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Must-Read: The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

YumSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:00:15 -0700

If you've ever cracked open a fortune cookie - and I bet you have - then see this book in your future. Far more satisfying than those sugary slips of paper, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, by New York Times reporter Jennifer 8. Lee, explores the American obsession with Chinese food, from delightful trivia to dark realities.

Considering the US has more Chinese restaurants than McDonalds, Burger Kings, and Wendy's combined, it makes sense that the cuisine comes with a stir-fry of great stories. Lee begins her journey with the tale of how the Powerball lottery was once almost brought down by a set of lucky numbers printed in dozens of fortune cookies. She follows with fun facts about the origins of the cookies, as well as of chop suey and General Tso's chicken. But this book isn't as lighthearted as you might think

lilsugar's Summer Reading List For Mommies Short on Time

LilSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:11:01 -0700

Sneak in time to get lost in the pages of a few texts this Summer. Nothing can breathe new life into a tired mama like a literary escape! It's a quick and easy indulgence, and won't set you back too many bills. There's no need to spend time perusing the aisles of your local bookstore, since we've rounded up our favorite mommy reads! From those that are laugh-out-loud funny to stories you can relate to, check out our picks !

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Summer Reading: 12 New Books to Check Out

BuzzSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:30:29 -0700

Every Summer, book publishers dress up new titles in breezy, summery covers that feature ladies on the beach, or a house on the beach, or flowers, or flowers on ladies - it's sometimes hard tell the whimsical poolside read from the heart-wrenching memoir. So when I came across a helpful article that sorts through this Summer's new releases , I just had to share. May you spend many long, lazy Summer days reading!

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Summer Reading: Conan Takes On Tonight

BuzzSugar — Mon, 25 May 2009 08:30:36 -0700

I hope you've got big plans to grill up some food and sip some drinks (ideally with little umbrellas) on this Memorial Day, but if you need some light reading to keep you company, I recommend checking out the New York Times Magazine's take on Conan O'Brien. O'Brien, whom a lot of you have been missing these past few months, steps into The Tonight Show's vaunted hosting seat on June 1, and the Times profile explores whether his brand of humor can work on the legendary show.

Writes reporter Lynn Hirschberg:

O’Brien’s approach to comedy and television is analytical and exact. There’s a split in his psyche: he can be goofy, but he obsesses over the nuances of that goofiness. He’s constantly trying to puzzle out how best to be funny five nights a week for an audience of millions.

To see what makes this piece worth checking out, just read more.

The profile talks about his "Darwinian" approach to crafting a show (and includes some glimpses of early Tonight Show ideas), as well as glimpses of how much serious thought went into O'Brien's last Late Night show back in February. There are also a few revealing tidbits about Jay Leno's move to 10 p.m. after he vacates Tonight - including Leno bragging that, "We can do five of my new show for the cost of one CSI: Miami" and an NBC executive's revelation that he once wanted Oprah to do a five-nights-a-week talk show in primetime and resurrected the idea with Leno instead to get him to stay at NBC.

But my favorite parts of the profile are the ones that really get at what O'Brien's dealing with as he gets ready to take the high-profile spot. In one passage, he says:

"I just have to block that nonsense out. In entertainment, you have to stake out what you think is right, you have to put out that signal, make sure it’s pure and then do it and do it and do it and know that they will come. And if they don’t, you have to pack up your bags and say: 'I enjoyed my time here. Sorry it didn’t work out.' But the biggest mistake would be to alter my signal to make sure that I reach all these different people. Because then you’re lost."

In all, this extended peek into O'Brien's psyche just gets me even more pumped to see what happens when he's behind the desk at The Tonight Show next week. Take a peek and then let me know what you think.

Photo courtesy of NBC

Summer Reading: Tots Choose Favorite Books by Age Group

LilSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 04:00:50 -0700

Final class celebrations are in full swing at many schools around the country and while lil ones are counting the minutes until Summer vacation, it's our job to keep their brains growing while they are out on break. Keeping up the routine reading throughout the warm months is one way to ensure that your tot doesn't regress.

The Children's Book Council recently invited children to select their favorite books of the year by age group. Over 220,000 votes were collected and the winners were announced at a ceremony recognizing Whoopi Goldberg for her dedication to the promotion of literacy during the 90th observance of Book Week.

The winners include:

Kindergarten to Second Grade: The Pigeon Wants a Puppy, by Mo Willems
Third Grade to Fourth Grade: Spooky Cemeteries, by Dinah Williams
Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade: Thirteen, by Lauren Myracle
Teen Choice Book of the Year: Breaking Dawn, by Stephenie Meyer
Author of The Year: Stephenie Meyer, for Breaking Dawn
Illustrator of the Year: Jon J Muth, for Zen Ties

Consider these the start to your Summer reading lists and see how quickly kids pick up the reading bug.

Summer Reading: Is Summer Blockbuster Hype Too Much?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 13:00:51 -0700

After seeing Tropic Thunder, I felt a teensy bit of relief that the Summer blockbuster events of 2008 seemed to be over at long last. Not that I didn't have fun, but I'm a little maxed out on major hype, epic special effects, and huge box office totals. I'm ready to dig out my warm jackets and sweaters and settle down with some little Fall movie gems.

