Food and Cooking

Food is the underlying theme in Tender at the Bone. It ties the various aspects of Ruth's life together, from the sumptuous menu she explores with Aunt Birdie, to cooking her father's favorite dishes for her future husband, Doug. As a small child, Ruth is horrified at her mother's poor sanitation practices. Ruth discovers that she likes people who like to eat and those who like to cook. Yet, she also learns that being fond of food is dangerous. Those who enjoy food the most are the ones most likely to be killed by her mother's tainted dishes.

Ruth's history is primarily a saga of the food she learns to cook, and the people who help her. From the delicious smoked meats in the deli near her school in French-speaking Canada, to deviled eggs at a party for renowned chef James Beard, food is the story...