Forget Japan. I'm big in Holland. And Italy.

Some of you already know that when not puttering about in the kitchen or on this blog, I work as a magazine editor for the international editions of Cosmopolitan magazine. Working with international mags is a pretty cool mixed bag of a job, and occasionally, I get some tasks that are really fun.

Most recently, one of my editors in Holland wrote me and asked if I could help her gather a list of some New York City "hotspots." Basically, with the upcoming release of the Sex and the City 2 movie, (for which yes, I already have tickets), they wanted to do a piece featuring some "real" New York girls sharing their favorite spots to shop, eat, and dance in the city. She also asked if I could include my own tips in the list.

I got to work and contacted some friends and fellow bloggers to contribute. I interviewed about a dozen girls total, and I actually ended up with pages and pages of tips. Naturally, due to space constraints, the magazines could only run a few suggestions each, but I'm sure we'll find another great use for the other interviews in the future.

At the very least, I now have a kick-ass long list of places I need to check out here in NYC stat!


The story just came out (in the June issue of Dutch Cosmo) and I thought I'd share it with you! (That's it above.) Cosmo Italy (another edition that I work with) also picked up the story (though they used different tips and featured a different selection from the girls I interviewed.)

Click on the pictures to enlarge them and see them up close. I think that a few of you may notice a some familiar faces on the list. Including fellow food bloggers Katy Atlas from Sugarlaws, Michelle Judd from Taste as You Go, Jordan Reid from Ramshackleglam, and Grace from GraceNotes NYC.


Big thanks to all the girls who generously shared their time and amazing recommendations!

By the way, my New York picks?

Ilili, which I wrote about here, is my current favorite restaurant in the city. (And I hear that they now serve brunch! Yay!)

Kashkaval, which I wrote about here and also recommended in this article in the London Times, is my favorite lunch and meeting-girlfriends-for-dinner spot. They also have delicious (and amazingly priced) fondue. Yum!

Sexy champagne bar Flute.

And for shopping, Century 21 (it's a battle, but you make out like a bandit when you persevere!) and Fabulous Franny's (truly fabulous spot for killer vintage finds and vintage eyeglasses. Very necessary when you like to throw retro-themed cocktail parties.)

xoxo

Alejandra

P.S. I'm totally adding "Big Apple Insider" to my official bio. ;)


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And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me.
Thanks for reading!

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I'm in Real Simple Magazine!

I spent much of this morning at work thinking up excuses to walk past my office mailbox. Located in the kitchen area near the water cooler and tea, it's usually more of an afterthought. I don't really get much mail at work, save for the occasional invoice (which goes straight to accounting) or--more often--catalogs from Pottery Barn and the Oriental Trading Company. Today however, I had a reason to keep checking. Today, the May issue of Real Simple magazine containing an article about my mom and me was scheduled to arrive!

It was probably about 11AM when I finally spotted it. I'd walked over to get a bit of milk for my cereal and there it was, its characteristically thick and wide body slightly curved in the narrow box. I grabbed it and ran back to my desk, rhw cup of dry cereal in my left hand, Real Simple flapping in the air in my right.

"It's here!" I breathlessly announced to my coworkers who knew all about it. I set the magazine down and flipped quickly to it, everyone crowding around me to see what the commotion was.



And then I found it! On page 240 part of the story called From My Mother's Kitchen, a 1/4 page photo of my mom and me cooking (though really, I was just stirring a pot of boiling water), a brief article, my recipe for Camarones Enchilados (or deviled shrimp), and--on page 241--a gorgeous full-page photo of my beautiful shrimp shot by the fantastic photographer Ditte Isager.

I was so honored to be part of this story. It's a Mother's Day piece that features six women talking about a treasured family recipe that they learned from their mother. I talked about Camarones Enchilados, which is a wonderful dish of shrimp stewed in a spicy tomato sauce.

You should read the article for the story, but what I will tell you (what isn't in the magazine) is that this has become one of my favorite things to make. I actually updated the recipe a bit from what my mother originally taught me (sorry, Mama!) by adding smoked Spanish paprika and serving it differently. She serves it with white rice, salad, and plantains; I prefer it on charred whole wheat tortillas with a side of sliced avocado and a bit of salty white cheese. The recipe in the magazine is my updated version, but sentiment comes straight from my mom.

