Cookbook Review: Vegan Comfort Food Classics by Lauren Toyota

YouTuber Lauren Toyota's vegan cookbook is a lot of fun, and I liked that this book, a rarity for vegan cookbooks, is not trying to be super healthy.  There are recipes for all of your favorite junk foods, and not just western ones, including Zucchini-Onion Bhaji, Ramen Burgers, Oyster Mushroom Po'Boys, Banh Mi Bowls, etc.  There are also desserts, like Raspberry Funfetti Pop Tarts, Apple Fritters, and Cinnamon Rolls.  These are creative, tasty-sounding recipes.  Humor, irreverence, and originality are this book's hallmarks.  

YA Fiction Review: S.T.A.G.S. by M.A. Bennett

S.T.A.G.S. is a YA novel by British author M.A. Bennett.  It is very clearly inspired by Donna Tartt's beloved The Secret History, and it's a partial read-a-like.  It's about a smart and smart-mouthed teen from Manchester named Greer who gets a scholarship to attend a posh and very old boarding school.  She is ignored and sometimes bullied by the very wealthy and old-money students.  The school is ruled by The Medievals, six prefects who are the richest, snobbiest, poshest, etc., and are kowtowed to by students and faculty alike.  Greer thinks are turning around when she and two other outsider students are invited for a long weekend at the country house of Henry, the ruler of The Medievals.  But of course it turns out that the three of them are there to be hunted, rather than to participate in the hunt.  I am a sucker for stories about boarding schools, posh Brits and their terrible behavior, and secret societies, so needless to say, I enjoyed this book quite a lot.  It was a fun and very fast read, and  there was even a fair amount of social commentary about class.

Cookbook Review: Chloe Flavor: Saucy, Crispy, Saucy, Vegan by Chloe Coscarelli

Chloe Flavor is the latest cookbook from vegan cook Chloe Coscarelli.  This book, published by Clarkson Potter, seems like a step up from her previous books from Atria, and with its higher-end design, it appears to be a conscious reset for Coscarelli.  The production value (photographs, layouts, fonts, etc.) is much better, and it's a great-looking book.  It's a little confusing trying to figure out how this book differs from her earlier Atria books, except for the production value.  Like her book Chloe Kitchen, it includes a wide range of vegan dishes, from a variety of culinary traditions.  The recipes strike me as similar, although perhaps a little more sophisticated, but I do like the variety here, and everything sounds very tasty.  There's everything from brunch, appetizers, and mains to desserts and even cocktails.  

Cookbook Review: Power Plates by Gena Hamshaw

Blogger Gena Hamshaw's Power Plates is a beautiful vegan cookbook.  It contains 100 healthy vegan recipes, all of which are accompanied by lovely photographs.  Like all of Ten Speed Press' books, it is beautifully well-designed, with clear layouts and instructions.  And like pretty much any vegan or vegetarian cookbook I've encountered, it starts with a longish section about common ingredients and techniques.  I guess every vegan/vegetarian cookbook writer is hoping their book is the first and only one of its kind the reader has ever owned?  Power Plates is set apart from other vegan cookbooks I've seen because while its focus is on balanced proteins, which is suggested by the title, which I'm not super enamored of, as it makes it sound like a diet book.  Hamshaw explains macronutrients (basically complete proteins?) and how to get them by combining different types of ingredients.  Each of her recipes does this for you, but she also explains the principle so the reader can it apply to meals not made out of this cookbook.  The recipes all sound tasty, and photos are beautiful.  I really like the combination of flavors and dishes from all over the world she includes here.  For breakfast, you can make Steel-Cut Oats with a variety of suggested toppings (I love the pictured toppings of dried apricots and pistachios--yum), or kitchari, a rice and lentil dish.  The flavor combinations are sophisticated and complex, but not scary or difficult.  Beluga Lentils and Tomatoes with Tempeh Bacon and Turmeric Mustard Vinaigrette! Curried Tomato Stew with Chickpea Dumplings! Sweet Potato Falafel Bowls with Freekeh Pilaf and Roasted Cauliflower!  Almost every dish sounds and looks mouth-watering.  

