January 30, 2008

Book Review

I spent a good deal of the last week laying around sick. This was miserable but at least in between my fevered dozes I finished Alice Waters and Chez Panisse by Thomas McNamee. The first three quarters of the book were quite entertaining. Lots of discussion of the development of Alice Waters' personality and how different people influenced her and the restaurant. The final quarter was a sickeningly fawning account of Alice's causes and how truly fanastic an institution Chez Panisse has become. I would love to make a pilgramage out to the west coast and I still would love to try a meal at Chez Panisse but this isn't a book I'd be interested in revisiting. Since recovering I've been baking lots of bread and making Valentine's Day inspired cookies. I hope to post a few of my cookie experiments later this week.