The Baker's Daughter: Two Protagonists deserve Two Winners!

Hi guys!  Thank you so much for reading and cooking/baking along with my selection, The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy.  And I'm so excited that Sarah agreed to be our judge for this round.  Sarah told me that she had so much fun with all of the entries.  Here is what Sarah had to say, and he choice for the WINNER(s) of this round...

Dearest Cook the Book Clubbers,

A glimpse into my world: I sat down to judge this smorgasbord of entries 
with a hot cup of tea on the first truly fall morning in El Paso. 
There’s a nip in the air, which is as rare and magical in the desert as 
finding Bavarian treats. Additionally, my husband (Doc B) has just 
returned from deployment in Afghanistan. All this to say, I was in 
tremendous spirits to start! Yet somehow, you made me smile even 
more—and stoked my appetite to boot. Thank you all for these remarkable 
recipes, photos, and most significantly, the intimate and deeply 
thoughtful posts you wrote. I was moved by the family stories The 
Baker’s Daughter and its recipes called to mind in your own lives. Such 
an honor to have you as readers, bakers, and new friends.

Now, to the judging, which was no easy task considering I printed off 
every recipe to put in my family cookbook binder. With Doc B home now 
and his penchant for German foods, I can’t wait to try all of these in 
my own kitchen. Now, given that The Baker’s Daughter is a 
historical-contemporary hybrid novel with two protagonists, I thought it 
befitting that I’d have TWO winners. Here they are, in no particular 
order:

The Not So Cheesy Kitchen’s Zimt-Rosinen Schnecken (Cinnamon Raisin 
Rolls). This post masterfully provided not only an insightful summary of 
the book and a fascinating personal story (her grandfather’s Goering 
tale had me both laughing and wincing), but also awareness to food 
allergies. As an author diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2001, I’m a 
staunch proponent for wholesome eating and being proactive in one’s 
individual health. As the axiom goes: we are what we eat. And I believe 
that applies to both our bodies and imaginations! So I’m thrilled that 
The Not So Cheesy Kitchen gobbled my novel and baked a health-conscious 
recipe based on it. Bravo, Bea, my wonderful baking reader!

Kahakai Kitchen’s Milk & Honey Reisbrei (Rice Pudding) with a 
Bienenstich ("Bee Sting"). This entry had me licking my laptop screen. 
The photographs could’ve been the cover art for a gourmet magazine. 
Stunningly scrumptious! And just like one of my favorite foodie 
subscriptions, the images were only the visual accouterments to an 
amazing write-up. I was so impressed by Deb’s poetic book capsule, her 
intuitive review and use of literary quotes to explain how the novel 
inspired her to create her dish. It stung me to tears of happy 
appreciation! Doc B looked over my shoulder at the reisbrei and said, 
“That might have to be breakfast tomorrow!” It won his Guten Appetite 
prize too.

Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to everyone who participated! 
I’m so honored to have been invited on Cook the Books and even more 
elated that you all enjoyed my novel so much. Currently, I’m finishing 
up my third book for Crown. Another historical-contemporary hybrid. This 
time in West Virginia: 2013 and 1860 Civil War. And I wouldn’t be me if 
I didn’t include historical food love and recipes! That will be hitting 
shelves in Summer 2015. Until then, happy cooking and I’ll be popping by 
all of your blogs for inspiration. Let's definitely stay in touch on 
Twitter and Facebook, my friends!

Yours truly, Sarah

Congratulations to Bea and Deb!  This was actually Bea's first time joining us - how awesome is that!?  Now, if only we could all actually meet up to discuss our books and eat our food in person...

Be sure to drop by Sarah's facebook fan page as she will be sharing her experience with Cook the Books and some of our creations over there soon!  Thanks again, Sarah.

The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy {Intro + Judge}

Our selection for this round is The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy.  I chose The Baker's Daughter because after reading it last year as part of a book tour, I fell hard.  It's one of those books that I want close by...on my living room bookshelf so that it is easily accessible on a rainy day or a sleepless night.

This is the tale of family, love, loss, and life lessons.  Be it the tale of Elsie Schmidt risking the life of her and her family upon discovering a Jewish child on the doorstep of her family's home and bakery in 1945's Germany, or the story of Reba outrunning a turbulent childhood 60 years later, I stayed up 'til all hours wielding my flashlight to read "just one more chapter".

Everything all sort of comes together in one of those "it's a small world" scenarios at some point in the book.  I found McCoy's writing both enthralling and comfortable, and this book is like an old friend now.

I know that's pretty vague, but I don't want to give anything away.  Immerse yourself in the world's of both Elsie and Reba, their friends and family, and the warmth of a good bakery emanating from beyond the pages!

I am also excited to announce that...

