Sourdough - Robin Sloan

Sourdough

Title: Sourdough

Author: Robin Sloan

Publication Date: 9/5/2017

Pages: 262

Genre: Fantasy / Food / Science Fiction / Fiction

How I Found It: I've read Sloan's work before.

Date Completed: 5/31/18

Summary: A young tech worker has her life changed when the men behind her favorite local restaurant leave her their sourdough starter. 

What I Thought: This book was perfectly charming. It's a light, quick read and one that will leave you hungry, too. 

I desribed Sloan's previous novel, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, as "a fun adventure that blends old world solemnity and reverence with modern attitudes and ideas." That same sentiment applies here, albeit with an eye toward food and not books. Sloan is masterful at bringing together respect for tradition and modern advancement. He does it well, without becoming ham-handed in his approach. 

Cooking for Jeffrey - Ina Garten

Cooking for Jeffrey

Title: Cooking for Jeffrey: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Author: Ina Garten

Publication Date: 10/25/16

Pages: 272

Genre: Food / Nonfiction

How I Found It: I can't remember

Date Completed: 5/20/18

Summary: A collection of Barefoot Contessa recipes, purportedly gathered because they are her husband's favorites.  

What I Thought: I liked the concept of this book - that Garten was gathering all her husband's favorite recipes. As someone who does 99% of the cooking in my own household (because I like to, not because I'm the woman in the house), it's an idea with which I'm quite familiar. I love treating Kevin to his favorite meals.

While there are some great recipes in this book, I didn't really get the sense that it's true to its title. In the introduction, Garten mentions that every recipe is Jeffrey approved. Yet, references to the titular personage appear rarely after that. I guess I was hoping for more personal discussion in the recipe introductions. Doesn't make the recipes less good, but it did make the book less engaging.

L'Appart - David Lebovitz

L'Appart

Title: L'Appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home

Author: David Lebovitz

Publication Date: 11/7/2017

Pages: 368

Genre: Food / Memoir / Nonfiction

How I Found It: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Date Completed: 2/24/18

Summary: After years of renting in Paris, Lebovitz decided it was time to own his own place. L'Appart recounts the harried process of buying and renovating his new home. 

What I Thought: Most books I read about life in France have me half-packed by the last page. I'm enamored of French culture and, while I would still move overseas in a heartbeat, this particular memoir pulls back the veil from the harsh reality of what international life can be. Lebovitz really went through the ringer. Of course, upon conclusion, I'd argue that many of his issues could have happened in any country in the world. French culture just aggravated the intensity of it all. 

The Welcome Home Diner - Peggy Lampman

The Welcome Home Diner

Hey! Thanks for reading my blog! Make sure you make it to the end of this post, because I'm giving away a copy of this book courtesy of TLC Book Tours!

Title: The Welcome Home Diner

Author: Peggy Lampman

Publication Date: 10/10/2017

Pages: 352

Genre: Chick Lit / Food / Fiction

How I Found It: TLC Book Tours

Date Completed: 10/7/17

Summary: Two cousins start a diner in Detroit with the hopes of invigorating the local community and economy. They end up facing both internal and external obstacles on the way to their goal. 

What I Thought: This was a sweet little book. Even though Lampman deals with some heavy topics (gentrification, race, sex trafficking), she does so in a way that still feels friendly and relatable. Those issues are pieces of the puzzle but the book is not really about them. Rather, it's about relationships: family relationships, friendships, romantic relationships, workplace relationships, and community relationships. 

I always love when the theme of food is so closely intertwined with a plot. Here, it is inescapable, as the central location of the story is a diner and one of the main characters is the chef. Though I would not classify this as a food-centric book, there are wonderful descriptive morsels (no pun intended) throughout the story that will leave wishing the Welcome Home Diner was around the corner. Thankfully, Lampman does have some recipes in the back of the book if you find yourself craving one of those Heartbreaker cookies. 

Garlic and Sapphires - Ruth Reichl

Garlic and Sapphires

Title: Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

Author: Ruth Reichl

Publication Date: 2005

Pages: 334

Genre: Food / Memoir / Nonfiction

How I Found It: I've read some of Reichl's other work

Date Completed: 10/23/17

Summary: Reichl recounts her time working as the restaurant critic for The New York Times: the disguises she wore, the food she ate, and the way the job changed her.

What I Thought: I have really enjoyed the other works I have written by Reichl, fiction and nonfiction. Her prose is easy to read and feels familiar. Though her life experiences have been very different from most of her readers, she invites you into her space and you feel part of her world.

