Top five 'Coffee Table' books

Here's a list of books I've read that I would love to stack on my coffee table. I own one of them ( Cupcakes and Cashmere) and plan to to own the others one day :)

1. Cupcakes and Cashmere by Emily Schuman: This is a great book to flick through and get tips for decorating your home, packing for trips and how to achieve that perfect smoky eye. Beautifully photographed and designed. Her blog is also well worth checking out.

2. Hers: design with a feminine touch by Jacqueline de Montravel: This book has tons of great ideas to spice up different areas of your home. A very glamorous book with achievable ideas. Be warned: this book will make you want to go and revamp every nook and cranny of your home! 

3. Shabby Chic Interiors by Rachel Ashwell: I love Shabby Chic style! Enough said.

4. At my French table by Jane Webster: I haven't actually read the text in this book through properly but it is so pretty and filled with gorgeous photos, I had to include it.

5. My Amalfi Coast by Amanda Tabberer: This book single handedly started my obsession with Italy! Love this glimpse into rural/local Italian life. Stunning photographs and just an all around gorgeous book.

Book Review: Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford

This is the best book I have read so far for my 30 Day Book Challenge. I love everything about it, from the beautiful photographs, mouthwatering recipes, to the whole story behind the book. This time, instead of writing my review ( I'd probably use 'love' far too many times!) I thought this excerpt from the cover describes the book very well.

"Luminous at dawn and dusk, the Mekong is a river road. a vibrant artery that defines a vast and fascinating region. Here, along the world's tenth largest river, which rises in Tibet and joins the sea in Vietnam, traditions mingle and exquisite food prevails. Award-winning authors Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid followed the river south, as it flows through the mountain gorges on southern China, to Burma and into Laos and Thailand...North Americans have come to love Southeast Asian food for its bright, fresh flavors. But beyond the dishes themselves, one of the most attractive aspects of Southeast Asian food is the life that surrounds it. In Southeast Asia, people eat for joy. The palate is wildly eclectic, proudly unrestrained. In Hot Sour Salty Sweet at last this great culinary region is celebrated with all the passion, colour and life that it deserves"

If you get a chance to read this book, I thoroughly recommend it. 10 out of 10! Below are some photos of recipes from the book :)

Julia

Book Review: The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones

Here comes another 30 Day Book Challenge review! This is another great book written by one of my favourite authors, Nicole Mones. The Last Chinese Chef follows a widowed American food writer, Maggie, who travels to Beijing to find out more about her late husbands secrets. Her trip also doubles as work, as she is asked by her editor to profile Sam, a half Chinese American who is the last in a line of gifted chefs going back to the imperial palace. I read this in a weekend and really enjoyed it. I love reading about food and Mones has satisfied my literary cravings. As she describes the food, I feel I'm eating it alongside the character.

 

" According to the classical pattern he started with a few lacy-crisp deep-fried dishes: pepper-salt eel fillets like translucent little tiles...and an aromatic stir-fry of yellow chives studded with tiny. delicate fried oysters. Back in the kitchen, he stir-fried tender mustard greens with wide, flat tofu-skin noodles and plump, fresh, braised young soybeans. These glistened on the platter in a light crystal sauce. After that there were lamb skewers, delectably grilled and crusted with sesame".

 

The thing I liked most about this book, was how Mones described traditional methods of Chinese cooking. Publishers Weekly described the book as 'Sumptuous' and this is how I would describe it too.

 

A satisfying read but have some snacks ready to alleviate the cravings that are sure to happen!

 

I'd love to hear what you think of the blog or any of the books I've been reading for this challenge. Just leave me a comment here on the blog or send me a tweet @JuliadeRuiter

 

Julia

Book Review- Kitchen Chinese by Ann Mah

Kitchen Chinese is the first novel by food and travel writer Ann Mah.

You can tell she loves to write about food because the descriptions made my mouth water! The first chapter opened with a extremely enticing account of the main character eating Peking duck pancakes. The book is worth reading just for that!
This is now one of my favourite books of all time ( even though it is not young adult fiction!). I love the way it is written- with a sense of humour and little anecdotes here and there that we can all relate to.

“The vibrant depiction of Beijing, lush descriptions of sumptuous Chinese meals, and Isabelle’s struggle with how others perceive her distinguish Mah’s first novel.”
–Booklist
It really transported me to Beijing ( where the book is set). I could almost smell and taste the places and food Mah was describing. 
 I enjoyed reading it so much,  I only let myself read a chapter a night so it would last as long as possible :)

Books about Chinese/American seem to be relatively common in our library so I found another author who writes similar stories- Nicole Mones ( on recommendation from a patron, actually). I am now reading 'The Last Chinese Chef' and enjoying it.
If you want something a little different, light and refreshing, I thoroughly recommend giving it a go.

Julia
P.S.- If you have any book recommendations I'd be very excited! Leave a comment here or message me on Twitter @JuliadeRuiter
:)