Our judge for this round will be none other than the author of The Baker's Daughter, Sarah McCoy!  Since reading The Baker's Daughter for the first time, and writing a post, I've found that Sarah is incredibly kind and generous...and just a regular, old girl (you know, aside from the talented author bit).

We both watch Downton Abbey (okay, who doesn't), and enjoy drooling over some good food.  She's also been busy working on her third novel, which I can't wait to get my hands on.  So, when I decided that I really wanted to feature this book for a round of CTB, I knew I wanted to ask her if she would have the time to judge our submissions.

And as you can probably guess: she said yes!  Let's make her proud.  Thank you, Sarah ☺.
Submissions for this round of Cook the Books will be due by Monday, September 30th.  Please enter your submission in the linky tool below (if you have problems, feel free to leave a link in the comment section of this post).  I look forward to seeing what The Baker's Daughter inspires you to make!

---

1. Camillas Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte

2. Zimt-Rosinen-Schnecken {Cinnamon Raisin Rolls}

3. Soft Pretzels

4. Sonnenblumenkernbrot

5. almond & chocolate biscotti with a hint of spice

6. Texas (Oklahoma) Ovenbaked Beans

7. Gluten-Free Rye Bread

8. Fruit Spirals or Thomasplitzchen Buns

9. Deb in Hawaii--Milk & Honey Reisbrei

10. Thomasplitzchen buns

11. Pretzel Rolls

This linky list is now closed.

Linky Tools  |  Linky Blog 2013

I'll be gathering all of these links in anticipation of a big roundup after the submissions close (check back after 9/30 for that roundup, and then the judging)!

This post contains an Amazon affiliate link.

How to Cook a Wolf: Judge Announcement

It is with great pleasure that I announce our judge for the current edition of Cook the Books, in which we are reading How to Cook a Wolf by M.F.K. Fisher: food writer, cookbook author, and photographer Jeannette Ferrary has kindly accepted the invitation.

A personal friend of M.F.K. Fisher, Ferrary has written about their friendship in the book M.F.K. Fisher and Me: A Memoir of Food and Friendship.

In 2008 (the 100th anniversary of M.F.K. Fisher's birth) Ferrary wrote a very interesting article for Gourmet magazine about Fisher's Table Book:

It really didn’t look like much. The untitled book had a well-worn black cover and some clippings sticking out here and there. Inside, in scrabbly handwriting, I found the words Table Book, and as I slowly turned the pages, I began to realize the importance of this collection: Arranged by date, they were M. F. K. Fisher’s unexpurgated notes on those who’d come to visit, the food she’d served, the reactions of her guests, and her own reactions to them. 

Read the whole article to find out more about Fisher's notes, including the one dated October 3, 1997 describing Ferrary first visit to Fisher (in the company of poet and novelist Frances Mayes).

The same year, Ferrari was interviewed for an article on Weekend America about -- guess what? -- our current selection!

Jeannette Ferrary has been teaching food writing for years and that is how we met: I attended a food writing course she taught at UC Berkeley Extension. She is currently teaching a course at Stanford University.

A reminder that the deadline for submitting your contribution to the current edition of Cook the Books is end of the day Monday, July 29.

I will finish this post with a quote from How to Cook a Wolf:

All men are hungry. They always have been. They must eat, and when they deny themselves the pleasures of carrying out that need, they are cutting off part of their possible fullness, their natural realization of life, whether they are poor or rich.

WINNER of The Hunger Games {announcement}

Hey all!  I just received word back from our guest judge this round, Wendy from Bookcooker.  Below are her thoughts and choice of winner...

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First, let me say how much I enjoyed all the entries in the Hunger Games “Cook the Books” challenge.   I was really impressed by everyone’s creativity, imagination and ambition in coming up with recipes inspired by Panem.   Like many of the participating bloggers, I did not immediately join The Hunger Games bandwagon, as I generally try to stay away from Young Adult fiction because sadly I no longer qualify as a “young” adult.   But as soon as I read the first few pages of the book, I was hooked (and read all three in quick succession) and realized that the book was perfect for my blog bookcooker, which is filled with recipes inspired by books.  When I blogged about the book, I went the obvious route and made a lamb and plum stew.  I was particularly impressed with the entries in the challenge that stayed away from the food of the capital and instead focused on the food of District 12 – more humble stews and Peeta’s bread.   These recipes were more of a challenge and truer to Katniss’ real identity.  With this in mind,  my pick for the winner of the Hunger Games Cook the Books challenge is…Honey from the Rock’s Roast Duck with Cassava and Wild Dandelion Greens.  I picked Claudia’s entry because it was as close to the type of wild, foraged meal that Katniss would have pulled together in District 12.  I thought Claudia’s post was original, interesting and a genuine representation of the food in the book.  I will say I wish Claudia posted some recipes!  Some honorable mentions – kudos to the ambitious bread bakers (Eliot’s Eats, Sweet Almond Tree), Squirrel Head Manor’s intriguing Rabbit Stew, and This Mama Cooks’ beautiful photographs.   Thanks so much for letting me participate in this fun challenge! I look forward to following everyone’s blogs in the future!

