Paper Palate

As a fan of the lovely and talented Giada De Laurentiis, I’m not sure which I appreciate more: her entertaining Food Network programs or her growing collection of cookbooks.
Already the author of three well-received cookbooks (Everyday Italian, Giada’s Family Dinners, and Everyday Pasta), De Laurentiis has a much anticipated 4th book coming out entitled Giada’s […]

My family’s not vegetarian. In fact, my husband and daughter are just this side of partaking in the Caveman Diet. I like to incorporate (okay, sneak) as many vegetarian meals as they’ll tolerate into our diets, but since this isn’t my regular mode of cooking, I find myself stumped once I’ve made the cheese enchiladas, […]

Last January I picked up the issue of Gourmet that was on newsstands because my husband and I were planning a trip to Nashville. The January issue was a collector’s edition about Southern cooking with an article by author Ann Patchett about the food of Nashville.
I didn’t get to Patchett’s article until long after our […]

About eight years ago I went on a tear because I wanted to learn the dying art of home preserving but couldn’t find any equipment or guides. My ranting about how canning was an art that would die with our grandmothers fell on mostly deaf ears. Why would anyone go to the hot, miserable work […]

Do you really need a book devoted entirely to cookies? That was the question I was asking myself as I requested to review a copy of Martha Stewart’s newest book, Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share. After poring over the book for the past couple of weeks, I’ve learned that the answer is […]

My mom often told me when I was growing up that you catch more flies with sugar than vinegar. In other words, being nice will get you further along in the world than being a jerk … so always try to be nice. I try to live by that philosophy as much as possible. No […]

When I received the June issue of Food & Wine I was excited just reading the highlights on the cover.  This issue is filled with articles on grilling and fantastic recipes for entertaining outside this summer. Keep reading and I’m sure you’ll be running out to purchase your own copy.
A Virtuoso Griller’s No-Fuss Dishes - Marcia […]

We all agree that a book review is about the book itself. When Feast Bazaar by Barry Vera dropped on my doormat, I thought it might shatter in a thousand and one shards like a mirror would. I had received a colourful mirror. I grew up on Moroccan food; I have images of my gran ”rolling”  couscous. I […]

For most Americans the cubical is little more than a prison with bi-monthly paychecks and a nice 401K. They are shabby ersatz rooms of false walls covered in nondescript synthetic fabric with little to differentiate one from the other. Any given cubical could belong to a paralegal, claims adjustor, or travel agent. Not so for […]

My family loves pizza, especially when the crust is thin and crispy. So, when the new cookbook, Grilled Pizzas and Piadinas, arrived, I was very excited to test out some recipes right away. Now, this cookbook is not just about pizzas, it also includes piadinas, salads, and desserts. The beginning sections of the book give you a detailed list […]