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The Kitchen Table

Book of the Week

10 years ago

Confections of a closet master baker : one woman's sweet journey from unhappy Hollywood executive to contented country baker / Gesine Bullock-Prado ; illustrations by Raymond G. Prado.

Gesine Bullock-Prado, actress Sandra Bullock's sister, became discontented with her Hollywood job as a movie developer so she followed her first love and opened a bakery in Vermont. This is an entertaining and at times very funny book about her life and daily events at the bakery, from the time that she wakes at 3:30 a.m. until the bakery closes. Gesine and Sandra lived in Germany for part of the year where their mother was an opera singer and she ends many of the stories of her German childhood with traditional recipes. She baked and decorated her sister's four-tiered wedding cake in 2005 on a day filled with mishaps, non-functioning ovens and the wedding cake locked in a running car along with the keys.

From Library Journal Review: "Bullock-Prado chronicles her career change from schmoozing Hollywood production company executive to running a bakery in Montpelier, VT. Living in the shadow of her famous older sister, Sandy, and working with "fame-hungry bores," Bullock-Prado eventually discovered that sugar, butter, and flour could help make her happier. And so she secretly began to bake, eventually opening her own bakery in the Green Mountain State. Between hilarious descriptions of a childhood virtually free of sugar and junk food and biting contempt for the shine of Hollywood, Bullock-Prado writes touchingly of the death of her mother and her relationship with her father. Recipes are a blend of her heritage-German and American-and include German classics such as Mandelhoernchen (almond cookies), American standards, and her own creations-Golden Eggs, a kind of baked doughnut, and Starry Starry Nights, a deep bittersweet chocolate cookie. Verdict: Memoir lovers will find this a lighthearted, entertaining read filled with humor and acerbic wit; foodies will enjoy the insider's view of running a bakery. Highly recommended."

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Comments (3)

alisande
10 years ago
It does sound good. I've seen pictures of Sandra's sister and read references to her bakery, but didn't know she'd written a book. I just looked this one up on Amazon and discovered she's written several. What a baker she must be!

I just finished The Way Life Should Be,, a novel that includes a lot of Italian cooking--with recipes at the end. It made me want to go to Maine. But then, everything makes me want to go to Maine. :-)

From Booklist:

"Angela Russo, a 33-year-old event planner in New York City, has a job she finds monotonous, a lackluster love life, and a best friend who suggests trying an online dating service. Angela signs up and, on a whim, extends the site's geography search to include Maine, picturing herself in a cozy, rustic cottage by the shore. Before the inveterate Italian cook can say cacciatore, she's met her Maine man--the handsome sailing instructor Richard Saunders. He sends her a flurry of haikus and flirtatious e-mails, and after a professional disaster befalls her, Angela finds herself driving up the coast to explore a new life with him. When she arrives in Maine, however, it is not the picture-perfect storybook scene she anticipated. But with her love of cooking and dreams of a cottage by the sea as guiding lights, Angela learns to live life and achieve success on her own terms."
jel48
10 years ago
Look at this! She is a blogger! I found on Amazon.com that they had a 'monthly subscription' price (for Kindles, etc) to Gesine's blog. So, I went looking for a blog, and found it :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Gersine Bullock-Prado's blog
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stacey_mb
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you so much for your notes, Alisande and Jel. Alisande, thank you for the book suggestion - I love that kind of book; Maine and Italian cooking - what's not to like? I also want to visit Maine! lol I had no idea that Gersine wrote other books as well. I am definitely going to have a look at them.

Jel - I didn't know that Gersine had a blog. That is wonderful news and I look forward to seeing what it's all about. I'm relieved to know that she's still running her bakery, because it sounds as though it's a real treasure in the community.

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