On the Third day of Christmas... Ruth Reichl

For the third day of Christmas I want to share a gift I already have and cherish entirely, the gift of Ruth. 

Within the time frame of the past year I've become a serious fan of Ruth Reichl. Sure, I love her ethereal tweets and I think Gilt Taste is great, but its her trilogy of memoirs that has made me a proper fan of Ruth. I devoured Tender at the Bone while on vacation in Cape Cod, I gobbled up Comfort Me With Apples shortly after and now I'm onto Garlic and Sapphires, hesitating to move too quickly through it for I know there is no immediate book to follow (I will probably get to For You Mom, Finally at some point, though). When I read in the recent WSJ interview with her that there are three more books on the way I was overjoyed.

She is an inspiration to me, to the possibilities of my own life - in my career, in my love life, in my geographical location. Her three memoirs follow her journey from childhood through to the offer to be editor of Gourmet. Reichl is one of the true greats we are lucky enough to have among us in our lifetime. Her three books together will make an excellent present (whether they know it or not) to any food lover or aspiring writer. Start by getting Tender at the Bone from Gilt Taste that comes with a bookplate signed by Reichl herself (half wishing I didn't already own a copy so I could get this!). 

Les Petits Macarons: The Book Party!

On an uncharacteristically balmy November night under the glow of a nigh full moon a party was held to celebrate a new book on one of my favorite topics: macarons. We gathered in a candlelit room filled with the heady scent of freshly baked breads and pasties at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) to give Les Petits Macarons by Chef-instructor Kathryn Gordon and Anne E McBride a proper welcome to the world of cookbooks. Though the book came out October 4th I was waiting to buy my copy and have it signed by the authors at the party. The invitation promised plenty of macarons and champagne- which was just what I got! Since its release the book has been receiving some high praise for superior comprehensiveness. As a macaron book connoisseur I must say I agree with this proclamation. I have a handful of books which are all good in their own right but this book is the most extensive in its exploration of the macaron in addition to being visually stunning. 

Not only do you get the detailed basics on how to make almond (that is to say unflavored) shells in the French, Italian, Swiss and "Kathryn's Easiest French Macaron" styles you also get a variety of ways to flavor the shells for both sweet and savory macs. Think your basic vanilla and rose but also ancho chile, saffron and wasabi. The variety doesn't stop with the shells either. The many filling choices include the typical buttercreams, ganaches, caramels and jams but also a chai flavored ganache, popcorn pastry cream, oatmeal cookie buttercream, a few ice milks, then things like chile-pineapple-kumquat marmalade and S'mores! Finally the amazing savory fillings: hummus, tomato confit, chicken mole and even foie gras with black currant gastrique, and more! This is the ultimate macaron lover's cookbook! The combinations are endless and exciting. 

Follow Fridays: Introduction and #Reading

In my first months of tweeting I learned about #FF which stands for Follow Friday. It’s a way to suggest to your followers who they might enjoy following on Twitter based on the fact that you like how they tweet. If you are starting out on Twitter it is also a great way to get your handle out there and show some appreciation for the people who keep you tweeting. Friday’s hold a special place in my heart thanks to Twitter and it is all because of #FF. Since I still tweet my series of #FF every week, I thought I would explain the people I typically suggest. Also, I wanted to extend the list beyond the 140 character limit to include the accounts I like but don’t always make room for on Fridays. For the next six or seven Fridays I will give you a post on Friday mornings with all the accounts I like in one overall category.

To begin with I always give a list of my favorite writers or sources labeled as #Reading. This list stays pretty consistent but changes depending on what I am reading that week. If the author, magazine or blog I’ve been into lately has a Twitter account I will always include them. So here is how I tend to get things rolling on Friday mornings:

@GaelGreene – Gael Greene is a food critic and author best known for her hats and sensual writing that blurs the line between food and sex. When I started tweeting as @culinarylibrari the second season of Top Chef Masters was airing so my love for Gael was just starting to bloom. After I read "Insatiable" this past fall my head was filled with all sorts of naughty ideas thanks to Gael. My appreciation fully bloomed and she has been on every #FF #Reading tweet since their inception.

@ruhlman – Around Christmastime I learned about Michael Ruhlman while watching Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations Holiday Special. I thought to myself—who is this handsome man with great knife skills and even better hair? After Googling him and finding a recipe for homemade English muffins on the first page of his site I knew I wanted to learn more about him. He is the author of a myriad of books about cooking and being a Chef in addition to the handful of books he has co-authored with the heavy hitters like Thomas Keller and Eric Ripert.