Category Archives: Book of the Month

April Book Selection: 97 Orchard by Jane Ziegelman

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97 OrchardThe Edible Books selection for April is 97 Orchard: An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement by Jane Ziegelman.

97 Orchard promises to be a little different from the other books we’ve read.  It has been described as forensic gastronomy.  The book tells the story of five immigrant families of various ethnicities living in a New York tenement a the turn of the 20th century.  We’ll get to know them through their shopping, cooking, and eating habits, and their recipes.

Happy Reading! ~Christina & Natalie

Below is the April discussion schedule:

April 1-7: Intro-Chapter 1
April 8-15: Chapter 2 & 3
April 16-22: Chapter 4
April 23-30: Chapter 5

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If you need more information about Edible Books, please read the participation guidelines here.

March Book Selection: Chocolat by Joanne Harris

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ChocolatThe Edible Books selection for March is Chocolat by Joanne Harris

During our recent Q&A with Erica Bauermeister (author of our February book selection The School of Essential Ingredients) she listed Chocolat among her favorite food books, so in a way this book was her nomination.

And as one of our book club members noted, Chocolat is the “perfect Lenten read”.  Starting on Shrove Tuesday and ending with Easter Monday, we’ll follow the Lenten journey of the citizens of the village of Lansquenet, after chocolatier Vianne Rocher opens her shop and turns their quiet little town on its ear.

The book description promises that “every page offers a description of chocolate to melt in the mouths of chocoholics, francophiles, armchair gourmets, cookbook readers, and lovers of passion everywhere.”

Chocolat should spark some interesting discussion about temptation, indulgence, and the value of austerity.

Happy Reading! ~Christina & Natalie

Below is the March discussion schedule:

March 1st-8th:   Chapters 1-10

March 9th-16th: Chapters 11-20

March 17th-23st: Chapters 21-29

March 24nd-31th: Chapters 30-39

Find us on Twitter @ediblebookclub #ediblebooks

If you need more information about Edible Books, please read the participation guidelines here.

February Book Selection: The School of Essential ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

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The Edible Books selection for February is The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister.

The School of Essential Ingredients

The scenario: Eight students gather once a month in a restaurant for a cooking class.  A simple set up that promises to deliver all of the complex interactions that occur when a group of strangers comes together.  And some delicious meals.  I (Christina) am especially excited about this book because the author is a fellow Seattleite.  But beyond the geographical connection, we hope that this will be a book that causes all of us slow down a bit, really get to know the characters, and savor the sights, sounds, and flavors of the cooking school right along with them.

Happy Reading! ~Christina & Natalie

Below is the February discussion schedule:

Feb 1st-7th:   Prologue-Claire

February 8th-14th: Carl-Tom

February 15th-21st: Chloe-Helen

February 22nd-28th: Ian-Epilogue

Find us on Twitter @ediblebookclub #ediblebooks

If you need more information about Edible Books, please read the participation guidelines here.

January Book Selection: My Life in France by Julia Child

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The Edible Books selection for January is My Life in France by Julia Child. My Life in France

Maybe you’ve seen the movie Julie & Julia…and maybe you have a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  But this month we’ll get to know the woman behind the larger-than-life persona.  In this memoir, Julia Child shares her own story—how she went from someone who couldn’t cook at all, to one of the most famous cooks of the 20th century.  She was a cook, a teacher, a writer, and a television personality—and also a wife and friend.

Child’s humorous and unpretentious style promises to make this a very enjoyable book to read and discuss.

Happy Reading! ~Christina & Natalie

Below is the January discussion schedule:

January 1st-7th:   Introduction-Chapter 2

January 8th-14th: Chapter 3-Chapter 4

January 15th-21st: Chapter 5-Chapter 6

January 22nd-31st: Chapter7-Epilogue

Find us on Twitter @ediblebookclub #ediblebooks

If you need more information about Edible Books, please read the participation guidelines here.

