Alyssa Shelasky’s Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs in and Out of the Kitchen was just one of those books I snagged while browsing the new arrivals before we shelved them with the new books. It was a happy accident when I plucked it from the cart and read the amusing title, recalling the ridiculous events of the night before, me trying to be the good wife and making a quick and easy pizza for my hubby. Needless to say it wasn’t as quick or as easy as I’d anticipated. Without considering another selection I checked out Apron Anxiety. I was in the mood for something different, something real and sassy, not to in-depth, but relatable and like a well-executed menu it was tasteful and I consumed it.
Apron Anxiety’s ingredients: equal parts girl meets boy, a heavy poring of a broken heart, a handful of close and supportive family & friends, a little bit of crazy, and a dash of “I can do it” and you’ve got yourself the makings of an entertaining, funny, heartfelt tale. This story is a self-aware and witty blog turned memoir of a city girl writer turned blogger and her wildly convoluted love affair with writing and…the kitchen.
Successful magazine writer, Alyssa Shelasky can’t even make tea when she’s feeling down. She doesn’t even see the reason for swooning over a masterfully prepared meal. And she certainly doesn’t know anything about recognizable soon to be chef-star, who she just so happens to find cute after an interview (or was it a first date). After hitting it off they embark on a tumultuous romance in D.C., far away from the comfort and joys of the life Shelasky knows and loves. Despite her restlessness, unemployment (with dwindling bank account) and sulkiness she plunges into making a home for her and her blooming love with ‘Chef” (as she dutifully names him), painstakingly picking out furniture, area rugs and accents for their corner apartment on C Street. Chef works all the time; his long hours are tough on their relationship and Shelasky finds herself unfocused and underappreciated. As their relationship stalls Shelasky finds herself in the land of foodies and can’t seem to figure out how to boil water. Equal parts frustrated, bummed and displaced; she recognizes things have to change or like a soufflé she’s going to collapse. After months of meticulously furnishing their apartment, semiconsciously looking for employment and Chef constantly bailing on their life plans, Shelasky, mainly driven by self-preservation embarks on a self-guided culinary tour. Hence crafting her blog Apron Anxiety and leading herself and others flavorfully though a multitude of complicated love affairs.
I am, by no means, a cooking buff. I occasionally enjoy watching the food network and often find myself salivating over their tasty concoctions. I puzzle over how they think to put various ingredients together; blending something so savory in less time than it takes me to find my measuring cup. I am a frequent taste tester for my hubby who does wholeheartedly enjoy cooking (and who happens to be pretty good). I’ll try whatever he’s mixing up in his test kitchen and between reading a number of cookery books and his gallant efforts on including me while he cooks; my own interest in baking has been stirred. It’s the preciseness and control of baking with the puff of its cloud confection I love. Shelasky’s approach to cooking is much the same. She despite all her challenges and apprehension wants to enjoy and share her result; she wants to be proud of them. She loves the feeling of whipping something scrumptious up for others to devour. Yet even after all herself-taught accomplishments in the kitchen, Chef’s world is merciless and she is still on the outside looking in. All in all I could easily relate to Shelasky’s journal like accounts of her glitz and glam writing career, her passionate and frustrating battles with love and initial trepidation within the kitchen.
Readers will enjoy Shelasky’s style: glitzy magazine writer- turned blogger-turned Grub Street Editor; savoring all her mixings of love, adventure and accomplishments, in and out of the kitchen. Apron Anxiety is a quick, engaging read, sprinkled with recipes amid life’s challenging chapters. It’s perfect for the beach or for satisfying a sweet and salty mood. If you like books filled with love and food, you’ll find Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs in and Out of the Kitchen as entertaining and delicious as I did.
Click here to reserve your copy of Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs In and Out of the Kitchen by Alyssa Shelasky.
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