Did family and friends gift you gobs of cookbooks as you plunged into your adult life? Did you attempt recipe after recipe, trying to cook a decent meal? Don't worry. It's best to start somewhere, anywhere. Sometimes it takes another person to inspire you, or maybe your heritage to bring you closer to home. Join me with three highly loved books as we treasure the highlighted subjects and the faraway cultures showcased. Dive in. I promise the mystery and joy will make you return again and again.
Julia Powell's first book, Julie and Julia—also an international movie sensation—shows every beginner cook never to fear trying something new. Circling the TV with my family, I remember watching Julia Child's beautiful food and hearing her words, "Never be afraid." Julie Powell approaches 30 and feels her friends racing forward with their successful lives; all the while, she lives unhappily with her stand-still life and a stale desk job. Inspired by Julia Child's cookbook, she started a blog intending to make every recipe within a year. As she steers through the trials of gourmet cooking, she blossoms before everyone, including her friends, family, and followers.
Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession
In her second book, Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession, Julie Powell explores a new culinary occupation: butchery. On her journey, she immerses herself in a male-dominated industry to prove to herself and others that she's capable. Day by day, she learns about the detailed anatomy of animals and the art of making specific cuts. While her devotion to her marriage remains shaky, her perseverance in the craft and tenacity to the job remains. Hauling sides of beef, then whole pig and lamb carcasses in freezing temperatures, is just another day at the office. She profoundly respects butchers and butchery and gains a better understanding of why women steer away from this field. It's all about choice; in the end, there are no laws preventing women from working in butchery or enjoying all the joys and knowledge it offers.
You will thoroughly enjoy Cheryl Lu-lien Tan's book, A Tiger in the Kitchen: A Memoir of Food and Family. She brings Singapore into your kitchen. I was amazed at how her culture's food and customs risk phasing out due to changing times. As a girl, she wakes up every morning with delicious delicacies to eat, if not in her home, then on the streets where food vendors pile soup cups filled with noodles. Today, everything is quick on the go. Younger generations prosper with an Ivy League education and tech jobs, often disconnecting from their roots and family recipes. The author, like her friends, finds difficulty staying home to cook for her family—But she loves her family. She enjoys making everything with love, which is essential. Ahh, the push and pull of life! Enjoy reading about her experiences and learn how her aunt's recipes became her favorites.
As chefs and bakers, we often learn from books since we can't dash away to exotic places or pursue in-depth subjects with long workday schedules. Happiness enjoys company. Take a ride on these culinary journeys, then join me next month for February reads.