Amy Thielen

I don't really read a lot of memoirs or biographies, but I enjoy cooking, and cooking tv shows, as well as my middle son would like to become a chef, so I was drawn in by the title and what it may reveal inside! I agree with a few other reviewers that even a handful of recipes sprinkled through might have put it into the five star category.

I didn't think there were enough adjectives in the English language to make the description of so many ingredients and recipes come alive. Her description of the look, feel, taste and smell of so many foods made them come alive off of the page. I wanted to try things that I normally wouldn't eat. It made everything seem appealing, and yet was not repetitive.

The story seems to have two phases although the location changes frequently between NYC and rural Minnesota. The first half while getting to know the main characters is very much focused on the food and her journey as a chef. Just when I thought I was kind of "done" with that, Amy begins going deeper into her emotions, relationships and thought provoking decisions about life that they faced. This for me engaged me back into the memoir through the end.

I think the appeal of the memoir will be to a variety of audiences from the aspiring chef, to the midwestern housewife, to the older generations looking back... very well done Amy Thielen!… (meer)