This is especially true here. While many of us would dream of being the food critic for The New York Times, Reichl reveals what it's really like. There are incredible benefits, to be sure. However, it also required incredible sacrifices of her and her family.

The book is a really fun read. Reichl goes into detail about each of her various disguises and what it was like to inhabit that character. They each bring out a different side of her and you can see that Reichl would likely have enjoyed a secondary career in theatre. 

Yes, Chef - Marcus Samuelsson

Yes, Chef

Title: Yes, Chef

Author: Marcus Samuelsson

Publication Date: 6/26/12

Pages: 337

Genre: Food / Memoir / Nonfiction

How I Found It: I've seen Samuelsson on Food Network shows and am always looking for another good food memoir.

Date Completed: 8/16/17

Summary: Sameulsson's is an unlikely story. Adopted out of Ethopia by a Sweedish family, he's found himself to be a celebrity chef in America.

What I Thought: Any longtime reader of the blog knows I love me some foodie memoirs. Though we don't have cable, I'm an avid watcher of the Food Network when I have a chance. And we watched a lot of Chopped when it was on Netflix. So, Marcus Samuelsson is a familiar face to us. I knew a little about him before picking up his memoir, but reading his full story was fascinating.

Samuelsson has had a fairly unique journey. He was born in rural Ethopia and adopted, along with his sister, by a Sweedish family after his mother died. Samuelsson grew up in Sweeden and made his way into the world of cooking through European kitchens. These experiences give him a really global palate and a different perspective on things than most American chefs have. 

Seriously Delish - Jessica Merchant

Seriously Delish

Title: Seriously Delish: 150 Recipes for People Who Totally Love Food

Author: Jessica Merchant

Publication Date: 9/2/14

Pages: 304

Genre: Food / Nonfiction

How I Found It: I've been reading Merchant's blog, How Sweet It Is, for years.

Date Completed: 8/14/17

Summary: Merchant pulls no punches with flavor or flair in her debut cookbook.

What I Thought: I have been reading Merchant's blog for so, so long. I've made many of her recipes and loved everything I've tried from her site. My favorite salad of all time is a recipe from her blog. So, when she debuted her first cookbook a few years back, it seemed like a no-brainer.

Of course, 2014 was the year we moved to a new region of the country and everything felt in flux there for a while (in a good way). I never forgot about the cookbook, but since it came out the week we moved, I never got around to picking it up. 

Flash forward to present day.

Cravings - Chrissy Teigen

Check out my post from earlier in the week to see why I'm talking cookbooks this week. Plus, you won't want to miss my thoughts on Anthony Bourdain's Appetites. Today, though, we're talking Teigen...Chrissy Teigen, that is. 

Cravings

Title: Cravings

Author: Chrissy Teigen

Publication Date: 2/23/2016

Pages: 240

Genre: Food / Nonfiction

How I Found It: So many of the cooking sites I read have been talking about it. 

Date Completed: 7/4/17

What I Thought: I'll be the first to admit I had mixed feelings about Chrissy Teigen not long ago. It's only recently that I've really even known who she is. The release of this cookbook launched her into my pop culture bubble in a forceful way. Because I hadn't followed her career to date, I was confused as to why people cared about this model's recipes. But, they kept popping up everywhere. People kept raving about the cookbooks. Now that I knew who she was, she seemed to pop up everywhere. After all, her husband, John Legend, is having a pretty successful career himself. Plus, they just had that adorable baby. In the last year, I have somehow gone from feeling very ambivalently about her to following her on Twitter and reading her cookbook.

Appetites - Anthony Bourdain

Since discovering the amazing website Plan to Eat, I have been on a bit of cooking kick again. I mean, I always love cooking but having this website help me organize my cooking life has spurred me to seek out new recipes again. I've always had trouble corralling my recipes, particularly ones I have yet to make but would like to. Plan to Eat is making it easy for me. When I add a recipe there, I schedule it a few weeks or months out so I remember to give it a try when that date rolls around. Plus, the website has about a million other awesome functions. Seriously, if you are responsible for most meal planning in your household, you should check it out. It will save you so. much. time.

Anyway, cookbooks. I don't read them super often, but I do like picking them up every now and then. I have a small collection, but I like reading through them and copying out recipes I may like more than I like owning them, in general. Most cookbooks only have a few recipes I really want to try.

In the past couple years, several celebrity cookbooks have caught my attention. I read two of them over the July 4th weekend, so it made sense to review them together for you. Anthony Bourdain and Chrissy Teigen are certainly an odd couple to pair together, but I really enjoyed both books and their unique approaches to food. Today, I'm talking about Bourdain's book. I'll be back on Thursday to share Teigen's with you. 

