THE LADY OF SHALLOTS

 Cross-posted at Rebecca's Reading, Rants, and Raves Colu Cooks: Easy Fancy Food by Colu Henry My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the cookbook I've been waiting for. Easy, Fancy, Food. YES. This lovely volume is filled with inviting and welcoming text that celebrates humanity as much as food, and in multiple contexts: when we need comfort, when we are on vacation, when we are coping (or not) with a pandemic (that's not a chapter, but it is in the narrative), when we are feeding a crowd, or enjoying the joy of re-imagined leftovers with close friends. If you don't grow your own herbs, Colu Henry will make you want to start. Her recipes abound with fresh herbs and ingredients that are simple, but fancy in the right context. The Smoky and Spicy Shrimp with Anchovy Butter and Fregola (110) is a new favorite, and I'm here to tell you frozen shrimp works just fine and you should have a bag in your freezer at all times. Recipes like Cumin, Ginger, and Citrus Roasted Salmo...

 Cross-posted at Rebecca's Reading Rants and Raves Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci My rating: 5 of 5 stars I didn't know a thing about Stanley Tucci beyond "he's an actor" when my best friend recommended this book to me. Since I had a few free Audible credits, I decided to make this my first audiobook experience as well. I'm not sure it was the best choice on that front, as having recipes "read" to me is not that fulfilling (and if I'm listening to an audiobook I'm not going to be in a position to write them down). On the other hand, hearing Stanley Tucci recount his own memoir was wonderful and entrenched me in a deep nostalgia for my own Italian-American roots. Having spent considerable time in Italy, Tucci's pronunciation is more European than the particular East Coast American Italian er...dialect...that I learned from my father, but he nods to it on more than one occasion. Given his wry humor, hearing him say "fa...