Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Darcie,

Not so far. I'm only about 1/3 through the book, though.

Amusingly, the national cross-competition champion of the IFOCE is a 100lbs woman named Sonya Thomas. Apparently Sonya has some kind of freakish metabolism which allows/requires her to eat 10lbs of food a meal.

Ugh...the last time I saw video of the hot dog eating contest I nearly hurled on my couch

Just started "Tomatoland - How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit" by Barry Estabrook. "Disturbing" is much too mild an adjective. So far my take from this is, stay far, far away from any tomatoes grown in Florida, especially by Ag-Mart and specifically in Immokalee.
Nancy

Just finished. The last 1/3 was very inspiring, sharing the successful advocacy that has emerged in the last 10 years for the migrant workers in Fl. It was a well written book so, if you like this subject I recommend it!

I heard an interview with that author. It was quite sobering.

I just read "Yes, Chef" by Marcus Samuelsson. It was an interesting read. He is Ethiopian born but was adopted by a Swedish family when he was small. He is kind of an anti-Bordain. Hard worker, head down, eye on the ball. just returning from Sweden myself made it even more interesting.

Mary

I really enjoyed "An Embarrassment of Mangoes" by Ann Vanderhoof. She and her husband sail the Caribbean for two years but a lot of it is about cooking in their small sailboat kitchen and eating on the islands. Great storytelling, some good recipes.

I just read "52 Loaves' by the same author who wrote the "$64 Tomato," William Alexander. The previous one was about his efforts to create a not-so-modest garden, this one was about a year-long effort to create the perfect artisan loaf at home (it includes a stint in a monastery in France). I thoroughly enjoyed it, as I did the previous book. He's obsessive, compulsive, driven, but also reflective, thoughtful, and intelligent.I certainly wouldn't want to marry him, but I'll read anything he writes.

So at a library book sale recently we picked up Vladimir Estragon's Waiting For Dessert. This book is a "best of" collection of his food columns from the Village Voice in the 70's and 80's. Estragon reads a lot like Calvin Trillin; his columns are more about him, his family, and life than they are about food, and they are very, very funny.

The book is long out of print, but if you can find a copy at a used bookstore, it's worth picking up.

Just finished "Heirloom, Notes from An Accidental Tomato Farmer" by Tim Stark. He has an organic farm in PA and sells at the Union Square Farmers Market in NYC. Mildly entertaining and informative but I really wouldn't recommend it. Summer reading is getting sparse...as are summer days.
Nance

Sounds interesting. I like a guy who can wordplay his own name.

Consider The Fork is a breezy, very readable history of cooking equipment and utensils. I've only read the first chapter, but it's an enjoyable read, if not particularly deep or well-researched (by my rather well-read standards, anyway). Recommended, especially as a summer read.



Ever wonder how Raymond Chandler would write a recipe for leg of lamb? How John Steinbeck would make Mushroom Risotto, or how Homer would eulogize a pot of fenkata? Wonder no more -- go out and borrow or buy a copy of Kafka Soup right now. Absolutely hilarious. Makes a perfect gift for any foodie English major you know.