Dorothy Kalin's:: The Kitchen Whisperers

A book review (posted to Goodreads dot com)

I fell in love with this book, especially the concept of the book, right away. I cook with lots of wonderful voices in the kitchen - both grandmothers (Coca Cola Cake and Lamb Stew on one side, Lemon Meringue pie and Chicken Croquettes on the other), my mom, good friends, Mrs. Child - of course, the brilliant chefs I've worked with, TV chefs who want to draw us in and get us moving and the quiet cookbook writers and stylists who offer their best.

They all seem to want to engage with us so we try new things, to go beyond our self-imposed borders and experience the wonders of the kitchen, the market, the table. At some point in the book, and it may have been too early on, Ms. Kalin's voice went from collaborative and encouraging to showcasing. Her Kitchen Whisperers are the chefs, the magazine editors and the stylists with whom she collaborated. Somehow, rather than drawing us in, she seemed to have drawn a line - a sort of "us and you" line I found off-putting. She makes a statement about a chef whose new kitchen isn't completed and he brings an amazing meal to the table with two toaster ovens and a hot plate. Brilliant! Wonderful! Exciting! Tell me more, tell me how. Instead, she goes on to comment, "In most chef's kitchens, and especially in most high-end non-chef's kitchens, you'll find a row of shiny appliances that signify mastery to the Williams Sonoma crowd but in reality only telegraph a quick Amazon trigger finger. (Just because they're there doesn't meant they're used, or used well.)" Ouch. There is this unnecessary defense of expertise. I'd prefer she acknowledge the heritage of home cooking - the inspiration, the doing, showing, trying, sharing. It's food! If someone with limited experience gets their hands dirty by using shiny appliances and gadgets, hooray! They're in the kitchen. 

I will say this, the book is staying in my kitchen. It was passed along by my dear friend Michelle - who is a fabulous cook and one of my Whisperers. I assumed I'd read it and pass it along, but I can't! It's FULL of sticky notes, full of ideas for the hours I'll spend at the farmers market and then in the kitchen. (I do wish she'd indexed all the non-recipe recipes!)

This is a good book but sadly, Kalins managed to separate, perhaps unintentionally, the reader and her accomplished associates, when she could have sidled up next to us and become our Kitchen Whisperer.

Back on the Reading Track

Ann Patchett is just so good at helping herself to generous heaps of my time. Our introduction was her beautiful novel Bel Canto, an almost can't stop read, I loved it. Loved it. I've read a couple of her other books, which reside in our living room library shelves because my husband, a hardback lover, is a big fan of Ann's work. None of them have lingered recreationally. They all seem to wrap around my arm and tug me to the chair, like a clingy, but adorable, boyfriend. This though, is about The Dutch House. A work of near-perfection. I bought the book for my Dear, but when someone recommended Tom Hanks' reading on Audible I had to start there. I love reading. I love driving. I love listening. So, I occasionally, if not often, I grab the book and the audio (see Libby) and go. To begin, I loved Tom Hanks as narrator. His voice and style helped me get a feel for Danny as I read. Not a downside, but I see where it might point one in a direction.This was fine by me, because first, I was reading when not listening and also, Tom Hanks. He's offered so many roles with a core of strength and tenderness he didn't do anything but enhance the experience.   

Danny and Maeve are brother and sister, raised by their dad in the grand and glorious Dutch House. Their mother left them inexplicably and while Maeve took on the mom role, Danny was learning some of his dad's role in real estate management. At a point, Andrea, their stepmother enters with all the injustice this entry can bring. 

What we find, hold in our hands, welcome through our ears, is a story of connection and detachment, cruelty and inability, forgiveness and understanding. Danny's story is full of hardship but told through a heart willing to test each step taken without expected malice or prejudice. We're involved in the learning, the unfolding. Here the young children create their own family/echelon within the structure and bond in ways adults can't imagine. In some ways, the story was aligned to instances in my own experience. That's of course, a different post, but the resonance turns out to be more universal than I might have thought. More than one friend talked about how they'd experienced some part of Danny and Maeve's tale. 

It's beautiful with ugly pits and promises.

And, as I said, I loved it.

This knife.

My son gave me Alton Brown's new book: Everyday Cook. It's great. Chock full of good ideas. But I got stuck, joyously, on the page with all the things he uses to get where he wants to go. Like Binder clips. It's about the second or third page. I've been peeking and then surfing to see if I have what I need. Mostly I do, but I upgraded a knife so far. (Not the one pictured.) And I have perused the interwebs for some of his recommendations.

Alton certainly said it loudest, or to the biggest audience, but I have almost always held that point of view -- everything in my kitchen should have more than one function. No gadgety gadgets for me. Years and years ago when I went to cooking school, friends and family loaded me up with this and that. All intended to make the kitchen easy and fun and what I found was that I didn't really end up using all of it. I'm fall-over grateful for every consideration, I just didn't use some of the pieces. I shared a bunch and kept a few. An example of one I don't really need? Turkey forks.  They look smart, but really, you use them once or perhaps twice a year when you make a turkey. And my dear, dear friend Jemma, who loves the Joy of Cooking, method for turkey (me too!) reminds me, you just need a couple of paper towels. I still have my Turkey forks. I use 'em, but you get that they live rent free in the kitchen all year.

