Sunday, April 18, 2010

Spiced by Dalia Jurgensen Book Review & GIVEAWAY!


For as long as she can remember Dalia Jurgensen wanted to cook. By age five she would stand on a chair at the counter next to her Danish mother, shaping frikadeller and peeling potatoes for bikser mad.  She adored every detail, from baking side-by-side and shaping dough to making hearty apple cobbler-like ablecage.  For her thirteenth birthday, when peers reached for romances or mysteries, she read and re-read her most treasured gift: a copy of the marvelously illustrated Grand Diplome Cooking Course.  And when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she was unequivocal: she wanted to be a chef.

Yet despite her love of all things culinary, it wasn’t until her mid-twenties that Jurgensen got serious about cooking.  With a conventional college degree and a couple of years in publishing behind her, she abruptly quit her job to pursue her dream and enroll in culinary school. It was a leap of faith that changed and defined her life in ways she’d never imagined.  Now Jurgensen shares the delicious details in SPICED: A Pastry Chef’s True Stories of Trials by Fire, After-Hours Exploits, and What Really Goes on in the Kitchen (Berkley Trade Paperback; April 6, 2010;$15.00), an eye-opening look at the sweet and sour of following your passion.

Refreshingly candid and simmering with kitchen drama, SPICED traces Jurgensen’s hard-earned metamorphosis from lowly pastry cook to acclaimed executive pastry chef at a three-star New York City restaurant.  But SPICED is much more than a personal memoir.  In the entertaining tradition of Kitchen Confidential, it’s an unforgettable insider’s tour through some of Manhattan ’s finest kitchens, the first to come from a woman’s perspective. 

-Courtesy of Penguin Group

***


I was curious to review Spiced: A Pastry Chef's True Stories of Trials by Fire, After-Hours Exploits, and what Really Goes on in the Kitchen by Dalia Jurgensen. One of the first things to catch my eye is that one of my favorite TV personalities and chefs, Tony Bourdain, is featured commenting on the book's cover. I'm also what I call a 'wannabe foodie'... a foodie that doesn't really have the time or money to cook or experience different and new restaurants. Finally, My husband currently works in a restaurant as a bartender and waiter, and has worked in the kitchen in the past, and I've worked in restaurants. So this is the perfect book for me!

Author and executive pastry chef Dalia Jurgensen has Danish roots and always knew growing up she wanted to be a chef. After getting her degree and working in publishing for a few years, Dalia answered that calling to be a chef in her mid-twenties and quit the desk job. 

Working her way up from lowly pastry chef in some of the best restaurants in Manhattan, she is now proud of her title, executive pastry chef.

Spiced is a first person culinary history that really dives right in. You get an insiders glimpse of the behind the scenes world of restaurant kitchens. I really love stories like this because it reminds me of my days in restaurants. I was a hostess and also worked at a sandwich shop. 

I'm not sure if the sandwich shop really counts though... The most fun job I have ever had was when I worked as a hostess. There was lots of kooky co-workers and everyone kind of bonded together through the insanity of it all. After work parties were always a blast!

In Spiced, Dalia tells the real story of what really goes on restaurant kitchens, the after-hours exploits, and 'trials by fire'. You'll even read about her stint tasting recipes in Martha Stewart's kitchens! Yet the book gets a bit naughty when Dalia reveals a clandestine romantic affair with one of her chefs, and some of the obscene things said in the testosterone fueled kitchens!

Well I don't want to give too much away. More than anything I love Dalia's raw, tell it like it is writing style. You'll love this candid memoir about a woman and her journey to executive pastry chef! Look for it at http://www.penguin.com.

*I received a copy of Spiced to facilitate my candid and honest review. No other form of compensation was or will be given. All personal views are my own!

***
Win It!
 
I'm happy to announce that I have a copy of Spiced to give away to two 512 Kidz blog readers!

Main entry: (A must!) Just leave a comment with email on this post to be entered to win. Feel free to mention who you'd like to win for or why you'd like to win. 

