Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love, and Food
Overall Ranking 3) Consider Reading
What is the book about?
There is one poignant sentiment, a core thread woven through "Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love and Food," that I believe perfectly encapsulates the profound journey Ann Hood invites readers to embark upon.
“That even in grief, we must take tentative steps back into the world. That even in grief, we must eat. And that when we share that food with others, we are reclaiming those broken bits of our lives, holding them out as if to say, I am still here. Comfort me. As if with each bite, we remember how it is to live.”
― Ann Hood
Hood transports us back to her upbringing in the 1960s as a New England Italian American on her mother's side. Through vivid anecdotes and evocative prose, Hood explores the deeply overlapping themes of grief and food, showing how meals, traditions, and the act of cooking itself become powerful conduits for memory, healing, and connection in the face of life's inevitable losses and joys. It's a journey through family history, personal triumphs, and quiet sorrows, all seasoned with the comforting presence of the kitchen.
Would I recommend reading it?
I am a newcomer to Hood’s literary prowess (Hood is a prolific writer with an impressive bibliography that includes fourteen novels, four memoirs, and over a dozen books for children), but this was quite an introduction. Our lives couldn't be any different. I grew up as a boy in the early 2000s, while Ann came of age as a woman in the 1960s. Yet, through her words, her world felt as real and as relevant as my own. She invites you so deeply into her family and relationships that it feels like you could literally pull up a stool to the kitchen table and snarf down her father's American cheese macaroni. This book is, unmistakably, a heartfelt love letter to her past, and to the food that so powerfully resurrects it.
What truly elevates this collection is how Hood attaches a recipe to it. And they feel like real recipes. Not something to impress us, but something that actually came out of her childhood and seamlessly intertwines it with stories of quiet heroism in the face of loss and sadness, hard work, and sacrifice. It's the context, the emotion, and the enduring human spirit behind it that breathes that realness into it.
Recommendation-wise, I believe that if you have the time that you should read it. This is, after all, a memoir. With all of its strengths, "Kitchen Yarns" may not be for everyone. It is because it isn't written for you to enjoy every chapter, it's about the author sharing a part of herself, her past, and her grief with the world.
What do I mean by that? Well, for example there is also likely some complaints to be made about the recipes themselves. Some of them contain copious amounts of lard or American cheese which can be a big turn off for some. So why include a recipe that many people likely wont enjoy? Because it isn't about them. This is about Ann's life. Her past. Her stories. Her family. So, if her dad makes a Macaroni and Cheese with a full pound of American Cheese (pg 69 Baked Macaroni a la Poops) and is a recipe that she feels brings her closer to her father then you don't have to like it. You don't have to try it. Its about how she remembers him and keeps him alive through the food he made.
It may be confusing for some that this is a collection of short stories that do NOT follow any chronological order. Themes, settings, and timelines do overlap, but each chapter is its own contained story.
Finally, amongst all the family, the laughter, the growth there is always death hovering over it. Many of the chapters are centered around family that Hood has lost. And she has lost several. These pages are raw with her grief, and I am sure that her pages were stained with tiers as she wrote it. Yet, she is able to find reprieve with the simple act of a familiar meal, doing as much as even sharing its recipe with us in a touching display of
In essence this book is best for those who appreciate a beautifully written, emotionally resonant memoir that skillfully ties together how food is an integral part of our everyday lives. How making it, eating it, and sharing it can transport us back to cherished moments of the past.
BONUS SECTION
As a recipe reviewer/all things food enjoyer it would be a crime to not try one of the recipes from Kitchen Yarns. All of them are very approachable, but this particular recipe for "My Perfect Spaghetti Carbonara" on page 74 caught my eye first.
Would I call it "Perfect Spaghetti Carbonara" like the author does? I'm not that ballsy, but it was filling, tasty, and came together quickly. All a win in my book. I would name it "Scrumptious, easy, and quick carbonara" if I got to choose.
Books to Bowls OUT!
While it's not really relevant, it is an interesting factoid that she is currently married to Michael Ruhlman (written or co-authored more than two dozen books such as: The French Laundry Cookbook, Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking, and Meat Pies: An Emerging American Craft to name a few). Two writers being in love? Adorable. But it took them a long time to find each other. You'll see why in the book.
You can check out her official website at https://www.annhood.us/
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