What is the secret to finding hope in hard times?
When Suzan Colón was laid off from her dream job at a magazine during the economic do... read full description
When Suzan Colón was laid off from her dream job at a magazine during the economic do... read full description
reviews
Jan 18, 2010
Jackie says:
This reads a little like sitting in the attic with your best friend going through a box of your great grandma's old recipes, filling her in on the stories that went along with the memories of those dishes. Puzzling over faded hand-writing and laughing at some of the ingredients that haven't seen a store shelf in years. That's the kind of chatty intimacy this slim book has--as well as fabulous recipes. Colon's family has always used the comfort of good, but practical, food More...
This reads a little like sitting in the attic with your best friend going through a box of your great grandma's old recipes, filling her in on the stories that went along with the memories of those dishes. Puzzling over faded hand-writing and laughing at some of the ingredients that haven't seen a store shelf in years. That's the kind of chatty intimacy this slim book has--as well as fabulous recipes. Colon's family has always used the comfort of good, but practical, food More...
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Sep 17, 2011
Marcia
rated it: 
When times get tough, Suzan Colon's family puts up soup. This reminder from her mother sent Suzan to the basement to look for her grandmother's treasure trove of recipes. What she found was "something more than a collection of recipes--she had found the key to her family's survival through hard times."
Many of the thoughts and fears expressed by Ms. Colon rang true. I didn't put up soup, but there was a pot of beef stew to lend comfort of my first day of imposed leisure. More...
Many of the thoughts and fears expressed by Ms. Colon rang true. I didn't put up soup, but there was a pot of beef stew to lend comfort of my first day of imposed leisure. More...
Jan 24, 2012
Raquel
rated it:
This is an enjoyable albeit brief memoir that leaves the reader wishing there were more to it. The author finds herself laid off from a cushy magazine job during the recent 2008 economic crisis and realizes that she and her husband need to start living frugally. She draws upon her own family's history as a way to take inspiration in weathering her own hard times. Her family have been experts at dealing with financial hardship and she takes comfort in knowing that this skill is something almost b
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Oct 18, 2011
Sara
rated it:
2.5 stars. This is a memoir about the author's experience getting laid off from her job and, trying to save money, learning to cook by going through her grandmother's old recipe file. Interspersed with the (short) stories about the author's kitchen adventures are tales about her grandmother and other relatives coping with hard times.
This was an extremely quick read. The book was only a little over 200 pages and had fat margins, large spacing, and a lot of old recipes taking up eve More...
This was an extremely quick read. The book was only a little over 200 pages and had fat margins, large spacing, and a lot of old recipes taking up eve More...
Apr 05, 2011
Cherlyn
rated it:
I liked this book, but only after I got through the first 100 pages did it started to flow. I had trouble with the jumping back and forth in stories. I'm still not sure if I have Mathilda, Nana, and Carolyn straight. She is a talented writer, she has a good command of her language and voice; phrases that would pull the ideas together, episodes from each life that paralleled, and unusual ways to describe, like when they were on the way to their scenic wedding and were lost: "I rolled down th
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May 09, 2010
Kelly
rated it: 
This is nonfiction, a sort of memoir of a family.
Suzan is pretty used to hard times--her family, she says, has worried about money on and off for something like a hundred years. She and her husband have been doing pretty well, but after she gets laid off, she starts cooking more. Her grandmother saved a folder of recipes, and some of those find their way into the book.
In between the recipies are stories--some of Suzan and her husband, Nathan (who seems like the world's More...
Suzan is pretty used to hard times--her family, she says, has worried about money on and off for something like a hundred years. She and her husband have been doing pretty well, but after she gets laid off, she starts cooking more. Her grandmother saved a folder of recipes, and some of those find their way into the book.
In between the recipies are stories--some of Suzan and her husband, Nathan (who seems like the world's More...
Mar 02, 2010
Lynne
rated it: 
Among those hit hardest by the current recession are not the ones suffering the most economically. Sure, some have lost their jobs but their spouse remains employed and has health insurance. They are pursuing freelance opportunities. And even though some, such as magazine writer Suzan Colon, acknowledge that they don't have it as bad as some other Americans who are in genuine dire straits, this recession has just about blown their young yuppie minds.
