A Homemade Life

I can't remember when I first heard about Orangette, the foodie blog written by Molly Wizenberg, but ever since I started reading it, I've been hooked.  I'm not usually drawn into personal blogs written by people I've never actually met, but there's something about this one that's different.  It's wordy by blog stardards, yet I'm never bored and am constantly looking forward to her next update.  Wizenberg writes primarily about her life and cooking, two things which are bound together in an inseparable way; one always seems to be influencing the other.  She is generous enough to share recipes with her readers (along with charmingly retro Polaroid photos, usually of the final results) and I can confirm that the Broccoli Soup with Lemon-Chive Cream is a winner.   Her writing and recipes on the blog share the same qualities:  homey and cozily familiar, yet sharp, interesting and contemporary.

This style is mirrored in her new book A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes From My Kitchen Table.  Loosely gathered in chronological order, each mini-chapter centers around an important event in Wizenberg's life in which food and cooking were central elements: spending an evening with her parents roasting tomatoes during a particularly prolific summer in the garden, the French-Style Yogurt Cake with Lemon that led her to true love, or the eggs she made for her father when he was ill with cancer.  Her book is a poignant memoir of grief, but it is also filled with romance, wonderful memories and the importance of home and cooking for those you love.