A couple of the (food related) books Bonnie Slotnick would like to find time for along with an icy drink.
Betty Fussell’s I Hear America Cooking (1986).
A ”tour” of American food, region by region; the story is told through history, recipes, photographs, and interviews with present-day home cooks. You could dip into it anywhere, but I’d be tempted to start with the Northwest, which has had, I’ve heard, an unusually cool summer.
.
.
Ludwig Bemelmans’ Hotel Bemelmans (1946).
A collection of autobiographical stories from the days when fact checkers didn’t have the last word. Maybe he enhanced his tales of life at the “Hotel Splendide” in New York City (and assorted other adventures), and I’m glad he did. They’re sweet and funny and illustrated with Bemelmans’ inimitable drawings (remember “Madeline”?).
.
A few of the (also food related) books I am interested in this summer:
The River Cottage Fish Book (since I picked up a copy this spring it has earned a spot on the shelf above my stove where the most referenced books sit)
Midnight Feasts: An Anthology of Late-night Munchies by Charmain Ponnuthura
David Leibovitz The Perfect Scoop
The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual by Frank Falcinelli, Frank Castronovo, and Peter Meehan.
A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes by David Tanis
