Bookish Cook

09/28/2026

Another year older…

The perfect excuse for wallowing in nostalgia...Food nostalgia, of course

09/21/2026

Be honest: do you buy a bunch of these every autumn then don’t know what to do with them? You can eat them, but they won’t taste very good. But I can tell you something about the rich history of the gourd in general…

Would you eat one of these, if you absolutely had to?

09/15/2026

Okay, hoping this link works! It’s my favorite article so far because it was fun to write, and draws on my living history/reenacting background. And those pears are coming into season!

In my newest article, I’ve decided to come out from behind my initials: I had been bylining myself as “K.P.Cecala;” the name I used with my mystery novels, but when I received an email addressed “Dear KP,” I decided to go back to the name I’ve used most of my professional life, the name ...

09/08/2026

I’ve heard Dunkin is replacing its Pumpkin Spice Latte with a Caramel Apple version this fall. I won’t be trying that soon but this seems apt: For apple lovers and lovers of weird old cookbooks…

...and old cookbooks

08/31/2026

08/24/2026

Hi everyone! My Substack “experiment” is finally gathering traction, after weeks of crickets. I’m gaining subscribers, connecting with other food writers and it’s all good. I’m not putting too much stock in it, because I think it’s a fad, and all fads fade after awhile. But right now it’s a good marketing tool for my upcoming book. And by the way, here’s my latest post. The title, “Fried Clams and the Tartar Relation” is a riff on the old Vinland Map forgery of the 1960s. But you all knew that, didn’t you! 😉

The classic (but puzzling) dipping sauce for a summertime snack

08/19/2026

By now, you all know I’m a fried-clam fanatic. Or I was…somehow my old childhood beach snack is not as wonderful as I remember. But I did find an interesting recipe for making them…from the Southern Hemisphere! You can read my piece for free at Substack

plus, a recipe clue to their origins

08/10/2026

Now on Substack

08/02/2026

Hello Bookish Facebookians! You can read this article for free and I’ll continue to post occasional free content, but as of today I’m switching to a paid subscription model for most of my Substack work, which will include exclusive content and snippets from my upcoming book. Please don’t feel you have to subscribe: I’ll keep in touch here on Facebook! But it’s just something I have to try, especially since this writing business just gets harder and harder. Thanks for sticking with me this far!

"Cocktail hour" takes on a whole new meaning

07/28/2026

New article on Substack! Check it out!

https://substack.com//note/p-208766973?r=zfnvy&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=web