Book Club Tuesday: Fabulous Modern Cookies

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To us, cookies are the most approachable of all desserts. (9)

What Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin say in the introduction to their latest book, Fabulous Modern Cookies, is absolutely true! Of all the desserts, cookies are the most approachable. Thinking back to when I was little, one of the first things that I baked with my mom were cookies, and this is the case with my own daughter. It’s about having fun and enjoying the results. I remember that when Katie and I made animal crackers, hers weren’t that great looking, however, Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: Fabulous Modern Cookies”

Book Club Tuesday: Your Daily Veg

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I am part of a vegetarian family: my husband has been a vegetarian for over twenty years, I joined along almost 12 years ago, and my daughter was born into it 8 years since. When my daughter was born, I wondered what vegetarianism would look like for her? When I became a vegetarian, the cookbooks at the time were very faddy and, what I really longed for was good food: plain and simple. Sometimes I feel that calling food “vegetarian” is like adding a Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: Your Daily Veg”

Book Club Tuesday: A Good Day to Bake

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When Benjamina Ebuehi spoke these simple words – “just for the fun of it”– during a recent online talk hosted by The Book Larder (watch here), she summed up the reason to bake from her books. To be grateful for and take joy from the act of baking and creating moments for yourself and for others. In her latest book, A Good Day to Bake, Ebuehi offers Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: A Good Day to Bake”

Book Club Tuesday: The Cake Book

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What’s not to love about cake? It’s a season-less dessert that is appropriate for any occasion — my occasion of choice is usually breakfast! Over the past several years I’ve really come into my own as a baker and, I found that cookbooks with inviting, accessible recipes helped me to develop my skills. Therefore, I appreciate Rebecca Firth‘s approach so much — having recipes that are easy, approachable, and (most importantly) fun, Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: The Cake Book”

Book Club Tuesday: Grist

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Grist by Abra Berens is a welcome addition to my kitchen cookbook shelf because it is such a useful guide to cooking with legumes, seeds, grains, and beans. I think Grist can be considered a companion to her earlier book Ruffage (published in 2019; review here), and just as Ruffage is part memoir, part cookbook, so is Grist. Here the home cook is invited to follow along with Berens as she demonstrates, through her recipes, how crucial Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: Grist”

Book Club Tuesday: Food52 Big Little Recipes

Processed with VSCO with f2 presetBack in December 2021, I needed a refresh. While I enjoyed being in the kitchen and cooking for my family, there were times I felt burnt out and lacking inspiration. So, when I tuned in to watch a virtual event hosted by the Book Larder, it was the conversation between Hetty McKinnon and Emma Laperruque that had me intrigued. One of the first things Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: Food52 Big Little Recipes”

Book Club Tuesday: Mumbai Modern

Processed with VSCO with f2 presetAs we ate this meal together, I was reminded of why we were really gathered here. The food, the laughter, and the tears were for my mother. She had just passed away. And this meal tasted as if my mum had made it. Tears flooded my eyes as a lifetime of memories, triggered by this food, rushed to my head and heart. Fourteen years ago, I had no way of knowing this was just the start of my food journey. (11)

Reading these words from the introduction to Amisha Dodhia Gurbani‘s Mumbai Modern: Vegetarian Recipes Inspired by Indian Roots and California Cuisine, it shows how deep the connection to food can be. It brings us together to nourish us and, food ties us to so many things — the crucial one being our memories. Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: Mumbai Modern”

Book Club Tuesday: Cooking for Your Kids

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There are many cookbooks published on the topic of cooking with kids and, when I first saw the title of Joshua David Stein‘s cookbook, I initially mistook the “for” in the title for “with.” So, I was pleasantly surprised when the book arrived from the publisher, and I realized my misunderstanding. Speaking from experience, Continue reading “Book Club Tuesday: Cooking for Your Kids”