I was in NYC yesterday, walking across town, wondering what happened to the Fishs Eddy store that used to be there (Note: the Fish's Eddy store is still there, just at 19th and Broadway, not at 13th Street, where I was), when I spied the Strand Bookstore. My friend George is always talking about the Strand, and his inability to leave the store without a bagful of books, but my memory of the Strand was of a series of kiosks by Central Park, not a stand-alone bookstore. In I went. Danger ahead.
The Strand is like a bookstore on steroids. There are miles of books there, several floors, really high, really full shelves, new, used, everything. I only scratched the surface as I had a train to catch, but if you go, allocate a good bit of time. And I will give you a list of things to look for for me.
The little time I had was spent in the cooking section. Shock and surprise. They have an area clearly labeled for books about tea and coffee, and another for entertaining. Most bookstores have these areas as well, but they shrink every year until they are subsumed into "general cooking." I came away with four books - three about tea, and one about table setting. Stay tuned for reviews of these...
I'm surprised I don't have this book from the mid-80s by Michael Smith. But my list says no. I need to double-check. If I have two, who wants the other copy?
Most of the tablescapes in this book are far too unrealistic and over-the-top for me, but I'm hoping to get some good ideas.
The couple that wrote this book have a few others published as well. All of their books are really just recipe books from their bed-and-breakfast, but I always like seeing what recipes people choose for a themed tea party.
Although it is unlikely I will ever make my own tea from homegrown plants, you never know...
What books are you reading this winter?
No comments:
Post a Comment