Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Reichl, Ruth Ruth Reichl currently hosts PBS’s Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie, she’s been a chef, restaurant owner, written several books about food, and was the former NY Times restaurant critic. At an early age, Ruth discovered that "food could be a way of making sense of the world. . . . If you watched people as they ate, you could find out who they were." Her deliciously crafted memoir, Tender at the Bone, is the story of a life determined, enhanced, and defined in equal measure by a passion for food, unforgettable people, and the love of tales well told. Beginning with Reichl's mother, the notorious food-poisoner known as the Queen of Mold, Reichl introduces us to the fascinating characters who shaped her world and her tastes.