I am not really a fan of this book, though I like Arthur Schwartz, and other things I've read by him.. This book is his memoir and his ode to his friends and family and the way he grew up Jewish and among Jews in New York City in the middle of the 20th century. I am a Midwestern/Southern Jew who grew up in the last quarter of the 20th century, and came to cooking later. These recipes are literally schmaltzy - most call for chicken fat, and the notes and context are particular to Mr. Schwartz's time and place, which is not my own and not something I'm interested in - indeed, I am inundated with it enough already. A few things were interesting, like how to make your own pickles, but some just had no place other than anecdote in this kind of book. Mr. Schwartz professes that "many" Jews hid their pork-eating habits from their Jewish neighbors, and that it was OK to eat Chinese pork because it was hidden. Really? Not that I'm Kosher, but I'd love to see more "evidence" on this kind of thing. I'm sure the recipes are tasty, and I'd love to make my own bagels or bialys or babka, but the recipes are too intensive for me. ]]>
by Elizabeth Royte
Sounds really interesting - is it readable? ]]>
Davida "Davi"
read and liked
Katie's
review of Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover's Courtship, with Recipes:
"A fun, romantic story with great recipes along the way! "
"A fun, romantic story with great recipes along the way! "
Davida "Davi"
read and liked
Jean-Marie's
review of Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover's Courtship, with Recipes:
"If the commentary in this otherwise excellent cookbook did not have a whiney self-indulgent tone, it would be a five-star. No matter: Try the Chicken Roasted with Sour Cream, Lemon Juice and Mango Chutney and the Puree of Peas and Watercress ("...more "
"If the commentary in this otherwise excellent cookbook did not have a whiney self-indulgent tone, it would be a five-star. No matter: Try the Chicken Roasted with Sour Cream, Lemon Juice and Mango Chutney and the Puree of Peas and Watercress ("...more "
I wanted to read this book because I enjoyed Hesser's columns in the New York Times, and they are part of what inspired me to cook more and to learn more about high-quality food. I don't think I would have been as excited about this book if I realized that it is almost exactly like her columns. There is hardly any additional material that I noticed, except that instead of just one recipe, usually two side-dishes, or a cocktail or something like that is included. There were hardly any new stories. Although I have tagged some of the recipes to copy down and try out, I am discouraged that they are not easy to prepare! A typical recipe will have 3-5 numbered steps. But each step will be a whole paragraph (6-7 sentences) of steps in and of itself - not something I enjoy when reading or making recipes. I give this book three stars - it is exactly as it is and not more, as I had expected. I still look forward to reading more by Hesser but my expectations are not as high as they used to be.
And BTW I like lattes all the time, even after dinner. ]]>
bookshelves: to-read
]]>
bookshelves: to-read
]]>
bookshelves: to-read
]]>
bookshelves: to-read
]]>
bookshelves: to-read
]]>