Title: Eat, Memory; Great Writers at the Table: A Collection of Essays from the New York Times
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co
ISBN-10: 0393067637
I love food. I love hearing about it, looking at pictures of it, collecting recipes on how to prepare it, and reading about it. It is no wonder, then, that this book caught my attention when I saw it on the New Book Shelf at my library. I knew I had to read it and I'm glad I did.
However, it really isn't a book about food. It's more about the events, experiences, and memories of life.
In 2004, the food editor of
New York Times Magazine, Amanda Hessler, began a column called
Eat, Memory. She asked writers to submit "essays about an important moment in their lives that involved food." The only stipulation was that the stories could not be "sentimental". This book,
Eat, Memory, is a compilation of twenty-six of the best articles; written by a variety of authors, chefs, playwrights, and others.
Each essay is unique, evoking its own emotion as the writer reveals personal and sometimes intimate details of their food related memory. As I stated earlier, the essays really aren't about the food, but the events surrounding the "food moment". In "Paris Match," Ann Patchett writes about an argument she had with her boyfriend (now husband) over dinner at a very expensive restaurant in Paris (I empathized). In "Bean There," Tucker Carlson tells about an hilarious experience he had while working at a B&M Baked Beans factory during college (I laughed). In "Line of Sight," Gabriell Hamilton, a New York City chef, describes interviewing and working with a blind man for one horrible day in her restaurant (I cringed). I found all twenty-six compositions to be exceptional - each connected by the commonality of food, yet vastly different in terms of place, emotion, desire, and recollection.
For those of you who may be thinking you don't want to read a book about food that's really not about food, don't despair! Most of the essays are followed by a recipe that correlates in some way to the story. Recommended for food lovers, memory keepers, author fans, and those who enjoy essays. (FL)
Do you need a copy of a birth certificate, death certificate, marriage license, or certificate of divorce and you don't know how to find it or who to contact? Visit the Center for Disease Control's Where to Write for Vital Records page to find out. Simply click on the state or territory where the event occurred and follow the directions for obtaining the records you need.
Title: Hello, Cupcake
A big Thank You to Bev at Merry Weather and Missy at Missy's Book Nook for so graciously nominating me for the "You Don't Say" award. The award is given to those who take time to leave comments on other blogger's sites. It is easy to leave a comment when you find a site you enjoy and that appeals to you...like Merry Weather and Missy's Book Nook do to me!
People often stop by the Reference Deck to ask what day a particular holiday will occur on. Of course, I can always just check the calendar but sometimes they want more specific information - like what is the holiday about, when did it begin, etc. When asked for this type of information, I usually turn to Infoplease's Holidays in America Web page. The site has fun, historical and traditional facts about the holidays Americans have come to love and celebrate.
Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen.
Are you planning a trip and want to know how far it is from one destination to another? GEOBYTES offers an easy to use City Distance Tool that will calculate that information for you. Just type in the name of the city of origin in the first search box, and the city of destination in the second search box, and click the next button. You will be directed to a page with different locations that include your cities' names. Select the correct entries for your search and click on find distance. Just for fun, I calculated the distance from San Francisco, California to Rome, Italy. I found out the distance in miles is 6,253. Of course, you can also calculate short distances, for example, the distance in miles between Pasadena, CA and Los Angeles, CA is 11.
When people used to talk about Spam, they were referring to a meat product that came in a can at the local grocery store (it still does, if you're interested). As a young couple, my husband and I ate a lot of it. For those of you who aren't familiar with Spam, it is a cheap version of ham and goes well with Pork 'n Beans! Unfortunately, when you hear the word spam nowadays, it is most likely pertaining to the vast amounts of unwanted emails that show up in inboxes across the country every day. If you have ever wondered if there is a place to report these unwanted emails, the answer is YES.
Title: Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Title: Wishful Drinking
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