Oh DO look largest to read the contents of the bookmark I found in this cookbook from the library. :-) . . . . . . I had an epiphany the other day. Now you need to understand that I am a cookbookaholic and have been ever since I used my first "grandmother" recipe as a child. My Aunt Fran sent me off to my freshman dormitory room with a cookbook as a present because "you never know". And folks have been astonished when they walk into my kitchen and see the size of the bookcase needed to hold all the ones I own. But I'm getting older and am not as acquisitive. Or is that aquirative? And my budget these days is small. And honestly, since I have many favorites, not to mention great magazines and the internet, I am not in as much dire NEED of purchasing more cookbooks. And of course there's not much more room on the shelves. So once or twice a year I may add an essential new tome to the collection, but generally I'm content to find my ever-sought sources of new recipes elsewhere. But then recently I was looking up a cookbook I wanted to get for my cousin's daughter who's getting married. I couldn't remember the title but did remember that it had gotten a James Beard Foundation award. When I went to their website I found not only the title of the book I was searching for but also the lists of the books that had won their various awards over the past couple of years. So many amazing books I wanted to "taste". And then the epiphany hit. I live in a VERY cosmopolitan area- if in a tacky neighborhood- I could take these books out of the LIBRARY!!!! Eureka. So I went a little bit mad requesting about 15 books I HAD to read, assuming others smarter than me had them on their bedside tables and in their kitchens and that they would trickle in over the next few months. Ha! All 15 of 'em are at the library awaiting pickup. Well, other than the four I could carry home the other day. I guess the Beard Foundation awards are judged by weight as well as content. So last night at dinner I began perusing the first one, "Happy in the Kitchen" by Michel Richard. His work is impressive and audacious, and I'm picking up some cooking tool tips and interesting cooking tidbits, but his stuff is kinda the definition of over-the-top and a far cry from the humble and healthy peasant food I tend to gravitate toward. So I'm reading it more as entertainment than as a kitchen guide. I'm thinking the person who wrote out the index card I found tucked into page 125 this morning must be mostly in the same mindset as me. Cooks will- I think- find the contents of her or his menu planner or shopping list as amusing as I did. I'm still chuckling and musing on the lentil (soap). :-)

If you ask my Family they will tell you that I rave about a new cookbook at least once a month. I love the ones that are for appliances. I love the ones that are devoted to veggies. I love the ones that sneak the veggies. This month, I'm completely & utterly in love with "Food Revolution". More so because I love his message. Every recipe isn't super healthy, but it's whole & gets you in the kitchen. Cooking whole isn't easy, but it's worth it. Until recently, I didn't realize there was any other way to cook. I just figured that's how people cooked. By whole, I don't mean only organic. I just mean you've chopped the veggies & whisked the egg. I struggle with how to get it all on the table at the same time with two kid begging for my attention. But when you're crammed around that table with people you love, it doesn't matter if it's all warm or if it's cooked perfectly. it matters that you're there. And it matters that you love who you're with. 16:52 Weeks of Gratitude.