Book Review:

The Best Food Writing 2011 Edited by Holly Hughes

Now that 2012 is almost over, it's a good thing I finally got around to reading a compilation of the best food writing of 2011! The thing I love about food writing compilations is that, when properly edited, the books instantly become the perfect bedside companion. Sadly, I've read quite a few that didn't quite make the cut for perfection. Their entries were often too long for a quick read before bed. Their content lacked flow from page to page. I've even read the occasional "Best Of" book, who's content, honestly shouldn't have been considered the best of anything. But you can rest assured that everything those other compilation books lacked, this book delivers!

Holly Hughes is a writer/editor who knows good prose, and has been proving so since her first "Best Food Writing," dating back to 2000. I felt that each selected article in the 2011 edition had earned it's spot in this book. There was no skimming or skipping, not once did my mind wander or did I drift off to sleep mid-sentence. The selected content covers a wide variety of topics and locals, yet they effortlessly flow from one to the next. My only wish is that there had been a few more recipes, but I guess it goes to show that you don't need to teach people how to cook to help them appreciate the food!

And the best part? Ms. Hughes is coming out with a "Best Food Writing of 2012," too. Which means that in just a few short weeks -- publication date: October 23, 2012 to be exact -- we can dive into her selections one more time, and hopefully time and time again for years to come.

Lovely Kitchens: Copper Pots

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(Photo via Better Homes and Gardens)

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(Photo Unknown)

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(Photo via The Kitchn)

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(Photo via Home Life)

A few months ago I had the pleasure of visiting the home of some (new-to-me) family members. My fiance's mother's cousin's husband (that was a mouth full!) was a phenomenal architect during his long career, and his home reflected it. As the loving couple gave us a tour, I was bowled over by how striking the space was. But as we bellied up to the kitchen counter, for pre-dinner drinks and appetizers, I laid eyes on the most heavenly site of all: a wall of perfectly polished copper pots. 

I loved how they added a hint of old-country to the new age home. I loved how they contradicted the lines, textures and colors of the other kitchen equipment and decor. Most of all, I loved imagining myself standing at the stove, stirring away, creating something delicious! I've always dreamt of owning a set of copper pots, not only for their eye appeal but also for their superior heat conductivity. I've spent countless hours admiring them on display in Williams-Sonoma and I'm sure they will be the first thing on my wedding registry. I couldn't imagine anything better than a lovely set on display in my future kitchen, the images above just make me swoon! 

Is there anything in particular that you have always dreamt of having in your future kitchen? 

I'd love to hear about it! 

Country roads... take me home:

(Photo via Etsy, I NEED this necklace!)

I left my heart in Rhode Island. I always knew I would have to go back, at some point, to get it! 

My honey and I decided a few months ago that we were over Chicago. It's best to realize (sooner than later) that you are not big city people, and it took us a grand total of two years! The decision for us could have been a bit easier, we did have to suffer through some serious life moments: a three month physical separation made for a long, hard summer. But at the end of it all, we're back to where we started and where we belong, for now! 

So, as I settle into a new life and new routine, I'm excited to see what life has in store. Hopefully the next few years will bring less stress, I don't know how much more I can take! We've foregone our summer nesting ground of Newport and settled in closer to Providence. I am excited to announce that my very best friend in the entire world is gifting me with an early wedding present: a new camera! I will finally be able to get back to blogging, I've been camera-less for a little more than a year now, and I'm ready to get back to it! I've gone through and made some changes to old blog posts: deleted old comments, removed unneeded photos, changed the layout/fonts/etc. Feel free to peruse the old, but I do hope that you appreciate the new. As always: 

Enjoy. 

Life. Love. Food. Family. Friends.

The every day.

Paradise

My fiance and I recently took a trip to the Virgin Islands. We spent the week on a private boat, sailing from tiny cove to lovely bay. We circumnavigated the U.S. Virgin Islands and sailed through the Sir Francis Drake Channel, in the British Virgin Islands. Suffice it to say, it was quite the trip! 

After the inevitable sun burn, which was soothed with a lot of aloe and one-too-many piña coladas, we returned home with hundreds of photographs. Sadly, none of them are of the amazing food we ate, but rather the breathtaking scenery and the bright colors that truly make the Islands paradise. 

Enjoy!

Oh, hello there...

So, I think it's a safe bet to refer to me as a seasonal blogger. Not because my blogs ebb and flow with seasonal cuisine (I mean, yes they do, but thats not exactly what I'm talking about). Here I am, after a summer long blogging hiatus, sitting on my couch, sheltered from a very bleak and very rainy Chicago afternoon, back to blogging with little to say. Forgive me for not having a recipe or book review for today, because I honestly wasn't planning on finding myself here. 

Instead, here is a small taste of my recent trip to The Berkshires. It was a weekend getaway filled with sunshine, family, laughing and lots of delicious food. I recently switched my blog url with zero warning, it seems I've lost all of my lovely readers. Live and learn? You betchya.