Tastes Like Cuba: An Exile's Hunger for Home


Eduardo Machado - 2007
    An internationally acclaimed playwright, Eduardo Machado has grappled with questions of identity, loss and resistance throughout his life and work. He hasmore than any other playwrightbeen able to convey the experiences of both the Cubans who chose to stay in Cuba and those who chose to leave. His fearless style and unabashed politicism in the face of dissent have made him a controversial figure to the Cubans and Americans on opposite sides of an intense conflict. In his memories and in his more recent travels to Cuba, he has found that the most natural means of connecting with todays Cuban experience is through food. Machado says, When I taste something I havent tasted in twenty years, I cant resist that connection to the past, to the conflict, to the identity that is mine. I know the feeling as I taste the flavor. There are no arguments, no political controversies, just the real sensation. If its that complex, it must be Cuban. To any exile, food represents not only the lost comfort of home, but the best chance to reclaim it. The stories of Machados lifefrom child of privilege in pre-Revolutionary Cuba; to exile in Los Angeles; to actor, director, playwright and professor in New Yorkare interleaved with recipes for the meals that have enriched him. Every recipe has been updated for the modern home cook, enabling us to recreate the flavors of traditional Cuban dishes such as Machados favorite roast pork and his grandfathers arroz con pollo, as well as the cuisine of necessity he encountered in 1960s suburban America: Velveeta, SPAM, and otherprocessed wonders. What emerges is a larger picture of what it means to be a Latino in America today. For anyone who has ever longed for a home, real or imagined, Tastes Like Cuba delivers a fascinating story of two worldsand one delectable life.

A Pilgrim for Freedom


Michael B. Novakovic - 2016
    It is one part the account of a refugee family who barely survived explosions and hunger while seeking safety during World War II, and includes vivid descriptions of the hardships Mike, his siblings, and parents endured. It is another part the story of an immigrant family who came to the United States (by way of Argentina) after the war and with great ingenuity and industry worked their way up to levels of success that had been unimaginable during the darkest days of war. Finally, it is also the chronicle of a loyal and valiant soldier who sought to pay back his debts to the United States for defeating fascism and communism through distinguished service in the U.S. Air Force's intelligence operations. In sum, it is a riches-to-rags-to-riches story that testifies both to the resilience of one man and to the ideals of the nation that inspired him.

Cook's Illustrated 1993 (Cook's Illustrated Annuals)


Cook's Illustrated - 1993
    Each elegantly hardbound volume in the Cook's Illustrated Collector's Edition Series includes an entire year's content from the magazine for each year since 1993. We include the often surprising results of countless hours of hands-on kitchen testing along with foolproof master recipes and numerous variations. They appear alongside hundreds of step-by-step, hand-drawn illustrations of useful cooking techniques. You will also find the winners and losers in blind tastings of popular food brands and unbiased tests of kitchen equipment. Build your own essential cooking reference with one or more volumes from the Cook's Illustrated Collector's Edition Series.

Y'all Come Eat


Jamie Deen - 2008
    - Chapters spotlight the Deen brothers' specialties--from Bobby's all-time favorite goulash to Jamie's amazing cheeseburger pies.- Fresh and upbeat, it's spiced up with lively Deen brothers' tidbits and stories giving you an inside look at their lives.- Deen family photos and recent photos of the brothers shaking it up in the kitchen with family and friends add a special touch.