Another cool thing to look out for: check out the wooden pilon (Spanish for mortar and pestle)that is on the shelf above the stove I'm cooking on. That's my real pilon that my mom got me in Puerto Rico several years ago; I use it regularly and I brought it with me to the photo shoot.


The photo shoot was one of the most fun parts of the whole thing. My mom and I filled bags with clothing we wanted to wear and we met the team from Real Simple at a gorgeous loft down in the West Village. They welcomed us with an amazing breakfast, did our hair and make-up, and helped us choose outfits from what we'd brought.

I had just come back from Puerto Rico (hence my very dark tan in the photo; I'm not usually that golden). I had also been freaking out a bit because I happened to come down with a ridiculous and rather inopportune case of UV poisoning on the last day of the trip. You can't tell from the photo, but I'm actually covered in a prickly UV rash from my neck all the way down to my toes! I mentioned it the photographer and photo editors who assured me that the final photo wouldn't show it (Yay, Photoshop!).

After we shot our part, they let us hang around while they shot the food. It was my first time watching a professional food photography shoot and I was absolutely fascinated. The food was set up on a rustic wooden table next to one of the huge windows and the photographer stood up on a ladder to get the shot. It was exciting seeing the way that all the editors worked together to set everything up. I wish I could have a few assistants like that when I'm taking my blog photos! (Come to think of it, I also wouldn't mind having a make-up artist and hairstylist around to touch me up every few minutes. That would be cool too.)


I am, as I'm sure you can imagine, absolutely delighted! The subscriber copies of the May issue are already arriving, and it will be on newsstands this weekend. I'd love it if you pick up a copy and let me know what you think! Try the recipe too (it's a really good one). The article isn't up on their website yet, but the recipe is (they spelled it wrong on the site, though; it's enchilados with an "o," NOT enchiladas with an "a.")

And if you do try it and like it, it would be awesome if you'd let the folks at Real Simple know so. Because I would really love it if they were to ask me back. ;)

[Photo Credits: Scans from Real Simple May 2010 issue; photo of Yolanda Ramos and Alejandra Ramos by Ditte Isager; photo of shrimp in black pan by Alejandra Ramos]

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New to Always Order Dessert? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates by filling in your address in the box on the right. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Thanks for reading!

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What I Want This Year

After all my active campaigning for the Shorty Awards, I decided today that I want to take a couple minutes to share a few words about the way I use Twitter to both expand Always Order Dessert and my own personal brand, but even more importantly, about my (many!) goals for the site this year. This is a little different from my usual posts, but one that I hope will fill you in a bit on how I see and use and view my presence here on the Web.

I joined Twitter back in June of 2007 when I heard about it from a fellow blogger in the NY Bloggers Meetup group I created and used to run. He was raving about it so I decided to check it out. My first tweet was something along the lines of "Just setting up my Twitter..." but, I confess, that was probably about it for the next year or so.

Then, sometime in the middle of 2008, I started up again. I honestly don't remember why; I just remember that I suddenly really liked it. I loved the instant connection with people all over the globe. I followed every food blogger, food writer, chef, etc., that I could find and reveled in the direct access that I now had at my fingertips. I started conversations with bloggers I had previously only read, and it wasn't long before we were chatting regularly and helping each other out with recipes and ideas. The phrase "my Twitter friend" became a regular part of my vocabulary.


I know there are plenty of people out there who think it's a waste of time, but it really isn't. I've had some pretty incredible things happen in my life 100% because of Twitter. I've met great people that I now consider my friends. I've been invited to events I would have never heard about. I've gotten dinner reservations that I couldn't get through the phone. I made a pretty important Mashable list of Foodies to follow on Twitter that brought Always Order Dessert and my writing to the attention of reporters, publicists, and agents who have encouraged me to take further steps with my career. Even simply being linked to a great article or story that inspired me or moved me in some way--a link that I would have never seen had I not been on Twitter. These things (and a heck of a lot more) are proof to me that this site is anything but a waste of time.

I use the site to communicate and share about my day and what I'm doing. I also ask for help. Twitter can sometimes be like an amazing global customer service. Any question you have, guaranteed, there is someone out there who can answer it. Usually several people! I try to foster this by answering as many questions as I possibly can, and generously (I hope!) sharing my own different kinds of expertise (or even just experience) with the community.

