Books Received

Recent arrivals:

The American Table by Ronald Johnson

A remaindered Tremble by C.D. Wright

It's All American Food by David Rosengarten

Ronald Johnson, who seems to be the "it" poet, at least among young poetry blogger-types was also a cookbook author. I haven't read his poetry. His cookbook, though, is rather charming, if a bit alarming in places. He reads like a somewhat less-arrogant James Beard, and is dedicated to American food. That said, his chapter on Southwest Cookery is pretty strange: lots of cans of diced green chiles. Canned tomatillos. In fact, a lot of canned stuff all around. This was published over 20 years ago, but still....a fresh jalapeno was not unknown in the early eighties (we had them with every meal practically, in my mexican-american-white-trash hybrid family). Johnson includes recipes with jalapenos, but only the jarred, pickled variety.

Haven't read the Wright yet. Just poked through.