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May 18, 2008
Books I Have Read Recently that Make Me Think I May Have Missed My True Calling as a Home Economics Teacher
I do not know a lot about cooking or cleaning or sewing or anything else one learns about in Home Ec, but the truth is I’m kind of a homebody and enjoy doing all of these things quite a bit—not so much if they interfere with my reading schedule, though, which is probably why I’ve developed such a fondness for books about cooking and other household tasks. Here’s what I’ve been reading lately:
More-with-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre
I learned about this cookbook from the family I stayed with in South Dakota while on the Midwestern Extravaganza. It’s a collection of recipes focused on economy and nutritional value. Introductory matter explores topics like nutrition, the evils of processed foods, and why one might want to go through the bother of, say, baking her own bread. It’s one of those books that makes me want to cook something RIGHT NOW, and it has the best simple whole wheat bread recipe I’ve ever tried (not that I am a bread-baking expert, because I am not). Several of the recipes also call for lard. It’s not that I like lard (because, well, yuck), but I admire cookbooks that aren’t afraid to use the word when necessary.
Green Up Your Cleanup by Jill Potvin Schoff
Schoff wrote this book after exploring alternative means of cleaning when she learned that her young son was allergic to most commercially-available cleaners. I am, myself, asthmatic and highly sensitive to anything with a strong chemical scent, so I’ve had reason to read other books on this topic. This is the only one I think is worth buying. (I learned about it from a library patron. Yay, libraries!) The book offers recipes for cleaning solutions (including automatic dishwasher detergent, which I’ve never seen before), explanations of techniques for cleaning different areas and types of surfaces, as well as suggestions for things you can do to prevent messes from starting in the first place. The writing is engaging and clear throughout, and the design makes the book easy to read from cover-to-cover or to jump in and out of as you want/have particular cleaning needs. At a retail price of $16.95, it’s a total bargain. Even if you don’t have chemical sensitivities, using environmentally-friendly cleaning materials can be its own reward, especially when you go the grocery store, as the solutions you make are WAY cheaper than anything pre-made that you’re going to buy there.
Knife Skills Illustrated: A User’s Manual by Peter Hertzmann
People at work keep saying they’re afraid of me since they saw me walking around with this book, but what I want to know is why they weren’t afraid of me before. Anyway, I am not sure that I am going to get all that much practical use out of this book, but it’s just so darned cool. It has a bunch of information at the beginning about types of knives and how to take care of them and blah, blah, blah. It’s all very interesting and informative, I’m sure, but what I *love* are the illustrated descriptions of how to cut up a variety of fruits, vegetables, and meats. The illustrations are these wonderfully detailed drawings, and they show techniques for people who are right-handed and for people who are left-handed. How egalitarian! I have referred to the book a few times since I’ve gotten it, and it’s given me some good tips. A+.
Posted by adrienne at May 18, 2008 10:09 PM
Comments
But what about your nunchuk skills... and your bowstaff skills... y'know- skills...?
Posted by: jp at May 19, 2008 01:21 AM
Awesome, 'cause that Longacre book sounds like just what The Danielsons need right now.
Posted by: jules at May 19, 2008 12:43 PM
You must send me that whole wheat bread recipe! Did you ever try making the beer bread?
Posted by: Heidi at May 19, 2008 02:14 PM
Jason, Jason, Jason.
Jules, Today, I used a recipe in that book to bake rolls for Memorial Day. (I put them in the freezer. We'll see how that works out. I am likely to forget to take them out to thaw, although I left myself a post-it to remind myself to do it.)
Heidi, I never have made the beer bread. Thanks for reminding me! I will send along the whole wheat bread recipe. It's easy, easy--and I seriously owe you, like, five letters. It's been nuts around here. I have a whole list of people I want to write to.
Posted by: adrienne at May 19, 2008 05:41 PM
I was so disappointed when I finally got to college and they told me not to waste time becoming a Home Ec teacher because I would never get a job that way. They were basically right, but I still wish I would have/could have done it. What fun!
Thanks for the book reviews! I need to start my summer reading stack soon.
Posted by: LisaC at May 21, 2008 10:02 PM
It never occurred to me to study home ec in college. Once I realized that being an English major would ensure that I could spend most of my college energy on reading novels and writing, I just kept doing that. :)
Posted by: adrienne at May 22, 2008 09:16 PM