orange pippin

Common sense in 64 bite-size pieces, Feb 15 2010

If you were expecting a gastropolitical epiphany of the likes of The Omnivore's Dilemma, you will be sadly disappointed. Having said that, it is not to Pollan's discredit (in the least) that this latest book is not written in the same style or in the same context as his most popular book, or, even like his previous work, "In Defense of Food". There's no real narrative to follow and the theme, so simply reflected in the title, is to use common sense when deciding what to eat.

The book is organized as follows:

INTRODUCTION
PART 1: What should I eat? (Eat food.)
PART 2: What kind of food should I eat? (Mostly plants.)
PART 3: How should I eat? (Not too… Read more

A mediocre mix..., Dec 23 2009

The story in a nutshell: girl and boy grow up next door to each other, girl becomes infatuated/falls in love with boy from early age, girl follows boy as boy pursues his dream of making it big in the music business. The plot unfolds on the road from gig to gig.

The lives of Lilah (the girl) and Jamey (the boy) are unpredictable in the sense that they don't know where they're going to sleep after a gig, don't know if/when/where the next gig will be, or if they'll make it in the music business. But the reader learns early on that Lilah's life is very predictable in that she pretty much surrenders her free will and just does whatever is necessary to be at Jamey's side...whether this… Read more

The only dessert cookbook I own...and the only one I need!, Dec 19 2009

This is the only dedicated dessert book I own and there are such a variety and multitude of recipes, I can't imagine ever going through all of them! The book is organized as follows:

1. Easy Fruit Desserts
2. Cobblers, Crisps, and their Cousins
3. Pies, Tarts, and Filo Pastries
4. Layered or Filled Cakes
5. Poundcakes and other Cakes
6. Cheesecakes, Cheese Pies, and Parfaits
7. Cookies and Bars
8. Puddings and Custards
9. Frozen Desserts
10. Muffins, Cupcakes, Breads, and Coffeecakes
11. Dessert Beverages
12. Sauces and Toppings
13. Confections
14. Moosewood Classics

The recipes take their cue from all… Read more