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.

"Wake up, sister. It's Your Turn.

Thanks to Joan Anderson and her book, A Weekend to Change Your Life: Find your authentic self after a lifetime of being all things to all people for the title quote for today's post. Actually, I have a lot more to thank her for. I picked up her book Saturday morning at the library and began reading it over the course of the weekend. My weekend has been extended by two days due to Hurricane Sandy and school being closed; first, I was grateful to have the time to get caught up on grading, but mostly, I was grateful for the time to rest.

Anderson's book is about  retreating from the world even for one weekend in order to begin to put one's life back together. I realize how much I need time from the world in order to pull myself back together. Commencing this time last year with the crazy, snowy Halloween storm when we were without power for three days, the searching for a college for my daughter, the holidays, Dad's illness and death, my daughter's leaving for school, my aunt's illness and death, worries over Mom and the building of her new life without Dad but still trying to care for her mother and aunt; all of this has contributed to putting me into a state of confusion. Wow! No wonder I'm feeling the way that I do. I am at that crossroads in life where I am moving from one stage of life to another and feel totally lost. I have been a lot of things for a lot of people and now I need to be someone just for me.

Since my father's death, I have been struggling with my sense of identity. For so long I wanted to live my life to please him and make him proud of me. What I didn't get was that I already did that because he loved me. He would have loved me no matter what I chose to do. Now I need to figure out what that is. What pathway is the right one for me? What path will use my true strengths and gifts? What will bring me true satisfaction and passion? It's really scary! I have a whole second half of life to live. I need to revivify (as used by Anderson and I had to go looking up on Dictionary.com because I hadn't seen it used very often in print). It's a huge challenge, one I am scared of, but as my last journal had printed on it "Always do what you are afraid to do. - Ralph Waldo Emerson" It's the fear I must over come because otherwise I will stay stuck just right where I am, and I am really sick and tired of being stuck here!

Tipping point

All avid readers know when the tipping point has been reached in the reading of a book. The term itself is defined as "the crisis stage in a process." This morning I reached that point in the book I have currently been reading The Almond Picker. I simply had to sit down and finish the book. I had about 50 pages to go. I wrote the other day that this story turned into a mystery and I was anxiously waiting for the explanation to the central character's backstory which drove the plot of this book. I won't spoil it for you but I never saw it coming. The author crafty the story so well that I would never have guessed what was coming. A most excellent read.

As for the reader's tipping point, there have been many a day or late night spent voraciously finishing off a book. There's nothing like a good read. On to the next book. Wish me luck with getting anything else in my life done.

How I read, let me count the ways....

Observing the pile of books on the night stand this morning made me think of all the reasons that I read and how each of the books in the pile serve a different reading purpose.  First there is The Almond Picker, a book for enjoyment. This story takes place in Sicly during the months of September and October of 1963. I'm a little more than half way through and it proving to be an unexpected pleasure. The plot revolves around a woman with the nickname of Mennulara, "the almond picker," who has died in the very first paragraph of the first chapter. Since then Mennulara's character and life story has been revealed to me through the myriad of perspectives held by the people of her village. There's a mystery involved in all of it and the clues are being dropped one by one. I look forward to the denouement when all will be made clear.

Second in the pile is The Gifts of Imperfection: Let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are (whew, some title). I read for self discovery, self improvement, for healing, and spiritual development.  In these months following my father and great aunt's deaths, I have explored what various authors have had to say on grief and identity. Then there is the fact that I have reach that time in life (yes middle age is upon me) when one is reflecting on where one has been and where will one go from here. I'm about three quarters through this book and love the fact that I am not alone going through this process, the author and the many subjects that she interviewed as part of her research have all blazed the path ahead of me. Lesson learned, or rather re-learned in a recent chapter is the practice of gratitude and the impact it can have in your life. I'm grateful to be reminded that there are pieces of joy spread all around me I but have to look.

Lastly in the pile is The Poisoner's Handbook:Murder and the birth of forensic medicine in Jazz Age New York. Strange you may think, but hey I'm a nerd at heart. I read to learn, to keep up to date in science, and to teach. I'm always on the look out to find ways to connect the science curriculum I teach to the "real world." I try to find ways to answer the, "why do I need to know this?" question. I love to pepper my lessons with tidbits from history, from current events and research, or personal experience.

I'm sure there are plenty of more reasons that I read, but now it's time to put away the iPad and pick up a book. Now which one should I read tonight?

Audiobooks

Not all of my reading requires the turning of a page. Several years ago now when the technology was cassette tapes listened to in the car or with a Walkman, I discovered audiobooks by Recorded Books at my local library. I fell in love with this form of "reading." I could read while driving. I could read while out for a walk or working in the garden. I could read while doing housework or cooking dinner. I could read while doing my cross-stitching. It was just so wonderful. The Audio editions publishers were the source of my all time favorite author Agatha Christie. You'd have thought I had died and gone to heaven.

Today the technology is more advanced, audiobooks for the iPod or iPhone. You can buy titles from iTunes or borrow titles from the library using Overdrive. There is certainly a different aspect to listening to a story being read to you. If you are an auditory learner it stimulates the brain in a different way than reading text does. One of the best parts of the audiobook experience is the narrator. Some can make you believe there is a whole cast of characters performing the book for you. Unfortunately, every once in a while you come across a dull narrator, most often when the author does his/her own readings (sorry authors that's why you write and not act). Can't wait to see what the future of audiobooks will be, but for now, they allow me to get even more reading done plus a whole lot more.