Bread and Wine - Shauna Niequist

Bread and Wine

Title: Bread and Wine: Finding Community and Life Around the Table

Author: Shauna Niequist

Publication Date: 2013

Pages: 285

Genre: Faith / Food / Memoir / Nonfiction

How I Found It: A lot of people have talked about this book.

Date Completed: 4/19/17

Summary: Told through a series of personal, poignant essays, Niequist welcomes readers into her life and to her table. 

What I Thought: The book is not what I expected it to me, but once I got it, I loved it. 

Niequist opens her doors and invites us to her table. She shares stories of her life, her struggles with infertility, her friendships, her family, and her favorite recipes. As with many similar memoirs, Niequist offers up the recipes at the end of chapters to which they correspond. 

Under the Tuscan Sun - Frances Mayes

Under the Tuscan Sun

Title: Under the Tuscan Sun

Author: Frances Mayes

Publication Date: 1996

Pages: 304

Genre: Food / Memoir / Nonfiction

How I Found It: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. 

Date Completed: 3/26/17

Summary: In the early 90s, Frances Mayes and her now husband Ed bought an Italian villa in the Tuscan countryside. It had been empty for years and required immense amounts of work. This is the story of their summers in Italy, spent restoring the home and its gardens. 

What I Thought: When I saw the twentieth anniversary edition of the book being offered on the Blogging for Books website, I could not resist. Kevin and I are in the midst of planning a trip to Italy and this seemed like a delightful way to amp up my excitement for said journey. It worked perfectly.

Grape, Olive, Pig - Matt Goulding

Grape, Olive, Pig

Title: Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain's Food Culture

Author: Matt Goulding

Publication Date: 11/15/16

Pages: 368

Genre: Food / Nonfiction

How I Found It: I got a copy courtesy of Harper Collins and TLC Book Tours.

Date Completed: 11/26/16

Summary: Goulding takes readers on another sumptuous journey, this time all across Spain.

What I Thought: Remember a couple months ago when I read and reviewed Rice, Noodle, Fish? You may recall how I gushed over Goulding's rich descriptions of both Japanese food and culture. After that delightful experience, you can imagine how I was to read this second installation in the Roads and Kingdoms series.

Thankfully, TLC Book Tours had be covered on that front. They and Harper Collins graciously provided me an advance copy of the book to read and review. My thoughts?

Goulding's prose is as on point as ever. The magic web he weaves over Spain is enchanting and tantalizing. It may make you want to scrap planning your trip to Italy and reroute to the Spanish countryside instead....like it did for me. I think we're still going to Italy...at least until I get my husband to read the book. 

Rice Noodle Fish - Matt Goulding

Rice Noodle Fish

Title: Rice Noodle Fish: Deep Travels Through Japan's Food Culture

Author: Matt Goulding

Publication Date: 10/27/15

Pages: 352

Genre: Food / Nonfiction

How I Found It: It's been on my TBR

Date Completed: 9/3/16

Summary: An in-depth look into the regional cuisine of Japan.

What I Thought: I went to Japan in high school. I was part of a cultural delegation from my suburb of Columbus to a suburb of Tokyo. I had previously been to Europe, but that didn't make the journey to Asia any less revolutionary for my young self. 

Japan is not a place I would have chosen to go at that age. Of course, my wunderlust was insatiable even then, so I was not about to turn away an opportunity to travel anywhere new. Even at 18, I understood how much world I had yet to see. Europe had, I suppose, whet my appetite to experience the world beyond the Midwest in big ways. Culturally, I got so much out of the trip. I stayed with a Japanese host family and was amazed by the vastness of Tokyo.

The big downside? My 18-year-old palate had hardly even begun the journey to become what it is today (and I still have a long way down that path to travel yet). It suffices to say I was still a pretty picky eater. I spent the trip desperately trying to hunt down as much white rice as I could consume. I certainly was not on the look out for learning about their food culture. The only culinary eye-opening I had was having shabu shabu with my host family. I've thought about it constantly since. In fact, since my sweet husband got me a fondue pot for my birthday, I'm finally going to be able to attempt a stateside recreation of that meal. 

