Paperback Companions

    Welcome to the weekend everyone! My sweet husband and I had quite the long week. For those of you that may have spent the week under a rock, the Democratic National Convention took place here in Charlotte. That meant my husband, who works at a restaurant uptown, worked nearly 60 hours. Because he worked so much, I was at home alone all week. I wish I could say all that spare time was spent cooking and writing but instead I spent it making rash purchases and eating cold cereal for dinner. Confession: it was wonderful. I am a huge fan of cold cereal. But what really made my week was my purchase of this beauty:

I found it at Goodwill and I am in love with it! I had to repaint the top but it was well worth it to have my own place to write. It has lots of drawer space to contain my natural clutter and plenty of room for all my reference books on top. I thought since I did not cook anything this week, I would give a little insight into these books that have expanded my culinary mind over the last few years.
   
     I am just beginning to teach myself French because the last thing I want is to be treated like a tourist when I am rich, famous, and able to shop at the street markets in Paris. My home schooling has made self-learning much less intimidating so I am using Barron's E-Z French self-learning manual. I will update you on how that is going when I get a little further along.
   
I also keep a copy of this close by:

     Not only because I am a wine lover, but because it one of the most useful resources I have found when it comes to any questions one may have about wine. It lists definitions of everything from grape varieties, to wine growing regions, to wine making terminology and tips alphabetically. The back of the book has a section on how to understand wine labels, how to pronounce wine-related words, and wine serving and pairing advice. For anyone who loves wine or just wants to sound like a snob at a party, I highly suggest The New Wine Lover's Companion by Ron and Sharon Tyler Herbst.
Fun fact: It is also published by Barron's...they know what they're doing.

I have a love-hate relationship with this next book.

     Why the hate, you ask? I may not have mentioned this before but lactose and I have had a recent falling out. God bless the person who invented lactose-free milk for my cereal! Cheese is by far my favorite thing to consume on this wonderful planet of ours. When I read this book, I am forced to choose between my taste buds and the continuation of my digestive tract. But I know that many of you are NOT lactose intolerant so I will share this with you. The Cheese Lover's Companion has alphabetical listings of cheese names followed by pronunciation, region of origin, milk type, appearance, texture, and flavor. It also has definitions of cheese-related terms and a section in the back that allows you to look up cheeses using any of the categories listed in the descriptions. For example, if you want to look at only cheeses made with sheep's milk, you can find them listed there. This book is great for chef's as well as anybody who purchases cheese on a regular basis.
Aside from spices, cheese is the most expensive food product by weight. Knowing the flavor profile of a cheese before you buy it could save you time and money at the grocery store or restaurant. It may also help you venture into new cheeses if you are the type to buy only what you know.
Fun fact: This book was, again, written by the Herbst's. They ALSO seem to what they are doing.

Lastly is the most useful reference guide.

The Chef's Companion is literally a dictionary for culinary terms. It has definitions of over 5,000 ingredients, pieces of equipment, and techniques. It is formatted like a standard dictionary and contains temperature, volume, and weight conversion charts in the back. I suggest this book for anyone who shops for groceries, reads recipes or cookbooks, travels abroad, and basically anyone who both eats and has the ability to read. Extremely easy to use and, unlike it's Oxford counterpart (which I also love), it is small and easily transported. So, for example, if you find yourself at a delicatessen and want to know what bialy is, you can simply open up to the "B's" and find out that it's 'a wheat roll topped with onion flakes.' Sometimes, you just want to know what you are eating.
Fun fact: This is not published by Barron's OR written by the Herbst's.

     All three of these 'companions' have been very useful in growing my knowledge of food. They look good on my desk but they really are useful references for special occasions and everyday meals. I plan on using them this week as I move away from cereal back to more diversely flavored meals.