Skip to main content

New York A La Cart by Alexandra Penfold and Siobhan Wallace

Concept: Stories and recipes behind some of New York City's food carts. A brief history of food carts is given.The authors illustrates well how most of the people who run food carts are immigrants trying to make their way in a new country. They explain how difficult it is to get the proper permits and then to find safe locations at which to sell. Each entry then gives a background on the person/people running the cart and gives the background on how they came make to food they make. 

Food type: Mixed - lunch ideas, snacks, and desserts. The idea behind a food cart is cheap (under $10), but good food that office/construction workers can get quickly during their lunch breaks.  

Monologue score (1-10) (how entertaining, not the recipes): 7 

Difficulty level: Varies, but overall not difficult. We're talking about people who make food in a food truck or in small kitchens to peddle throughout the day. Some recipes do have quite a few ingredients (mostly meats that simmer in a sauce). And some have regional/international ingredients that most might not have in their regular supply.  

Approximate percentage of recipes I would be willing to try: 50%


Sample recipes I'm interested in trying:

  • Atol De Elote - Guatemalan Sweetened Hot Corn Drink
  • Dirty Mint Ice Cream - made with brown sugar rather than white sugar
  • Kofta - Moroccan Spiced Meatballs
  • Corn Waffles
  • Strawberry Ice - like shaved ice, but the flavor is right in the ice rather than pored on top

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

Summary: Every book needs you to turn the pages. But not every book needs you to tap it, shake it, jiggle it, or even blow it a kiss. Innovative and timeless, Tap the Magic Tree asks you to help one lonely tree change with the seasons. It begins with a bare brown tree. But tap that tree, turn the page, and one bright green leaf has sprouted! Tap again—one, two, three, four—and four more leaves have grown on the next page. Pat, clap, wiggle, jiggle, and see blossoms bloom, apples grow, and the leaves swirl away with the autumn breeze. (Amazon) Attention Span/reading level: Perfect for my three year old. I would say that ages 2-10 would really enjoy something like this. It really keeps kids engaged and makes them feel like part of the story. There is one word to one sentence per page. Good uses for book in teaching: Interaction, that the reader takes part in making the story, what a tree can do (leaves, blossoms, fruit) Favorite part:      Child: The fact that ...

Improbable Libraries Alex Johnson

Concept: " A visual journey to the world's most unusual libraries." Author : Alex Johnson, a journalist and consultant . Both parents were librarians.  Monologue score  (1-10) (how entertaining): 8 - Overall I found this book quite interesting. I loved seeing all the ways that people were working to bring books into the community and how many were trying to create a sense of community through books. The pictures did a great job of helping to visualize how these libraries are being used.  Difficulty level: 3- Not very hard. Each of the seven sections (Libraries on the Move, Animal Libraries,Tiny Libraries, Big Libraries, Home Libraries, Mobile Libraries, and Not Libraries) starts with a short introduction and then gives a picture (or three) of the library described.  What I Learned/Review:  I really found this to be an enlightening and uplifting book. Having been a librarian and having a love for books in general it warms my heart to see all the ways that ...

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Brief synopsis (no spoilers) Vin relies on her fighting skills, and a little extra "luck" to survive in the thief's world. Then comes Kelsier, a master thief and planner, showing her that what she calls luck is really much more. Kelsier and his crew plan to use a variety of special powers to free an entire population of slaves, including themselves, from tyranny. But, as always, there's far more to the story. Category Science Fiction or Fantasy Why I chose this book Rated highly on the library site My personal opinion (the review) Definitely the best story I've read in the past year. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series. Special abilities, fighting, romance, social justice - this has it all. And not a single bad word or uncomfortable situation. Warnings Language: None Violence: frequent, some mildly graphic "Adult" situations: None Death: Some, and of major characters Movie rating equivalent PG-13 Protagon...