Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese

Sunday, October 20, 2013

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Have you seen this yet? Well, you should take a look. It’s Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese, the brand new cookbook released by Stephanie Stiavetti and Garrett McCord. And, it’s gorgeous! Truly stunning! Of course, with luscious photography by Matt Armendariz, I expected nothing less.

As a food blogger, I get quite a few requests to write cookbook reviews. Sometimes, I say yes. Most times, I don’t. It’s not that I don’t like discovering new cookbooks, because I do. But I hate the pressure, time constraints and feelings of obligation that often go along with writing a review. I like to do my own thing. If I like the cookbook, I don’t want to sound like I’m gushing. If I don’t…well…then things can get awkward… And sometimes, it seems like no matter what I say, someone involved is not happy about it. I remember one time, I published a glowing review, and the author’s publicist demanded that I rewrite it using his exact verbiage. Now, that really ticked me off! I pulled the post and sent the cookbook back.

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But, I couldn’t have been happier (or more flattered) to be asked to offer my opinions on Melt. For one thing, Stephanie and Garrett are both respected food bloggers, who have contributed much to the food blog community. For another, I’d been following along (and salivating) as they tested each recipe and shared their progress on Facebook and Twitter. I also know them both and like them very much. And perhaps the most compelling of reasons, I love cheese and pasta, which are the foundations of all of the recipes in the book.

You’ve probably already seen several other write-ups and publicity pieces about Melt. I’m just one of many that were invited to review the book. But I have to tell you, I am impressed. Not only are the pictures drop dead gorgeous, the recipes are unique, fresh and inventive – elevating the humble mac ‘n cheese to new heights. This is cozy comfort food at its sophisticated best. You can just throw out the Blue Box now, dear readers, because you’ll never be satisfied with it again! read more >>

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Hello and welcome to SGCC! I’m Susan, a professional writer, food columnist, recipe developer, wife, mother, daughter and sister, who used to be a lawyer in a previous life. My love of food comes from a long line of wonderful and creative Italian home cooks who didn’t always have a lot, but knew how to make a lot out of what they had. I hope that you enjoy yourself while you’re here, and visit often! read more >>

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