Phoenix Claws and Jade Trees by Kian Lam Kho

I love Chinese food, eating and cooking it.  I've always been interested in learning how to better my Chinese food cooking skills so this book caught my eye.

When I received the book, I love the feel of it.  It's a heavy duty book and lots of gorgeous pictures.

I tend to read cookbooks like a novel and this is one cook book that feels like a novel.  Mr. Kho make this book novel like.  He goes through the history of different types of Chinese cuisine, delves into Chinese cookware (wok, knives, etc) and ingredients.  He talks about general techniques and the theory behind it.

This book is broken up into twelve main chapters on cooks, from wok (stir fry), to braising and a section on sweets.

I love how it takes very simple techniques and encourages you to experiment with it and then move on to more difficult techniques and recipes.

I really like the pictures and especially like the note boxes sprinkled throughout the book, like ones such as what to do with left over oil.

I would highly recommend this book for all those who want to learn more about Chinese cooking.

More Info about this book

Author's Info

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

Food52 Baking by Editors of Food52, Foreword by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs.

I've been following the Food52 blog and site for and was excited to see this book on baking that they released.











Upon receipt of this book I cracked it open like a novel from beginning to the end.  I bookmarked several recipes, most of them from the breakfast goods and cookie section.  What I noticed, the recipes in this book are not very difficult in terms of the ingredients needed or amount of time.

For example, one recipe that I want to try is the Yogurt Bread, which sounds like such an odd mix but it sounds so simple, only flour, baking powder, salt, plain yogurt and milk. That it.  How easy could it be.

This book is great for baker for any skills because there are recipes ranges from ridiculously easy, like Yogurt Bread, to something a bit more complex.

It will make a baker out of all of us.

"I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review."

The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg

This is a must read book.  It's a powerful narrative about how a country steeped in a culture is able to dictate a life of a girl.

As a father, reading this book made me very sad.  To think that girls lives in Afghanistan is valued less just because they are girls.  It's really hard to wrap my finger around this.  Having a girl of my own, I could not imagine asking my girl to be a boy, to suppress all natural her feminine traits and to take on a boyish traits just because.  As difficult as it it, I'm sure the cultural pressure is so heavy that families but have their girls become "boys" in order for them to survive growing up. It's not something that I can understand but it's real.  Even people in powerful position are dressing their girls as boys.

Someday I want my daughter to read this book, for her to understand other culture and to appreciate the freedom she has is being who God created her to be and to be able to make her own choices and decision.

This is a must read book for all.














I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Searching For Sunday by Rachel Held Evans

Having been a Christian and churchgoer for a better part of my life, the title of the book intrigued me. Why, because I believe as a believer, finding a church is one of the most difficult things, actually finding an church that's authentic and in touch with the imperfect nature of humans is hard to find.




I love the journey that Rachel went on in her search of finding the church.  Most of what she said really resonated with me, how the church shouldn't be a place where everything is in place, nice and neat with a smile every Sunday, but it's a place where's it's messy, people are free to come as they are before God and to experieince God's grace, healing, redemption and joy.

It's refreshing for me to hear her journey and struggles, which I can resonate with as I too have and am going through the same struggle.

This should be required reading in Seminary, not everyone has to agree with what Rachel wrote but pastors and potential leaders of the church should understand what people are looking and seeking in the Church.  In fact, I have recommended this book to my pastors for them to read.

Legend by Eric Blehm

 I love books about military events, especially ones that have to do do with men and women who have risen to heroic level in serving their country and their fellow soldiers.

This book is a must have for all your military buffs but mostly this is a story about a man who had courage, conviction and belief and lived them out to the fullest.

I really enjoyed this book, reading the story of Sergeant Roy Benavidez, from his childhood, growing up in a without a mom and a dad, being raised by his Uncle and grandfather, poor, ill tempered and just disillusioned with life.

But from that down and out of luck situation, he pulled himself up and through the rigor of the military, he exhibited the stuff of legend which is detailed in this book.

How, single handedly he saved a special operating unit, surrounded by hundreds of NVA and pulled them to safety despite his own wounds.

It's a shame that despite his heroics, it took many, many years, and only after one of the few remaining survivors, who came forward to write an eyewitness account of Roy's heroics that US Military finally awarded him the long over due Medal of Honor.

I especially love the narrative of his uncle and grandfather, though proud of their Hispanic heritage, told Roy, that above all, he's an American, that he is not to let his color, race, his situation keep him down. 

This is a must read book and I can't wait to pass this book onto my two boys to read.

 

More Info About Legend by Eric Blehm

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Real Doctor Will See You Shortly by Matt McCarthy.

This book is about Dr. Matt McCarthy, who chronicles his first year experience as an intern.  I love this book, I could not put it down.

Why?  If you think Grey's Anatomy was the real deal, reading this book gave me a better perspective of what an intern actually goes through in their process of being a Dr.  I love the fact that Matt shares all this emotional up and down during his first year and it tracks his progression of being book smart to understanding that practicing medicine is not only what you know in your brain but connecting with patients.
It's an eye opener of the sacrifices that doctors have to make, sure they make oodles of money but at what costs? 

There's twists and turns to Matt's story and I felt emotionally attached to his story.  It's an easy and enjoyable read.

Dr. Matt McCarthy Bio

I would highly recommend this book for pure entertainment and also a great gift for someone you know who is entering the medical profession or soon to be medical student.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Guilt Free Baking by Gee Charman

Everyone loves sweets, who doesn't?  After all, it's been proven that sugar stimulates the same brain chemical as drugs in that it gives you this high/satisfaction after it's consumed.

However, with sweets comes the danger of obesity, which our country has a huge problem with.








When I saw this book, I was intrigued by the title and the author's preface. Her premise is not to cut out all the fats/sugar but to use acceptable alternatives, like fruit puree along with minimal fat and sugar.

As I read through this book, I found the recipes to be easy and ingredients normal staples.  These are simple recipes but with outstanding results.

The only thing I wish the author would have added was amount of sugar content per serving, which I would find more helpful

Otherwise this book is a must have for those who want to indulge but without much of he guilt.