Food Writing Review: L'Appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home by David Lebovitz

L'Appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home is baker and writer David Lebovitz's latest book, published by Crown Books.  Lebovitz is a wonderful baker and writer. I adore his blog.  As in his blog, he comes across here as charming, funny, talented, and humble.  His previous books, along with his blog, have provided excellent recipes for French food and baked goods, all explained beautifully, no matter how complicated. For anyone who has lived in a big city with expensive real estate, his addition of the details of the ordeals of making a home in Paris is the icing on the cake.  What a great combination of delicious details: French food + Parisian real estate.  The American expat details the humorous and stress-inducing trials of making a home in Paris, where he is renovating his apartment.  He of course also includes plenty of wonderful food writing, and many original recipes.  This is a delightful book for lovers of excellent food, real estate, and Paris.
(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

YA Review: Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

I'm a big fan of Kirsten Miller, one of the coauthors of this book. I loved her Kiki Strike series, and wish it hadn't ended. This book has in common with those smart-mouthed teens and excitement, but not much else. It takes place in a not distant future (the only difference from today is that they have more advanced AI and virtual reality technology, but other than that, there is nothing that would be out of place in a contemporary setting), and a new video game with amazingly lifelike play and graphics has just been released.  It soon becomes clear that something much more sinister is going on, and the main character, Simon, goes on a quest to save his best friend from being killed by the "game."  Comparisons to Ready Player One are inevitable, but while they share a basic premise, the world describe here is much less fun and much more violent and disturbing.  This was an interesting and very quick read, and it had a good mix of humor, adventure, high stakes, and social commentary.  

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Cookbook Review: The Grand Central Market Cookbook by Adele Yellin and Kevin West

The very first thing to say about this cookbook is that the cover is absolutely amazing.  You can't tell from photos, but this dust jacket-free book is not only printed with the design of 50s oil cloth; it's actually got the rough yet glossy texture of oil cloth.  It's such a cool touch.  The design of this book overall is excellent.  It's colorful, with cool fonts, and then are lots of photos.  There is also an excellent range of recipes from the various vendors at the Market, including both the newer hipster vendors and the more long-established old-school vendors.  This is also not the stereotype of California food that people who know nothing about California have: the food is, yes, made of whole, fresh foods, but the recipes are by no means all vegan (or vegetarian), or healthy.  There's Eggslut's famous The Slut (coddled eggs with potato puree), Market Recipe's Coconut Cream Doughnuts, Golden Road Brewing Vegan Crunchy Avocado Tacos with Corn Salsa and Chipotle "Mayo," Sticky Rice II's Drunken Noodles, Ramen Hood's Soy-Chile-Glazed Broccoli, Golden Road Brewing Artichoke Hot "Wings", and Valerie Confections Bakery & Café's Salted Caramel Bread Pudding.  This is a great souvenir for those who love LA, both old-school and hipster, and it also has some yummy recipes.

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Fiction Review: The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir is American author Jennifer Ryans' first book.  It is very clearly inspired by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer's lovely and wonderful 2008 novel The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  The cover even reminds me a bit of that brilliant and touching novel.  This is itself a lovely novel that also takes place in a small English village during World War II.  This is an ensemble drama as well, and deals with the struggles of those left behind.  Instead of literature, it is music that provides the connection between the various voices that speak here.  This is a charming and touching novel, but it is not quite on the level of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  I can't help but be bothered, also, by the obvious way in which this book attempts to piggyback on the popularity of Barrows and Shaffer's early novel.  I do love that this novel gives us World War II from the perspective of women and others not on the frontline.  The story is told in the form of letters and diary entries.  It is a strong novel, but it is a little bit too much of what we've seen already.

(This book was received from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Self-Help/Pop Psychology Review: The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin

Gretchen Rubin's latest self-help book, The Four Tendencies, follows on the heels of Better Than Before and The Happiness Project.  With The Four Tendencies, Rubin has written another book that approaches popular psychology from an outside perspective, although at this point, Rubin is not that much of an outsider to self-help.  She is a journalist, and brings less jargon and more practical application and explanation to the genre.  Here, Rubin has come up with a new and very simple set of personality categories.  Her book includes a very short quiz that will sort readers into one of four personality categories: Upholder, Obliger, Rebel, or Questioner.  After readers figure out their category, they can go on to read the two chapters that apply to their type, one called "Understanding the X" and the other called "Dealing with a X."  After these sections, Rubin includes a few chapters on how to date or speak to the different types.  I appreciated the stream-lined approach that Rubin brings to the overstuffed self-help personality type bookshelf.  It's refreshing to take a personality quiz that takes less than 10 minutes, and the brilliance of Rubin's categories is that they focus on how people respond to inner and outer expectations, thus making it possible to figure out your type with just a few questions.  As with all of her books, this one is well-written, clear, and straight-forward, and I enjoyed her insights. 

