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Feast on Your Life: Kitchen Meditations for Every Day
From the award-winning author of An Everlasting Meal comes a record of daily delights from inside the kitchen and just outside it; designed to help you find joy every day.
“Delight in food, in eating, in cooking, in serving, in recognizing our luck when we feel full is available to all of us,” says writer Tamar Adler. Adler found relief and ease in spending a year recording instances of such delight. Her hope is that her observations might do the same for you.
Each captivating entry is a celebration of simple pleasures. From the pleasure of picking sun-warmed cherries to the comfort of a perfectly cooked meal, Adler’s reflections range from short, lyrical musings—a series of phrases, a list of words, a quick poem—to longer, thought-provoking meditations. All in all, they represent the kitchen (and adjacent) happinesses of one year.
Step into a world where cooking becomes a meditative, soothing retreat. Adler brings her signature warmth and poetic charm to this daily devotional of sorts. Her writing, brimming with zest and wisdom, has earned comparisons to food legends like MFK Fisher and Laurie Colwin—a testament to her ability to weave storytelling and culinary insights. But Adler doesn’t just write about food—she transforms how we see it. With her gentle guidance, even the most routine kitchen tasks become opportunities for reflection. Her voice is like a trusted friend’s—knowledgeable, comforting, and endlessly inspiring.
Feast on Your Life is the perfect holiday gift or addition to your own library. Adler’s reflections help you see the magic in everyday meals and embrace the art of cooking with a renewed sense of peace, helping you find greater happiness and mindfulness the kitchen.
“Delight in food, in eating, in cooking, in serving, in recognizing our luck when we feel full is available to all of us,” says writer Tamar Adler. Adler found relief and ease in spending a year recording instances of such delight. Her hope is that her observations might do the same for you.
Each captivating entry is a celebration of simple pleasures. From the pleasure of picking sun-warmed cherries to the comfort of a perfectly cooked meal, Adler’s reflections range from short, lyrical musings—a series of phrases, a list of words, a quick poem—to longer, thought-provoking meditations. All in all, they represent the kitchen (and adjacent) happinesses of one year.
Step into a world where cooking becomes a meditative, soothing retreat. Adler brings her signature warmth and poetic charm to this daily devotional of sorts. Her writing, brimming with zest and wisdom, has earned comparisons to food legends like MFK Fisher and Laurie Colwin—a testament to her ability to weave storytelling and culinary insights. But Adler doesn’t just write about food—she transforms how we see it. With her gentle guidance, even the most routine kitchen tasks become opportunities for reflection. Her voice is like a trusted friend’s—knowledgeable, comforting, and endlessly inspiring.
Feast on Your Life is the perfect holiday gift or addition to your own library. Adler’s reflections help you see the magic in everyday meals and embrace the art of cooking with a renewed sense of peace, helping you find greater happiness and mindfulness the kitchen.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 2, 2025
53 people are currently reading
6536 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 29, 2025
The art of journaling is a very personal path and sharing your thoughts and feelings to a wider readership takes a leap of courage.
Every diarist has such a personal voice and direction that if you don't fully connect with the writer then it can be a challenge.
From the outset, Tamar Adler was unknown to me- a google check for more information. A Feast on Your Life takes us through a year when Tamar explores her interactions, thoughts and emotions to eating, cooking and sharing food. and how she has dealt with anxiety. This is a curiosity of a book - recipes peppered here and there; travels and culinary encounters and daily reflections on eating and cooking in the kitchen alongside personal growth
Having been -still am- an avid reader of the prose of Nigel Slater and Nigella Lawson, I could not 100 per connect with Tamar's style. It could be a cultural difference- UK and USA ; English spoken but different vocabulary and perspectives as well as certain references not fully impacting.
This is an interesting read and if you are familiar with Tamar's writing in Vogue and the New Yorker then you will certainly find this an entertaining and thought provoking read.
Every diarist has such a personal voice and direction that if you don't fully connect with the writer then it can be a challenge.
