Announcement: Our Next Four Selections

It's that time of our virtual book club's cycle when we unveil the next four books selected by the co-hosts. This time, however, there is a twist: read on and you'll know more.
As always, we hope the reading will delight and inspire you. Ready? Let's go!

---

Claudia (Honey from Rock) opens the series: for the December 2024 / January 2025 edition, she chose C Pam Zhang’s novel Land of Milk and Honey (September 2023)

I had almost gone with another selection when I read some reviews on this book. Though outside of my usual reading choices, dystopian/ sci-fi, it just provoked such curiosity and interest, that I thought you all might want to give it a try as well! This is not a pandemic novel per se, but it did grow out of the pandemic. Unfolding in a near future. 

From the Publishers: 

A smog has spread. Food crops are rapidly disappearing. A chef escapes her dying career in a dreary city to take a job at a decadent mountaintop colony seemingly free of the world's troubles. There, the sky is clear again. Rare ingredients abound. Her enigmatic employer and his visionary daughter have built a lush new life for the global elite, one that reawakens the chef to the pleasures of taste, touch, and her own body. In this atmosphere of hidden wonders and cool, seductive violence, the chef's boundaries undergo a thrilling erosion. Soon she is pushed to the center of a startling attempt to reshape the world far beyond the plate.

Claudia, Honey From Rock

Deadline for contributing your post is Friday, January 31, 2025

---

For the February / March 2025 edition, Debra (Eliot's Eats) has chosen the memoir Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten (October 2024)

I really hadn’t thought of Ina Garten much these past few years and then this summer I reviewed Cooking in Real Life by Lidey Heuck. (Lidey was an assistant for Ina for many years.) Then I heard a recent interview with Ina on Fresh Air promoting her upcoming memoir. I pre-ordered it. I had no idea that she had worked in the White House, that she spontaneously bought a specialty food shop in the Hamptons, and that she was a very reluctant FoodNetwork Star. I guess I wasn’t much of a fan girl back in the days of The Barefoot Contessa. Long story short… my selection is Ina’s most recent book. From the publisher:

Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices, and exquisite attention to detail. In her unmistakable voice (no one tells a story like Ina), she brings her past and her process to life in a high-spirited and no-holds-barred memoir that chronicles decades of personal challenges, adventures (and misadventures) and unexpected career twists, all delivered with her signature combination of playfulness and purpose. From a difficult childhood to meeting the love of her life, Jeffrey, and marrying him while still in college, from a boring bureaucratic job in Washington, D.C., to answering an ad for a specialty food store in the Hamptons, from the owner of one Barefoot Contessa shop to author of bestselling cookbooks and celebrated television host, Ina has blazed her own trail and, in the meantime, taught millions of people how to cook and entertain. Now, she invites them to come closer to experience her story in vivid detail and to share the important life lessons she learned along the way: do what you love because if you love it you’ll be really good at it, swing for the fences, and always Be Ready When the Luck Happens.

I hope you’re inspired by one of her personal tales like “1000 Baguettes” or “It’s Always Cocktail Hour in a Crisis." Perhaps you’ll choose a recipe from one of her thirteen cookbooks! Regardless, I think this will be a fun and interesting read.

Debra, Eliot's Eats

Deadline for contributing your post is Monday, March 31, 2025

---

For the April / May 2025 edition Simona (briciole) chose the novel The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson (May 2024)

Recently, upon returning a book to the library via the Libby app, I was offered the option to "skip the line" and borrow a sought-after novel with a long, intriguing title. I accepted the offer and soon I found myself drawn to the story and even more so to its historical background: the period post-WWI and the challenges it posed to women, war veterans and the UK at large.

From the publisher:

It is the summer of 1919 and Constance Haverhill is without prospects. Now that all the men have returned from the front, she has been asked to give up her cottage and her job at the estate she helped run during the war. While she looks for a position as a bookkeeper or—horror—a governess, she’s sent as a lady’s companion to an old family friend who is convalescing at a seaside hotel... 

But things are more complicated than they seem in this sunny pocket of English high society. As the country prepares to celebrate its hard-won peace, Constance and the women of the club are forced to confront the fact that the freedoms they gained during the war are being revoked. 

While the novel is not food-oriented, it includes a number of references to foods. I hope it will provide inspiration and above all an interesting reading. 