Gracious. While still working at h More...
Gracious. While still working at h More...
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Jan 10, 2010
JanB
rated it:
A short little read about not just nourishing your body (recipes included) during uncertain economic times, but about nourishing your soul. It's a good reminder that there are many kinds of poverty and poverty of the spirit is the worst kind. The author's grandparents and mother knew how to make do with less and do it with resilience, high spirits and optimism. Their stories were definitely the high point of the book.
Harder to relate to were Suzan's "hardships". Stories of More...
Harder to relate to were Suzan's "hardships". Stories of More...
Nov 28, 2009
Cheryl
rated it:
Suzan Colon went from having take out food whenever she wanted to being laid off and having to pinch every penny she could. Suzan comes upon her grandmother’s old recipe book, filled with tons of delicious foods. Most of the recipes were written my hand. The cook book features recipes like Suzan’s Great-Great-Grandmother Matilde’s Baked Pork Chops with Sauerkraut, Chicken Pie a la Mississippi, Butter Cookies, and Nana’s Lemon Meringue Pie to name a few.
Suzan decides that it is time More...
Suzan decides that it is time More...
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Nov 27, 2009
Kim
rated it:
Growing up my mother used to occasionally make “Gravy Bread” which is comprised of day old bread scraps, bacon fat, flour, and water. While the ingredients sound terrible, the dish itself is quite tasty. This Depression era recipe was handed down from my great-grandmother to my grandmother to my mother to me. Many families have similar hardship recipes that have been passed down for generations.
When Suzan Colón, author of Cherries in Winter, is let go from her six figure publishing More...
When Suzan Colón, author of Cherries in Winter, is let go from her six figure publishing More...
Apr 20, 2010
Meg
rated it:
Suzan Colón's Cherries In Winter: My Family's Recipe For Hope In Hard Times is a memoir, family dialogue and cookbook in one -- and I enjoyed it for what it was: a series of vignettes and snapshots looking at one woman's struggle to stay afloat in our Great Recession while simultaneously enjoying tiny moments of indulgence in an otherwise bleak landscape.
The strength of Cherries In Winter really rests in the stories of Matilda, Suzan's grandmother, and the way in which she coped duri More...
The strength of Cherries In Winter really rests in the stories of Matilda, Suzan's grandmother, and the way in which she coped duri More...
Apr 11, 2010
Helen
rated it:
When the going gets tough, the tough make soup.
I really enjoyed this short book. It was inspirational to read about the depression and how Suzan's family handled it. Some lines and ideas spoke to me. When she wrote that being poor did not mean you had to act poor, I thought of my grandparents. They too survived the depression but you would never know it. The idea of being poor in pocket rather than poor in spirit appeals to me.
Some lines in the book made me laugh (eg. r More...
I really enjoyed this short book. It was inspirational to read about the depression and how Suzan's family handled it. Some lines and ideas spoke to me. When she wrote that being poor did not mean you had to act poor, I thought of my grandparents. They too survived the depression but you would never know it. The idea of being poor in pocket rather than poor in spirit appeals to me.
Some lines in the book made me laugh (eg. r More...
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Oct 29, 2011
Connie
rated it:
While it was interesting to read about Ms. Colon's family history, I felt that the overall tone of the book was ELITIST! Ms. Colon bemoans the fact that she can no longer afford $350.00 haircuts and has to "do" her own eyebrows!!!
She clearly has no idea how this terrible economy has affected thousands of people. They are wondering how to buy basic groceries, obtain needed medical care and pay the rent.
She also included many dishes that features meat. Meat is More...
She clearly has no idea how this terrible economy has affected thousands of people. They are wondering how to buy basic groceries, obtain needed medical care and pay the rent.
She also included many dishes that features meat. Meat is More...
