A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table

A food memoir, in the tradition of M. F. K. Fisher, but homier. Delightful reading--part cookbook, part love story, part tribute to her late father (and watch out for the chapter where she shares her father's last hours; it knocked me cold). Wizenberg loves butter, and chocolate, and cheese, and unexpected combinations of tastes. Cholesterol and indigestion just don't exist in her universe. (She's only 30-something, bless 'er.) Nothing smacks of test kitchens, or, god forbid, Food Channel challenges. Many of the recipes were the result of raiding the fridge to come up with lunch or dessert without a lot of pre-planning. Some people can just DO that---my sister-in-law, for one. But those serendipitous combinations don't always work the show more second time, because some of the magic is in the surprise. So I suspect these recipes may have been subjected to tweaking and refining before they made it into the book. But it's very plain that there was a lot of fun in the creation, and I'd take pot luck with Molly Wizenberg any time. show less

I think this is the kind of cookbook I've been looking for all my life -- not just recipes, but context -- and such context. Her stories are a delight -- funny, romantic, tragic, hopeful and marvellous.

I requested this book by Molly Wizenberg (who writes the food blog Orangette, contributes to Bon Appetit, and whose Baklava with Pistachios and Orange-Cardamom Syrup I made for Christmas, and most likely will have to every year from now on or face family excommunication) for Christmas after reading nittnut's review. I have done pretty much nothing since opening it other than read it, laugh over it, drool on it, and cry over it (oh, and my mother and I have resumed our crazed, bordering-on-obsession Bananagram marathon). My daughter and my mother have already staked their places in line to read it next. My only regret is that I finished it. Not to worry, though, as there are dozens of recipes I will return to, and they'll lead me to the show more stories as well. Now I just have to figure out how to get to Paris.

Unfortunately, the baklava recipe is not in the book, but you can find it here:

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/01/pistachio_baklava_with_orange_cardamom.... show less

Some of the recipes look *amazing* and I seriously hope I get my act together enough to try them. Molly is very down-to-earth and straightforward about her cooking, and I really like the style of the book. Recipes follow little vignettes about her life in which the food or recipe plays a role, so the chocolate cake recipe follows the story of how she baked it for the man who became her husband, and ended up making 20 or so of them to be their wedding cakes. (A very sweet story, though I must say: bless her heart, but I am *so* glad I am not making my own wedding cake!)

Delicious read by a fun, funny, and forthright female. I adore Molly Wizenberg for her frank and non-judgmental approach to life. She writes about cooking, eating, and dining with such passion and relatability. I love that she claims no 'secret' recipes. They are meant to be shared, according to Molly, and she names many of her favorite dishes in the book after the person who introduced the dish to her.

I admit, I even called my mom halfway through a chapter suggesting we book a trip to France, just she, my sister, and I. An author who inspires such a consideration deserves praise. Molly has also coaxed me gently into the kitchen, sorting through old family recipes, in search of way more than just food energy.

I'm off to bake meringues show more and molasses crackle cookies with spiced orange! show less

Often the transition from popular blogger to book author doesn't go smashingly well on the first try, but Wizenberg's 'Homemade Life' is a clear exception. This might be the first food memoir/recipe collection where, once I completed reading it, I actually wanted to cook AND eat (yes, those are distinctly separate categories for me) every single recipe in there. The short story format is also nice--kind of like the literary version of good tapas. I probably would have given her a five, but the boyfriend came off as a little TOO perfect so the tiny cynic in me took her down a notch. If that chocolate cake recipe works out, I may reconsider.

I did not expect to love Molly and her book as much as I did. Its amazing to again find another author with whom I so closely relate, even down to some quirks that both of us have. I want to call her up and say, “Me,too”. What I love most though is how very inspirational this book is. Its her means of mourning her Dad’s death but, to me, its mostly a celebration of life and love. Reading it definitely made me smile, lifted my mood. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