Garlic and Sapphires -- The Roundup

Once again we at Cook the Books Club are aligned at the corral gate, with a rousing Roundup of all the participants in our selection, Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl. And, what an adventuresome ride it's been!  Reichl is such a gifted writer, unusually able to not only distinguish, but to vividly communicate the subtle nuances of flavor in food, distinguishing obscure tastes and seasonings. This facility is combined here with her wacky sense of humor, and ability to illuminate personalities, and, adopt them when necessary in the course of her work!  It's been such fun, and the appreciation seems to have been almost unanimous.  Please take the time to read and enjoy all of the posts.  I've included just a short snippet from each to whet your appetites.  Thanks so much everyone for joining in.

First up was Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, who made us a tasty batch of Afghani Scallion Dumplings.  She enjoyed reading about the various disguises Reichl used in the course of her job as a critic for the NY Times, and writes: "And when I write 'exploits' I mean fully costumed escapades in which Reichl adopted different personae in order to get an unbiased take on a restaurant."  And sums up by saying: "Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Reichl is not only a culinary powerhouse, but she has an appealing prose that makes her vibrant personality shine."

Next in was Debra of Eliot's Eats who made us a lovely dish of Strozzapreti with Tomatoes, Olives and Herbed Goat Cheese, Oh Yum!  She said: "I have every single one of Reichl’s books along with the aforementioned Gourmet Today and the huge yellow The Gourmet Cookbook.   If I were ever to do a “Julie/Julia” type project, I would cook my way through every single one of her books.  Love her! ... one of our true food treasures."

Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm came to the party with sassy, tangy Roasted Rhubarb.  She says that she "was extremely excited when another of her (Ruth's) memoirs was chosen this time.
Did I love it as much as the previous mentioned memoir? I daresay, I loved it even more. This is a laugh out loud, very interesting picture of what life is like to be a restaurant critic. It had never occurred to me that if you were a restaurant critic you needed to be able to dine in restaurants without being recognized. Otherwise, you will only know the service and food you are given as a celebrity instead of a normal Joe, like you and me."  

Claudia, (moi)of Honey from Rock, prepared some of Ruth's Scalloped Potatoes for the blog party, served with salmon and a salad one night, and the next with grilled steak and some of her pureed watercress.  I mentioned that "I am a woman who goes through life seeing the comic absurdity at play all around me. Perhaps why I so appreciate her writing. The disguises she literally got into here!  And, I absolutely love her many transfixing culinary descriptions".

Cathy of Delaware Girl Eats gave us yummy Gougeres - Delicious Cheese Puffs by any namet!  She commented: "Ah but the food. What Brenda, Molly, Chloe, Emily and all the other Reichl ladies ate was mouthwatering and her descriptions of those delicious courses were so enticing that I wished fervently for the opportunity to taste just one or two of the dishes she savored."

From Amy of Amy's Cooking adventures, we have tasty Pasta Carbonara!  Amy said: "I read one of Reichl’s previous memoirs for CtBC a couple years ago (I made a twist on French Onion Soup and it was delicious) and I enjoyed reading about her then – this time I loved it even more.  It was fascinating to read about Reichl’s time as the Times Food Critic!  I loved reading about her disguises and that she included some of her reviews and recipes to go along with them.

Lynda, of Reviews, Chews & How-Tos joined our party with a "simple" Celebration meal, featuring Reichl's Garlic Roast Lamb.  She commented that: " By far the hardest part of this challenge was trying to narrow down what to make, as almost every recipe and a great many of the passing references to food stirred a longing to make that... and that... and that!  For me, that is what a food memoir should do - it should create a sense of desire and longing to commune with food and the many ways of relating to one another through the preparation and eating of food."

Tina of Novel Meals brought some delicious home cooking to the event -  Roast Chicken with Potatoes, Onions and Garlic. Yum!  She said: "This is a second time around with this book but it was my first Ruth Reichl book several years back.  I liked it quite a bit; it’s always good to revisit an excellent foodie book. I’m usually attracted to books about food and restaurants, behind the scenes stuff and recipes included are a bonus."

