I've been following @eatchofood for years and have made her gorgeous rose dumplings, so it's awesome to have the cookbook with step by step instructioI've been following @eatchofood for years and have made her gorgeous rose dumplings, so it's awesome to have the cookbook with step by step instructions and illustrations. If you'd like a taste of the book, you can find the recipe for the tasty rose siu mai here:
Singularly the best pie book I've read--step by step instructions and clear photographs, with so many great tips and techniques for getting distinct, Singularly the best pie book I've read--step by step instructions and clear photographs, with so many great tips and techniques for getting distinct, beautiful designs. Takes a lot of time and care (and freezer space!) but worth it when you're feeling like putting some extra love into your bake....more
I LOVED her on The Big Brunch so this definitely was worth checking out.
Content is great, techniques and recipes clearly explained with tons of photosI LOVED her on The Big Brunch so this definitely was worth checking out.
Content is great, techniques and recipes clearly explained with tons of photos. Especially good for beginners since she explains the why behind methods as well as how.
Less enamored with the massively heavy, unwieldy size (current hand injury exacerbates that) as well as the odd matte-slick, textbook-like texture of the pages. Because of that, I’m not likely to purchase this one, even though I do appreciate the content. But I did get my library to purchase a copy, so I can borrow it again and others can, too!...more
I checked this out last Halloween and liked it so much I checked it out again this season. Nice food styling, photographs, and recipes, though I don’tI checked this out last Halloween and liked it so much I checked it out again this season. Nice food styling, photographs, and recipes, though I don’t love how the photos are cut, resized, and arranged. Also feels like it could use more photographs, or at least some beautiful black and white illustrations. It actually feels a lot like a very nice bound magazine.
On the writing/recipe side, I wish the author had written separate recipes for each dish instead of grouping them into a series of mini-feasts, as her directions lump things together and sometimes jump back and forth. I’ll decide what I’m serving, thanks. And I love Halloween and always do spooky food, but I am not an actual witch so the majority of that stuff I just skipped right over.
3.5 stars I enjoy it, but there’s not enough in it and too many minor quibbles for me to actually purchase it. But a fun library borrow for sure....more
I’m attracted to cozy picturesque settings, but honestly most of them don’t fulfill their promise on anything o3.5 stars bumped up, because FOOD PORN.
I’m attracted to cozy picturesque settings, but honestly most of them don’t fulfill their promise on anything other than the barest surface level. With this one, you feel the cobblestone under your feet and you know exactly what it is like to stand inside the charming Varme cafe, wistfully smelling flaky cinnamon pastries and inhaling coffee served in mismatched china cups. I say wistfully, because as much pleasure there is in travel, there’s also pain in knowing it’s a fleeting experience, to know that this place that feels so familiar and right is one you might never see again.
All this is to say: few romances with settings abroad capture this sense of time and place as well as this one. The secondary characters are thoughtfully rendered and memorable (I have such a peeve about ragtag groups of characters that are supposed to be endearing and funny but aren’t—these journalists are nuanced and interesting). And the job and pr parts are done well and all the hygge descriptions make me want to curl into a woolly blanket nest with a cup of tea.
Strangely enough, for a book that does the hardest parts so well, the romantic parts felt uneven. Sometimes the connection seemed there, but large sections passed without any sort of spark, and the romance took a back seat to the rest of the story for much of the book. It also felt jarring once they do get together, because the sex scenes were so weirdly and awkwardly written. I literally laughed in embarrassment and disbelief a couple of times.
I think this book would have also benefited from more of a glimpse into Kate’s internal dialogue as well. She mostly thinks about her job and her duties and her family—all important and good, but strangely not balanced by enough romance or passion or excitement.
But I do love the setting and drool-worthy food and the journalists and the way Kate instinctively understands and embraces the concept of hygge. Hopefully the other books in the series amps up the romance some more....more
Wendy Darling
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cooking-and-baking
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