Florence Fabricant's Salty, Not Sweet is a delectable memoir charting more than half a century of culinary evolution through the eyes of one of its most astute chroniclers. For decades, Fabricant's authoritative voice in the New York Times and in her 13 cookbooks has helped shape how we eat, cook, and think about food.
Fabricant writes with a brisk elegance, drawing readers into the bustling kitchens and fragrant international markets and dining rooms she has frequented since the 1960s. Her narrative pace mirrors the exhilarating rhythm of the hospitality industry, blending personal history with the broader cultural shifts that turned North American gastronomy on its head.
Fabricant's descriptions of the dishes and ingredients encountered during her formative travels are sublime. Whether she is relating the precise architecture of a classic bistro dish, the earthy perfume of any number of cheeses, or the crisp, buttery lamination of an authentic Parisian pastry, her prose evokes flavors vividly enough that readers can almost smell the herbs, coffee, or wine. Fabricant's dry humor appears throughout. Reflecting on the embrace of balsamic vinegar by the U.S., she writes that "the leaves of arugula and romaine in American salads would never be the same, doused with dark, sweet, tricked-up imitations that even included the improbable white balsamic vinegar."
Salty, Not Sweet succeeds as both a memoir and a history of the North American restaurant world. Fabricant was present for many of its defining moments, and she records them with the authority, wit, and restraint that have long distinguished her work. --Elizabeth DeNoma, executive editor, DeNoma Literary Services, Seattle, Wash.