John Hadamuscin's Sheer Indulgences: Thoughts and Recipes for Savoring the Extravagances of Life

This is a small book of recipes, punctuated with brief, one-line ideas for "savouring the extravagances of life" such as "eating an entire pint of good ice cream by yourself". I was slightly disappointed because with a title such as "thoughts and recipes for savoring the extravagances of life" I was expecting ideas that were more glamorous, more extravagant and infused with more savoir-faire than what was offered here. I felt a certain lack of imagination. To be fair, I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but I was expecting the recipes to take my breath away...salmon steaks puttanesca and peppery country ham pate don't really stir my imagination in the same way....

Thoughts and recipes for savoring the best in life are offered in this pint-size tome of pleasures. A recipe for Currant Tea Scones with Clotted Cream and Wild Strawberry Jam is accompanied by a description of the joy of afternoon tea at London's Claridge Hotel. Rigatoni with Wild Mushrooms reminds the author of a trip to Eastern Europe, while Grilled Peanut Butter, Bacon and Banana Sandwiches were a childhood treat. Full-color photographs by Randy O'Rourke highlight the sprightly text.