Eat & Make

Starred review from February 3, 2014
Fans of the magazine Sweet Paul and its blog will delight in the long-awaited cookbook by creator Lowe, Oslo-born food and craft stylist. Home cooks who love both kitchen couture and innovative simple cuisine now have a cookbook to “sweeten their everyday life.” Chapters, organized by time of day (Morning, Brunch, Noon, and Night) are divided into Eat and Make sections. Lowe’s love of breakfast/brunch foods is reflected in over 20 hearty start-the-day recipes. Variations on pancakes, French toast, eggs, and biscuits abound including a Breakfast Polenta with Hazelnuts, Honey, and Pears. Morning Tart with Broccoli, Goat cheese, and Smoked Salmon, a dilly, seafood Skagen Salad, and Mormor’s Fish Pie are Scandinavian-inspired dishes honoring Lowe’s Norwegian aunt and grandmother. Recipes also include pasta, beef bourguignon, meatballs, roasted vegetable shepherd’s pie, and desserts featuring tarts, cakes, and a pavlova with vanilla cream and blackberries. Lowe, whose motto advocates “chasing the sweet things in life,” presents in stunning images both a collection of easy projects such as bent-fork bookends, clay-ring egg cups, and hand-painted table runners side-by-side with delicious recipes. When it comes to creating a homey and fashionable kitchen table, Lowe proves that the combination of whisk and glue gun adds a touch of charm to everyone’s kitchen.

February 15, 2014

Raised in Oslo, Norway, Lowe is a food and craft stylist whose blog Sweet Paul evolved into a popular online magazine and print quarterly (sweetpaulmag.com). His debut cookbook features recipes and crafts organized by time of day (morning, brunch, noon, and night). Dishes such as breakfast churros with cinnamon sugar and chicken with olives and capers look luxurious but are relatively inexpensive and easy to make. Similarly, simple crafts that include fork bookends and vintage-photo napkins offer maximum fun for minimal cost. VERDICT As its title suggests, this beautifully designed and approachable cookbook is a call to action, not just something pleasant for the eye.

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