Cover Image: Save Me the Plums

Save Me the Plums

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Member Reviews

What a gorgeous book, and also such a deep dive into a meaningful time for Ruth Reichl- the end of Gourmet Magazine. I would read anything she wrote given my love of her writing, but for those who haven't read Reichl, anyone who has ever lost a job they loved more than anything, this is the perfect book to soothe that heartbreak. I felt like I was sitting on her shoulder as Ruth steered us through the hallways of the magazine in its final days, and in the months after as she coped with the loss. This is a classic.

It was a particular joy to speak with Ruth on the Secret Library and dive even deeper. She is a true inspiration. As she put it- this was the hardest book she ever wrote, and I am so glad she stuck with it.

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I love reading writing about food and cooking so this book was a perfect match for me. I loved reading about Ruth's life and how she got into the food industry; this is a fascinating look into that world. Ruth Reichl's writing and voice are stunning and really push this book to be one of my favorites.

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I have read many of Ruth Riechl's other memoirs and was looking forward to reading this new book.
It did not disappoint. Save Me The Plums was a fascinating description of the world of magazine publishing and a look into the world of Gourmet magazine in particular.

Ruth has had a varied, interesting, and exciting career. Her travels eating her way around the world and meeting the most famous chefs and authors made me envious as I read the book. She has been a food critic for the New York Times and worked at newspapers in California, but the best job ever seems to have been her ten years as the editor of Gourmet magazine.

I remember subscribing to the magazine in the years she was the editor. I was a newly married young mother, staying home and wanting to cook delicious dinners for my family. So many of the ideas Ruth talks about in the book were directly aimed at me during those years. So this book was very easy to relate to.

Her descriptions of food and cooking are mouthwatering. "There's something soothing about peeling apples, about the way they come whispering out of their skins. Slicing them is another pleasure, and I listened for the juicy crunch of the knife sliding through the flesh. I cut into the lemon, treasuring the scent of the aromatic oils as they flew into the air." You can feel the slippery apple skins, and hear the juicy crunch and smell the lemon as you are reading the passage. It is beautiful written.

She talks about her personal life and how the decisions she makes in her work life are influenced by her family and friends. There were two very important lessons she learned along the way and shared with her readers. I want to remember them and use them as I go forward in life. One was, "...one of life's secrets: Luxury is best appreciated in small portions. When it becomes routine it loses its allure." As she travels through Paris in search of a story about Paris on a low budget, she is reminded that it is exciting "to abandon security and run toward the life that is waiting." That is important advice to us all, enjoy everyday and every experience and don't worry about the rules and the to do list. The other important quote is, "Every world has its extraordinary side. It's just that so few of us know how to find it." Take nothing for granted, I think is the message.

There are some entertaining antidotes and some delicious recipes. I wish had continued to subscribe to Gourmet magazine while it was still be published and I also wish I could go out to the newsstand and pick up a copy right now.

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I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I've enjoyed all of Reichl's books so far and have mostly skimmed this one due to time, but look forward to reading it cover to cover.

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This is my first Ruth Reichl and I thoroughly enjoyed it. She covers a lot of ground! This book is a peak inside the world of magazine publishing, the restaurant industry, New York City and the aftermath of 9/11, new job jitters, the guilt and pull women feel between "work and home," and even a couple delicious chapters about eating through Paris.

For someone who had a wardrobe stipend and a personal driver for awhile, Ruth tells her story in a relatable way.

I think the chapter entitled Severine was my favorite.

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I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Galley.

This is a must read for foodies, especially if you've read her earlier books. This is the story of how Reichl came to become the editor of Gourmet, and the very public and dramatic end to the magazine's long run.

Great summer read. Recommended.

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As the subtitle says "My Gourmet Memoir", this new memoir from the New York Times food writer details her ten years working for GOURMET magazine and her experiences with its mercurial publishing house, Conde Nast (known by some in the industry as "Conde Nasty). The memoir ends with GOURMET being shut down and merged with BON APPETIT. Prior to its closing, Reichl takes on more and more responsibilities in an attempt to save it. This is a tribute to a greta magazine, full of quality stories and images and created by talented people who really cared about creating something of value. If you're a foodie or an avid reader of GOURMET magazine, you will love this book.

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As someone who still loves and subscribes to food magazines, reaching about Reichl's career at Gourmet magazine was a delight.

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As a follower of Ruth Reichl and Gourmet Magazine this was a wonderful book. It was also good for those people involved in the hey day of magazine publishing.. It was not a long time ago but that world is so different today.

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I loved this book! Ruth Reichl is honest and so funny, it was a joy to read. This tells the story of her arrival at Gourmet magazine, and she describes her tenure and eventually, the closing down of the magazine.
The recipes are fantastic too! I highly recommend.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I love all of Ruth Reichl’s books, and this is no exception! Show up for the exquisite food writing, but stay for the way she discusses family and friends.

