One afternoon early last May, not long after the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, I received a phone call from Kim Severson. In the day or two prior, I had posted something on Twitter about Gulf Coast seafood, and she happened to see it. She was doing research for a story on the New York Times – this story – and she was interested in talking to home cooks in the southern states potentially affected by the spill. She contacted me and we set up a time to talk.

I can’t even describe the excitement I felt after our Twitter exchange. I was ecstatic. And nervous beyond belief.

That day in May, I had just picked up my daughter from her after-school program. Madeline and I had just buckled up, I started up my minivan (yes, it’s as glamorous as you might imagine), and my cell phone rang. I answered it, and with butterflies in my stomach, said hello to Kim Severson – a writer whose work I had admired for some time, and whose recent memoir I had just read.

And then Maddie decided to have a tantrum over a broken cookie.

I was mortified. I apologized profusely to Kim, knowing her time was valuable, and asked her to hold on for a second. It would have been great if I’d thought to put my phone on mute, because I have no idea what I yelled at Maddie in those next moments. I believe I even bribed my daughter with candy to get her to stop the screaming. What I do know is that when Maddie finally settled down, and when I put the phone back up to my ear, Kim was completely gracious and understanding. I think she actually got a kick out of it. She told me that, hearing Maddie screaming, she was reminded of her daughter.

Making connections with people like Kim Severson has been one of the real highlights of this food blogging experience. Had I not been cooking and writing about food, our conversation never would have happened.

Kim Severson’s memoir, Spoon Fed: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life, came out last April, and I read it cover to cover within a matter of days. Not only is Kim an excellent journalist, but she’s a wonderful storyteller. The story she writes is of her relationship with eight women and their kitchens. She writes honestly about her relationship with alcohol, her path of becoming a food writer, and of learning lessons from a series of women cooks – including Leah Chase, Rachel Ray, Ruth Reichl, and Marcella Hazan. And though the book deals with serious issues and draws you in emotionally, she writes with her signature sense of humor, making it a pleasure to read.

Spoon Fed comes out in paperback on Tuesday, March 1st. However you read it – paperback, hardcover, or on a Kindle – I recommend reading it. It’s completely worth your time and money, and when you’re done with the book, you’ll feel like you’ve made a friend. I sure did. And when I met Kim in person in Birmingham at Food Blog South, the hug we gave each other reinforced that feeling.

Kim’s hardcover edition maintains a spot on my bookshelf, next to Ruth Reichl’s Garlic and Sapphires and Amanda Hesser’s Cooking for Mr. Latte. Thanks to Riverhead Books, I was given an advance copy of the new paperback Spoon Fed to review, and since I’ve already read it, I’d love to share this copy with one of you.

In the comments, I’d love to hear about a cook who taught you a life lesson or who made an impression on you in some way. On Monday evening, March 7th, I’ll use random.org to select a winner, and I’ll ship – at my expense – my review copy of Spoon Fed to that person.

Giveaway rules: A review copy of Spoon Fed was provided to me by Riverhead Books. Comments will be open until Monday 3/7/2011 at 12 noon EST. Only one comment per person, please – duplicates will be deleted – and winner will be chosen at random using random.org on Monday 3/7/2011. Since I’m shipping the book at my expense, open to residents of the US and Canada only.