Oct 17, 2011
Laura
rated it:
This books reads like a series of magazine articles 600 to 1000 words. Each chapter has the same characters, but together they don't provide a story arc. Some of the articles work better than others. And some didn't hold my interest. I found it difficult to remember the characters. I was more than two-thirds into the book before I realized Matilda was Nana. And Matilde was the great-great grandma. (I think.)
The book focuses on three main topics - family, food and tough eco More...
The book focuses on three main topics - family, food and tough eco More...
Apr 10, 2011
Colette
rated it:
I found this book by mistake. I was at B&N searching through the biography/memoir section. I had found a book called "Lunch in Paris" or something similar. The reviews on the cover touted that if you adored Eat, Pray, Love (which I've never read) and Julie & Julia (which I've only seen the movie), you would like this book. I found myself hemming and hawing about it until, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cherries in Winter .
Having just finished graduate school and so More...
Having just finished graduate school and so More...
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Nov 13, 2009
Linda
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Mar 01, 2010
Heather
rated it: 
When Suzan is laid off she starts economizing - which means, among other things, less eating out and more home cooking. Her mother's suggestion is to "look in Nana's recipe folder," buried somewhere in the basement. When she finally digs out the folder Suzan finds much more than recipes for sturdy comfort food. She also discovers a recipe for living a full life during lean times.
This memoir not only relates Suzan's life in 2008 when she is laid off from her dream job, but a More...
This memoir not only relates Suzan's life in 2008 when she is laid off from her dream job, but a More...
Dec 31, 2009
Christine
rated it:
Punished by an economy in turmoil, the newly jobless Suzan Colón turns to a swath of family recipes, long buried in her basement, hoping to find some comfort in hard financial times. She quickly realizes how closely her current challenges parallel those of her predecessors.
Childhood tales seam pleasingly into past, future and recipes, a family history powered by food. Already highly relatable in content, Cherries in Winter feels like a worn-in leather armchair, its comfortable manner More...
Childhood tales seam pleasingly into past, future and recipes, a family history powered by food. Already highly relatable in content, Cherries in Winter feels like a worn-in leather armchair, its comfortable manner More...
Oct 18, 2009
Jackie
rated it:
This reads a little like sitting in the attic with your best friend going through a box of your great grandma's old recipes, filling her in on the stories that went along with
the memories of those dishes. Puzzling over faded hand-writing and laughing at some of the ingredients that haven't seen a store shelf in years. That's the kind of chatty
intimacy this slim book has--as well as fabulous recipes. Colon's family has always used the comfort of good, but practical, food to get t More...
the memories of those dishes. Puzzling over faded hand-writing and laughing at some of the ingredients that haven't seen a store shelf in years. That's the kind of chatty
intimacy this slim book has--as well as fabulous recipes. Colon's family has always used the comfort of good, but practical, food to get t More...
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Jan 11, 2010
Ellen
rated it:
Take one out of work writer with a rich history of strong women in her past who've overcome difficult financial times and mix generously with frugal recipes from her mother and grandmother and you have Cherries in Winter.
Cherries in Winter is an easy read that's dotted with healthy, home cooked recipes that your Grandmother would be proud to serve and probably has. I loved the easy writing style and heart felt memories of growing up in the depression and other hard financ More...
Cherries in Winter is an easy read that's dotted with healthy, home cooked recipes that your Grandmother would be proud to serve and probably has. I loved the easy writing style and heart felt memories of growing up in the depression and other hard financ More...
Jan 06, 2010
Rebecca
rated it:
I received this book through Goodreads Firstreads, but I've just barely gotten around to reading it. Although I'm a sucker for memoirs, I just couldn't give this more that two stars. The biggest thing that bugged me was how she kept talking about how expensive health insurance is. Now I know that health premiums are probably higher for people in their 40s living in New York than they are for people in their 20s living in Utah, but really? I kind of quit feeling sympathy for how much you were
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Nov 27, 2009
Darlene
rated it:
Don’t underestimate this modest, quick-read book. Part cookbook, part history book, all inspiration; it would make great gifts for the times - seasonal as well as economic. Even the chapter (Soup Du Jour Déjà Vu) and recipe (Suzan’s Rigatoni Dissociate [Pasta of the Unemployed:]) titles are creative and entertaining.
