Book Nook Club: food

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February 9, 2012

GIVEAWAY: Hot Chocolate by Dawn Ireland (Closed)

This giveaway is closed and the lucky winner is....Margaret at singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Chocolate, mystery, and murder…what else could a reader want from a book? Well, Dawn Ireland delivers that and more in her most recent book, “Hot Chocolate.” Centering on the Alcott daughters, heirs to the Alcott Chocolate fortune, “Hot Chocolate” begins as the sisters agree to move their 92-year-old father to a senior assisted living facility. They also agree to fire his nurse, Bambi, who resembles a hooker more than a caregiver. While Bambi departs without a fuss and graciously accepts her severance package, her husband, Jimmy Ray, does not go so quietly.

Demanding they sue the Alcott family, Jimmy Ray believes they have a slam-dunk case. However, the judge sees through their greed and quickly dismisses the frivolous suit. While the Alcotts celebrate their good fortune, some mysterious individual murders Jimmy Ray at his bowling alley. Bambi deals with her grief, and the Alcott sisters try to digest the latest discovery in Jimmy Ray’s murder: the murder weapon was a prized fork belonging to Dorothea Alcott.

As the murderer’s identity comes closer to being revealed, the reader is kept guessing along with the Alcotts at what will happen next. All the while, delicious dishes, such as Lila Mae’s famous café mocha and Amelia’s (Lila Mae’s housekeeper) chicken and corn gumbo, make appearances at pivotal moments in the plot. Ireland cleverly places all of these yummy recipes at the end of “Hot Chocolate” so that the reader can fully immerse themselves in the interesting world of the Alcotts. Certain to not disappoint, the Alcott sisters act as any siblings would: fighting, joking, and working together, with unique personalities and quirks. The mystery of Jimmy Rae’s murder will keep the reader guessing until the very end and certainly will provide laughs and gasps along the way.

Want to delve into the book and discover the murderer as well as try the scrumptious recipes? Reply to this post by midnight EST on Thursday, February 16 to win a free eBook copy of “Hot Chocolate.”

4.5 stars

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October 19, 2011

Folks, This Ain't Normal by Joel Salatin

In Folks, This Ain't Normal, Joel Salatin describes how the lives we lead in the 21st century are just not normal. The way we view food needs, food quantities, conservation, the environment and even our families are unlike those of any other time in history before us.

When we take a look back into history, just 75 years ago, we see that things were done very differently. Some of this change has been great... the advancements in medication, simplicities of transportation, etc. But with this change, other issues have arisen and our world is facing the consequences of poor management for the past century. Salatin says that the way we do things today, and our mentality about these things, "just ain't normal". In his book, he outlines practical steps to return to normalcy.

Joel Salatin knows what he's talking about. He was one of the featured farmers on a little documentary (perhaps you've heard of it) Food Inc. He is also a distributor for the national food chain, Chipotle and runs a magnificent farm, Polyface.

Personally, I found this book to be so interesting, but a little too detailed. Truth is, I'm not a farmer... and although I'd like to make small steps to become more "green", I can't see myself doing some of the stuff he recommends. And, that's just the problem he speaks about... people like me, normal non-farmers, who are not willing to make a change. Eh.

He goes into extreme detail about forestry and the different needs for the different trees. I don't know the difference between a palm and a pine (ok maybe that one, but you know..). He talks for page after page after page about manure. I don't need to know all that crap about... crap. He challenges us suburbanites to get 2 chickens in our backyards. No thanks. He goes bananas on people who play video games. He calls women to their proper place... the kitchen. He tells us we shouldn't rely on supermarkets to supply our food, but should have a years supply in our basement. Although true, that's quite a task!

Although the book was really interesting, some of it was just hard to swallow. I think this book would be great for agricultural buffs, real greenies (not the farmers market kind), and people ready to make BIG changes. For me, it read a little like a text book and was hard to get through... in fact, I only made it 60% through.

I'm not going to rate this one with stars... that would be unfair. This just wasn't the book for me, but it may be for you. Give it a try... at the very least, you'll learn something completely new. And, who knows? Maybe you'll get inspired!

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
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May 5, 2011

Holy Guacamole by Dan and Denise Harmer

What do you get when you cross a washed-up sports writer, the queen of cuisine, and a couple of Mexican thugs? A great read for Cinco De Mayo - Holy Guacamole by Dan and Denise Harmer.

The story is set in Baja California and stars washed-up sports writer, Trace, as he enters into Bonnie Miller's culinary boot camp. The boot camp days are short-lived as Trace helps Bonnie to clear up something in her past, and they both get caught in a quick and crazy Mexican adventure full of mud, murder, and mischief.

