Title: My Berlin Kitchen: A Love Story
Author: Luisa Weiss
First published September 12, 2012
302 pages, Hardcover
ISBN: 9780670025381 (ISBN10: 0670025380)
Rating: 3.73
Overview
“Prepare to be captivated by the enchanting storytelling of Luisa Weiss.” – David Lebovitz, author of My Paris Kitchen. From the beloved food blogger behind The Wednesday Chef comes a heartwarming memoir that will leave you craving both comfort food and wanderlust.
Luisa’s journey takes her from bustling New York City to the streets of Berlin, where she finds herself rediscovering her roots and falling in love with the city all over again. This beautifully written book is filled with delectable recipes and charming anecdotes that will inspire you to cook with heart and follow your dreams.
About the Author
Luisa Weiss grew up between two worlds. Her mother was Italian and lived in Berlin, while her father was American and resided in Boston.
This back-and-forth routine continued throughout her childhood. In 2005, she launched her food blog, The Wednesday Chef, which has since become a beloved and highly-regarded site.
She has also worked as a cookbook editor and literary scout in New York. Nowadays, Luisa resides in Berlin with her husband and children.
As a writer and translator, she continues to pursue her passion for food and writing.
Editoral Review
Luisa Weiss’s memoir, My Berlin Kitchen: A Love Story, is a beautifully written tribute to the city that shaped her identity and her passion for food. Weiss, a food writer and blogger, takes us on a journey through her life, from her childhood in Boston to her adult years in Berlin, as she navigates the complexities of love, family, and cultural identity.
The book is part memoir, part cookbook, and part love letter to the city of Berlin. Weiss’s writing is lyrical and evocative, capturing the sights, sounds, and tastes of the city with vivid detail.
Her descriptions of the food she cooks and eats are mouth-watering, and her stories of her family and friends are heartwarming and poignant.
The book is structured around a series of recipes, each one tied to a particular moment in Weiss’s life. We learn about her Jewish heritage through her grandmother’s recipe for matzo ball soup, and about her love for her husband through their shared passion for baking.
Along the way, Weiss explores the history and culture of Berlin, from its turbulent past to its vibrant present.
One of the strengths of My Berlin Kitchen is Weiss’s ability to weave together multiple narrative threads into a cohesive whole. She juggles themes of love, loss, and identity with ease, never losing sight of the bigger picture.
Her writing is both introspective and outward-looking, inviting the reader to reflect on their own experiences and perspectives.
At times, the book can feel a bit disjointed, with the recipes interrupting the flow of the narrative. However, this is a minor quibble in an otherwise beautifully crafted book.
Weiss’s prose is elegant and precise, and her storytelling is engaging and insightful.
Overall, My Berlin Kitchen is a must-read for anyone interested in food, travel, and personal memoirs. It is a testament to the power of food to bring people together, to heal old wounds, and to create new memories.
Highly recommended.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
