Giving Back: The Public Library's Used Book Sale

Every Fall my husband (a fellow bibliophile) and I look forward to our local public library's used book sale.  We always find some great deals on some great books and get to support the library at the same time. Definitely a win-win situation.  Because I purchased a Friends of the Library membership, I was able to attend their preview sale on Saturday morning.  I was under a bit of a time crunch, however, and was delighted therefore to find some wonderful books to add to my collection within the first few minutes of browsing.

I had set an alarm on my phone because I knew that if I didn't I might get sucked into the alluring black hole of piles and piles of inexpensive books and be late for another commitment that morning.  Right before my alarm was about to go off, I discovered a hardcover copy of Roads to Quoz: an American Mosey by William Least-Heat Moon for only $2.  What a deal! While I wished that I had more time to continue browsing, I felt satisfied to end my time at the sale with such a great find.

Later, when I returned home with my newly acquired books, I discovered a copy of Roads to Quoz already occupying a space on my husband's bookshelf.  Thus, I carried on our semi-annual (the library holds a used book sale in the spring as well) tradition of buying a book, discovering that we already own the book, and donating that same book back to the library for their next sale. Thankfully, it truly is better to give than to receive and the local library is truly an institution worthy of our support.

Biting Through the Skin: An Indian Kitchen in America's Heartland by Nina Mukerjee Furstenau

In this memoir, the author reflects on her experiences as a person of Indian descent growing up in a small town in Kansas.  Throughout her growing up years, food played a key role in giving her a sense of connection to her own unique cultural identity.  She deftly weaves this food thread through all her narratives and includes recipes related to the stories shared in each chapter.

Favorite quote:
"In direct fashion, language ties people together as strongly as food. Both involve a constant working of the mouth, both the use of the tongue.  Taking food into the body to live is incredibly intimate.  So, too, is voice: the audible self."

Pros:

Beautiful writing
Insightful reflections
Vivid descriptions
Lots of recipes

Cons:
Many of the recipes include ingredients that might be difficult to obtain.

Recipes in the book:
There are over 50 recipes in this book.  These include a wide range of Indian dishes from chutneys to curries to lentils to desserts.  I plan to try a few of the recipes and will write about the results in a future post.

Delicious by Ruth Reichl

Billie has an incredible palate.  She can take a few bites of a complex dish with obscure ingredients and quickly and easily identify exactly what's in the dish and what might improve the dish.  Yet she refuses to cook.  Why?  I would tell you, but that would be a spoiler and I'm not a big fan of spoilers. She has left everything and moved to New York, where she lands a job as an assistant at a renowned culinary magazine, Delicious.  The offices for the magazine are housed in a historic mansion in the city.
Although the magazine is shut down, Billie is asked to stay on to continue providing customer support.  While filling this role, Billie and a former co-worker discover a long-forgotten, hidden room in the library on the top floor of the mansion.  There, they discover some strategically hidden letters from a young girl corresponding with James Beard during WWII.  The process of discovering these letters from the past is a catalyst to making deeper connections with the people in her life and facing her own past.

Pros:
Appealing characters
Strong sense of setting
Lots of references to cheese

Cons:
Pace is very slow at times, especially in the first half of the book.


Recipes in the book:
"Billie's Gingerbread"

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel

I made this coffee cake for the first time this morning for a brunch with some friends and just the smell of it baking made me so happy. Because I was running late, I ran out of time to make the glaze, but I didn't hear a single complaint.
I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I did!
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/pumpkin-coffee-cake-with-brown-sugar-pecan-streusel.html