It Came From Berkeley reviewed in the San Francisco Chronicle

'It Came From Berkeley': Wackiness in context
Justin Berton
Wednesday, October 15, 2008

If Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly ever reads local journalist and Chronicle contributor Dave Weinstein's book, "It Came From Berkeley: How Berkeley Changed the World," O'Reilly might be amused to learn that the lefty college town originally was founded on religion, as a moral retreat from that Sodom and Gomorrah across the bay, San Francisco.

"Berkeley was always meant to be a place apart," Weinstein said. "A really moral, quiet place, where intellectuals could meditate, surrounded by nature."

The description still fits, even if downtown is more crowded by men who wear pink tutus while riding unicycles.

But for anyone who has wondered how and why Berkeley became an adjective meaning zany-liberal-smarty-pants, Weinstein tracks down the historical and cultural dominoes that led to milestones such as the Free Speech Movement, bans on plastic foam cups, traffic "calming" roundabouts and, of course, tree-sitting.
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Get Raw!

Raw food chef and cookbook author Matthew Kenney (Everyday Raw and the upcoming Entertaining in the Raw) has launched two new websites. These two sites are designed to help educate the public about the benefits of eating raw food. Questions are answered, recipes shared, and insights are relayed.
Check out the sites:

• http://www.matthewkenneylifestyle.com/


• http://www.matthewkenneycuisine.com/

'Dreamy Creamy Carrot Cake' on Good Things Utah

Anyone for Jell-O?

Melissa Barlow and Jennifer Adams, authors of 101 Things to Do with Gelatin are being featured in today's issue of The Deseret News. The great article also highlights four delicious recipes from the cookbook. I can't wait to try out that Key Lime Pie! Check out the article here.

And I just couldn't resist posting this great masterpiece of Photoshop (sorry ladies!) that ran with the feature. (credit: Deseret News)

Havana Before Castro author invited to book festival

As the great reviews continue pouring in, Peter Moruzzi, author of Havana Before Castro, received a coveted invitation to speak at the Miami International Book Festival in November. While in Florida, the author is planning several slide show/lectures and signings throughout the area. For updated information, log on to http://www.havanabeforecastro.com/

Speaking of reviews, here are a few worth noting:

“A jaunty, poignant portrait of the city in its pre-revolutionary heyday as a Caribbean playground. [The book] goes a long way toward filling in the mental picture of a city that has been enticingly evoked by movies such as "Our Man in Havana" (1959) and "The Godfather: Part II" (1974).”

– The Wall Street Journal

“If you’re looking for images, “Havana Before Castro” has them in bulk. Peter Moruzzi’s infatuation with Cuba is illustrated in grand and grandiose style. It’s a pop-culture potpourri.”

– Newsday

“[The book] really put me there: It made me feel like I was staying in towering modernist hotels, ogling dancing girls at nightclubs like the Montmartre, swilling mojitos with Graham Greene and Meyer Lansky, and tapping my toes to the Orquestra Aragón.”

– Los Angeles Times

“The glamour of Old Cuba with its music, nightlife, culture and tropical beauty is perfectly expressed in these pages.”

– Desi Arnaz Jr.

“…[includes] scores of photos that feature mid-century modern architecture – still the best, if you ask my opinion.”

– Tampa Tribune

“A beautiful book that is a wonderful visual complement to 'Havana Nocturne.' It's easy to picture Havana in the 1950s because so much remains unchanged -- the cars, the clothes, the casinos waiting for a new government.”

– The Oregonian

Fall into Cooking with Food Festivals of Italy

Chef Leonardo Curti's recipe for Totelloni di Zucca(Handcrafted tortelloni filled with pumpkin) from the beautiful book Food Festivals of Italy is now being featured on Amazon.com's "Fall into Cooking" feature. Check it out here.

What a perfect recipe for the crisp autumn evenings and a fantastic way to use up those pumpkins growing in the garden patch.

Dinner Co-ops soothe stress during tough economic times

Co-author of Dinner at Your Door, Alex Davis, explains how starting a dinner co-op can soothe stress during an economic downswing

Living it up in tough times

"Since food is typically one of the largest expenses in a household, conventional wisdom tells us we should all be huddled in the kitchen eating PB and J’s for dinner while we glumly sip our water. But we in dinner co-ops are quietly thumbing our noses at the financial meltdown. At least when it comes to dinner.

"When we launched our dinner co-ops, we gave up takeout during the week, along with hurried, unsatisfying restaurant meals that never seem worth the money. We also stopped buying those lame supermarket ingredients you keep around for when you have no better idea. We transferred these funds into a virtual purse we can spend at the gourmet store, farmers market, butcher and baker on a single menu for the week. When you focus most of your weekly shopping on a single exciting menu—shopping is quicker, easier, and a lot more fun. Last week I found myself buying wild mushrooms and phyllo dough, ripe peaches to grill with basil—and for the first time, TRUFFLE OIL. Sound expensive? It was a fraction of what we would’ve paid to eat out. Don’t let Wall Street get you down. Get together with your favorite cooks and let the good times roll." - Alex Davis, co-author of Dinner at Your Door.

Consider creating your own dinner co-op with Dinner at Your Door, by Alex Davis, Diana Ellis and Andy Remeis.

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