READ
"France is a Feast: The Photographic Journey of Paul and Julia Child" by Alex Prud’homme and photography edited by Katie Pratt
In 1948, Paul Child moved with his wife Julia to France. There he worked for the United States Information Service as a cultural attaché. Julia fell in love with the country and its food. After learning to speak French she studied cooking at L’Ecole du Cordon Bleu. Unbeknownst to most of Julia’s fans is that Paul meticulously photographed their lives together. Over 200 of his photographs from this period are collected in France is a Feast: The Photographic Journey of Paul and Julia Child. Katie Pratt edited the photography while Alex Prud’homme, Paul’s grand nephew, wrote the accompanying essays. Style, beauty, and the love of home are reflected throughout the book. On Thanksgiving, this collection would be a perfect gift for the cook or the family photographer.
Look for this title here at Barnes & Noble and on Amazon.
Article author Maureen Millea Smith is a librarian at the Edina Library and a Minnesota Book Award-winning novelist.
DRINK
Chilean wines
November marks the beginning of the holiday season. From Thanksgiving through December our homes are filled with the joys of the season: friends, family and togetherness. As we prepare for Thanksgiving, the feast of all feasts, we dig out our favorite family recipes and begin our turkey day planning, which includes my favorite part…selecting the wine pairings! This year, I’m going with Chile. From Clos des Fous Winery in the remote region of Itata, the group’s ‘Pour ma Gueule’ (which translates to ‘for my gob,’ a term used to describe a stash of wine to drink with friends and family) is a delicious concoction of Cinsault, Carignan, Syrah, Pais & Malbec. Backed by white pepper, strawberries, violet and juicy rich black cherries and blackberries, this wine is sure to pair with a wide variety of Thanksgiving sides and best of all, the turkey!
Look for similar selections here at France 44 and Edina Liquor.
Article author Leslee Miller is a certified sommelier and owner of local wine consulting firm, Amusee and Sip Better Wine Club
LISTEN
Ahh… November. It’s my favorite month. There’s always anticipation of folks getting together and crisp days that invite wonderful food and favorite music. Michael Bublé’s CD, It’s Time, is the perfect complement to this setting. With songs like Quando Quando Quando, A Song For You and Feeling Good, this album gives you a reason to sing along while you’re gathering. Bublé has clever and fresh arrangements on all of his selections and includes songs by Stevie Wonder, Elvis and the Beatles. Produced by David Foster, the Canadian born singer re-made mostly popular songs, but also wrote one of the biggest hits of his career: Home. Directly from his website, Bublé says, “The world is a scary place. People need a tent in the rain. I’m here to take you away for a few hours, entertain you, allow you to escape, to know there can be hope and that romance is still alive and well.”
CD available at iTunes, Amazon.com and the Michael Buble website.
Article author Patty Peterson is an award winning vocalist and Jazz 88, KBEM radio host.
