Deliciously Dressed Up Deceptions

Book Review of "Food Whore" by Jessica Tom. Imagine losing your sense of taste. That would be bad enough for anyone, but if you're the top food critic for the New York Times that would be a complete disaster. That's just what happened to Michael Saltz, but then he found Tia Monroe. Fresh out of … Continue reading Deliciously Dressed Up Deceptions →

The Last Squeeze is the Sweetest

Book Review of "Five Quarters of the Orange" by Joanne Harris. This is the story of Framboise - no, not a bottle of raspberry liqueur (thank heavens), but rather a woman by that name from a farm on the river Loire in the French village of Les Laveuses. This is partially the story of Framboise's … Continue reading The Last Squeeze is the Sweetest →

The Taste of Passion

Book Review of "La Cucina" by Lily Prior. The story of this book, set in Sicily, is very simple. Rosa Fiore lives in a small Sicilian village. When the love of her life disappears, it is obvious that his refusal to marry someone other than Rosa led to his murder. Broken hearted, Rosa leaves her … Continue reading The Taste of Passion →

Rapture, Ecstasy, and Bliss from Your Kitchen

Book review of "How to Be a Domestic Goddess" by Nigella Lawson The difference between cooking and baking is that the latter is a science. I've even heard it called chemistry for the kitchen. In truth, that's a good analogy because baking a cake or cookies isn't something you can just do without some kind … Continue reading Rapture, Ecstasy, and Bliss from Your Kitchen →

A Taste for French Gusto

Book Review for "Mastering the Art of French Eating" by Ann Mah. Ann Mah spent three years in France with her diplomat husband. She used that time to find out more about some of their culinary specialties - how they became famous, their history and how they're made. Of course, when it comes to writing … Continue reading A Taste for French Gusto →

One Family, One Holiday, Many Generations of Women

Book Review of "Thanksgiving" by Ellen Cooney. Patience was a newlywed, pregnant with her first child on that cold November morning of 1662. When she went outside in search of her husband, she saw a turkey fly into the oak tree in her yard. The fateful killing of that bird ended up being something to … Continue reading One Family, One Holiday, Many Generations of Women →

A Pre-Revolutionary French Feast of Fiction

Book review of "The Last Banquet" by Jonathan Grimwood. In pre-revolutionary France, Jean-Marie d'Aumout's earliest memories are of eating beetles from the dung heap outside his dead parent's home. After being rescued from this, he’s brought to a school for other sons of the impoverished aristocracy. There he begins a new life, one that brings … Continue reading A Pre-Revolutionary French Feast of Fiction →