IF YOU CAN'T TAKE THE HEAT is a fantastic collection of essays about food and the author's own life, on a myriad of topics such as the problematic ways women are portrayed eating (or not eating) in media, the "eat... but not so much that you get fat" sentiment that is predominant in so many cultures revolving around food (but of course, this only really applies to women), the sexism of male chefs and male celebrities in the food industry, and of course, what it means to be a woman online.
I don't think there is anything particularly new or ground-breaking in this book but I still loved it. DeRuiter is charming, funny, and likable, and I honestly feel like her essay condemning women with food intolerances as being high maintenance healed something in me (indeed, this was why I chose to make one of my own romance heroines have a food allergy, which was validated by the hero). It SUCKS being treated like a pain for something you can't help, but honestly, even if it was just a preference, it feels weird shaming people for having a preference.
After finishing IF YOU CAN'T TAKE THE HEAT, I kind of want to be DeRuiter's friend. Especially after her scintillatingly hilarious essay in what has to be the Italian frat boy equivalent of Ralph Fiennes's The Menu dining experience at the Michelin-starred molecular gastronomy dining experience: Bros'. I would suffer through an entire over-priced five course meal if she were there with me, making me laugh my ass off through the whole event.
4.5 out of 5 stars
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