Edible Alchemy : Making Life Magic

Rating:
Summary: A Little Book of Good Life Musings
Review: Edible Alchemy is a lovely sampler of foods and places around the world for the armchair traveler and the armchair gourmand. I found the section about how different cultures celebrate holidays to be particularly interesting. The four cultures Paget touches on are Greek Orthodox (New Year's and Epiphany foods, mainly cake); Muslim (breaking the Ramadan fast with tea and cookies); Jewish (meals for Rosh Hashana); Latino (celebrating the Day of the Dead).

I also liked the ironic story Paget tells about losing 25 pounds on her honeymoon, because this restaurant reviewer and foodie was so busy touring Italy, France, and Spain that she never really sat down long enough to eat!

For people native to or visiting the Monterey, California area, Paget's restaurant review section is a useful guide to places to eat, covering a range of ethnic foods.

Edible Alchemy is coming-of-age book about a family with one foot in Europe and one foot in the United States. It is a little book of good life musings most readers will enjoy, woven around helpful food tips and engaging anecdotes.