Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess

by Gael Greene

With her passion for fine food and, above all, her appetite for love and life, Gael Greene traces her rise from a Velveeta cocoon in the Midwest to powerful critic of New York magazine. Love and food, foreplay and fork play, haute cuisine and social history--all become inextricably linked as the author lifts the lid on her most provocative subject yet--herself. Along the way there are tales of her saucy erotic adventures and intimate portraits of the culinary icons of our time--Julia Child, André Soltner, James Beard, among others--and revealing dissections of New York's legendary "in" spots, including Elaine's, Le Bernardin, Le Cirque, Odeon, and Balthazar.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Memoir, Foodie, Food Writing, Cooking, Biography

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Gael Greene was an American restaurant critic, author, and novelist.

Reviews

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A woman does well to be beautiful, mysterious, haunting, witty, rich, and exotic in bed... but it never hurts to cook good."

After having this book on my bedside table for a few weeks, I finally sat and read the second half. Gael Greene is known to some of us as a guest judge on Top Chef Masters, but many know her from decades as the Insatiable Critic for New York Magazine (at least ten years of articles can be read on her website. Her memoir is dotted with recipes and stuffed with sexual encounters, from Elvis to Clint Eastwood to porn stars. She is a modern woman and goes after what she wants, just as feminism is starting to stir the pot.

"For me the two greatest discoveries of the twentieth century were the Cuisinart and the clitoris."

But the sex is just the backdrop to the food. If America has had a food revolution, Gael was there. She witnessed the first chefs to make it outside of New York, the first to buy bread locally, to source seafood fresh rather than fly it in frozen, to compel local farmers to work with them on seasonal ingredients. All these things are everyday for us now in the 21st century but absolutely revelatory as they were happening. Gael was right in the middle of it with her review dinners and foodie trips. I felt like I learned a lot about New York City's food history from the 1960s to the early 2000s that I didn't know I didn't know.

(about the early 1990s):"Tiny greens were getting tinier. Sprouts sprouted everywhere. Nothing but sashimi grade tuna would do... Boutique farmers cropped up to supply demanding chefs. Desserts were more important, more beautiful, more complex, more architectural...."

Overall, I would read this for the food history of New York City. Gael Greene has one of the most interesting perches where it was all experienced.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sure it's easy to dislike Gael Greene. Too visceral, too confessional, too... much. Me, though? I can't help but like her. I like her breeze and her boldness and, well, her balls. She resides on the opposite side of my heart from Ruth Reichl. She's less a cook and more a show-woman than Ruth. She's less about where the rest of us eat, and more about where we should eat. Ruth is my everywoman, but I have some Gael in there, too ... no question about it. We shouldn't have to choose between Ruth or Gael. That we can have both women on our bookshelves, our televisions, and our twitter feeds is in itself a modern miracle. "Insatiable" is too long a book, and the quick-hit reports of restaurant happenings over a decade are unnecessary - there are other and better books for that. This book is at its best when Gael tells her story the way that only she can, with that unmistakable voice, that gorgeous sentence structure, and that openness that is shockingly rare these days, and incredibly alluring to follow. She is a class act, and to this woman whose most quoted line is "the two greatest discoveries of the 20th century were the Cuisinart and the clitoris" ... well, I will forever salute that.

[G-- · Rating 2 out of 5]

If Reichl's memoirs were a nourishing meal, then Greene's is a bag of chips. Reichl's trilogy about her life in food is ultimately about developing relationships, and discovering how to make a meaningful life.

Greene's book, in contrast, reads as a series of lists 1) foods she has eaten 2) men she has slept with 3) celebrities she has known. There is no real character development, nor any personal insights.

True, she has enjoyed amazing, sumptious meals, but to what end? There is no meaning to her life beyond the endless quest for rich meals on her employer's dime. Her sexual appetite, although clearly prodigious, leads her to make empty choice after empty choice. Some people will wish that they shared Greene's luck that allowed her to live a completely self-indulgent life. But most sensible people will be grateful that they haven't haven't wasted every moment pursuing nothing.

An empty life leads to an empty book--a bit ironic considering the title. Reichl's books, though far less sexual, are fare more sensual and satisfying.

[Debra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually started out really enjoying this book. The recipes, the food she described, the one night stand w/ Elvis….but my infatuation w/ the book….unlike Ms Greene’s infatuation w/ herself….soon faded. I quickly grew tired of her telling us over and over again how ‘ahead of its time’ her writing was, in what position she had sex w/ what man (all in the cause of saving her marriage, of course) and what restaurant (I’d never heard of) stole what chef (I’d also never heard of) from what unsuspecting entrepreneur.



