Friday, August 1, 2008

the cook book that makes me happy about food


Way back, May 1st to be exact, how lucky I was - and all that eat from my hands - that I was in the car listening to the Diane Rehm Show. Her guests for that hour were Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift talking about their new book "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper". These lovely ladies and their radio show, The Splendid Table, were new to me. That has all been rectified. Listening to that radio conversation all about food, from women who LOVE to eat and cook (you could hear it just in the way they shaped their words, how they said "extra virgin olive oil" and "Parmigiano-Reggiano") and who made it sound so enjoyable and easy, I knew their book would be my Mother's Day gift to myself. With excitement and a little uncertainty I delved into the recipes with weekly meal plans and grocery list. The results have been delicious. Dave has never been so happy about a gift I bought for myself. The quality of our meals has taken off in leaps and bounds and our spice cupboard is expanding to include turmeric and coriander. Thanks to podcasts of their show I can now play catch up and I listen while making dinner or painting walls. Very entertaining, full of flavor, curiosity, inspiration, and creativity. Have you ever heard about a skirted cheese burger? or how to build your own oven?? Well, then you must start listening. Your mouth with water.

6 comments:

H.Cook said...

you've convinced me to take a look at this book! I am always on the lookout for great dinner ideas :)

Jessie said...

I have mixed feelings about The Splendid Table - their food things always sound good but you have to sit through 20 minutes of gushing about what wine to pair with things before they get to the recipes.
-Louie (Jessie's husband)

Jessie said...

We also enjoy having turmeric and coriander around. I make a mean lentil and rice dish with those. Yum. I may need to gift myself that cook-book too!

Keep up the good cookin'. You're amazing, as always.

Sarah Starr Alleman Smith said...

Louie - you bring up a good point. For instance, since I don't drink, I wasn't so taken with the discussion on infusing flavor in home-made beer. (I was washing dishes for that one.) Or when the wine expert fellow came on to talk about the perfect sparkling wine for summer - I got quite bored. (I was up to my elbows in eggshell paint.)

Sarah Palfreyman said...

this cook book makes me happy about food as well. thanks for introducing it to me.

Natalie Sue said...

Wow....how come you are so good at everything!? :)