I really wish there was more to this book. David Hoffman’s stories about his adventures behind the scenes in the kitchens of San Francisco’s most famous restaurants are fantastic — though I must admit that they make me want to stay at home, where I usually know what goes into my meals. He tells of long hours with crazed chefs, working in sweltering kitchens that felt more like boot camp than fine dining, and running through the streets to pick wild fennel seasoned with… you don’t want to know.
I absolutely loved the first 69 pages of this book (despite the occasional editorial slip-up). But that’s when the problem came in. It appears that Hoffman ran out of restaurant-related stories to write about, so he threw in three unrelated pieces to fill some space. And while the additional stories were amusing, they had nothing to do with the subject of the book.
I think Hoffman could have found better ways to fill space — perhaps with an introductory chapter to explain what, exactly, possessed a former New York photojournalist who knew absolutely nothing about cooking (and who also happened to be a vegetarian) to move to San Francisco and try to become a gourmet chef. Perhaps he should have moved on to just one more crazy gourmet restaurant. Or perhaps he should have expanded the book’s subject to include the adventures he had once he set aside his ever-sharp knives and started his own newspaper. In fact, I hope he does. Because I loved what I read. Hoffman has a consistently witty voice — and I’d love to read more.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
0
0
