Book Review: "Salty, Not Sweet: A Life in the Food World" by Florence Fabricant

“Over those many decades of my career I have witnessed a revolution. And I have also participated in it, often not from the front lines but rather from a privileged perch overlooking the barricades, armed with pen and notebook. Governments haven’t fallen during this ongoing upheaval, but restaurant empires have, and just about every aspect of food, dining, and drinking across the globe has undergone enormous changes in my lifetime, much of which I am documenting in these pages.”

You know I can’t resist a book like this!

Florence Fabricant may not be a familiar name to you. But as a food writer for the New York Times for more than 50 years, she’s well known by chefs, restaurateurs, food purveyors, and foodies all over the world. While she’s written 13 cookbooks, she’s never been motivated to be the focus of her writing. But this is an extraordinarily fascinating look at a career spent studying and understanding food trends, chefs, restaurants, and how we eat.

Fabricant was raised by parents who liked to go out to eat (and a mother who loved to cook and entertain), so her palate was shaped at an early age. She and her husband Richard had two children, and she started looking for a job to occupy her time after the children started school. She became a writer for a local paper in the Hamptons, where she chronicled farms and other purveyors of food, along with recipes. This gig led to her getting hired by the New York Times.

When she started writing in the 1970s, the culinary world, particularly in New York, was vastly different. She traces the trends, the chefs, the travels, and the memorable meals she has experienced through the years. It’s a fascinating look at the food world and one I couldn’t get enough of.

Even though she’s lived a life that I honestly dream of, Fabricant’s writing is so accessible, informative, and even funny at times. She also shares a few recipes, a number of which I’ll be making! I really enjoyed this look at her incredible career.