I've been reading Amy Sedaris' new book, "I Like You: Hospitality Under The Influence". I didn't quite know what to expect before I got it. I imagined it would be funny and weird, but I didn't think there would be actual, usable recipes. Well, upon closer inspection, I found that there was a fair bit of oddity (The chick is craaazy! But in a good way), but there were also recipes that looked like something I would make. Like pork medallions, potatoes in their jackets and, of course, cupcakes and frosting.She also covers a lot of tips on being a good hostess and on being a good guest. She recommends making dishes for guests that aren't too elaborate, so that you can mingle with your guests, instead of abanoning them for the kitchen. To be a good guest, she suggests not to bring the hostess flowers, as that is a hassle for the hostess to find a vase in the middle of mixing drinks and greeting more guests. She states that it is better to bring wine, or better, to send flowers the next day.
Not only is the book useful, it is also hysterical. I have been laughing out loud while reading it. Amy is such an oddball and there are tons of photos of her dressed up as a 50s housewife, a
Valley of the Dolls character and many more. There is even a shot of her in an orange flowery late 60s/early 70s dress holding a bong. It's facing the page for "Munchies" recipes.
The part that made me snort with laughter, however, was the page that had a picture of a "F*ckit Bucket". This concept was shared by her brother, Paul "Rooster" Sedaris. The bucket is intended to help you buck up if you're feeling down. You get a bucket, fill it with candy, and when you're having a sh*tty day, you eat a piece of candy and say, "F*ck it.". I almost peed my pants I was laughing so hard after reading that.
All in all, "I Like You", is a fantastic book. It's useful, funny, and entertaining.
I like you, too, Amy.
4 comments:
I, too, have this book and totally love both it and her! I'm glad I now know how to entertain lumberjacks.
For future reading, may I recommend her brother, David Sedaris, who wrote about the Fuck It Bucket in the chapter, "You Can't Kill The Rooster", in his book, Me Talk Pretty One Day. Sedaris gives the background on their brother Paul, who renamed himself "The Rooster", and came up with the Fuck It Bucket. It's hilarious. I have the book if you want to borrow it!
Thanks! I've read "Me Talk Pretty One Day" and it is hilarious. I haven't read "Dress Your Family in Cords and Denim" or whatever it's called, though. Have you read that one?
There must be something in the water down in North Carolina, because their whole family is hysterical.
I can't remember if I own Dress Your Family, or if I borrowed it from Bill+Matt. If I have it, you can totally borrow. From what I remember from reading it, it's not quite as biting as Naked and MTPOD, but it's David Sedaris which means it's still great.
Cool - thanks!
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