“My dearest wish is that in stitching these projects, you will find some garden peace and serenity growing in your heart,” writes cross-stitch designer Bussi (Inspired Cross-Stitch) in this whimsical offering. An illustrated guide explains the basic techniques—full cross-stitches, half cross-stitches, backstitches, and petite stitches­—required to make these garden-themed projects. Several designs are inspired by classic literature, such as the wall hanging featuring a quote from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden above a country landscape with birds and flowers, as well as the “Love Is the Honey” sampler that includes a Victor Hugo quote alongside a beehive and bees. The pieces have a cozy, cottagecore feel, especially the “Heart of a Rose” pillowcase bearing an arched trellis decorated with roses, and the “Tea in My Garden” wall hanging depicting a teapot, teacup, and cake bordered by vines. The easy-to-follow charts and straightforward color keys ensure the projects are, as Bussi promises, “relatively simple and quick to stitch,” and the supplementary recipes for carrot cupcake and herb-infused honey are an additional treat. This will please novice stitchers. (July)

Reviewed on 06/02/2023 | Details & Permalink

Florist Jost debuts with a ho-hum guide to creating dried flower projects. She lists her favorite flowers (hydrangeas, delphiniums), grasses (foxtail, barley), and other greenery (eucalyptus, ragwort) to decorate with and recommends using a hair dryer to clear dust off arrangements. However, the omission of best practices for drying fresh flowers feels like an oversight. The simpler projects include gluing pressed flowers to greeting cards and assembling a bouquet from pampas grass, poppy head, and baby’s breath tied together with raffia ribbon. Among the more involved pieces, the flower crown is made by attaching small bunches of bunny tail grass and broom bloom to a wire headband adorned with a white satin ribbon, and the “Easter hoop” wreath is constructed from jute twine tied around a hoop with blown quail eggs glued on. A few of the projects underwhelm (the ruscus and sea lavender stuck into concrete in the shape of a heart is a bit hackneyed, the impractical “Ostrich Egg Vase” requires tracking down an actual ostrich egg), and the written instructions are sometimes unclear (Jost at one point tells readers to “cut all the dried flowers to the correct length,” but doesn’t specify what that length is), but the visually appealing eucalyptus and “Elegant in Gold” wreaths are worth checking out. This is hit-or-miss. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 06/02/2023 | Details & Permalink

“Mothers are America’s care infrastructure, and it’s costing us emotionally,” according to this trenchant outing. Essayist Dubin, mother of a nine-year-old boy and five-year-old girl, suggests that mothers’ frustrations with child-rearing stem from feeling unable to meet the “impossible expectations of modern motherhood” and the “debilitating lack of support [mothers receive] from within the family structure and societal systems.” The author decries the expectation that mothers should “always be mothering,” admitting that she made baby food purees for her two kids instead of buying jars from the store, and suggests the idea only serves to justify the gendered distribution of domestic labor. Sharp analysis illuminates how such policy failures as America’s lack of universal preschool and paid family leave contribute to mothers’ suffering, and her proposed solutions include a more equal division of household labor between partners and developing a “multigenerational support network” of friends, neighbors, and extended family. The author’s candid appraisal of her own rage (she discusses having to mentally repeat “don’t touch him” to stop herself from roughly handling her son while angry) and her penetrating insights make for captivating reading. It’s an astute account of how society fails mothers. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 06/02/2023 | Details & Permalink

Embroidery artists Billingham, Timms, and Wensing debut with a stylish guide for beginners. They cover what materials to use (“smooth cotton that has a tight weave” is best), the necessary tools (an embroidery hoop is a must for keeping fabric taut), and how to transfer patterns onto fabric (use a water-soluble pen to trace a design from a printout). The stitch guide presents step-by-step photos demonstrating how to perform simple straight and back stitches, as well as more challenging ones, including the “woven spider web stitch” (“a raised circle of textured stitching”). Each of the authors contributes six patterns, with floral designs featuring prominently. For example, earth-tone flowers sprout from the pocket of a denim jacket in Billingham’s “Denim Pocket Garden,” and Wensing shows how to make rows of white and yellow daisies. Other standout projects include Timms’s graceful monarch butterfly and Wensing’s whimsical “Cup of Planets,” which depicts several tiny planets pouring out of a tilted mug. The pleasant designs and thorough instructions ensure novices have all they need to get started. It’s a charmer. (June)

