Monday, December 28, 2009

A Gift to My Imagination

OK, I said I wasn't posting until 2010, but I totally lied. Turns out blogging is a wonderous procrastination tool, and I'm working on a new book...so...

Anyhow, I have a kind and generous family, and their gift-giving habits at Christmastime always remind me of this; however, of all the lovely things I received this year, the best, by far, came from Aunt Kate. Here it is:

Yes, it is a cookbook written by that Vincent Price, the one ha-ha-ha-ing at the end of Thriller. The one in Edward Scissorhands. The one from all those cheeseball Roger Corman films. Turns out he was a real Renaissance man--art collector, gourmet cook, historian, world traveller. As he and his wife Mary ate their way through major cities around the world, they collected menus and recipes and photos, all found in this stunning volume from 1962. It's so chock-full of great stories and recipes I'm reading it like a novel, my imagination taking off in all kinds of directions, always a good thing for a writer. So thanks, Auntie Kate, for searching high and low at the Winnetka Book Fair for this treasure.

Get anything really cool for Christmas/Hanukkah? Post in the comments box!

8 comments:

  1. My dad passed that book along to me some years ago and I drool over the restaurants and recipes. It is indeed a treasure, and your aunt is really cool to have sought it out for you. Happy inspiration!

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  2. Thanks, Tricia! Aren't the photos spectacular?

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  3. How cool is that? I've been trying to stay away from the blogosphere...take a break and all that, but I'm going CRAZY. So, whatever, I'm back.

    My favorite Christmas gift was a fancy new camera. Very excited to be able to take good pics of the kids and have HD video.

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  4. OMG, I tried to take a break, too. My husband made me admit I have an addiction...My name is Loretta and I can't stay away from the Internet...Next thing you know I'll be on an episode of Intervention!

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  5. What an awesome gift! I once got a two-volume antique dictionary set from my sister. It has words like "PERTH" (a shade of bluish-gray) and "Corbie Crows" (Scottish crows that eat dead meat) in it. Totally rocks! And I know what you mean about blogging to procrastinate. Love it!

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  6. Hey, Bethany! Welcome!

    I'm loving the word "Perth" and I'm going to start using it in everyday conversation. Your sister is awesome! What a wonderful (and useful) gift.

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  7. no freaking WAY. That is awesome.

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