Extra Entries: (Leave a separate comment for each)

  • Follow me publicly (you MUST follow publicly for this entry to count) on Google Friend Connect (located on sidebar)
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  • Tweet this giveaway (leave the link in your comment every time you tweet, you can do this daily)  
  • Subscribe to 512 Kidz via RSS or reader (located on sidebar)
  • Blog this giveaway (leave the link)
  • Add 512 Kidz to your link list/blogroll (leave your blog url)
  • Comment on any 512 Kidz blog post (meaningful comments please) and let me know which one (non giveaway posts)
  •  Enter any of my other current giveaways (if applicable, current giveaways found on 'Current Giveaways' tab at top of the page) and let me know which one
  • Vote for 512 Kidz on Top Baby Blogs! Just click the button below, and leave me a comment letting me know you did. Just click and your done!
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Giveaway ends April 28, 2010 at 11:59 pm CST. Winners chosen using Random.org. Winners will be posted on this blog and will be emailed. Winners have 72 hours from Winner announcement to reply to claim prize. Open to USA.


41 comments:

Unknown said...

I would love to win this book - FOOD and BOOKS - my two favorite things!
polsen11atcomcastdotnet

Unknown said...

I already follow you on GFC
polsen11atcomcastdotnet

Unknown said...

You are on my link list -
http://busymomswholovetoread.blogspot.com
polsesn11atcomcastdotnet

Unknown said...

I already follow you on twitter @1outnumberedmom
polsen11atcomcastdotnet

Unknown said...

I entered your LashFood Giveaway
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Susan said...

A Mystery and Food. Sounds like a good read already!! I will read this.

susan56bft at gmail dot com

Susan said...

512 Kidz follower via Google

susan56bft at gmail dot com

Susan said...

512 Kidz email subscriber

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Susan said...

voted for 512 Kidz
susan56bft at gmail dot com

Stephanie Suesan Smith, Ph.D. said...

I would love the Spiced book. I always wondered about those chefs and things.

Mystica said...

I love to read any kind of cook books specially those with kitchen trivia. I voted for 512Kidz.

mystica123athotmaildotcom

Mom vs. the boys said...

I love to read, my email is in my profile!

Mom vs. the boys said...

I follow you on twitter as theonlygirl
email in my profile

Ashley said...

I would love to read this book!

hewella1@gmail.com

Literary Litter said...

Hi :)

Just wanted to let you know I have this giveaway posted at literarylitter.blogspot.com

Good luck :)

Kaitlyn Devin and Grace said...

As a foodie, I'd LOVE to win this book!

k8thebookbuff@yahoo.com

Darcie K. said...

This sounds like a great read! Thanks for the chance!
dmkayes@gmail.com

Darcie K. said...

I follow via Google Friend Connect
dmkayes@gmail.com

Darcie K. said...

I follow via Twitter
DivaliciousDK
dmkayes@gmail.com

Tea said...

I would love to read Spiced.

teakettle58@yahoo.com

I clicked for the babies
I follow you

Tea said...

I tweeted you from PearlTulip1.

Nancy said...

I'd love to win this book. I love to read about food and cooking!

Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

Nancy said...

I follow via Google Friend: allibrary.

Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

Nancy said...

I subscribe to your RSS feed via Google Homepage.

Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

Nancy said...

I also entered your Attune giveaway.

Nancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

Courtney :) said...

I would love to read this!

cmw_2289 at yahoo dot com

Benita said...

I'd like this book. I love to cook, and dabble frequently with new recipes.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Benita said...

Follower via GFC.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Benita said...

I voted for you.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Benita said...

I entered Lash Food Triple Threat Combo Giveaway.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Susan said...

This book would be perfect for my husband and I to read. We both love "foodie" books.

susan56bft at gmail dot com

Susan said...

512 Kidz public follower via Google

susan56bft at gmail dot com

Susan said...

512 Kidz RSS subscriber

susan56bft at gmail dot com

Mary A said...

This looks like a great read. Thanks for the giveaway.
maryDOTavingerATgmailDOTcom

Yona Williams said...

I'd love to win the book because it sounds like an interesting read! Email: yona(at)pricelesswriters.com

Yona Williams said...

I subscribed to RSS feed (via Google Reader) Email: yona(at)pricelesswriters.com

Yona Williams said...

I'm a Google Connect Friend. Email: yona(at)pricelesswriters.com

Unknown said...

I would like to win this book. My husband worked in the restaurant business for severak years. garrettsambo@aol.com

tina reynolds said...

thanks for the chance looks like a great book eaglesforjack@gmail.com

tina reynolds said...

i follow your blog

tina reynolds said...

i subscribe to your blog

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