Reviewed on 06/02/2023 | Details & Permalink

“While the Victorians saw decorating their homes as a way to conform, we are free to... create rooms that invigorate and express our individuality,” according to this elegant volume, which showcases modernized Victorian homes that retain some of their original character. Interior stylist Leevers (Global Style) explores the common architectural features of Victorian houses and how contemporary owners have updated them, explaining that modern open-plan designs that “integrate cooking, eating and entertaining” update partitioned Victorian floor plans that were meant to codify the “rigid gender and class divides of the day.” Leevers notes that entryways of the era were often “skinny room[s] with little natural light” and shows how interior designer Mairead Turner brightened up her entrance hall by painting the staircase light blue. Kitchens used to be secluded but now often function as the hub of family life, as seen in one home that turned what had originally been a conservatory and family room into an expansive kitchen with “a breakout seating area centred around a wood-burning stove.” Photos of the vibrant interiors are a treat, and historical tidbits enliven the proceedings (during the late 19th-century vogue for wallpaper, Queen Victoria had “all of the green wallpaper in Buckingham Palace stripped out” after discovering it was likely toxic). Colorful and informative, this delivers. (July)

Reviewed on 06/02/2023 | Details & Permalink

Ecologists Edwards and Schleiger debut with a solid manual on how California, Oregon, and Washington State residents can make their homes fire resistant and landscape responsibly. Noting that such invasive plant species as cheatgrass, broom shrubs, and yellow starthistle catch fire easily, the authors emphasize the importance of planting native flora in one’s yard. They spotlight dozens of trees, shrubs, and grasses indigenous to the West Coast, observing that red alder trees thrive in silty soil and that woolly milkweed requires little water. Edwards and Schleiger contend that while too much vegetation poses a fire hazard, too little does as well because “healthy green vegetation can capture, block, and/or slow windborne embers.” They recommend spacing out plants so that they decrease in density as one approaches the home. Solutions for protecting one’s house include installing clay or cement roofing tiles, noncombustible soffits, and double-pane windows for protection against the heat. It’s not always clear if certain suggestions stem from fire safety or tangential environmental concerns (the emphasis throughout on planting species “attractive to pollinators” doesn’t appear to offer any protective benefits), but the practical guidance on “hardening your home against fire” contains some useful tips. West Coast denizens will want to study up. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 06/02/2023 | Details & Permalink

Starting with cabernet sauvignon in January and ending with champagne in December, Petrosky (Zero Proof) lays out in this chatty handbook a 12-month plan for DIY wine tastings. Each chapter explores the history and flavor profile of a wine category, with sampling suggestions ranging in price and geography. Throughout, Petrosky shares breezy and erudite tidbits, including the importance of terroir, or environmental influences on flavor; how to set up a proper ice bucket (hint: two parts ice, one part water); and how to fight nasal fatigue. Easy small-plate recipes for pairing round out each chapter, many as simple as serving edamame with smoked sea salt while sipping riesling. More ambitious dishes include turkey pot stickers with chili oil (to be served with pinot noir), goat cheese and roasted grape crostini (with zinfandel), and spicy pineapple and mango granita (with sauvignon blanc). Tips on the logistics of hosting one’s own wine club include sharing costs and using individual (and opaque) spit cups. Petrosky recommends guests “taste, test, sip, and sniff,” then write and compare notes, before enjoying a full glass. Whether her plan is followed strictly or not, many will enjoy this lively introduction to the world of wine. (May)