From the outset, Tamar Adler was unknown to me- a google check for more information. A Feast on Your Life takes us through a year when Tamar explores her interactions, thoughts and emotions to eating, cooking and sharing food. and how she has dealt with anxiety. This is a curiosity of a book - recipes peppered here and there; travels and culinary encounters and daily reflections on eating and cooking in the kitchen alongside personal growth
Having been -still am- an avid reader of the prose of Nigel Slater and Nigella Lawson, I could not 100 per connect with Tamar's style. It could be a cultural difference- UK and USA ; English spoken but different vocabulary and perspectives as well as certain references not fully impacting.
This is an interesting read and if you are familiar with Tamar's writing in Vogue and the New Yorker then you will certainly find this an entertaining and thought provoking read.
November 21, 2025
Our book club, The Ranch Readers in Colorado, was sent copies of this non-fiction book as part of a #Galley Match program from the Cook Book Club website for review, and our opinions are our own.
Tamar Adler, who was a chef, wrote popular cookbooks and magazine articles for Vogue and the New York Times, was at a point in her life where she felt a need to re-appreciate the joys of food and cooking and life in general. Our book club, which consists of seniors from diverse backgrounds, also expressed in our discussion that at times we feel the doldrums of repetition in shopping, meal planning, and cooking each day. As we read this book, we each felt our appreciation grow for what Ms. Adler expressed about celebrating simple moments in everyday life----whether picking fruit from a tree, strolling in a Farmer's Market, visiting friends, and enjoying a simple home-cooked meal, or the physical joy of crunching on granola or discovering the thrill of new, unexpected flavors. It made us appreciate more the love of cooking in its simplest form. Adler does not stress fuss or perfection, but expresses the simple and the easy. Waking up to a breakfast of a leftover bowl of beans, tasting and savoring the flavors of a bit of basil leftover on the cutting board, and the mystery of mushrooms.
We admired the poetry of Adler's words and emotions as she found a special daily nugget about food in reference to family, friends, occasions, travel, and everyday experiences.
This was a unique book, and we all enjoyed reading it, as to paraphrase the author: "Make one scour their kitchen to find delight!"
Tamar Adler, who was a chef, wrote popular cookbooks and magazine articles for Vogue and the New York Times, was at a point in her life where she felt a need to re-appreciate the joys of food and cooking and life in general. Our book club, which consists of seniors from diverse backgrounds, also expressed in our discussion that at times we feel the doldrums of repetition in shopping, meal planning, and cooking each day. As we read this book, we each felt our appreciation grow for what Ms. Adler expressed about celebrating simple moments in everyday life----whether picking fruit from a tree, strolling in a Farmer's Market, visiting friends, and enjoying a simple home-cooked meal, or the physical joy of crunching on granola or discovering the thrill of new, unexpected flavors. It made us appreciate more the love of cooking in its simplest form. Adler does not stress fuss or perfection, but expresses the simple and the easy. Waking up to a breakfast of a leftover bowl of beans, tasting and savoring the flavors of a bit of basil leftover on the cutting board, and the mystery of mushrooms.
We admired the poetry of Adler's words and emotions as she found a special daily nugget about food in reference to family, friends, occasions, travel, and everyday experiences.
This was a unique book, and we all enjoyed reading it, as to paraphrase the author: "Make one scour their kitchen to find delight!"
December 2, 2025
This is only part of my review. Read the full Berkshire Eagle piece at: https://www.berkshireeagle.com/arts_a...
I swoon at some passages, thinking, enviously, "how luxurious it must be to think of food in such a way, not as calories or carbohydrates or as a cause of a blood glucose spike."
When I come upon a passage about an article on artichokes written for Vogue magazine, I hastily pick up my phone, Google the article ("Why I Love Artichoke Season") and delight in its prose. Only when done do I remember how I got there and return to the book.
