If You Can't Take the Heat: Tales of Food, Feminism, and Fury

"You may have heard about the epically horrible, hours-long meal at the Michelin-starred restaurant Bros that food writer Geraldine DeRuiter endured: It involved one dish where guests are meant to suck foam out of a cast of the owner’s mouth. She dives deep into this story, including interviewing a former chef at the restaurant, in one chapter of her new book. Throughout, she uses food to reflect on topics like expectations of women (and what men can get away with), health culture and the end of a long friendship. As the title promises, I was sometimes infuriated, sometimes astonished, by what I learned. But, mostly, I laughed at DeRuiter’s humor, which made this book a joy to read."