Love Welcome Serve: Recipes that Gather and Give


Amy Nelson Hannon - 2017
    Modeled after her grandmother, Euna Mae, Amy's big-hearted lifestyle has become noticed by a disconnected world that is drawn to her mission of using food to love, welcome, and serve those around her. Amy encourages people to open their homes and their hearts, connecting with folks over food; and she offers home cooks simple, crowd-pleasing, comfort recipes, meals that can be prepared for whatever the hospitality affair. Recipes like Brown Sugar Chili over Cheese Grits, Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas, and Sam's Pulled Pork are perfect belly-fillers for gathering people in your home. And recipes like Comfort Chicken Pot Pie, Hello Dolly Brownies, and Layered Spaghetti Pie are ideal for giving to folks when they just need to feel loved. Combined with her refreshing enthusiasm and approachable recipes, Amy Hannon has ignited a passion in young cooks who are spreading their hospitality wings, and she has reignited that same passion in seasoned cooks who had forgotten how much joy comes from serving others. Love Welcome Serve, Amy's first cookbook, will encourage you to embrace hospitality so you can enjoy the life that happens when you make and serve food for your people.

Objects in the Mirror: Thoughts on a Perfect Life from an Imperfect Person


Stephen Kellogg - 2020
    Like Polaroids framing the years of a troubadour and family man afflicted with an excess of self-awareness, these are stories without any clear good guys or bad guys. Instead, in each of these vignettes, you will find dysfunctional humans trying to do their best and bouncing off each other in the process.

Quick, Boil Some Water: The Story of Childbirth in our Grandmother's Day: Volume 1


Yvonne Barlow - 2007
    Today, we hear stories of over-worked midwives and short-staffed hospitals, but the truth is that childbirth has never been easier. For our grandmothers, pregnancy was a journey into the unknown. Rather than ponder which pushchair to buy or fret over towelling versus disposable nappies, they worried about what lay ahead. Home births were often lonely affairs with the midwife or doctor only visiting when birth was imminent. During hospital births, medical staff rarely gave explanations and would push and prod with little offer of pain relief let alone sympathy. Standard care in labour was the O.B.E. - Oil, Bath and Enema. Nursing staff gave firm rules on how long to stay in bed, how to lie in bed and even when to go to the toilet. And life didn't get much easier after giving birth. Taking care of a home and baby was hard work when there were few washing machines, no disposable nappies and heating came from coal carried in from the back yard.

Taste: My Life through Food


Stanley Tucci - 2021
    He shared the magic of those meals with us in The Tucci Cookbook and The Tucci Table, and now he takes us beyond the recipes and into the stories behind them.Taste is a reflection on the intersection of food and life, filled with anecdotes about growing up in Westchester, New York, preparing for and filming the foodie films Big Night and Julie & Julia, falling in love over dinner, and teaming up with his wife to create conversation-starting meals for their children. Each morsel of this gastronomic journey through good times and bad, five-star meals and burnt dishes, is as heartfelt and delicious as the last.Written with Stanley's signature wry humour and nostalgia, Taste is a heartwarming read that will be irresistible for anyone who knows the power of a home-cooked meal.

To Air is Human: One Man's Quest to Become the World's Greatest Air Guitarist


Björn Türoque - 2006
     The true story of how mildly successful guitarist and New York Times writer Dan Crane relinquished his instrument and became Björn Türoque (pronounced "b-yorn too-RAWK"), the second greatest air guitarist in the nation. This exploration of the international air guitar sub-culture addresses the issue of dedicating oneself to an invisible art in order to achieve the ultimate goal of "airness"-that is, when air guitar transcends the "real" art that it imitates and becomes an art form in and of itself.

Loving Tiara: Memoir


Tiffani Goff - 2019
    At forty-five years old, my life’s mission was complete. If I died tomorrow, I would be proud of the life I lived.” - Loving Tiara Loving Tiara is a compelling memoir that will encompass your every thought, break your heart, fill you with hope, and leave you with a sense of awe. When Tiffani married the love of her life, Lou, after graduating from college, she assumed she would continue to live the affluent life she had always known, having grown up in Newport Beach, California. She never imagined she would soon be stalked by creditors, driving a car on the repossession list and forced to worry about providing basic necessities for her family, such as buying diapers and groceries. This increasingly desperate situation forced her to decide to return home to her parents with her baby and husband. After getting their life back on track, and with Tiffani in her final year of law school, they decided to have another baby. At eight months old, however, they discovered that their new daughter Tiara had Tuberous Sclerosis, a rare genetic disorder resulting in intractable epilepsy, developmental delay, chronic hospital admissions, and uncontrollable violent behaviors. So how did Tiffani cope with her new reality? She chose to fight. She challenged the doctors, battled the insurance companies, and refused to give up caring for Tiara even when her own life was at risk. The author’s story of unconditional love, unimaginable challenges, and, ultimately, triumph, is a compelling one, which will take hold of your heart and not let go. This memoir will, hopefully, inspire you to tackle fear, encourage you never to give up, and remind you always to trust your gut instincts.

