Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food. She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be anonymous when reviewing some of the most high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the worldA-a charge she took very seriously, taking on the guise of a series of eccentric personalities. In Garlic and Sapphires, Reichl reveals the comic absurdity, artifice, and excellence to be found in the sumptuously appointed stages of the epicurean world and gives usA-along with some of her favorite recipes and reviewsA-her remarkable reflections on how oneA's outer appearance can influence oneA's inner character, expectations, and appetites, not to mention the quality of service one receives. A"This wonderful book is funnyA-at times laugh-out-loud funnyA-and smart and wise.A" A-The Washington Post A"Reichl is so gifted . . . the reader remains hungry for more.A" A-USA Today A"Expansive and funny.A" A-Entertainment Weekly

Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food. She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be anonymous when reviewing some of the most high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the worldA-a charge she took very seriously, taking on the guise of a series of eccentric personalities. In Garlic and Sapphires, Reichl reveals the comic absurdity, artifice, and excellence to be found in the sumptuously appointed stages of the epicurean world and gives usA-along with some of her favorite recipes and reviewsA-her remarkable reflections on how oneA's outer appearance can influence oneA's inner character, expectations, and appetites, not to mention the quality of service one receives. A"This wonderful book is funnyA-at times laugh-out-loud funnyA-and smart and wise.A" A-The Washington Post A"Reichl is so gifted . . . the reader remains hungry for more.A" A-USA Today A"Expansive and funny.A" A-Entertainment Weekly
Ruth Reichl is a writer and editor who was the Editor in Chief of Gourmet magazine for ten years until its closing in 2009. Before that she was the restaurant critic of the New York Times, (1993-1999), and both the restaurant critic and food editor of the Los Angeles Times (1984-1993). She has authored the critically acclaimed, bestselling memoirs Tender at the Bone, Comfort Me with Apples, Garlic and Sapphires, and For You Mom, Finally, (originally published as Not Becoming My Mother and Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way). She is the editor of The Modern Library Food Series, which currently includes ten books. Ms. Reichl has been honored with many awards, including six James Beard Awards and with numerous awards from the Association of American Food Journalists. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. in the History of Art from the University of Michigan and lives in New York City with her husband, Michael Singer, a television news producer, and their son.