A Foodies Life

Waiter Rant, by The Waiter

How fitting that I received an email from my favorite food blog, The Amateur Gourmet, about a new book that has been written called The Waiter Rant. I started a week long vacation yesterday and thought how perfect it would be to sit down and read a book. That's exactly what I did.

Waiter Rant is written by a thirty something gentleman who spent six years working in a restaurant he called "The Bistro." It details many different adventures in the restaurant and his experience of writing the popular blog also called Waiter Rant. I always find books written by bloggers interesting. Maybe it's partial jealously because one day I hope to be a writer as well. It's interesting to me how blogging can turn into that.

Anyway, it's not often that I sit down and read a book in two days. My mind races, my cell phone rings and to put it bluntly I must have some form of ADHD. For some reason I didn't have any of those issues with this book. It moved quickly and was about a topic that I've always been extremely interested in.

In the beginning I was extremely concerned that it was going to be a book just about incidents in the restaurant industry and my interest was going to wane quickly. I was pleased to find that it was a cohesive story and not just little snippets of certain nights.

The author says that "20 percent of the American dining public are socially maladjusted psychopaths." He describes the waiter as a jack of all trades which I agree any good waiter needs to be. What I found most interesting about this book wasn't the stories about the customers but the self discovery of the author. Sure he became a waiter at the age of 31 but that was a springboard for a writing career. He details a scene of a woman who used to frequent the restaurant with her lesbian lover but since had broken up causing her downward spin to alcoholism. He sees the fear in that woman in himself and uses it as a catalyst to leave the restaurant.

As much as Waiter Rant is about restaurants and waiters it's also a story about life, love and finding your way. Give it a read, you won't be disappointed.

Mosaic........Pieces of My Life So Far.

All of us have people that affect our lives in ways that they might not be aware.  Amy Grant is one of those people for me.  I was eleven years old, it was Christmas time, my older brother received a CD that he didn't want.  He handed it to me and the rest is history.  I've been listening to Amy Grant ever since I received one of her albums called The Collection.  Anytime I was depressed, searching for answers, just needed a friend, I would put in Amy's albums and feel immediately better.  I couldn't explain the connection that I felt like I had with her music.  I guess because it's so genuine and real.  I'm not a very religious person but I never felt that her music spouted religion.  I felt, and feel, like her music was about the human spirit. 

A few years ago, my parents moved to Florida and became friends with a woman who works every year on a project with Vince Gill who is married to Amy.  Through this friend I've gotten to go to the event and meet Amy.  She is one of those people who is exactly like you would think they are in person.  I know she meets thousands of fans constantly but when she meets you she makes you feel like your the only one in the room.  She asks about you, she wants to know your story just as much as your interested in her. 

One December a few years ago I was about to make some major changes in my life.  I had decided to stop working at the theater company I had been working at and go to Culinary School.  I was scared, excited, nervous that at 29 I was making these life changing decisions. I also was very depressed because I had recently ended a relationship. One of my best friends and I went to one of Amy's Christmas Concerts.  I went backstage after the concert to see Amy.  At this point she had only met me one time before, at the event.  She was very nice.  She took a picture with me, my friend, and Vince.  Then as I was turning to leave she looked at me and said "Ron, you have an amazing spirit don't ever forget that."  I couldn't believe that this hero of mine actually saw that in me.  She barely even knew me but somehow she knew that I needed to here that at some point in my life.  That one comment from Amy has helped me get through many days. 

Amy has come out with a new book called Mosaic.......Pieces of My Life So Far.    It is a beautifully woven collection of poems, stories and lyrics.   Amy talks about getting through her depression, and some amazing experiences that she's had in her life. For someone whose been a fan for awhile it was great to read those stories.   

And guess what?!?  I have an extra signed copy that I'm going to give away!  I think what I've decided is that with all the books that I have I'm going to start a contest......after I read them we'll have some sort of contest and the winner of that contest will get the book sent to them buy me.  So here's the deal.  I've told you about how Amy has affected me.  I want to know how someone has affected your life!  Write a short paragraph or two about the person that has affected your life the most.  The best one, although they will all be the best I'm sure, I will post on the blog and send you a copy of Amy's booked signed by her (not me).  So get writing!  All entries need to be received by November 1st! 

Julie & Julia my years of cooking dangerously

I'm sure you all wouldn't be surprised to find out that I love to read books about cooking.  To be more exact I love to read books about people who like to cook or discover something through cooking.  I was very excited to pick up the book Julie and Julia, My Years of Cooking Dangerously.  This book has touched me for more than one reason.  Julie is a woman who is nearing thirty, turns thirty in the book, who has set out to cook all five hundred and twenty four recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in three hundred and sixty five days.  The story weaves through the ups and downs of trying to get a mammoth project like this done.  Written with great humor, loud political opinions and some colorful language. 

Of course for me the most interesting part of the book is that while she is working on this project she is blogging about it on line.  She includes many excerpts from her blog, specifically her blog readers, whom she calls bleaders.  Toward the end of the book she talks about the media coverage that she was beginning to receive.  Having been blogging or pod casting for over a year myself I feel like I have this in common with her.  There is something powerful about sitting at your computer, writing what is on your mind and having other people log on to read it.  People that you will probably never meet become a big part of your life.  What would I do without the Charlie, Susan and others of my world? 

I would recommend picking this book.  It is not heavy on recipes, I haven't seen one so far.  It is more a hysterical memoir.  I didn't pick it up for a long time because I thought it was going to be a boring dry book about detailed recipes etc., but it's not like that at all. 

Next up I'll be reading a book about James Beard!  Tomorrow is another Dinner with L & C.   I'll write all about it tomorrow night or Tuesday!  Bye for now!