Finding Betty Crocker

Finding Betty Crocker is fascinating not only because of the biography of its fictional subject but also because of the history of 20th century Minneapolis it presents. According to the book's jacket, "In 1945, Fortune Magazine named Betty Crocker the second most popular American woman, right behind Eleanor Roosevelt, and dubbed Betty America's First Lady of Food. Not bad for a gal who never actually existed." I don't think I realized Betty Crocker hadn't been a real person until I was about 30 years old.

True Compass

This is an incredible account not only of Kennedy's life but also of American history and politics. Kennedy reflects on events in his life including his family's time in Europe just prior to U.S. involvement in World War 2, his lost family members and how they impacted him, and his endorsement of Barack Obama for president. As a child, Kennedy's father said to him, "You can have a serious life or a nonserious life." What really struck me was his gratitude for the privilege he had and for what it allowed him to do for his country.

The United States of Arugula

The United States of Arugula, written by David Kamp is about the rise of the foodie culture in the U.S.

The following is from the book jacket and does a great job of summing up the book:

"The wickedly entertaining, hunger-inducing, behind-the-scenes story of the revolution in American food that has made exotic ingredients, celebrity chefs, rarefied cooking tools, and destination restaurants familiar aspects of our everyday lives. Amazingly enough, just twenty years ago eating sushi was a daring novelty and many Americans had never even heard of salsa. Today, we don't bat an eye at a construction worker dipping a croissant into robust specialty coffee, city dwellers buying just-picked farmstand produce, or suburbanites stocking up on artisanal cheeses and extra virgin oils at supermarkets. The United States of Arugula is a rollicking, revealing stew of culinary innovation, food politics, and kitchen confidences chronicling how gourmet eating in America went from obscure to pervasive - and became the cultural success story of our era."

I couldn't have said it better myself...

JDL

Harold and the Purple Crayon

I remember waking up REALLY early one morning when I was about 5 or 6 years old and not being able to get back to sleep. I had a bunch of my favorite books in a brief case that Mom and Dad had found at an estate sale. Harold and the Purple Crayon was one of the books that I had in that brief case. I remember reading it that morning. I absolutely loved this book. When my brother Pete graduated from college, I gave him Harold and the Purple Crayon as a graduation present. To me, the book represented being able to build a world out of the smallest of resources; in this case, a purple crayon. Pete was surprised when he opened the gift. He told me he had never heard of the book before. I couldn't imagine how that could be...

John Adams

Our friend Alyn recently returned the DVD of the John Adams mini-series that we had lent to her. It makes me think of how much I loved reading the book. The book was released in 2001 and I spent a chunk of the summer of that year reading it. Two of his personal relationships are as intriguing as all the nation building going on in the book. His loving relationship with his dear wife Abigail is touching and his troubled friendship with Thomas Jefferson is intense. Not only is the book a fascinating biography of John Adams but also an amazing account of American history.

Bread and Jam for Frances

I had promised my friend Eric he could read Bread and Jam for Frances to my 1st grade class. He wasn't able to make it in the other day and I couldn't hold out reading it to them! It was my favorite story book as a kid, after all! The kids loved it and will love hearing it a second time so I guess I technically didn't break my promise to Eric.

Bread and Jam for Frances

Text is by Russell Hoban

Illustrations by Lillian Hoban

Hemmingway and Bailey's Bartending Guide to Great American Writers

This book is a lot of fun.

From the book jacket:

"In this entertaining homage to the golden age of the cocktail, illustrator Edward Hemingway and writer Mark Bailey present the best (and thirstiest) American writers, their favorite cocktails, true stories of their saucy escapaes, and intoxicating excerpts from their literary works. It's the perfect blend of classic cocktail recipes, literary history and tales of the good old days of extravagant Martini lunches and delicious excess.

Interesting tidbit: Illustrator Edward Hemingway is the grandson of Ernest.