Today, finally, there is a hint, just a hint, of fall in the air. September is always like this. Friends across the country are talking about back to school, sweater weather, local apples, hot cocoa. Meanwhile, September is the hottest month in Southern California. We have back to school, sure, but I remember sweltering in [...]
Entries Tagged as 'Giveaway'
Giveaway, The Auberge of the Flowering Hearth and Endive Salad with Bacon
March 12th, 2010 · 61 Comments · Cookbook reviews, Quick, Recipes, Salads, Seasonal, Spring, Travel, Vegetables and Sides, Winter
As I may have mentioned before, I generally receive a several cookbooks for major gift-giving occasions. This isn’t surprising; after all, I have a known cookbook problem, and I have several cookbooks on my Amazon wishlist. I’m fairly familiar with the major cookbooks that are released, what the buzz is, and what the classics are. But this Christmas my aunt (who is a fantastic cook) gave me a book I had never heard of — the Auberge of the Flowering Hearth, by Roy Andries De Groot. “It’s the book that inspired Alice Waters,” she told me. I thanked her politely and added the book to my already crowded shelf of food and cookbooks.
A month or so later, I had finished my book club book for that month and was looking for something to read, and my eye fell on the Auberge. The book is unassuming, with its seventies cover and relatively unknown author (who was at some point the President of the Gourmet Club, which I’m sure had some real meaning in 1973, but sounds made up to me, like something an enterprising high school student would use to pad their college application), but I thought it would be an excellent soothing bedtime read.
What I discovered was an absolutely delightful book, and I’m giving away one copy to readers.
Giveaway and The Savour Fare Kitchen — Essential Kitchen Tools
March 6th, 2010 · 189 Comments · Kitchen Management, Non Recipe, Recipes
Today we’re returning to our Savour Fare Kitchen series with a post on Essential Kitchen Tools. While pots and pans are a little more universal due to either their straightforward functionality or their high space requirements, the tools you keep in your kitchen are idiosyncratic. I have a tendency to pick up kitchen tools right and left — people give them to me as gifts, I receive them in goodie bags at blog events, and I am magically drawn into every Sur La Table or Williams Sonoma I walk past. As a result, this list is not going to be a comprehensive listing of my personal kitchen tools, nor can it be an exhaustive list of every tool you should own. If you really love cherry clafoutis, you should probably indulge in a cherry pitter. If you make cobb salad every Saturday for lunch, an egg slicer might be your bag. This list is just intended to serve as a starter list of some tools I use and brands I love. Additionally, read on to the end to find out how to enter the first entry in the Savour Fare March Madness Giveaway series and win some of my favorite kitchen tools!
