Wicked Smart

"Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes" by Ronni Lundy is SUCH an amazing cookbook.  It has taken me a long time to write this review as I immediately ran into problems locating the ingredients.  Almost every recipe called for Sorghum Syrup and that is something that we just don't have up here in Seattle.  The other issue was regarding Ramps...something that I still do not quite know what they are, even after having made several recipes from the book but at least there was substitution of sorts provided. I cannot say if these recipes are accurate representations of Southern Cooking as my entire experience with fried chicken was KFC until I was a pre-teen but I can tell you that these recipes are delicious.  Once you hunt down the Sorghum Syrup (think Amazon), you can accomplish amazing feats. There are great corn recipes, the infamous Skillet Fried Chicken and a Sweet & Savory Banana Pudding that is to die for.  Combine those amazing tidbits with the grea

The Vanessa Munroe novels have quickly become a favorite of mine, having somewhat filled the hole left by the end of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series. So while looking for a book to take on vacation with me this summer, I was thrilled to find The Mask. On this go-round Vanessa has joined her lover in Japan after he takes a rather mundane job in security for a biomedical company.  Shortly thereafter he is framed for the murder of one of the employees and it is up to her to save him from a life in Japanese prison. As always, I enjoyed the fast pace action as Munroe has to kick ass and take names to save her boyfriend, however, this time around it was plagued by what I felt were unnecessary emotions. I personally did not understand why she took such great offense to some of the things Bradford had done and said.  In their line of work, deception is a must and with the well spoken trust that has been built between them in the previous novels, her heartbreak and misgiving

Like most in the Seattle area, I have an affinity for Asian food, whether that be Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai or Vietnamese.  My go-to in times of sickness is a steaming hot bowl of Pho.  My go-to restaurants with friends vary based on our similar loves - one friend and I always meet to share some Chinese, my work husband and I visit the local teriyaki joint at least once a week. One of my favorite Vietnamese dishes is the bahn mi sandwich.  The tender meat partnered with the crisp pickled vegetables and perfectly crunchy bread always hits the spot.  I was so excited when the Banh Mi Handbook was released, I looked forward to getting my hands on it and trying my luck at home. The Banh Mi Handbook is a smaller cookbook, but don't let size fool you.  This book is chalk full of recipes, stories and insight in sandwich variations.  It is the perfect size to be called a "handbook". It provides you with options to fit your varying level of skill and/or time in the k

Once upon a time, every kitchen had The Betty Crocker cookbook hidden somewhere.  It was the go-to guide for cooks to look up a recipe on just about anything their heart desired.  That was our mothers' generation.  The future is now and we have The Homemade Kitchen by Alana Chernila! This is the new ultimate, must-have cookbook for anyone who enjoys spending some time in the kitchen.  The book is well laid out, well written and chock full of delicious recipes, including many kitchen staples. The front of the book is laid out amazingly well, with a bunch of short, generic recipes that you can mix and match and spice up as needed.  How do you cook this kind of vegetable?  Its in there, next to many other vegetables and the best way to prepare them for your meal. Want to make jam?  There's a generic recipe where you can mix in whatever fruit you may have on hand. I have enjoyed every recipe I've made so far and look forward to cooking my way through the book as the s

There rarely comes along a book that speaks so profoundly to me.  Change Your Brain, Change Your Life by Dr. Daniel Amen is one of those books. Like most people my age, I have found myself feeling lost and questioning my choices lately.  Am I in the right job? Have I surrounded myself with the right people? Am I truly happy? I never consider myself depressed, I laugh every day, but I have noticed I can get caught in negative thought patterns when I think about how different my life is from the one I planned to have years ago.  I would never have gone to a psychiatrist to deal with these questions but with Dr. Amen's plan for a healthy brain, I have a great program in place to change the things I may not love. Change Your Brain is well written, easy to understand, and chock full anctedotes and photos of SPECT images.  Anyone with an interest in brain health and psychology will find it fascinating.  I devoured the book in a matter of days and am excited to follow thru the p

If someone told me to buy a cookbook that only discussed one ingredient, I would have told them they were crazy.  I would have scoffed at the idea that a whole book could be designated for one type of food, cooked one way and still be relevant and innovative.  This is that book. This book is great.  There is so much more to Fried Chicken than I ever imagined. After the introduction (Great for seeing how to cut up a chicken for proper frying, descriptions, definitions, explanations, smoke points...this section has got it all!) author Rebecca Lang has broken the book down into 3 sections: Skillet Fried, Deep Fried and Combination Fried (cooking the chicken prior to frying).   The best part of Fried Chicken is that it is so much more than just Southern Fried Chicken (not to worry, there is an amazing recipe for that in here too!), There are versions of friend chicken from around the globe, and all the sauces that accompany them! Think Saigon Street Wings, Mexican Lime Fried