Reading about food in lieu of actual cooking

This week I read two fascinating books about food and cooking.

The first was The Feast Nearby by Robin Mather. Shortly after her marriage broke up, and she was fired from her job as a food writer, she moved to a tiny house in rural Michigan, her home state. She was supporting herself with freelance writing jobs, so her food budget was about $40 per week. Instead of feeling restricted by that, she took it as a challenge to eat delicious food sourced locally. Mather's definition of local food is interesting. She seeks out local farmers, butchers, and dairies. She picks berries in the woods and trades homemade jam and handknits for the bounty of her neighbor's garden. When food can't be gotten locally because it doesn't grow locally (think coffee and spices), she at least tries to buy food that's grown sustainably by individual farmers. She cans, dries, and freezes foods, as well as putting things up in a makeshift root cellar (the basement).

This book is studded with some recipes I want to try. She's inspired me to try canning. I'd like to try it without spending too much money up front, in case I hate doing it and don't ever want to do it again. I'm going to ask around to see if anyone I know does home canning and would be willing to give me a lesson if I buy and bring my own jars and fruit.




Next I dived into Beaten, Seared and Sauced by Jonathan Dixon. I really identified with Jonathan, he surfs through much of his 20s in the grip of depression and anxiety, doing a bunch of different jobs. He works for Martha! Stewart Living for a while, teaches, writes, but nothing really clicks. He loves writing, but it's not enough, and he's not making enough money to really cover the bills. He teaches, but it's unrewarding. He does like to cook. He likes to read recipes and books about cooks and cookery. What starts with a chance comment that he ought to think about cooking school ends up with an acceptance to the Culinary Institute of America, the CIA, in upstate New York.

Cooking school is tough! There is a lot of screaming and yelling (the teachers) and bitching and crying (the students). As a mature student Dixon had (perhaps) a better grip on himself in class than some of his young classmates, but still found the pressure caused him tons of self-doubt, exhaustion, and anxiety. His description of his externship, where he works in a NYC kitchen for 18 weeks is hellish, it made me anxious!

What he learns about food, cooking, and the way he will fit into the culinary world is a very good read.  Check it out!


In my own tiny little life, the only cooking I've done this week is making oatmeal for breakfast and cooking dog food. Yes, after going back to feeding the dogs commercial food last year, we're making another about face and making homemade dog food again. All three dogs, especially Jake, had developed what I will euphemistically call tummy trouble. They also reached the point of refusing to eat their food unless we mixed yogurt or chicken broth with it, and when these puppers won't eat, the food must be pretty lousy.

I'm following Dr. Pitcairn's basic recipes, although I do need to hit the vitamin store to get some supplements he recommends adding to the food. Right now they are slurping up ground turkey, brown rice, and pinto beans, and (thank you Lord!) the tummy trouble seems to be much improved after only a week.