Book Review #1

Book Review #1
Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese published by Free Press, 2011.

Ms. Reese's book title exemplifies what this blog is all about.  We are busy people in a messy world receiving conflicting messages about a myriad of choices.  Somebody please cut through the incessant chatter and just tell us what the best choice is.  That's the theory.  But in the real world, as you, dear reader, already know, it's not that easy.

Make the Bread... is a well written book in an up-and-coming sub-genre of non-fiction that I'm going to call Recession lit.  Primary income earner gets let go of reasonably lucrative job some time in the last decade, (or decides said job just isn't worth the headaches), decides to undertake some form of homesteading to save money, and writes a book about his/her exploits.  I guess that's one way to survive the recession, and good luck to all of them.  It must work out well enough, based on my current book collection, which includes at least half a dozen of this type of book.

In Ms. Reese's case, she lost her job in 2008, she tells us on page 2.  Serendipitously, apples were falling from the apple tree in her yard that day.  She channeled her anxiety and fear about her future into making apple sauce from her own apples, and off she went on her three year adventure from job loss and apple sauce to publication.

What I like best about this book is Ms. Reese's writing voice.  It is authentic and approachable, and very modern.  It is the voice inside her own head, written down, unadulterated. It would drive an English lit teacher mad.  But to a tired woman looking for a little diversion without feeling too lazy (as in, me), it is a comforting book, pushing you to think a little, but gently.

She states up front that you may not agree with all of her make it vs. buy it choices.  She was very predictive on that point.  Several chapters are devoted to her small animal herd and, as I mentioned in my introductory post, farm animals are verboten here.  Even so, they are entertaining to read.  It was also nice to get permission to buy instant mashed potatoes in stead of (or in addition to) actual potatoes because they are cheaper and easier to whip up.  My kids also prefer the taste.

On the other hand, I'm not going to make my own worcestershire sauce to save $1.50, or my own tortilla chips, or most of the other things Ms. Reese decided to make.  I will make my own "fried" chicken (actually baked) on occasion.  I prefer fresh ground mustard to prepared mustard in most cooked dishes.  These are some of the individual choices I disagree with Ms. Reese about.  That's o.k.  She says so.

So, is this book worth reading?  Overall I would say yes.  It is not going to be the ultimate determiner of how you will divvy up your time.  Her subject matter is also confined to the kitchen.  If you are looking for essays on making versus buying beauty products, furniture, clothing, or anything inedible, this is not the book for you.  If you want to while a few winter hours away, curled up in a blanket, contemplating your food choices with a friendly, non-judgmental, witty companion, you would likely enjoy this book.

If you are disciplined enough to return your library books on time, pick it up at your local library and save a few dollars.  Once I've written down the five recipes I would like to try (including my favorite, so far, rye bread recipe), I'll probably pass it on.