Peter GethersReseñas

The cat in this short novel is named Norton and that may ring a bell as the book was later published under that name. Two additional books followed. Gethers, who works in the entertainment business, didn't like cats until his girlfriend actually gave him one. It didn't take him long to fall in love with the sweet kitten and decided to treat Norton as he would a dog, taking him everywhere he went including business trips outside the U. S., on dates, and to the world's best restaurants.

I liked Norton and his adventures but I didn't care much for Gethers himself. Originally published in 1992, I'm not sure it would be as popular today as it was thirty years ago.

3.5 stars

This is Gethers’ second book about his travels with his Scottish Fold cat, Norton. In this one, Gethers, his girlfriend Janis, and Norton head to France for a year in the countryside. The author would just like to relax at the house (castle?) they are renting for the year, but Janis wants to see as much as she can. Of course, Norton joins them on all their travels.

These are enjoyable stories. A little bit of humour thrown in. A lot of food on this trip (they are in France, after all). It looks like I rated the first book slightly higher at 4 stars. There is one more and I will plan to read it.½

This is, I believe, the first book I have giving no rating to. I couldn't even bring myself to give it one star. I was expecting a witty book about an interesting, clever and adorably cute cat. What I got was a series of dull anecdotes about various meals, lots of references that only Americans would understand, several xenophobic comments and countless loud clangs resulting from the huge amount of name-dropping Gethers indulges in.

Gethers found it hilarious that the Japanese translator of his first book (called A Cat Called Norton in the UK) had to ask several questions. Here's some news for him - a lot of people in Britain also have no idea who Willie Davis, Willie Wilson, Willie Mays, Roger Staubach or the Seven Santini brothers are. The UK publisher and editor also did a poor job, as England and America are indeed two countries separated by a common language. My teeth grated at every mention of 'driving a stick shift', and the several other Americanisations in the book.

But it was mostly Gethers' self-indulgence that made me hate this book.

Norton lived sixteen and a half years and lived a wonderful life. Although the end of his life will bring tears to your eyes, especially if you have ever lost a cat, you will smile too at the joy he brought to many people.

The continuing adventures of Norton, the amazing Scottish Fold cat, was primarily focused on a year in Provence and nearby locations. This book mostly made me hungry for all the food descriptions. I certainly would have loved to have met Norton.

Norton was a cat who could charm any cat hater. I would have loved to know him. I will continue to read the stories of this cat.

I enjoyed listening to this on audiobook although certain bits made me wince as very much a reflection of the 1970/1980s. What a cat!½

The author was a writer of screenplays and books, and never liked cats. When a girlfriend and his brother got together to get him a Scottish Fold cat (their ears are bent down), he fell in love instantly! But, his lifestyle involved a lot of travel. Right from when the little kitten, at 6 weeks old, came to live with him and flew across the country to do so, Peter brought Norton with him most of the time when he was travelling. Norton had no problems with it. He loved people and people loved him.

Love this little cat! What a charmer! Felt badly that he was separated from mom and siblings at only 6 weeks, though (that’s really too soon; from what I’ve read, ideal is 12 weeks to be completely socialized, though most breeders and many rescues will send them out at 8 weeks, when they are physically ready). I’m not sure the years/decades Norton lived, but the book was written in 1991, so maybe less attention was paid to that back then? There were cute little cat illustrations at the start of each chapter, as well.

As a cat lover, how could I not love this story? So charming. However did he manage when Norton finally passed?

I thought this memoir was interesting, funny, engaging, and emotional. I loved the photos, family, and the history. The recipes throughout the book were perfectly positioned in the story and Gethers really has a way with words. I would recommend this book to all and especially those who have a love for food and cooking. 4****

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review...

I read this book slowly. Not because it was a slog, quite the opposite. I was so delighted by the stories of the author's mother that I decided 1/3 of the way through to take my time with it. Peter Gethers memoir of his mother's llfe, and her relationship with him, family, and friends is a wonderful and sweet read. As his mother, Judy, begins to grow frail, he decides to cook an ultimate meal for her based on all of her favorite dishes. It is great fun to read the stories behind Judy's favorites and Peter's attempts at cooking them. Peter admits upfront that he is not a great cook and that he is very lacking in cooking knowledge so while you are provided with some tasty recipes throughout the book, it is refreshing to read about Peter's attempts - both failures and successes - to cook them. While the recipes are interesting themselves, the stories about Judy's life and her relationships with friends and family are the true meat of this book.

