Cooking
Why is it about autobiographies with recipes? Some authors don't just share their experiences but they share the flavors of their life. It's like the proof that what they are telling us really happened.
Diana Abu Jaber's memoir The Language of Baklava would be a treat to read even if there were no recipes. She shares in great detail the pleasures of life, including meals. But it's her humor that will make your fall for her writing and her family.
"Marry, don't marry," Auntie Aya says as we unfold layers of dough to make an apple strudel. "Just don't have your babies unless it's absolutely necessary."
"How do I know if it's necessary?"
She stops and stares ahead, her hands gloved in flour, "Ask yourself, Do I want a baby or do I want to make a cake? The answer will come to you almost like bells ringing." She flickers her fingers in the air by her ear. "For me, almost always, the answer was cake."
The book is about growing up in two cultures--her mother's American culture and the bedouin Jordanian culture of her father. It's a book about family and growing up and love and food. A blend of exotic and familiar, of Angel food cake and Baklava. Utimately the emotions and feelings expressed are universal. Each chapter is filled with stories and sprinkled with recipes and I savored each one of them.
And now--a contest! Here is the beginning of an Arabic saying
"One's eating shows one's _____"
a) wealth
b) family
c) love
d)character
Fill in the blank by choosing the correct final word and post it in the comment section along with your email. The first three to guess correctly will win a copy of The Language of Baklava. (Note: I will mail the book to any address you choose, provided it is in the US, or you can pick it up and I will treat you to coffee)
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Cooking
The Language of Baklava : Review & Contest
Why is it about autobiographies with recipes? Some authors don't just share their experiences but they share the flavors of their life. It's like the proof that what they are telling us really happened.
Diana Abu Jaber's memoir The Language of Baklava would be a treat to read even if there were no recipes. She shares in great detail the pleasures of life, including meals. But it's her humor that will make your fall for her writing and her family.
"Marry, don't marry," Auntie Aya says as we unfold layers of dough to make an apple strudel. "Just don't have your babies unless it's absolutely necessary."
"How do I know if it's necessary?"
She stops and stares ahead, her hands gloved in flour, "Ask yourself, Do I want a baby or do I want to make a cake? The answer will come to you almost like bells ringing." She flickers her fingers in the air by her ear. "For me, almost always, the answer was cake."
The book is about growing up in two cultures--her mother's American culture and the bedouin Jordanian culture of her father. It's a book about family and growing up and love and food. A blend of exotic and familiar, of Angel food cake and Baklava. Utimately the emotions and feelings expressed are universal. Each chapter is filled with stories and sprinkled with recipes and I savored each one of them.
And now--a contest! Here is the beginning of an Arabic saying
"One's eating shows one's _____"
a) wealth
b) family
c) love
d)
Fill in the blank by choosing the correct final word and post it in the comment section along with your email. The first three to guess correctly will win a copy of The Language of Baklava. (Note: I will mail the book to any address you choose, provided it is in the US, or you can pick it up and I will treat you to coffee)
- My Berlin Kitchen Review & Giveaway
If you are a fan of The Wednesday Chef blog, there's no question, you will enjoy My Berlin Kitchen: Adventures in Love and Life by Luisa Weiss now out in paperback. The book is a memoir with recipes and Weiss traces her journey through her memories...
- Culinary Celebrities And Contest
You never know who you'll bump into at the Fancy Food Show. While I missed seeing Ina Gartner, I did talk to Martin Yan, Paul Prudhomme, Paula Wolfert and as you can see from the picture, both Charles Phan and author Joan Nathan. Having just reviewed...
- Cook Until Desired Tenderness: Book & Contest
Remember the Griffin and Sabine books by Nick Bantock? They were beautiful, filled with the most amazing collage-style prints and illustrations. The stories were romantic and magical yet never mushy. They were like children's illustrated books but...
- Julia Child Contest
I am still savoring my Summer edition of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture. It was an entire issue devoted to none other than Julia Child. There are interviews, remembrances, stories, poems, songs and even a picture of Julia in the bathtub...
- The Seasoning Of A Chef: Review & Contest
If you want to know what goes on in professional kitchens, there are several books that will tell you what it's like. Kitchen Confidential written by Tony Bourdain is particularly well-written and entertaining as well as informative. But the latest...