On My Bookshelf – Farm Anatomy
Posted by on Thursday, May 30, 2013
What do angora, Green Hubbard, standard bronze, brisket, and Delaware Jersey have in common? Answer: they can all be found on a farm! (FYI in case you’re wondering – rabbit, squash, breed of turkey, prime cut of beef, and a type of axe head 
).
On My Bookshelf – How To Drink
Posted by on Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The act of drinking involves so much more than simply sipping on a glass of wine. Deciding between freshly squeezed orange or grapefruit juice in the morning, preparing your first cup of coffee for the day, wondering which spirit to add to an evening cocktail. Questioning do you opt for red wine or white for a summertime sangria? Decisions, decisions. When I first got my hands on a copy of Victoria Moore’s fabulously practical book ‘How To Drink’, I found myself totally changing the way I thought about drinking.
On My Bookshelf – A Compendium of Kisses
Posted by on Thursday, March 28, 2013
The French are known for romance and their kissing. I’m not talking about French kissing here – but when you greet people. Is it two? Or three (I discovered in Marseille they do three), or maybe four? The art of kissing can be a complicated business. Flip through the delightfully witty pages of ‘A Compendium of Kisses’ to search for answers to your amorous questions.
On My Bookshelf – Just My Type
Posted by on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
A book filled with facts and accounts about the history of typography wouldn’t normally take my fancy. Whilst I’m a big graphic design fan, I’m not usually one to instantly fall head over heels for type faces. However, when I came across ‘Just My Type’, I did indeed fall for Simon Garfield’s beautiful storytelling and neat way of describing how typography plays an important role in creative history.
On My Bookshelf – Steal Like An Artist
Posted by on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
When we talk about creativity, we usually jump towards the conclusion that all ideas must be fresh, original and totally unique. However, in reality, is this ever truly the case? Take a recipe for example. We draw on other people’s culinary techniques, cultural ideas surrounding food and existing recipes, before we can really come up with something new.
On My Bookshelf – How to Eat Out by Giles Coren
Posted by on Wednesday, November 7, 2012
If you hear me roaring from laughter in another room, I have probably picked up my copy Giles Coren’s ‘How to Eat Out’. Of all the Britain-based restaurant critics out there, his witty, sharp reviews are some of my favourites.
On my bookshelf – The Consolations of Philosophy
Posted by on Friday, October 5, 2012
Has anyone been fortunate to attend a workshop at The School of Life in London? Over the years I’ve become a big fan of Alain de Botton’s work, as well as the workshops and events that are held at the fabulous school he helped set up. If you can’t get to an event, signing up the newsletter or watching some of the online videos is a good way to get a dose of virtual positivity (see video below).
On My Bookshelf – Paris vs New York
Posted by on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
With a somewhat jam-packed travel schedule this month, I knew my literary companion needed to be easy-to-read and compact.
On My Bookshelf – Au Revoir to All That
Posted by on Monday, August 6, 2012
Au Revoir to All That: The Rise and Fall of French Cuisine
It is easy to place French cuisine on a pedestal. Not only does it maintain an air of mysticism with its fancy culinary terms such as brunoise (cutting into dice), ballotine (rolling up and stuffing boned meat), not …
On my bookshelf – Dessine-moi un Parisien
Posted by on Saturday, July 7, 2012
I get asked a lot of questions about what it is like living in Paris and about the Parisians themselves. If there is one indispensable guide to both these things, it’s Olivier Magny’s ‘Dessine-moi un Parisien’.
Sommelier Olivier Magny is a bit of a man about town. At the tender age of …
