Summer Updates

I hope everyone is enjoying their summers. I can't believe it's already August. Since I haven't seen most of you since our June meeting, I thought I'd give a short update.

Our last meeting was very casual and fun. Doug wasn't able to make it, but he sent over delicious pig cheeks and couscous. The pig cheeks were incredibly tender. I'll put the recipe in a separate post.

If you weren't able to read Tender at the Bone for the meeting, I would recommend reading it anyway. Ruth Reichl's writing about food is almost as good as eating it. Plus, reading Tender at the Bone offers insight into how Reichl became the person we read about in Garlic and Sapphires almost 2 years ago.

We are reading the Chef's Apprentice by Elle Newmark for our August 29th meeting.  It's different than anything else we have read. I'm only about a 100 pages in, but so far it's very interesting. I will announce the August demo once Doug and I meet.

Blurb about the book: The Chef's Apprentice is set in Venice in the end of the 15th century. Luciano is an orphan who is taken in by the doge's chef, where he hears rumors of an ancient book which is said to contain secrets of alchemy, love, and immortality. He learns the art of cooking, and embarks on a mysterious and dangerous journey to uncover the secrets surrounding the book.

September's pick is The Cheese Room by Patricia Michelson. Ms. Michelson owns La Fromagerie cheese shop in Highbury, London. This woman is a leading expert in the cheese world, and the book looks like a promising read. For more on Patricia and her work, visit her website, http://www.lafromagerie.co.uk.

(Shameless Plug) On Wednesday, August 22nd at 6:00 PM, Ken Arnone, CMC (Certified Master Chef) will be doing a food and wine pairing at 208 Garfield in honor of his new book, Pairing With The Masters: A Definitive Guide to Food and Wine. Chef Arnone is one of only 61 Certified Master Chefs in the United States, and his resume is as impressive as it is extensive. This event is only $25 per person, and includes a multi-course meal with wine pairings. Buy your tickets at 208 Garfield. I know that many of you enjoy eating there before our meetings, so you should definitely go to this event.

I think that's all of the updates I have to make at the moment. I will see everyone on August 29th at 6:30! Look for my demo announcement soon.

- Brianne