If I had to pick between Facebook and Twitter, I'd pick Twitter without hesitation. I'd pick it because no other medium (not even this blog) gives me the kind of direct one-on-one communication with so many people. If you ask me something on Twitter, I will answer you. If you just drop me a note to say hi, I will respond. If you ask for help with a recipe or for suggestions on what to do with an ingredient, I'll gladly give it.


I will let you know right away that I'm not one of those people who instantly follow everyone back, but I have a good reason. Since I want Twitter to be about more than just collecting "friends," I need there to be some kind of connection before I will take that step. I really like to have at least some kind of basis before I follow someone. I want to open the conversation first. But I promise you that if you respond to me a few times or send me a quick hello and introduce yourself and are open in a way that's beyond simply sending out links or self-promotion, then I will follow you, guaranteed. Every now and then I send out a message that says "introduce yourself" and when I do it's because I really do want to know who is following me. I want to get to know you!

(And if you notice that we've been chatting, but I'm still not following you. Well then just ask me to! I probably just assumed that I already was. That's the amazing thing about the Web: nearly everything you want can be yours just by asking. The trick is figuring the who and how, of course)

I should also note that I'm the same way when it comes to e-mail. If you ever have any recipe questions, ideas for something you'd like to see on the site, questions about what to do with an ingredient, or are even looking for some party planning or entertaining ideas, please don't hesitate to e-mail me. Seriously. I freaking love answering those kinds of messages. Sometimes it might take me a few days to get back to you if I've gotten a lot of mail, but you can totally just forward me the note and follow-up. Nudge me all you want!


I've got a lot planned for Always Order Dessert in 2010. It's my goal to post twice as many original recipes as I did last year. I've already started working on articles about entertaining (primarily about entertaining in small apartment spaces like the one that I, and probably most of you, live in) that I'm really excited to share with you. I'm planning more videos, playlists, and events. It's my dream to have this site become major this year and I hope you'll all stick along for the ride.

I'm not sure if I've ever shared this with you guys, but I love this blog. I mean that. I love what I do here more than anything else that I do in my day (I'm including the cooking as part of what I "do" here). I joke around about it, but this site is totally my baby. Even when I'm at work and totally committed to what I'm doing there, the plans and ideas keep unfolding in the back of my head. Over the holidays I took a lot of time to think about the things I want to achieve this year and I've laid them all out here. You're welcome to take a look. Let me know what you think. Let me know if you have any ideas.

One of the best things about always ordering dessert after a great meal, besides the deliciousness of course, is that it gives you a little more time to relax and extend the conversation.

So let's do that. Let's keep talking. And (most importantly!) let's have fun!



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New to Always Order Dessert? Consider subscribing to my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, or sign up to receive my once-a-week e-mail updates by filling in your address in the box on the right. And if you ever need any entertaining or cooking advice, please don't hesitate to e-mail me.

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About Last Saturday...

Early last Saturday morning, before the sun had even come out, I sleepily shuffled into the kitchen where I pulled an ice-cold block of butter and a dozen eggs out of the fridge. I left them on the counter and just-as-sleepily shuffled back to bed, snuggling up against Eugene who was sound asleep and completely unaware of what I'd been up to.

An hour or so later (once the butter had softened and the eggs had reached room temperature) I pulled out of bed again and got to work. I had a to-do list as long as my arm and very few hours to do it. At 1pm that afternoon, I was expecting a photographer who was being sent over by the New York Daily News to photograph me cooking and styling my food for a story in the paper about New Yorkers who chose their homes because of their hobbies. The main selling points in my case were the relatively large kitchen (that's NY apartment big, mind you) and the dishwasher (::cue choir of angels::).

The aforementioned butter was pulled out of the fridge because the reporter had asked me to prep a few things for the shoot and I figured I might as well bake a cake! I actually was filling an order for one of my regular customers who had bought one of my Italian Rainbow Cookie Cakes for her daughter's 13th birthday, which I thought would look lovely in a photo, and I also prepared a batch of espresso cocoa truffles (which I'll post tomorrow).