Fellow Hawaiian blogger, Deb of Kahakai Kitchen came in with dessert, a luscious looking Lemon Panna Cotta, that I've absolutely got to try!  She says: "Reichl's food writing--whether her books, her blog, her work at the now-defunct Gourmet Magazine (Sniff...sniff... has it really been almost a decade since it folded?! So sad...), never fails to make me hungry and happy. The descriptive passages in Garlic and Sapphires make me feel like I am hanging out with her, exploring the nineties New York restaurant scene. A very happy revisit."

Just under the wire, Simona of Briciole came in with her creative round Stuffed Zucchini, a dish I'd like to make myself, though I've never seen those little potbellied vegetables in our markets. Maybe one day.  She commented: "While reading the book, the word "stuffed" kept coming to mind, blinking like a neon sign. I took that as my inspiration and was aided in my recipe development by the appearance at the farmers' market of beautiful round zucchini that just begged to be stuffed.

I think we're all looking forward to the August/September selection: Sourdough by Robin Sloan (September 2017), hosted by Debra of Eliot's Eats.  Get yourself a copy at the library, bookstore or online and join in the fun by reading, cooking up a dish inspired by the book, and posting about it.  For newcomers, there's more about us and a how-to at our Guidelines page.  Thanks again to everyone who participated.

Aloha
Claudia

Our June/July Selection - Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

Ruth Reichl has long been my favorite food writer, and I wanted to share Garlic and Sapphires, The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, with our Cook the Books Club. I think it's arguably, about the best of her memoirs. Reichl is the recipient of four James Beard awards as well as numerous other prizes, the author of five memoirs and a novel, host of TV shows and editor of several cookbooks.  Ruth Reichl is most noted for her entrancing food descriptions and delicious writing in general. At home, I frequently refer to her well edited, and comprehensive tome, Gourmet Today for everyday cooking tips and recipes. 

From her Publishers: 

As the New York Times's restaurant critic for most of the 1990s, Reichl had what some might consider the best job in town; among her missions were evaluating New York City's steakhouses, deciding whether Le Cirque deserved four stars and tracking down the best place for authentic Chinese cuisine in Queens. Thankfully, the rest of us can live that life vicariously through this vivacious, fascinating memoir. 

I love the way she assumed various disguises to find out how all sorts of customers were really treated —  so as not to attract any special service for a well-known critic — and Reichl pulls no punches. She can be hilarious, as well as a truly descriptive and evocative food writer.

Deadline for contributing your post is Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Remember that anyone can participate in Cook the Books. To join in the fun, just pick up a copy of our selection from your local bookstore or library, take inspiration from said reading, then cook and post with your thoughts and dish. Then, be sure to share your post link here in the comments or to my email: claudiariley@yahoo.com.  New participants are always welcome! (If you have any questions, keave a comment here or check out our Guidelines page .) 

Enjoy your reading and cooking!

Claudia
Honey from Rock

Announcing our next four book selections

While we are all still traveling through time with chocolate, we have also traveled into the next several months to plan the upcoming editions of our book club. Here are the next four book selections:

Deb (Kahakai Kitchen) opens the series with the memoir Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China by Fuchsia Dunlop

I had heard so many great things about Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China and its author Fuchsia Dunlop that when it was a Kindle Deal several months ago, I snapped it up. To prompt myself to read it and not let it languish on my TBR pile, I chose it as our April/May 2018 Cook the Books selection. 

Dunlop is a British cook and food writer who specializes in Chinese cuisine—in fact she was the first Westerner to train as a chef at the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine and she has spent much time exploring China and its food. She has four award-winning cookbooks focused on Chinese cooking; Land of Plenty (originally published as Sichuan Cookery in the U.K.), Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, Every Grain of Rice, and Land of Fish and Rice. 