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Fiction Review: The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn

Harper Voyager is one of my favorite imprints these days.  In addition to publishing this delightful novel, they also published the magnificently fun, original, and heartfelt Wayfarers space operas The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers.  They also published another excellent Jane Austen-inspired novel, this one a fantasy, called Heartstone by Elle Katharine White.  Heartstone is a feminist Pride and Prejudice with dragons!  Needless to say, it's awesome.  Another great thing about Harper Voyager is that their books are all (I think all of them, but at the very least all of these books) paperback originals, which means they aren't published first in hardback.  This is great for those who are budget-conscious but still want to read the newest books.

Kathleen A. Flynn's The Jane Austen Project is, I really hope, the first in a series.  This was definitely one of the better Jane Austen-themed novels I've read, and I've read a good many of them. They're often pretty trite and saccharine, which is ironic, since Austen's books are so incisive, smart, and biting in their satire. Flynn's novel has an original premise, involving a doctor from a future in which time travel is possible, who is sent with a male colleague to befriend Jane Austen and her family in order to obtain copies of her letters and the purported finished version of her unfinished (in our time) novel, The Watsons. The protagonist is a strong, confident and smart woman, which suits an Austen homage, and the romance in the book is very modern and not the whole point of the protagonist's life. Fun and smart.
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Cookbook Review: Vibrant India: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn by Chitra Agrawal

Vibrant India: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn is a beautiful new cookbook from Brooklyn Delhi owner and chef Chitra Agrawal from Ten Speed Press.  It is filled with gorgeous photographs of food and ingredients, and beautiful illustrations.  Every recipe comes with a full-page overhead photo (like the one on the cover), and all of the photos are full of color.  All of the food sounds absolutely mouth-watering.  I have tried a lot of these dishes at restaurants, and never imagined the I could actually make them myself!  Dosas (scrumptious, very thing and crisp crepes made of rice and lentil flour), idli (rice and lentil cakes), and roti (yummy fried flatbreads) are some of my favorite dishes from southern Indian restaurants, and they are all represented here with very clear recipes that explain these admittedly complicated dishes in a straight-forward way.  This is not to say these recipes are super easy or short; in fact, many of them are pretty long, but again, they're clearly explained.  The dosas, idli, and roti are classic Indian dishes, but there are also lots of dishes that are less traditional takes on Indian flavors, like chickpea salad with summer vegetables and avocado; lettuce dosa wraps with curried potato and chutney; stuffed shishito pepper fritters; and pan-roasted masala peanuts.  This is a lovely book, and the recipes are good, but don't expect super easy and fast home-cooking!
(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

YA Review: A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess

A Shadow Bright and Burning is the first book in a new YA fantasy trilogy called Kingdom on Fire.  I love YA and I love fantasy, but in the long wake of The Hunger Games, Twilight, Divergent, etc., there has been a continuing onslaught of YA fantasy with badass heroines.  Now, I am definitely behind this trend, but it also means that it's increasingly difficult to find something original in this genre.  A Shadow Bright and Burning was a lovely surprise.  I hadn't heard of this book, which was released last fall, so I didn't have high hopes.  This was a beautifully written book, with a wonderfully complex, imperfect, and strong female lead character, and many wonderfully drawn secondary characters.  It was also a relentlessly engrossing and exciting adventure.  I am so excited to read the next book in this trilogy, which does not come out until this coming fall, unfortunately.  Cluess has not only created wonderfully complex characters, but also a very clear and fascinating picture of the world that these characters live in.

A Shadow Bright and Burning takes place in an alternate Victorian England, mostly in London.  This is a world in which there is magic, and witches, magicians, and sorcerers.  A decade before the book begins, a witch and a magician opened a portal that let the Ancients, six grotesque and truly horrifying monsters into the world.  Sorcerers are the only people standing between humanity and these very frightening and original creatures.  The main character, Henrietta, is discovered in a horrible boarding school and turns out to be the first female sorcerer in centuries.  She is believed to be the prophesied one who is going to save England.  The book covers Henrietta's training alongside a few dashing young men in the home of a gentleman sorcerer in London.  There are a few hints of Jane Eyre throughout this novel, particularly in the beginning.

