`In the Kitchen` plot cooks slowly

`In the Kitchen` follows the life of an executive chef in London.

London, June 17: "In the Kitchen" follows the stressful life of Gabriel "Gabe" Lightfoot, an executive chef at the Imperial Hotel in London, who is balancing his job, his girlfriend and his family (who he doesn`t see very often).At 42, the only real obstacle in Gabe`s life is himself. He has a list of wants: to get married and open his own restaurant but he`s not proactive enough to accomplish his goals.

Gabe`s plans get further derailed when he takes in a mysterious woman named Lena, a former sex slave. He becomes obsessed with her and hopes time will make her return his feelings. It doesn`t take a psychology degree to pick up that Gabe`s fear of intimacy is what makes him so enthralled with Lena. It`s safer to want someone who will never be yours. The book follows Gabe`s journey of discovery as he makes important decisions about his life. Readers who enjoyed the author`s first book "Brick Lane" (which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize) will likely appreciate "In the Kitchen." Those who didn`t like "Brick Lane" probably won`t enjoy this one either. Ali`s writing is very descriptive but sometimes so wordy it can be distracting, causing you to lose focus. As a character, Gabe isn`t that likable, so it`s difficult to be interested in his character development. While well written, "In the Kitchen" just isn`t a page turner. Bureau Report