Recently I found some book reviews in the Vancouver Sun in their Arts and Life section; the three books reviewed were about food without their being cookbooks.   I immediately went to my library’s website and ordered all of them.  I now have all of them in my possession and have just finished “The Cookbook Collector” by Allegra Goodman and am about to dive in to “Climbing the Mango Trees” by Madhur Jaffery.  The third one is called “The Ramen King and I” by Andy Raskin and I’m not sure about it because of its flippant title, however I’ll let it surprise me.  I also have a fourth book by Lily Prior called “La Cucina” and I’ll be darned if I can remember who recommended it.  Nevertheless, I have some serious reading to do over the next week or so.  If only I could stretch the days out a little longer.

So let me tell you a bit about Allegra Goodman’s The Cookbook Collector.  I thought it would be about a woman who collected cookbooks and was eccentric and mostly talked about food.  Much to my surprise, the book is about high tech, tree huggers, millionaires, people without two nickels to their names, love and loss and, oh yes, about a collection of cookbooks.  The thing you have to work out is who the title really refers to.  (and yes I know I’m yet again ending a sentence with a preposition - perhaps I should start ending them with a Proposition!)

Although the back cover suggests that Allegra Goodman is a contemporary Jane Austen, I think that is overstated.  It does feel honest, in that her characters show their flaws without their feeling contrived.  It also makes you look at what you value and more so, why you value something.  That alone makes the book worth reading.  The cookbooks in question play a relatively small role but a pivotal role nonetheless. 

I have to admit though, once I have food books home from the library or fresh from garage sales, I find I become ravenous and so while I’m reading (I first wrote that as eating!) I start picturing all the lovely food and honest to goodness it’s a Pavlovian response - put the book down, head for the fridge (or cupboard or drawer) to eat something.  Need I say more.  I would recommend that you only read on a full stomach or have a bowl of smart pop popcorn beside you or you will balloon up like the proverbial blow fish.  Perhaps there should be a warning on all food books like you find on cigarettes - Warning - This book may be harmful to your health.  Use caution when reading this book - lock your cupboards.  Long time reading may lead to serious illness or death.  The other option is to just not have the good stuff in the kitchen or anywhere else in the house.  I have a very good friend, you know who you are, who stashes chocolate bars for those snack attacks and another who keeps tins of icing around.  Me, I eat crackers or toast with honey or whatever else I can find.  So, while my quest for fewer pounds persists, I am sabotaged at every turn. 

So the bottom line is - Read books from the 641.5 section of your library with caution - you never know where those pounds will show up.

NOTE: 

I told you in  a recent post about Palm Leaf Plates (see the blog here if you haven’t had a chance to read it).  Just an update to say that I was able to find something very similar here on Vancouver Island at our local Thrifty’s store.  There are 12 larger one (almost like bowls) for 7.99 and 12 smaller for 6.99.  I am attaching a link to the website. http://www.earthentrading.ca/index.html   It seems that they are pretty much only available in BC but there are a couple of online distributors.   AND their plastic packaging is biodegradable so that works for me.

Be Fabulous