And frankly, how many times on each page can you use the phrase “foie gras”?? I mean - how many years has it been since she’s had a nice hot bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup?? Or does ‘sophistication’ prohibit you from eating any part of a fowl other than its offal?



She quotes her own articles endlessly, her writing skips back and forth over the course of 25 years until you cannot possibly keep up w/ what and who goes where and she spends chapter after chapter dissecting and detailing her relationship w/ a boring, whiney porn star.



Too Much Information, Ms Greene….on every level.

[Dixie Theriault · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became interested in reading this book after watching the entire Bravo series called Top Chef Masters, which is a reality show that pits professional chefs against each other as they cook their way to a one hundred thousand dollar prize for their favorite charity and the honorary title of being a "Top Chef Master" (which by the way, went to Chef Rick Bayless on the season finale.)

Author Gael Greene is also one of a panel of three judges on the show who get to taste the culinary endeavors each competing chef produces each week as they vie for the top prize.

This memoir first published in 2006, is a delicious account of Ms. Greene's fascinating life as a food critic for New York magazine.
My God, this woman has figuratively eaten her way across Europe and back, and she tells all as we follow her on her sojourn from some of New York's most famous, and infamous dining establishments, to the quaint little bistros, and great restaurants of France and Italy.
And she made a handsome living doing this-how grand is that?

Her lusty appetite is not limited to the dining room either-This author embraces life fully-she names names and dates, and describes her encounters in such a tantalizing, yet tasteful way. Compared to most of us, she has lived "larger than life" and makes no apologies-(I loved it when she wrote of seeing two very famous men together on the cover of Time, and realized that she had slept with both of them.)

Foodies will love this book for the almost poetic, gastronomic descriptions, and Ms. Greene's own recipes peppered throughout the pages.
Biographiles will adore her sheer honesty,delight in her amazing adventures, and sympathize with her disappointments.
You almost feel like you are there with her for the ride.

I'll rate this book the same way they judge the food on Top Chef Masters- It was a juicy, decadent,utterly satisfying read.
I give this book 5 stars

[dejamo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Greene is awfully impressed with her own bad self and reveals all kinds of distasteful tidbits about her ethics as a journalist and restaurant reviewer. She confesses each peccadillo as if, by confessing alone, she is exonerated and can travel through the rest of her life with a clear conscience.

Oh, and she had a lot of sex with a lot of (many of them famous) men (starting with Elvis!), and ate a lot of really really good expensive food in New York, Paris, and the rest of the world. Each chapter may as well be titled "What I Ate" or "Who I F*cked" and reads like a laundry list of decadent foods and sexy famous men. There is no real description of any of the restaurants or the food; it's a recording of who was hot at which spot. There's a little self-deprecation peppered throughout the book with the intention, I'm sure, of making Ms. Greene more accessible to the masses (us), but none of it rings true.

There are recipes spread throughout the book, but there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason as to where they are placed, or why. They actually represent the book perfectly - there was no order there either. Some chapters end with a recipe but there is no context within the chapter to explain the presence of the recipe. The recipes all look ok, but without any context, I think even the most intuitive reader would be hard-pressed to make a credible connection between the two.

I have never read any of Ms. Greene's restaurant reviews. From what I gleaned from her memoirs, the only reason I would ever want to is to find out where to go if I want to be ignored while I ogle the A-List celebs who waltz past me on their way to the star table.

There may be some folks who are insatiable for this kind of experience; I am not one of them.

[Allie Piippo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow that end was a real slog. This lady knows a lot of chefs, and had a lot of sex with a lot of people. The first half drew me in because it was more of the story of her life. But the second half was really difficult to get through due to the egregious name-dropping. It read like a list of the restaurant history of New York. I persevered.

[Faith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Halfway through this book, a few things are apparent: Gael Greene knows food, loves to talk foie gras, and we'll never get out of the 70s.

I purchased a used copy of Insatiable because of its subtitle, “Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess.” I had no prior knowledge of Greene, but was sold on the prospect of living vicariously and decadently through this woman's life.

Greene is an expert on dishes I can't pronounce, wines that may never grace my lips, and she goes into intricate details about virtually every one of them. It appears that she has chronicled every breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner that she consumed as a food critic and brings them to the page down to the “snippets of chive,” the “garlicky broth,” and the “nutty warmth of cream.” These fanatical details are mouthwatering a few chapters in, but by midway, it's just too much. I no longer cared what dish Greene thought was “gaspingly tangy.” I found myself grazing over the dense paragraphs describing the latest restaurant's opulent décor, as well as lengthy descriptions of more run-ins with foie gras and black truffles.

