Gabrielle Hamilton's Memoir Blood, Bones & Butter

Blood, Bones, and Butter (preorder at Amazon) is a memoir by New York chef Gabrielle Hamilton, and if the blurbs on the cover are at all accurate, she's the next big thing in food writing. Hamilton previously wrote an article for the New Yorker, but this is her first book.

Anthony Bourdain, once a "next big thing in food writing" himself, plugs the book hard, saying, "Hamilton packs more heart, soul, and pure power into one beautifully crafted page than I've accomplished in my entire writing career...I am choked with envy."

Bourdain's not the only one who likes it: Mario Batali is quoted as well, saying "I will read this book to my children and then burn all the books I have written for pretending to be anything even close to this. After that I will apply for the dishwasher job at [Hamilton's restaurant] Prune to learn from my new queen." High praise indeed.

Is it warranted? We won't know til it comes out in March, but here's a taste of the book from Hamilton's early life in New York, when she was broke and hung out with the hookers on her stoop in the morning: "Feigning total nonchalance regarding the elaborate production going on around me involving Tina, and the laying out of a single baby wipe on the step before placing her totally naked ass on it." Well, we know why Bourdain likes it, anyway.

· Bourdain and Batali Drool Over Gabrielle Hamilton's Memoir [PW]
· Killing Dinner [New Yorker]
· All Gabrielle Hamilton Coverage on Eater [-E-]

Blood, Bones and Butter. [Photo: Amazon]