How to feed an army - no wait, just a book club

Wow!  I am so full and sleepy.  Who knew book club would become such an eating event.  Tonight was awesome.  We read  

The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate.  It was based on an Italian Cucinotta which resulted in wonderful cuisine this evening.  We had everything from homemade bread and hand made pasta to antipasto and delicious garlic toast.

Of course, we had way too much food.  But that didn't stop us from eating ourselves into a nice little food coma.  We also had a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon from Liberty School.  It was buttery and deep, partnering well with the Italian affair.  Kudos go out to Lesley, who made hand made pasta after work this afternoon and topped it with Bolognese Sauce she made yesterday.  It was unbelievable.

The Love Goddess' Cooking School was definitely a cooking inspiration.  Unfortunately, the typos and grammar distracted all of us this time around (not just Crazy Critical Eye).  Luckily, the food descriptions and island descriptions made up for the poor editing.  We all enjoyed the real struggle of "learning to cook" and self-discovery experienced by the main character, Holly.  The little twist with the sa cordula was unexpected and nice too.  Most other items in the book were deemed fairly predictable, though. 

What made this book really move was the food and the impact of food on the relationships within the story.  The act of cooking to bring fathers and daughters closer; the use of new ingredients to make something familiar a little more "you"; the bonding of friends over good desserts - all of these things brought the characters to life in a very real way.  It was refreshing to see, or rather read, about making food in today's society of quick fix meals and eating on the run.  The idea that there is mystery and intrigue in a covered pot on the stove was a great take on the art of cooking in general.

Most of the group thought the Juliet story line was moving, even gut wrenching.  And everyone liked how the characters were accepted by each other; no one was pushed to reveal more than was comfortable.  This concept is so simple but is easily forgotten.  We did find the antagonist storyline a bit weak but since the main character was such an obstacle to herself, an extra antagonist wasn't all that necessary.  Again, the best part of this book was the food.  It's a good read for the cooking inspiration if for nothing else.

We ended the evening with Italian espresso, cannolis, and tiramisu (from the recipe in the back of the book).  YUM!  Now, I'm off to sleep away the carb overload.  It may take a few days so don't worry if you don't hear from me for a while.

Next month's book will be our historical fiction selection The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.

Barnes & Noble Link


We will be meeting at 7 PM on June 3rd.  The June meeting will be at the White's.  Let me know if you need directions or if you would like to participate virtually.

Until then - Happy Reading!
BrewedB