My Muse

For Christmas, my mother-in-law gave me Jamie Oliver's jamie at home. I have yet to cook a single thing out it, but I would highly recommend it for several reasons. One is that Jamie's food writing is incredibly readable; he writes the same way he talks, as if the person he's addressing is sitting right next to him. He is one of a group of emerging chefs who has a truly integrated approach to food- from soil to table, and everything in between. He grows a lot of is own produce, does a lot of his own hunting, and even raises is own chickens.

I want to be at this party.

The cookbook is organized according to season, with a list of what produce is available, how to grow it, and recipes for how to prepare it.

The book is equal parts gradening book and cookbook, with Jamie's charming and thoughtful narratives throughout. Whenever I'm feeling low on culinary inspiration, I curl up on the couch with this book and it always makes me want to go dig in the dirt. That may seem like a strange thing to say about a cookbook, but it's also the beauty of it; Jamie has a way of talking about food that makes you want to be as involved as possible with what ends up on your plate. It makes sense; if you want high-quality food, you're going to treat animals with respect and the soil with care, all if which will produce better, healthier, tastier food.