Weekend Links
I’ve been scrambling to get caught up on, well…everything. Included on my sizable to-do list is a rather long blog post that’s hopefully going to be worth the wait. (Ya never know…) There are also a few tech issues behind-the-scenes here on the blog that need tending to, even though I’d rather be baking. There is…or was…a cashew brittle recipe that didn’t quite work out as anticipated (unless you don’t mind a few cracked fillings), as well as cake recipe I started for the blog, only to find later in the recipe that one of the ingredients should be prepared a year in advance (so mark your calendars for Ferbuary 2021.) There’s also my new book coming out in two weeks, visitors in town, emails to answer, a short get-away planned, bread to buy, and wine to drink.
Anyways, while I’m waiting for my identical twin to arrive, here are some interesting links for you to chew on in the meantime…
-Looking back at some shockingly misogynist Angostura ads (Punch)
-Who is the pastry chef behind the Bob’s Red Mill recipes? (Taste)
-What’s the deal with the different covers UK vs. US cookbook covers, for the same books? (Epicurious, h/t Smitten Kitchen)
–How to rent a Vélib bike in Paris without a French credit card (Vélib’ via Secrets of Paris)
-Melissa Clark covers Everything You Need to Know About Chocolate (NYT)
-A food critic laments the dearth of informed, ethical restaurant “critics” (Charlotte magazine, h/t Will Write for Food)
-Speaking of influencers, Influencers in the Wild show them not quite at their best (Instagram)
-The history of the (tiny) chambres de bonne, the maid’s quarters on the very top floor of buildings, in Paris (Citylab)
-One of the maker’s of those sharp-looking bleus de travail, aka the blue twill French worker’s jackets (Vetra)
-When the Osmond Brothers sang a medley of songs from Fiddler on the Roof (YouTube)
-Are fancy dried beans worth it? (The Takeout)
-Speaking of beans, check out Cool Beans from Joe Yonan, a cookbook that’s (justifiably) getting rave reviews (Amazon)
-The always-controversial Piglet tournament of cookbooks on Food52 is no more… (Slate)
Hello David, will you have an event for your book launch in Paris? I always seem to miss your presentations. This time I’ll cross my fingers.
There’s a launch pastry in Paris scheduled for Feb. 27. It’s on my Book Tour page : )
I recognized that cartoon style as soon as I opened the Angostura article. I have one of those Bar Books by True Magazine, courtesy of my late father-in-law. It’s wacky and fun, with comments and cartoons for some of the drinks:
Serpent’s Tooth
.5 oz Lemon Juice 1 oz Italian Vermouth
.25 oz Kümmel .5 oz Irish Whiskey
Dash Angostura
Shake with ice and strain.
“The Irish whiskey gives courage, the Kümmel caution, the Vermouth makes Italians sing. Hence, to be taken for courage to listen to a singing Irishman.”
Um….are you going to let us in on this ingredient that needs to be prepared a year out so we can have it on hand and ready to go when you share the recipe in 2021? It would be awesome if you could! Also, your ginger cookies have made me a family hero so thanks for that recipe!
Soak 1 cup (7 ounces) diced dried pitted prunes and a generous 3/4 cup (4 ounces) raising, and the grated zest of one orange in 1 cup white rum. Cover. I haven’t done the metric conversions nor am I sure those are the right quantities I’ll be using in the final recipes – but there ya go! (Also, I don’t know if the recipe is even going to work. So just an FYI…)
My goodness thats going to be some drunken fruit by next year but I’ll put it all together now and wait patiently! Thank you so much!
I have some (once) golden raisins that have been soaking in vieux marc for almost 10 years, since 11 November 2010 to be exact. The jar lid is stuck on, probably with some sugary alcoholic residue, and it’s been a few years since I’ve been able to get it off. I think I was inspired to do it from one of your posts, David. I recall a photo of liquor-soaked raisins on top of vanilla ice cream. I hope to try mine that way, if I can find someone strong enough to twist the lid off. So far, I’ve just nibbled a few neat. Delicious, and powerful.
That recipe is called Winemaker’s Raisins, and it’s in the infusions chapter of Drinking French. They’re really, really good and one of those recipes that gets better and better the longer they sit. Thankfully, I’ve got a big jar of them! : )
Hi David,
Love your blog and I have all your books. I was I Paris all last week and try to get there at least twice a year, but have never been able to connect with one of your book events.
I am in Chicago. Do you ever plan on an event here. I also get to NY, but again have not connected. Thanks
Hi David, former SF gal now in Scottsdale AZ, I’ll be in Paris in May — are there any events that you have planned for that timeframe that I might be able to catch? Love your books, blog, etc etc, so it’d be great fun to meet you (amid the throngs of your other passionate followers!). Meantime, b-r-e-a-t-h-e, and keep baking, cooking, and of course, drinking.
Cheers,
Sharon
Any chance you’ll be coming to Portland, Oregon? We are all about food here! :)
I’m excited about that jacket, I think I want to make one, after I soak some beans and go to Bob’s Red Mill tomorrow, he’ll be 91 years old! Woo hoo!
My publisher has been looking for a venue in Portland but unable to find one. (Portland has been a challenge for cookbook tours, for that reason.) A local bar and restaurant offered a space but that would have to be a ticketed event due to the size, and I always like to have an event open to the public in any city where I go, so they are still looking…
book tour – Worcester, MA. Among other things direct flights from JFK, brand new public market, tons of good restaurants and bars, and The White Room at Crompton Collective might be big enough – http://www.cromptoncollective.com/the-white-room
Interesting article about who’s behind Bob’s Red Mill recipes. Ive noticed that their recipes really are fabulous — I especially love the seeded crackers made with paleo flour and the recipe on the back of their red lentils, also their cornbread recipe, to name a few.
David,
The breads in the above photo are gorgeous. From what I can read, it looks like a combination of fig and apricot. Do you have recipes?
Bread-making is a specific skill, and sometimes requires special instructions and equipment. I don’t make bread but you might want to check out the books of bread-makers Peter Reinhart, Zoe François, Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, and Rose Levy Beranbaum.
congratulations on your book and thank you for all of these links, especially UK v US covers, very interesting, my guess on some of them – more precise use of language in UK? Like “Simplicity” on the cover actually showing a simple cover! But just a guess