young people cooking.

At first this statement upset me because I know from experience that you can’t force a love of cooking on anyone. I may have the fondest memories of my grandmother in her kitchen, but I am not going to run to my kitchen in order to relive them. After a while, though, I realized that the exposure to the kitchen is more about remembering the past, sharing time together, and enjoying yourselves than it is about making someone figure out how to boil potatoes or bake the perfect cake. I read stories of Julia Childe and all of the other famous folks out there who wrote cook books or encouraged people to take the time to feed their families in a wholesome way and I made a connection with my grandmother’s generation that I never thought was possible.

I can’t go to her now and tell her that all of this has happened for me, but I can remember what it was like to experience this realization and I can pass it on to other readers. I can recommend this book to anyone who has a willingness to relive a memory of family in the kitchen, I can tell the cooks out there that there are recipes in the back of the book, and I can let everyone know that the stories of publishing a wide variety of cookbooks will intrigue and delight readers of every variety. I never thought a book about cooking would touch me the way this one has. I never thought I would claim said book was a must read. This one falls into both of those. Enjoy. ( )

Better beginning than ending. ( )