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October 06
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Kay
gave
 
to:
The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation (Hardcover)
by David Kamp
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Kay said:
"This book is kind of a rehash of biographies that you know if you're a foodie; you will know some of them even if you're not.
The part I found most interesting was the beginning, which placed figures like James Beard, Craig Claiborne and Julia Chi...more
This book is kind of a rehash of biographies that you know if you're a foodie; you will know some of them even if you're not.
The part I found most interesting was the beginning, which placed figures like James Beard, Craig Claiborne and Julia Child in their historical (gastronomic historical) context. But their life stories have been better told elsewhere. There is a gossipy tone that I didn't like; much as I love gossip, there was something belittling about the tone, to my ear. Maybe I revere these people too much (at least in the case of Child).
I also enjoyed the brief appearances of figures like Paula Wolfert. ...less
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Kay
gave
to:
The Complete Persepolis (Paperback)
by Marjane Satrapi
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in October, 2008
Kay said:
"I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a graphic memoir. It's more than the sum of its parts, I think. The story of a girl's upbringing in revolutionary Iran is told simply and often humorously; the drawings, also simple, were nevertheless engaging and so...more
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a graphic memoir. It's more than the sum of its parts, I think. The story of a girl's upbringing in revolutionary Iran is told simply and often humorously; the drawings, also simple, were nevertheless engaging and sometimes moving. The book takes its protagonist from early childhood through her difficult young adulthood and early marriage. I especially enjoyed the treatment of her parents and grandmother, which maybe shows where my head is.
I initially thought this would be a good read for my almost-12-year-old daughter, who has started it. There are some bits that I don't think everyone would let their daughter read at this age (both on violence and sexual explicitness grounds), but there is a an honesty to the telling that makes me feel OK about her reading it if she continues with the book. ...less
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October 02
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Kay made a comment on Kristin's profile:
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September 30
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New comment on Lolly's review of
Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen
reply to this comment
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September 08
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Kay
gave
to:
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (Paperback)
by Anne Lamott
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Kay
is currently reading:
The Inheritance of Loss (Paperback)
by Kiran Desai
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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Kay
gave
to:
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (Hardcover)
by Michael Pollan
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in September, 2008
Kay said:
"I think I may become a born-again home cook thanks to this book. I certainly brought home a big box from the farmstand this past weekend. This happened to me when I read Marion Cunningham's Lost Recipes cookbook a few years ago, but after tr...more
I think I may become a born-again home cook thanks to this book. I certainly brought home a big box from the farmstand this past weekend. This happened to me when I read Marion Cunningham's Lost Recipes cookbook a few years ago, but after trying several of the recipes, I was disappointed, for the most part, by the lack of flavor. (Maybe I tried the wrong recipes; must keep trying.) I still believe Cunningham has stated the cause for home cooking better than most people, at least until Michael Pollan came along.
The first part of the book is depressing and revealing in its recital of many examples of how nutrition science, funded by food companies and the government, has let us down. I'm old enough to remember the industry-induced switch from butter to margarine (and proud that my grandma and mom flatly refused to substitute something so icky for something that tastes so good--saving their family a lot of transfats), the mass delusion of the fat-free diet craze (Snackwells! Fat-free muffins as big as your head that were, in fact, angel food cake! Oy!), and a host of other bad ideas that were visited upon us with great success.
As for me, it's going to be hard not to be "on a diet" of some kind (the main ingredient of my latest fad was "flax & borage oil"....full disclosure), but I'm going to get out my Nigel Slaters, my Nigella Lawsons, my Julia Childs and my 900 recipe clippings, and make a new start.
For what it's worth, I don't agree with reviewers who condemn Pollan is a snob just because he admires the Slow Food movement, or because the Slow Food movement has snobs in it. My grandma (and probably most people's grandma) was a Slow Foodie without the title. Pollan does not strike me as a purist. ...less
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Kay
gave
to:
The Omnivore's Dilemma
by Michael Pollan
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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read in September, 2008
Kay said:
"This book is an eye-opener that changed some of my assumptions about how food is produced in this country and what the consequences are for nutrition, the land, and the economy.
I appreciated the author's tone of inquiry and his care in pronounc...more
This book is an eye-opener that changed some of my assumptions about how food is produced in this country and what the consequences are for nutrition, the land, and the economy.
I appreciated the author's tone of inquiry and his care in pronouncing conclusions about such complex matters. To be sure, he has a strong point of view, but it is nuanced and strives for fairness and accuracy. There is plenty of criticism and critical thinking, but this is not a diatribe by any means: it's a reasoned exploration that reaches some very critical conclusions, but doesn't yell. This makes it all the more persuasive about the evils of monoculture and the industrialized food chain.
I found the book's discussion of the ethics of meat-eating to be both thoughtful and thought-provoking. It's a subject that has long troubled me, as I have some skepticism about vegetarianism as the be-all and end-all of ethical eating for human beings. Animals die no matter what we eat. Which doesn't mean we shouldn't be vegetarians, but it does mean we shouldn't be under any delusions about the facts. (My opinion, obviously.)
No answers here, but clear-eyed information and thinking. ...less
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August 12
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Kay
gave
to:
Knitting Without Tears (Hardcover)
by Elizabeth Zimmermann
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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August 01
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Kay
gave
to:
Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop (Hardcover)
by Elizabeth Zimmermann
bookshelves:
the-one-true-church---knitting
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my rating:
Added to my books!
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