This book, which examines the rebranding and unfortunate downfall of Gourmet, draws you in in a way that you feel like you were part of the publication. Or, at least, you wish you were part of it.

This is not the first book I've read my Ruth Reichl, and I was excited to see that this new book was coming out. She has a very unpretentious writing style that makes you not only wish you were with her during most of these experiences, but actually feel like you were there, too.

That coupled with the handful of recipes that she writes about -- which I can't wait to test in my own kitchen -- make this a book definitely worth reading. I managed to read it all in one sitting, just because I got sucked in and couldn't put it down.

This is exactly the book I've always wanted from Ruth Reichl! I've read all of her memoirs throughout the years and loved them all (especially her insider's look at being the food critic at the NYT), but as someone with a passion for food magazines who still desperately misses Gourmet magazine, Save me the Plums hit the spot for me.

I loved learning what went into Reichl's decision to join Gourmet as Editor-in-Chief and I especially enjoyed seeing the wonderful changes she made at the magazine (along with the great crew she hired). Really, you can tell from anything you read by her, but Reichl is just plain a good person and someone absolutely anyone would want to work for. I admire her leadership skills so much and think the world would be a better place if more managers took a page from her book.

Admittedly, this may not be the ideal book for everyone... If you aren't interested in the inner workings of magazines or don't care about food magazines at all, you may be a bit bored by this, but if you love cooking, writing, and just food in general, definitely consider reading Save Me the Plums. And if you were ever a Gourmet subscriber, I pretty much guarantee that this book will make you happy.

At this point, Ruth Reichl has covered so much of her life through memoirs, but I'm still hoping she has more to share with us in memoir form because I can't get enough of these inside peeks of her life.

I can't imagine Ruth Reichl writing a word I wouldn't want to read, so I was thrilled when I heard this memoir of her Gourmet days was upcoming. True to her signature style, Reichl's writing is beautiful and rich, focusing on the food while minimizing the drama of the last days of the storied magazine's abrupt closure. (For a grittier, up-close take on those final days, her barely-fictionalized novel "Delicious" is a real treat.) Though it's a memoir, there are a few recipes sprinkled throughout, and I found myself bookmarking them - when a food writer of Reichl's caliber only includes a very few recipes in a book, it's safe to assume they're recipes worth trying. I would heartily recommend this to any foodie, or anyone who'd enjoy an inside look at the decline of the magazine industry over the past decade.

I have read all the other books of the author and this one did not disappoint. She certainly lived an interesting life and she proved one can change careers mid-life. As a subscriber to Goumet for many years, I found her experiences there both hilarious and poignant.

Absolutely lovely. I couldn’t get enough of Ruth’s story. I’m sad Gourmet is no longer around!

Ruth Reichl has always held a special place in my heart. I discovered her a few years ago when I came across a copy of Garlic & Sapphires, and I have been hooked ever since! She never fails to always publish a book at a time when I have reached a crossroads and I discover in her work some quote or phrase that really resonates and gives me insight into whatever is troubling me. In fact, I wrote her a three page letter once telling her all the reasons why she has been an inspiration to me. I received a lovely response back from her assistant letting me know she read the WHOLE thing to Ruth and how much it touched her to hear!
I was beyond excited to find out a couple of weeks ago that she would have a new book out, and it would be the missing piece of her life puzzle of events that took place between Garlic & Sapphires and My Kitchen Year! I had it all marked on my calendar when I was fortunate to be able to read an advance copy through NetGalley. Like all of her previous books, I inhaled this one! As always, good recipes and wise words mixed in with a dash of hilarity (Seriously, you have to read the chapter on David Foster Wallace and the creation of his "Consider the Lobster"!) and a side of delicious descriptions is what you will find in this book. The only thing keeping me from giving it a 5 star review is that there is one or two moments where she stops her story to give her thoughts on a matter, and then goes back to her story. These episodes are very abrupt and need to be fleshed out to help with the flow. Other than that, another Ruth masterpiece!

he story of Ruth Reichl's 10 years as the editor of Gourmet magazine has the arc of a charming romance novel: infatuation, dating, relationship, conflict, break up, and fond reminiscence. This was the first book I had read by Reichl, but I am sure it will not be the last.

Ruth Reichl neve fails to deliver. As in her previous books, her descriptions of food are so visual you can taste them. Her storytelling is honest and vulnerable and real. I feel like I know her, I definitely want to be her.
Easy to read and digest, I loved learning about the ‘business’ of becoming an editor at Gourmet (I’m running out to buy a copy layer today) and of course, the recipes! Spicy chinese noodles as a snack? Yes!

I have wanted to read a Ruth Reichl memoir for a long time, so when I saw this was available at NetGalley I requested it right away, and I was not disappointed.

I was a little bit leery at first when I realized that "my gourmet memoir" referred to the author's time as editor in chief at <i>Gourmet</i> magazine, but this turned out to work really well. I vaguely recall when <i>Gourmet</i> ceased publication - I think I was on Epicurious trying to find a recipe and there were some notices about the closure. I never subscribed to the magazine but because I worked for a handful of years in libraries I remember its delicious looking covers gracing our shelves.

