ISBN-13: 9780399155437Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: January 2009
256 pgs
"... Life is beautiful. Some people just remind you of that more than others."
I love reading. I love food. And I love reading about food and cooking thus I was very eager to dive into this book after reading so many good reviews from fellow bookbloggers.
The School of Essential Ingredients is basically centered around Lillian, the protagonist, and how her cooking class enlightened or enriched the life of her eight students in some ways.
Each of these students has his or her own story to tell. For Claire, the lessons help her sees in a way of balancing between her personal life and her role being a mother and wife. For older couple like Helen and Carl, it is about finding themselves and to be in love with each other again after all the ups and downs they had had experienced. For Antonia, an Italian kitchen designer, she is learning to stay true and to adapt her life in America. For young Chloe, it is about finding her own self again after leaving her boyfriend who seems to be always the one in control of their life. For Tom, it helps diverting his attentions after he lost his wife to breast cancer. As for Isabelle, she is an elderly lady who is beginning to lose her memory, and finally for Ian who has found love along the way.
Though these little stories are unique in its own way and are a pleasure to read, and it may even seem that this book centers around more on these eight students, but I could not help but to be amazed and impressed by Lillian's strength and determination in putting her restaurant together. I especially loved reading about Lillian's life and how she struggled as a young girl in putting her family together as it seems her mother is forever immersing herself in books. She seeks solace in cooking and hoping the food she prepared would bring her mother to her senses (no pun intended), in which she finally did.
The School of Essential Ingredients is a delight to read, and Erica Bauermeister's writing style is simply beautiful. I have to say her descriptions of the aromas and flavours made my mouth water; and the greatest satisfactory is it is from each character's story that allows me think of the life we are living and how even the mundane around us can somehow changed our life in one way or another. I am sure this book will not only appeal to people who enjoys food but to any readers as well.
Other blogs reviews:
Booking Mama
Books on the Brain
Devourer of Books
Fyrefly's Book Blog
Peeking Between the Pages
S. Krishna's Books
So Many Books, So Little Time
You've Gotta Read This
(Let me know if I have missed yours.)
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