All Consuming : Boris Mann

Consumed "Neverness"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:34:47 GMT

Neverness

by David Zindell

WORTH IT!

Consumed "The Spiderwick Chronicles (Widescreen Edition)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:22:28 GMT

The Spiderwick Chronicles (Widescreen Edition)

WORTH IT!

Consumed "The Bucket List"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:21:08 GMT

The Bucket List

Consumed "Semi Pro"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:20:09 GMT

Semi Pro

Consumed "Sorcerer's Apprentice"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:19:08 GMT

Sorcerer's Apprentice

by Tahir Shah

WORTH IT!

Consuming "Cordelia's Honor (Hugo Winners) (Hugo Winners)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:12:47 GMT

Cordelia's Honor (Hugo Winners) (Hugo Winners)

by Lois McMaster Bujold

Consumed "Shards of Honor"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:12:10 GMT

Shards of Honor

by Lois McMaster Bujold

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Brothers in Arms"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:11:41 GMT

Brothers in Arms

by Lois McMaster Bujold

WORTH IT!

Consumed "19"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:08:54 GMT

by Adele

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Consider Phlebas"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:56:22 GMT

Consider Phlebas

by Iain M. Banks

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Hidden Empire (The Saga of Seven Suns)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:56:10 GMT

Hidden Empire (The Saga of Seven Suns)

by Kevin J. Anderson

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Helpless: A Novel"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:28:56 GMT

Helpless: A Novel

by Barbara Gowdy

NOT WORTH IT!

Consumed "The Machine Girl"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:51:11 GMT

The Machine Girl

by Noboru Iguchi

WORTH IT!

Consuming "Food In Good Season"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:11:10 GMT

Food In Good Season

by Betty Fussell

Consuming "Pleasures Of The Good Earth (Knopf Cooks American Series)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:10:43 GMT

Pleasures Of The Good Earth (Knopf Cooks American Series)

by Edward Giobbi

Consumed "A Civil Campaign: A Vorkosigan Adventure, Library Edition"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Mon, 26 May 2008 08:40:05 GMT

A Civil Campaign: A Vorkosigan Adventure, Library Edition

by Lois McMaster Bujold

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Vorkosigan's Game"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Wed, 21 May 2008 02:27:32 GMT

Vorkosigan's Game

by Lois McMaster Bujold

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Miles, Mystery & Mayhem: Cetaganda, Ethan of Athos, and "Labyrinth""

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Wed, 21 May 2008 02:25:52 GMT

Miles, Mystery & Mayhem: Cetaganda, Ethan of Athos, and "Labyrinth"

by Lois McMaster Bujold

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Wed, 21 May 2008 02:24:05 GMT

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

by Chip Heath

WORTH IT!

Consumed "Outlaws: Live and Unreleased"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:40:48 GMT

Outlaws: Live and Unreleased

by Luke Doucet

WORTH IT!

A review of "The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection (Modern Library Paperbacks)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Boris Mann) — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 10:14:23 GMT

The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection (Modern Library Paperbacks)

by Robert Farrar Capon

This is a FANTASTIC book. I found it hiding in a corner of the Torgie’s basement, and pulled it out for something to read, and maybe to look for some recipes.

Wow.

This is not really a cookbook. Well, it is, but in the same way that…well, maybe the Bible is a manual for priests? That’s probably not going too over the top: the author spends the entire first chapter discussing cutting onions, and the true nature of onion-ness down to the cellular and spiritual level.

Turns out the author has been an Episcopal parish priest and written a ton of other books.

So, the guiding principle of this book is Lamb for Eight People, Four Times.

One of the main themes is festal vs. ferial (which is a fancy way of saying festive vs. non-festive) eating. How festal eating is usually characterized by rich people dining on unadorned meat cooked in its “pure” form, and ferial eating is characterized by poor people “stretching” meat in the forms of gravy, stews, casseroles, etc.

In talking about Lamb for Eight People, Four Times, it is explained how to take such meat and enjoy it for four full meals, prepared in such a way that eight people are satisfied each time.

The writing of this book is superb. Any true foodie or chef will enjoy phrases like “always use stock or liquor rather than water unless physically prevented from doing so”. There are many such gems. To good effect: I recently took this to heart after using sherry in the making of some beef chili that turned out delicious.

So, the principles of cooking and of entertaining are covered. Directions for men and women and their approach to cooking. How to have a dinner party, and how 8 people is the magic number.

The last third of the book even has some very good recipes, extending from mere mentions in the first part.

Highly recommended. Anyone that reads their cookbooks like a novel will enjoying reading this novel and see it transform into a cookbook.