Here at FT HQ, we’re used to chicken of the fried, roasted, baked, and, well, eaten variety. But that doesn’t mean we can’t talk up the alternatives, like David Ezra Stein’s “Interrupting Chicken”, an illustrated story-within-a-story book geared towards the sleepy little chicks in your life. Let’s hope this funny, not-so-cautionary tale about a young chicken named “Chicken” who can’t stop interrupting his bedtime story succeeds in easing your clutch into quick and uninterrupted slumber instead of, well, the opposite. If, on the other hand, you’re reading this to your brood in Bushwick after a drink and draw, all bets on sleep are off. You know as well as we do you’ll finish the story at Roberta’s.
More Culture Stuff
Vibrant India
We first wrote about Chitra Agrawal when we discovered her Brooklyn Delhi products. Since then she’s been up to a lot more than just jarring delicious pickled things from India. Her latest edition to your Indian food education comes in book form with Vibrant India. South Indian cooking is not the Indian dishes that commonly pop to mind for us Americans. Having a South Indian mother-in-law has schooled me on these flavorful and light regional tastes. Chitra draws from her mother’s cooking bringing Bangalore all the way to Brooklyn where she adds her own twists to these vegetarian classics. I’ve often proclaimed, “I could go full vegetarian.” after eating at my in-laws for a weekend. As a pretty serious carnivore, that says a lot about her book and the deliciousness potential. Point is, there’s something for everyone in this book. Vegan, vegetarians, paleo or carnivore the flavors and simplicity will swoon you. We promise.
The Pizza Pilgrims Journey Spawned this Book
We stumbled on this book from the Pizza Pilgrims just a few weeks ago. Looking like a pizza box and claiming pizza history, recipes and stories we knew it was an instant must buy. But, we didn’t exercising that consumerism, instant gratification, constraint. This week we caved and had it delivered to our door which actually made it feel like pizza delivery given the aforementioned pizza box book design. Turns out it is a who’s who, step by step of the Pizza Pilgrims epic adventure from an idea in a British pub to a series of, what at last count looks like 15, pizza shops. The book is way more than a cookbook although it has some fantastic recipes. It talks to everyone from Domino’s to Scott’s pizza tours. Showcases cities finest pizza from Naples to New Haven. All that fits in between some history of pizza and the full step by step of their epic pilgrimage from idea to Italy to pizza shop empire. We particularly love the pizza box art section and the fan submissions. Brilliant. Now that pizza week 2021 is coming to a close, pick up this pizza bible to stay connected all year round with our favorite meal ever.
Classic City Cooking
It’s not often the person we spend our work week five feet from publishes a food book. It’s even less often there’s a city-specific theme which awakens our travel bug gene. Nina, as us lucky insiders know to call her, hails from Athens Georgia, the Classic City, in the shadow of Hotlanta. Nina lifts this veil in a who’s who, foodie filled, Athenian hardcover. Classic City Cooking is perfect for those Georgian friends or people like us who just added another city to our gastro-travel list. If you’re in NYC and want to celebrate all things Athens, her book party is on September 16th. You’ll find us in Athens ASAP, book in hand.
Foodie Dice
Play culinary casino with your next meal and let fate decide your flavor. We’ll say it over and over again at FTHQ, playing with your food makes it taste better. Lady luck adds a bit of mystery and mayhem to that fun. Last time we rolled ‘em we wound up with a baked lemon, dandelion green salad. Double down on that.