It all started with Finding Freedom, Erin French's memoir about overcoming hardships to return to Maine and create one of the most sought after dining experiences in the world. It is truly a rags-to riches, triumph-over-tragedy, feel-good story. Finding Freedom led to me to television series, The Lost Kitchen and that in turn brought me to French's cookbooks. Lost Kitchen (the cookbook) is gorgeous with just the right amount of memoir and menus. Photographs and recipes crowd nearly every single page. There is a bit of her biography in the beginning, but she glosses over the messy stuff in order to get to the endearing parts of her story: local girl comes home and makes her hometown a dining destination and here, she has shared some of her recipes with you.
Confessional: I am not interested in quail eggs, razor clams, or chicken livers. I can't eat shrimp or grapefruit, either. What I did salivate over was anything rhubarb, fiddlehead, or parsnip. I was super excited to see the spicy tomato/tomatillo soup she made on one episode of The Lost Kitchen. She serves it as a summer soup, but I'm thinking it could even be a warm soup served with garlic croutons... ( )

This book -almost- makes me want to start eating meat; this is the kind of meat I'd eat if I did. As it is, though, the desserts are mainly want I can/want to make for myself. Also, the aesthetics and feel for the seasons are everything I love about New England.

(Summer reading: a cookbook.) ( )

5 Star cookbook in my eyes. Yes, I actively read the whole book, and can't await to start trying some of her fresh ideas for each season.I have seen quail eggs recently two places and couldn't imagine what to do with them, now I know. Erin suggests hard boiling them and having guest shell them and munch with a little sprinkle a celery salt on them while she is busy finishing up dinner details in the kitchen. Imagine your guests the first time they have them on your charcuterie board! ( )

Waaaah, I want to go there! ( )