In addition to all of the magic, training, and adventure, there is also a fair amount of subtle and well-done social commentary.  Henrietta is an excellent and very strong woman, and she faces a lot of discrimination, ridicule, and even violence due to her gender in a world dominated by men and very strict rules for the behavior of women.  Cluess does not shy away from a fairly realistic portrayal of what it would be like for a strong-minded woman in such a world.  The book also deals with issues of class.  Cluess does an excellent job of articulating the differences between the statuses of the three types of practitioners of magic in this world (witches, sorcerers, and magicians).  Sorcerers are highly lauded in this society, and they are all upper class men.  Witches, female practitioners of magic, are banned, and if discovered, are put to death.  Magicians are male practitioners of magic, and they are banned from practicing and from training new magicians.  This is due to the fact that a witch and a magician were responsible for letting the Ancients into the world.  Cluess deals with class and gender in a smart, and nuanced manner and is never heavy-handed, and yet she gives you a strong sense of empathy for all of the main characters, and especially Henrietta.

This was a wonderful read: original, smart, fascinating, and great fun.

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Review: Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre

Nourishing Meals is a revised edition of Segersten and Malterre's very popular self-published book of the same name.  This is a comprehensive cookbook that covers recipes made of whole foods that are as allergen-free as possible.  All of the recipes are gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free, and most of them are vegetarian, while many are vegan.  There is meat in here, but not a huge amount.  I do not have identified food allergies, and I don't think this book is by any means only for those who do.  The food in here is more than anything healthy for your body and for the environment.  I think this is actually a book that is equally useful for helping people without allergies to eat more whole foods.  The recipes are simple and delicious-sounding.  They cover a wide range of flavors from around the world.  The recipes are easy and short, and while there are some ingredients that most people probably don't have in their pantries (coconut sugar, buckwheat flour, sprouted brown rice flour), it is by no means over-the-top.  All of these ingredients can be purchased from a place like Whole Foods or online. The book includes a section on stocking your pantry with these kinds of ingredients, and once you have them, these recipes are pretty simple.  In addition to the large number of recipes, there is a ton of information on dealing with ingredients ("kitchen tips" and "ingredient tips," like how best to cut corn from the cob, how to make hazelnut meal, and a lot of ingredient swaps), and on the research behind the health benefits that the authors discuss.  There are also lists of easy breakfast ideas, tips for salad dressings and sauces, how to add more vegetables to your child's diet, tips for storing fresh produce, etc.  Just a few recipes that caught my eye: Raw Breakfast Tacos, Coconut Flour Flatbreads, Date and Walnut Cinnamon-Swirl Muffins, Jalapeño-Lime Kale Slaw, Chipotle Yam Fries, Quinoa and Lentil Salad with Caramelized Onions, Curried Lentil and Rice Casserole, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

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Review: Lucky Peach Presents Power Vegetables! by Peter Meehan

The latest cookbook from the maverick food magazine, Lucky Peach, is all about vegetables.  Unsurprisingly, given the general Lucky Peach culture, this book is not, however, vegetarian, let alone vegan.  There is very little meat in the recipes to be sure, but there is a fair amount of fish products.  There is also a good amount of veiled and not-so-veiled distaste for veganism and vegetarianism.  I am fine with cookbooks about vegetables not being vegetarian, but I find the negative attitude towards vegetarianism/veganism to be unnecessary.  It doesn't come as a surprise, since the general Lucky Peach attitude is rather macho and satirical.  It seems, though, somewhat retrograde to be still making fun of vegetarianism and veganism, given that they have become pretty mainstream diets in the last decade or so.  That being said, there were a lot of fun and innovative recipes for dishes that heavily focus on vegetables.  I also like that the recipes reflect a modern attitude towards what used to be called "ethnic food."  That is to say that there are dishes inspired by food from all over the world, but these recipes aren't ghettoized as exotic or ethnic.  They're just delicious recipes.  The recipes are also fun to read, as there are little irreverent details all over the place.  The French Onion Soup recipe, for instance, includes in the ingredients list the following: "6 C Brown Vegetable Stock (page 128) or some lesser concoction, warmed."  The Lucky Peach people have a lot of powerful friends, so many of the recipes are borrowed from popular places in NYC.  Recipes that look fun/delicious include: Hummus (with miso), Saucy Fried Tofu or Vaguely Korean Watercress-Apple Salad, Buffalo Cucumbers, Zuni Spicy Broccoli and Cauliflower, Roasted Squash with Pipián Sauce, Tofu Coney Island (tofu fries with miso mushroom chili), and McAloo Tikki Sandwich. This is a light-hearted and original cookbook with a bit of an attitude.  I should also mention that it includes intentionally ugly photography, like the cover, which is meant to reference 90s infomercial graphics.