Reichl is a great writer and I look forward to returning to her earlier memoirs, and I am really excited about trying the recipe for the German Apple Pancakes that was included at the end of this volume.

I'd recommend this to foodies and publication nerds alike. A yummy romp with recipes, from an author with a good strong voice.

In Save me the Plums, Ruth Reichl tucks a few recipes and family reflections into a recalling of her time as Editor in Chief at Gourmet Magazine. A quick read, and happy walk down memory lane for Gourmet fans, it is primarily the story of a woman of 50 changing the path of her career and stepping into a huge role, taking it on with gusto. Reichl's writing about food is always five star, and the look inside the workings of a food magazine - test kitchens, photography and editorial - is exciting. For New Yorkers, foodies, people in publishing and anyone who wants to know Ruth Reichl better!

This is a little jewei of a book for all of us who loved Gourmet in all of its incarnations. Ruth Reichl took on the awesome task of bringing the magazine into a new era - new destinations, new issues surrounding food, new ways that we use restaurants. I would have loved a bit more gossip around the history and a few more recipes but her genuine love of food and challenges in stepping up in a unique business environment shine through.
I feel privileged to have gotten an early taste!

This book was such a delicious read! Great stories about Gourmet Magazine, recipes, New York City, and much more! I highly recommend this to everyone who enjoys cooking, reading about food, or even eating!

I was so excited when I saw Ruth Reichl had a new non-fiction title. Over the years I have loved reading about her years as a restaurant critic and her love of food and cooking. This book was just too much about the magazine industry and I felt like there was a lot of name dropping. But I can honestly say I will read anything Ruth Reichl writes!

I enjoyed this book about Ruth’s career at Gourmet. I knew very little about her so this insight was pretty interesting. Sometimes the details were interesting and other times it seemed like they ran on and on and didn’t add to the story. But overall it seemed like a good representation of that time in her life.

It's hard to pass up another memoir from Ruth Reichl, especially when it promises information about the late, lamented Gourmet Magazine (what happened??) Ms. Reichl applies her inimitable down-to-earth style to describing what it was like to be whisked from carefully guarded anonymity into the high-profile world of Condé Nast, and the book breezes along with gossipy stories about the various personalities at Gourmet. There are plenty of juicy tidbits about the perks of working at the magazine, and after some initial protesting the author seems to have had no problem getting used to the fancy amenities. The section about low-budget travel to Paris after having experienced it all first class is somewhat romanticized, like much of the book, but irresistible nonetheless. I'm still not sure I understand why Gourmet folded so suddenly. The recipes occasionally interspersed through the text all look fantastic.

I just devoured Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl. If there was a way to give more than five stars I would definitely do it! Her descriptions of her time at Gourmet, including lunch trips in New York, filled my head with visions of gorgeous food and amazing food critics and chefs.
For fans of Reichl, this new addition does not disappoint. For new readers, you are about to discover a treasure that will also lead you to the craft of food writing, management by one of culinary arts most dynamic journalists.
Enough said. Read this book! I’m off to peel some apples and make a pie!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in return for this personal review


i#SaveMeThePlums #NetGalley

Having read all of the other books written by Ruth Reich this feels like a visit with an old friend. This memoir chronicles Ruth Reichl's time at Gourmet magazine, from how she came to be the editor to the surprise demise of the magazine. Conversational and informative it leaves you hungry for the food described and for more from Ruth Reichl.

I have been meaning to read something by Ruth Reichl but had never gotten around to it until this book. Going in, I knew she was a food critic but very little else about her. This book was such a great way to get to know her and her writing. I am embarrassed to say that I had never even heard of Gourmet magazine before, but learning about it through Ruth’s experience there was fascinating. To nobody’s surprise, she’s an amazing food writer and I loved reading her descriptions. I also appreciated the way her honesty and personality permeated the whole book and her descriptions of the business decisions and challenges of running the magazine. I was particularly grateful for her ruminations on being a working mother - she had some lines about coparenting and feminism that basically did me in, they so accurately described my own experience as a working mom. Plus, usually I skim right over recipes in books, but the ones in this book sounded so delicious and were so well contextualized that I want to make them all immediately. Basically, this book was fascinating in its own right AND made me really like Ruth; it is definitely time for me to go back and read the rest of her books.

I don’t know how she does it, but each time Reichl offers us a new book it tops the marvelous ones that came before it. In this entry she recounts her ten years as editor of Gourmet magazine. This time we get to go behind the scenes of a speciality magazine that was well enough financed not to have to worry about such mundane things as budgets and efficiencies, although those eventually became important, and as important to the magazine’s life span as were the quirks of its owner Si Newhouse. As is typical of Reichl’s books, the various personalities with whom she engages jump off the page and the sights and aromas of the food she describes make the reader hunger for just a taste, just a whiff. And as usual, Reich includes a few recipes, recipes I’ll be trying and ones that I know will recall memories of this marvelous book back to mind.

I love Ruth Reichl biographies, so I was thrilled to see this book! It's a fascinating glimpse into the magazine publishing world told in her unique voice. I would recommend this to individuals and to book clubs.