Saturday, January 9, 2010

A cheeky bunch

Nigel Farndale writes about bananas in The Telegraph. The British are indeed a cheeky bunch:

"It is heart-lightening to behold. As cheerful as a daffodil, but somehow more human. In a bunch they look like fingers. Individually, they have skin as smooth as human skin and a gently curving shape that is perfectly evolved to fit the human grip. They are even satisfying to peel, unlike the mean and fiddly orange.

"There is the snap of the stem, then, as a silk dressing gown might fall with a whisper from the shoulders of a beautiful woman, it stands before you in all its pale, naked glory. On a cold winter's day, its sweet fragrance offers a hint of the Caribbean. A cure for seasonal affective disorder if ever there was..."

Sunday, January 3, 2010

On the road

Is it my imagination?

Or does the road sign on I-5 north actually say: Hungry Valley, next exit?

About Me

is a writer and reviewer on the West Coast whose essays and articles have appeared in publications such as the Oakland Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle, Budget Travel, Brown Alumni Magazine, Saveur, Relish, Gastronomica, Best Food Writing 2002, www.theatlantic.com, www.npr.org and www.culinate.com. She has a bachelor's in English from Brown and a master's in literary nonfiction from the University of Oregon. Send comments, questions and suggestions to: mschristinaeng@gmail.com.

Books I am Reading

  • "James and the Giant Peach" by Roald Dahl
  • "Manhood for Amateurs" by Michael Chabon
  • "The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook" by Michelle and Philip Wojtowicz and Michael Gilson
  • "Rustic Fruit Desserts" by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson
  • "Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger" by Nigel Slater
  • "Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life" by Jamie Oliver
  • "The Gastronomical Me" by M.F.K. Fisher
  • "Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China" by Fuchsia Dunlop
  • "My China: A Feast for All the Senses" by Kylie Kwong
  • "Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China" by Jen Lin-Liu
  • "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" by Barack Obama

Films and TV Shows I am Watching

  • "Jiro Dreams of Sushi"
  • "Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death"
  • "Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie"
  • "Waitress" with Keri Russell
  • "The Future of Food" by Deborah Koons Garcia
  • "Food, Inc."

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