17.11.08

5 Books + 10 Images

5 favourite cookbooks

Books are living souls here at home. The space is filled as if real beings shared their life with us. They spread across the walls, remain on the floor, get forgotten on the tables. My piles of books are messy, unsteady, and always about to crash while Mr. Taster's piles are tidy, always stable and sometimes thematic... We offer each other books and tell our (hi)story from them. We deliberately forget some and refuse to hide others. We celebrate (with) books, and can't live without them.

The Portuguese speaking foodblog world is hot with a challenge to choose 3 of your favourite books. I've been tagged by Marcel Gussoni of Sabor Sonoro and Dani Oliveira of Cozinha Travessa. As my head is like my book piles, messy and about to crash, I got the idea that we were to choose 5 books... Oh well. These are my 3 possible book choices of yesterday, posted today and surely different from tomorrow's.

A Platter of Figs

My last crush is called David Tanis. I have this silly way to fall in love with men I don't know... And it's not sick because therapy is quite easy, with me cooking their recipes, and moving forward. This A Platter of Figs & Other Recipes is a beautiful book. Stunning simplicity. I warmly recommend it.

My favourite Jamie Oliver's book has to be Jamie's Italy. In my recent trip to London, I've got his new Jamie's Ministry of Food. I'm quite impressed with the concept, and the idea of sharing recipes, and put people to cook. Cooking is/should be a pleasure. A society that doesn't cook, and worst than that forgot how to, is intrinsically wrong.

And last but not least, Nigel Slater's little book Real Fast Food, a book I always grab to look for ingredient combination, and that reads (it has no photos) like fiction.

Because I'm really curious to know what books they'd choose, I'm tagging:
Louise of Gato Azul,
my buddy Rita, aka Clumbsy Cookie,
Joey of 80breakfasts,
Dee of Choos & Chews,
and Andrea of Cooking Books.

Can't resist to show you, "out of competition", Tessa Kiros' delicious book about Portugal. Piripiri starfish is a book that makes you dream. When I become a food writer, I want to be like her!

Tessa Kiros' Piripiri Starfish

A long, long time ago Sylvia of La vida en Buenos Aires y afines challenged me to share 10 favourite images from this blog. With a lot of delay, and choices of another time, here they are.

10 photos

10 comments:

Andrea said...

Suzana, I think you and I are kindred book spirits. Thanks so much for the tag, and I'll definitely participate, but it may take a few days for me to choose! Lovely post.

Dewi said...

Hi Suzana,
those dishes look really mouth watering and the photos are gorgeous. I have David Tannis, a platter of figs... cook book. I have tried his simple recipes, so mfar my favorite is the duck breast and roasted figs. They were really simple and delicious. Cheers, Elra

Clumbsy Cookie said...

3? Só 3??? A escolha vai ser dificil! Não conhecia esse novo do Jaime, já fui cuscar ao site. Os outros já os tenho andado a catrapiscar! Eu também adoro livros e tenho de me andar sempre a policiar para não comprar novos, mesmo assim esta semana já caiu mais um... No self control...

Bron said...

I want to be like Tessa Kiros too, lovely books and recipes!

Susan from Food Blogga said...

I wish you would publish a collection of your photography. It is so, so lovely.

Anonymous said...

I'm flattered... and am trying to decide which 3... As soon as I've decided, I'll post. Muito obrigada!

Anonymous said...

Done, Suzana... What a heartache to have to choose!
http://gato-azul.blogspot.com/2008/11/three-books-trois-livres.html

Maria said...

Beautiful photos!!

ChichaJo said...

I absolutely love Tessa Kiros and her dreamy lyrical writing! And Piripiri Starfish has been the book on the top on my must buy list! :) Thanks for the tag...will try to get to it soon!

Dee said...

Suzana, I'm so very sorry I missed the tag (thank you!). It's a pity because I'm such a bookworm :(

Anyway, I've been on a blogging hiatus, and have only just returned to blogging. Sigh.

Your photos are stunning, by the way :)