'My Berlin Kitchen'

There's nothing like a new cookbook to shake things up a little.  Huddled on the sofa, cup of tea on the table next to me, I'll slowly turn the pages, reading each recipe and bookmarking each one I want to try.  I have several friends who read cookbooks as if they were novels.  Of course, I wouldn't want a steady diet of cookbooks, but they make my cooking friends very happy, and along with the happy comes great cooking.


Not only do I enjoy a good cookbook, but I also appreciate a well-written memoir.  I love Ruth Reichl's memoirs; so vivid and eye-opening when you read about her childhood and her career with Gourmet magazine (her adventures as a food critic are especially hilarious)  Learning about when these writers/cooks discovered their 'bliss' is so very worthwhile.  Especially when they include recipes.


'My Berlin Kitchen', written by Luisa Weiss (author of the wonderful blog, 'The Wednesday Chef') is a great addition to the long list of culinary autobiographies.


Luisa grew up in Berlin, the child of an Italian mother and an American father.  Although she started cooking in her mother's kitchen in Berlin, she decided to devote her time to cooking while living in New York and working in the publishing business.  She amassed a large collection of recipes, and started a blog ('The Wednesday Kitchen') in 2005 to document her adventures in the kitchen.


But her autobiography is much more than just about cooking (although you can feel her joy whenever she describes her time in the kitchen).  Luisa reveals the happiness and sorrow that came into her life, and how difficult it was to shuttle between both parents after their divorce (her father returned to the U.S., while her mother lived in Berlin).  She also discusses a major romantic heartbreak, which eventually led her to a life quite unexpected (visit thewednesdaykitchen.com to learn about her greatest creation).


Written with great honesty, 'My Berlin Kitchen' takes you into the heart and mind of a woman passionate about good cooking and retaining ties with beloved family and friends.


Good things come to those who wait....and cook.




'My Berlin Kitchen' will be published in September 2012 by Viking.