When I started the book I did not realize that his mother was such a well known cook and celebrity in the food world. While the name-dropping was a little much at times (thus my half star). At first I thought this would irritate me after my initial delight with the book, however it quickly became clear that Peter is very down to earth and appreciative of the experiences in his life thanks to his parents' and his own successes rather than taking them for granted.½

I'm not usually a fan of the memoir, but this book was an exception. The author's aging mom is the star of this book, and it's the relationship between them that propels their story. It's a sweet and sometimes sad situation that the author finds himself in when he has to deal with his mom's failing health and her fierce independence. As any of us know that have been in a similar situation it isn't easy, but he deals with it magnificently. His mom was a magnificent chef and as her ability to cook had been taken away from her he decides to recreate her favorite dishes with her assisting from the sidelines. There are also recipes interspersed throughout which is also a plus!

I liked this a lot more than I thought I would.

My Mother's Kitchen is a story about Peter Gethers and his relationship with his mother. He gives the reader an introspective look at his life growing up. It's not only full of food, but life in the kitchen, experimenting with dishes, some cameos by Wolfgang Puck, and more food. Throughout it all, Gethers' down to earth style of writing and honesty is like a breath of fresh air that I didn't know I needed. There was much to appreciate, and the connection I felt with Peter and his mom was very real. All in all, this was a story that I found myself enjoying and appreciating much more than I ever thought I would when I first started.

There are some great recipes included in the book, and I hope in the final edition an index is included to list all the pages with the recipes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It made me laugh out loud at several places, but it also contains many important insights into family dynamics. I love cooking and baking so I was happy to read a book based on a family's experience with food. Yesterday I made the pudding recipe from the book and it is delicious! This book is a beautiful tribute to the author's mom and I think everyone who reads it will wish they could have met her. I would recommend this one to anyone.½

4.5 stars

What a fantastic book! I am so glad I read My Mother’s Kitchen: Family, Food, and the Meaning of Life. Peter Gethers wants to give his mom a gift before she is gone so he decides to cook her each of her favorite dishes for her. The journey that ensues is poignant and hilarious. Gethers does not generally cook very often, and his mother loves complicated dishes. In between the frequently humorous portions of the book detailing his preparation of the various meals, Gethers imparts to the reader his family history, including the operation by family members of several restaurants in New York City. While his mother did not become interested in cooking until she was in her 50’s, she made the most of her interest and ended up working with Wolfgang Puck in his early years and numerous other talented chefs. She remained close with Wolfgang Puck, and twice when she was in the hospital, Puck traveled cross country to bring her food.

True foodies will love the recipes included, some from famous chefs, and the details regarding the preparation of these complicated recipes. I enjoyed more the stories about his family and his mother’s foray into the food business. Gethers includes photos and newspaper articles which really add to his tale. I highly, highly recommend this memoir. Thanks to LibraryThing for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is uplifting and inspiring, even though the reader realizes from the outset that Peter's mother has died. I enjoyed the first half much more than the later: it seemed like several 'stories' were retold several times to lead into or out of other 'stories'; the name-dropping and tales of travel here and there left me feeling "it must be nice." I didn't realize the book was a 'celebrity' type memoir. But, as I said, it was uplifting, not tragic or horrific. I finished the book being happy that the author shared the experiences he had with his mother and family.
Realizing that I read an uncorrected proof, I hope the duplication of stories was cleared up, as it was jarring ("Wait, didn't I already read that??"). If so, my rating would increase to 4-1/2 stars.
It did make me want to seek out Judi Gethers's cookbooks.½

The author's mother had been a professional cook. When she had a stroke at the age of 85, she suffered from aphasia but still had the ability for some speech and to make her feelings known. And food was still very important to her.
Peter began to wonder what made his mother the woman she was and why food meant so much. Although he had never been a cook, he decided to create has mother's fantasy menu. As he learns to do this, he discovers many things about his family and how important food was and hoiw it "nourished our souls."
This is a delightful memooir and it includes some recipes too.