I enjoyed Greene's human interactions most—her marriage struggles, her many lovers, her fancy friends. However these wonderful anecdotes drowned under too many helpings of “meltingly buttery Viennese cookies,” scallops, and sorbets.

Another thing I find frustrating is the lack of flow. A chapter would begin in 1971, talking about one aspect of growing food trends, and the next chapter would begin with some other story that started in 1971. Then we'd talk about something she ate in 1972, then we were back to '71. Apparently Insatiable is more topical than it is chronological, but it ends up giving the reader the feeling of being on a treadmill. And like a treadmill regimen, the book was difficult to get through with a smile.

I love food and I've read other books centered on food, but Insatiable would have been more enjoyable if it was half its size.

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me, Gael Greene led the perfectly charmed life, filled with writing, men, travel and, above all, good food. This book beautifully captures the evolution of America's embrace of gourmet, offering insight to the mores and notables (in the food world, at least) of the times, as well. I admired Ms Greene's candor as she discussed not only her eating but also her personal habits. Too many people are afraid of pleasure, and while I wouldn't go to the great lengths Ms Greene goes herself -- I'm quite happy being in love with one man and having a lovely child to raise, with hopefully more on the way -- I took a vicarious thrill in reading of her exploits. And of her cooking: the recipes alone made me want to go out and buy a copy of this book to keep, the first time I've ever felt that way about a library book.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir of an unabashed foodie (before foodies were cool) details a life of seeking the satiety of all appetites--food, sex, love, and art via recipes. Her tales are varied (convincing her Midwestern parents to send her to Paris for a year in her late teens), enviable (getting paid to rub elbows with the most influential restauranteurs in NYC), and simply bizarre (sleeping with Elvis while wearing white gloves). Unlike most musicals, her diversions (recipes which are easy, tasty, and the sort of thing you can picture--erm, taste--while reading) further the plot, such as "ex-sister-in-law orange pour cake" after describing her early marriage. Well thought out, fun writing, strong editing. A great read.

[J.H. Moncrieff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good food memoir, but this one by Gael Greene left me lukewarm. I hadn't expected it to highlight her (very active) sex life as much as it did, and though I'm no prude, the chapters where she "worked on her marriage" by constantly cheating on her husband made me really uncomfortable. I struggled to like her or to maintain interest in what she was saying.

As other people have mentioned, the narrative jumps around a lot. You're in the '70s, then the 2000's, then the '90s, then the '80s, then back to the '70s. It felt like each chapter was a separate essay rather than part of a cohesive memoir.

That said, Greene had a fascinating life, and a lot of her experiences are interesting. I stuck with the book until the end, and it's quite long, so it did keep me turning the pages.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a way I think this book, like Greene herself, was probably published ahead of its time. I loved reading about her history--sexual and gustatory. It was wonderful to watch and learn about how blossoming of true food culture in America, and so easy to lust after Greene's lifestyle. I'm surprised that people dislike how much she insists on writing about both food and sex together. Are they any two subjects that are so intimately connected? Moreover, she does it well -- with wit, with sincerity, and with the detail that should be afforded to both topics.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quit the read! Not to ruin anything for anybody, but did she really sleep with Elvis, Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds? Greene really tracks the current foodie fanaticism from the early 80s to today.

[G-phy]

meh. It started out much stronger than it ended. The parts were she had sex with Burt Reynolds and Steve McQueen were worth reading.

[Christopher Newland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Painfully difficult to finish. The book is a pretty good read up until about the half-way point. After that it becomes a boring recitation of the New York restaurant industry, complete with name dropping that might only interest New Yorkers or serious foodies.

I was prompted to read this after I read "Kitchen Confidential" by Anthony Bourdain. Unfortunately, Greene's tome is not as entertaining and, as a restaurant critic rather than a cook, she lacks the true behind-the-scenes knowledge that Bourdain was able to offer.

I certainly respect Gael Greene; she was, by all accounts, a trailblazer not only in pop journalism, but also in gender equality and in her charity work. This book will be of interest to foodies, and those who may want to relive the glory days of the New York restaurant industry, and the culture of NYC in general.

[Toby's Mom · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first time I found an editing mistake in this book, I checked the spine to see if the book was published by a vanity press or perhaps out of Greene's garage. Nope. The publisher is Warner Books, a commercial press.

I then noticed more and more editing mistakes (make that errors resulting from a lack of editing) and concluded that, being the demanding, arrogant snob that she comes off as within her pages, the author probably wouldn't let the publisher edit her precious tome because she believes every word she writes is golden. It's not.