Simona, briciole

Deadline for contributing your post: Saturday, May 31, 2025.

---

To round up the list of selections, for June / July 2025 we have a book we are calling The Mystery Selection by "details to be revealed in due time."

?

---

Remember that membership in our book club is open to anyone and we hope you will join us by reading these selections and creating inspired recipes. For more information about participating, click here.  

As always, specific announcement posts can be found at Cook the Books at the beginning of each two-month period and the current selection is always shown on the right side of the homepage.

To recap:

---

December 2024 / January 2025: Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang (hosted by Claudia at Honey from Rock)

February / March 2025: Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten (hosted by Debra at Eliot's Eats)

April / May 2025: The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson (hosted by Simona at briciole)

June / July 2025: The Mystery Selection by "details to be revealed in due time"

Happy reading and cooking!

 

Secret Life of Bees Round Up

Thanks to all that participated in this crossover event with Movies & Munchies. While The Secret Life of Bees is bittersweet, the recipes were definitely on the sweet side this round.

Here's what our creative crew posted:

Amy's Cooking Adventure was first up with Honey Cookies. Amy rated the book four stars and thought, "The movie followed the novel fairly well, but I felt the book was more nuanced and the movie was rushed and skipped key character development." Because honey played a vital role, she wanted to make something with honey.

Amy says, "These cookies are soft, chewy, and have a distinct honey flavor, offering a delightful twist on the classic sugar cookie."

Claudia from Honey From Rock enjoyed the novel and wondered how she had missed it. She also did some apian research on the "suicidal life" of male bees. Check it out. Fascinating. As she had lots of bananas (and May was obsessed with bananas), she mad this lovely Banana Almond Cake. 

Claudia enjoyed the book and "especially loved the account of 14 year old Lily springing her nanny from the hospital lockdown, after she was beaten up for daring to attempt voting!"

Wendy, from A Day in the Life on the Farm, participated in both events with one recipe. (Aside:  she was really busy hiking the AT!)  This was the third time for Wendy to read the novel and she enjoyed it "each and every time." It was her second time to watch the film. She knew she wanted to do something with honey and shared a classic recipe for Honeycomb Candy.

Marg from The Intrepid Reader & Baker gives an insightful synopsis of the book. It had been on her TBR list for some time: "I know that I bought this book off the 3 for 2 table at Borders (remember them?) which tells you how long ago it was." She sums up the importance of the novel by writing: "This is a book that shines a light on important events, but it is also filled with heart, and I am glad to finally have read it!" After much deliberation, Marg shared a recipe for Honey Sponge Roll. 

Culinary Cam thought the novel was a breeze to read BUT: 

The premise, I'll be honest, felt more than a little hackneyed - a motherless girl with a bigoted, abusive father on a peach farm in South Carolina. The book's saving grace: Kidd's prose. Her writing - the voice, the pacing, the diction - is all captivating. So even if the story was predictable and you literally cringe from the teenage angst and racial clichés, it was a joy to read. On the run with her black housekeeper, Rosaleen, Lily's story reminded me of something Mark Twain would have written except with female protagonists.

Camilla skipped the honey slant and was inspired by some of the savory meals, specifically the funeral meal. She posted Smoked Paprika Deviled Eggs. 

Terri from A Good Life posted a pretty extensive article about cooking with honey and whipped up a lovely honey-cornbread. 

Terri writes:

I first read the book with my book club group, and then when the movie came out we saw the movie together, too. We cried so much in our discussion. Our discussion centered around racism, love and the acceptance of people for who they are.  The movie is so beautifully acted by Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Alicia Keyes, Jennifer Hudson, and others (May!) and there were many tears shed during the show.  We all loved the book, and we all loved the movie, even though there were differences.  

She also quotes August Boatwright: "Love can't exist in a hateful time."  This sentiment is one to be remembered always.

A huge apology to Simone because I missed her post. Remedying that NOW: Simone from briciole posted a savory meal for us. Her Bean, Tomato, Sweet Pepper and Corn Salad 

is a great late summer meal. 

Simona's thoughts on the movie and the novel are below:

I can see how the novel became a bestseller (and a movie): individual lives play out in a small corner of the American south against the backdrop of the civil rights' movement. Rosaleen gets assaulted at the beginning of the novel for wanting to register to vote, following the passing of the Civil Rights Act. It's a bit slow-moving at times, like poured honey.

