6 top food memoirs

4. "Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise," by Ruth Reichl

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, by Ruth Reichl, Penguin, 352 pp.

If her name sounds familiar, it's because she's a culinary superstar. Ruth Reichl has been a food critic for The New York Times, editor of Gourmet magazine, and a judge on Bravo's Top Chef. Garlic and Sapphires details Reichl's years as a food critic. Chefs and restaurant owners quickly came to recognize her face, so she put on an elaborate series of disguises and costumes to avoid special treatment while writing reviews, and her "characters" are almost as much fun to read about as all the four-star food.

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