Coming to My Senses: The Round-Up

We at Cook the Books Club have been reading and posting about Alice Waters' Memoir, Coming to My Senses, The Making of a Counterculture Cook.  And we have a fun selection of dishes here for our Round-Up meal, with quite a divergence of opinion on the book. Also, please forgive this Round-Up delay, caused by extreme computer issues! Be sure to visit the full posts, as these are only teasers.

 Believe it or not I (Claudia of Honey From Rock) was first to post, due only to the fact that I thought the posting deadline was closer than it was! :).  

Alice's restaurant premise was spot on, and there was some humor, together with a large selection of tempting meal descriptions.  I made a Garden Salad, inspired by Alice's own contribution to a gala New York Celebration of award winning restaurant owners.  She brought a salad!  On a special plate loaned her by James Beard.  

Next in was Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm, who prepared us a delicious medley of  Eggplant with Sweet Corn, using fresh local produce and fresh mint from her garden, all very Alice like in concept.

Cam, of Culinary Cam brought us Butter dipped and Salted Radishes.  Simplicity itself!  And of course fresh, tasty, and directly from the book, put together in true Alice style.

Amy, of Amy's Cooking Adventures made a Tarte Tatin!  Just fabulous in my humble opinion.  If you have apples available, then go for it.  She wasn't all that enthralled with the book, though was inspired by all the food mentions.

Debra of Eliotseats arrived with some yummy Grilled Chicken Breasts au Poivre, based on a recipe from the Chez Panisse Cookbook. Which Alice Waters' book she actually preferred.

Finally, Simona of Bricole prepared us a side dish of delightful Roasted Poblano Peppers and Corn.  I wish both of those grew better here in my own garden.  She mentioned that she doesn't "have any of Waters’s cookbooks, but I share her focus and delight in cooking with fresh, local, seasonal ingredients."  I think those of us who read the book would all agree with that sentiment. 

And, I hope you'll all read and enjoy our newest Book Club selection, Maame, hosted by Debra of Eliot's Eats.

Maame: October/November Selection

 Please join me in reading Maame by Jessica George for the October/November Cook the Books selection. 

About the book:

A Today Show #ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick

One of BookPage's Best Audiobooks of 2023

"The patchwork elements cooperate with one another both on the page and in the audiobook, thanks to Heather Agyepong’s elegant narration." —New York Times

"Maame is a deeply funny yet emotional novel that comes alive with narration. A great pick for the twenty-something trying to make their way in the world, this audiobook will have you laughing on your commute to work." —USA Today

"Sardonic, authentic, and a little bit sad, it moves along at a brisk pace. Compulsively listenable." —Vulture

Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman.

It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting.

When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But it's not long before tragedy strikes, forcing Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils—and rewards—of putting her life on the line.

Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Jessica George's Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong.

"Meeting Maame feels like falling in love for the first time: warm, awkward, joyous, a little bit heartbreaking and, most of all, unforgettable." —Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming

Author Jessica George was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield.

(Taken from the McMillian publishing site.)

As I prepare this post, I have not cracked open the cover...yet. But, I am excited to dig into this greatly reviewed book. I know there will be inspirations from Ghana cuisine as well as some UK food too perhaps. 

The deadline for posting is November 30. You can drop your link into the comments here. Please leave a comment below with your links. Happy reading.

Debra (Eliot's Eats)