Where there's smoke, there might be cigarettes

This book was my cocktail hour reading a few weeks ago. I had to pick it up, because just look at the cover!

I love the way the graphic floats dreamily on the green background, pretending it's real grass. Peering into the scene, I can almost taste the creamy, cigarette-ash flavored cheese, and the sugary zing of the Riesling. Unfortunately the book's contents were very disappointing, so don't rush out to buy it. But it did get me thinking about the whole smoke while you eat thing. 

Or even, smoke while you cook. 

And so I went in search of books which seem to combine the two. I couldn't find many, but check this one out:

What I don't understand is if she's so busy, why is she simply standing still, holding a spoon and staring deep into the burning ember? You'd think she'd at least turn toward the stove and give a pot a stir. Makes me think there's more than just tobacco in that cigarette.

Contrast this woman:

I like her a great deal more. Unlike with the previous book, this lady doesn't bother pretending. She's going to sit down and enjoy herself, and she doesn't care who knows it. Bubbling pots be damned.

Given how common smoking was, I'm surprised I couldn't find more cookbooks with smoking women on the cover. I uncovered a handful with pipe-smoking men manning barbecue grills, but that's not what I was looking for. If you come across photos of lady smokers at the stove, please share them with us on the Cookbook Love Facebook page, and we'll be happy to feature them.

Random Acts of Cookery

It's rainy and blustery, gray and daunting outside.

I'm making guacamole, thawing a cheap steak, roasting a winter squash, and cooking down a ham bone for stock. None of these activities as yet has any connection to any of the others.

Random acts of cookery. That's what a gray day can do to a soul.

On your mark, pencils set, now WRITE!

We told you there was news afoot, and the day has come to announce it!

In honor of all of you who love to share your memories about kitchens and cooking past, we are putting together a book. Written by YOU!

100 entries will be included in the book. Winners will be based on how well you pull us into the scene as you describe it. So be as descriptive as you can, incorporate your emotions, involve the senses, and generally offer us some good writing.

Gorgeous, full color books will be available shortly after Thanksgiving. Write about a loved one and you just might be able to give them a copy of their story for Christmas!

The contest ends at 11:59pm September 30, 2015.

Now get writing, and GOOD LUCK!

Click here to submit your story.

Click here to get your basic questions answered.

Click here to read the legalese.

NOTE: A $20 submission fee helps us cover all the costs associated with producing the book. While fees like this are common in the writing contest world, we WISH we could offer it for free. Unfortunately our pockets are already inside out and threadbare, and so in order to get your memories in print we have no choice but to include the fee.

How do you want your book to look?

We are working on cover designs for the Cookbook Love Kitchen Memories book. Ideas so far have included:

• A collage of recipes, cookbook covers, and vintage appliance photos.
• Era-inspired drawings of people cooking in their vintage fripperies. 
• A simple, clean design with minimal images.

But this is really YOUR book, so we'd love to hear YOUR ideas. What do you think would make an eye catching and appropriate cover for a book of kitchen memory essays?

News for the Cookbook Love family!

Because you've all been such lovely boys and girls, Cookbook Love has come up with an extra special treat! Stay tuned for all the details which will be announced later this week.

(OK, just one hint. It involves a contest.)

Stove Love. It's a thing.

A few days ago we posted this amazing, fantabulous, dream stove on the Cookbook Love Facebook page:

The darned thing was apparently in competition with Kim Kardashian's butt to break the interwebs, judging by all the likes, shares, and comments that resulted. People tagged each other to call them in and see. People asked if it is for sale (sadly, we do not own it.) People commented in other languages so that we had to use a translator to make sure they weren't pitching discount sunglasses.

It was a glorious mayhem.

When I asked another vintage-loving FB group why this might have happened I got a few interesting responses. The first was that several people had watched as the post went viral, seeing it pop up in other groups. A couple termed it "amazeballs", which it is. Another person said that they had a "positive, visceral reaction to old ranges".

And that, apparently, is the power of stoves. Or of this stove in particular.

Stove love. It's a thing.