I promise this whole post isn't about my own experiences in Japan. I share all that to say this: I've heard chefs rave about the glory of Japanese cuisine for years. I know it's a mecca of the culinary world for many of the best palates on the planet. I've never quite understood that since my own culinary experience was so different (due to my own immaturity). Goulding opened my eyes. I mean, really opened them.

something to food about - Questlove

something to food about

Title: something to food about: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs

Author: Questlove

Publication Date: 4/12/16

Pages: 240

Genre: Food / Nonfiction

How I Found It: Blogging for Books

Date Completed: 7/21/16

Summary: Questlove travels the country interviewing some of the greatest chefs within our borders. He offers us their shared thoughts on food, creativity, shifting culture, and more. Plus, there's some incredible food art photography to supplement the main course.

What I Thought: When I saw this book offered on Blogging for Books, I'd already seen several prominent chefs raving about it, including Anthony Bourdain. It had already been working its way into my consciousness. So, when the opportunity presented itself to get my hands on a copy, I jumped. 

I'm so glad I did.

I have this thing in my life where I have tons of books, but I don't feel like I have a lot of coffee table books. Now, hang with me for a moment. I don't want to reduce this work to a cliché coffee table book. In my mind, in my house, I want the books I lay out for guests to see or perhaps page through to be worthwhile. To me, a coffee table book shouldn't be something you lay out willy-nilly to look pretty or on the off chance someone has a few minutes to kill in your living room. No - I think the books you choose for the most public display in your home should be worth reading. They should be tempting to pick up. They should catch your attention with their visual statement, yes, but the words should be just as engaging. I have tons of shelf books, but so few that I would deem in this category. It's something I'm trying to grow in. Of course, there's not a lot of books out there which meet my expectations for such a job.

So, imagine my delight when Questlove's book showed up on my doorstep not as a normal size hardcover, but closer to a standard coffee table book size. I'm sure the editorial size decision was made to give readers a heightened experience with the stunning pictures inside, but I wasn't expecting it. The cover, as you can see, is interesting and immediately makes you wonder what is happening on the pages behind such an image. 

The inside is even better.

Back of the House - Scott Haas

Back of the House

This is my 500th post! It's hard to believe, but it makes me really proud. Whether you've been around from the start or you are a new reader, I'm thankful for you and I do not take you for granted! Thanks for supporting me and the blog!

Title: Back of the House: The Secret Life of a Restaurant

Author: Scott Haas

Publication Date: 2/5/13

Pages: 320

Genre: Food / Nonfiction

How I Found It: It's been on my TBR for a long time

Date Completed: 6/20/16

Summary: Tony Maws' restaurant Craigie on Main is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts (think Harvard) and is one of the best restaurants in the country. Scott Haas spent months with unfettered access to the kitchen and the staff in an effort to get the story behind Maws and his work.

What I Thought: I'm so fascinated by the food world. I suppose a lot of it has to do with the success of Food Network and the proliferation of food blogs. Of course, I love cooking myself. The creation and consumption bring me equal pleasure. Reading about or watching chefs who obviously feel the same about the culinary creative process makes me feel tied into this world of art. That's what it is after all - it's art. Temporary, tantalizing art.

Scott Haas obviously shares my interest. He spent over a year observing and working with the crew at Craigie on Main. It's one of the top restaurants in Boston - in the country, really. At the helm is Chef Tony Maws. As is true of many chefs, he's a complicated character. Part of Haas' goal was to determine Maws' motivations and what exactly led him to such success. By the end of the book, you don't necessarily feel that Haas came any closer to answering his initial questions, but the journey was worthwhile of its own accord.

The Restaurant Critic's Wife - Elizabeth LaBan

The Restaurant Critic's Wife

There's a giveaway at the bottom of this post! Don't miss your chance to win a copy of The Restaurant Critic's Wife!

Title: The Restaurant Critic's Wife

Author: Elizabeth LaBan

Publication Date: 1/5/16

Pages: 306

Genre: Chick Lit / Food / Fiction

How I Found It: TLC Book Tours

Date Completed: 1/5/16

Summary: After moving to a new city for her husband's career as a food critic, Lila feels increasingly isolated as a young wife and mother. Her husband seems distant and she begins to question the choices she has made to reach this point.

What I Thought: I enjoyed this book. It felt different than a lot of what I read. The fact that I qualified it as "chick lit" above should make that much clear. Had the protagonist's husband had any other career, I likely would have passed this one over when TLC offered me the chance to read and review it. However, as always, I succumbed to the pull of foodie fiction.

I loved how LaBan, who is married to a restaurant critic in real life, started each chapter with a "review" written by Lila's husband Sam. It lent an air of authenticity to the book, as well as hinting at the mood and events of the subsequent chapter.