This is a quick read, and a fun one for foodies, who will enjoy all of culinary references. However, that was one of the only bright spots I found in the novel. The plot was low-caliber, the characters weren't particularly exciting to me, and the romance just wasn't believable. The story did move along quickly and kept you guessing for the most part, but I found that even at the end of the novel I really didn't care a ton about what happened to anyone.

The only other bright spot that was kind of haphazardly thrown in at the end of the book was the idea of redemption, forgiveness, and living our lives for other people rather than getting sucked into the vanity of fame and fortune. Always a good theme, even if a little misplaced. An okay debut novel for the authors but if you're looking for a culinary adventure, I would stick to Josi Kilpatrick's Devil's Food Cake and other culinary mysteries.

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March 19, 2010

Devil's Food Cake by Josi Kilpack

It's been years since author Thom Mortenson has been back to Garrison, Colorado. As part of the library fundraising committee, who invited him to speak, Sadie Hoffmiller wants everything to be perfect—right down to the homemade Devil’s Food Cake she made herself. Murder, however, was not on the menu. Sadie's detective boyfriend doesn't "need" Sadie's help with the investigation so she starts one of her own.

The best part about Devil's Food Cake is that it's written as a "culinary mystery." Rather than just a hilarious story with laugh out loud characters, you get recipes for the delicious dishes that Sadie is serving to the suspects. So right after Sadie describes the decadent devil's food cake they are eating at the fundraiser, you get to turn the page and make it yourself. And I am definitely planning to make some of them myself because they all sounded delicious. I originally thought that adding the recipes into the book would be somewhat distracting, but it's actually perfect and an idea I wish I would've thought of myself. It's a way for you to connect more with the novel and get into Sadie's head. Not that you really need any help because her character fits the ever present busybody small town middle-aged woman.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The mystery kept me guessing, and the writing kept me laughing. I'd say it was a delicious combination and would recommend this one to anyone really. Just be prepared to crave sweets after. 4 stars

**I was given this book to review by Pump Up Your Book Promotions. This is my honest opinion.

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May 18, 2009

An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage

Tom Standage’s AN EDIBLE HISTORY OF HUMANITY is exactly that--it is a digestible broad account of humanity through the scope of food. The book is broken up into sections that explain how time and again food changed the face of humanity. For example food is credited with civilization, exploration, and industrialization. Since humans have to eat, this book not only explores the evolution of food, but also how food helped evolve culture. This would be a great book for students at online universities who are earning degrees in nutrition or culinary arts.

Standage is particularly apt at explaining terms, and theories so the book is an informative introduction to beginning food historians. He’s also included some helpful illustrations, charts and photos. The writing tends toward academic, and the breadth of tens of thousands of years of human consumption leaves little room for detailing more than a few examples. He does take some under substantiated leaps in his theories, but the man managed to condense the known history of food into just over 270 pages. This book does compactly explain everything one should know about food history, so if you think Maize is a natural wonder or need to brush up on your facts about the effects of fertilization, definitely pick this up.

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May 8, 2009

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Normally when I write a review on here my thoughts are somewhat organized, but not this time. Now I have to write a review that has been colored by Jacki's opinion on it from a few days ago. Before her review I was completely prepared to write a glowing review, and after reading her thoughts I felt that I should look at it more critically.

Jacki's complaints (if I recall correctly, I am being lazy and not re-reading her review) were that Kingsolver was sanctimonious and preachy, and that the information she presents is nothing new. That part of it is subjective; it was completely new to me. I knew that organic foods are supposed to be better and healthier, but I didn't know about the ethical issues behind it and the sinister actions of the big farm culture. So for people like me, I think this was very informative on a variety levels, and has definitely inspired me to look at new ways of doing things. As I read the book I read several pieces out loud to Brad, and now he's reading it, which is a very rare event. Usually if Brad "reads" a book it's an audiobook that plays in the background while he plays a video game and watches a movie simultaneously. If I can get Brad to read a book, it must be some kind of book indeed.

As far as being sanctimonious and preachy, I did not get that from Kingsolver herself. In fact in more than one place she says that she realizes not everyone has a way to garden, much less a 40 acre farm, and jokes about how it must seem so easy for someone like her to do this for a year but she recognizes that we don't all have the resources she does. Her daughter Camille's pieces at the end of each chapter though I found highly preachy and condescending. I just know if I met Camille IRL I'd hate her guts. She strikes me as very priveleged, stuck up, and a real know-it-all. In her defense though, she was only 19 or so when she wrote the pieces, and may have just been trying to live up to her revered mother and her place in life as the daughter of a celebrated author.

I found this book fascinating. Beyond the information about genetically modified foods and such, I know NOTHING about gardening or farm life, and I loved how she not only described her actions and routines in the garden, but told stories about her relationships with different vegetables and such. I also really enjoyed reading about the progress of her younger daughter's chicken business and her own efforts to get turkeys to have sex. Also I never knew cheese was so easy to make, and have reserved a book at the library about cheese making so I can try it.