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Cookbook Review: Soframiz by Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick

Soframiz is a cookbook by Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick, of Sofra Bakery & Cafe, a Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  This is a gorgeous book, and as you can tell from the cover, the photography and graphic design are excellent.  All of the food is photographed from directly above, and as we all know from Instagram food porn, this is the easiest way to make your food look good.  But the food and accessory styling is top-notch, so the quality of the photographs is great.  In other words, Soframiz makes a great coffee table book, full of gorgeous photos of mouth-watering food.  But that being said, the recipes are totally doable, and very well-written and clear.  The book includes definitions of terms and ingredients that might not be familiar to  most Americans.  I should also point out that the food is Middle Eastern in flavors and inspiration for the most part, but the authors have added their own twists to traditional recipes.  For instance, there's a recipe for "Nana's Pumpkin Bread" thrown in there somewhat randomly, and I far as I know, pumpkin bread is not a Middle Eastern thing.  There are also Pistachio Toaster Pastries with Rose Water Glaze (the fanciest Pop Tarts of all time?), Tahini Brioche, Brown Butter Pie with Espresso Dates, and Green Apple Fatoush.  More traditional dishes like Shakshuka (eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce), Kunefe (a really delicious dessert sweet cheese pastry with shredded wheat on the top--I know it sounds bizarre, but it is so good), Boraks, and of course, Hummus, are included as well, and they all include the authors' special takes on these classic recipes.  This is a beautiful and original cookbook.

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

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Book Review: Martha Stewart's Vegetables

The newest book from Martha Stewart is all about dishes that have vegetables as their main ingredients.  This is not a vegetarian cookbook, and it is not all side dishes.  There are even a few desserts!  Instead, it is a lovely and diverse collection of recipes arranged by the vegetable that they showcase.  Every dish is accompanied by a beautiful photograph.  Each section (based on type of vegetable, like bubbles, roots, tubers, pods, etc.) starts wth a section that discusses seasonality, varietals, and tips on storing, prepping and cooking.  The dishes are original yet not too complicated or bizarre.  Recipes that sound particularly good are Pasta Carbonara with Leeks and Lemon, Herb-and-Scallion Bread Pudding, Carrot Fries, Twice-Cooked Potato and Leek Casserole, Kale-Ricotta Dip, Kale and Avocado Salad with Dates, Green-Pea Burgers with Harissa Mayo, Cranberry Bean Salad with Delicate Squash and Broccoli Rabe, Garden Greens with Chopped Eggs, Fig and Arugula Crostini, Smoky Brussels Sprouts Gratin, Goat Cheese with Edible Flowers and Arugula, Roasted Broccoli with Grated Manchego, Breaded Eggplant with Arugula and Parmesan, Roasted-Tomato Hand Pies, Pistachio Guacamole, and Corn and Scallion Chilaquiles.  

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: A Modern Way to Cook by Anna Jones

Anna Jones' new cookbook, A Modern Way to Cook, is even more wonderful than her last book, A Modern Way to Eat.  A Modern Way to Cook is arranged by how long the recipes take to complete, and they range from 15-minute to 40-minute meals.  While this is a book full of quick recipes, it is no Rachael Ray or Sandra Lee-type of book.  The recipes are sophisticated and original, and they all rely on whole fresh food.  Everything is also vegetarian.  All of the food here looks so much more complex and tasty than you would expect from such quick recipes.  Almost everything sounds incredibly delicious here: Kale, tomato, and lemon magic one-pot spaghetti; Spiced pea and paneer flatbreads; Plantain, avocado, and black bean bowl; Sweet potato, lime, and peanut soup; Cashew, kale, and lime nachos; Sesame, pistachio, and preserved lemon crispy rice; Carrot and chickpea pancakes with lemon-spiked dressing; Butternut and canellini gratin; Crispy chickpea and harissa burgers; Tahini-drizzled superfruit; Avocado fritters.  Need I say more?  As with A Modern Way to Eat, my favorite part of the book are the mix-and-match recipes, like at-your-desk salads (you start with a "hearty base," add veggies, leaves, crunch, flavor, and dressing, which you pick from various lists) and goodness bowls (heartiness--grain, bean or legume, seasonal veggies, flavor booster, dressing, herbs, texture), and spreads like "10 favorite suppers from 10 favorite vegetables," "10 simple baked potatoes," "5 one-pan dinners," and ideas for various kinds of morning smoothies or overnight oats.  This is a brilliant, useful, and original cookbook that makes my mouth water. 

