Book Reviews
CultureWatch, July 2010
It's enjoyable to find a story told in a layered way. This one reads so convincingly like a memoir that the reader is tempted to forget that it really is artful fiction. It could also be a non-academic dissertation of food with implications of the intimate connections between who we are and what we are accustomed to eating. more »
The Feminist Moles in the Federal Government
Basically, they slipped back under the radar, becoming moles more like the early 1960s feminist insiders. In that capacity they could still feed information where it could do the most good, award grants and improve policies around the edges. Banaszak concludes that the sympathy of the Administration matters, but not as much as scholars have said it does. Insider feminists were quite creative in slipping through the cracks. more »
Daring Pairings: A Master Sommelier Matches Distinctive Wines with Recipes from His Favorite Chefs
Goldstein focuses on foods that complement the grapes and foods to avoid with them. The book covers what he calls the keys to understanding wine — acidity, sweetness, tannin, oak and alcohol — and the keys to understanding food — ingredients, cooking methods, sauces and condiments. more »
On Looking Forward to Summer and Good Beach Reads
Oh, and one more thing: a true beach read must be one that you can pass along, which is why ours are almost always paperbacks. When you’ve found a satisfying beach read, others will request your copy as soon as you’re through with it, probably because you’ve been recounting your delight at the dinner table (an obnoxious habit, that, but I’ve had some good reads out of it). If you’ve been emphatic enough with your praise, the book will travel from hand to hand, and probably wind up going home with someone else. more »