COMFORT ME WITH APPLES

Ruth Reichl's first memoir, TENDER AT THE BONE, about her education and adventures as a food critic, charmed a wide audience. Here she continues in the same vein, filling in details of her journey from a Berkeley commune of the early '70s through love affairs, memorable meals, extended travels, characters of the international food world, and cooks and restaurants that changed the way Americans think about food. Reichl shapes a narrative as well as she cooks. (Some recipes are included.) Lorelei King has an amazingly beautiful voice, but a nonstandard way with certain vowel sounds; hearing food pronounced "fewd" several thousand times will be a distraction for some. B.G. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]