Sometimes, I put down the book and wander into my kitchen, inspired to cook. On Saturday afternoon, following an intimate Thanksgiving celebration with our children, I followed Adler's very simple directions for turkey broth from "The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z," simmering the carcass with items I had on hand — anise and fennel seeds, garlic cloves, black peppercorns, etc. — for four hours and later proudly posted a photo of my bounty on Instagram.
Curled up on my couch, sipping hot tea as I read, I get lost in the ways that Alder describes a piece of fruit, a cut of ham, a moment shared with her son, her husband, a stranger in a store. I delight in the fact that I have been to Mel the Bakery, The Meat Hook and a few other Hudson shops she mentions. I make a mental note to double-check the hours of Mel the Bakery, to schedule a trip to pick up kouign amann, chocolate croissants, savory scones and blueberry muffins, some of which will be consumed on the spot.
I swoon at some passages, thinking, enviously, "how luxurious it must be to think of food in such a way, not as calories or carbohydrates or as a cause of a blood glucose spike."
When I come upon a passage about an article on artichokes written for Vogue magazine, I hastily pick up my phone, Google the article ("Why I Love Artichoke Season") and delight in its prose. Only when done do I remember how I got there and return to the book.
Sometimes, I put down the book and wander into my kitchen, inspired to cook. On Saturday afternoon, following an intimate Thanksgiving celebration with our children, I followed Adler's very simple directions for turkey broth from "The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z," simmering the carcass with items I had on hand — anise and fennel seeds, garlic cloves, black peppercorns, etc. — for four hours and later proudly posted a photo of my bounty on Instagram.
Curled up on my couch, sipping hot tea as I read, I get lost in the ways that Alder describes a piece of fruit, a cut of ham, a moment shared with her son, her husband, a stranger in a store. I delight in the fact that I have been to Mel the Bakery, The Meat Hook and a few other Hudson shops she mentions. I make a mental note to double-check the hours of Mel the Bakery, to schedule a trip to pick up kouign amann, chocolate croissants, savory scones and blueberry muffins, some of which will be consumed on the spot.
December 22, 2025
I hate to be too critical of this book, as it's the author's journal as she navigated a difficult year, through the medium of food. Which sounds like an amazing concept, but I really didn't like it.
There wasn't really enough personal reflection to be revealing, nor enough details about food to be a learning experience. As a result, it came off as her humble bragging about what she cooked and ate. Please, remind us six more times about how you worked at Chez Panisse. Or how she were feeling too lazy to make a galette, so instead she walked down the hill to the neighbours farm, picking fresh elderberries and basil along the way, to harvest some eggs from the coop and fresh cream from the cream spigot (what, you don't have a cream spigot in your kitchen?!), and turned it into a timbale, but since she was lazy didn't make the lobster chantarelle sauce like she did at Chez Panisse.
A big part of the problem for me was the writing style. It mostly felt choppy and truncated, like a collection of tweets. But there were also pretentious literary references, and many turns of phrase that were clearly premeditated and carefully crafted. The result felt like an Instagram influencer account, in audiobook format.
There wasn't really enough personal reflection to be revealing, nor enough details about food to be a learning experience. As a result, it came off as her humble bragging about what she cooked and ate. Please, remind us six more times about how you worked at Chez Panisse. Or how she were feeling too lazy to make a galette, so instead she walked down the hill to the neighbours farm, picking fresh elderberries and basil along the way, to harvest some eggs from the coop and fresh cream from the cream spigot (what, you don't have a cream spigot in your kitchen?!), and turned it into a timbale, but since she was lazy didn't make the lobster chantarelle sauce like she did at Chez Panisse.
A big part of the problem for me was the writing style. It mostly felt choppy and truncated, like a collection of tweets. But there were also pretentious literary references, and many turns of phrase that were clearly premeditated and carefully crafted. The result felt like an Instagram influencer account, in audiobook format.
