Monday, August 20, 2012

Our August-September 2012 Cook the Books Selection: Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin


At Kahakai Kitchen, I (Deb), became enamored of a little book of food essays,Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin, a couple of years ago. The book still sits on my nightstand, ready to be delved into whenever the mood strikes me, so it gives me great pleasure to select it for the August-September 2012 round of Cook the Books. “Home Cooking” is a small and wonderful collection of stories and memories about food, interspersed  with recipes. This past May, The James Beard Awards added Home Cooking to their Cookbook Hall of Fame.
Laurie Colwin was the author of five books, as well as a prolific food writer and a contributor to Gourmet and other magazines, who died unexpectedly and tragically young, in 1992 of a heart attack at age 48. Colwin wrote in a casual, warm style and with such a sparkling sense of humor–laughing about herself and her experiences–both good and bad in the kitchen. If you haven’t experienced her before, I think you will fall a little bit in love with her writing. It’s a short book so if you are feeling extra ambitious, feel free to read her follow-up More Home Cooking: A Writer Returns to the Kitchen, as well

“No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.” 
― Laurie Colwin

I’ll be back soon to announce our judge for this round. To join in the fun, all you need to do is beg, buy, or borrow a copy of Home Cooking, cook something up inspired by the book and then blog about it by Monday, September 24th. You can leave a comment below to let me know that you have written your post or email me at debinhawaii@gmail.com.

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