The big surprise came a little later after I'd finished cleaning the apartment, baking the cake layers, and had laid out my props to shoot the truffles. I hopped in and out of the shower and as I stood in my room with wet hair dripping all over my shoulders, the phone rang. It was the photographer saying that she would be over in 5 minutes--a full 45 minutes earlier than expected. I told Eugene to answer the door as I rushed to tie up my wet hair and throw on a dress. I was a bit flustered since I'd timed everything down to the minute, but she was nice about waiting for me to finish applying makeup.

Ultimately, I think the shoot went well. She took some photos of me spreading the cake filling and making ganache for the frosting. Then some photos of me styling and shooting the truffles. And finally a couple portraits of me holding a basin of truffles and smiling at the camera. She left about an hour and a half later, at which point I collapsed on the couch in pure exhaustion.

All week long, I waited for the article to come out with a mix of excitement and nervousness. The latter mostly because I was terrified of the photo being awful. It was scheduled to be printed in the real estate section of the Friday paper, so yesterday morning I had another pre-dawn wake-up as I rushed to get ready and run down to the bodega to buy the newspaper. I didn't open it until I was on the train, and it was there, squooshed between two other commuters, that my heart was a little bit broken.

They didn't run my photo.

The article was there; a full three pages with four large photos of the other people in the story, but not a single picture of me. I kept turning the pages and re-reading it to see if I was missing something, but there was nothing. I did appear in the words of the article; one sentence in the beginning and a nice little paragraph in the middle (although they got my occupation wrong; I'm a magazine editor, not a web editor), but the part that I'd been most excited about...actually having a photo of me cooking in the newspaper, was missing.

I told the girls at work about it when I got in (they'd heard all about the shoot and had also been looking forward to seeing the photo) and Eugene via IM. Like me, he was bummed. "After all that work and preparation you did! You barely slept!" We both commiserated for a while, he assuring me that it probably had to do with space issues and not, as I'd conjectured, because "I came out ugly."

"That's ridiculous!" he told me. "And impossible."

He assured me that this just wasn't my turn, but that I'll get another (bigger! better!) chance someday soon. With that assurance, I went about the rest of my day happily, only occasionally glancing out of the corner of my eye at the paper with a tiny sneer.

The article, if you'd like to read it, is here. It's actually a very cute story, even if it is missing my photo. ;)

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Alejandra & Always Order Dessert featured in the Times of London

We had a giddy day here in the Always Order Dessert kitchen yesterday!

The Times of London published an interview they did with me where I talk about my favorite cookbook, my love of soups that start and end with bacon, and reveal my local pick for a cozy dinner. If you haven't read it yet, pop on over and give it a look.

I'll be back later with more recipes for you.

xoxo

Alejandra

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Sticky Books: Michelle Norris of Brown Eyed Baker

Michelle Norris is the blogger and baker behind Brown Eyed Baker, a "sweet, savory, sinful" blog that features recipes and posts about breads, desserts, and other tempting baked goods (with an occasional savory dish thrown in). She also writes "how to" articles, such as the recent four-part series on how to build and stock a baking pantry, which are an incredible resource for novice and seasoned cooks alike.

Michelle is a marketing analyst by day, and has recently started her own baking business selling cakes, cupcakes, and cookies to a clientele of local Pittsburgh-area customers. Readers of her blog who live too far away may also soon be able to taste these goodies for themselves; she's currently working on making a selection of her cookies available for online purchase and shipping.

Those stains on well-used cookbooks are often a badge of honor for passionate cooks and Michelle is no different. "I get such a sense of pride when I go to leaf through a cookbook and the pages stick together," she says. "It makes me feel accomplished in the kitchen."



Michelle's Top Three Sticky Books

1. Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.
I received this book for Christmas 2007 from my sister. I had heard a few other bloggers singing its praises and was so excited to finally have it in my kitchen. The minute I opened it and started reading the forward, I was in awe of Dorie. She is a home baker, like so many of us, and just wants to share her love of baking with others. I have made dozens of recipes from this book, but my top 3 are probably Hidden Berry and Cream Cheese Torte, French Chocolate Brownies, and the Perfect Party Cake.