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Congratulations Claudia...Katniss would be proud!  Wear your winner's badge with pride (and alongside your five (!?) others...).  And thanks so much to Wendy for being our judge for this round!


Next up: The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri

The Hunger Games: Judge Announcement

Let me introduce our judge for this round of Cook the Books, her name is Wendy and she writes the blog, Bookcooker.  

I first came across her blog while I was searching the web for recipes that other people had made that were inspired by our current selection, The Hunger Games.  Last year, she posted her version of Katniss' Favorite Lamb Stew, with flat, juicy prunes and chunks of sweet potatoes.  My mouth was watering!

But really, it was Wendy as a whole that led me to ask her to be our judge for this round.  I mean, her blog name is Bookcooker, with the tagline "reading and eating".  And that is what Cook the Books is all about. You can read more about Wendy on her About page.

Submissions are due on January 28th - I am really enjoying everybody's Hunger Games-inspired posts so far!

"The Last Chinese Chef"--Exciting News Update!

Hello Everyone! I hope your summer is going well. I am happy that everyone seems to be enjoying "The Last Chinese Chef" so much and I have a couple of exciting pieces of news to share with you.

First off, our author, the wonderful Nicole Mones, has agreed to be our judge for this round of Cook The Books! It is always nice when an author gets involved with our group and Nicole, even in the midst of heavy re-writes for her next book has so generously offered her time.

In addition to judging, Nicole wanted to make sure that we had some additional resources for recipes. In her own words, "Honestly, the recipes that would most relate to the novel (i.e. dishes that appear in its pages) are rather difficult  to reproduce. Sometimes this is because they are just complicated; sometimes it is because the chef who gave the recipe wanted to hold back something proprietary (as is the case with beggar's chicken), and sometimes it is because the chef, despite best efforts to convey the recipe, cannot really do it so well because Chinese cuisine is not recipe-driven; it is taught by apprenticeship. It's hard for chefs to think in terms of codifying their process in writing. I have so often seen Chinese chefs flummoxed by the effort to create a written recipe. This is the case with Henry Chang's pork ribs steamed in lotus leaf and his 'snow cabbage and bean sheets' - I know him well, we have collaborated on many banquets (organized by me, designed and cooked by him), I have profiled him in the press, and he has really tried to give me some of his recipes. But his skills are so highly developed and instinctual that even following his recipe often does not quite achieve the same dish."

In light of this, Nicole added a page to her website with some recipes that she has collected in China over the years for us to use as a resource. They can be found at her website under Recipes for "Cook the Books.". (Here is the link to our page) Nicole says: "Of course some may have their own recipes, I just thought this would be fun. These are people who love to cook and these dishes, though not related to the novel, are all interesting recipes." 

How great is that?! So if you have not selected a recipe yet, you have another resource for some very delicious sounding dishes to chose from. Remember you have until Friday, August 28th to read the book and post your recipe. (A favor: when you have posted please leave a comment here on the CTB site or email me at debinhawaii@gmail.com and let me know so that I can be sure to include you in our round-up.)  Everyone is welcome and there is still plenty of time to join in.

We look forward to seeing your culinary interpretations of this wonderful book!

A Guest Judge for The Little White Horse

Jo, Deb and I are pleased to announce that Deborah Gaudin of the Elizabeth Goudge Society will be judging the Cook the Books blog posts about "The Little White Horse" after our June 26 deadline.  The Elizabeth Goudge Society website is chock full of interesting articles, interviews, tidbits and links about Goudge and her books, so I would encourage you to visit this informative site to find out more about our featured author.

I particularly enjoyed reading Ms. Gaudin's analysis of the prose style and symbolism in "The Little White Horse",  and found it to be an inspiration for my upcoming blog post.  Ms. Gaudin feels that the many food references, particularly involving teatime sweets, derives from the rationing and World War II austerities that Great Britain endured and that these descriptions were and are particularly appealing to sugar-loving children....of all ages.  Indeed.

Looking forward to your enchanting posts about our featured book!

Announcements!

Hello everyone! Submissions for this Cook the Books have now closed. If you posted your entry before the 25th of April, but forgot to email me please do so [ jdimopoulosATgmail.com] otherwise I will not be able to include you in the recap, which is scheduled for this coming week.

We were unable to get hold of dear Tony, so we asked sweet, sassy, fun Jenn from Left over Queen to judge the submissions! It was the least we could do, as this Book club actually started in the Royal Foodie Joust organised by her and she has been very supportive of our efforts so far.

The winner will receive a gorgeous Cook the Books Club badge as well as a place in the Hall of Fame Blogroll of this blog.