That's What Jenni Said

One of my friends on goodreads.com recommended Dana Bate’s new novel and so I thought I’d give it a read. I’m a foodie that dabbles in gourmet dinner parties, I live in the metro DC area, and I’m pretty interested in the underground restaurant scene that is all the rage lately. These circumstances and my love of breezy ‘chick lit’ meant that The Girls’ Guide To Love and Supper Clubs was sure to be a book I’d enjoy and it was. The protagonist, Hannah, is a smart and resourceful young woman living in DC and working the typical think tank job. She’s dating a handsome, wealthy, and upper crust type of fellow who is employed in the political arena. From the outside, life seems perfect, but on the inside, she’s unhappy. Like many DC types that have come before her, Hannah actually wants no part of the political policy scene and would rather spend her time on other pursuits, namely cooking. Cue a round of applause from the true life wonk who dropped out of life on Capitol Hill to open up Ca...

I’ve owned The Daily Soup   by Leslie Kaul and Bob Spiegal since 2005. It was that year that I decided to establish a weekly ‘Souper Saturday’ tradition in our home (wherein we enjoy soup paired salad or sandwiches each Saturday) and so was on the prowl for high quality soup recipes. The Daily Soup has not disappointed. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, the ingredients are easy to source, and the soups that result are delicious. My favorite soup so far from the collection is ‘Roasted Eggplant Parmesan’ (p.29). It’s everything wonderful about traditional eggplant parmesan, ladled into a bowl. There are soups for everyone in this cookbook including vegetarian and dairy free. The recipes are grouped by major ingredient such as corn, tomato, or grain, which is useful when you have specific ingredients you’d like to use and find a recipe to accompany. One suggestion for this author team or for other authors putting together a soup cookbook any cookbook is to include mor...