I'm not alone in this feeling, as Salon's movie critic Stephanie Zacharek describes her own fatigue in a thoughtful piece she wrote this week called "Do You Suffer from Blockbuster Fatigue?" She broaches some interesting topics and makes some good points, including:

Zacharek says that "this year the assortment of big Summer movies hasn't been that different from other Summers in recent memory," but she wonders: "So why has the Summer of 2008 seemed exhausting in a way previous Summers haven't?"
Here's one excellent point she makes: "The most important element of Summer-blockbuster culture isn't the selling of movies; it's the selling of anticipation, because the amount of time we might spend looking forward to a big Summer movie is almost always longer than the shelf life - in theaters, at least - of the actual movie."
Also, did you know the all-important opening weekend summer box office precedent started with Jaws in 1975? Zacharek notes that after that fateful and lucrative summer, Jaws became "the picture to beat, and to emulate." Thus the action-adventure tradition.
She concludes her column by accepting that Summer blockbusters that have "great characters, an arresting visual style, and brilliant storytelling" and also draw millions to see them are "rare and elusive." She says fatigue comes when Hollywood tries to repeat a winning formula, like with The Dark Knight. "The minute you try," she writes, "you've already diluted some of the magic."

What do you think? Has the summer of 2008 been overwhelming in hype? Or do you hope blockbuster season gets bigger and better each year?

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Summer Reading: Is Independent Film Dying?

BuzzSugar — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 10:30:45 -0700

One of the more interesting entertainment-related stories I came across this past week is a Salon "Beyond the Multiplex" column about a subject near and dear to my heart: independent film. In the story, writer Andrew O'Hehir looks at the signs that indie films - so hot just a few years ago - are undergoing a pretty serious slide at the box office. Among the evidence:

Several "independent" divisions of major studios are slashing their workforce or shutting their doors.
Though Juno was a success last year, none of this year's indie films have broken through in a big way at the box office.
The "digital revolution" has led to more films being produced than the market can hold, and many of them aren't great quality.
Despite all that, more people than ever are saying they'd rather see independent films than studio fare.

It's an interesting look at a possibly outdated model for distributing smaller, quirkier films. So, go give it a read, and then come back here and tell me what you think about the state of independent film today.

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Summer Reading: The NYT Delves Into Mad Men

BuzzSugar — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:00:07 -0700

If you've got some extra time today, I recommend taking a read through this New York Times Magazine story about Mad Men (it's also out in today's edition of the print magazine, if reading thousands of words online isn't your cup o' chai). It's a fascinating look at the show and its creator, Matthew Weiner. Among the best tidbits:

Weiner wrote the pilot of Mad Men while working on the show Becker; it got him a job on The Sopranos but his series pitch was rejected by both HBO and Showtime.
At least one prominent ad man of the '60s is annoyed by the show, which he think plays down the work he did in favor of "three-martini lunches" and ogling women.
If someone's tie is tied wrong on the show, that's probably because the actor tied it himself. Weiner thinks a slightly imperfect look enhances the show's authenticity.
The show has only made two blunders that Weiner regrets . . . but you should go read the story to find out what they are!

If you're just getting into Mad Men, beware of some spoilers in the story -but if you love the show, it really is a great read. Enjoy, and then come back here to discuss!

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Do You Read Food Books?

YumSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:15:45 -0700

Now that Summer reading season is upon us, I'm wondering how many of you read food books. I'm not talking about cookbooks, but the nonfiction, narrative works that, when done well, can read like novels.

I'm a big fan of The Omnivore's Dilemma, so I might check out Michael Pollan's latest, In Defense of Food. Cast your vote and tell me what book is next on your list in the comments.

Summer Reading Roundup

YumSugar — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 05:12:37 -0700

Can you believe that August is over already? We hope that you all enjoyed August's summer reading month features. We've had thirty-one options that range from vegetarian cooking, shopping list mockery, world history, children's cooking, vacations, fine dining and more. In case you missed any of them, I've compiled them all in one place for easy perusal, or for you to printout and take to the bookstore!

And don't worry, just because summer reading month is over, doesn't mean we'll stop talking about tasty reads! To check out the full list, read more

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
The New Outdoor Kitchen by Deborah Krasner
I'm Just Here For The Food by Alton Brown
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
The Cuisines of Spain by Teresa Barrenechea
Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans
French Women For All Seasons by Mireille Guiliano
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Be My Guest by Rena Kirdar Sindi
On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee
The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins
Candyfreak by Steve Almond
The Wine Club by Maureen Christian Petrosky
Small-Batch Baking by Debby Maugans Nakos
Barefoot Contessa Parties! by Ina Garten
The Gastronomical Me by MFK Fisher
The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten
Milk Eggs Vodka by Bill Keaggy
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
Something Delicious This Way Comes by Joshua Ploeg
The Great American Camping Cookbook by Scott Cookman
Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl
Martha Stewart's Hors D'oeuvres by Martha Stewart
Sweets: A History of Candy by Tim Richardson
Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy by Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch
Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
Fanny at Chez Panisse by Alice Waters
Cooking with Curtis by Curtis Stone
Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson
The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Cocktail Parties With a Twist by Alexandra and Elliot Angle

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