Save Me the Plums

My Gourmet Memoir

By: Ruth Reichl

Narrated by: Ruth Reichl

Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times Best Seller

Trailblazing food writer and beloved restaurant critic Ruth Reichl took the job (and the risk) of a lifetime when she entered the high-stakes world of magazine publishing. Now, for the first time, she chronicles her groundbreaking tenure as editor in chief of Gourmet.

“A must for any food lover... Reichl is a warm, intimate writer. She peels back the curtain to a glamorous time of magazine-making. You’ll tear through this memoir.” [Refinery29 (The Best New Books of April 2019)]

Named one of the best books of the year by Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Town & Country.

When Condé Nast offered Ruth Reichl the top position at America’s oldest epicurean magazine, she declined. She was a writer, not a manager, and had no inclination to be anyone’s boss. Yet Reichl had been reading Gourmet since she was eight; it had inspired her career. How could she say no?

This is the story of a former Berkeley hippie entering the corporate world and worrying about losing her soul. It is the story of the moment restaurants became an important part of popular culture, a time when the rise of the farm-to-table movement changed, forever, the way we eat. Listeners will meet legendary chefs like David Chang and Eric Ripert, idiosyncratic writers like David Foster Wallace, and a colorful group of editors and art directors who, under Reichl’s leadership, transformed stately Gourmet into a cutting-edge publication. This was the golden age of print media - the last spendthrift gasp before the internet turned the magazine world upside down.

Complete with recipes, Save Me the Plums is a personal journey of a woman coming to terms with being in charge and making a mark, following a passion and holding on to her dreams - even when she ends up in a place she never expected to be.

Praise for Save Me the Plums:

“Poignant and hilarious...simply delicious... Each serving of magazine folklore is worth savoring. In fact, Reichl’s story is juicier than a Peter Luger porterhouse. Dig in.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“In this smart, touching, and dishy memoir...Ruth Reichl recalls her years at the helm of Gourmet magazine with clear eyes, a sense of humor, and some very appealing recipes.” [Town & Country (The Must-Read Books of Spring 2019)]

“If you haven’t picked up food writing queen Ruth Reichl’s new book, Save Me the Plums, I highly recommend you fix that problem.... Reichl is in top form and ready to dish, with every chapter seeming like a dedicated behind-the-scenes documentary on its own.” (Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle)

©2019 Ruth Reichl (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Like her lively writing, Ruth Reichl's performance is inviting and engaging.... Her fans will be happy to discover that, once again, she narrates her own work, and new listeners are in for a treat. Her clear affection for her co-workers, her passion for food and food writing, and her anger and dismay over the magazine's abrupt closure resonate in her natural-sounding narration.... A must-listen for anyone interested in publishing, writing, and, of course, food." (AudioFile Magazine)

“No one writes about food like Ruth Reichl. She also happens to be a mesmerizing storyteller. I consider this book essential nourishment.” (Nigella Lawson)

“A delicious insider account of the gritty, glamorous world of food culture.” (Vanity Fair)

Excellent!!

I enjoyed this book so much. Loved the exuberance for life, food, her mother, her job, the people in her life, the joys and challenges.

Excellent reader, excellent book

I knew within five minutes of starting this book it was a keeper and I would buzz right through it. Ruth Reichl is a terrific narrator and storyteller and I enjoyed this book from start to finish and then purchased a hard copy. It's about her experiences editing GOURMET Magazine - I must admit I never subscribed although my sister did and I always loved to look at those magazines. Ironically, once I did finally become a better and more eager cook late in life my favorite recipes were always the ones from GOURMET on Epicurious.com. If you like to cook, or like to eat, or even if you just like an interesting well narrated story you will enjoy Save Me the Plums (and even if I didn't like Ruth Reichl I would have been interested in this book because I knew right away it resonated with the William Carlos Williams plums poems - which turn out to be right at the front of the book!)

Ruth is a great story teller.

Ruth has a remarkable way with words. She is a great story teller. I used to subscribe to Gourmet and was sad to see it end. Still not sure why.

Great story well told!

Great memoir, well told. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes food, especially those who remember Gourmet Magazine.

A foodie adventure

I absolutely loved this book. I felt as if I was working at Gourmet too and who doesnt love a memoir read by the author. I especially enjoyed Ruth's description of food, and the few recipes were a plus!

Wonderful!

What a wonderful food journey. Ruth’s superb writing made me taste and smell all the wonderful food she was privileged to eat. It’s a shame Conde Nqste put the almighty dollar before classicism. It’s even a bigger shame that we as a society rely solely on the internet for our knowledge.

Excellent Story of the Fall of Gourmet Magazine

Ms. Reichl is a gifted writer and the background information of the cultural and financial changes of the early years of the millennium are fascinating.

Ruth tells the Gourmet love story we’ve all longed to hear

Even though it’s been 10 years since we lost Gourmet, the sting is still real... Ruth lovingly winds us through her love of the magazine before during and after she was there.
A glorious listen, as I feel all of her books are.
Thank you for sharing your insight into the magazine and your life. Yes, definitely worth listening to. Enjoy!

Great memoir!

Ruth Reichl narrates her Gourmet memoir with warmth, wit, dignity, and humor. Paris flashbacks-highlight!

A True Homage to the Joys of Food

Ruth Riehl has the ability to describe a food, a scene or a person to the point that you feel you are meeting them for the first time. Here writing is as delicious asthe foods she savors. All I wanted to do was to rush to the kitchen and cook up something that honored her gusto! It is also an homage to the people who flavor our lives- the friends and family that make life sweet.