New York based food writer Tressa always looks at her Irish grandparents as true soulmates. It is only as she explores her grandmother's recipes and deals with her own doubts about marriage that her grandmother Bernadine's story is revealed. Gentle and ultimately uplifting. Recommended. ( )

I so enjoyed this book! In a world where we are given countless examples of romantic love, I liked that this book cut through the fluff to what really constitutes love. It isn't the butterflies in the stomach, the overwhelming passion. It's sticking with someone, honoring them, being kind, caring for them. And in the end, this kind of love is satisfying in a way that "love at first sight" can never be.

Man, I kept wanting to shake some sense into Tressa. Very frustrating read. Two tales, both with the same moral to the story. Ok, ok, we get it. ( )

Together with a nice collection of recipes, Prunty juxtaposes the marriages of Tressa (Manhattan in 2004) and Bernadine, her grandmother (Ireland in the 1930s). Loyalty, commitment, trust, just enough sugar, tart rhubarb, spicy cloves...in both marriage and cooking, a little of this, a little of that...you'll know when it's right. Many Post-Its marked some wonderful passages on love, marriage and motherhood: "...romantic love should always stay the way I knew it. Locked away, like a precious jewel in a chest in the attic, to be opened occasionally when in need of distraction, so you might marvel at its beauty, but never to be exposed to the harsh light of day. Perhaps romantic love is too delicate, too beautiful to withstand the weight of the ordinary." And on motherhood: "No matter what wisdoms or tricks for happiness you learn, a mother worries every day of her life for her child. A wise one will pretend to let them go to keep them; but it's a sensible lie. Motherhood is a sweet, sweet suffering; a joy today is marked by fear for tomorrow and a craving for yesterday." ( )

This book made me want to get married and made me realize how great my boyfriend is. ( )