Published in 2008, Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper chronicles her experiences cooking and eating in China. From the book blurb:

An extraordinary memoir of an Englishwoman’s attempt to immerse herself in Chinese food and Chinese culinary culture. In the course of her decade-long journey, Fuchsia undergoes an apprenticeship at a Sichuanese cooking school, where she is the only foreign student in a class of nearly fifty young Chinese men; attempts, hilariously, to persuade Chinese people that ‘Western food’ is neither ‘simple’ nor ‘bland’; and samples a multitude of exotic ingredients, including sea cucumber, civet cat, scorpion, rabbit-heads and the ovarian fat of the snow frog.

It’s been quite a while since Cook the Books has traveled to China and I am looking forward to seeing the dishes that this book inspires!. 

Deadline for this selection is Thursday, May 31, 2018

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For the June/July edition, Claudia (Honey from Rock) chose Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl 

Ruth Reichl, recipient of four James Beard awards as well as numerous other prizes, has written five memoirs and a novel, done TV shows and edited several cookbooks. Out of those, I frequently refer to my Gourmet Today.  Garlic and Sapphires stands out as my favorite of her memoirs. 

From her Publishers: 

As the New York Times's restaurant critic for most of the 1990s, Reichl had what some might consider the best job in town; among her missions were evaluating New York City's steakhouses, deciding whether Le Cirque deserved four stars and tracking down the best place for authentic Chinese cuisine in Queens. Thankfully, the rest of us can live that life vicariously through this vivacious, fascinating memoir. 

I love the way she assumed various disguises to find out how all sorts of customers were really treated — not attracting special service for a well-known critic — and she pulls no punches. She can be truly hilarious, and is such a descriptive and evocative food writer.

Deadline for contributing your post is Tuesday, July 31, 2018

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For the August/September edition, Debra (Eliot's Eats) has chosen Sourdough by Robin Sloan  

I'm excited to announce the August/September selection: Sourdough by Robin Sloan (September 2017). A recent NPR report by Jason Sheehan describes the novel in this way: 

Think of it like Candide without the pirates. And set in San Francisco. Wait, that's not quite right. It's like Fight Club meets The Great British Bake Off. It's like Fight Club if no one got punched. It's like Fight Club if Fight Club was written by someone concerned with a different, quieter kind of revolution, and if Fight Club was all about bread.      

With a review and description like this, I cannot wait to read it! I was obviously taken with the title but was absolutely and totally intrigued when I read the publisher's blurb. The main character, Lois, is a software engineer working at a robotics company. Two of her few friends run a diner that Lois orders-out from every day. They unexpectedly close up shop but ask Lois to take care of their sourdough starter. 

She's not a baker but this sourdough gift starts her on a new journey and brings her into contact with the area farmers market vendors. Intrigued? Remember, Lois is a software designer and there is a sci-fi/technology twist to the plot. Sourdough is Sloan's second novel, a followup to the well-received Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore (October 2012). He currently is a partner in Fat Gold, a California Olive Oil Company. Hope you enjoy this wild ride of a read. I am anticipating lots of yeasty recipes. I personally, am ordering some starter now. 

The deadline for Sourdough is Sunday, September 30, 2018.

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To round up the list of selections Simona (briciole) picked The Cooking Gene, A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South by Michael Twitty

I was glad to see this book mentioned on our suggestion page, as it was already on my TBR list. I have had to pleasure to meet Michael and hear him speak, so I am thrilled to read his book and share the experience with others.

From the publishers' page:

A renowned culinary historian offers a fresh perspective on our most divisive cultural issue, race, in this illuminating memoir of Southern cuisine and food culture that traces his ancestry—both black and white—through food, from Africa to America and slavery to freedom... 

As he takes us through his ancestral culinary history, Twitty suggests that healing may come from embracing the discomfort of the Southern past. Along the way, he reveals a truth that is more than skin deep—the power that food has to bring the kin of the enslaved and their former slaveholders to the table, where they can discover the real America together.