When Suzan Colón was laid off, she needed to cut her budget. One thing leading to another, she goes through her Nana’s recipes. She finds not only budget-stretching tip More...
When Suzan Colón was laid off, she needed to cut her budget. One thing leading to another, she goes through her Nana’s recipes. She finds not only budget-stretching tip More...
Feb 01, 2010
Cheryl
rated it:
During the economic downturn in 2008, Suzan Colon lost her dream job at a magazine. She began to think of ways to economize at home. Eating out became a luxury. Determined to cook at home, Suzan looked through boxes in her basement and retrieved her grandmother's old recipe folder. Not only did she discover delicious recipes, she also found essays, written by her grandmother, which revealed her family's history and their secrets for surviving in hard times. This memoir skillfully moves from the
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Jul 02, 2010
Marianne
rated it:
Very charming memoir. Magazine writer Suzan Colon joins the ranks of the unemployed due to budget tightening measures. Learning to economize means learning to cook. While searching through her grandmother's recipes, she discovers the strength and determination that helped her grandmother get through hard times.One lesson learned is to allow small fabulous extravagances to prevent becoming poor in spirit, example delicious cherries in winter. This book reminded me so much of the basic philosophy
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Mar 01, 2010
Meredith
rated it:
Audio. Mixed feelings about this one. I like anything with recipes mixed in, but I'm not sure I want to rush out and try any of these recipes. I liked the message about choosing to be poor in pocket over poor in spirit (given that hard decision). I like the stories from several generations weaving in an out; I like her taking lessons from all of them. I like seeing how different generations had different hardships but handled them similarly; but also handled similar hardships differently.
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Nov 22, 2009
Liz
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I got this book from entering the Goodreads book giveaway, and it was pretty entertaining. Each chapter is constructed as a loose essay on a given topic, drawing from the author's experiences and those of her family. Chapters start with a recipe or piece of advice from the author's grandmother (or Nana). There are some benefits to this story construction, but I had a hard time following which relatives the stories were referencing (a family tree would've been a brilliant addition to this book),
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Jun 18, 2010
Lormac
rated it:
You could read this book in an evening, but it will stay with you for a lot longer. It seems like a cookbook, but it is really one of those 'inspirational' books and much more. The author, who lost her job in the recent (on-going?) recession, uses her new free time to review (and cook) some recipes handed down to her from her mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, etc., and to reflect on the hard times that they endured in their lives. This process helps her put her own situation into perspe
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Nov 23, 2009
At first I really hated this book. It's about the author who was laid off from her magazine job. She and her husband seriously pared down their expenses by eating in more. I started to hate her when she talked about the fact that they can still pay all of their bills by eating at home--then why the hell is she whining?! But the more she talked about her grandmother who lived during the depression, then her mother's life as a single mother, I learned to care about the author and stopped hatin
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Dec 05, 2009
Molly
rated it: 
Premise is good: suffering from the current recession, author refers to grandmother's recipes and accounts of the Great Depression. Lesson learned: it will get better.
Here's my issue, however. I couldn't relate to this author in any way. Her "suffering" is that she loses her job- where she was making 6 figures. She refers to not being able to shop at Whole Foods as much, or being able to buy $600 jackets. She met her husband at a Costa Rican yoga retreat for crying o More...
Here's my issue, however. I couldn't relate to this author in any way. Her "suffering" is that she loses her job- where she was making 6 figures. She refers to not being able to shop at Whole Foods as much, or being able to buy $600 jackets. She met her husband at a Costa Rican yoga retreat for crying o More...
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Nov 04, 2010
Laura
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If you like reading about food and family, you will probably enjoy this book. I am concerned about the lack of vegetables in any of the recipes (the only one that includes a vegetable is a sauerkraut and pork chop dish, and the suggestion that you could pair something with stewed tomatoes), and I am not convinced that the cheap way to eat and make food last is to cook exclusively meat, mashed potatoes, and desserts, but I appreciate that it was their family's way to get through lean times. What
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