I have read most of Kingsolver's books, starting when I was in high school. I loved her first three, usually referred to as her Arizona books, but I was bewildered by Prodigal Summer and The Poisonwood Bible. I know many people think of The Poisonwood Bible as an amazing and beautiful work, but I found it annoying and overlong. In those two books her voice had completely changed from the Barbara Kingsolver I knew and loved. She had turned from a lovable down-home but wonderfully enlightening persona to a professorial type obsessed with moths and trees. In Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, she brings both of these personalities together.

There are two things I wish she'd done differently. I wish she'd kept her husband and daughter out of it, they only muddled things up. Also at the end of the book she mentions that a lot had happened during the year in their lives, but none of that came up in the meat of the book while it was happening. It was all gardening and animals and dinner parties. I think if she'd included some of the events of their lives, it would have been an extremely long book, but it would also have been a better one, and might even give me a better opinion of her daughter.

I highly recommend this book for anyone that is curious about the organic movement but doesn't know much about it. I also recommend it for those who aren't interested in the organic movement because they know nothing about it. This book will turn you around, no question.

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May 3, 2009

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

For some time now I have been interested in the local food movement...eating more in-season, locally grown produce and meats. Being an engineer who loves to learn and research new things, I have read my fair share of articles and books about it lately.

This is for three reasons...first, I am trying to get my family away from the frozen, canned, and boxed foods. If I can make it from scratch, I will. If I can make it taste even that much better with freshly grown ingredients, I will.

Second, I am really interested in supporting the local farmers. We live in an agriculturally rich county here in Virginia, and I do think it is a shame that we don't take advantage of that.

Third...now that we own our own home, I am going to convert some of our backyard into a garden. Not only will we save money at the grocery store, but it will get us out of the house, away from the TV and computer. It's therapeutic, and I think it will be good for our daughter to learn how food grows.

So I was quite looking forward to reading this book about a family who moves from Arizona to our area here in Virginia, in order to live off the land. And by that, I mean they literally only eat what they can either produce themselves or buy from the local farmers markets. No tropical fruits, no strawberries in December, that sort of thing. No trips to the grocery store for Twinkies or Cheerios.

And sad to say, I was disappointed in the book. While I agree with her central theme of the book, that it is best to eat locally grown foods and that the corporate food industry is wreaking havoc on our health and the environment, I could not make it past the 5th chapter in the book.

For one thing, not only did she write in a very condescending, "our family is holier than thou that shop at chain grocery stores" manner, but she also didn't know when to stop writing about a certain topic. She rambled way too much in my opinion.

Maybe I had a hard time with this book because it was also too preachy. Yes, it would be wonderful if we could all be rich, live on our own little farms, and not have to work 9-5 jobs. But in reality, it isn't practical for the majority of people to grow their own foods, and many more can't afford to be able to eat organic, locally grown foods.

If you are interested in the "locavore" movement, I would recommend reading something along The Omnivore's Dilemma.

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April 19, 2009

Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen

I do not remember how I stumbled upon Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen, but I am so glad that I did. It is a heart-wrenching (though not unbearably so) and heart-warming story of an unwed mother set in England during the early 1800's. It was quite the page-turner. This is not because it is suspenseful really but because I really liked the main character, Charlotte Lamb, and wanted to know what became of her.

It is a story of womanly issues (childbirth, breastfeeding, a mother's sacrifice) so I doubt many men would like the book. On the other hand, being an ex-doula and current childbirth educator, it was right up my alley. It was fascinating to see how far we have come in many ways. It was refreshing to read a tale of maternal sacrifice when so often children are treated as talking pets in our society.

Honor and romance also figure into the story. It pits the flattery and eye-lash batting kind against the thoughtful and subtler kind. It shows love as doing what is best for the other person. It shows marriage as a commitment and a tender thing between a man and a woman.

This book also made me think about the balance between God's grace and a world of consequences. It is a thought provoking book in many respects, yet it is not preachy.

I gladly give this book 5 stars.

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March 24, 2009

Stress Eater Diet by Robert B. Posner and Linda Hilvka

I was given Stress Eater Diet by Robert Posner and Linda Hilvka to review while I was still doing Weight Watchers. It's amazing how all diet books stay the same thing to lose weight- eat less, exercise more. But this books puts it all in a great way, comical even. From the image on the front cover to the decorative fonts throughout the book, the book just says relax and have fun- stress less.