She also segues and gives us a tour of Tiburon, CA. (Tiburon, SC was the setting for the novel and movie.)  Check it out. 

I'm rounding out the posts with another honey based cookie: Honey Cornbread Cookies. 

I wanted to do something with honey, of course, and I originally decided to do a honey cornbread. But after some consideration for The Hubs (who wanted cookies) and a couple of internet searches, I landed on Honey-Cornbread Cookies. I adapted a Crumbl cookie copycat recipe. I’m not sure that I’ve had those specific Crumbl cookies, but this rendition is pretty darn good. My recipe is adapted and I used all butter (no shortening), added cinnamon, and sprinkled turbinado sugar on top. I also adapted the instructions a bit.

Thanks to all who participated in either of these two-fers (Movies & Munchies AND Cook the Books).  The October/November Cook the Books selection is the memoir Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (April 2021). Simona of  briciole is hosting. 

Happy Fall Ya'all!

October/November selection: Crying in H Mart

For the October / November 2024 edition I chose the memoir Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (April 2021)

In August 2018, the author had an essay published on The New Yorker with the same title. It starts thus:

Ever since my mom died, I cry in H Mart. For those of you who don’t know, H Mart is a supermarket chain that specializes in Asian food. The “H” stands for han ah reum, a Korean phrase that roughly translates to “one arm full of groceries.” H Mart is where parachute kids go to get the exact brand of instant noodles that reminds them of home. It’s where Korean families buy rice cakes to make tteokguk, a beef soup that brings in the new year. It’s the only place where you can find a giant vat of peeled garlic, because it’s the only place that truly understands how much garlic you’ll need for the kind of food your people eat. H Mart is freedom from the single-aisle “ethnic” section in regular grocery stores.

From the book review on NPR:

[Crying in H Mart] powerfully maps a complicated mother-daughter relationship cut much too short. Stories of Korean food serve as the backbone of the book, as Zauner plumbs the connections between food and identity. That search takes on new urgency after her mother's death — in losing her mother, she also lost her strongest tether to Korean culture.

I'm looking forward to learning more about Korean cuisine. 

Simona, briciole

Deadline for contributing your post: Saturday, November 30, 2024.

 

Leave a comment below with a link to your post or email me at simosite AT mac DOT com

Note: I borrowed the book from the library. Both the ebook and the audio version had long waiting lists. If you also plan to borrow the book, I recommend you check your library soon.

---

Remember that membership in our book club is open to anyone and we hope you will join us by reading these selections and creating inspired recipes. New participants are always welcome and so are returning ones. For more information about participating, click here.  

Family Tree: The Round-Up

Well, I have to say that I had forgotten enough of this novel, Family Tree, by Susan Wiggs, our just completed selection from Cook the Books Club, that it was as engrossing on the second go around as when  I read it several years ago. I read a lot of books, and this storyline seemed to me a true original. The experiences Annie goes through, her tremendous losses, a fight to regain memory, the recovery from a coma, etc. On the upside of that, and the positive ending, I really enjoyed learning about all the workings of a maple tree farm and how maple syrup is made.

Here's the Booklist Review:

"Don't mess with success. That is what Annie Rush tells herself. The Key Ingredient, the cooking show she created, which stars her husband, Martin Harlow, is wildly successful. So does it really matter if Martin occasionally strays from the show's original vision? Although Annie would like to have been in front of the camera, she must admit that viewers love Martin's perky cohost, Melissa Barrett. Then Annie arrives on the set of the show with wonderful news to share with Martin and discovers him in a private meeting with Melissa. Annie walks away, then suffers a tragic accident. Now, one year later, she is back home in Switchback, Vermont, wondering if she can reassemble the pieces of her life. Best-selling Wiggs (Starlight on Willow Lake, 2015) writes with a seemingly effortless sense of grace about what breaks families apart as well as what brings them back together. Add this to her gift for crafting exquisitely nuanced characters as well as her flair for perfectly capturing the rhythm of life in a small town, and you have a soul-satisfying story..."

Now, we'll jump right in with The Roundup of posts from everyone who participated. These are just teasers so be sure to click onto them for the reviews and recipes! 

