One of the things I picked up last week in Providence at the NEIBA conference was a cold. I fought the good fight with hand-washing, vitamins, and medicinal whiskey, but lost in the end. I figure the coughing counts as exercise.

I did manage to bring home lots of books. I always tell myself not to grab anything. After all, it’s not like I don’t have enough books at home and at the office. It’s so hard to resist, though, when I finally see the finished copies of books that I’ve only seen in catalogs. And there were Spring 2011 galleys too!

• Heart of the Artichoke by David Tanis: The cover is so gorgeous! I can’t wait to cook from it. He’s the chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley.
• Blood, Bones, & Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton: I already finished this chef memoir. The front and back cover of the ARC have two brilliant quotes from my heroes Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali so I couldn’t resist devouring it immediately.
• Tiger, Tiger: A Memoir by Margaux Fragoso: I’m just not sure about this book. For me, it’s got the same vibe as Emma Donoghue’s Room. You know, creepy, except instead of a novel about a boy in a prison room, this is a memoir about her life with a pedophile. It’s got a nice cover though!
• Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl by David Wondrich: I got this book for Mr. Bookdwarf, himself a cocktail aficionado. The title sums it up pretty well. I’ll brag and say that my husband loves making delicious cocktails and I’m usually the lucky drinker.

I brought home more. I just can’t remember all of the titles. I’ll make a list and post the rest.