Customer Reviews

Let Us Eat Cake: Adventures in Food and Friendship

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a very discerning reader, and this book is a masterpiece.
If any woman reads this review who has no idea what the book is about, it doesn't matter. This book will speak to all women.
I guarantee whomever is reading this that they will love this book!
If you enjoy cooking and reading very entertaining stories about food related experiences, you simply must read this book. Boorsting is a fabulous writer, and everyone will feel like she is writing directly for them. I felt like I was reading a book written by one of my best friends! Give this book 5 pages, and you will fall in love with it.

This book is delish! I am a 26 year old woman who loved reading this book about Sharon's life; and how food, entertaining and friendships were for women when she grew up and until present date. I think Sharon Boorstin kept it all very real and by the end of the book, you felt like you were on a first name basis with her and many of the important people in her life. The recipes were such an added treat as well. I would be very excited if there ended up being another volume of this book as I am eager to see what is next in her interesting life. A very good book to read and to also give to friends and family, whom enjoy food and friendship!

A really great read- touching and true stories of women and the recipes they share with each other. And the author weaves it all together with an honest, personal, endearing voice. It's funny, sad, and I couldn't put it down!!! And the food-- the recipes are great- every cook should have them in their kitchen. And they're not tough at all-anyone could make them. Try the 'Husband Catcher Cake' -it has the best story and it is delicious!!!

I loved the way Boorstin weaves stories of her life and her friends with food memories and really good recipes. It's all about friendship. Will make you want to find a lost friend.

Food lovers will find this a page turner, as I did. Boorstin writes charmingly about her family and friends and how they bond over food. The heart of the book is not just the food memories, but the memories of female friendships. Will make you want to contact that dear friend you had when you were young, but haven't seen in ages.

What more can I say? The book is about women and food and women talking about life while they cook -- and turning out great food! It will make you remember those nights in high school you ate raw chocolate-chip cookie dough (couldn't wait for the cookies) cuz you didn't have a date. It will also make you remember your mom's cooking --whether or not you loved or hated it!

If I could give this book more thatn 5 stars, I would. I LOVED it! It was one of those rare books that I tried to read slowly, because I didn't want it to end. Ms. Boorstin is an excellent storyteller, and her passion for her subject is evident. I sincerely hope she writes another book soon.

Honestly baffled as to the glowing reviews above mine here. I know I'm going to sound like Debbie Downer, but what was the big deal? I didn't think Sharon Boorstin was a 'fabulous storyteller', nor do I think that is a 'fabulous writer'. My book club was assigned this for March, and 5 out of the 6 I've talked to gave that little 'eh. comme-ci, comme-ca' shrug of their shoulder when asked how they liked it. One friend in particular cited irritation with the name-dropping of famous people, and the 'whole LA scene'. I'll ask her for specific gripes this Saturday at our club.

Now, I will say this: I truly liked the charming, sweet stories about her friends, growing up in a different era (ie my mom's era), the power that food has to remind us of long-ago memories, and the connections with women friends and family, the ones who are so important to stay in touch or get back into touch with. In fact, I wish everyone had as good mother/daughter relationship as was portrayed here. But a 'masterpiece'? Not a chance.

That said, this is the only work by this author I've read, so it's quite possible that the rave reviews are coming from fans who adore her entire body of work. If that's the case then I'm happy to be proven wrong, and would absolutely try another book/story as long as it's recommended by someone else.

Anyway, those are my two cents. I mean no disrespect, it's just one single female's opinion. For what it's worth.

Now I'm off to shop - I've chosen to make the Canlis salad for our book club. Wish me luck!

"That night, as we dined outside on the porch, we could glimpse the top of Mont Blanc above the distant mountains. For a few moments during dessert, the sunset turned the peak a vibrant shade of fuchsia. It reminded Sheila and me of the view of Mount Rainier from the house where we grew up in Seattle." ~ Pg. 121

Sharon Boorstin has a way with words and her humor, love of cooking and memories of her childhood make this a fascinating read. To be honest, I connected with this book on so many levels I started to wonder why we had lived such similar lives. Page after page revealed details and similarities that I could not imagine could all be in one book.

Then, the day after James Brown died, I was reading a book and his name appeared. So I decided to listen to an album of his Ballads while reading this book and I noticed a similarity in the nostalgia of his songs and the memories in this book.

The stories and recipes in this book evolved from a notebook of collected recipes. The recipes all have a story to tell and this is as much about cooking as it is about a life that inspires adventures in the kitchen. Memories of Sharon Boorstin's mother making jam reminded me of my mother teaching me to make strawberry jam in Africa. Her memories of Seattle, Chicago, boats on Lake Washington, teaching, raising chickens, fondues, beef stroganoff, salmon, tuna fish sandwiches, angel food cake, tarte tatin, cherry-red punch and trips to Burgermaster all sounded so familiar.

Everyone has a story and Sharon Boorstin is especially good at recounting her life as it relates to recipes. This book is filled with serious life choices, spontaneous moments, warm cozy memories and the inevitable heartbreaks and challenges of existence. She tells the story of her childhood, how she met her husband and writes beautifully about trips overseas and her exotic culinary discoveries.

This woman has lived a full life with writing adventures in India, Belize, New Zealand and France. She writes beautifully about delicious French pastries! Her descriptions capture memories so vividly, when she is talking about making a salad with tarragon, the scent of tarragon seems to rise from the page. This book is the story of her friendships and as she says: "...a woman really is the sum of all the friends she has had in her life." Some of the recipes include:

Mirelle's Halibut in Champagne
Ina's Brownies
Luz and Susan's Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Judy's "Moonshadow" Chicken
Mary Ann's Fresh Fruit Brūlée
Ruth's Chocolate Fudge
Robin and Maggie's Frozen Mocha Mousse
The Husband-Catcher Cake

"Above the pastures, the trails climbed through thick woods. We scavenged in the underbrush for frais du bois, intending to take the tiny wild strawberries home for dinner; instead, we ate most on the spot. Above the tree line we discovered Sound of Music territory--grassy fields polka-dotted with wildflowers and sweeping vistas of the surrounding mountains. Our favorite trail ended at an Alpine lake." ~ pg. 119

If you laugh while reading the first sentence of a book, that is usually a good sign. There are many humorous moments throughout to inspire laughing out loud. This book made me laugh and cry and it reminded me of all those long summers I spent at my grandmother's home in Seattle, learning to cook.

If you enjoy cooking and love reading about a cook's journey through the world, this presents an especially intriguing set of memories along with the delicious recipes that inspired a life of cooking. She tells the story of how she talked to Julia Child at a party and later interviewed her on the phone. Sharon Boorstin's writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Bon Appetit and Food Arts. She was the restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner and lives in Beverly Hills, California.

I love that Sharon Boorstin has snorkled with sharks and experienced horseback riding among a herd of elk in New Zealand. But what I love most about Sharon Boorstin's writing is her amazing ability to repaint pictures from the past with delicious details and a sense of nostalgia. Reading her books gives me hope! Her writing is a true inspiration and if you have ever thought of writing a cooking memoir, this is an excellent example of what can be achieved when you consider how every recipe has a story to tell. I can also highly recommend her novel: "Cookin' for Love." I hope she is working on another book because I love her writing style.

~The Rebecca Review

"Cake" brought back memories of my own growing up, and made me think about experiences in the kitchen with my own mom and my girlfriends. What woman doesn't remember eating raw chocolate-chip cookie dough as a teenager?!