Cooking Memoirs

The family meal was practically an institution in my household as I was growing up. We ate in the dining room with cloth napkins. My father like to remind us that we not merely eating but dining. My mother prepared delicious, somewhat elaborate meals. We applauded the chef for her efforts and we always had dessert. My mother went to culinary school when my three sisters and I entered high school. She was chef at a fancy tea room, exclusive restaurants, retirement homes and a soup kitchen. I have withheld the tradition of the family meal with my own family, while not "dining" every evening we make a point of sitting down together and sharing our evening meal. With such a background cook books and memoirs about cooking are fascinating to me. Here are a few favorites:

Out of the Frying Pan: A Chef's Memoir of Hot Kitchens, Single Motherhood and the Family Meal by Gillian Clark
As her marriage unravels Gillian decides to leave her successful marketing career behind and cook for a living. This book is her journey from new cook to chef in her own, now famous, restaurant. Her story of the struggle to raise two daughters while sweating in front of a stove for 60 hours weeks had me devouring this book like my favorite dessert. The recipes are a bonus. I plan on trying a few on my own family.

Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell
The author decides that her life and carer are going nowhere while her biological clock is ticking. After cooking one of Julia Child;s recipes from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", her husband suggests she attend culinary school. She made the argument that they couldn't afford it and instead she would master Julia Child's book by making every recipe. Our family faithfully watched the Julia Child's cooking show on Sunday nights and my mother's copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking is well worn. I usually dust off my copy during the holidays. You'll notice in Infosoup that the book has been republished in two volumes.

Stuffed: Adventures of a Restaurant Family by Patricia Volk
This book is a delightful account of growing up in the restaurant business. In a restaurant family "[y]ou're never full, you're stuffed," says Volk. The family eccentricities of this unusual family will keep you entertained.

What is Social Networking?

A social networking site has participants create a profile,often with personal information and a picture. The site allows interaction with others who belong to the site. Examples of Social Networking sites are: Myspace, Facebook, and Blogspot (the software I'm using to create this blog). The person creating the profile can decide how "public" they wish to make their site. You may have your site accessible only to friends you invite or to anyone who happens to be surfing.

The media would have you believe that the Internet is a dangerous place with sexual predators around every virtual corner. Being safe on the Internet means taking few precautions. The Hennepin County Library has created a list of Internet Safety Tips for Kids. There are just as applicable to grown ups!

Lunch & Learn: The Greatest Toys of All Time

I thoroughly enjoyed the toy program yesterday. Sharon Korbeck Verbeten is a wonderfully engaging speaker! The toys she presented were items we were all familiar with and we enjoyed the walk down memory lane. It was also a lesson in entrepreneurship, history and changes in the toy industry itself. The OPALS (Older Patrons Assisting Library Staff)provided beautiful baked goods, breads and chili toppings. Their assistance really makes this program possible! Here's my Chili Recipe for anyone who is interested.

Peg's Super Easy Chili
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion,1 green pepper, 2 stalks celery (chopped coarsely)
1 can hot chili beans with gravy
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 large can tomato juice
salt, pepper and chili powder to taste
Cook ground beef and raw vegetables just until the beef is brown. Add the canned goods. Simmer for an hour. (This is portioned for a family of 4. I prepared 4 times the recipe for Lunch & Learn.)