Last Bite: A Novel of Culinary Romance [Hardcover]

Nancy Verde Barr (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 2006

After ending a bad relationship, Casey Costello, an executive chef at a morning television show, swears off men. Who has the time anyway? She's busy overseeing a rambunctious food-prep crew in a kitchen the size of a closet; trying to please high-maintenance celebrity guest chefs; and dealing with her large extended Italian American family, who believe that the solutions to life's problems involve food. And in the midst of her high-energy, stress-inducing career—punctuated by a steady stream of parties and restaurant openings that must not be missed—she's trying to uncover why Sally Woods, a grand old dame of the culinary world and regular on the television show, is suddenly ready to jump ship and find a new station and a new executive chef.

When Danny O'Shea, a handsome chef from one of New York's hottest new restaurants, makes a guest appearance on the show, Casey smells trouble. But feelings ignite faster than a flambé dessert, especially when Danny whips up a few surprises during a television shoot in Italy.

Narrated in Casey's smart and refreshingly disarming voice, Last Bite is an irresistible culinary caper, with characters whose appetites are as big as their personalities.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Barr, a former culinary TV producer for Good Morning America, a cookbook author (Make It Italian) and a former executive chef to Julia Child, novelizes her background and expertise. Casey Costello is an executive chef at TV newsmagazine Morning in America in New York. After her relationship with a dentist goes awry, Casey moves in with her food-loving Italian family. Despite eating well, Casey's cynical attitude toward men remains, even when Danny O'Shea, a chef from one of New York's hottest new restaurants, makes a guest appearance on the show—and makes it clear he's interested in her. All the "will-she-succumb?" that follows isn't enough to sustain the book, but Barr weaves in a subplot revolving around the morning show's fearless and lovable host, Sally Woods, who finds herself enveloped in her deceased husband's unseemly business. That allows Barr to take Casey to Italy, where she is successful in peppering the plot with authentic culinary snapshots. There's not much here, but it's well composed. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Casey Costello, chef for a network morning news show, dumps her two-timing dentist lover and immediately swears off further amatory involvements. Resisting her father's advice to "fall madly in love," Casey doesn't immediately respond to overtures from Danny, the sexy Irish chef who shows up to make a guest appearance on her television show. Casey submerges her feelings in hard work and career advancement, but then the persistent Danny takes her completely by surprise while she's in Italy taping some special segments for her show. As the romance between these two chefs slowly unfolds, readers learn the ins and outs of food styling for television and the problems of preparing dinner when every person has specific food demands and taboos. Barr draws on her years of experience writing cookbooks and working on television shows with Julia Child, fictionalizing all this into background for a tale of sweet love and fine dining. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Algonquin Books (June 9, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565124952
• ISBN-13: 978-1565124950
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,288,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Publisher's Weekly is Nuts, February 21, 2007

By 

Gioia (Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Bite: A Novel of Culinary Romance (Hardcover)

I started reading this book at 10pm on a work night and couldn't put it down. I finished it around 3:15am.

Casey, the protagonist, does the food prep for a celebrity chef on a Good Morning America type show. Casey's mother is Italian and her father is Irish, so there is lots of fantastic cultural humor. And of course, thanks to Casey's job as well as her family's method of relating to stress and one another, there is LOTS of food in this story. Tons of pasta, cannolis, cakes, and a squirming eel. There is also a lovely little mystery and a fluffy/angsty romance.

This book is a prime example of how a story's opener can really captivate a reader. The humor and brains are evident from the first paragraph and really set the tone for this delicious novel. There's also a magnificent amount of cursing in Italian, which I really need to get translated for personal application.

Although I can't cook and I'm neither Italian nor Irish, I found that I related immensely to Casey because the author made her so relatable. I could never cook like this. (Or more to the point, I would never choose to cook like this.) I don't have the time or patience for it at all. It's an amazing art, but I'm way too pragmatic in the kitchen to give a frip about whisks vs. beaters. But because the protagonist cared about it, while I was reading the book I cared about it. And to me, that's the mark of a fantastic author: she made me care about stupid crap so much I sacrificed sleep.

Ultimately, the only thing I regret about Last Bite by Nancy Verde Barr is that it ended and she hasn't published any similar novels. Hopefully that will change soon.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nancy Barr Gets it Write, June 23, 2006

By 

Deborah Moxham - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Last Bite: A Novel of Culinary Romance (Hardcover)

This book was exactly as promised, breezy, light, entertaining. A perfect escape and a quick read. I enjoyed the characters, was kept interested by the two story lines - the love affair and the mystery - and above all, felt she got it just right. The descriptions of television food production, of travel in Florence and Tuscany, of the food, all were enticing, correct and appealing. Anyone who knows food, and television, and the celebrity culinary world, which I do from my own job experience as an NBC Producer and a restaurant consultant, will find it credible. They will recognize the high pressure, the pacing, and the exactitude of backstage work in what ultimately appears in its on screen presentation to be a fluff piece.
Nancy Barr also has great wit and a keen eye for social interaction. I had a great time reading the book and was sad to say goodbye to the characters. I hope they'll be back.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable!, August 15, 2006

By 

Janice (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Bite: A Novel of Culinary Romance (Hardcover)

"Last Bite: A Novel of Culinary Romance" by Nancy Verde Barr centered around the work of Casey Costello who was the executive chef for one of the network's morning program. Her work focused on the food portion and it revolved around getting the chefs ready for their cooking demonstrations. Casey's responsibilities also included writing scripts for the chefs, preparing incredients and basically making sure the show went on as smoothly as possible. The star of Casey's cooking program was Sally Wood, who was a veteran in that industry. In addition, a new guest chef, Danny O'Shea seemed to be hitting on Casey. Danny was suave and good looking, and Casey who had just gotten out of a relationship was extremely skeptical of Danny.

I enjoy this novel a lot as I like that the author was able to provide a lot of insights into what goes on in a cooking program. It helped too that the author had worked many years in this industry. The characters and plots were interesting and it was engaging from the beginning till the end. One can't but help felt that the author modelled the character "Sally" after Julia Childs. Also, I like that the author provided a few Italian recipes at the end of her novel. This was definitely an enjoyable read. Highly recommended.