2. The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart
I purchased this book with a Barnes & Noble gift card I got for my birthday a couple of years ago, but it was some time before I finally cracked it open. Once I did, I found that I couldn’t put it down. The entire first part of the book is written almost as a textbook, with a large amount of information about the science behind bread baking. This serves not only as a great introduction for a beginner bread baker, but also as a fabulous resource for even the seasoned veterans. Of all the baked goods I have ever made, the one that my boyfriend requests more than anything else is Cinnamon Raisin Bagels from this book. He likes them toasted with butter, while I prefer cream cheese or peanut butter. Any way you top them, you can’t go wrong!

3. The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz
This may be a biased selection since I've just spent the entire summer churning ice cream, but this book IS sticky! Since I was new to homemade ice cream, I wanted a book that could serve not only as a source for great recipes, but also as a resource I could use as I delved into the world of homemade ice cream. This book delivered in every way I had hoped. The book has an entire section devoted to equipment and techniques, and dozens of incredibly delicious recipes. I could have eaten the Tin Roof Ice Cream all by myself (and just about did!). The Chocolate Ice Cream is the richest, most intense chocolate ice cream I have ever eaten. On top of these great recipes, I was able to use the methods and techniques to create my own recipes for things like Pistachio Ice Cream.

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Sticky Books: Lori Lange of Recipe Girl

I'm not sure if you noticed, but things have been a little quiet around here this week. I didn't mean for it to be that way, but sometime late Sunday night I got knocked right off my feet by a nasty cold that left me sleepy and whiny and incapable of consuming anything but plain whole wheat noodles with butter, rum raisin cookies, and mugs of steaming TheraFlu. The latter, by the way, is delicious. It's like a hot cup of Minute Maid soda fountain lemonade. Someone on Twitter pointed out that in "real life," TheraFlu is actually not delicious, and that the fact that I think so is a clear indication that I'm still ill. I guess I'll have to wait a few more days before I can confirm that theory, but for now...Om Nom Nom!! Pass me the TheraFlu, please!

Next week I'll be back to my regular posting schedule, with a few posts about the food and hi-jinx and more food that Eugene and I got into on our little getaway this past weekend. Until then, I'm excited to share with you the second installment of the Friday Sticky Books column here on Always Order Dessert. This week, we're featuring Lori Lange of the incredible recipe and entertaining website, RecipeGirl.com.

Note: If you're just learning about the Sticky Books feature, click here to read more about the project.


About Lori
A former elementary school teacher from San Diego, California, Lori Lange left the classroom in 2005 to start RecipeGirl.com. Lori now spends her (incredibly enviable) days cooking, baking, and photographing food for her website which houses a collection of more than 2,500 original and adapted recipes. The site also features a food blog and a searchable database of entertainment menus for all occasions. When I sent her the interview, Lori hinted that she's also got a brand new food blog in the works, so be sure to keep checking her site for more details!

Lori confessed that she owns 219 (!!!) cookbooks, but was happy to share her top three stickiest with us:

1. California Sol Food: Casual Cooking from the Junior League of San Diego
This one is near and dear to me since I was involved in the recipe testing and selection for this book. The recipes are divided into 'times of the day' (brunch, happy hour, dinner, etc) and each of them is representative of the fresh, seasonal flavors of Southern California. I've made over half of the recipes in this book, and they've all been fabulous. My favorite is a recipe that came from my family's kitchen: Summer Salad. I've recommended this salad to so many people, and it inevitably becomes their favorite too. I also really love the Margarita Cake.

2. The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion by King Arthur Flour
I'm addicted to baking, and cookies are my favorite thing to experiment with. There are so many recipes in this cookbook that I don't think I could ever possibly ever get through them all, but I intend to try! For many of the cookie/bar/snack recipes, there are multiple variations listed. My all-time favorite recipe from this book is the Cinnamon Bun Cookies. Magic in the Middles are a must for Chocolate-Peanut Butter fans.

3. The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger
I picked up this cookbook on a whim, and I can't believe how much I use it. This is the cookbook I turn to most for quick and healthy meals. I've never watched Ellie Krieger on Food Network, but her recipes are reliable and delicious. They're easy enough for a novice cook, and gourmet enough for an experienced foodie. My favorites: Chickpea and Spinach Salad with Cumin Dressing and Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream.

