Saturday, December 7, 2013

Audiobook Review: The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister (narrated by Cassandra Campbell; 6 hours, 4 mins)introduces us to Lillian and her restaurant where she teaches a Monday night cooking class. Food has always played an important role in Lillian's emotional life and she gets pleasure not just in bringing food to her patrons but in teaching her students how cooking can bring them joy and solace. Each of the students arrives at the class fleeing loss or drama in their life and ostensibly looking for cooking skills but really looking for companionship and distraction from their daily troubles. Lillian and the school offer much more than that. 



There are eight students in the class and each has their own story driving them to seek something from the experience of this class. Antonia is a kitchen designer who has recently immigrated from Italy hoping to start fresh in the US; Chole is a teen who doesn't quite fit in and is seeking acceptance; Claire is an overwhelmed mother who has lost her identity in taking on the role of mother; Tom is a young widower and still grieving the loss of his wife; Carl and Helen are an older couple with their own troubles in their marriage even though they appear quite content and Ian is a software engineer living a very linear but lonely life. Each of their stories are told throughout the book and are weaved together by the Monday nights at Lillian's cooking school. Lillian has her own difficult history and, perhaps because of that, seems to intuitively know what each of her students needs. She tailors the dishes and the intructions to meet them where they are emotionally and to teach lessons that go far beyond meal preparation. The cooking heals as does the companionship of the other students.

My Thoughts
This book is delightful - certainly anyone that enjoys food or cooking will love it but even those that struggle with cooking (see my last Weekend Cooking post!) will find something to love in this book because the food and the cooking is really a conduit to the telling of the emotional journeys of the eight students. The descriptions of food are beautiful and sensuous  - while I listened to this on my walks, I found myself getting hungry or feeling as if I could smell the dish being prepared.

Cassandra Campbell has become a favorite narrator of mine - I could listen to her voice for hours (and do!). The audio is excellent - listening to the descriptions of the food makes them come alive in a way I am not sure they would on paper.  I am looking forward to listening to the next installment in the series, The Lost Art of Mixing, to return to Lillian's and her students.

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

16 comments:

  1. This sounds like a story I would really enjoy -- learning to cook well has healed me physically. I don't think much about the emotional realm, but probably should.

    Joy's Book Blog

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  2. I love books like this and have heard good things about Erica's books from others. I should give this one a try.

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  3. Cassandra Campbell is one of my favorite narrators and I loved this audiobook, too. Not sure why it's taking me so long to pick up The Lost Art of Mixing… it could be a perfect way to end the year.

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  4. This sounds like a great book! Adding it to my wish list. :)

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  5. This is going straight onto my library list - thanks!

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  6. This sounds awesome. I've been debating this one. Glad to hear it's so good. :)

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  7. I love Campbell too! In fact she's narrating my current audio. I realy enjoy Bauermeister's book -- great escape reading for foodies.

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  8. I loved this one too. I've read several of Bauermeister's books and they're all terrific!

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  9. I haven't listened to the audio version of this, but it is one of my favorite culinary fiction books. I love how deftly the author weaves so many story lines together through the cooking school.

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  10. I loved this book also but read it, not listened. However, I've heard so many good things about Cassandra Campbell - I need to try her!

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    1. She is great - I keep gravitating to her audios

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  11. Hmmm... I'll have to keep this title on my radar. I'm not much of an audiobook listener, but I may try to find it in print. Thanks for sharing!

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  12. I loved(!) this book but I was a little disappointed by The Lost Art of Mixing. However, Bauermeister's other book, Joy for Beginners, is very nearly as good as Essential Ingredients, however there is a good deal less cooking. ;-)

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  13. I got this for my sister-in-law last Christmas and she lent it to me to read, and I'm hoping to get to it soon. Sounds like a fun book--I like ensemble stories like this, and the cooking angle is a plus.

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  14. This sounds like a great title and a good narrator makes all the difference in an audio book. I will have to put it on my reading list for audible.

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  15. I loved this book, too. The descriptions were fantastic and made me hungry. ;)

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