My son, who loves all things Alton, gave me the Original Bear Claw pulled pork shredders for those days when I have no forks available. Ha. I got the joke right after I opened the package. He was quite proud of himself. (They turned out to have more than one application and one is actually a garden application.)

What I love is a well-considered tool. Like the knife you see in the picture. It was the first I bought, about a day after the introductory meeting at UCLA for my professional cooking course. I was so excited. And decided to be slow and careful to only buy knives I need. Really good knives and really serviceable knives. So this one had my name on it. An 8" Zwilling JA Henckels Chef's knife. About a week later I bought a 4" paring knife, then a boning knife. These were my companions and made it into my knife bag which went with me just about everywhere I went. (In my car. Is that legal?) I was thrilled, then, and am now, to have the tools of the trade in my hand.
I'm reading a book about a girl completely dedicated to cooking great food -- Kitchen of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal. And I'm reminded of how cooking is always new, with portent of magic and good problem-solving, just around the corner.

My knife, that should never have doubled as an opener for a lid of some kind, reminded me of that, too.

Just like writing, I'm called back onto my path.

Giving thanks - November 15:: A Time To Remember

I'm so thankful for this book and it's telling of the Pilgrim's true story. I got to share parts of it with my daughter's advisement class twice in the last two weeks. (I'm thankful for that too.) Through the book I'm reminded that it's impossible to be grateful and resentful at the same time.

I'm choosing the grace of gratitude.

Read. Read. Read.

It's been a while since I've read a book I wanted to read through the night. I'm so happy to be enjoying THE PARIS WIFE. McLain is a perfectly wonderful storyteller. I feel like I'm right there with Ernest and Hadley in Chicago. In St. Louis. And I can't wait to go where next we go.

I recommend it already.

What are you reading?

Quotable Sunday - THE HELP

"I watched Lou Anne slip away in the parking lot, thinking, There is so much you don't know about a person. I wonder if I could've made her days a little bit easier, if I'd tried. If I'd treated her a little nicer. Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought." 
- Kathryn Stockett, THE HELP

I must say, I loved this book and it's unique voicing.

Summer Reading

Don't you love the idea of hours in flip flops on the sand, the grass, the couch, just reading. With a friend? I do. Life's a Beach was a hotel purchase a year or so ago. Fine characters. Plenty OK for mindless, summer reading. On the list for a book swap.

This summer, I'm planning to document the summer reading with and without the book club.
So, for club night, I read THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. As I mentioned in the last post, we're now reading the sequels, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE to be followed by THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST. In between, I started THE HELP. But the page turn thing with these Larsson books is a bit of a problem. They just keep turning regardless of the time of day or night you read. I find myself with the books in my purse. I'd read at traffic lights and when I'm driving - if I could. It's worse than texting while driving. If we're not careful, these books will be outlawed.

My read stack is tall, here's a smattering:
PEACE LIKE A RIVER
BLUE SHOE
LUNCH IN PARIS
THE POSTMISTRESS
GLASS CASTLE
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS
IMPERFECT BIRDS
BLUE LIKE JAZZ
THE BEAUTIFUL JIM KEY
BANANA ROSE
HARRY POTTER - THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN
- THE GOBLET OF FIRE
- ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
- THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE
- AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS
PENSIVES

And now, the most exciting of questions - What are you reading? What is on your stack?

Almost summer and loving lots

I can say that I'm about a half day into summer and have found much intrigue in those Stieg Larsson books. I read THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO with the neighborhood book club. Fun. The book club that is. I'm new and we just ran through thought after thought on the writer, the characters and then, the confessions. One of us had read all three books in under a week. I almost set out for the neighborhood bookstore in my pjs at midnight because I wanted book two. (Didn't.) And we've agreed to meet in six weeks having read two and three.
So far, I like summer.

We've made roasted tomato salsa and had our first super yummy watermelon granita. Avocados are turning into guac and every chef in the house is making their favorite smoothie.

I'm listening to a lot of Sara Lindsay. Especially the songs Beautiful and Fall Kids. We're dancin'.

Oh yes, I'm liking summer.

I also have a notion for a book. Summer is a good time to incubate a notion for a book.
A little sun, a little water and the idea might just turn into pages.

And one last thing, the teenager and the sistersoo are fully invested (again) in the Next Food Network Star.

Summer. Its a good thing.

Then, the final last thing: Mary and Marj and I are sitting in the front yard garden a lot. We think we're on the cape. Even if I've never been there. This means connecting with lots of neighbors - especially the ones we don't all know.

Ah, summer.

Quotable Sunday ~ My Grandfather's Blessing

"Recovering a greater compassion may require us to confront the core values of our culture. We are a culture that values mastery and control, that cultivates self-sufficiency, competence, independence. But in the shadow of these values lies a profound rejection of our human wholeness. As individuals and as a culture we have developed a sort of contempt for anything in ourselves and in others that has needs, and is capable of suffering. It is not a gentle world."   

-Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., My Grandfather's Blessings. 

A wonderful gift from my friend Heather in 2001. A huge gift today.

And Russel's Cottage on the 3rd day.