THE LADY OF SHALLOTS

  Peace, Love and Fibre: Over 100 Fibre-Rich Recipes for the Whole Family by Mairlyn Smith My rating: 4 of 5 stars Mairlyn Smith, who has recently gained traction for her #FartWalk initiative (yes, you read that right) making the rounds on social media, is a professional Home Economist and former member of the Second City Comedy Troupe. Her winsome personality, that shines through in her videos, is no less present in the text of this cookbook. More than just recipes, Smith offers a practical (and humorous) way to incorporate more fiber in your diet. She warns that an increase in fiber needs to be gradual, coupled with an increase (usually) in water intake. She weighs in on sugar and salt too, reminding us that table salt is not such a bad thing when you look at iodine needs. Ultimately, she offers a gameplan for the "Big Picture" by offering 10 healthy habits (that range from diet, exercise, to emotional well-being), and suggests picking one a month. After 10 months, you c...

  Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds by Hetty Lui McKinnon My rating: 5 of 5 stars   For those that know me, the fact that I have pledged to try at least one of the eggplant recipes in this book if I try ALL the other recipes, is probably the most astounding review I could ever give a cookbook. But this is more than just a cookbook. It is a story of the way food both nurtures and cultivates memories and helps us work through our grief to find those tangible things in life that help us hold on in healthy ways. McKinnon writes beautifully about both her parents, but particularly her memories of her father. The book opens with a quote from Francis Weller's  The Wild Edge of Sorrow : "Grief and love are sisters, woven together from the beginning. Their kinship reminds us that there is no love that does not contain loss and no loss that is not a reminder of the love we carry for what we once held close." McKinnon's father, Wai Keung Lui...

 Cross-posted at Reb's Reading Rants and Raves I am working my way through two Japanese cookbooks right now, both of which are filled with insight and craft (my review of Sonoko Sakai's Japanese Home Cooking: Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors coming soon!). Nancy Singleton Hachisu's Japanese Farm Food is, as advertised, very much about farm life in Japan and the food that grows there. For that reason, it resonates more as a narrative for me than a cookbook, as many of the ingredients are specific and connected to the life of the farm. She is not as free with the substitutions as Sonoko Sakai, but there are a few (blackstrap molasses for kuromitsu, for example). To call her a purist wouldn't seem totally correct, and that's largely because of the beautiful narrative she constructs about life on the farm and learning how to acculturate in meaningful ways. In truth it is inspiring, if somewhat a bit daunting at times. In addition to spending massive amounts of time pr...

 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   Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking: A Cookbook by Toni Tipton-Martin My rating: 5 of 5 stars To categorize this solely as a cookbook would not even come close to capturing this work of art. It is an exquisitely-written history that intertwines a wealth of research, nostalgia (in the best way), and a "larger vision of African American culinary history" (311) that both embraces and expands beyond soul food and the standard narrative. Toni Tipton-Martin says: And I have tried to end dependency on the labels "Southern" and "soul," and on the assumptions that limit my ancestors' contributions to mindlessly working the fields where the food was grown, stirring the pot where the food was cooked, and passively serving food in the homes of the master class. (13) There is no clichéd history here. Instead, Tipton-Martin crafts a story of urban enclaves in Los Angeles, Lo...

Swanson's narrative is one of privilege, it is true. A lot of the reviews at Goodreads have mentioned this, with varying degrees of annoyance. The book, however, does not pretend. The minute you touch the embossed hard cover and look at the photos, you know that this is a chichi cookbook, not Betty Crocker's Cookbook or The Joy of Cooking . The subtitle does not lie: "Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel." And traveled she has: India, Japan, Morocco, France, and Italy. The photos of the destinations are sometimes so artsy as to feel contrived, but they anchor each section in its own ethos. I haven't yet made any of the recipes, but I am inspired. As a committed omnivore, vegetarian recipes rarely inspire me, but I find her approach to flavors intriguing. If you are someone who likes hunting down interesting ingredients, you will likely enjoy this book. She isn't writing for someone who does not know anything about ethnic foods, so you will not find explana...

Mission Street Food: Recipes and Ideas from an Improbable Restaurant by Karen Leibowitz My rating: 5 of 5 stars First, let me start with some full disclosure. I know one of the authors of this phenomenal book. That said, we haven’t seen each other or talked to each other in over twenty years. Karen Leibowitz and I went to elementary school together, and for a short time, even took tennis lessons together. Through the wonders of the internet, and some gentle stalking research, I learned that Karen has been busy—you know, the usual: getting a doctorate while starting a wildly successful restaurant/concept/model for humanity in the meantime. Oh, right. And then there’s this book. And do not be fooled—yes, it has recipes, so one might call it a cookbook. But “cookbook” doesn’t begin to touch this amazingly honest, engaging, inspiring, and creative narrative about two people, their friends, their perseverance, their sheer luck, and the joy to be had in both dreams and realities...