Just finished reading #7

The Sauciers Apprentice - Bob Spitz

Literally I have just stumbled out of bed at 10.13 on a Sunday morning after doggedly remaining horizontal to finish this book. I really enjoyed it ...thankfully I don't get paid for book reviews because 'really enjoyed it' isn't that useful.

The odd thing about this book is all the things that I ended up thinking about while reading it...

1. I don't normally pick up a book with such small type and so many pages. For several reasons, firstly I am a slow reader and secondly people who use lots of words to describe something can be a little boring. Not so in this case. Bob is a great writer and obviously had a good editor. Descriptions of food, chefs, fellow cooking school students and travel were all measured out to great effect. Just as you got a bit bored with a description and was about to move on, he did. Excellent

2. Let's just stop talking about whether we need public libraries or not. It is such a boring and over worked discussion. Just accept that we do and move on!! I would never have found this book on Amazon as it has never been reviewed here, and I might not ever come across it in a book chain store in NZ (not to say it wouldn't be tucked away somewhere). No one I know would ever buy this book and lend it to me. However, I found it on the 'new books' shelf at the Sumner library (a tiny library in a seaside suburb) one day as I was desperately searching for something to read. The Internet doesn't have everything and book shops are commercial enterprises that have little or no interest in improving peoples knowledge and expanding their minds. Don't get me wrong I am a fan of the Internet and book shops but the bottom line is we need variety in this as we do with everything in life....flowers, food, weather, friends...get my drift?

3. I love food a lot and it is a primary driver in me getting out of bed in the morning. I start thinking about food pretty much from 'eyes open' to 'eyes closed'. The food described in the book was mainly French. I know it is the back bone of Western culinary tradition but here in the South Pacific I think we are more influenced by the rustic fare of Italy. The pedantry of French cooking is fantastic and delivers taste to blow your mind but you can get layers of delicious from Italian food too. I am in no position at all to have an opinion on this other than my devotion to cookbooks and magazines and my observations and the food I have eaten.

So, if you like food and travel and people as much as I do, you would really enjoy this book.