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 wit...

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 ...

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/o...

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 thr...

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 ...

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,...

Everyday Detox by Megan Gilmore is not your average detox program. It is less a full-scale program, and more a way of living which sounds interesting but is not very sustainable long term....at least for me. The general concept behind Everyday Detox is that our bodies process food more easily if it only has one food group to focus on at a time.  If you want a baked potato, have a baked potato, but leave off the butter and sour cream and steak.  If you want that steak more, have it, but don't load your plate with carbs or dairy.  You are instead supposed to load it up with the "freebies" (green vegetables basically). I enjoyed the individual recipes that I tried, however, I wasn't able to eat more than a few meals without combining the food groups.  If I had more willpower or ,let's be honest, desire to eat that way, perhaps I could have toughed it out.  But I would rather eat a baked potato with butter and sour cream more sporadically than have a boring...

Ice cream.  We all scream for it, especially in this summer heat wave.  Nothing is better on these 90 degree days than a cold, creamy cone full of awesomeness we call ice cream.  And luckily for anyone with access to a stove, ice cream maker, or even just a store, there is Big Gay Ice Cream by Bryan Petroff and Douglas Quint. These guys have made ice cream their life and have an uber successful story to share because of it.  Their dream started off more as a lark one summer when they decided to open up their own ice cream truck.  They threw off the dusty imperialism of the corporate ice cream truck world and started their on brand based on solid (okay, okay, soft serve) ice cream and loads of wacky combinations.  Eventually the truck became so successful they opened up their own shop in NYC and now they are one of Anne Burrell's favorite guilty pleasures. I held on to this book for awhile before reviewing it because I wanted to host an ice cream soc...

Food52 Genius Recipes is part cookbook, part kitchen helper.  The recipes themselves are nothing to write home about, at least at first glance.  Things like roast chicken, coconut macaroons, and fried eggs are all recipes home cooks have made a million times. So many times, in fact, that I almost never look at a recipe.  Where Food52 differs is in the tips it provides.  Instead of just fying an egg, make a vinegar reduction to enhance the flavor.  Instead of using butter on your grilled cheese, coat it with a layer of mayo to keep it from burning.  These tips have proven themselves to be true, no matter which recipe I tried or what section of the book I was in.   When Food52 Genius Recipes first arrived, I immediately dropped what I was doing and proceeded to go through the beautiful pages one by one, writing down all of the recipes I was interested in trying. This book is so beautiful and well laid out I couldn't wait to try everything! Out of...

I am the type of girl that loves to read about all of the gross stuff added to our food these days.  I am also the type of girl who loves to share what she reads and freak others out.  This book isn't overly disgusting, though it has it's moments.  The worst wasn't even something you put in your mouth, but rather that you put on your clothes (Fabric Softener).  Vegans, beware! I enjoyed how the chemicals were broken down into laymen's terms making it easy for everyone to understand what exactly they were and why they were used.  It's fascinating how many items are used to either counteract a negative component of another chemical or to work in conjunction with it.   I would recommend This is What You Just Put In Your Mouth to anyone who is interested in learning a little bit more about the chemicals surrounding them. I recieved this book from Blogging for Books for this review. 

Man, this is taking forever.  I am determined to finish this series of posts before the one year anniversary of the trip! Let's see, where did we leave off?  Ah, yes, Ephesus.  Probably the hottest and busiest place in Turkey. It was the first stop of the day, however, getting there earlier meant nothing for avoiding the crowds or the sweltering heat.  The sun radiated off of all of the ruins and right back at us.  It is definitely a place you can get burned very quickly. The ruins of Ephesus start at the beginning of what was once the town.  There is a small amphitheater and then a stone street heading down the hill and surrounded (at one time) by the luxurious homes of the wealthy and privileged.  There isn't much left to look at; the rusted pipes they once used for plumbing, some mosaic flooring here, a column there. The house that is most intact is actually what was the community bath house.  This is where everyone ...

A few weeks ago, the internet ran amok with the veracity of moral outrage that only anonymous strangers protected by computer screens can muster.  Their target this time?  Shape Magazine , who had refused to publish a photo of blogger Brooke Birmingham.  Over several years Birmingham had lost an extraordinary 172 pounds, a journey she shared with her readers  on her blog “Brooke:Not on a Diet” .  Shape and Birmingham had reached an impasse after the magazine refused to publish her story with the photograph she had provided of herself in a bikini.  They had asked her to submit a new photo of her wearing a t-shirt and cited editorial policy as the reason. On May 8 th the blogger and Shape editor Bahar Takhtehchian  appeared together on The Today Show to announce that the magazine would move forward with her story and bikini photo, as well as adding 4 similar stories to create a feature that would highlight what happens after someone reaches t...

Well, ladies and germs, we have made it to Asia. Woo hoo!  I bet you thought this day would never happen! After crossing the Dardanelles we were in the Asian side of Turkey.  After an evening at the shittiest "5-star" resort I've ever spent the night in (Can we say "centipedes in the bed, crooked artwork and a 1980's Nintendo tv"?), we headed out to Troy. I was super excited for Troy, simply because of the amazing amount of history surrounding it.  Sadly, I am old and the only information that I can remember is that 1. The story of the wooden horse is 100% fiction.  They were actually able to infiltrate the city walls through a crack in the back wall, left by a significant earthquake.  2. No matter where in the world you are from, all people will laugh when the tour guide repeatedly says "They came in the back door." 3. Troy kept having to be rebuilt due to fires and earthquakes.  They would rebuild the new town on top of the existing ruins. ...