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Review: Modern Potluck by Kristin Donnelly

Modern Potluck is the first book from food writer Kristin Donnelly.  The straight-forward title tells you the basics about this book: it is indeed a book of recipes that would work well for potlucks.  But not, of course, old school potlucks replete with Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup-based casseroles, warm deviled eggs, and Country Time Lemonade made from powder.   Instead, Donnelly has created a beautiful book full of delicious recipes that focus on fresh, whole ingredients and complex flavors inspired by many types of global cuisine.  When I first heard about this book, I was not super excited by the concept.  Why do you need a book all about potlucks??  Just make whatever you want!  But in looking through the book, I remembered the times when I have gone to potlucks and worried about what to bring.  For the most part, you want dishes that don't need to be hot and don't require much on-site preparation.  It needs to feed a fair number of people, and it will ideally fit in with a wide variety of other dishes.  In other words, the seemingly straight-forward potluck is actually a minefield of mistakes waiting to happen, particularly if the potluck you're attending is a "modern" one and you don't want to embarrass yourself with something of the Cream of Mushroom Soup-casserole variety.  So in fact, a whole book of tasteful yet not fussy recipes for potlucks is actually really useful!  It's great to have a book full of recipes that you know will travel well and otherwise check the boxes I noted above.  The recipes also just sound and look delicious, and sine I don't actually attend that many potlucks, these are recipes that I will mostly be making for dinner, rather than for potlucks.  The recipes are all quite straight-forward, and yet sophisticated and beautiful.  Every recipe includes a "Potluck Prep" note that includes information about preparing parts of the dish the night before, and what you should assemble on site.  Among the recipes that I found particularly compelling were Spice-Roasted Carrots with Lentils, Kamut and Cauliflower Salad with Smoked Almonds and Marmalade Dressing, Miso-and-Molasses Baked Beans, Smoky Squash Mac & Cheese, Caramelized Onion, Gouda, and Pecan Scones, Caramelized Kimchi Corn Bread, and Potato Chip-Crusted Magic Bars.

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Review: Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers

Punderdome is a new card game based on a hipster live pun competition in Brooklyn invented by a father and daughter team.  Like the all of the best games, Punderdome is very simple at heart.  It has no bells and whistles.  Basically, it's a game that encourages you to make up terrible puns.  I have a love-hate relationship with puns.  On the one hand, they kind of annoy me with their stupidity, but I also can't help finding some of them clever and ridiculously amusing.  This game perfectly captures that probably pretty common reaction to puns.  One person is the pun master who randomly picks out two cards (like the ones you can see above), and then everyone else has a limited amount of time to come up with a pun that brings the two words together.  The pun master then decides which pun wins.  Simple!  Punderdome follows in the "venerable," or at least popular tradition of other creative and very simple card games like Apples to Apples and Cards Against Humanity.  The entire game comes in a little box (like the Trivial Pursuit box of cards) with a few envelopes (you can fill them in with your own words that people have to pun with), a couple of pads of paper for pun concocting, and a big stack of cards with words on them.

(I received this game from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Review: Hemsley and Hemsley Good and Simple by Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley

The British Hemsley sisters' second cookbook, Hemsley and Hemsley Good and Simple, came out April 12.  This is the latest in the photogenic blogger book deal trend that has been going strong for the last few years.  The Hemsleys focus on fresh, healthy food that can help you (read: women) lose weight.  Note that they don't come right out and say that their book and food are about losing weight, but it's definitely what this book is about.  Their basic message is get rid of processed foods, refined sugars, gluten, and grains.  It's an attractive package, and it clearly tries to make the most of the photogenic nature of the two authors, who are clearly meant to be proof of the fact that their methods work.  Like many of the more recent cookbooks that are veiled diet books, this one shuns low-cal, low-fat recipes in favor of fresh ingredients and whole foods.  Some of the recipes are a bit rabbit-foody, but for the most part, the food looks and sounds tasty, in addition to being nutritious.  I also like how many of the recipes are directly followed by a list of "good and simple tips," which clarify the recipes and suggest ways that they can be changed and reused.  Overall, this is a nice cookbook aimed at 20- and 30-something women who want to lose weight without sacrificing flavor or calories.

(I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.)