cookbook

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Thumbs up for Down the Kitchen Sink by Beverly Nichols. Cooking/memoir.

Beverly Nichols wrote many very witty things, more than a half-century ago, on just about every topic, but most famously on matters of gardening and cats. I have never once been disappointed by him.

What do [cocktail parties] do to the mind? If one is a good guest, trying to perform one’s duties, they subject the mind to a series of violent pressures of which the most exhausting, in my own case, is a congenital incapacity for remembering people’s names.

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Thumbs up for Kafka’s Soup: A Complete History of World Literature in 14 Recipes by Mark Crick. Humor/food.

Ah, impulse buys. But how could I not, when it’s a collection of recipes written in the style of famous authors? Lamb with Dill Sauce à la Raymond Chandler, Quick Miso Soup à la Franz Kafka, Chocolate Cake à la Irvine Welsh, and my favorite, Coq au Vin à la Gabriel Garcia Marquez.… >> Read more

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Thumbs up for Wookiee Cookies: A Star Wars Cookbook by Robin Davis. Cookbook.

More for the illustrations, really, since I can eat barely anything in it. (Lord, I always forget how awful is the food Americans feed their kids.) But the photos are hilarious – action figures arranged in giant landscapes of food.… >> Read more

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Thumbs up for The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam. Cookbook.

I haven’t cooked with almond flour yet but the scrumptious-looking recipes on Elana’s blog, and now in her book, have inspired me to order a bag of almond flour. (I just wish she would get away from the agave nectar.) What will I make first? I can’t decide….… >> Read more

MaryJane's Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook : For the Farmgirl in All of Us

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Thumbs up for MaryJane’s Ideabook, Cookbook, Lifebook: For the Farmgirl in All of Us by MaryJane Butters. Lifestyle.

Recipes, and stories, and make-it-yourself instructions. Complete charm and sumptuous photos of small farm life. MaryJane Butters is a funny gal: in a story I think is representative of her many sides, she longs for Jello (unabashed nostalgia), but is not happy with the way commercial gelatin is produced (environmental consciousness), so she researches and rigorously tests other forms of gelatin (do-it-yourself science) eventually hitting upon one that meets her qualifications – but as it’s unavailable commercially she decides to sell it herself (entrepreneurial mentality).… >> Read more

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In keeping with the theme of tasty low-budget meals, this is something that I made last night that I think is worth sharing. It’s an adaptation of a sandwich recipe I found in Gourmet some years ago, but like all Gourmet recipes it had too many ingredients and was incredibly fussy. (Mix the tuna salad and the bean salad separately, when they have near-identical ingredients?… >> Read more

Beef and star anise noodle soup

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For Christmas my boyfriend received a very thoughtful gift from some friends – a book called The Frugal Foodie, by Alanna Kaufman and Alex Small. Of course, I got my grubby little paws on it as soon as I could. Consider this not so much a review, but thoughts inspired by it.

The “Foodie” part of the title is apparent.… >> Read more