At the beach a few weeks ago I finished, Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs In and Out of the Kitchen. If you read the author's blog, then you know this "tell-all memoir" (<air quotes) describes Alyssa Shelasky and Good Stuff Eatery's Spike Mendelsohn's rocky relationship, with food tales tossed in (including a few tasty sounding recipes).
Yes, it's a bit trashy, and that's exactly why I liked it.
Ms. Shelasky is a good writer. She has a voice and a style all her own. I'm fond of her Carrie-like gift for asking pop candy questions ("When did tweeting become the new chain smoking?") and for zippy lines ( "Zagat is my Zoloft"). Apron Anxiety's pages kept me busy for a few hours, as I relaxed in my beach chair at the water's edge.
Here's the run down:
Hate that she refers to Spike Mendelsohn as Chef throughout the entire book. Not because it's a preposterous and failed anonymity tool (it is!), but because I think that referring to someone as "Chef" is the same as calling someone with a PhD "Dr."--- it just isn't necessary unless you are in a formal situation (i.e., not a kitchen) and it sounds pretentious, especially when that someone owns a hamburger joint. Absurd!
Love that she admits to pulling this crazy shit: "I start drinking at noon and logging in and out of his e-mail to read the latest slutty note from some sex-deprived housewife, or the details of his travel itineraries to places I've always wanted to visit yet haven't been invited to."
And if reading your boyfriend's email isn't crazy enough for you, there's this "One afternoon I'm feeling so unsteady and insecure about all his female fans, and the fact that he's usually perceived as single in the press, that I drink screwdrivers like it's my job and send anonymous sightings of us 'looking very much in love' into the Washington Post from a fake e-mail account." Mental!
Love that she loves her family.
Hate that she won't stop it with the New York is so much better than DC! crap and expresses general disdain for Washingtonians, stopping just short of calling everyone who lives here douchers. I have the same problem with her ex who is has been known to refer to himself as a big fish in a small pond. Now that's douchy!
Love that she and Spike shared a fondness for crap TV and made many evenings of watching American Idol.
Hate that she doesn't actually like eating food. She uses it as an accessory. I would love for her to put her writing skills towards describing how food tastes or how it makes her feel, instead she wears tangines like designer jeans: it's more about who made it, how it looks on her, and what it says about her lifestyle. As she says, "I look good in foodie." But does it matter? Not really, because this book is not about the food, it's about the "relationchef."
Love the way she wrapped up the ending (you'll have to read it).
Love that she didn't let the fact that they broke up while she was writing the book (and that it was originally supposed to be a love story with a happy ending), stop her from finishing the book. Go girl!
Love her recipe for chicken (I'm hungry and important).
Buy it here. It only costs $10 bucks.
Have you read it? What did you think?
______________________________________________________________________
HERB-CRUSTED CHICKEN
(For Hungry and Important People)
From Apron Anxiety (hat tip to Elle for saving me from typing it)
Serves 6
Ingredients:
6 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
6 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Cup plain dry bread crumbs
6 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp pepper
2 Lemons, cut into wedges for garnish
1. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap to 1/2- to 3/4-inch thickness. {Arugula Files Note: I don't have a meat mallet so I used my cast iron skillet}
2. Arrange the chicken in a 15" × 10" × 2" glass baking dish. Pour the lemon juice over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for one hour.
3. Remove the chicken from the dish and pat it dry with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
4. Melt the butter with the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Set aside to let cool slightly. Then mix the bread crumbs, basil, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
5. Brush the chicken breasts on both sides with the melted-butter-and-oil mixture. Then coat the breasts on both sides with the bread-crumb mixture. Place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake until the bread crumbs are golden and chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
6. Transfer to plates or serve family-style on a single platter. Garnish with the lemon wedges and serve. {Arugula Files Note: I garnished with olives and salad}
