There are too many foodie books out at the moment. A lot of which retread the same territory. Rowan Jacobsen’s latest attempts to introduce a not-so-new premise (one which the French region of Champagne has managed to convince the world of since 1891) and apply it to the Americas. He believes that where a food is grown imbues it with unique tastes and characteristics. So, … Continue reading American “Tare-wahr” by Rowan Jacobsen (ARC)
The Hundred-Foot Journey is narrated by Hassan Haji. It is, in essence, a middle-aged chef recounting the story of his rise to Michelin stardom. We learn of Hassan’s childhood in India and follow the culinary fortunes of the Haji family as they travel from there to France (by way of England) – eventually finding a new home in the French Alps. They open a restaurant … Continue reading Richard C. Morais’ The Hundred-Foot Journey (Advance Review Copy)
The Michael Pollan book I’m reading reminds me of another favorite author of mine – Witold Rybczynski. Both writers devote themselves to what could easily become unwieldy topics (gardening & cities in these examples), yet they succeed in keeping the information manageable by dividing it into short, entertaining and self-contained essays. I found their writing style to be similar, though Pollan is easily the more … Continue reading How & Where: Michael Pollan vs. Witold Rybczynski
It has been months… and the tomatoes are all gone. Thank goodness the ladies over at Canal House have released the newest volume of their Canal House Cookbook No. 2: Fall & Holiday (all decked out in gold). Volume No. 2 is the perfect holiday gift, but don’t wait until Christmas to begin giving out copies. These dishes look delicious and we recommend sharing them with family and friends in the upcoming weeks. … Continue reading It’s Official! Fall is here – Canal House Cooking Volume No. 2
It’s Monday! What are you reading? (thanks to J. Kaye for what’s fast becoming my favorite weekly meme!) Several years ago I attended a dinner party, the highlight of which was a beer and wine pairing that came at the end. The host worked for an imported beer distributor. The cheese had come from a local cheese maker. The results were truly amazing. I still … Continue reading It’s Monday…here’s what I’m reading! The Cheese Chronicles by Liz Thorpe
READER AT LARGE 