January 24, 2026
I'm not sure what I expected, but I found this book disappointing. The author explains that this book was the product of her husband's suggestion about combatting her depression by exploring the joy she found in the kitchen. However, the book never fully addresses this. I'm not sure why she was depressed, and by the end of the book, I couldn't be sure that writing the book had helped any. Her emotional arc was presented as the core of the experience, but remained invisible to the reader, if there were any arc at all. On a personal level, her lifestyle and the resources to which she easily had access felt very out of reach and unrelatable. She clearly adores her son but it's unclear how she feels about the person who inspired this journey. I love all things food and was looking forward to learning new cooking techniques or ingredients, but only gleaned a couple of items of interest from the whole year's worth of reading. Several days were just a line or two that held as much interest as the day-calendar of a bank teller. If it's a diary, it lacked emotional depth. If it's a book of meditations, it lacked spiritual depth. And if it's a food book, it lacked flavor.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.
August 31, 2025
Thank you, Scribner, for my #gifted ARC. My opinions are my own.
Tamar Alder found herself experiencing depression and despair after taking stock of her life and finding it wanting. But she found that when she focused on the small, quotidian things that she was grateful for, she began to slowly dig her way out of it. So every day for a year she recorded the simple joys and things to be grateful for in her cooking. Each entry is short, ranging from a paragraph to a page. And their content is as varied as the ingredients, processes, and customs that infuse the work of nourishment. While it's all about food and cooking, there is an honest, mindful examination here that infuses each little detail with so much power--the same level of power that food has over us, both physically and psychologically. We need to feed our bodies, but also our souls, and these reflections certainly do the latter. Simple yet profound, this is a book I'll be pulling out year after year, whether to read a reflection daily or to take larger bites more rarely. This is for anyone who loves quotidian mindfulnes, cooking, or just joyful living.
Tamar Alder found herself experiencing depression and despair after taking stock of her life and finding it wanting. But she found that when she focused on the small, quotidian things that she was grateful for, she began to slowly dig her way out of it. So every day for a year she recorded the simple joys and things to be grateful for in her cooking. Each entry is short, ranging from a paragraph to a page. And their content is as varied as the ingredients, processes, and customs that infuse the work of nourishment. While it's all about food and cooking, there is an honest, mindful examination here that infuses each little detail with so much power--the same level of power that food has over us, both physically and psychologically. We need to feed our bodies, but also our souls, and these reflections certainly do the latter. Simple yet profound, this is a book I'll be pulling out year after year, whether to read a reflection daily or to take larger bites more rarely. This is for anyone who loves quotidian mindfulnes, cooking, or just joyful living.
September 22, 2025
Journaling is a private activity. During our lives, we all do it at one time or another. In this book, Tamar Adler journals because she is depressed and wants to try to live more consciously and intentionally. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. It is something I aspire towards. The thing is, if I took up journaling to help with my depression, I seriously doubt that anyone would publish it. Why? Because journaling is very personal and many people wouldn't understand what I talked about in my journal because they don't know me. Cooking a meal, walking outside, remembering a trip; so what! Even though Adler is a previously published author and is a good writer, I don't know her. I didn't get her asides and inside references. Every once in a while, there was a sentence or two that resonated, but on the whole, I just didn't get it. Sorry Ms. Adler, it wasn't you so much as the medium.
If you want to read a reflective book revolving around cooking, I would recommend MY KITCHEN YEAR by Ruth Reichl. It was much more relatable and had a recipe with each entry.
Thank you to Goodreads for my advanced copy.
If you want to read a reflective book revolving around cooking, I would recommend MY KITCHEN YEAR by Ruth Reichl. It was much more relatable and had a recipe with each entry.
Thank you to Goodreads for my advanced copy.
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December 3, 2025It’s challenging for me to rate a work of nonfiction based on someone’s personal experiences.
𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 was unique from a new-to-me author and I enjoyed the different perspectives and meditations provided within this book. I have a special relationship with food that inspires me to reflect and be mindful about the meals set before me. This food journal/memoir is flexible and quite lax; l can choose to read one entry per day for an entire year or randomly select topics of interest at will.