December Book Selection: Toast by Nigel Slater

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The Edible Books selection for December is Toast: The Story of a Boy’s Hunger by Nigel Slater.

Toast by Nigel Slater

Nigel Slater is well-known for several cookbooks filled with stories and sumptuous photos, his BBC series Simple Cooking, and his food column in The Observer.  And Toast is now a BBC movie starring Helena Bonham Carter.

Before Slater was a famous author and broadcaster he was a young boy who dealt with the loss of his mother, a new housekeeper, and his father’s uncertain temper.

Toast is a memoir of Slater’s childhood and growing culinary talents, told through food.  Get ready to learn more about the boy who became the famous man.

Happy Reading! ~ Christina & Natalie

Below is the December discussion schedule:

This month’s reading schedule requires some explanation: We have divided the book into four roughly equal weekly sections as usual. Toast is written in 118 very short chapters—some less than a page long—that are titled but not numbered.  The page numbers listed below are accurate for the Kindle Edition but vary slightly for the paper editions and are therefore intended only as a guide.

  • December 1st-7th: Discuss Chapters Toast 1-Jelly 1 (approx pp. 1-57)
  • December 8th-14th:  Discuss Chapters Jelly 2-Fray Bentos Steak & Kidney Pie (approx pp. 58-109)
  • December 15th-21st:  Discuss Chapters Smoked Haddock-Coffee and Walnut Cake (approx pp. 110-159)
  • December 22nd-31st:  Discuss Chapters Candyfloss-Toast 3 (approx pp. 160-247)

Find us on Twitter @ediblebookclub #ediblebooks

If you need more information about Edible Books, please read the participation guidelines here.

November Book Selection: White Truffles in Winter by N.M. Kelby

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The Edible Books selection for November is White Truffles in Winter by N.M. Kelby.

Earlier this month we spent a little time with the author Nicole Kelby, read the first part of our interview here. 

White Truffles in WinterWhite Truffles in Winter is a novel about world-famous French chef Auguste Escoffier.  Called the king of chefs and chef of kings, Escoffier was also a restaurateur, author, a leader in the development of modern French cuisine, and credited with introducing the organized brigade de cuisine system in his kitchens.

But this novel goes beyond Escoffier’s well-known public persona, to invite us into an imaginative story of his private world, filled with glamour, romance, war, and of course food.

Get ready to travel back in time to the turn of the 20th Century–and bring a snack, because reading this book will make you hungry!

Happy Reading! ~ Christina & Natalie

Below is the November discussion schedule:

  • November 1st-7th: Discuss Chapters 1-8
  • November 8th-14th: Discuss Chapters 9-16
  • November 15th-21st: Discuss Chapters 17-24
  • November 22nd-30th: Discuss Chapters 25-31

Find us on Twitter @ediblebookclub #ediblebooks

If you need more information about Edible Books, please read the participation guidelines here.

October Book Selection: Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese

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We are pleased to announce that the inaugural Edible Books selection is Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese.

The author shares her journey through a series of kitchen-experiments including homemade peanut butter, bread, junk foods, and more ambitious projects like cured meats and cheese.  She then offers her assessment of each experiment: make or buy?

Reading this book should tickle the inner mad-scientist in all of us, inspire some reflection on our individual make vs. buy decision algorithms, and maybe even spark a few debates amongst those of us who already have strong opinions on topics such as: Peanut butter—crunchy or smooth?

Happy reading, and we look forward to a spirited discussion. ~Christina & Natalie

Below is the October discussion schedule:

  • October 1st-7th: Discuss Introduction-Chapter 5
  • October 8th-14th: Discuss Chapters 6-10
  • October 15th-21st: Discuss Chapters 11-15
  • October 22nd-31st: Discuss Chapters 16-20

Find us on Twitter @ediblebookclub #ediblebooks

Please note: Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese is presently available in the UK in Hardcover, on Kindle and other eReaders, a paperback edition is due out shortly.

If you need more information about Edible Books, please read the participation guidelines here.