Last Week in the Crescent City or the Big Easy

I ate a vegan po-boy at Seed.  It was fantastic!  It was the eggplant one.  I had a sample piece of a praline at Leah's Praline's, too!  So delicious!  And I had gelato at La Divina Gelateria.  Incredible.
I was reading Recipe for Adventure New Orleans while I was there so I knew how to pronounce some of the New Orleans-type food!
I hadn't read any in this series in a while.  I have only read the first one, actually.  And I just re-read the review.  Now I see why I gave it only 1 star. It was reflective of my opinion of the author, not the book.  Which I have addressed here.  And now feel very differently.  I guess that I would have given it 5 stars today!

Good Title

Gary Dell'Abate talks about all of the possible titles for his book They Call me Baba Booey and they were funny, but I do think they got it right!  Especially after hearing how Dell'Abate wound up with the nickname, just such a simple thing turned into a catch phrase.  I like Dell'Abate, as much as one can come to like someone from hearing him read a very open and honest audiobook.  I like the extra parts to the audiobook and I like the Dell'Abate is a supporter of them!  And I completely agree with his "screw you" to people who say if you have only listened to a book, you really haven't read it!  Good stuff!

Not My Usual, but Great!

So a dear colleague of mine, a lady I have known since I was a young teen brought The Patron Saint of Ugly  to a meeting and told me that her cousin had written it.  I thought to myself, this really isn't the kind of book I would usually read.  But now that I have read it, I realize that one of the reasons it isn't the kind of book that I would usually read is because this book is incredibly unique and I don't think there ARE any other books out there like this one!
Marie Manilla lives in West Virginia and teaches at Marshall University.  My friend told me that while this story is sort of based on their family, it isn't what one would call a true story.
I have to say I really loved this book.  The main character is being investigated by the Vatican because there are claims that she is a saint, one who has brought about many healings- healings of skin aliments.  Garnet is an unwilling saint, if she is one and the book consists of her audio recordings, made for the Vatican, answering the investigatory questions.
This book is truly funny and although my friend gave a copy, I purchased the audio book so that my mom could listen, too and I am glad I did.  It was well worth it.
If you are Italian and Roman Catholic, I think that you would especially like this book.  Great stuff.  I look forward to another book from Ms. Manilla.

Food Journeys

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So Giada De Laurentiis is writing kids books now!  Recipe for Adventure #1 Naples!  Is her first one, the next one is Paris!  De Laurentiis was at ALA Chicago, but I didn't see her, but I did get a galley of Naples!
The premise of these books is interesting.  Alfredo and Emilia and Italian-American siblings who are introduced to real Italian cooking by their Aunt Zia.  When they take a bite of her zeppole, they are transported to present-day Naples where they help a family in trouble.  It's kinda a Magic Tree House meets The Food Network meets Whatever After.  There are also recipe cards in the back.  The only thing that bugged me a little is that brother, even though he is younger is painted as the hero and Emilia is worried and nervous and all of that.  It was just kind of weird in a modern book, so lopsided was the balance between brother and sister. Also I really don't much care for the television persona of Giada. There is something nasty in the way she comes across.  Her treatment is Food Network Star contestant Lovely was unkind and puzzling.  Very troubling to me.  There was just a sense that there was something rotten in the state of Italy when it came to the way she dismissed this particular finalist. I wonder if others picked up on it.