When I first received this book, I was a little put off by the cover. I needn't have worried. Peter Gethers is an excellent writer and his subject, his mother, makes for a warm and wonderful memoir. I love the mix of stories about family, specifically about his mother and father, and how his mother's discovery of herself made the second half of his parents' life richer. The mixture of the author's quest to make his mother's favorite dinner, along with the recipes for said dinner and his mother's rise in the world of cooking makes for a widely entertaining read.

Peter Gethers has written a touching memoir with deep reverence for his mother and included several of her delicious recipes along with storytelling. My favorite Gethers’ quote “Food conjures up a sense of memory…the people you were with…the smells, the emotion, the visual images all reappear as if everything was happening at that moment.” What an enjoyable book!

I was prepared for something much more rustic in tone when I saw the cover. But what's inside is an elegant and well-crafted tribute to an amazing woman. Peter Gethers' relationship with his mother was intimate and loving and his admiration shines through on every page. This isn't a bragfest, though- there is balance and she remains human, not a superhero. Peter sets out to make his mother her favorite meals, the ultimate of her favorite foods, and he aims to make them himself. His mother worked with Wolfgang Puck and so many other famous chefs and was a cookbook author, so this was no easy feat. The author owns his shortcomings in the kitchen, but this is a labor of love. There are recipes included, most of which are far above my skill set. The author set out to let the world know how amazing a woman his mother is and he achieved his goal.

This is a wonderful tribute to food and an amazing woman. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the author's mother and her experiences in the food scene of LA. If you love reading about food and how it interacts with our lives, then this will be a very enjoyable read.

Personally I love how food and family mix. There is nothing better in understand family better than through food and the journey the author has with the food he recreates is a funny and balm for healing. Loved it.

After his mother has a stroke that left her unable to cook and with aphasia that made it difficult to communicate, the author and his mother work out her perfect meals, and the author decides to recreate them, which in many cases means learning how to cook them. His mother has told him that cooking gave her life "definition," and the author uses these recipes as a frame to write about her life.

The book is mostly entertaining, and his mother sounds remarkable, but the author's voice grates occasionally, and I'm not sure who the audience for this book really is. I'm a fan of food writing, and it was a quick and easy read.½

This is a very well-written book by an author with obviously a great deal of experience as an editor, publisher, author. The primary subject of the book is his Mother, a dynamic woman who was involved in her later years in the burgeoning California cuisine scene, especially with Wolfgang Puck and Nancy Silverton, and who wrote a few cookbooks on her own as well. And since I love food, I enjoyed all of these parts. My problem with the book is it is scattered - just when he 's digging into his mother's life, he veers off and discusses himself, his father, or his other relatives, often somewhat snarkily. However, by contrasts, his mother is a bit saint-like, without any faults. A more indepth, well-rounded biography of his mother would have been more effective in conveying the attractiveness that gathered her so many friends, especially in the later years. Or, alternatively, if he wanted to discuss his extended family he should have given the members more complex portraits - I'm sure his brother or his nephew have more redeeming features than he gives them - and I'm not quite sure why his aunt gets equal time with his father. Ironically, the book could have done with better editing - he repeats himself quite a bit, especially in discussing how admirably his mother coped with her final stroke/illness. And while I liked the recipes he includes of his mother's favorite dishes - he only includes recipes from other chefs. His mother was a cookbook author - why not include hers? I enjoyed the book,, but ended the book a bit befuddled as to what the purpose of the book was - in the end the portraits he paints stay somewhat superficial and black-and-white. I just couldn't help feeling there was a better story here about an interesting woman who is more complex than presented,½

It's not a book about a vet, it's a book about a man who happens to be a vet.

I found it more depressing than witty, but definitely heartbreaking.

This book left me sad and confused after reading it. I guess I don't get why Bob made the life choices he did. Dungeness you just want to shake him and tell him to smarten up