Paper Palate

I know I have said it before, but I have a wonderful husband. He is kind, generous, caring . . . if I want something, he usually gets it for me. Kind gestures are plenty. When it is chilly outside, he will bring me my robe and towel . . . straight out of the […]

When the weather gets warm and we can spend more time outside, it just seems like the perfect time to have more casual get togethers.  In the summer months, it’s just so easy to ask friends to stop on by for brunch or dinner.  When I saw the title of Rick Rodgers new cookbook, Summer […]

The last time Alton Brown did a book signing in St. Louis, it was a small enough affair to fill Left Bank Books. My friend Allison presented Mr. Brown with a pair of flame-printed potholders she’d made.  He saw her to-go box, asked what was in it, to which Allison’s husband replied, “It’s her leftover […]

I’d be lying if I said photography isn’t important in a cookbook for me. The truth is that I enjoy savoring the photography of a good cookbook almost as much as I enjoy savoring the recipes. The Minnesota Homegrown Cookbook delivers beautiful photography, interesting stories, and tasty recipes.
This coffee table-worthy book is presented by Renewing […]

Pure Food by Christine Cushing is a book that offers a wide variety of dishes that focus on freshness and flavor. The recipes are straightforward and emphasize using seasonal ingredients in a way that suits them best. The layout is clean and the photos are bright and inviting. The book begins with a shopping, organizing, and produce […]

A collection of small dishes from the realm where paper meets palate.
New Yorker David Gelin publishes a book on Southern BBQ. The 43-year-old Gelin’s opus, BBQ Joints: Stories and Secret Recipes From the Barbecue Belt (Gibbs Smith Publisher, $15.95) is less a book about BBQ recipes and more an exploration of the people who devote […]

Okay, I admit it.  I love Top Chef!  Its one of my “must see” TV shows of each week.  I watch for the drama, the cheesy preening of the Cheftestants, the snarky guest judges, Padma’s outfits, and, of course, the food.  The show is in the midst of its fourth season and I can honestly say […]

I’m feeling far from summery - there is a huge black cloud drawing up that has made my loft so dark I need the lights on and it’s only 2 in the afternoon!
Still the recipes in the June issue of Delicious at least give some indication that summer is on its way. Barbecues feature heavily, […]

Three new cookbooks have come my way. Actually one is getting on a bit, one is quite new but I’ve seen it mentioned on several blogs already now, while the last is so new it’s not actually been printed yet!
For me the visual is the key to liking a cookbook. I can think of only […]

As I opened the plain brown envelope that contained my preview copy of Joyce Lamont’s Favorite Minnesota Recipes & Radio Memories (Voyager Press, Minneapolis, MN) I was a little giddy. I am a son of the South and cookbooks of folksy Southern personalities like Fannie Flagg or Paula Deen are always met with anticipation. Often […]