There are moments in life that, at first, seem ordinary or transient but as time passes, you realize it was the beginning of something special. Over 5 years ago, on the advice of someone who followed me on Instagram, I bought myself a copy of Neighbourhood – Hetty Lui McKinnon’s second cookbook. I already knew of Hetty’s food from her delicious-looking Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: Tenderheart”
Book Club Tuesday: Pulp
Abra Berens’ cookbook trilogy has reached its finale: Ruffage (2019 – review here), Grist (2021 – review here) and, now Pulp (2023). To say that these are just cookbooks is oversimplifying the matter. Berens is a deeply passionate person as evidenced by her books. She cares about food – how it is produced, prepared, and enjoyed. She’s curious about the food systems in the United States and the politics and social implications behind it. Berens is a Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: Pulp”
Book Club Tuesday: Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom
[B]aking isn’t just following instructions; it’s a journey and an exploration. (1)
It’s not very often that a home baker can pinpoint where tips come from because we take them in, make them our own, and move ahead. One tip that I learned from watching Anna Olson on her show was to add skim milk powder when making whipped cream to stabilize it. That piece of information has served me well (as well as all my friends and family who I passed it onto). Watching her often, I learned that much of her Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: Anna Olson’s Baking Wisdom”
Book Club Tuesday: 100 Morning Treats
I keep thinking about why I’m so enamored with Sarah Kieffer’s books. Is it because I feel a culinary kinship with Kieffer? In her latest book, 100 Morning Treats, I feel like I can relate when she talks about how that early morning time in the kitchen is hers. In the introduction she talks about arriving at the little shop she worked at in Minneapolis at 5 o’clock to start her day, “With most of the city still asleep, those dark hours were mine, and I spent them in solitude, quietly whisking, mixing, and stirring.” (11) For me, spending a peaceful, Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: 100 Morning Treats”
Book Club Tuesday: Cake & Loaf Gatherings
You know what cookbook I didn’t know I needed in my life until now? A baking book that focuses on seasonal gatherings. Much is made of seasonal cooking and, it’s mostly to do with availability of ingredients (i.e., the fresh ones). But, as I baked from the newest cookbook from Nickey Miller and Josie Rudderham (co-owners of Cake & Loaf Bakery), Cake & Loaf Gatherings, I’ve come to appreciate their approach to what seasonal baking Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: Cake & Loaf Gatherings”
Book Club Tuesday: A Generous Meal
Dinner is a meal worth lingering over. (1)
I really appreciate the importance placed on the opportunities home cooking offers us in Christine Flynn’s new book, A Generous Meal. As she says, whether food is meant to bring people together or to offer a restorative break from a busy life, she emphasizes the idea that the act of feeding Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: A Generous Meal”
Book Club Tuesday: Mamacita
I recently had a conversation about cookbooks with a friend – we both agreed that the best cookbooks are the ones with soul. With so many cookbooks being published, I find myself drawn to the books that demonstrate the passion for the recipes as well as the passion behind the recipes. Which is why I’m excited to share Mamacita, a recently published Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: Mamacita”
Book Club Tuesday: King Arthur Baking Company: Baking School
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: cookbooks are a great equalizer. Whether it’s because cookbooks allow us to experience so many ingredients and techniques, or cuisines and places, our kitchens become a place to culinarily try it all from the comforts of our own homes. Can I travel to Norwich, Vermont, to attend classes at the King Arthur Baking School? No (insert sad face here) BUT I can pick up a copy of their Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: King Arthur Baking Company: Baking School”
Book Club Tuesday: Coco Cake Land
I am meant to be posting another review for a different book, but I’ve come across a cookbook that’s too good not to share. Two weeks ago, I was preparing to bake my daughter’s birthday cake and, we did as we always have done – we looked through my cookbooks to see which cake she’d like. I had recently picked up a Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: Coco Cake Land”
Book Club Tuesday: The Vegan Week
Cooking for my family seems like a breeze now compared to when my daughter was a toddler, and I was trying to figure out what to make for meals. Although I’m a vegetarian now, I didn’t grow up as one and, I found that once my daughter was born, I wasn’t sure how to be one. Sure, I knew I wasn’t going to feed her animal-based dishes, but I realized that my husband and I had a vegetarian diet that consisted of tofu, cheese, and pasta (with some frozen pizzas thrown in for good measure) — light on the “vege”, heavy on the “tarian”. While I was trying to figure out Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: The Vegan Week”