I
Never Promised You a Cookbook
is Published
I
Never Promised You a Cookbook
is
a memoir cookbook by veteran journalist and author Rita Papazian that
offers a combination of personal essays,
recipes and interviews
conducted with many celebrity chefs. The recipes are culled from the author’s
and her mother’s recipe files representing many family recipes from the `50s,
`60s, and `70s.
No only are
the recipes easy to prepare, but Papazian offers a glimpse into the
personalities and talents of today’s popular celebrity chefs, including
Rachael Ray, Rocco DiSpirito, Mark Bittman, Lidia Bastianich, Michel Nischan,
among others.
The author
takes pride in the blend of memoir and cookbook for the combination enhances
enjoyment for the reader who gets to meet some of her friends and family through
their connections to the recipes. The memoir format and family recipes keep
alive the personalities of family members and the recipes themselves. In one
essay she contrasts her mother and mother-in-law in the way in which the women
wore aprons. For example, while sitting down to dinner, her mother would remove
her apron to heighten her appearance, while her mother-in-law would keep her
apron on as a sign she was always ready to serve family members.
When asked
what is unique about her memoir cookbook’s recipes, Papazian says that while
the recipes are quite basic, the fact that she has combined her personal essays
with celebrity chef interviews brings those chefs and their wholesome advice and
expertise right into the home kitchen. For example, Rachael Ray suggests taking
the last few tablespoons of peanut butter sitting in the bottom of the jar and
turning it into a spicy Thai peanut sauce as a dip for chicken tenders or pour
over a pound of warm whole-wheat noodles and garnish with toasted sesame seeds
and chopped scallions. As an added tip, Ray says, “loosen the peanut butter in
the jar by microwaving it with the lid off for 30 seconds on high.” She then
continues with the recipe for making the dipping sauce. Mark Bittman discusses
how he weans away from the number of animal products and junk food by eating a
diet that is “nearly ‘vegan’ until six.”
The author
encourages others to create their own memoir cookbook. Such a project not only
records the family recipes, but also taps into memories that may lie dormant.
The format encourages conversations among family members, and provides a lasting
record for future generations.
Papazian’s
journalism career spans over 35 years as a reporter and editor, plus
teaching at the college level in
Connecticut
. Her work has appeared in a variety
of publications, including The New York
Times. In recent years, she has focused on memoir writing and offers
workshops in the genre. She is also
author of Remembering Fairfield: Famous People & Historic Places; Gioacchino:
Memoir of an Italian Immigrant, and Fairfield,
Connecticut: 350 Years.
I
Never Promised You a Cookbook
is available at:
www.amazon.com
and at www.barnesandnoble.com for $14.95.
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