Husbands That Cook
Soon enough, a literary agent who specializes in cookbooks gave them a call and their blog began to beget Husbands that Cook, (St. Martin’s Press, $32.50. www.husbandsthatcook.com) the book . “You’re probably wondering who are these drop-dead gorgeous guys on the cover,” writes Merrin in his introduction, tongue firmly planted in cheek. With a handful of exceptions, none of the over 125 recipes here have been featured on their blog, though they’ve been written in the same friendly style. Mentioned almost as an afterthought in a subtitle is the fact that all of the couple’s recipes are vegetarian. Which is not to say hippie food. The cakes and cookies are rich with butter and sugar, the soups and entrées hearty and flavorful enough to please any meat eater. Rather than esoteric new-fangled dishes, the focus is on homey satisfaction and foods that conjure fond memories for the authors, from the empanadas Alvarez’s grandmother used to make to a friend’s Life Changing Cornbread (Spoiler alert: Sour cream). Merrin confesses to having been intimidated by kitchens and cooking in the not-so-distant past and assures potential book buyers that the recipes here are easy enough for even the likes of him.[/columns]
The Bucket List: Places to Find Peace and Quiet
There are Urban Oases, including the likes of Portland’s elegant Tao of Tea and the conveniently secluded Georg Kolbe Museum and Café, down a tiny alley in the heart of Berlin; Mind, Body, Soul spots like the Temazcal Mayan sweat lodges in Tulum, Mexico or Jerusalem’s Deir Es-Sultan, a Coptic monastery; Great Outdoors locations, such the marble caves in Chile Chico, Chile, which you can float through by boat atop a gleaming blue glacial lake; and Luxury Layovers, including the remote Kooljaman resort in Western Australia and Tokyo’s Henn-Na Hotel, where you’re sure to be left alone—it’s staffed almost entirely by robots.
Art After Stonewall: 1969-1989
Along with widely known artists, including Robert Mapplethorpe, Nan Goldin, and Keith Haring, this heavily illustrated volume (more than 200 images) will introduce readers to the likes of Harmony Hammond, Ashton Harris, and Greer Langton, all of whom had pivotal, if underrecognized roles in the revolution of representation that went on for queer America during these two dramatic decades of change.
Drag: Combing Through the Big Wigs of Show Business
From the gender-bending traditions of kabuki theater, through Victorian-era vaudeville, through straight-centric Some Like It Hot, Tootsie, and Mrs. Doubtfire (Oddly absent: Flip Wilson’s Geraldine), all the way to Courtney Act, DeCaro humorously traces not just the history of drag performance, but the evolving psychology of both performers and audiences over time. Drag is a cheerful, colorful corrective for the ignorant and a sashay down Memory Lane for the wise old queens among us.
AIRPLANE READ OF THE MONTH
