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Food with Attitude: Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot and Bitchin’ Kitchen

17 Dec

Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot
by Alexis Hall
Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot is the third LGBTQ Romance novel in Hall’s Winner Bakes All Series about a British cooking competition in the vein of the Great British Baking Show (or Bake-off depending on which side of the Atlantic you are on). I enjoyed books one (Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake) and two (Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble) in the series, but was especially interested in this entry which focuses on a romance between the foul-mouthed producer Jennifer Hallet and a feisty contestant on the latest season of the show. I couldn’t wait to see the grumpy Hallet show some vulnerability and fall in love and Audrey was a charmer. I liked how the experience of Bake Off helped Audrey work through some previous feelings of inadequacy and find a place for herself where she could not only be valued, but also value herself. Each book in the series take place in different seasons so it is not necessary to read them in any particular order though this worked well as a satisfying end to the trilogy. Alexis Hall is being spotlighted on Hoopla this month, where you can checkout many of his great novels!

Bitchin’ Kitchen
Back when the Cooking Channel first spun off of Food Network they would often air original programs that were filmed in Canada. One of the quirkiest of these was Nadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen which was like if you merged a cooking show with a PG version of Pee Wee’s Playhouse. Besides Nadia, there are three additional over the top actors who play experts and provide information on things like spices and the health benefits of foods. Nadia whose family immigrated from Italy, grew up in Montreal so often her dishes put a twist on Italian food or work in popular French Canadian ingredients like Maple Syrup. Each episode has a theme like Recession Recipes or Childhood Favorites. One of the craziest moments was season 2’s Christmas Special which featured a goofy music video including other foodie personalities such as Andrew Zimmer, the Black Metal Chef and the Epic Meal Time Crew (Nadia is also a musician). Bitchin’ Kitchen ran for three seasons before spinning off to the travel show Bite This with Nadia G. This cult show isn’t for everyone, but if you are looking for a truly unusual, edgy cooking program then this one might be a treat.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Toy Stories for the Young at Heart: Barbieland and Toys That Built America

3 Dec

Barbieland: The Unauthorized History
by Tarpley Hilt
Barbie was always my favorite toy as a little girl; I still remember fondly the Western Barbie who could wink as one of my first dolls and recently I purchased a Camping Fun Barbie for my niece, who loves to go rock climbing, (Barbie can do anything). So I was interested to read more about how the famous doll got her start and evolved over the years. As the title states Barbieland isn’t authorized by Mattel, which means Hitt was limited in some of her access to the company and current goings on, but what readers get instead are some juicy details that an “approved” version might leave out. Barbieland is Hilt’s first book, but I hope she writes more pop culture histories in the future since she has a great voice that made this book fun as well as informative to read; even if you aren’t a Barbie fan this insight into the inner workings of toy manufacturing should be riveting and if you do love Barbie than this is a must read. It is interesting to view the last 50 years of feminist and capitalist history by the path of one tiny pair of high heeled feet.

The Toys that Built America Documentary Series
I always enjoy the History Channel series about significant innovations and innovators that helped shape America from TV Icons like Johnny Carson to food like Dunkin Donuts. They always add a sense of drama and intrigue with their recreations of significant moments. Season 1 of Toys that Built America is available from Kanopy which includes topics like Ruth Handler’s creation of Barbie and the competition between Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers in the creation of board games. Season 2 of Toys that Built America is available from Hoopla which looks at all American creations like Cabbage Patch Kids and some toys that got their start oversees like the Super Mario Brothers; fittingly for this time of year there is one episode specifically about Christmas Crazes. I thought Lego especially has an interesting back story. This is a fun show to watch with the family and feel nostalgic and learn some interesting facts about what it takes for toys to go from ideas to store shelves.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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