Deadline for contributing your post: Friday, November 30, 2018.

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

As always, specific announcement posts can be found at Cook the Books as the year marches on.

To recap:

April/May: Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper by Fuchsia Dunlop (hosted by Deb at Kahakai Kitchen)

June/July: Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl, (hosted by Claudia at Honey from Rock)

August/September: Sourdough by Robin Sloan (hosted by Debra at Eliot's Eats)

October/November: The Cooking Gene by Michael Twitty (hosted by Simona at briciole)







Happy reading and cooking!

Comfort Me With Apples (and Other Lovely Dishes!): The Roundup

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when Ruth Reichl writes about food we will read it and devour her prose like the feast that it is. Comfort Me With Apples, one of Ruth Reichl's foodie memoirs, was our February/March selection for Cook the Books. While everyone may not have agreed with some of Reichl's life choices, we all certainly were inspired by the food and we ably comforted ourselves with many wonderful dishes inspired by the book.

Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm was our first entry in this month and she had a lovely time with Ruth saying, "Here is what happened when I got the book: I sat down one evening and I opened the cover, I read a couple of pages and then there was a knock on my door.  I opened the door and there was Ruth, with a smile and a bottle of wine. We opened the wine, kicked off our shoes, sat down by the fire and began to talk.  Ruth shared her life with me, the good, the bad, the happy and the sad. We laughed and we cried. And then we laughed again. We gossiped about all the celebrities that Ruth has met and we shared our innermost fears and secrets." Amy made Basil and Lemon Pasta inspired by the pasta in lemon butter sauce that actor Danny Kaye served Ruth.
 

Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla says, "While I found myself wishing for a little bit more restraint as she described her personal life, I longed for her descriptions about the food to go on and on." Camilla made Butternut Squash Soup a la Bonneville saying "I was compelled by Ruth and Michael's spectacularly disastrous Thanksgiving dinner at The New Bonneville Hotel. ... Instead, on a chilly, grey evening while the fire crackled in the living room, I whipped up a pot of butternut squash soup. "The squash purée was bright orange with an earthy sweetness. Cream was drizzled through it, making patterns. Chives were strewn across the top. 'Okay,' said Michael. 'I'll admit it. It's the best soup I've ever tasted. I could eat ten bowls." Unlike the Bonneville, I do not have a luscious vegetable garden, but I do have access to amazingly fresh and delicious vegetables through local-to-me farms."

Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures says, "... boy, did she lead an interesting life in those years! I could not tear my eyes from the pages as she lived in a commune with her husband, and ate and drank her way through several extramarital affairs.I simply couldn’t put the book down!" Amy made the La Vieille Maison French Onion Soup saying, "This twist on a classic French Onion Soup was included at the end of the chapter and I was so intrigued! I happen to love French Onion Soup, but my recipe used beef stock (this one has chicken stock) and red wine (this one uses white) and there are eggs in the version (waaa???)  I knew it would completely change the flavor profile and I absolutely had to try it! The resulting soup was absolutely amazing and a nice change of pace from the classic. My only complaint was that it looks a little off putting…kinda pale with eggy little curdles floating about. But that’s why it’s covered with cheese!  Mwahahaha!"

Claudia of Honey From Rock inspired this Cook The Books selection when she requested a Ruth Reichl book. She says, "There was much in her memoir to tempt and inspire, as well as challenge our cooking skills. Reichl has the ability to communicate smells and tastes through descriptive writing, aided by an unbelievable palette, which is the premier gifting for a food critic or chef. I sometimes wish mine could be tuned up a few notches. It would certainly help in the area of wine tasting as well. I wonder if there is an herb that would help?? ... Since we have been having cold, rainy weather lately (yes, even in Hawaii), what finally called my name was her Swiss Pumpkin, nicely filled with half-and-half, Gruyere cheese, toasted bread, etc., and baked for 2 hours. I used one of our locally grown Kabocha pumpkins, which are just the right size for for two (with not too much left-over)."