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Awesome, right? I can already tell this Sticky Books thing is going to be dangerous. (Although possibly very profitable for Amazon). Have you guys tried any recipes from these books? I haven't yet, but those fish tacos are calling my name...

Remember to check back every Friday for more Sticky Books from your favorite bloggers, and in the meantime, I'd love to hear about your favorite cookbooks below!

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Sticky Books: An Introduction & Selections by Marc Matsumoto of No Recipes

I recently woke up thinking about a recipe I used to make when I first started to experiment in the kitchen. It came from a cookbook that my mother had gotten sometime in the early 80s from Cooking Light magazine. Along with the usual "light" recipes, the book had an entire chapter on microwave cookery. Though I was still too young to mess around with the stove, my mom let me go to town with the microwave (once I understood that metal things were off limits, that is).

There was an easy lemon pudding cake that quickly became my favorite. It was a kind of souffle that relied on stiff egg whites for height and just the teensiest bit of flour. I made the pudding cakes all the time that year until I was able to graduate to box mixes and the oven. I don't think I thought about those little lemon cakes again until the other day when they reappeared for no reason at all. I called my mom and she promised to look for the book. We stopped by the house for dinner a couple weeks ago, and found the book sitting on the kitchen shelf. I excitedly flipped through the pages right to the recipe for lemon pudding cakes. There was the picture I'd remembered, and the page...well it was filthy! Crusts of long ago flour and sugar and a rip where the paper had glued itself together. It was the only page in the book that looked like that; the surest evidence of a favorite recipe.

We all have books like this, sticky and splattered with frosting from that cake we made grandpa on his 75th birthday or the splatter of cranberry sauce from the first time mom let you help with Thanksgiving. Seeing that messy and beloved page made me wonder about the stories in other people's cookbook pages, and so Sticky Books, a new weekly interview column here on Always Order Dessert, was born.

Each Friday, a different food blogger or will share his or her top three favorite cookbooks with my readers. Sticky books are a badge of honor for the home cook, sometimes even more memorable than the album full of snapshots, and so I'm excited that so many incredible bloggers have been willing to share them with us. If you have experiences with the books that these bloggers mention, I invite you to leave them in the comments, and please don't hesitate to tell us about your own sticky books.

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Sticky Books: Marc Matsumoto of No Recipes


Marc Matsumoto started his food blog No Recipes nearly two years ago. Based on the philosophy that cooking is 50% technique, 40% inspiration, and 10% ingredients, he strongly believes that armed with a handful of basic techniques and a little inspiration, anyone can make a tasty meal from even the most derelict pantry.

When I sent Marc the questions for this feature, he told me about a new event that he just launched on his blog called Blog Away Hunger, which is meant to raise money for the World Food Program. The WFP gets food aid to the people that need it most, and with one in seven people on Earth suffering from chronic hunger, they need all the support they can get. He's inviting everybody to participate in this event by simply creating a meal that costs less than what you'd normally spend, post about it on your own blog or website, and then donate the money you saved to the WFP. You can check out Marc's blog for more details.

And now, in Marc's words, his top three Sticky Books:

Marc: Since I don't cook with recipes, my most used cookbooks tend to be reference books where I can quickly look up information on ingredients and basic techniques.

1. On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee
This is my "stickiest" cookbook. It doesn't contain any recipes, but it holds within its blessed binding, answers to nearly any food related question you may have. Like "How is soy sauce made?" or "What do cell walls have to do with the mealiness or meltingness of fruit?". This is the Webster's of the culinary world.

2. The Best Recipe by the editors of Cooks Illustrated
What I love about the folks at Cooks Illustrated is that they take scientific rigor and apply it to food. Through a documented process and iterative testing, they figure out the best way to do something. As with anything that comes out of a lab, their recipes tend to lack soul, but what it lacks in character is more than compensated for with rock solid techniques and play-by-play details.

3. Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art by Shizuo Tsuji
You won't find any drool-worthy photos or nostalgic stories here, but if you want a reference book on Japanese ingredients and cooking, this is the only English language book that will meet your needs. Like Julia Child, with her tome: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Tsuji opens the door into the mystical world of Japanese food with her book.


Have you cooked with any of Marc's favorite cookbooks? Tell us about them in the comments! And remember to check back next Friday for the next edition of Sticky Books.

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