When I wasn’t posting very much in January about food, cooking or cookbooks, I started a monthly post featuring what I’ve been reading.
Since then, I’ve stepped it up a bit with cookbook reviews but here are the books I haven’t blogged about (yet).
Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story; Remaking a Life from Scratch by Erin French
I’ve heard about The Lost Kitchen and the archaic reservation policy for this exclusive restaurant in rural Maine. It wasn’t until I heard Erin French on Ina Garten’s podcast, “Be My Guest,” that I realized the trials and tribulations that French had endured. I bought the book and immediately quit listening to the podcast until I had finished Finding Freedom.
I believe French is an honest narrator which makes this tale even more tragic (but ultimately triumphant). French finds herself pregnant in college and returns home to her parents’ house. She picks up her high school job working in her dad’s diner and rediscovers her love of serving people. She starts a secret supper club that is a success and thinks she finds love and happiness. Her husband leads her down a road of alcohol abuse and ultimately she turns to prescription drugs to cope. Tom, her husband, shows his true colors when she threatens a divorce. Basically, she loses everything. But hope. This woman is resilient to say the least.
Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (audiobook)
A friend recommended this book to me. I listened to the audio book and I thought the narrator did a great job. I’m not sure I would have finished the book so quickly if I had not been relying on the narrator to spur me on.
I thought I knew where part of the saga was going at times and then the rug was pulled. There’s not too many rabbit holes but you will find your mind wandering a bit: “I wonder if this is going to happen….”
Beth is a conundrum and I sometimes did NOT want to like her. There’s lots of dark psychological corners in this one. (There are some topics that might trigger some readers. Know that there is a death of a child.)
March by Geraldine Brooks
I am a Brooks fan (since Horse) but this book was kind of a marathon for me. I did not feel like either of the narrators were reliable. Neither John nor Marmee had redeeming qualities in my opinion. Maybe there should have been more of the “little women.”
I did find the setting interesting and appreciated the snippets about Thoreau and Emerson and Concord.
John’s saga was just a bit hard to take in and I’m not sure all of his actions can be attributed to innocence or naivete. Even when he takes responsibility for his actions, he comes off as needy. Marmee, while dealing with a LOT, might be more redeemable.
Glad I read it but probably would not recommend.
There was one cookbook that I didn’t follow up with posts about so I will just add it here.
Homemade Ramen by Sho Spaeth
If you are a ramen fanatic, then this is your book.
If you’re not, don’t bother.
I don’t know what I was expecting but this is more of a treatise of all things ramen than a cookbook.
There’s 20 pages on just the noodle. There’s 12 pages on just the equipment you will need. Page 52 starts with the different traditional ingredients you will need. Page 60 starts the process…. for 111 pages. It’s not until the last third of the book that there are any recipes.
I do like ramen, occasionally, but I’m not sure I need this book.
Please check out the other book reviews I posted in March.
Gatsby’s Speakeasy: a little adult board book
Third Culture Cooking: Classic Recipes for a New Generation by Zaynab Issa
Six Seasons of Pasta by Joshua McFadden
The Coffee Purist by Brian Franklin
Recipes from the American South by Michael W. Twitty
Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen by Annabelle Abbs
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