Cook The Books co-host Simona of briciole says that in the book "there is a good amount of one person trying to dazzle another (not necessarily a husband)." So she was inspired to make handmade pasta-- "spindle-shaped, delicate Cecamariti (literally, husband blinders)" uniquely made with bread dough and she assures us that "no husband was hurt in the making of this pasta." Simona also notes that "The pasta cooks quickly and profits, in my opinion, from a light sauce. In the photo you see it dressed with my usual tomato sauce, but I have also made it with chèvre melted with a small amount of butter and also used it in my recipe for poulet yassa (Senegalese chicken)." 

 

Cathy of Delaware Girl Eats noted, "Ruth is an extraordinary writer and it’s a shame that Gourmet Magazine folded so soon. In her book she described a hedonistic life as well as cooking for her father and mother in later years. She reported that her father said that the two most important things in life are imagination and laughter. I can appreciate this bit of wisdom, especially in the kitchen." Cathy made an ultra-comforting Apple, Pear and Dried Cherry Crumble saying, "I love the aroma of apples laced with cinnamon baking in the oven so decided to literally interpret her work through a dish inspired from this book."

CTB co-host Debra of Eliot's Eats is a big Reichl fan and says, "You know that quintessential party-conversation-starting question, “If you could invite any person, living or dead, to your dinner party, who would it be?” My answer is simple. I would love to have dinner with Ruth Reichl. And, what would I cook for her? A simple but hearty dish pulled from her first cookbook. Soon after I immersed myself in my Ruth fanaticism by reading all of her books, I wanted to own a copy of her first cookbook, Mmmmm: A Feastiary, self-published in 1972. This is a pipe-dream of mine because vintage copies are posted on Amazon for $250. (Rachel, if your Old Saratoga Books ever has one in inventory, can you cut me a deal?) Fortunately, Reichl herself has recipes from A Feastiary on her website. This is where I found my go-to Spaghetti Carbonara recipe that I have used for years." 

Alicia of Foodycat says, "Funny, warm, occasionally devastating and moving, it's part of Reichl's memoir, charting her rise from Berkley co-op restaurant cook and commune dweller to respected restaurant critic. It's an impressive accomplishment in a memoir: at times she manages to portray herself as unlikeable but it doesn't come across as false modesty." Alicia made Garlic Soup and Gruyere Croutons noting "Unusually for one of the Cook the Books Club challenges, I had no trouble at all deciding what to cook. Among the many delicious-sounding meals she describes, Alice Waters' famous garlic dinners stand out. The mention of garlic soup reminded me of the delicious, pungently wine-flavoured garlic soup we'd had in Switzerland, back in 2007 when I was but a baby blogger. I've tried a couple of different versions but I've never quite nailed the combination of fresh-tasting but cooked garlic and dry wine that I remember." Was this soup the one? Read her post to find out! ;-)

CTB co-host Rachel, The Crispy Cook likes Ruth's vivid and honest writing. She says, "None of the recipes peppering the book particularly grabbed me, but I thought most about how Ruth and her artist husband Doug lived communally at Channing Way in People's Republic of Berkeley in late 70s. Bushy bearded apartment patriarch Nick castigates her new gig as restaurant critic for New West magazine: "You're going to spend your life telling spoiled, rich people where to eat too much obscene food?" You can almost smell the patchouli and alfalfa sprouts." Rachel found her comfort in Carrot Salad a la Channing Way noting, "I was inspired to make a salad that might have appeared on the Channing Way dinner. Carrots are cheap and plentiful all year and would certainly have been available at the local food coop and grocery stores back then. And Nick would probably not have dismissed this dish as being "obscene"."

