Recommended Read: Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese

Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese: A Guide to Wedges, Recipes and Pairings 
by Tenaya Darlington.
Find it in the catalog!

As someone who spends far too much time and money hanging out at the cheese counter, I consider myself a cheese enthusiast, if not a cheese nerd.  So naturally when I saw this book on some best books of the year lists, I had to check it out.  And I was truly surprised by how much I learned about cheese from this title!  I discovered new brands and styles of cheese, like the American-made Haribson ( described as "A sexy librarian's cheese-all horn rims and whispers"--naturally I had to try it!), or the Spanish raw sheep's milk cheese, La Serena (described as "A gutsy broad, slightly feral, with lots of the soul.")

The author, Tenaya Darlington, has a great sense of humor that shines throughout the book.  The cheeses are organized by the different personalities of the "hunks": "quiet types," "rockstars," "baby faces" and less attractive, "stinkers" and "mountain men".  I discovered my taste in cheese is pretty much the opposite of my taste in dates.  While "stinky" and "boozy" might describe a delicious French cheese, they aren't desirable adjectives for a boyfriend.  Darlington provides serving suggestions to go with each cheese; for instance, with one of my favorite cheeses, Rogue River Blue, she recommends: "A cheese this good doesn't need much to go with it.  Treat it like a great Roquefort... and slice up a ripe pear.  A dish of toasted walnuts is a great foil."  She also recommends beer and wine pairings to go with the hunks.

Warning:  reading this book is dangerous for your wallet and waistline.  Not only did it make me hungry, each and every time I picked up the book, I found myself tempted by even more types of cheese at the counter.  Darlington provided different cheese boards to try and even cheese tasting party ideas.  This book is must read for cheese enthusiasts of all variations, particularly those interested in getting acquainted with American and Italian artisanal cheeses.   

If you still can't get enough cheese, check out the author's blog.

Beach Reads Display

Skip the airfare and travel from the comfort of your lawn chair by reading one of the books from our summer non-fiction display.  In keeping with the summer reading theme, all titles are travel related.  Here's a list of the current titles included.  You are sure to find something to love!

Bill Bryson at the Chicago Public Library

Author Bill Bryson will be stopping in Chicago as part of his book tour for the recently released At Home: A Short History of Private Life. This Wednesday, October 13, Bryson will be at the Harold Washington Library. Visit the Chicago Public Library's event page for more information about his appearance. It starts at 6 PM and is first come, first served.

Bryson is one of my favorite authors, and I've loved his past books Notes from a Small Island, A Walk in the Woods, and I'm a Stranger Here Myself (just to name a few). No matter what the subject matter, he always injects humor into the discussion that makes you think about any number of things--history, people, culture-- from a different angle. If you can't attend his appearance in Chicago, you can still enjoy his new book At Home by putting yourself on hold for the book version or audiobook version.

Baking Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

"Sorry I smell like frosting, I just love to bake."
~ Drew (Jon Hamm) to Liz (Tina Fey), 30 Rock

This wonderful quote explains my state of mind on a recent Friday afternoon when I decided to test out three recipes from the cookbook Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat (2009). I just felt the urge to bake. Each recipe is accompanied by a color photo so lovely and delectable you'll want to enlarge the photos, frame them, and hang them up as art. The recipes are divided into categories: Swirled and Sprinkled, Dipped and Glazed, Simple and Sweet, Filled and Layered, Piped and Topped, Birthdays, Holidays, and Celebrations. The recipes for various occasions rely heavily on decorating techniques and ingredients, like marizpan, that are quite intricate and, in my opinion, look more like play-dough creations than cupcakes. The end of the book features tips for essential baking tools and techniques.

I decided to test three recipes: Brown Sugar Pound Cake, Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes, and Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes. I also wanted to make the Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes but could not locate cake flour at the store and decided that three recipes were enough for one marathon baking session.

The Brown-Butter Icing for the Brown Sugar Pound Cake calls for brown butter, which I have never made before. The recipe does not provide detail about letting the butter get too brown; I ended up burning my first batch because I thought the brown color I was seeing in the pan was okay. I looked up brown butter online for some tips and then made a second, successful batch. I also probably could have added a couple more tablespoons of milk to the icing. The picture in the book shows the cupcake with icing running down the side, so I figured I could just spoon the icing over the top letting it run over; I soon realized that I wouldn't have enough icing, and some cupcakes were frosted more than others. VERDICT: Very tasty, moist cakes with lovely vanilla-flavored icing. I'm already thinking of when I can make them next.

I had to try out the Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes because of the alluring photo: a single Oreo cookie placed at the bottom of the muffin tin, covered with the cheesecake filling on top. Yes, please! VERDICT: A simple-to-follow recipe that yields yummy small portioned cheesecakes.

The recipe for Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes was fun to make because of the chocolate batter and peanut butter filling components, which are alternately spooned into the muffin tins. By swirling a toothpick in the batter a chocolate/peanut butter marble design appears. I think I rushed this step; the finished cupcakes looked like they had layers of chocolate and peanut butter, instead of being a chocolate cupcake filled with peanut butter. VERDICT: Addicting combination of chocolate and peanut butter. 7 out of 7 cupcake testers agree that these cupcakes are awesome; this joins my collection of "go-to" recipes. Because the recipe only makes 12 cupcakes I will definitely double or triple the recipe for future baking sessions.

Lovers of sweets and baking, this is a must-read cookbook. Just remember that the photos accompanying the recipes display a perfection that is only achieved with food stylists and photographers that hang with Martha Stewart. Even though the cupcakes I made (pictured) do not look as pretty as the examples in the book they still taste delicious.

Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 Inspired Ideas for Everyone's Favorite Treat:
Find it in the catalog!