The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

This Seattle author's first novel is a treat! The premise is familiar if not predictable: diverse, likeable characters gather for a weekly cooking class and come away with more than good recipes. Members of the ensemble wend their various ways (via some lip-smacking edibles) from despair to hope, from grief to consolation, from stodginess to passion. What elevates this from a pleasant story to a delectable read is the author's luscious, loving rendering of each act of...cooking! From (killing) crab to white on white cake; from pure olive oil to tiramasu; from red sauce to chocolate; each element and every morsel is described with sensuous celebration. Mouth-watering, heart-warming...what more do you need? Warning: Don't read this without some food or drink within reach.