I got this book for work, cracked it open on Sunday while doing some research, and ended up curling up with it for the rest of the afternoon. It’s so lovely!

Now, cookbooks aren’t  my thing. I’m a timid cook and would rather spend my time and money on reading books, you know? But I fear this book is a gateway to a cookbook habit. And it’s the perfect gateway for a reader like me, because it is a memoir/cookbook hybrid.

The author, Jenny Rosenstrach, started a dinner diary early in her marriage to help plan out meals for the week. She has written down every dinner she and her husband have made since 1998!

Through the short essays and recipes, we learn how dinner has shaped her home life and brought her family comfort and closeness, and also watch her evolve as a cook.

I’m someone who skated through my 20s without ever really cooking. I would prepare meals at home — toaster oven veggie burgers, a bowl of black beans with hot sauce (yum!). That was as complex as it got. But recently, I’ve been drawn to trying recipes here and there. And this book got me because the author makes cooking sound so fun and easy. She was not going for Martha Stewart perfection. She just wanted to cook for her family so they could eat well and share yummy meals. I love that idea.

I was tickled by the cute pictures:

And her wholehearted embrace of the cocktail hour spoke to me, too. Don’t these look delicious? And notice how she calls the cocktail section “medicine” — I hear ya, Jenny!

I was so motivated by the book that I picked a recipe to cook that night. I made the clam spaghetti and it was seriously tasty! I was pretty proud of myself.  (I would post a picture, but I don’t think there is any way to make clam spaghetti look beautiful. It sure tasted good, though.)

I recommend this book if you are a new cook who needs a little hand-holding, or are looking for some easy dinners to add to your arsenal. Plus, it is a good read. I know I’ll be trying a lot more of the recipes.

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A Sense of Direction: Pilgrimage for the Restless and Hopeful

First of all, great title. Who in their 20s/30s wouldn’t be drawn to the concept of “a sense of direction”? It’s what we’re all craving, right?

At least I am, which is why I picked up this book.

The author, Gideon Lewis-Kraus, was once a bored 27-year old in San Francisco (maybe that’s why he looks a little familiar to me), writing for prestigious publications like The Believer and McSweeney’s but hoping for something more.

He moves to Berlin, which is the opposite of boring (and sounds awesome by the way). But after a couple years of endless art openings and parties that last til 7 AM, he begins to crave more meaning.

So he and his friend (writer Tom Bissel) decide to walk the Camino de Santiago, a 600-mile trail through Spain which they complete in about a month.

I think this feat would have impressed me more if I hadn’t just read Cheryl Strayed’s Wild. Cheryl hikes the Pacific Crest Trail completely alone, a woman in the woods, filtering her own water, camping by herself, going without enough food or money for long stretches of time. Gideon and his pal stay in hostels every night — except when they opt for nicer hotels — make lots of interesting friends along the way, and don’t really push themselves to the point of physical struggle. Walking for a month still must be hard, but my perspective was just a bit skewed coming into it.

Anyway, the sections in Berlin and on The Camino are the best parts of the book. Full of rapid, witty dialogue, interesting characters, and very honest self-reflection that I could relate to.

It seems to me that Gideon got the idea to write a book on pilgrimage after he walked the Camino. From there, he tacks on two more pilgrimages — one in Shikoku in Japan (where he does suffer through some harsh elements and lonely days, to his credit) and one to Uman where he attempts to reconcile with his estranged father.

The Shikoku pilgrimage gets a bit boring and repetitive, and I couldn’t help but feel annoyed that Gideon was checking his email and facebook at every stop. It just took away from the authenticity of an off-the-grid pilgrimage somehow. And the Uman section is nearly entirely focused on his relationship with his dad and is full of glossy self-revelations that read like journal entries. A lot of the dialogue is written in long, perfect paragraphs as well – a change from the snappy, natural dialogue found in the beginning and just a little too perfect for my taste.

In all, this was a good read. It moved fast. Gideon is funny with a strong voice and plenty of talent. But I couldn’t help but feel like it was a bit unfocused and in need of some more editing. The last two sections didn’t entirely align with the first. The dad stuff was a small part of the story in the beginning, but the book’s end was nearly entirely focused on that reconciliation. The thread just wasn’t quite there throughout. I was left wishing that the last two sections were as natural and loose as the first two.

But for anyone looking for a sense of direction, or craving an adventure away from their daily life; for anyone who finds themselves in their late 20s/early 30s thinking, what now? — I definitely recommend this book.

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