Y'know? That soft yellow glow in the night you head toward (be it from out of the winter damp or the summer humidity) in anticipation of good smells and some relaxation?
I was one of those kids who would stare at the passing houses, if we were out driving at night, seeing glowing squares of windowlight, and wondering what THOSE people ate, or did for fun, or had for living room furniture. (No, I was not a peeping Tom. It was the same urge that later mellowed into an urge to buy home improvement and decorating magazines, ha!) I had a lot of roadbumps in childhood that made me yearn to know what other families were like, and how they gathered and lived their lives.
I've been grateful to have the opportunity to have my own family, home, and lights left on. This has become really special to me. That said, I still never tire of seeing how others make home and kitchen unique to their traditions.
And so, without further ado, I introduce two books that make me feel warmed with that same ambient glow, as if I'd walked into someone else's kitchen and pulled up a chair as family. They've both been around for a while, but I return to them often. If you ever get a chance to check them out, you may likely linger there, too.
I was one of those kids who would stare at the passing houses, if we were out driving at night, seeing glowing squares of windowlight, and wondering what THOSE people ate, or did for fun, or had for living room furniture. (No, I was not a peeping Tom. It was the same urge that later mellowed into an urge to buy home improvement and decorating magazines, ha!) I had a lot of roadbumps in childhood that made me yearn to know what other families were like, and how they gathered and lived their lives.
I've been grateful to have the opportunity to have my own family, home, and lights left on. This has become really special to me. That said, I still never tire of seeing how others make home and kitchen unique to their traditions.
And so, without further ado, I introduce two books that make me feel warmed with that same ambient glow, as if I'd walked into someone else's kitchen and pulled up a chair as family. They've both been around for a while, but I return to them often. If you ever get a chance to check them out, you may likely linger there, too.
The first is Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin, published in 1988. One of my dearest friends gave me this, and I'm sorry to say it took me a while to read it. Now I read it often, and it's like a favorite chair you just don't want to get out of. Thank you, Gail, for all your gifts to my life. I think of you every time I read this! I see that there are other books by the same author, so I'll have to those to my inter-library loan request list.
Here's a link for a peek http://www.amazon.com/Home-Cooking-Kitchen-Laurie-Colwin/dp/0060955309/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3610217-2136953?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175908954&sr=1-1
The second was a personal discovery. It's Miriam's Kitchen: A Memoir by Elizabeth Erlich. It's just beautiful, personable, approachable, and thoughtful. For a better description, here's the link http://www.amazon.com/Miriams-Kitchen-Memoir-Elizabeth-Ehrlich/dp/014026759X
The second was a personal discovery. It's Miriam's Kitchen: A Memoir by Elizabeth Erlich. It's just beautiful, personable, approachable, and thoughtful. For a better description, here's the link http://www.amazon.com/Miriams-Kitchen-Memoir-Elizabeth-Ehrlich/dp/014026759X
Hope you can enjoy these, as I have. They go really well with a hot mug of good tea, when all curled up and comfy in a quiet moment.
1 comment:
I have often wondered the same thing about others. What *do* they do when they're with their family or alone? What do they think about? Do they even think all the time or do some of them just sit and exist? Do they strive for ideals? What are their ideals? Yada yada yada. Sometimes, I almost wonder if I shouldn't get a degree in psychology, LOL.
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