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November 12, 2009
Note Books - Carolyn Mark
The Note Books series features musicians discussing their literary side. Previous contributors have included John Darnielle, John Vanderslice, and others.
Carolyn Mark has long been one of my favorite singer-songwriters, and she released her latest album, Let's Just Stay Here (a collaboration with NQ Arbuckle), last month.
Mark also recently published her second cookbook , The Terrible Hostess, Recipes for Disaster Vol. II, so I asked her to list her favorite cookbooks.
In her own words, here is the Note Books entry from Carolyn Mark:
My Favourite Recipe Books:
1. Sourdough - A Recipe for Life by Erin Turcke
My friend and former room-mate Erin just published her first book. She's a professional baker (and musician). It's an instructional guide to making sourdough and yet so much more. Maybe to some people it's just a recipe for bread, but if you're like me and EVERYTHING is a metaphor, there are so many layers to be explored and savoured.
Want one?
Here's what Erin wrote to me when I asked for more copies:
"If you want a copy and are in Toronto you can go to 148 Pearson St - it's just off Roncesvalles about 2-3 blocks up from Queen St. That's where Christian and Julie run The Pantry Press - they're there between sort of 9:30am and 4pm type thing - the shop they work out of is actually their garage - that's why they're my favourite 'garage brand' - but anyway these are really really really great people - and they have many many many copies of the book - it retails for $25 but for a bulk purchase let's go with $20?? i hate making people pay - it's the hardest thing EVER!!!!!!!"
2. A Great Day for Soupby Jeannette Ferrary and Louise Fiszer
Neko (Case) and Kelly (Hogan) both had them in their houses when I stayed with them and it made me so jealous, I had to get my own just to feel okay. Tonnes of great soup recipes. I love soup.
3. The Grit Cookbook by Jessica Greene, Ted Hafer
World-wise down-home vegetarian recipes.
So there's this restaurant in Athens, Ga where all the bands eat that's allegedly owned by R.E.M. and it's perfect road food. There's this thing called The Golden Bowl that makes you feel like a million bucks even when you're on tour and they do things to tofu that make your pants wanna get up and dance!
And so we ate there three times in two days and they had a cookbook for sale so I bought two copies even though I was broke and I gave one to my friend Ingrid who is a caterer for the movies and she uses it all the time now and there's this gravy made with nutritional yeast that's to die for. And the secret with the tofu: double fried.
4. I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris
I love this book. It's so KOOKY! And if you pull off the dust jacket, inside there's a photo of Amy covered in candy sprinkles! I love the idea of putting marbles in the medicine cabinet so see if your guests are snooping. The recipe with the kefalotiri cheese is great too. And the pictures are hilarious. Man, what an inspiration. It is so refreshing that not everyone is 'normal' or wants to be.
5. The Good Ole Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer
Come on! It's a classic. My ma used it! YOUR ma used it! If you can find an old edition, the wild game section is a hell of a read and as well as being merely a recipe book, Irma's got this TONE that exudes confidence. Bordering on smug almost but hell, wouldn't you feel confident if you wrote basically the encyclopedia of cookery? I think she was probably pretty funny too.
Okay that's it for me. Back to sound check. Gotta go meet the boys. Thanks for asking.
Carolyn Mark links and free and legal mp3s:
Carolyn Mark's website
Carolyn Mark's MySpace page
Carolyn Mark: "All Time Low" [mp3] from Let's Just Stay Here
also at Largehearted Boy:
Previous Note Books submissions (musicians discuss literature)
Book Notes (authors create playlists for their book)
guest book reviews
musician/author interviews
Soundtracked (directors discuss their film's soundtracks)
52 Books, 52 Weeks
tags: books music cookbooks food indie