Reviewed on 05/26/2023 | Details & Permalink

“Japanese vegetarian food is prepared with mindfulness,” writes Hachisu (Food Artisans of Japan) in this thought-provoking collection, before wryly admitting that it took her two decades to achieve the proper mindset about rinsing rice. That combination of gentle encouragement and humor sets this cookbook apart. The breadth of Hachisu’s knowledge is impressive, whether discussing varieties of mountain yams or conveying the experience of dining on “soul-soothing” food in a Buddhist temple. Elsewhere, she waxes eloquent about konbu kelp and small vegetable dishes, “the heartbeat of Japanese vegetarian food.” Chapters are organized by cooking method, occasionally loosely defined. For example, the chapter of stir-fried and grilled selections includes a baked gratin of pressed tofu, potatoes, bamboo, and tomato sauce. Recipes for fried foods include a salad dressed with curry vinaigrette and topped with homemade potato chips, and fried okra with seared tomatoes. Rather than attempting to imitate meat, the author allows plant-based ingredients to shine, making full use of resources: a rice dish with grated carrots incorporates the oft-discarded tops of the root vegetable, and a moist chestnut cake calls for okara, the pulp left after making tofu. A glossary and a section on sourcing hard-to-find ingredients round things out. This complex and lovingly presented effort is sure to whet appetites. (May)

Reviewed on 05/26/2023 | Details & Permalink

Head, who goes by the Instagram handle Fitwaffle, follows up Fitwaffle’s Baking it Easy with a satisfying collection designed to make baking “fun, accessible, and fuss-free.” No fancy equipment is needed; each of these recipes, whether salted caramel poke cake, classic cinnamon rolls, or cookies and cream shortbread, are made in an eight-inch square pan. Busy home bakers will be intrigued by dozens of recipes that use only five ingredients, including cherry slab pie, speculoos cheesecake bars, and peanut brittle. Those on a time crunch will also appreciate treats that employ store-bought ingredients to reduce prep time: cookies and cream–stuffed brownies call for Oreos; gingerbread cookie bars are topped with store-bought mini gingerbread men; and the apple puff tart’s crust is made of purchased pastry dough. Bakers of all levels will be able to follow Head’s straightforward instructions and practical advice. (Wrapping a slightly cooled cake in plastic wrap will help lock in moisture if frosting it the day after baking, for example.) This tasty volume will satisfy any sweet tooth pinched for time. Agents: Eve White and Ludi Cinelli, Eve White Literary. (May)

Reviewed on 05/26/2023 | Details & Permalink

Bangkok-based food blogger Nualkhair (Thailand’s Best Street Food) and Secret Kiwi Kitchen founder Taylor (Feasting on Flowers) explore classic dishes and ongoing culinary innovation in this illuminating tour of Thailand’s vibrant cuisine. The authors work region by region through the country’s “patchwork quilt” of culinary styles, retracing the historical and foreign influences that shape the flavors of each. Recipes from central Thailand’s rice region, including sweet and spicy shrimp paste fried rice and fried lacy eggs with Thai dressing, rely on building blocks of fish sauce, lemongrass, galangal, and coconut milk. Milder, northern-style meat dishes include nam prik ong, a minced pork ragu eaten with pork rinds, sticky rice, and cabbage. In Isaan, to the northeast, influences from neighboring Laos and Vietnam come through in mashed eggplant salad and spring rolls filled with minced chicken. Known for seafood and “ear-ringingly, eye-wateringly spicy” plates, southern-style favorites include steamed fish balls and glass noodle salad with deep-fried shallots. Additional chapters dedicated to dips, sauces, desserts, and tropical cocktails round things out, and a list of essential equipment, tips for preparing steamed rice, and 10 menus help make these recipes accessible. Home cooks are sure to be inspired. (May)

Reviewed on 05/26/2023 | Details & Permalink