This book sucks in so many ways. Greene is clearly a narcissist so in love with herself and so given to showing off and lauding her imagined superiority that I couldn't finish this piece of trash. I returned it to the library thankful that I didn't buy it

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read for me because I like food, chefs, and the ever changing restaurant scene. This book might have earned a higher rating from me if I simply grew up in the time period she wrote through and was aware of the food scene—I don’t think the purpose of the book was to teach me about all of these restaurants at a deep level, but I would have benefited from it to understand some of their prowess, chef name aside. She certainly led an interesting life, and had a wide range of experiences she unabashedly shares. I am still glad to have read the book—Gael was truly a star of her time.

[Dean Jones · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gael Greene's writing is so glib it's ossified. I normally finish most books I start, but this one was repugnant. I had hoped to hear some quality food writing, what I got was her recalling fucking Elvis and getting date raped in the back of a car (with a shrug no less). This is a pass for me. She doesn't even describe food in a way that can make you hungry. Instead, she paints pictures of privilege like a baby boomer Marie Antionette saying "Let them eat cake" No thanks.

[Sally Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really more like 2.5. Although not without some historical interest, this Greene is so full of her very sexy and sexual self that it does become boring about halfway through. Yes, she had a fabulous life, but from her story you can't think her anything but shallow.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sex and food. Food and sex. Sex with food. She lead a life of extremes. Not sure I believed all of it. I skimmed the last third because the names may have changed, but the story remained the same.

[Hardcover Hearts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do love reading about eating and cooking, which is probably why I own so many cookbooks myself. I liked her culinary adventures, though this lady loves some organ meats. Gross... I found this similar to Ruth Riechl's books, but I think I liked Ruth's stories a bit better. I did enjoy Gael's lusty approach to both food and men and that was wicked fun to read.

But I found her aspirations for material status to be off putting in their clear superficiality. She stressed that having another mink coat was a need of hers. And she got a huge ego boost from being recognized and lavished upon in the restaurants she was supposed to be critiquing. This is in stark contrast to Reichls obsessive desire to go in disguise to review restaurants and thus her famous dual critique of Le Cirque where she reported as an old lady, clearly of little means, and gave it a 1 star due to the abhorrent treatment she received, versus when she went in and allowed herself to be noticed as the critic where she was treated as royalty. I found it interesting that Greene acknowledged this incident in her book, but only because Siro (the Owner) stopped being mad at a slightly less than perfect review she gave Le Cirque because all of his wrath was directed at Reichl.

She was slightly redeemed in my eyes when she took on a charity project to help older shut ins in NYC receive meals by fundraising and bringing awareness to the project.

Overall, I liked the read, but wouldn't like to have dinner with her.

[Amie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gael Greene certainly delivers on her promise of tales from a life of excess. From the racy bits (starring Elvis, Burt Reynolds, Clint Eastwood, a 70s porn star, and a whole multitude of major restaurant players) to the truly decadent tours through France's finest shuttled on a Moet & Chandon private jet, Greene has lived enough for several lifetimes. A good balance between her personal life and a who's who/culinary history of New York. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, knowing my life is unlikely to get so glamorous at least any time soon. It probably could have been shorter as it seemed to take forever to finish the last quarter of the book, but overall a fascinating, well written book.

**Having read some of the other reviews now, I will say I agree that the recipe placements have no real connection to the story, and that irritated me, too. The narration also jumps around chronologically which can be a bit confusing. Greene will describe the death of an old friend, only to have him reappear several more times in following chapters when she jumps back in time again. I guess that makes it livelier than just an autobiography in chronologicaly format, but it does make the book tough to follow at moments.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Save your money on this book. I couldn't get through it completely, but read about 75% and just couldn't handle it anymore. The title 'life of delicious excess' is about right... way excessive... including the amount of words used to describe everything that she went through being a food critic.

The beginning of the book was interesting though (if it was true). Interesting that she met Elvis and had sex with him. Interesting how she fell into being a critic. And the first couple years of stories of her being a critic were ok. But then I was just 'done'.

I should say if you are currently in New York (or were during the timeframe of the book) and know all of the names she drops, and/or the restaurants that she speaks of, this may be a good book. Or an ok book.