The other thing I realized while reading this book was that I am not particularly stressed. And when I am stressed, I don't eat. I eat when I'm bored, not stressed. But this book did serve as a good reminder to a lot of things I've learned about weight loss including a lot of great tips like these:

Drink more water
Eat more protein
Eat low calorie snacks often (string cheese, fruits, yogurt, etc.)
Do resistance/weight training
Use interval training
Fidget
Get enough sleep
Stop eating when you're full
Don't engage in other activities while eating and don't eat quickly.

There wasn't a whole lot in this book that I hadn't heard in other places, but it was written in an entertaining and fun-to-read style that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would recommend this book to anyone that is looking for ways to revamp their lifestyles to lose a little weight or just get healthier. Or on the flip side of that, anyone that is looking to decrease their stress even just a little. It really was a fun and easy read, and I'll keep it on my bookshelf to look through tips every now and again.

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February 6, 2009

Food Matters by Mark Bittman

Over the past couple of years I have become environmentally friendly. I conserve as much water and electricity as I can. I recycle everything I can. I try to condense all my shopping trips so not to use a lot of gas. That sort of thing.

So when I read about this book by Mark Bittman, boasting that I can help reduce the effects of global warming by changing the way I eat, I was curious.

Before I go on, let me clarify that I am not a global warming fanatic. Nor am I a total granola person. I am not going to water my garden with my own pee, and I like my air conditioning in the summer. But I will change the way I do something if it makes sense.

That said, I am interested in learning how government policy, big business marketing, and global economics influence the way we eat, and how it affects the environment.

Mark Bittman's basic premise can be summarized by saying eat less meat (especially beef, since it takes a whole lot of energy to raise and process cattle) and eat more whole grains and vegetables. When you do this, you will improve your health and help reduce global warming.

This is something we already do on a weekly basis. We really only eat beef 2 or 3 days a week. The rest is chicken, pastas and vegetables. So nothing new there!

I was, however, a more than a little disappointed in the book. Three-fourths of it was nothing but his recipes, leaving only the first 75 pages to actual reading material. And much of that was repetitive. There was nothing really ground-breaking or scholarly about it. No big studies on the food industry and how our food is actually produced. It seemed to be a little rushed. I was literally able to read the book in an hour. Glad I got it from the library!

Overall, I would recommend this book only if you have not read anything at all about the link between the food industry and the degradation of our environment. Otherwise, I would recommend you read In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan (which I will review soon).

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January 30, 2009

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Riechl

Have you ever wanted to get into the mind of a restaurant critic? Or a spy? I don't think it would be on the top of my priority list, but my DC book club picked this book for January's book. The book is written by Ruth Riechl, a New York Times' restaurant critic for six years. The book is about her experience as an undercover restaurant critic.

When Ruth got on a plane to move to New York she was immediately recognized by a woman that worked in the restaurant industry. Every restaurant in NYC had posted Ruth's picture in their kitchens so they all knew who the new critic was. As soon as Ruth found this out she enlisted the help of a famous costume artist in New York, an old family friend who helped her design her first costume.

This book is about her experiences going to restaurants dressed as herself and different people. It includes real restaurant reviews that were published in the New York Times as well as some of her favorite recipes. She describes the food and restaurant in delectable detail that makes you want to try out the restaurants she ventures into. Her writing is intriguing and really takes you into the midst of being a critic, or a spy.

There were two things I loved about this book and neither had anything to do with her actual reviews or writing. One of my favorite parts was her different disguises and her perfect descriptions of how differently people act depending on who they're dealing with. For instance at one point she dresses as a homely old woman that she calls "invisible." She's seated at the worst table and cannot get service to save her life. On the other hand when she walks in as a gorgeous and sophisticated blond, taxis are fighting to drive her to the restaurant. It's a true story, and it's both heartbreaking and humorous to see the difference in treatment.

The second thing I loved about this book was for me how relatable it was. That may not be the case for everyone, but I've done a lot of service evaluation in settings including upscale restaurants. I've been given the chance to dine in restaurants that I would never fit into otherwise. I get the chance to act a part just like Ruth, and I love to see the different levels of service. It really is like playing an undercover part by blending right in. I related to this part of Ruth's book immensely, and that was the high point of this book.

I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys good food and a good story about human identity and relationships. I really enjoyed it, although for different reasons than most.

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February 9, 2012

GIVEAWAY: Hot Chocolate by Dawn Ireland (Closed)

October 19, 2011

Folks, This Ain't Normal by Joel Salatin

May 5, 2011

Holy Guacamole by Dan and Denise Harmer

March 19, 2010

Devil's Food Cake by Josi Kilpack

May 18, 2009

An Edible History of Humanity by Tom Standage

May 8, 2009

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

May 3, 2009

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

April 19, 2009

Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen

March 24, 2009

Stress Eater Diet by Robert B. Posner and Linda Hilvka

February 6, 2009

Food Matters by Mark Bittman

January 30, 2009

Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Riechl

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