I enjoy the quotes and recipes peppered throughout her book. She is definitely not a boring eater and I can relate to many of the dishes she speaks about. The meals are diverse and my favorite parts are the experiences with local foods on her exotic travels.
It is low-key authentic, profoundly personal, and an overall comforting read.
A heartfelt thank you to Scribner / Simon & Schuster for an advance copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
𝘍𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 was unique from a new-to-me author and I enjoyed the different perspectives and meditations provided within this book. I have a special relationship with food that inspires me to reflect and be mindful about the meals set before me. This food journal/memoir is flexible and quite lax; l can choose to read one entry per day for an entire year or randomly select topics of interest at will.
I enjoy the quotes and recipes peppered throughout her book. She is definitely not a boring eater and I can relate to many of the dishes she speaks about. The meals are diverse and my favorite parts are the experiences with local foods on her exotic travels.
It is low-key authentic, profoundly personal, and an overall comforting read.
A heartfelt thank you to Scribner / Simon & Schuster for an advance copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
January 10, 2026
Prior to reading this book, I was not familiar with Tamar Adler. I don’t think you need to have read her previous works, to appreciate her unique perspectives.
I love the way this book is structured! There is a different meditation for every day of the year! In order to review the book in a timely manner, I read several meditations each day! Each entry has a different title- some simply the name of a food, while others are funny or punny.
Tamar Adler writes about finding the joy in cooking! Finding something in every food, every meal, every experience to grow from. She suffered from depression and it gave her a new perspective on life. I’ve never really thought about food the way she does in this book. Giving it new light and meaning.
Overall, this is an interesting book for those looking for meaning in the everyday task of cooking! Looking forward to reading more from Adler in the future.
I love the way this book is structured! There is a different meditation for every day of the year! In order to review the book in a timely manner, I read several meditations each day! Each entry has a different title- some simply the name of a food, while others are funny or punny.
Tamar Adler writes about finding the joy in cooking! Finding something in every food, every meal, every experience to grow from. She suffered from depression and it gave her a new perspective on life. I’ve never really thought about food the way she does in this book. Giving it new light and meaning.
Overall, this is an interesting book for those looking for meaning in the everyday task of cooking! Looking forward to reading more from Adler in the future.
November 19, 2025
The author is undeniably talented, and I admire the ease and beauty of her prose. I also appreciate when writers and publishers are willing to experiment with structure and format. This book is a quick read, and I can imagine it being a thoughtful gift to welcome the new year.
That said, I don’t think I’m the intended reader. The journal-style entries left me feeling a bit like an observer peeking into someone else’s reflections, and the lyrical, wandering style isn’t a natural fit for me. I also found myself looking for a narrative arc or some sense of progression, but it never quite emerged. In many ways, these pieces might have been more effective as occasional social-media posts or short daily videos voiced by the author herself.
I appreciate the creative risk behind the project, but it ultimately didn’t land for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.
That said, I don’t think I’m the intended reader. The journal-style entries left me feeling a bit like an observer peeking into someone else’s reflections, and the lyrical, wandering style isn’t a natural fit for me. I also found myself looking for a narrative arc or some sense of progression, but it never quite emerged. In many ways, these pieces might have been more effective as occasional social-media posts or short daily videos voiced by the author herself.
I appreciate the creative risk behind the project, but it ultimately didn’t land for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.
December 13, 2025
Tamar Adler is a delight to read, and this book is no exception. While she has FEAST ON YOUR LIFE structured into daily readings, I confess I devoured it quickly. The snippets vary in length, sometimes a short quotation, other times a few pages, often a couple paragraphs.
Adler spends a year writing about food: a shared meal, a travel experience, a favorite breakfast, a found snack, a new ritual. I basked in the descriptions and the joy exuding from these pages and regularly found myself relaxing and smiling as I retreated into her world. This would be a perfect gift for the foodie in your life, or just someone who welcomes the opportunity to slow down and observe the world around them.
