NOV '09 - The Nyack Villager

Book Talk
How to Slice an Onion
by Bunny Crumpacker
A longtime Valley Cottage resident, Bunny
Crumpacker has credentials in catering, is the
author of at least two other delightful books
on food: e Sex Life of Food and Old-Time
Brand Name Cookbook, and writes book reviews
that appear in e Washington Post. e title
of her newest book, How to Slice an Onion, derives
from her belief that, if you can slice an
onion, you can cook almost anything—and
deftly demonstrates how it’s done.
In addition to demystifying the art of cooking,
witty Bunny fills her book with fascinating details
about food. Banana milk, she reminds
us, is the ancestor of all smoothies and that, if
you make a pinhole in the large end of an egg
before you boil it, you give the trapped air inside
the shell an escape route. e egg, she
says, “responds with gratitude” and goes through
the boiling process without cracking.
is is really a cookbook for every cook—new
and experienced and there are fascinating details
about food on every page. Who knew
Katherine Hepburn’s family brownie recipe
keeps turning up without attribution? e
funny stories will keep you chuckling even if
you never cook.
Indexed, with a useful glossary. Available in
bookstores and from St. Martin’s Press $25.99
COMMUNITY NOTES start on page 14
Russian Festival
Enjoy traditional Russian music, food, crafts
and gifts at the colorful Annual Holiday Boutique
à la Russe. Visit the parish book & gift
shop filled of imported handcrafted items
from Russia. During the festival the beautiful
18 The Nyack Villager November, 2009
Raw Food—Quick and Easy
by Mary Rydman
Here the author, a nutrition consultant, offers
raw food enthusiasts and curious others a
wealth of information, with more than100
recipes for smoothies, seasonal salads, dressings,
soups, hearty meals, snacks, and desserts.
Ms. Rydman, like many others, came to her
healthy eating choices after a serious illness,
regaining her health after she changed her diet
and lifestyle. She offers her philosophy and
life lessons along with the recipes she developed
during her healing process. Once a commuter
airline pilot, she holds a black belt in Korean
Martial Arts and teaches Radiant Life Qigong.
For more of her story, see her website,
www.originalradiance.com
Raw Food—Quick and Easy includes information
on preparing raw ingredients using techniques
like sprouting, soaking, dehydration
and warming to low temperatures. It takes
some planning, but Ms. Rydman suggests that
once you get in the groove it is easy. She provides
resources on how to obtain high quality
raw foods.
Even though vitamins and natural enzymes
are preserved when foods are eaten raw, Ms.
Rydman recommends that people not be rigid
about what they eat, and to listen to their bodies.
Even if you’re not planning to eat an exclusively
raw diet, this book has plenty to offer
in its unique salads, sauces and gravies that
work well on meats and cooked vegetables. It
is worth a look for raw food enthusiasts as well
those who enjoy exploration.
Available from Hatherleigh Press, on the web at
www.haterleighpress.com Softcover $15
gold domed church will be open for tours.
At the Holy Virgin Protection Church Hall, 51
Prospect St (cor. Cedar Hill Ave), Sat, Nov 21
10am to 6pm & Sun, Nov 22, from 11:30 to
7pm. Info: (845) 353 1155.
RCDS JOINS GREEN ALLIANCE
Rockland Country Day School is among the
newest members of Green Schools Alliance (GSA),
Hudson Valley Mediterranean
by Laura Pensiero
e author is the chef-owner of Gigi Trattoria,
a restaurant and market in Rhinebeck, NY and
a registered dietitian. Her book includes
recipes for more than 120 dishes she serves in
her restaurant, which specializes in local and
seasonal foods. In her book, she highlights
local farms with poetic narratives such as:
When I visited the Sky Farm in Millerton, NY,
tucked in a beautiful nook of land between
rolling hills…I saw a haze of purple amaranth,
typically grown for its grain, but interesting
…because of its taste and color. Lovely color
photos accompany the recipes.
Ms. Pensiero recommends using seasonal foods
when they are available in the Hudson Valley
region. Recipe titles include Mead Orchards
Chilled Peach Soup, Maple Pumpkin Polenta,
Seared Salmon Over Spring Trifolati and many
others. Ms. Pensiero spent several years in
Italy helping to run a restaurant—and it shows
in her book and its title. Hudson Valley Mediterranean
is a cookbook with a plus: recommended
reading for both literary and culinary delights—
and to get you up to speed on the local and
seasonal food movement happening throughout
the US. You will want to rush to the
kitchen and take out the pots and pans.
Available from William Morrow, Hardcover $30
If you will mail us a review copy of your book,
e Nyack Villager will try to include a brief review
in Book Talk. Preference is usually given to
books by authors who live in or near the villages
of the Hudson River Valley. Our mailing address
is 19 Mercury Drive, Pearl River, NY 10965. ✫
working with and through pre-K to grade 12
worldwide to empower youth, raise environmental
awareness, build global community, and support
school leadership to meet climate and sustainability
goals. Head of School Brian Mahoney
commented, “Our association with GSA will
help us drive our green initiatives forward.”
Community Notes conclude on page 22