School of Essential Ingredients

Very rarely does a book come along that renews my faith in the written word. I am a fast reader, one who skims hungrily to find out what happens instead of reading each and every word. This is unusual since I teach literature. I teach students to read every single word, sentence, and paragraph. But I find that so much of contemporary literature isn't worth reading so closely. And then, I was asked to read The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister.

Here is what I discovered…I had to slow down to read this book. Not because it was structured grammatically difficult, not because the message was far too intricately woven into the plot, and not because the language required a dictionary and an advanced degree in linguistics. No. This book commanded that I slow down. At times, I felt compelled to make myself a cup of tea, a ritual I use to calm my spirits and help me savor experiences. I wanted to explore each word and sentence. My heart rate calmed and I felt light. All this from a book? Yep!

The book explores a group of students who have all committed to taking a weekly cooking class. Their teacher, Lillian, restaurant owner, developed an appreciation for cooking and a respect for food at an early age, discovering the power of a well-made meal. She imparts this love of food with each class and each class is a small lesson in life and love. As these students navigate the kitchen, they are uncover truths about themselves and face difficult memories.

Each class, Lillian presents ways of making food, not recipes. I have learned a multitude of cooking lessons myself as I read this. And I will read it again and again. It is most definitely a book to which I will turn when I am stressed and overwhelmed to remember the importance of slowing down and savoring what is in front of you.

Thank you, MotherTalk, for introducing me to this book. Hands down, TKDDaughter gives this book a