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Winter Reading List

December 9, 2014 by Joy the Baker 51 Comments

the vacationers the leftovers to rise again
one more thing mr & mrs glasses ny notebook
jason priestley cat dish towel drip mugs

[L]et’s read all the words.  We’re also going to need a lot of blankets, a cozy pair of socks, a lot of hot chocolate with a weird amount of mini marshmallows, and a fireplace would also be nice.

Here’s what’s on my reading list this Winter.  Humanity, a splash of murder, and a bit about food.  You know… the usual.

Us: a novel by David Nicholls  •  Heartfelt fiction on life, marriage on parenting.   The real things, as they are, in a story.  Exactly what we want sometimes, right?

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng  •  Family, murder, history, culture.  All the things within.

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett  •  Danger, surprise, soooo many emotions, and the Amazon jungle.  It’s everything.

Consider the Fork  by Bee Wilson  •  I love reading food writing, especially in cold weather… when I’m much more hungry.  The history of how, what, and whyyyy we eat.  It’s fascinating.

Food: a love story by Jim Gaffigan  •  What a really funny man thinks about kale, coconut water, and pretzel bread.  I mean… come on.

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky  •  If there’s any time to read about the history of salt, it’s Winter.  Also… get yo self some french fries.  Feel like a king / queen.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman  •  Reading some tragic young adult fiction isn’t a crime, it’s a page turner.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt  •  Now that I live in the South I feel bound and obligated to read this book.  Also, waiting for the Serial podcast every Thursday is too hard and I need more suspense and intrigue throughout the week.

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin  •  The man, the myth, the legend.

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  1. Lucille Zimmerman

    December 28, 2014 at 7:41 am

    Thanks for this great list. My husband and I listened to an audio book you might enjoy: The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese by Michael Paternitti.

    Another foodie book I loved was, “Keeping the Feast” by Paula Butterini.

    Reply
  2. The Queen of Dreaming

    December 26, 2014 at 6:10 am

    Some of these books are really inspiring!

    https://justsem.wordpress.com/

    Reply
  3. Jenny

    December 19, 2014 at 2:25 pm

    Catching up on the latest on joy and baking. Us and Everything I Never Told You are at the top of my stack of books to read. Us because my sister went to a book fair and told some nice people there; look, I need something for my sister and she’s read read everything and they gave her Us wrapped in brown paper and said “She won’t have read this, it’s not published yet”. And my book club is doing Everything I Never Told You in January. Until then I’m keeping company with Louise Penny, soul searching and cosy at the same time and Sarah Water’s The Little Stranger (who can resist a fat novel were everything you think is turned upside down at the last sentence (or so I’m told)!

    Reply
  4. Robyn

    December 19, 2014 at 3:16 am

    I love book recommendations and needs some for the holidays. Us is on my list. I just finished “not that kind of girl” in all of 2 hours and it left me feeling rather flat…after all the hype. I’m ready for words that flow from the page and one that I want to stay under the blanket with.

    Reply
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You’ll need:⁣
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- 3.5 ounces or half a log of almond paste cut into 12 even-ish pieces⁣
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Lightly roll a sheet of puff pastry and slice into six rectangles. ⁣
Brush each rectangle with egg wash. Arrange each with two slices almond paste. Pull two corners of the puff pastry up and over the paste, pressing lightly to seal. Brush lightly with egg wash. ⁣
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Transfer to a small, parchment lined baking pan and allow to rest in the freezer while the oven preheats to 425 degrees f. ⁣
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In a small bowl, use a firm spatula to work together the flour and yogurt. Add a few teaspoons of yogurt if it feels dry and knead into a cohesive ball for 5 minutes or so. Sprinkle with a bit more flour if it gets overly sticky. Cover with a damp paper towel and gather your toppings. ⁣
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