Harry became a fabulous cook. It began with a simple indulgence: secret bowls of buttery popcorn that he and his wife, Francie, would share after the children were tucked into bed. The aroma of melting butter, the hot kernels on their tongues, the salt crystals sticking to their lips--it was their own private romantic feast, imbuing their marriage with a new kind of passion. Soon, Harry began to dazzle Francie with luscious bisques and brioches, delectable souffl???s, rich risottos, and classic versions of coq au vin that ...
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Harry became a fabulous cook. It began with a simple indulgence: secret bowls of buttery popcorn that he and his wife, Francie, would share after the children were tucked into bed. The aroma of melting butter, the hot kernels on their tongues, the salt crystals sticking to their lips--it was their own private romantic feast, imbuing their marriage with a new kind of passion. Soon, Harry began to dazzle Francie with luscious bisques and brioches, delectable souffl???s, rich risottos, and classic versions of coq au vin that left her breathless. Their family life came to revolve around the dinner table, where each night Harry's cooking brought Francie and their four children together for an awe-inspiring and mouthwatering meal. But inevitably the years slip by, and when all but one child has left the house, Harry wins a digital scale in his company's Holiday Raffle and their happy bubble bursts in a single instant. Harry's cooking has finally caught up with him. His doctor confirms it: He desperately needs to lose weight. Terrified of losing him, Francie puts Harry on a strict diet, leaving him eternally frustrated at the table and in the kitchen. When they both realize that he has to take a break from his culinary passions if this diet is to work, Francie begins to cook. Eventually a younger-looking, leaner, and more driven Harry emerges--one so newly committed to his job and his low-carb support group that not only is he no longer in the kitchen, he's hardly ever at home. Feeling confused by the dynamics of their new relationship, Francie must contend with her need to keep Harry on his diet, and also with the women who have suddenly begun to eye her truly attractive husband. The question now becomes: Will love be enough to keep this marriage together, or will the Atkins Diet ultimately tear Harry and Francie apart? Pop a pan of cookies into the oven and put up your feet. Cooking for Harry is a deliciously good time. From the Hardcover edition.
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[I]n my opinion, religious differences just don?t matter that much. What matters is that two people see eye to eye on something equally spiritual, something that gives their lives direction, something?sacred to them both.
End of excerpt.
I am a biblioholic. I adore food. So no book pleases me more than the ones dedicated to the art of cooking, the joy of eating and the love that flares when two like-minded souls find their passions met at the dining table.
This book is not just a menu of mouth-watering delights; it is the dissection of a marriage, told from the point of view of a happily married woman who learns a skill she never thought she needed and a husband she thought she knew. Francie comes to re-assess just what makes a marriage and diets work and finds the two inextricably entwined.
I nearly swooned over the descriptions of the luscious meals that Harry prepared for her and felt like crying that I didn?t have a man like that in my life. I was cheering for Francie every step of the way, hoping that everything would turn out fine.
I was also desperately hungry when I finished. This is not a book to read when you want to lose weight.
