Wolf looks back through her life by means of food that was created, shared, and discovered with family & friends.
This is a favorite of mine that I reread this month. It reads partly as a cookbook, partly as a regional eating guidebook, and fully as a memoir. Bonny Wolf looks back through her life by means of the food that was created, shared, and discovered with family and friends throughout her life and across the country. Her stories are sweet and funny.
SAVE THIS RECIPE OR POST!
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.
I love the chapter, "Dinner Disasters" most of all. The stories are funny of course, but I also really appreciate when accomplished chefs, foodies, food professionals, etc. are willing to admit to and share their kitchen disasters. It makes me feel better about sharing my cooking disasters! The best of Wolf's disasters is when she tried a recipe for chicken cooked in a salt crust. Her unfortunate mistake of thinking that when the recipe called for coarse rock salt that the rock salt in her garage (inedible ice-melt, meant for salting driveways) would do. It did not, and the chicken was a total loss!
I also really like that there is a chapter called "Ode to Toast" that rightly puts simple toasted bread on a pedestal as the "ultimate comfort food". Wolf includes the history of toast, the science of toast, and even a recipe for toast! This chapter makes me laugh... and then I go make toast.
Bonny Wolf is a monthly contributor on NPR, and is also the Managing Editor of American Food Roots where she explores "why we eat what we eat." This appears to be her only book, but I hope she'll write another.
Katie O'Sullivan says
I have a foodie sister who would love this for Christmas! Thanks for the recommendation!
Nancy Mock says
You're very welcome!
Huntress, aka CD Coffelt says
The title alone puts this book on my TBR list
Nancy Mock says
It is a good one! I hope you'll enjoy it.
Trisha F says
I don't really like cooking at all, but I love food and I might be tempted to read this book. 🙂
Nancy Mock says
It's full of great writing, definitely give it a try!
The Armchair Squid says
I just read the rock salt part aloud to the ladies. We had a good family groan!
Nancy Mock says
I know, I really feel for those dinner guests, smiling their way politely through driveway chicken!
The Armchair Squid says
My wife's question: "Did everyone survive?"
Nancy Mock says
It appears that they did, so good news there! And good for the rest of us to know in case we ever find we've accidentally ingested driveway rock salt!
Nancy Mock says
It's a great book, and rereading it with Thanksgiving approaching was really nice because it is so much about family and gatherings and food tying us all together. Thank you for reading my review!
vsreads.com says
As a Food Network addict, this one sounds delightful. Thanks so much for sharing. I have a gal in mind who would love it as a holiday gift!
Best,
Veronica