The book follows the family after their move to Philadelphia from New Orleans, where Lila had also enjoyed a thriving career. Now, in a new city with two children and no friends, Sam wants Lila to stay under the radar to avoid exposing his identity in the food world. She feels increasingly isolated and trapped at home with her two small children, no one with whom she can talk openly, and a husband completely distracted by his work.

Food Whore - Jessica Tom

Food Whore

This week, I'm partnering with TLC Book Tours to bring you a new book every day! They span a wide range of genre, so make sure to check back each day for a new review; you're bound to find something you'll enjoy.

Title: Food Whore: A Novel of Dining and Deceit 

Author: Jessica Tom

Publication Date: 10/27/15

Pages: 352

Genre: Food / Fiction

How I Found It: TLC Book Tours

Date Completed: 11/1/15

Summary: New to NYC, Tia is hoping for a graduate internship with her idol, food writer Helen Lansky. Instead, she finds herself working the coat check at a prominent Manhattan restaurant and being pulled ever deeper into a world of secrets she had never anticipated. Designer clothes, fancy meals, and professional connections all dangle before her, so long as she stays quiet about her real work.

What I Thought: First and foremost, let's address that title. Despite the suggestive name of the book, Tia does not prostitute herself - at least not in the traditional sense. The book's back cover defines a "food whore" as someone who would do anything for food. Tom seems to placing Tia in that category, although I would mount a strong argument that Tia's morally questionable actions are driven by professional ambition, not her love of food. While Tia does not offer up her body for prestige and power, she does basically sell her loyalty, her trustworthiness, her relationships, and, in many ways, her true identity. 

Sous Chef - Michael Gibney

Sous Chef

Title: Sous Chef: 24 Hours on the Line

Author: Michael Gibney

Publication Date: 3/25/14

Pages: 240

Genre: Food / Memoir / Nonfiction

How I Found It: You know me and food memoirs...

Date Completed: 9/27/15

Summary: Gibney captures a unique look at life in a prestigious restaurant kitchen. With his use of second person narrative, he describes one day as a sous chef, with all its highs and lows.

What I Thought: You all know how I love books in this genre. Give me a memoir about food and I will devour it (no pun intended). Lately, though, I have begun to feel like the genre is either becoming over saturated or I have lost that same early fervor I felt for it. Several of the books I have read have felt far more solidly in the memoir genre, rather than having anything to do with food. That's not always a bad thing, but it leaves my craving for knowledge and experience of the food industry unsatisfied. Wow...I'm using so many food metaphors completely unwittingly here...

French Women Don't Get Fat - Mireille Guiliano

French Women Don't Get Fat

Title: French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure

Author: Mireille Guiliano

Publication Date: 12/28/05

Pages: 263

Genre: Self-Help / Food / Nonfiction

How I Found It: It's been around for a while now.

Date Completed: 9/25/15

Summary: Guiliano explores the idea that French women have a secret to staying thin. Their diet includes all sorts of things Americans find guilt-inducing: chocolate, wine, bread, rich foods. Yet, the obesity levels in France are far below those in America. Guiliano wants to get to the heart of the issue.

What I Thought: I am not in the habit of reading diet books. Although, I have put on a good 15 pounds since getting married three years ago, a fact with which I am extremely uncomfortable. Still, I know what needs to change if I want to lose that weight: diet and exercise. Portion control and physical activity are the way to a healthy lifestyle. It's well proven, but none of us like to hear or enact that wisdom.

Instead, Americans love diet fads. We love someone telling us there is another way - some secret path to success that doesn't require exercise and allows us to eat all of our favorite things. Guiliano is, whether she would admit it or not, appealing to that exact desire. The book is marketed in a way which makes you think it shares one of those secret pathways.

Provence, 1970 - Luke Barr

Provence, 1970

Title: Provence, 1970: M. F. K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and the Reinvention of American Taste

Author: Luke Barr

Publication Date: 10/22/13

Pages: 320

Genre: Food / Historical / Nonfiction

How I Found It: A list of food books

Date Completed: 9/10/15

Summary: Once upon a time, in the magical region of Provence, France, a group of culinary giants spent time together sharing their inspirations, their ideas, and their meals.

What I Thought: As I have fallen in love with cooking over the past several years, I have also more and more enjoyed learning about the chefs and writers who brought culinary revolution to America in the mid-twentieth century. As with many, my knowledge and interest began with Julia Child, the accessible and irresistible friend who brought high-minded French ideals to the lowly home kitchen of the American housewife. From there, however, I have come to "know" many of her friends and colleagues. There are many to whom the shift in the American mindset can be partially attributed and very many of those appear in the pages of this book.