The Nourishment of Books

Books for me are akin to a bank account overflowing with wealth. There is a genuine comfort in knowing that I have, within my reach, a book to get lost in or to learn from or even to simply gaze within all dependent on my mood. Whether it be a classic such as Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird or a tearful, but at the same time uplifting memoir like Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, there is tranquility in knowing I can always take my thoughts somewhere else.

During my days in graduate school, I came to realize that having a solitary book upon my bed stand was equal to having not one. I remember vividly my mentor's description of the many books beside her bed stand. "A book of every genre because I'm never quite sure what my mood will be at the end of the day. All I know for certain is that I will need a book to end it." I envisioned two or three stacks, or should I say piles, of books alongside her bed. Although I never saw it, her description was motivation enough for me to slowly begin to relinquish the least bit of guilt for having my own mini-library beside my bed.

Photo: Elle Decor

As the years have passed, my own pile has grown, shrunk and grown again, depending upon how quickly I keep up. Currently I have Muriel Barbery's Gourmet Rhapsody, Mireille Guiliano's French Women for All Seasons, Peter Mayle's Toujours Provence, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking (the first cookbook I have ever read in bed!) and three other books from the library that looked interesting (I already know I'm going to have to exhaust all of my renewals).

Regardless of how many books I have or how many times I have read my favorites, the beauty of books is that there is always a plethora of new ones to explore. Maybe that's why books are such a comfort, because it is understood that they will always be there, dependable like a loyal pup. There is one new release in particular that I am anxious to get my hands on that becomes available tomorrow, and while it is sitting on my Amazon Wish List, I hope to have it sometime soon delivered to my door. For women who struggle, strive and hopefully succeed in having it all, I am curious to see how exactly she does it, Mika Brzezinski's All Things At Once. If anyone has read it and has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them.

Here's to happy reading, and may you find exactly what you need at the end of your day sitting upon your bed stand tonight!

A Delicious Evening In

An evening filled with good company, Julie & Julia, a crackling fire, wine, and a simple, but delicious meal, was a nice treat recently, and it began with the gift of a cookbook.

I just began to realize that my mother has recently been in the habit of giving to me, as gifts, cookbooks - and I love her for it! Most recently, I was fortunate enough to receive Mastering the Art of French Cooking by the revered Julia Child, but before that I was given Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. Over the past eight or so months I have been correlating the episodes that air on Food Network and then finding them in her cookbook, giving the ones that catch my interest a test run in the kitchen. Not only does this particular book contain recipes, but it also contains tips for setting tables, flower arranging and organizing a menu for a party, all keeping with the theme going back to basics. It is a wonderful combination.

While it is impossible to go wrong with any of Barefoot Contessa's recipes, I found one that was so savory delicious that one can't help but utter "oh my goodness" upon tasting it for the first time. I think I actually have repeated this phrase each time I have tasted it, but let's get to the recipe itself. Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter. This dish, as promised, only takes ten minutes to throw together, and paired with a palette whetting Chardonnay or Viognier from Abeja Winery or a White Paint Brush from Isenhower Cellars, it is an absolutely treat. Just the simple fact that it only takes a mere ten minutes is something to keep in mind when you've had a long day and need to unwind and take a few more minutes on the couch, or want to spend more time with the company you have invited over.

Ingredients:

*Kosher salt
*1/2 cup heavy cream
*3 ounces white truffle butter
*Freshly ground black pepper
*1 (8.82-ounce) package Cipriani tagliarelle dried pasta or other egg fettuccine
*3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
*3 ounces Parmesan, shaved thin with a vegetable peeler

Directions:
1. Add 1 tablespoon salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, in a large (12-inch) saute pan, heat the cream over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Add the truffle butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, lower the heat to very low, and swirl the butter until it melts. Keep warm over very low heat.

3.Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, exactly. (If you're not using Cipriani pasta, follow the directions on the package.) When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the saute pan and toss it with the truffle-cream mixture. As the pasta absorbs the sauce, add as much of the reserved cooking water, as necessary, to keep the pasta very creamy.

4.Serve the pasta in shallow bowls and garnish each serving with a generous sprinkling of chives and shaved Parmesan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Isenhower Cellars

Abeja Winery