Author: Finder of Lost Things

Cooking With Christie: A Lukewarm Cookbook Review

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Inspiration: Endeavoring to step outside of the usual flavors of my cookies, I started scouring my cookbooks. Happily, I landed on this promising recipe, Toasted Sesame Slice-and-Bake Butter Cookies from Nancy Silverton’s book, The Cookie That Changed My Life and More Than 100 Other Classic Cakes, Cookies, Muffins, and Pies That Will Change Yours. 

Whilst I’m no stranger to slice-and-bake cookies, as I love recipes that require mixing on one day and baking the next, Nancy Silverton and Carolynn Carreno’s recipe threw me for a loop.

Cookbook Review: When I first perused The Cookie That Changed My Life… in my local indie bookshop, I initially glommed onto the recipe for Iced Animal Crackers. Not only do they require sprinkles, but these cookies also allow me to practice cookie-cutter dough — a style of cookie I’ve struggled to reliably produce without my grandmother’s guidance. (My unsupervised efforts always seem to spread, looking more akin to balloon animals than said four-legged friend I was aiming to create.)

What I didn’t realize, until after I got home and delved deeper into the pages, is that I’ve a preference on cookbook layouts. And, you’ve guessed it, The Cookie That Changed My Life… doesn’t follow it. 

Rather than breaking down the recipes into easily checked-off and manageable steps, which in my experience helps ensure you don’t miss adding or manipulating an ingredient, The Cookie That Changed My Life… does not. The recipes are broken down only by the broadest of strokes, leaving bakers with anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of text to parse for several steps in each recipe. Making the somewhat complicated recipes even more challenging/intimidating to reproduce. 

Unless you’re a baker who’s apparently willing to sit down, break down, and rewrite every single recipe before stepping into the kitchen.

What I do appreciate about the book is the clear ingredient list, which gives the weight of most ingredients. (A feature which should not be underestimated.)

If you enjoy pretty cookbooks then, The Cookie That Changed My Life… is for you. The layout and its uniformity, plus the intermittent pictures, create an attractive book. And if you enjoy reading cookbooks like they were works of fiction, then The Cookie That Changed My Life… is one for you. If you don’t tend to lose your place in large blocks of text in the midst of measuring, mixing, and manipulating ingredients, again I would recommend this book. 

However, if you value a practical approach to recipe writing, this book will drive you nuts. As either the editors, writers, or publisher valued style over accessibility.

That being said, the unique flavors, interesting techniques, and variety of recipes do partially make up for this (in my estimation) aforementioned flaw, and I would recommend The Cookie That Changed My Life…

With reservations.

P.S.: This cookbook is not for someone who’s new to baking as some of the processes required to successfully produce the bakes are highly technical and/or unusual.

The Bake: Familiar with the taste buds of my audience, i.e., my husband’s coworkers, I must admit to altering the Toasted Sesame Slice-and-Bake Butter Cookies slightly by adding the zest of one orange and one teaspoon of ground ginger to complement the warm nutty flavor of the toasted sesame. (It also kept the cookie from becoming one note.)

And they went down a treat!

Agatha Christie’s Canon of Characters: This is one of the few bakes I’ve produced that (I think) Hercule Poirot would enjoy. The flavor is subtle, warm, and elegant without being overly sweet. Moreover, the sesame flavor generally pairs well with espresso. Providing Poirot with something to nibble on whilst sipping a bean-based beverage and using his little grey cells.

My 52 Weeks With Christie: A.Miner©2025

Mystery Review: The Enchanted Greenhouse

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Sarah Beth Durst — The Enchanted Greenhouse

Hope is a four-letter word. 

Found at the bottom of Pandora’s box, it gives a reason not to give up, to persevere, to keep going — even in the face of insurmountable odds. Orpheus defeated Lucifer with hope in their duel (in season one of Sandman). Yet, hope can be just as cruel as its fellow curses that it existed amongst in that (in)famous box, especially when a desperate plea for help goes unanswered.

In this case, the plea comes from the lone gardener on the island of Bedle who tends to the extensive and extraordinary greenhouses on Bedle.

And they are dying.

One by one, the magic that’s meant to keep these rooms of exotic plants, pedestrian vegetables, and magical herbage thriving is now failing, turning, and destroying what it once kept safe. Compounding the problem, the mage who created the magical menagerie of chlorophyll based life forms died, and, even worse, with revolution in the capital city, no one seems interested in saving this breathtaking creation.

