Summer cooking and reading

The sun is shining at Lake Tahoe and the first day of summer is just two days away.  Summer means time to cook and enjoy the bounty of the harvest found each week in my CSA farm box.  Unfortunately for my clients that cooking is done for only my family and close friends as the Meals By Maggie kitchen is shut down for the summer months.  But in the end everyone will benefit as I am recharged and rested and ready to resume regular Thursdays at the end of August.

Just this last weekend and as the kick-off to the summer I was lucky to make a Father's day dinner for four generations of the Browder family that included herb-garlic marinated shrimp and scallops, balsamic glazed grilled eggplant and zucchini, fresh tomato bruschetta on crostini, and chopped veggie orzo salad with a lemon vinaigrette.  The entire meal was topped off with peach-raspberry cobbler. 

On top of trying out lots of new recipes in the summertime that are overflowing with fresh produce I have decided to add some homework for myself this summer: read foodie books both fiction and non-fiction. 

Just yesterday I finished reading the first of my "foodie books" written by Nicole Mones called The Last Chinese Chef.  The book intertwined relationships with food in modern Beijing with a focus on traditional Chinese cuisine.  This was the first book I've picked up in a while that literally kept me turning pages (or in this case, clicking the forward arrow in my Kindle).  The combination of plot mixed with the descriptions of food was intoxicating.  I was drawn in by the main character of the book, Maggie McElroy, a food writer who travels to Beijing for personal matters where she is ultimately swept up in the customs and cuisine of the city.

This story introduces the concept of  "guanxi" -- the Chinese concept of relationships. Food is at the heart of Chinese relationships. Unlike in America where most meals, especially those in restaurants are individually plated, all meals are shared in China. Food there is a presentation of symbols, suggestions and references, connecting people not only to one another but to their culture, art, and history.  Food is art, food can heal, food is family, and food is love. 

Overall a great story that reinforces the love I find in cooking and feeding others.