First up we had Marge, The Intrepid Reader and Baker who made a Maple Butter Date Loaf, which sounds absolutely delicious! She said: "This was a very easy to read book, very food forward, and there were a lot of delicious sounding foods. I loved how passionate Annie was from a very young age, and this passion was very clear as we heard the story of how The Key Ingredient came to be the show it was."

Next Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures brought us her own Grandma's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and said "this was an enjoyable read. It follows Annie through 2 timelines, before and after her accident as she remembers her past and recovers from her accident....Through it all, her family is there for her, especially memories of her grandmother.  It seemed like the perfect recipe to share!"

Then I, Claudia of Honey from Rock brought Frosted Maple Bars to the table, and shared that "Annie Rush, goes through so much loss in her story! Totally unique and devastating experiences, that would wipe most of us out! But, going through them, along with her gave me an insider's glimpse of something I had never thought about, of what it would be like waking from a year long coma, learning again who you are, and what had happened. Basically starting over with a new life.

Wendy, of A Day in the Life on the Farm,  came in next with a yummy batch of Salted Maple Caramel Corn with Nuts.  Wow!  I want some of that fun take on Cracker Jacks.  She said "It is a story of love, determination, and hope. Annie is a cook, first and foremost and many of her recipes feature the Maple Syrup for which her family is known.

Then, next to last, Debra of Eliot's Eats brought us an upscale version of Mac 'n Cheese with White Wine, Cherry Tomatoes and Herbs, saying, "This is a great summer (or fall) read. I really enjoyed the majority of the book but the final section left me wanting. Wanting I don’t know what. It’s a predictable book but the characters kept me interested and going.

And, finally Simona of Briciole prepared us a lovely dish of Shishito Peppers with cheese!  (My favorite pepper)  She mentioned "At the beginning Annie is the producer of a TV cooking show called The Key Ingredient, starring her husband. At the end, she produces and stars in a food webcast called Starting from Scratch. I don't watch television nor webcasts, so have no experience of either genres. Still, I played a game in my mind, imagining what I would do if I were given the chance to host a food-centric show. I decided that I'd probably roam farmers markets and interview farmers and also stop at farm stands and do a live version of the still lifes with produce I've been composing and photographing for some time.

I believe that's everyone, and please let me know if anyone was left out.  Next up we're reading The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, and hosted by Debra of Eliot's Eats. Please join in with us here at Cook the Books.

Aloha, Claudia

August/September Post: The Secret Life of Bees

Where has the summer gone? By the time the roundup for The Secret Life of Bees  by Sue Monk Kidd is posted, we will be well into the start of Fall (and pumpkin-spice season).

The Secret Life of Bees was published over twenty years ago. If you did read it in 2001 (it was a multi-million bestselling novel then), maybe it's time to reread it. The messages are still relevant.

About the book:

Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina—a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey...and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

The novel is our CTB selection for August/September. Posts are due by September 30, 2024. You can drop your link here in the comments or email eliotseats@gmail.com. 

I'm pleased to announce a crossover event with Movies & Munchies. The 2008 movie (with a young Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, and Alicia Keyes) will be the September feature film. Please consider joining our Movies & Munchies crew. We're on Facebook so you can reach out to us there or you can leave a message here if you're interested in joining. Everyone is welcome!

You can whip up a sweet treat for the book (anything with honey) and maybe a good Southern comfort food recipe for the film! You could even post once using the same recipe, just make sure it's in September.

Hope you enjoy!

Debra (Eliot's Eats)

Mastering the Art of French Murder: The Round-Up

It's time to round up the delicious dishes everyone made for our April/May pick, Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge. Whether we were enthusiastic about the book, or less so, we all still found some good inspiration by channeling our inner Julia Childs! 

Camilla of Culinary Cam said, "I wasn't sure what to expect when Deb picked this book. But it was the perfect mix of three of my favorite genres: historical fiction, foodie reads, and cozy mysteries. Set in Paris, this post-World War II story centers on Tabitha Knight, a recent transplant from Detroit, who lives across the street from Julia Child, yes, that Julia!" For her dish, Cam decided to tackle Julia's mayonnaise problem, saying, "Homemade mayonnaise is very different from the kind you find on the shelf of a grocery store. For one, homemade mayo is not white. It's creamy, almost yellow. Its flavor is subtle; the mere fact that is has flavor sets it apart from the grocery store variety!..." Luckily Camilla's mayo was a success!

Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoyed the book saying, "I just finished reading a fun murder mystery starring chef, Julia Child. The novel was purely fiction but portrayed the chef as a good friend of the protagonist in the story." Wendy mastered the art of French Hot Chocolate finding that "Drinking this cup of hot chocolate is like drinking a melted chocolate bar. It is dense and thick, like pudding that has yet to set. It is definitely comfort food, bringing back memories of scraping out the pot in which my mom made pudding and eating it before placing it in the sink for cleaning. It even started to form a skin as it cooled."

Claudia of Honey From Rock said, "I loved this truly enjoyable read, both from the mystery perspective as well as the enticing food and wine discussions." Her dish? Claudia said, "As usual with our Book Club, we take inspiration from the current reading selection, prepare a dish and post it. Mine had to be Julia's Ham with Madeira Sauce. Especially since I had a few slices left of a very good ham (organic, hormone free, humanely raised) that called for a delicious upgrade!  The cooking choices often seem so limited with ham."

Marg of The Intrepid Reader & Baker said, "When this book was announced as the current choice for Cook the Books, I was very pleased. I have been reading this author for years, following her through various identities and sub genres. I was also keen to read this because I loved the idea of having Julia Child as one of the characters." Marg went for classic Julia saying, "When it came to deciding which recipe to cook, there were so many options. I did consider trying to make mayonnaise, which I have never done before, and I considered making the omelette which Julia tried so hard to teach to Tabitha in the book. I still intend to try to do both, but in the end I decided on a classic French recipe, Boeuf Bourguignon."

*Picture borrowed from Tbsp.com

Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures found the book okay saying, "The “cozy mystery” follows Tabitha, a (fictional) neighbor of Julia Child, as she embarks on a mission to solve a murder.  There’s lots of great Julia Child food mentioned, but overall the story is a little campy. It’s a nice little beach read." For her dish Amy boldly went for Spinach & Ham Soufflé saying, "The soufflé was a challenge, but a great one, and successful!  Especially since I realized that what I’ve always called a round casserole dish is actually a soufflé dish - perfect! The soufflé both rose to great heights, was delicious and light as a feather, silky smooth to boot!  A success in my book!"

Simona of briciole said, "In post-war Paris, a woman is found murdered in the basement of the building where Paul and Julia Child live, and the murder weapon is a knife from Julia's kitchen. If this brief introduction sounds intriguing, you'll probably enjoy the book. I'm afraid I didn't find the novel believable."  For her contribution, Simona made Mixed Vegetables with Thyme saying, "The narrator, a young woman named Tabitha, lives with her grandfather not far from the Childs and befriends Julia. He grows a variety of herbs (erbe aromatiche) in his greenhouse... Thyme is probably my favorite herb and I use it with abandon, most recently on the first summer vegetables that have made their appearance at the farmers' market.Usually, I strip the leaves, but sometimes I add the sprigs (rametti) whole, and remove the almost bare stems at the end, before serving. The tenderest ones blend with the vegetables and are undetectable when eating."

Debra of Eliot's Eats said, "So I usually don’t like mysteries and I really, really don’t care for cozies. Maybe that’s why I forgot about reading this Cook the Books selection until May 29! In my head, I thought I had another month. Luckily, the ebook was immediately available from the library. Luckily, it’s a quick read." Debra also tackled the mayonnaise problem and made Julia's Blender Mayonnaise saying, "Of course, there’s an abundance of food in the novel and the standbys are mentioned like Julia’s revelation with Sole meunière, roasted chicken, a croissants. I just kept going back the her mayo crisis. In the first chapter, she wanted to make a mayo sauce with lots of herbs and toss it with pasta. That sounded perfect to me."

Finally, at Kahakai Kitchen, I was very late to the party (Bad Host!) but I did end up enjoying the book ( cozy mysteries, post-WWII France and Julia Child are all favorites of mine! I will read the next book in the series that just published in April soon. As time caught me, for my dish I ended up revisiting Julia's (Hot or Cold) Cream of Cucumber Soup from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. As it can be enjoyed either hot or cold, it's a great tradition into summer soup. 

I think I got all of the entires posted, but if I missed anyone, please let me know. Thank you all for your delicious and inspired dishes! I'll now turn it over to Claudia from Honey From Rock for our June/July selection, Family Tree, by Susan Wiggs.

Happy Reading, Cooking & Eating!

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen