The Essential New York Times Cook Book

The first word that comes to mind when describing this book is "wow." The book is huge. It does not have many pictures, so it is not my usual preference when it comes to cook books. What is great about this book though is the stories. Amanda Hesser spent many years researching the history of food and the history behind most of the recipes (not to mention having twins in the middle of it). I literally sat down with this cookbook and started reading it like a novel. The stories are so fascinating plus there are timelines scattered through out highlighting different aspects of food and their development in the US. I understand that the weekly food section of the New York Times and the recipes have a cult following. Only through the internet have I experienced this part of the paper, however even with out that connection to the New York Times, I love this book. It is a must for any food lover. I may or may not try the majority of its recipes but I will love reading about the history of American food through the eyes of the New York Times and Amanda Hesser. 

Alice Waters and Chez Panisse

I decided to read Alice Waters and Chez Pannisse by Thomas McNamee  because I kept hearing about Alice Waters in regards to the Slow Food movement and Edible Schoolyard and I wanted to know more about her. This book focuses on her restaurant- Chez Panisse which also was most of Alice's life and beginnings in the food world. This restaurant has been called one of the best restaurants in the United States and has received many accolades. The book follows the birth of the restaurant in 1971 up to 2006. What I found interesting is that Alice does not have any culinary training yet her restaurant is one of the best. She also was on the frontier of using local, organic foods in her restaurant decades before it became popular. She even wrote to President Clinton and Hillary imploring them several times to start a garden at the White House, which we know did not happen until this year with President and Michelle Obama. Alice Waters was always a head of her time and I think we have her to thank for the current focus on healthy, local, organic foods. The book chronicles the eccentric and certainly not glamorous or always profitable workings behind Chez Pannisse and Alice Waters.

The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry

Once again, I was caught up in a book about Paris. No surprise! This book, The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry,  is about Kathleen Flinn, losing her job with a computer corporation, and using her money in savings to move to Paris and attend Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. She starts by taking the basic class and then works through the intermediate and advanced classes to earn her chef certificate. I loved this book and I wanted it to keep going. Learning all about the types of food she cooks and reading about her enjoying Paris was a treat to me. I actually really wanted to sign up for cooking school myself while reading this book. There are also recipes in the book, several which I can't wait to try. Last night I made Diffusion de Tomate Provencal (Provencal Tomato Spread), from the book, which was delicious on fish. If you like cooking or are interested in food this will be an interesting read for you.

Recipe Recommendations

I have tried a few recipes from other bloggers and website and they turned out so good I have to share them!
1. Pickles from Elana's Pantry. I do not have all of the equipment to can, but this recipe brines the cucumbers so processing them is not necessary. Great!
2. Sweet corn pancakes from Smitten Kitchen. At the farmer's market last week, a seller talked me into buying 6 ears of corn for $2.50. That is a lot of corn for us to go through, so I gave this recipe a try and it was pretty good. I liked them best with fresh blueberries and maple syrup.
3. Zucchini Tian from The Splendid Table. I listen to this radio show every week while running and when I heard this recipe I knew I had to try it. It is great for using up that extra zucchini, yellow squash, or eggplant. I have actually made this recipe twice this past week because it was so good. I literally could have eaten the whole pan if my stomach would have let me! Delicious! I just used left-over brown rice and a blend of shredded Italian cheese that I had instead of Gruyere. The second time I didn't have any breadcrumbs and it still turned out fine.
Enjoy!

Heathy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

I have been experimenting with breads lately. I was appalled one day by the price of French bread in the grocery store- over $4.00! This book is great for a beginner bread baker like me or for an experienced bread baker. There is an amazing variety of breads in it and I am looking forward to trying everything from whole wheat sandwich bread, to whole wheat doughnuts, to Indian flatbreads.

Keeping the Feast

 
This past week I finished reading Keeping the Feast by Paula Butturini. I can not remember how I first learned of this book, but I requested it at the library because I was intrigued  by the subtitle- "One couple's story of love, food and healing in Italy." I like love stories, I enjoy food and I especially love Italy! This book while very honest and real, was not what I was expecting. It is the story of Paula's life and how after her husband is tragically shot, they retreat to Italy for him to recover from life- paralyzing deep depression. Yes, it is depressing to read at times! What I did especially like were Paula's stories from her life that all related to food. She starts each chapter with a memory of her childhood- eating at her grandparents, holiday meals, her dad cooking polenta, or her mom making stew. She relates those memories and foods into her adult life and how she approaches foods and the importance of keeping the feast. I love how the food that we grow up with shapes the adults we become and then later shape our children's lives. This shows how important food really is in making us who we are and how we experience life. Besides the Italian food, much of the book takes place in Rome where Paula describes food shopping in the markets and the various neighborhoods they lived in. This is a very real life story that I think many people will appreciate.

Lunch in Paris

As we already know, I am a sucker for anything about Paris. This book was an especially delightful treat. I literally read it in about one weekend. I was so caught up in the story of Elizabeth and how she not only falls in love with a Frenchman but also in love with Paris and it's food. After each chapter there are recipes and each one sounded so good that I added this book to my birthday list so I can try them. I can almost picture myself as Elizabeth going to the market to buy food and then trying new dishes. I wish I could do that now everyday. This book is just a simple story of a girl and her newly wed life. I think most of us could and should write something similar. We all have our stories and life's recipes that should be shared. Everyone loves a good love story! After reading this book though I do wish my own story was not taking place in North Dakota. Somehow that does not have quite the same appeal as Paris! She writes about chocolate souffles and tangines and I would have to write about chocolate chip cookies and chili! Well, "Paris is always a good idea" (Sabrina Fairchild in Sabrina), so this book is a good idea too.