This was an intriguing memoir. I read it in one sitting. It's an interesting construct, two seemingly unlikely dinner guests together weekly. Each chapter starts with a menu for dinner, which Isabel and Edward have together, at his home.
Isabel befriends a father, of a close friend, age 90+ who is mourning the recent death of his wife, Paula. Isabel is also entrenched in a loveless marriage with a young daughter and concedes, she is"unraveling, despite my best efforts to pretend nothing is wrong." She works as an investigative reporter for the New York Post. Hoping for a change in scenery, she moves with her Siberian husband, from place to place, searching for a change of scenery in life and her marriage.
She finds refuge in weekly dinner dates with Henry, who is a self taught chef, who makes elaborate, gourmet meals, without the use of a recipe. "He had brined the chicken for two days in apple cider and salt, before rubbing the entire bird with thyme, rosemary and butter. He chopped carrots, onions and celery for a mirepoix, which he spooned onto parchment, and set the chicken on top. Then he wrapped everything in a paper bag and braised the chicken in the oven for hours." All of the meals are all 4-5 courses, with dessert and an alcoholic beverage.
She writes lyrically and aptly, uses food metaphors whenever possible. "He was teaching me something about cooking, but even more about appreciating life. He was teaching me the art of patience, the luxury of slowing down and taking the time to think about everything I did. She concludes,"I realize he was forcing me to deconstruct my own life, to cut it back to the bone and examine the entrails, no matter how messy that proved to be."
Their relationship ebbs and flows over time. The author does an excellent job describing the history of Roosevelt Island where they live, shares cooking tips and provides vivid-romantic-touching descriptions of Edward's love and loss of his wife. It's a delightful, touching, mouth watering (literally) story.
Other Books by Isabel Vincent:
Gilded Lily, Lily Safra, The Making of One of the World's Wealthiest Widows 2010
Bodies and Souls 2006
See No Evil 1997
Hitler's Silent Partners: Swiss banks, Nazi Gold And The Pursuit of Justice 1997
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