Lynda Brown

I nabbed Preserve It! (edited by Lynda Brown) from the library because I liked the cover and have an ongoing interest in the subject matter.

I've canned for a few years, and although I haven't been the most adventurous canner, I have a grasp on the basics. I didn't expect to find much that I didn't know already, but I was pleasantly surprised -- Preserve It! covers the basics of most preservation methods out there, from in-ground storage to curing. I enjoyed paging through it, and while I am not going to make gravlax anytime soon, it's interesting to read how it's done.

I like the layout of the book, too. Each method has its own section, and at the beginning of the section there's a recipe that walks you through the steps of, say, freezing. After that there are a few different recipes using that method. Also included in each section is a spread that pictures the foods best suited for that method.

The recipe I tried first was Cilantro Walnut Pesto, which I LOVED, although my husband said "it tastes like leaves and oil." TO BE FAIR, it basically IS leaves and oil. I probably should have put it on something first instead of having him taste it straight, oops. The recipes, according to the acknowledgments, were compiled from a few different sources, so most of them can probably be found online, but it's nice to be able to page through them.

Ultimately, Preserve It! is more of a beginner's overview of preserving than anything else. If you know what you're doing already, it might not be worth a purchase, but it's a good introduction to different preservation methods, and it's fun to browse through for inspiration.… (mehr)

De las mermeladas tradicionales a los exóticos chutneys, de la elaboración de vino al ahumado, del escabeche al secado, estamos ante un completo (y exhaustivo) manual de cómo realizar conservas, partiendo siempre de la premisa de la frescura y calidad de los alimentos con que se realizan, en pro de una alimentación sana y natural. En sus páginas se dan las claves de cada una de las técnicas, acompañadas de fotografías paso a paso, y se adjuntan más de 180 recetas de carácter tradicional, fáciles de hacer en casa con un equipo sencillo y adaptadas a la cocina moderna, potenciando el uso de conservantes naturales y la reducción de la cantidad de azúcar.… (mehr)

Being an insomnia sufferer, I've been intruiged by this book ever since I saw it in the UK. It was the cover, and it's clever drawing, that first drew me in. Having now acquired and read a copy of the book (mostly in the wee hours of the morning when I can't sleep) I have to say I've been disappointed. Brown has set out to write a book that tries to be many things: a memoir, a catalog of remedies, a discussion of theories of sleeplessness. As so often happens in these cases, the book doesn't really manage to do any of the above tremendously well. It provides a little of all of the above, but most remain unsatisfying.

Brown herself is an insomnia sufferer, and thus, she speaks from experience. She is not afraid to give her personal evaluation of products and methods, noting what worked for her and what did not, but she is also always careful to note that what worked for her is not necessarily going to be the best for others. That said, it is important to reconize that Brown's approach is decidedly pro-complementary therapies, and she has little use for sleeping pills. Introducing the reader to new complementary therapies that he or she might not have yet considered is likely the book's most significant contribution, and Brown has taken great care to provide a comprehensive appendix of remedies, specialists, and resources for insomniacs.

What I found most difficult to accept about this book, howeverr, is that one of Brown's main contentions is that one of the best things an insomniac can do is to release their anxiety about not sleeping. To a point, that is certainly correct. It's hard to sleep when one is anxious about not sleeping. But Brown seems to take this notion a step further, suggesting that if people give themselves permission to not try to live up to an 8 hours/night standard, this will help alleviate much of their mental anguish. But insomniac's aren't upset or anxious about not sleeping because they're not living up to a stated ideal. Rather, people know just how miserable they'll be the next day if they don't get a certain amount of sleep, and giving oneself permission to not sleep is not going to help that.

In sum, people who are looking for new alternative and non-Western approaches to dealing with insomnia will find a good catalogue of remedies here. Those who want to consider drug therapies along with complementary treatments may be better served elsewhere.… (mehr)