The book is Seasonings by American poet, David Young. It was given to me by my friend and mentor, Richard, as an early birthday present (my birthday is in February), so that I can begin 2020 with it. It 's kind of a journal with a rambling, often poetic (Young’s poetry and others’) entry for each month of the year followed by seasonal recipes. I have been instructed to read one entry per month so I can only tell you what I’ve read so far. It’s wonderful!

And so are the recipes.

I was allowed to read December before I began January so as to get acquainted. Each month’s entry has a title. December’s is “White Snow Falling Without Wind”. It’s from a poem by Guido Cavalcanti—bianca neve scender senza vente—translated by Young (he does that, too). It’s a beautiful book- I said that—autobiography, memoir, poetry, nature writing and food writing. I am tempted to highlight too much but I am resisting because the lovely pages (illustrations by Melissa Ehn) would look like a yellow patchwork. I’ll content myself for now by quoting one line, Young’s comment about memory:

“Memory wraps events, softening their outlines, but it also illuminates their meanings.”

I guess that’s why I wrote my memoir.

The recipes are delightful - to me, anyway - lots of pasta, but that’s only December, so far. I’ll be cooking from this book as well as quoting.

I’m halfway through January now, literally and literarily. There’s more to come. Isn’t that a lovely present?