A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

I was a bit skeptical of this book at first.  I've read about it on a few blogs over the last year, and it seems to me like a book published on the wave of a 2009 trend.  Girl loves food.  Girl writes blog about food with a French twist.  Blog goes viral.  Girl gets sweet book/movie deal.  Sort of Julie & Julia -esque.  I saw it on the library shelf last week and decided to grab it, throw it in my grocery bag of books, and maybe pick out a recipe or two. I find, as I flip pages looking for recipes, that I am drawn into her stories as well!  Who knew reading a cookbook could be sort of relaxing?  A large portion of the recipes tend toward the sweet, and I prefer the more savory approach. Nevertheless, if you enjoy reading blogs and enjoy reading about food, you will probably enjoy this book/cookbook(check out her blog @ orangette.blogspot.com).  It is the perfect book to read when your children are making noise in the background or you have a quick moment that will likely be disturbed by interruptions.  If you like sweet food with a French flair you will find much in which to delight.  There are also a few hidden treasures such as a fennel and pear salad (p. 238) which Jason made tonight.  It is simple, fresh, and yummy.

Perhaps my favorite lines from the book are her comments on blogging.  She writes,

"I've never liked the word blog.  It's kind of weird and lumpy.  When you say it, it tumbles out of your mouth with an unbecoming thud.  Plus, the whole concept is a little weird: a Web site where a person can write about whatever they want to, inviting comments and feedback from the whole world.  At their best, blogs are smart, funny, and informative.  At their worst, they're blush-worthy rants written at 2am after a bad breakup...but still, having a blog is strange.  I never know whether to be proud...or sheepish...It's a classic love-hate relationship.  And like the human-to-human kind, the human-to-blog kind is oddly addictive.  It's hard to beat the rush that comes when you press PUBLISH, sending your words out into the ether, or the satisfaction that stems from someone leaving a comment on your site." (Wizenberg 195). 

(that's not a hint or anything...)