I know I’ve been absent from the blogosphere for a long time, but I’ll jump right back on with a couple of book recommendations of books I’ve read since last I blogged.
Loving the Little Years by Rachel Jankovic needs little recommendation in my usual circles – I heard lots of good things about it, which is why I requested it for Christmas, which is why my sister-in-law, Abigail, gave it to me. All of the good things are true. It’s a great book, inspirational, funny and short. In the second to last chapter, I literally laughed until I cried. When Monica heard me, she came out of her room (she had been put to bed already) and seemed rather alarmed, but I was able to reassure her that no, her mommy wasn’t having a nervous breakdown, everything was fine.
The other great book I’ve read in the last month, which I actually just finished this evening, is Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese. It’s sort of a personal saga, sort of a cook book, and frequently hilarious. I like my facts mixed with humor, in case you couldn’t guess. The premise of the book is that you can make many things at home that you didn’t know you can make at home. Some of them are worth doing, in terms of economics, in terms of time, in terms of health, or in terms of quality. Some of them are not. I’m now considering attempting a few things from scratch that I had never even thought of making at home before, like peanut butter, mozzarella cheese, pancetta, and doughnuts. And I have finally given up on producing baguettes with a crisp egg shell crust. It just can’t be done at home by a baker without a super spiffy oven or lots of time on her hands. Or so says the author, and I’m taking her word for it. Her writing style rather resembles Rachel Jankovic’s. Here’s a sample:
If rather than a lush green garden, you want your outdoor space to resemble a Third World village, I suggest getting some chickens, who will methodically denude the landscape of every blade of grass, low-lying weed, and wildflower. And if you want to rid yourself of shrubbery and small trees as well, get goats. Very soon you will have the adobe patio of your dreams.
Mrs. Reese’s animal sagas were the best.
Happy January, everyone!
I’ve been reading and loving and putting into practice the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. That could be the answer to your baguette problem. Perhaps not strictly authentic, but certainly as delicious.
Also, I’ve been very excited to try making my own laundry soap. I bought the ingredients (very reasonable!), but have yet to try it. If it works, it’s going to be very economical!
Oh, and congratulations on your new little one!
Thanks for the congratulations, Leah! I have “Artisan Bread…” and I like it, though I go through phases of using it – with my family it’s laughable to make just one batch, so I always double it – then it takes up a lot of fridge space, so sometimes it’s infeasible. I’ve made baguettes and other lean breads that taste good, it’s the thin/crispy crust I can’t quite replicate (even with a baking stone and steam pan). I’m not giving up on lean breads, just that one type of crust!
Good luck with your laundry soap! 