(Thank you to Scribner for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)
Adler spends a year writing about food: a shared meal, a travel experience, a favorite breakfast, a found snack, a new ritual. I basked in the descriptions and the joy exuding from these pages and regularly found myself relaxing and smiling as I retreated into her world. This would be a perfect gift for the foodie in your life, or just someone who welcomes the opportunity to slow down and observe the world around them.
(Thank you to Scribner for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)
October 16, 2025
Adlar excels at noticing everything in her proximity – sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, and space – and writing word pictures about her observations. However, I found it sensory overload. The book falls short of the comps with MLK Fisher and Laurie Colwin because it lacks any deep introspection and narrative arc. I cannot see it as a book that I would use for morning meditations because her experience is just that, her experience. The food sounded amazing though. It does work if you are looking for food inspiration & recipes, but not for meditations on daily life. This is my opinion and Adlar’s fans may think otherwise. Thanks to #netgally and the publisher for the ARC PDF. This is my objective review.
September 16, 2025
I really enjoyed the set up of this book, it made it feel like a diary with a new entry every day. I liked the way the author spoke about food and related it to life or things in ways I never would have. I found myself writing down a few quotes to remember along the way. I did find it a bit draggy at some points but overall I had a good experience with it. I liked that there were some days the author told a whole story, and then some it was just one sentence. I also learned some things along the way! I would definitely recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for sending me an arc of this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for sending me an arc of this book.
December 5, 2025
This feels like getting back in touch with the nurturing side of me... who loves to cook beautiful food and appreciates savoring flavors. It feels like entertaining friends and family. It's been a long time since that's been my jam and this may be the book that gets me back on track. Tamar Adler has been compared to M.F.K. Fisher - one of my favorites - and while I don't exactly see a direct correlation I do love her point of view.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the advance copy. All opinions are mine.
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the advance copy. All opinions are mine.
December 27, 2025
After a period of depression and dissatisfaction with her life, Tamar Adler began focusing on small, everyday things she was grateful for. Over the course of a year, she recorded these moments through food and cooking.
Each brief entry reflects on ingredients, rituals, and nourishment, offering a mindful and deeply human look at how food feeds both body and soul. Perfect for anyone who loves mindful living, cooking, or finding joy in the everyday.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookclub Cookbook for the advance reader copy for my honest opinion.
Each brief entry reflects on ingredients, rituals, and nourishment, offering a mindful and deeply human look at how food feeds both body and soul. Perfect for anyone who loves mindful living, cooking, or finding joy in the everyday.
Thank you NetGalley and Bookclub Cookbook for the advance reader copy for my honest opinion.
January 29, 2026
In seeking and sharing delight, Adler gifts it to her readers -- this book is full of joyful and thoughtful contemplations, mostly about everyday moments. It's often funny, has intriguing recipes for simple foods, waxes lyrical about beans. The audio book is read by the author and I enjoyed it very much. I love the literary references throughout, and the deep affection she feels for her family and for the tangible steps that cooking requires. Beautiful.
Advanced Listening copy provided by Libro.FM
Advanced Listening copy provided by Libro.FM
September 27, 2025
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for my free ARC of Feast on Your Life: Kitchen Meditations for Everyday
By Tamar Adler. This book will be on sale 12/02/25
The author spent a year documenting the pleasures she found in her kitchen and has compiled them into this book. She hopes others will appreciate what she has written and find happiness and pleasure in her words. Some entries are short, some longer but they all show that she is trying to practice mindfulness and experience gratitude.
By Tamar Adler. This book will be on sale 12/02/25
The author spent a year documenting the pleasures she found in her kitchen and has compiled them into this book. She hopes others will appreciate what she has written and find happiness and pleasure in her words. Some entries are short, some longer but they all show that she is trying to practice mindfulness and experience gratitude.
October 21, 2025
This book follows Tamar (the author herself) as she navigates feeling as though something is missing in her life. Ultimately this prompts her to start documenting the smaller joys she finds in life. The main thing being food.