Well, almost no one.

Enter the wooden statue that once graced the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alysium. Once, a cautionary tale told to new librarians who might find themselves tempted to dabble in magics forbidden to all save a select few. 

Now, she’s Bedle’s singular hope of survival.

The follow-up book to The Spellshop did not disappoint. Not only do you learn more about Caz’s (the sentient spider plant and main character in The Spellshop) history, but you also get a much better sense of why the revolutionaries defenestrated the Emperor of the Crescent Island Empire. 

Moreover, the snow-capped trees, wondrous rooms of impossible plants, and a cozy cottage filled with the aromas of freshly baked bread, cake, and quiche make this a genuinely snug as a bug in a rug, fantasy book. However, lurking within the warm heart is mystery, corruption, and cruelty that needs weeding out lest they destroy the aforementioned coziness. And it’s this tension betwixt these two polar opposites which Sarah Beth Durst deftly weaves together to create The Enchanted Greenhouse.

Admittedly, when I originally read The Enchanted Greenhouse, I judged The Spellshop the better of the two books. 

However, on subsequent readings (yes, plural), I think this initial opinion arose due to the anxiety and internal conflict felt by one of the main characters over doing what’s right, despite their very real fears. As this conflict hits close to home, as my brain’s a real jerk sometimes, I think this is what spawned my original opinion. One that I’ve since revised, obviously, viewing both books as equally fantastic reads!

Though you don’t have to read The Spellshop prior to picking up The Enchanted Greenhouse, I suggest you do. Not only will you get the absolute most out of both books, you’ll have a few hours, days, or weeks (depending on how fast you read) of happiness, joy, magic, jam, and bread.

P.S.: I’m absolutely beside myself as Sarah Beth Durst wrote a third book in this series of loosely connected tales! Sea of Charms is coming out in July 2026, and I cannot wait!

Cooking With Christie:

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Inspiration: I enjoy make-ahead-meals. When coming home after a long trip, contending with a head cold, or simply suffering from brain fog — these freezer staples can be a lifesaver at dinner time. When, for reasons I don’t fully comprehend, it gives me a boost to put something on the table that’s slightly fancier than a tuna sandwich and a side of fruit. 

However, there’s one make-ahead-meal I’ve consistently struggled to make work — enchiladas. 

I’ve tried a half-dozen recipes, and they all had the same problem — the flour tortillas lose all their texture and become an overly soft, slightly slimy mess. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still edible, but it’s not necessarily a pleasurable palate experience.

Yet, I’m unwilling to give up on my dream of make-ahead enchiladas.

Then, just a few days back, whilst perusing my cookbook library looking for inspiration, I came across another, new-to-me version of make-ahead enchiladas. 

The book I found this recipe in.

And this version gave me hope.

Why? It calls for the sauce to be frozen separately from the pan of enchiladas. Moreover, you cook the tortillas and filling first — then — add the sauce and cheese. Thus, allowing the tortillas to crisp up before adding the wet ingredients.

Trying not to get my hopes too high, I started cooking….and…drumroll please…they turned out great! There was just a tad bit of sogginess, which I’m reasonably certain can be eliminated on the next go round! 

Woot! I’m definitely going to make these again!

The spices I used in the sauce, my MacGyvered pan set up when I ran out of space in my two pyrex dishes, and a glimpse of the fillingI used before rolling up the tortilla.

Helpful Hint From Me to You: This recipe calls for the chicken to be cut into strips. A perfectly fine method, however, I found it works better if the thighs are left whole during the initial cook, then shredded. This allows you to roll the tortillas tighter around the filling — which helps ward off soggy tortilla syndrome. 

Second, you can add more veggies than called for in the recipe. This not only allows you to stretch the filling even further, but also helps hide said green bits from the picky eaters in your life. Though again to ward off that dangerous moisture, if you’re using fresh veggies, pan-fry them first. If you decide to use a frozen veggie blend: Defrost them in the microwave first. Then, either use a slotted spoon or simply dump them onto a paper-towel-lined plate to remove the excess moisture. Either method works, but just remember to add them to the chicken after you’ve shredded it.

Agatha Christie’s Canon of Characters: Admittedly, it’s a bit difficult to see any of Christie’s sleuths making enchiladas. That being said, I think Captain Hastings, after his stint of living in Argentina, might appreciate the heat and texture of this dish!

My 52 Weeks With Christie: A.Miner©2025