Cooking Books vs. Cook Books

Have you ever found yourself getting very hungry from reading a book. It seems that more and more books feature food in them. Scenes of fabulous meals, family feasts, or sexy romantic meals for two. Even in my favorite genre, the mystery, food is featured more prominently. To start with there's Diane Mott Davidson's caterer, Goldy Schulz, one of the first detective/chef characters I encountered. When Goldy wasn't out looking for clues or running into or from the bad guys she was in her kitchen whipping up wonderful meals and decadent desserts. Recipes included. Follow that up with baker and cookie shop owner, Hannah Swensen, the sweet creation of Joanna Fluke. I've broken down and purchased ingredients with the intention of baking up some of the cookie recipes featured. Chocolate chip cookies anyone?

Then there's books that are all about cooking. Take for example Julie Powell's memoir Julie and Julia about the year she took to cook her way through Julia Child's quintesential cooking tome. Or a look at Paris through the eyes of pastry chef, David Lebovitch, in his book The Sweet Life in Paris (I must confess that this one is still sitting on the bookshelf waiting to be read. Or still a look at cooking in Tuscany with Frances Mayes in her most recent memoir Everyday in Tuscany  which was chucka-block full of recipes using the fresh produce from her garden or local markets.

Then there's the cook books. Last night I was searching for my favorite apple crisp recipe. I couldn't find it. I know I clipped it from some source years ago but couldn't lay my hands on it in my recipe scrapbook. I eventually went to the old standby my husband's grandmother's 1955 copy of the Good Housekeeping Cook Book. I looked through and found something that would work, or rather in the end I put together a recipe. Let's face it after hundreds of meals, I figure I've learned a thing or two about how to cook. Anyways, I got to flipping through the pages and got a kick out of some of the what I consider antiquated expressions and ingredients, for example what is a number 2 sized can of fruit? But wait, on page 344 I came across the recipe for toast. Yes, that's right toast. You can make it in your oven, under the broiler, in a skillet, use a waffle iron, or the best yet - an electric toaster. And I quote, "Just pop bread into toaster. Today's toasters are better than ever." And you thought boiling water was hard. Oh by the way if you need help with that one just follow this link.

The joy of multitasking and reading

I love hands free reading. I've started a new audiobook today, The Baker Street Brothers. It is how I manage to read and stitch at the same time. Here are a couple of examples of the work I have been able to get done while "reading." Both of these works are from the Dimension's Gold Collection.

Books - a cheap way to travel

Unfortunately, I am not blessed with unlimited time or money in order to travel the world. I do, however, have the local library which can fulfill that need. Today's trip has sent me to the Dordogne region of France with Chief of Police Bruno Courreges, the creation of author Martin Walker, as my tour guide. The newest "Mystery of the French Countryside" is titled The Crowded Grave. Already I have been introduced to many of the region's famous attributes which are to play key roles in this story. The ducks and geese of the region are destined to become the famous foie gras, but not if the members of PETA have anything to say about it. The local archaeological dig searching for more traces of our Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal ancestors (this is the home of the famous cave paintings of Lascaux) is the burial site of a not so ancient dead body. Political intrigue in the guise of Spanish-French forces dealing with the Basque ETA terrorist group forms another angle in the multi sided structure of this engaging novel.

I discovered Bruno and his charming village of St. Denis earlier this year, or could it be as long ago as the summer or fall of 2011, when I picked up The Dark Vineyard at the library. I went back to read his debut in Bruno, Chief of Police and a further case in Black Diamond. In these other stories we have met his boss the Mayor; his friends among the force, Isabelle (and former lover) and J-J; the towns people and friends; the rugby club; his hunting buddies; and his newer love interest Pamela, the "crazy British" woman. We've also gotten a glimpse of Bruno's history and the history of France much of which I was not familiar with. These are not your Peter Mayle type stories of sunny Provence. Although rural in nature, brutal murder happens even in the "quietest" places. People aren't always what they seem, and sometimes the good guys bend the rules to see that justice is served.