An Illustrated History Of American Eating & Drinking

"Kissing don't last", George Meredith once wrote. "Cookery do!" - The American Heritage Cookbook And Illustrated History Of American Eating & Drinking

The final day of the AAUW book sale is always Sunday. They basically want to get rid of what remains on the tables, so the deal is that they give you a shopping bag(s) to fill and it’s three dollars a bag. Not bad.

This is the day the whole family joins me, and it’s not just about cookbooks. My bibliophilia extends far beyond cookery. This is the day we have found treasures like biographies of Jefferson and Franklin. There have been reference books, children’s books, novels I hadn’t seen in years. We got a full set of Winston Churchill’s history of the Second World War, and I replaced many SciFi titles lost in my fire.

As always there are cookbooks. Things I thought about but passed on. Things I may have missed, or never considered. Sometimes a backup to a well-used cookbook, sometimes a newer edition or one just in better shape.

I always love these last day treasures.

 Technorati Tags: Cookbooks,Used Books,Book Sale,Book Collecting

Good Food From France

Simplicité de la Cuisine ne Doit pas Exclure la Qualité- Henri-Paul Pellaprat  (Plain Cooking does not Preclude Quality)

The AAUW Book Sale had long been a highlight of my Junes.

My history with the American Association of University Women – Buffalo Chapter goes back well before I discovered the sale. I was part of a team pursuing an employment discrimination/tenure denial case that was partly underwritten by the AAUW. They even hosted a luncheon in our honor. Little did I know then that their major annual fundraiser was a book sale. Would have spent more time making friends.

The Memories Food Represents

“What keeps me motivated is not the food itself but all the bonds and memories the food represents.”  -  Michael Chiarello

My friend Fred died suddenly in February.

He was more than just a good friend – he was my culinary mentor, catering boss and the man how gave me the Conn of my first Starship. There will be more about him later this week.

The memorial service was held yesterday at the Frank Lloyd Wright boathouse in the shadow of the Peace Bridge to Canada. Since its completion in 2007 it was probably Fred's favorite place to cater events. A fitting spot to remember a Cook and Caterer.

Feeding My Obsession

The day I met Julia Child, in June 1971, my last day at Cordon Bleu in London, she toured the school and came to see the results of the final exams. - Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking

This is the story of how I acquired what may be the coolest entry in my cookbook collection (other than Sirius). It’s also a story of real friends, and how Facebook friends can be real friends too.

Real friends need no explanation. Susan has been Trish’s “bestie” since we were all in Law School. She was supposed to be maid-of-honor at our wedding. She had a Court call at the last minute so we had to make a substitution. His name is Perry.