Ruth Reichl is an American chef, food writer, and editor. Over her illustrious career, she has spent two decades as a food critic, primarily at the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. Reichl has also ventured into writing cookbooks, memoirs, a novel, and has co-produced PBS's Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie. Additionally, she served as the culinary editor for the Modern Library, hosted PBS's Gourmet's Adventures With Ruth, and was the editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine. During her career, she has been recognized with six James Beard Foundation Awards.

Her acclaimed memoirs include Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table (1998), Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table, Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, Not Becoming My Mother, and Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir (2019). In 2009, Reichl published Gourmet Today, a comprehensive cookbook with over 1,000 recipes. She published her first novel, Delicious! in 2014, and in 2015, released My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life, a memoir reflecting on recipes prepared during the year following the closure of Gourmet.

Reichl has been an influential figure in the culinary world, exploring diverse topics through her writing and playing a pivotal role in the evolution of American food culture.