"Make the Bread, Buy the Butter", by Jennifer Reese, is a fabulous, fascinating find for foodies! This is an entertaining encyclopedia of the pros and cons of making food from scratch rather than automatically buying it ready-made (see my review)

Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should and Shouldn't Cook from Scratch -- Over 120 Recipes for the Best Homemade Foods 

When Jennifer Reese lost her job, she was overcome by an impulse common among the recently unemployed: to economize by doing for herself what she had previously paid for. She had never before considered making her own peanut butter and pita bread, let alone curing her own prosciutto or raising turkeys. And though it sounded logical that "doing it yourself" would cost less, she had her doubts. So Reese began a series of kitchen-related experiments, taking into account the competing demands of everyday contemporary American family life as she answers some timely questions: When is homemade better? Cheaper? Are backyard eggs a more ethical choice than store-bought? Will grinding and stuffing your own sausage ruin your week? Is it possible to make an edible maraschino cherry? Some of Reese's discoveries will surprise you: Although you should make your hot dog buns, guacamole, and yogurt, you should probably buy your hamburger buns, potato chips, and rice pudding. Tired? Buy your mayonnaise. Inspired? Make it.

With its fresh voice and delightful humor, Make the Bread, Buy the Butter gives 120 recipes with eminently practical yet deliciously fun "Make or buy" recommendations. Reese is relentlessly entertaining as she relates her food and animal husbandry adventures, which amuse and perplex as well as nourish and sustain her family. Her tales include living with a backyard full of cheerful chickens, muttering ducks, and adorable baby goats; countertops laden with lacto-fermenting pickles; and closets full of mellowing cheeses. Here's the full picture of what is involved in a truly homemade life -- with the good news that you shouldn't try to make everything yourself -- and how to get the most out of your time in the kitchen.

MY REVIEW:  "Make the Bread, Buy the Butter", by Jennifer Reese, is a fabulous, fascinating find for foodies! This is an entertaining encyclopedia of the pros and cons of making food from scratch rather than automatically buying it ready-made at the store. While I didn't always agree with the opinions and personal choices of Jennifer Reese, I have a tremendous respect for her expertise and love of subject. She writes with a sharp wit and a deglamorized, revealing look at her own life. This book is chock-full of delicious recipes and offers great insight into what is practical and what is not worth the trouble when it comes to preparing many of our favorite foods. The numerous references from popular American culture add extra emphasis to many of the observations made by Ms. Reese. This lady has mucho moxie! I am now a follower of her popular weblog, "The Tipsy Baker". I plan to try quite a few of the recipes in the book, especially "Skippy's Apricot Cake"--a simple recipe using a lemon cake mix enriched by the addition of apricot nectar. Sounds tangy-sweet and terrific, and my taste buds wait in impatient anticipation!

Book Copy Gratis Simon & Schuster

Jennifer Reese



Jennifer Reese has been a professional journalist all of her adult life, working mostly for national magazines, and has been an avid, adventurous home cook for even longer, which she blogs about at the Tipsy Baker (tipsybaker.com) as well as for online publications like Slate. Reese also teaches cooking classes in Marin County, California, where she lives with her family.  

http://www.tipsybaker.com/