Cooking
CultureWatch: Provence, 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and the Reinvention of American Taste
Jill Norgren Reviews: Luke Barr gives readers a thoughtful contemplation of post-World War II cooking history along with a delicious slice of foodie gossip ... Just below the surface of its telling lurk fundamental social and moral issues well worth contemplating when the last page is read. Who gets to eat? What is the relationship between food and economic status? Why did middle class Americans fall so hard for classic French food in the 1960s? And what makes a cuisine "ethnic? more »
Food Secrets of Downton Abbey: When the Gravy Froze & Dropping Fake Prawns Onto the Dowager's Lap
Think the actors get hungry sitting around the food hour after hour? While they usually only eat the foods like watercress or cucumber, Food Stylist Lisa Heathcote notes, "They do occasionally tuck in, depending upon how peckish they are, and where we are in the day." She describes a typical menu at a house party: "A clear soup to start with; a fish course; an entrée, a roast; a cheese and fruit course; a pudding; and "a savory, which is a tiny little mini morsel of something savory, a weenie little thing upon a plate. It's a lot of food." more »
SeniorWomen's Holiday Shopping: Geek Culture, Sparkly Slippers, Dressing Gowns, Central Park Plates, Spices & A Charity Rating Site
Shopping for STEM gifts, especially for a math-mad granddaughter, isn't easy but Boutique Academia's necklace, She Who Dares, Wins is apt as well as Tardis, Ada Lovelace and molecule necklaces. A soft little book of tips for fresh and saltwater fishers should be a hit as well as other flipbooks. A beautiful line of clothes from Edinburgh is a year round find, as well porcelain from Itsuko and Central Park plates. For my husband, a dopp kit, construction kits for grandchildren from National Building Museum. And an additional shop, SpiceAce. more »
Ferida Wolff's Backyard: Early Morning Clouds and Squirrel — Master of All He/She Surveys
I am not a morning person. It takes me a while to gather my energy so much of breakfast preparation takes place automatically. It’s a good thing oatmeal doesn’t need special attention. Just above and beyond was an exuberance of white clouds. It woke me up right away ... I felt a connection — to the squirrel, to what was being observed, to the larger sense of nature. It made me aware that the world is always different, depending upon one's view. more »
