The School of Essential Ingredients
by Erica Bauermeister
In Erica Bauermeister’s debut novel, the students in an evening cooking class are all changed for the better by the subtle guidance of their teacher and their relationship with food. It’s written in a very interesting format, with each character given only one long chapter to tell their part of the story. The next chapter focuses on another student during the next week of cooking class.
This is not your average cozy mystery that features sickeningly sweet deserts and recipes in the back. You can tell that from the elegant and inviting cover. This is going to be a serious read, full of serious food. Bauermeister can clearly cook. I’ve already tried out two creations featured in her book, and I’m now completely sold on anise-infused hot chocolate with grated orange peel. A beautiful writer, she fills her pages with lovely phrases that are descriptive and emotion-evoking. Brief but to the point, each sentence matters. After each chapter, I closed the book to digest it. Just like after a good meal!
I only wish her characters had different hurdles to overcome. It’s completely understandable that a widower would join the class, but why do we need so much detail about his wife’s cancer and death? An older woman as a student could have endless possibilities to her motivation. Instead, Bauermeister wrote in Alzheimer’s Disease, making it a constant reminder that the woman is losing her memories and wants to cook while she still can. How depressing is that? Still, I enjoyed reading the book. I split it up over a week’s time, one chapter before dinner each night. Parts were too dark for my preference, but I’m looking forward to reading Bauermeister’s Joy for Beginners.
This is not your average cozy mystery that features sickeningly sweet deserts and recipes in the back. You can tell that from the elegant and inviting cover. This is going to be a serious read, full of serious food. Bauermeister can clearly cook. I’ve already tried out two creations featured in her book, and I’m now completely sold on anise-infused hot chocolate with grated orange peel. A beautiful writer, she fills her pages with lovely phrases that are descriptive and emotion-evoking. Brief but to the point, each sentence matters. After each chapter, I closed the book to digest it. Just like after a good meal!
I only wish her characters had different hurdles to overcome. It’s completely understandable that a widower would join the class, but why do we need so much detail about his wife’s cancer and death? An older woman as a student could have endless possibilities to her motivation. Instead, Bauermeister wrote in Alzheimer’s Disease, making it a constant reminder that the woman is losing her memories and wants to cook while she still can. How depressing is that? Still, I enjoyed reading the book. I split it up over a week’s time, one chapter before dinner each night. Parts were too dark for my preference, but I’m looking forward to reading Bauermeister’s Joy for Beginners.