This is part of my Summer Reads series where I’ll be sharing book recommendations – a series of “not just cookbooks”.
This week’s Summer Reads pick is one of my favourite genres – a food memoir (stories and recipes!) by New York Times bestselling author, Ann Hood.
From the publisher:
From her Italian-American childhood, through raising and feeding a growing family and cooking with her new husband, food writer Michael Ruhlman, Ann Hood has long appreciated the power of good food. In Kitchen Yarns, pairing her signature humor and tenderness with simple, comforting recipes, Hood spins tales of loss and starting from scratch, family love and feasts with friends, and how the perfect meal is one that tastes like home.
Kitchen Yarns: Notes on Life, Love and Food is a memoir written as a series of essays (some of which have appeared in earlier publications) that can be read individually, as short stories, or (if you’re like me) in just a couple of sittings. Each chapter ends with recipes pivotal to the stories that have just unfolded. The stories are not arranged chronologically – Hood’s journey as a home cook begins in her early 20s (as does the book) and it jumps around in time from there. For this reason, many readers might prefer to read this a chapter or two at a time but, be warned, it is a page-turner as in you’ll want to know more about her story.
Hood is a gifted storyteller so while the seemingly (for us) random order of the stories might not be how you’d expect a memoir to be organised, she makes it work. The fact that the binding ingredient (no pun intended) of all the stories is food makes the story flow. Memories of cooking with her grandmother, her parents and later, solo and influenced by her childhood memories of meals (not all “the best” food but even the less than perfect meals influenced Hood later in life as a home cook. Her life is mired in tragedy – her brother dies at an early age, and her first marriage is a difficult one as she’s raising two children, losing a daughter to strep throat when she is very young. Later she adopts a daughter from China – who infuses her life with joy and hope again (as she grapples with a divorce from that first marriage).
I loved learning about the foods she teaches her children to make, bonding with them as she does. Both Sam and Grace have their own distinct recipe for potatoes described in one chapter while another describes a summer in which Hood teaches Grace how to make the perfect omelette. Later in her life, she meets famed food writer Michael Ruhlman and falls in love – with not only the man but also his way of preparing baked potatoes (there’s a recipe for these too!).
This is a fabulous read for the summer when you might only be able to snatch a few minutes to read here and there or if you have a long journey or day at the beach to fill. You’ll want to take some notes or have some Post-its at the ready as you mark all the recipes you want to try as well! A highly recommended “anytime” read!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not asked to review the book and am not receiving any compensation for doing so. Neither the author nor the publisher reviewed this post prior to publication. All opinions are my own.
Buy Kitchen Yarns on Amazon (this affiliate link should bring you to the Amazon store in, or closest to, your country).
Please note: This post contains affiliate links. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This means that if you click over and purchase something, I will receive a very small percentage of the purchase price (at no extra cost to you). Thank you in advance!
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Buy my books! In the French kitchen with kids and French Food for Everyone: le goûter (after school snacks), le dîner (dinner) and le petit déjeuner (breakfast) are out now! Click here for details and how to order!
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