A new face to welcome to this round of Cook The Books is Amy of Gluten Glory's Kitchen, another Ruth Reichl fan. Amy says, "Re-reading the book reminded me of several things. I miss Gourmet Magazine. The newsstand version dropped off the shelves in 2009 just before the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s seasons. It was the go-to guide for fine food, good living and excellent writing. So, reading Comfort Me with Apples though it’s a memoir of Reichl in her pre-Gourmet days, brings to mind Gourmet Magazine to me." For her inspiration Amy noted, "A recipe that was in Reichl’s book was Dacquoise with Mocha Buttercream. Reichl ends a bittersweet chapter of her life with this recipe. It signifies a memory of hers of passions and emotions that cannot be bottled. My husband declared “only you would find Dacquoise comfort food.” This is comfort food. Food that brings back to you the nostalgia of something that you cannot relive, but you can taste. A taste that invokes a memory." Welcome Amy! We are happy to have you and your fabulous Dacquoise join in the CTB fun!

Finally, over at Kahakai Kitchen, I (Deb) ;-) often find myself lurking on Ruth's website whenever I need a hit of her writing. I love to read her descriptions of restaurants, dinners with friends, the food she is making, and even her simple pleasure in a tiny blue bowl. So when none of the recipes in the book really pulled me in, I headed there to find my inspiration. The recipe for Persian Rice Pudding or Sholeh Zard caught my eye both for the vibrant color and for Ruth's description, "Rice pudding is the chicken soup of desserts. Ultimate comfort food, it's an international dish that changes its style as it travels the world." I totally agree! I made just a quarter of the recipe's 12 servings--for portion control and I was a bit worried about just how sweet and floral it would be--but Ruth was right--it was delicious. Just sweet enough, and the rose and saffron along with the crunchy bits of almond and pistachio were wonderful with the aromatic basmati rice. Exotic comfort food at its best! 

What an array of amazing dishes we have assembled here! I love how everyone found their own inspiration from Ruth's words, and the creativity and passion around each entry. My only wish is to be able to taste the incredible food that everyone made. Someday... That Cook The Books gathering and potluck we dream of sounds better and better with each round that we do.

If you missed out this round and like food, books, and foodie books, consider joining us at Cook The Books for the April/May pick; The Feast Nearby: How I Lost my Job, Buried a Marriage, and Found My Way by Keeping Chickens, Foraging, Preserving, Bartering, and Eating Locally (All on Forty Dollars a Week) by Robin Mather, hosted by the wonderful Deborah of Eliot's Eats. 

Happy reading, cooking and eating!

Deb
Kahakai Kitchen

Our February/March Cook the Books Selection: Comfort Me With Apples by Ruth Reichl

I have long admired Ruth Reichl--her writing, her work with the sorely missed Gourmet magazine, her PBS show Diary of a Foodie, and her guest appearances judging on Top Chef Masters. Besides being an excellent storyteller, she also just seems like a fun person to enjoy a meal or a drink with. So when longtime Cook The Books participant Claudia of Honey From Rock requested that we read a Ruth Reichl book, I jumped at the chance to host. As much as I enjoyed her foray into foodie fiction last year with the novel Delicious!, I was in a memoir-ish frame of mind and picked Reichl's 2001 memoir Comfort Me With Apples: More Adventures at the Table as our February/March 2015 reading selection.

Comfort Me With Apples tells of Reichl's journey from chef to restaurant critic and food writer from 1978 through the late 1980s. Although Comfort Me With Apples picks up right after her first book, Tender at the Bone ends, it isn't necessary to have read that book first--although it is also a fabulous read. 

Whether this is a reread, or a new-to-you book, I look forward to seeing what this funny and often moving memoir inspires you to create. There are multiple recipes in the book and a plethora of Ruth Reichl recipes online and in her other books, so there should be no shortage of wonderful dishes to be inspired by!

Submissions for this round of Cook The Books are due Monday, March 30, 2015. Anyone can join in the Cook the Books fun by reading and blogging about the book and cooking up a dish inspired by its contents. Let me know when your entry post is up by commenting on this post and/or sending me an email at: debinhawaii@gmail.com.

New to Cook the Books? Check out our About and Guidelines pages or leave a question in the comments on this post. 

Deb at Kahakai Kitchen