The book is on the smaller side and each chapter is quite small also! So for any lovers of smaller chapters, this may be one for you.
All in all, I did like this book and found it to be a quick and easy read.
Thank you to Swift Press for kindly gifting me a copy!
3⭐️
The book is on the smaller side and each chapter is quite small also! So for any lovers of smaller chapters, this may be one for you.
All in all, I did like this book and found it to be a quick and easy read.
Thank you to Swift Press for kindly gifting me a copy!
3⭐️
December 3, 2025
Pleasant but not equal to her first book
I love reading about cooking and serving food. I vacuumed up Tamar Adler's first book, THE EVERLASTING MEAL, and pre-ordered her second book, FEAST ON YOUR LIFE, as soon as it was announced. For the second time this year, I have now been instructed to tone down my expectations of sophomore books. As a kitchen memoir, this is not my favorite, but I am glad I read it. Recommended with 3 stars.
I love reading about cooking and serving food. I vacuumed up Tamar Adler's first book, THE EVERLASTING MEAL, and pre-ordered her second book, FEAST ON YOUR LIFE, as soon as it was announced. For the second time this year, I have now been instructed to tone down my expectations of sophomore books. As a kitchen memoir, this is not my favorite, but I am glad I read it. Recommended with 3 stars.
November 23, 2025
Tamar Adler's near-daily meditations on food and life. The entries are a reflection of what she is seeing or tasting or thinking about on that day, so there isn't a through line that connects all of the entries or provides an overall structure. However, her writing is lovely, and her descriptions of food bring it to life. Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for the eARC.
December 9, 2025
Feast on Your Life by Tamar Adler will grab you by surprise. You won't believe Adler's descriptions of food and the connections food has to real life. I especially loved the section titled 'Why cook?' The list will open your heart and have you craving more life connections (and food). This book can be read all at once or slowly like soup cooking on the stove all day.
February 7, 2026
I’m very torn on this review. It’s clear this is a very personal book for the author. However, I don’t necessarily think that this should have been published as a meditation book. I think it would have been better as an autobiographical book. I didn’t finish it and found that reading an entry daily didn’t make me want to finish the rest of the book.
September 25, 2025
I won this book as a goodreads giveaway. Alder brings readers on a daily meditation of food and those things that happen tangential to it. It will inspire you to reflect on all the things you may miss if you are not present in the moment. it is also sprinkled with a few recipes you may enjoy.
November 27, 2025
This is a stream-of-consciousness food memoir? cooking journal? culinary life exploration?
If you like to think about the place of food in your life, and add more little joys in your everyday, this might be the book for you.
It is very personal and does read like opening someone's diary, so if you are looking for a very introverted memoir of a chef, this is probably a fit for you.
If you like to think about the place of food in your life, and add more little joys in your everyday, this might be the book for you.
It is very personal and does read like opening someone's diary, so if you are looking for a very introverted memoir of a chef, this is probably a fit for you.
December 9, 2025
This is an enjoyable book of short musings on food and family. Recommend it for anyone that spends a good-sized chunk of their day thinking about food. I read this slowly, but always enjoyed coming back to read another few pages.
November 10, 2025
the setup about a year of meditating on food was really great, and I loved how varied each day was, from one line to multiple paragraphs. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
December 28, 2025
Does Tamar Adler's writing sometimes come off as pretentious? Yes.
Is she an exquisite prose stylist, and an absolute pleasure to read, especially for food nerds? Also yes.
Is she an exquisite prose stylist, and an absolute pleasure to read, especially for food nerds? Also yes.
January 13, 2026
A very random collection of musings about food, cooking, and life. One for each day of the year .
January 18, 2026
Feast on Your Life is a full-year daily meditation on food, food preparation, or the enjoyment of food. It's a way to notice the little things that should be enjoyed daily.
January 30, 2026
Did this book have a point? Probably not. If it had been any longer, I wouldn’t have finished it. But it was still nice.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews