New York Times bestselling author of

Billie Breslin has just landed her dream job at Delicious!, the most iconic food magazine in New York. In an unfortunate turn of events Billies career barely gets started before the magazine is shut down and what looks like an interim role tidying up as the doors close turns out to be an amazing journey to a magical, life-changing discovery. In a hidden room in the magazines library, Billie nds the letters of Lulu Swan, a plucky twelve-year-old who corresponded with the legendary chef James Beard during World War II. Lulus letters inspire Billie to come to terms with her own truths about herself and her ability to open her heart to love. Delicious! is a big generous novel full of food and romance and ultimately the vast array of lifes possibilities.

Delicious! is New York Times bestselling author Ruth Reichls rst novel.

Cover design & illustration: Alissa Dinallo

FICTION

First published in Australia and New Zealand by Allen & Unwin in 2014 First published in the United States in 2014 by Random House, a Penguin Random House Company. Copyright Ruth Reichl 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act. Allen & Unwin 83 Alexander Street Crows Nest NSW 2065 Australia Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100 Email: info@allenandunwin.com Web: www.allenandunwin.com Cataloguing-in-Publication details are available from the National Library of Australia www.trove.nla.gov.au ISBN 978 1 74331 976 5 Printed and bound in Australia by Grifn Press 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The paper in this book is FSC certified. FSC promotes environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the worlds forests.

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Gingerbread

The words ew out of my mouth before I could stop them. I glanced at Aunt Melba to see if she was upset, but she was looking at me with undisguised admiration. Why didnt I think of that! And orange peel. I wanted her to look at me that way again. Any other ideas? Aunt Melba was rooting around in the vegetable bin. She emerged holding a large knob of ginger triumphantly over her head, then went to the counter and began to grate it, sending the mysterious tingly scent into the air. How come you didnt say something last year? Would you have believed me? She swiped at the thick red curl that had fallen across her right eye and grinned ruefully. Ask advice from a nine-year-old? She reached out and tousled my hair. Now that youre ten, of course, everythings changed. You make this stupid cake every year. My sister was annoyed. Its never very good. Why dont you just give up? Because its the only kind of cake your father likes. Aunt Melba reached for one of the beautiful ceramic bowls on the shelf above her. And your mother always used to make it for his birthday. Im trying to keep tradition alive. You should have asked Mom for the recipe. Genie was a year and a half older than me, and she had opinions.

OU SHOULD HAVE USED FRESH GINGER!

R U T H R E IC H L

I did. But she would never give it to me. My sister was funny that way. And then it was too late. Were going to get it right! They both turned to stare at me; I wasnt exactly known for self-condence, but I could taste the cake in my mind. Strong. Earthy. Fragrant. I remembered the nose-prickling aroma of cinnamon when it comes in fragile curls, and the startling power of crushed cloves. I imagined them into the batter. Aunt Melba was grating the orange rind now, and the clean, friendly smell lled her airy kitchen. The place was a mess; eggshells were everywhere, the counter was covered with splotches of sticky batter, and bags of our spilled onto the oor. Ashtrays lled with half-smoked cigarettes were scattered among the ceramic plates and bowls Aunt Melba had made; she was famous for them. In the middle of it all sat a couple of forlorn cakes, each missing a tiny sliver. Aunt Melba put the new cake in the oven and we began to clean up. The scent of gingerbread whirled through the room and out the window into the Montecito hills. Down below, the Pacic sparkled. It smells pretty good, said Genie hopefully. Alas, this cake was doomed to join those abandoned on the counter. What now? Aunt Melba sounded discouraged, but she searched my face as if I had the answer. I liked the feeling. Cardamom! I said, mustering all the authority I could. Cardamom? How do you even know about cardamom? She practices, replied Genie, a slight edge to her voice. Smart and beautiful, she was used to taking charge. You should see her. Practices? asked Aunt Melba. Yeah, said Genie. Shes always sning the bottles in the spice cabinet. I didnt know shed even noticed. At rst it was just curiosity; why did fennel and cumin, identical twins, have such opposing personalities? I had crushed the seeds beneath my ngertips, where the scents lingered for hours. Another day Id opened a bottle of nutmeg, startled when the little spheres came rattling out in a mothball-scented cloud. How could something so delicate have such a ferocious smell? And I

DE LIC IOU S!

watched, fascinated, as the supple, plump, purple vanilla beans withered into brittle brown pods and surrendered their perfume to the air. The spices were all so interesting; it was impossible to walk through the kitchen without opening the cupboard to nd out what was going on in there. Aunt Melba gave me the oddest look. And you remember them? She was crushing cardamom pods, and the deep, musky scent zipped around the kitchen. More, I said, use more. How could you ever forget the smell of cardamom? Or cinnamon? Or clove? I dont remember how many times we made that cake. Each time Aunt Melba thought it was good enough, I insisted that she try again. I had made a discovery: Having the avors in my head meant I could re imagine them, put them together in entirely new ways. I wanted to keep doing it forever. The kitchen was in chaos, but now each cake was better than the last. Late in the afternoon, Aunt Melba mixed the sixth or seventh batch of batter; this one had crushed peppercorns, sour cream, and orange zest. I greased the pans, Genie put them in the oven, and Aunt Melba set the timer. Just then the room began to shake. It was one of the earthquakes that I likethe roller-coaster kind that feel as if the earth is merely shrugging o the blues. None of Aunt Melbas precious plates broke, but when we opened the oven, we found that our cake had crashed. The next day, we tried the recipe again. No earthquakes now, Genie whispered as she put the pans into the oven. This time the cake was high and brown, the spices so delicately balanced that each bite made you want another. It was rich, moist, tender. We brushed it with bourbon, added a fragrant orange glaze, and it was perfect. This is even better than your mothers. Aunt Melba reached to caress my cheek; her palm was so soft. Its a gift, you know. Like an ear for music. You got it from her. She used to do that thing you do, sning spices. Did you know that? I didnt.

R U T H R E IC H L

Everyone was always telling my sister how much she resembled our late mother. Not only was Genie brilliant and beautiful, she was also artistic, popular, and most likely to succeed at almost everything. I was the shy one, sitting in my room, writing little stories. No one had ever said I was like Mom in any way. But I had inherited her gift. Now that I knew it, I hugged the knowledge close.

Book One

Eleven Years Later

Something wrong? He swept a strand of silver hair out of his eyes and gave me his famous cool blue stare. Im not applying for a position in the test kitchen. I tried to keep the disappointment from my voice; the job had sounded so perfect. I thought you were looking for a new executive assistant. I am. Then he added, Didnt anybody tell you I ask every candidate to cook for me? How had I missed that? Jake reached down and patted the big yellow dog at his feet; the dog wriggled with pleasure, and I found that oddly reassuring. Look, Billie. Jake oered an encouraging smile. You seem like a good t for Delicious! You worked on The Daily Cal. It sounds like you know your way around a kitchen. And youre even willing to leave school to take the job. I like that; it shows how much you want it. Id spent hours working on an explanation for dropping out; it had never crossed my mind that hed consider it a plus. Youve said all the right things. He looked down at the pile of manuscripts on his desk, and when he looked up again, his smile was crooked. You Googled me, right? Would you want an assistant who didnt? Good answer. But that just proves my point. I dont nd interviews all that revealing. Every article Id read about Jake mentioned that he was a non-

HEN JAKE NEWBERRY ASKED ME TO COOK FOR HIM, I FROZE.

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R U T H R E IC H L

corporate guy, which was one of the reasons Id applied for the job. Working at Delicious! sounded like joining a club, entering a little world of its own, and thats exactly what I wanted. Needed. Id spent hours preparing for this interview, studying Jake, chasing down every detail. Now it appeared that hadnt been enough. Whats wrong with interviews? I was playing for time. I really didnt want to cook. Isnt it obvious? He was truly great-looking; the photographs captured his all-American looks, but they didnt catch the humorous way his lips turned up or the watchful intelligence in his eyes. You tell me you love the book, but, then, youre hardly going to say you hate it. Hed lost me. Book? I had no idea what he was talking about. Ha! Another piece of the puzzle slides into place. You dont know much about magazines, do you? In this business, magazines are always called books. I dont know why. What I do know is that every writer who comes for an interview is madly in love with this book. Then I ask what theyre reading, and they serve up the usual suspects: The New Yorker, and the most challenging bestseller on the current list. He pointed an ebony letter opener at me. I have to admit, throwing Brillat-Savarin into the mix was a clever move on your part; nobodys ever come up with that before. Not all that clever: It hadnt taken much to nd out hed written his college honors thesis on the great French gastronome. Jake was studying me, and I couldnt help wondering if hed be easier on me if I were one of the pretty girls, or at least a bit more stylish. Aunt Melba had insisted that I buy a black skirt and a white shirt, but I hadnt bothered trying them on and the skirt was a little too short; now I tugged at it, trying to edge it closer to my knees. But it turned out Jake wasnt concerned with the way I looked. Im trying to gure out if you knew Id ask what you had for dinner last night. It had been a lucky guess, but if I were the editor of a food magazine, thats a question Id be asking. So I Googled around and discovered that Jake had a passion for Japanese food. Then I found some obscure new place in the East Village specializing in Kitakata ramen

DE L ICIOUS !

11

and went in for a big bowl of clear fragrant broth lled with broad, chewy noodles. Sounds great! he said, when I described the tiny restaurant and the eccentric chef who ran it. Ive never heard about that place, and I cant wait to try it. Thanks. The thing is... He stopped for a moment to let a noisy truck go by. Delicious! occupied a grand old mansion, and on this hot September morning Jake had all the windows open. I looked around, noting what a mess the place was; there were so many stacks of manuscripts, it had been hard to nd a place to sit down. Heres what Ive learned about you: You do your homework. Thats good. But all it really tells me is that youre smart and you want the job. We could talk all day and Id still have no idea if youre right for Delicious! But cookings dierent; it doesnt lie. Is this a problem? Just humor me, okay. There was no question mark on the end of that last sentence. If I wanted to work for Jake Newberry, I was going to have to cook. Why hadnt I anticipated this? Because there was a problem: These days, simply thinking about cooking could bring on a panic attack. Already I felt the clammy sweat popping out all over my body. Not now! I thought, willing myself to stand up, reminding myself to breathe. Anticipatory panic is the worst part, the therapist had said, and anxiety was pouring over me, making me woozy, as I followed Jake out of his oce. I tried to concentrate on the dog, who was running before us, jauntily waving his tail. In that moment I would have given anything to be him, to be so carefree. Go away! I pleaded with the panic, but now it entered me, expanding like a huge balloon, lling my body with agitation. My hands were shaking and the nausea was coming on, but Jake didnt seem to notice. Im always eager to nd out what people will make for me. Gin I began, grateful to be talking. It might help. But Jake waved me quiet. No, no, dont tell me. I like to be surprised. I followed him up the stairs, so focused on the panic that I barely registered the graceful carved oak banisters and soft wooden oors.

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Concentrate on the recipe, I told myself, trying to repeat the ingredients in my head: oranges, cardamom, pepper, sour cream. The words were slightly soothing; maybe it would be okay. But then we were at the kitchen and Jake was opening the door. The scent of sugar, our, and butter wafted toward me, and it was so familiar that I felt the blood rush from my face as the dizziness claimed me. The panic was inside, choking me, and outside too, a great wave crashing over me. You okay? Jakes hand was on my arm. I knew Id gone white. Fine. Im ne. I put my hand out and grabbed the counter, trying to steady myself. From somewhere far away I heard Jake say, Okay, then. This is Maggie, our executive food editor. Shell make sure youve got everything you need. Then he was gone. All I wanted was to lie down on the cool oor, but I glanced up, trying to focus on the woman in front of me. She was old and painfully thin, with a straight nose and short black hair that looked as if shed chopped it o with a carving knife. She glared at me and muttered, just loud enough for me to hear, Whys Jake wasting my time? Hell never hire her. Her unexpected meanness was like an electric shock, and it jerked me backward, jolting me into the moment. The eect was so immediate and so strong that the dizziness receded. It was like a miracle; I almost laughed. What was the worst thing that could happen? Id faint? Scream? Make some kind of fool of myself? I straightened up, looked her in the eye, told her Id need ginger, eggs, and oranges, and began ticking o the spices. She silently pointed to the refrigerator, the cupboard, the spice cabinetstaccato little jerks, as if she begrudged me every motion. The blood began to return to my head, and now I could feel the sweat drip down my face. I swiped at it with a paper towel when Maggies back was turned. Then I opened the refrigerator and reached in, grateful for the rush of cold as I grabbed the eggs. The nausea was still there, but it was bearable now, and the departing panic had left relief in its wake, so strong it felt almost like elation. Id have a terrible headache later on, but I was going to get through this. Maggie stomped o to the next counter, where a tall, older cook was

DE LIC IOU S!

13

rolling out pasta. The room was crowdedat least eight other cooks were in thereand the scent of baking cakes, roasting meats, and caramelizing onions lled the air. I gathered my ingredients and began to relax into the rhythm of the kitchen, slowly slipping into that ow where I was all alone. I grated orange peel, concentrating on the way the cool oil felt on my ngertips. I picked up a knob of ginger, losing myself to the rain-forest fragrance as I slowly shredded it with my knife. The scents swirled around me: cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, and clove. Captured by the cooking, I picked up the pace, my spoon ringing against the bowl, my body vibrating to the familiar moves. I was so into sifting our, greasing pans, and pouring batter that I didnt even realize I was talking as the cake went in the oven. No earthquakes now? Maggies voice was belligerent. What the hell does that mean? Its a California thing. She snied derisively and stuck out her sharp chin. She seemed to be searching for a cutting remark when someone shouted, Taste! The word reverberated through the room, galvanizing the cooks. They all dropped what they were doing and went charging toward the sound, forks held out before them, like knights heading into a joust. They descended on a roast one of the cooks had just pulled from the oven, each jockeying for the rst forkful. There was a moment of silence as they stood chewing, then a sudden rush of words as they deconstructed the dish. Needs more salt. Reminds me of that Paula Wolfert dish, the one with warka. Whyd you use achiote? Ten minutes later, they were still talking. I opened my oven door, and as the carnival scent of gingerbread came spilling out, they all looked toward me before resuming the conversation. I turned the cake out of the pan and let it cool for a few minutes. I had just nished glazing it when Maggie stalked over. How long do you let it cool?

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I like to eat it while its still a little warm. Taste! she bellowed. I jumped back as the outstretched forks came rushing toward me. It smells incredible, said one of the cooks. Maggie, a practiced jouster, shoved his fork aside. Ill take the rst bite, she said, lopping o a chunk. She put it in her mouth and her lips twisted, as if shed swallowed a mouthful of vinegar. For a minute I thought she hated it. But then she said, reluctantly, Oh, God, this is fantastic. Jakes going to love it.

Praise for Ruth Reichl

[Ruth Reichl is] the culinary scene queen . . . the most inuential food person in America today. National Post . . . an all around role model to food critics everywhere. The Toronto Star Reading Ruth Reichl on food is almost as good as eating it . . . Reichl makes the reader feel present with her, sharing her experience. The Washington Post Book World An absolute delight to read . . . how lucky we are that [Reichl] has the courage to follow her appetite. Newsday [Reichl] is fair-minded, brave and a wonderful writer. The New York Times Book Review

Also by Ruth Reichl

Comfort Me with Apples Endless Feasts For You Mom, Finally Garlic and Sapphires Tender at the Bone