In Search of Total Perfection Review by Ruth Paget

In Search of Total Perfection Review by Ruth Paget 

Readers who like chef’s travel books with recipes will find much to love in In Search of Total Perfection by Heston Blumenthal, owner of The Fat Duck, a 3-star Michelin restaurant in England. 

Blumenthal traces the history and industries behind contemporary British favorite menu items including the foreign sounding ones that have been transformed a bit for British tastes. He goes a step further for some recipes by putting gastronomical claims to scientific tests like MRIs. 

His rationale for travel is to find the best model to emulate for inclusion on British menus including his own, which drives him to dine on steak at Delmonico’s in New York, Bresse chicken in Burgundy France, and Amadei chocolate for his Black Forest cake among his travel activities. 

I am always on the lookout for 3-star Michelin recipes when I read chef’s travel books so I can try some of the simpler recipes at home. The simpler recipes in In Search of Perfection are made up of about 5 to 7 basic recipes that are put together simultaneously by a team of cooks who often outnumber restaurant diners at The Fat Duck. 

I love all the sections about the various “industries” that go into making food products mentioned in the book. These sections prompt you to savor and enjoy food rather than gobble it for the dishes described below in this 436-page book:  

1-Roast chicken and roast potatoes 

2-Chicken tikka masala 

3-Peking duck 

4-Steak 

5-Spaghetti Bolognese

6-Chili con carne 

7-Hamburger 

8-Bangers and mash 

9-Fish and chips 

10-Fish Pie 

11-Pizza 

12-Risotto 

13-Black Forest gateau 

14-Treacle tart and ice cream 

15-Baked Alaska 

16-Trifle 

In Search of Total Perfection by Heston Blumenthal could help readers interested in the following careers: 

-anthropologist 

-chef 

-restaurant worker 

-restaurant critic 

-pastry chef 

-travel planner 

-recipe developer 

-cookware salesman 

-film crew worker 

-restaurant publicist

Readers who would enjoy learning about the history, industries, and science involved in everyday food items will like In Search of Total Perfection by Heston Blumenthal, especially with its bonus recipes given with step-by-step directions. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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French Mustard Chicken Video by Florence Paget posted by Ruth Paget

Florence Paget made her first food video featuring French mustard chicken (poulet a la moutarde).  

This is a delicious recipe.  The hardest part of making it is browning the chicken.

Posted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

AP Subject Flash Cards for Skills Development by Ruth Paget

AP  (Advanced Placement) Subject Flash Cards created by Barron’s are a tool for learning knowledge skills in any number of fields like:

Statistics 1 and 2

French

Spanish

Calculus

Economics

Chemistry

Biology

Physics

I bought the AP flashcards I have on Amazon.  They come in boxes for easy storage.  Families can use them to make society games.

There are cards on many subjects to browse through.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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Ramen Obsession Cookbook is $1.99 on Kindle today reposted by Ruth Paget

Ramen Obsession cookbook by Naomi Imatome-Yun is $1.99 on Kindle today (333 pages).

Once you master noodle preparation, ramen comes together very quickly.

Click below for book information:

Click for Ramen Obsession Details

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Carmel Valley Garden Show - May 4, 2025 reposted by Ruth Paget

The Carmel Valley Garden Club will be hosting the Carmel Valley Garden Show on May 4, 2025.

Information below;

Click for Carmel Valley Garden Show Information

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

45th Quilts by the Bay Exhibit - May 2 -4, 2025 reposted by Ruth Paget

The 45th Annual Quilts by the Bay exhibit is being held in Pacific Grove, California on May 2 - May 4, 2025. 

Information about the event and tickets follow:

Click for Quilts by the Bay Tickets

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Nourishing Waffles by Ruth Paget

Nourishing Waffles by Ruth Paget 

I learned that waffles, even toaster Eggo waffles, contain protein and calcium thanks to the egg and milk in their ingredients in my health and nutrition classes in junior high and high school in Detroit, Michigan where many descendants of Dutch origin live. 

According to Wonderful Mini Waffles by Catherine-Gail Reinhard and the editors at Dash, waffles are Dutch and came to what is now the United States in the 1620s when the Dutch founded New Amsterdam (later named New York). 

From New York, waffles spread throughout the US especially with Dutch settlers like my teachers and classmates in Detroit. My thin teachers told us to limit ourselves to two small waffles with two tablespoons maple syrup to keep calories down. (Maple syrup was readily available to us in Michigan.) 

When I moved to Europe in the late 1980s, I ate warm waffles with powdered sugar on them that I bought from street vendors in Brussels, Belgium as I toured comfortably well off Brussels that is rich on lambic beer and the income of Europe’s civil servants. 

Belgium is also a famous country for waffles thanks to the country’s Flemish population. The Flemish are the Catholic cousins of the Protestant Dutch north of Belgium. 

Waffles are easy to make at home with a waffle iron. You have to remember to only fill the bottom of the iron with batter. You lower the top lid on top of the base. The waffles ingredients will make the waffle rise to double its size with the heat.

I own an excellent cookbook that has recipes for both sweet and savory waffles (162 pages) that was written as a companion book to go with a Dash mini waffle iron (4-inches in diameter). The cookbook entitled Wonderful Mini Wafles, was written by Catherine-Gail Reinhard. Three sweet waffle recipes stand out to make this book a great purchase. 

The stand out recipes include: 

-classic recipes made with eggs, milk, flour, and batter (waffle batter is made with more butter than pancakes) 

-Belgian Liège waffles made like classic waffles with the addition of vanilla, honey, and cinnamon  

-banana bread waffles made with mashed bananas, buttermilk, and brown sugar 

Readers who might enjoy this book include: 

-young families 

-college students 

-baby sitters

-lacto-ovo vegetarians

For everything about sweet and savory waffles, Wonderful Mini Waffles by Christine-Gail Reinhard is an excellent purchase. 

(Note: To try waffles in Salinas, California check out Waffles Breakfast and Lunch Restaurant on North Main Street by Saigon Noodle and Grocery Outlet or IHOP on West Davis Road by Carl’s Junior, Sonic, Mountain Mike’s, Vallarta Supermarket and taqueria, 24-hour gas station, and AAA.)

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Click for Ruth Paget's Books