Helpful Score: 2
This book never quite reached its potential to me. It started out all right, but seemed to dither about. It didn't really manage to be a memoir so much as short stories here and there, tossed together with some recipes. The ordering was random, the stories ranging from humorous to uninteresting.
That is overstating it a bit. It is not a bad book, and many of the recipes look good. I may try one of them, but in general I read books like this to enjoy the idea of the recipes (since I do not use cookbooks that don't have indexes) and to be drawn into the author's interaction with food. The recipes held up their end, the author varied. Sometimes I was pulled in, some times it seemed like a long story told by someone who didn't tell good stories. I finished it with no problem, but was always able to put the book down and doubt I will seek out other items by the author.
I like the occasional "that's why you should know a good baker" for getting to eat a dessert without having to make one. :) Good idea!
I also fundamentally disagree with her on a couple points. If you are grating your knuckles every time you grate anything your grater is NOT a good one. A microwave oven is not dangerous (at least, not compared to a stove or an oven!) and has well more uses than for a fast food--this was, however published in 1993 so I allow this as being a difference in time. I do agree--many things should only be purchased at rummage sales, because they are easy to find there and much cheaper.
That is overstating it a bit. It is not a bad book, and many of the recipes look good. I may try one of them, but in general I read books like this to enjoy the idea of the recipes (since I do not use cookbooks that don't have indexes) and to be drawn into the author's interaction with food. The recipes held up their end, the author varied. Sometimes I was pulled in, some times it seemed like a long story told by someone who didn't tell good stories. I finished it with no problem, but was always able to put the book down and doubt I will seek out other items by the author.
I like the occasional "that's why you should know a good baker" for getting to eat a dessert without having to make one. :) Good idea!
I also fundamentally disagree with her on a couple points. If you are grating your knuckles every time you grate anything your grater is NOT a good one. A microwave oven is not dangerous (at least, not compared to a stove or an oven!) and has well more uses than for a fast food--this was, however published in 1993 so I allow this as being a difference in time. I do agree--many things should only be purchased at rummage sales, because they are easy to find there and much cheaper.
This is a great book. The "Extremely Easy Old-Fashioned Beef Stew" is really good!
Wonderful stories that I read out loud to people, it was so well written. I have read this book many times and given as a gift often. The descriptions of food and how to prepare are humorous and mouth watering. Lovely snippets of single life in New York and new motherhood.