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This book was a great delight! I picked it up to see what it was like and just could not put it down. Wonderful stories, fascinating tale, and great recipes. I haven't been this captivated by a memoir in some time. Ruth Reichl is a wonderful writer describing her time in an amazing new world at Gourmet Magazine. I really want to track down some of the articles she talked about. She is so down to earth it was easy to imagine myself in her shoes. It was a joy to make the journey with her. I hope she keeps on writing! I can't wait for her next one.

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Save Me the Plums was a delightful read. I am a fan of all of Ruth Reichl’s writing but this one is my favorite. I loved the descriptions of everything—the food, the clothes, the weather. I really felt I was right there with her at Gourmet magazine.

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Random House and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Save Me the Plums is a memoir penned by Ruth Reichl and covers her years as the editor in chief for the now defunct Gourmet magazine. Ruth's love of the magazine was born in her childhood, as she first dreamed of, and then made, many of the recipes that graced its pages. She touches upon that childhood, but the book is mainly about the time period that spans Ruth's beginning at the magazine and its ending.

Memoirs tend to not be strictly linear and, although this one is not, the author does a good job of bringing the reader along on her journey through a job for which Ruth felt extremely unqualified at times. Having been a food critic, Ruth knows the culinary world in a way that most people do not. I know of Ruth Reichl because of her association with the popular food competition conglomerate, Top Chef, so I was excited to see the personal side of this accomplished woman. Overall, I liked Save Me the Plums. Ruth brought the magazine back to life with her personal stories, making me wish more than once that Gourmet was still in print. I am excited to try some of the recipes that are scattered throughout the book, especially because Ruth has a great way of describing said dishes in a way that is very inviting. I definitely recommend Save Me the Plums to those who like culinary memoirs.

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I've read several of Ruth Reichl's books and she certainly has lead a fun and extraordinary life. She has written this Memoir/Biography with an eye always on food. The book highlights her years with Gourmet magazine and how it changed over the years trying to stay relevant in today's world. She details how many popular publications including Gourmet met their demise. I used to be in charge of the magazine section at BAM and it amazed me how many old standards disappeared from the shelves. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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In her latest memoir, Reichl shares her journey from hippie foodie in San Francisco where she hung out with Alice Waters and others to New York Times food critic to final editor of Gourmet Magazine in a casual and humorous voice readers have come to know and love. After having had the pleasure of sitting in on a cookbook author panel in Los Angeles recently, I can confirm that the voice is authentically hers. It’s fascinating to read about her battle to stay true to herself, her family and her ideals when taking the helm of an unapologetically high-brow magazine where perks such as a full-time driver were the norm. In the ten years she was editor of Gourmet, she totally remade it into a publication that was more relatable to household cooks without sacrificing quality. Yes, she lost some long-time readers, but with the help of people like revered LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold, she vastly increased readership until the internet spelled its demise. Aren’t we lucky that, as unfortunate as this is, it freed up Reichl’s time to share her story and some delicious recipes as well?

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Random House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

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Past Tense: Ruth Reichl’s Save Me The Plums is her Gourmet Memoir

Ruth Reichl was the editor of Gourmet magazine from 1999 to its death in 2009. A restaurant reviewer and editor of the Los Angeles Times food section during that city’s blossoming foodie revolution with stable stars chef Alice Waters and food writer Jonathon Gold, she went on to be infamous–and anonymous–New York Times restaurant reviewer when she was wooed by Gourmet, an upper-crust epicurean magazine whose readership at the time veered more to the rich than the home chef. She changed the game and the game changed her and then the game ended as dwindling advertising dollars stopped filtering into Gourmet (and other niche magazines), instead of staying with big-hitters such as Vogue and Architectural Digest–and moving online. Her stories of epic parties thrown by Conde Nast, hiring friends and foes, and the ways $$ changes her expectations are all interesting, but for me, her memoir cookbook, My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life, which she wrote in 2015 after Gourmet folded, is not just a more intimate memoir and far less journalistic, but simply beautiful and it makes you hungry in the way good foodie writing should. (But, my god, this cover is clever.)

Wendy Ward
http://wendyrward.tumblr.com/

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I enjoy everything that Ruth Reichl writes. This memoir was so interesting and written with such warmth that I could not put it down. Her business leadership and her management style are so rare and genuine, it makes one jealous that she will not be your next boss. This book is her memoir of her amazing success as the Editor in Chief of Gourmet magazine. She is always so honest in her doubts and fears that you feel like she is sitting in front of you like a friend recounting a story. Ruth Reichl is so graceful with her success and honesty. Everyone can learn a lessen about working hard, being loyal to yourself, keeping family close to your heart and earning a stellar reputation among your peers.

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This was a fascinating peek into the world of magazine publishing. Warm, funny...everything you would expect from Ruth Reichl. Would definitely recommend.

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Wow, I finally got a chance to read this book. Memoirs are usually not my thing but this one is amazing. I really enjoyed reading this story and learned so much about this industry. I do recommend this one, especially if you are not usually a memoir reader like myself.

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