Well, I haven't posted for a bit, lots going on here, between cleaning off the fine dusting of volcanic glass, called locally Pele's hair and trying to keep up with my gardening, singlehanded almost. The first time I remember Volcanic ash coming all this far down the mountain. Also, hosted a a lovely gathering of ladies today demonstrating how to make wine with local fruits.
Anyway, our current book selection for Cook the Books Club has been, Bite By Bite, Nourishments & Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and hosted this round by Simona of Briciole. The Anthology is a delightful, poetic compilation of short essays about food and the author's memories associated with various fruits and meals she has enjoyed over the years. Everything from Rambutans to Risotto!
From The Booklist Review: Nezhukumatathil's prowess as a poet infuses this unique memoir-meditation on the foods that mean the most to her. In addition to familiar U.S. fare, she walks readers through fruits exotic to North America, like mangosteen and rambutan, and foods like bangus (fish) and lumpia, common in the Philippines, where her mother hails from. Each chapter weaves facts, trivia, mythology, and personal stories together, linking Nezhukumatathil's food subjects through space and time in a meandering fashion. Her meditation on strawberries, for instance, mixes personal anecdotes about the fruit--reminding readers of the artificial strawberry scent applied to Strawberry Shortcake dolls in the 1980s--with trivia about historical uses and lore (the ancient Romans used strawberries as a cure for depression). She ties it all up with vivid prose that recalls the excitement of a mother anticipating her child eating their first handpicked berry. This whimsical and soothing work will appeal to fans of food writing, memoirs, intercultural stories, and poetry.
For cooking inspiration, I was especially taken with her tantalizing description of a Mushroom Risotto she and her husband enjoyed in the Swiss Alps. And, of course I had to make it! Hard to say if it was as good as the one in Aimee's memory, but damn good all the same! A fresh salad of slivered kale and cherry tomatoes was good contrast. The recipe from Ina Garten on Food.com is the one I used. Adding all the various mushrooms I could lay my hands on.
I just posted this in the very nick of time, as today is the deadline! Be sure to check in for Simona's Roundup of everyone's posts and cooking inspirations, which should be online at Cook The Books a few days from now. As well as preview of our upcoming selection.
From The Booklist Review: Nezhukumatathil's prowess as a poet infuses this unique memoir-meditation on the foods that mean the most to her. In addition to familiar U.S. fare, she walks readers through fruits exotic to North America, like mangosteen and rambutan, and foods like bangus (fish) and lumpia, common in the Philippines, where her mother hails from. Each chapter weaves facts, trivia, mythology, and personal stories together, linking Nezhukumatathil's food subjects through space and time in a meandering fashion. Her meditation on strawberries, for instance, mixes personal anecdotes about the fruit--reminding readers of the artificial strawberry scent applied to Strawberry Shortcake dolls in the 1980s--with trivia about historical uses and lore (the ancient Romans used strawberries as a cure for depression). She ties it all up with vivid prose that recalls the excitement of a mother anticipating her child eating their first handpicked berry. This whimsical and soothing work will appeal to fans of food writing, memoirs, intercultural stories, and poetry.
For cooking inspiration, I was especially taken with her tantalizing description of a Mushroom Risotto she and her husband enjoyed in the Swiss Alps. And, of course I had to make it! Hard to say if it was as good as the one in Aimee's memory, but damn good all the same! A fresh salad of slivered kale and cherry tomatoes was good contrast. The recipe from Ina Garten on Food.com is the one I used. Adding all the various mushrooms I could lay my hands on.
I just posted this in the very nick of time, as today is the deadline! Be sure to check in for Simona's Roundup of everyone's posts and cooking inspirations, which should be online at Cook The Books a few days from now. As well as preview of our upcoming selection.