I am a west coast person that was hoping to gain insight and knowledge of New York dining by proxy, until I can actually travel there in person. It didn't work with this book, I will keep searching, let me know if you have suggestions though in the comments!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started out really good, then got a little dense, so I was worried, but then it got really good again. I felt like I couldn't put it down, although it seemed to take forever to finish. It was just really dense, with a lot of information, but I loved her writing style and how she speaks. I loved seeing the evolution of the foodie craze, and I actually felt sad toward the end -- it seems like the restaurant world has lost something. But I guess there are new and good things now, right? There were a lot of words I didn't understand and names I didn't recognize, BUT that made it even more exciting when I saw names I did know (I totally earmarked mentions of Tom Colichio and Les Halles) and dishes and processes and ingredients I recognized. Mostly from reading Anthony Bourdain. HA! I also really liked how she interweaved her life with that of the food world. She really led an interesting life and had a bunch of great stories. She must be one sassy old lady now! :)

[Mainon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best, but far from the worst, food book I've read in the past year. There's a lot of sex, a lot of delicious-sounding food, and a lot of dish (pun intended) about various characters in the food world from the sixties through the nineties. This straddles (oh no, not another pun) two genres well: the first is the nitty-gritty look at the food world and its inhabitants (somewhat à la Anthony Bourdain) and the other is the typical Hollywood-actress-style tell-all/sexposé. The latter might be a bit TMI for fans of the former, and the former might be way too hung up on particular foods (swiss chard!) for true junkies of the latter, but for aficionados of both genres, this book is pretty enjoyable. There are also recipes scattered throughout, although I think they're targeted to the type of cook who -- unlike me -- is serious enough to own a double boiler. Some of the dishes sound quite tasty, though.

[Maria Raynal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gael Greene was a foodie before they coined the term, and her tale of the rising food culture in New York, which she helped create in the pages of New York magazine, brings alive what must've been a glorious time.

She drops names liberally and shares stories and recipes from A-list restaurants and chefs, but this book is a much about the sexual revolution, and her insatiable sexual appetite, as it is the food revolution. And this is where is feels a bit pathetic. There's a thread of near desperation throughout the book as she moves from man to man...and a woman or two...until she settles down.

The book moves similiarly, from story to story, restaurant to restaurant, seemingly without structure. Fun read, but feels rather choppy in spots.

In the end, there's a lack of substance here that left me a bit hungry for more. Ironic, huh?

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #9 for 2012 - If you can get past the fact that Gael Greene is an INCURABLE nymphomaniac and you like to read about food (especially the NYC food world) you will like this book. Gael Greene was the food critic for New York Magazine from 1968-2002. She is a well respected critic (and a tough one.) I loved reading about the food revolution that took place in the 60s and 70s in NYC. She does a good job of describing how many food trends came to be, when they came to be and how they came to be. One of my favorite stories was how Le Bernardin got it's start and how it is still thriving today under Eric Ripert. If you like to read about the food world you will like this book. If you like to read about sex you will like this book! If you don't then just skip that part because the part about food is SO worth it!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I would choose a book to read that has a title used by hundreds!)...just starting out....

NYC, Columbia exploding.."Are we the establishment?" she asks...

only a few pages in. Breezy..

and...she slept with Elvis?? Really?

Okay...finished in one quick Sunday afternoon read (I do read very quickly). Sex and food are fascinating subjects; sex and food through the life of Gael Greene are a bit less fascinating. I alternated between rooting for her to make this book wonderful and thinking "omigod, when did I read a more trivial, narcissistic, shallow, privileged work in my life?"

Overall...it's kind of diverting. And of course it includes recipes. For food. (she apparently slept with everyone; the book is kind of a name dropping list of "first we had delicious baby strawberries and then the tall, lean, famous dude took me in his arms")

[Ralph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gael Greene has a quick wit, a way with words, and must also be a fine conversationalist to have slithered into the world of three-star restaurants and haute cuisine. I enjoyed her play on words, but it all became too much about a hundred pages in. The amorous accounts were more of a name-dropping tell-all memoir, than anything of substance. Her columns in "New York" are better. I give it two stars, but only for the constantly unexpected choice of words she strings together. With talent like that, it should have been a better book. One glitch, which may have been a typo, but shouldn't happen to a food critic with a cultured wine palate: she talks about wine "materizing"; the word is "maderize" (from Madrid.) Picky Picky!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I am not sure how I feel about this book. It is trememdously amusing, and kind of explicit. I love her attitude about sex and food and how closely related they are. However, at times I feel like some chapters are more just about name dropping who she has been with. I did enjoy the recipes scattered throughout the book as well though. I have yet to make one but they seemed to be appropriately placed.
There are definitely times when the book dragged, and I was given far too much detials about things I didn't really care about. I'm not entirely done with the book though so maybe I'll adjust my opinion when i finish it.