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Bowls of Fun: Automatic Noodle and Kawaii Cafe Ramen

13 Aug

Automatic Noodle
by Annalee Newitz
Annalee Newitz’s latest novella, Automatic Noodle, is a clever cozy post-apocalytic tale of a group of robots who decide to open up a noodle shop. This a sweet found family story about robots who seek to find their own identity in a postwar California which has separated from the rest of the US and allowed robots limited freedom. Newitz’s creations are all unique; one is described as being octopus like while another appears human from her top half though she has no legs. It is interesting to see the robots explore their world from their programmed human pov and then gradually develop a uniquely robot perspective. Despite its short length it explores interesting concepts of identity and prejudice. With the rise of Ai, it was especially compelling to me, to explore at what point a human created machine might be thought of as a unique individual consciousness. If you enjoy Automatic Noodles, you might also enjoy checking out Newitz’s debut novel Autonomous, which looks at some similar issues with one of the main characters being an indentured robot.

Kawaii Cafe Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home
by Amy Kimoto-Kahn
After reading Automatic Noodles you will definitely be craving a big bowl of noodles, but if you want to try your hand at making your own rather than stopping by a Shaanxi style BiangBiang noodle shop like in Automatic Noodles or your favorite Pho or Ramen shop, then you will want to check out Amy Kimoto-Kahn’s Kawaii Cafe Ramen. This fun book includes instructions in how to make ramen noodles, a variety of soup bases including miso and tonkotsu as well as how to make a variety of toppings like tamagoyaki (Japanese style omlete), kakuni (braised pork belly), and my family’s favorite ajitsuke tamago (marinated half-cooked eggs). Then of course there are suggestions for complete composed dishes such as a Hawaiian inspired Kulua Pork and Cabbage Ramen, Furikake Salmon Ramen, and even a Good Morning Ramen perfect for breakfast. Rather than having photo illustration there are kawaii manga style drawings of the food some complete with cute smiley faces and adorable kittens wanting to sample the tasty creations. Kimoto-Kahn is a fourth-generation Japanese American who went to Japan to explore ramen in its birthplace as well as getting inspiration from the top Ramen places in her home state of California and old Japanese American cookbooks. My son especially is a huge Ramen fan so I look forward to trying some of these dishes with my family.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Baking Fun: Sweet Farm! and Baking Yesteryear

19 Feb

Sweet Farm!
by Molly Yeh
I’ve been following Molly Yeh since back in her blogger days when she published her memoir Molly on the Range about her move from NYC to her husband’s family beet farm so I jumped at a chance when I could get a copy of her latest cookbook from Netgalley and the publisher. Yeh has become a star on Food Network with her show Girl Meets Farm and judging appearances on a variety of competitions and now owns her own restaurant. I loved the marzipan chocolate chip cookies from her second book Home is Where the Eggs Are so I looked forward to her latest cookbook Sweet Farm! Her recipes often feel both homey and exotic with their mix of cultures from her Jewish and Chinese heritage as well as time living in the Chicago area, NYC, and her in-laws Scandinavian/Midwestern roots. We tried baking up the raspberry coconut cinnamon version of her jam bars which were very tasty. There are also two other versions one with plum hazelnut five-spice, and another with apple cardamom marzipan that also sound delicious. I appreciate the fact that Yeh isn’t afraid to use floral fragrances in some of her bakes like rose essence and lavender. My Parisian grandmother always used to make financiers for Christmas; I’m looking forward to Yeh’s version which adds rainbow chocolate chips for a kid friendly spin and I’m also plan trying the Nutella version of her nutbar recipe. If you are looking for fun twists on some classics sweets than this cookbook should delight. Yeh fans will also enjoy some insights into life on the farm including what it is like farming sugar beets and what sugar beet farmers do during the winter months. Checkout Sweet Farm! when it comes out on March 4!

Baking Yesteryear
by B Dylan Hollis
Baking Yesteryear features recipes from B Dylan Hollis whose Youtube/Tiktok shorts are always a fun mix of goofy humor and retro baking. Hollis was born in Bermuda before coming to the United States for school. Viewers are never sure whether a quirky old timey recipe will turn out yummy or yucky. Most of the recipes in the cookbook are from the yummy category, although there are a few worst of recipes for those wanting to try something truly awful like a Jell-O molded spaghetti-Os salad. The recipes are primarily broken up by decade and span from the 1900’s to the 1980’s. There is also a specific chapter though for dates (the fruit). A brief background of the origin of the recipe and historic context is given. My family tried baking five of the cookie recipes in the book for Christmas this year including Peanut Butter Styrofoams (my son’s favorites), ANZAC Biscuits (my favorites), Potato Chip Cookies (my husband’s favorites), Starchies, and Sour Cream Cookies. The first three we would definitely bake again. The Starchies were a little on the dry side though there may have been a slight baking error in that the recipe states they should not brown and ours definitely had a brownish color on the edges. Another recipe I look forward to trying is the Kiskadee Fantasy which comes from Hollis’s Bermudian father and is named after a common bird on the island. I also can’t wait for May when his next cookbook Baking Across America: A Vintage Recipe Road Trip will be published.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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