The Hell's Kitchen Cookbook: Recipes from the Kitchen


The Chefs of Hell's Kitchen - 2015
    On the show, one explosive, charismatic Head Chef oversees 16 chefs as they battle it out to win a job as Head Chef of top restaurant with a total prize value of $250,000. In each episode the chefs are put to the test in a skill's-based challenge, and must follow it up by completing dinner service at the exclusive Hell's Kitchen restaurant set in Los Angeles. Now, in their first ever cookbook, readers will learn how to recreate over one hundred of the contestant's delectable, restaurant-worthy dishes in their own home and will be given access to the recipes, menus, and behind-the-scenes secrets that they've been craving!

Downstairs at the White House: The story of a teenager, an Oval Office, and a ringside seat to Watergate.


Donald M. Stinson - 2017
    ​     He was also a kid who did the same kind of harebrained things most teenagers do.​  Only steps away from the Oval Office, he fought with a foreign head of state for space in a restroom. ​​ He devised a shortcut that tripped countless alarms and summoned an agitated band of Secret Service agents. He spilled ice ​water on Frank Sinatra's sock.    And that was just the small stuff. ​A funny, fast-paced memoir, Downstairs at the White House is richly decorated with presidents, first ladies, celebrities . . . and events that shook America.   ​

The Main Dish (Kindle Single)


Michael Ruhlman - 2012
    In this Kindle Single, Ruhlman charts his unlikely course from child cook-writer, to writer, to neophyte at The Culinary Institute of America, to his arrival in the kitchen of The French Laundry, one of the finest restaurants in America, and beyond.

Surf Mama - One Woman's Search for Love, Happiness and the Perfect Wave


Wilma Johnson - 2011
    The plan hits troubled waters as she arrives in France with her marriage on the rocks and three children who speak no French. Her first attempts at surfing are disastrous; resulting in bruises, broken bones and a damaged ego, but when she experiences the euphoric feeling of catching her first wave and sets up the Mamas Surf Club, it's all worth it.

The DIRTY, LAZY, KETO Dirt Cheap Cookbook: 100 Easy Recipes to Save Money Time!


Stephanie Laska - 2020
    100 easy recipes—under $10 to make—with less than 10 net carbs per serving! The keto diet shouldn’t be complicated, boring, or expensive! The DIRTY, LAZY, KETO Dirt Cheap Cookbook by USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Laska makes keto “doable” for everyone. You don’t have to break the bank to go keto with The DIRTY, LAZY, KETO Dirt Cheap Cookbook. Stephanie Laska lost 140 pounds by solving the problem of not having enough money or time to eat healthy. In The DIRTY, LAZY, KETO Dirt Cheap Cookbook, she shares 100 budget-savvy “dirty, lazy,” keto recipes the whole family will love—all containing ten grams of net carbs or less and costing less than $10 to make the whole recipe! These recipes are built around common ingredients (you can pronounce and will use over and again—no waste) found in your local supermarket; nothing pretentious or expensive is required. DIRTY, LAZY, KETO recipes are stress-free but without skimping on taste. You’ll also find tips to stretch that bottom dollar plus strategies to reboot leftovers but in DISGUISE along with signature entertaining and relatable stories from your best girlfriend, Stephanie. Lose weight while enjoying familiar comfort food favorites—all under ten net carbs per serving!