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Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good: A Memoir of Food and Love from an American Midwest Family Hardcover – August 14, 2014
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Flinn shares uplifting stories of the recipes that shaped her life, from her Swedish grandmother's pancakes to her mom's chicken and biscuits." - More Magazine
" A memoir with lots of eating, road trips and family history, this combination platter will fill you up." - Campus Circle
"Kathleen is a born storyteller! Her books grab you from page one, and hold onto you and your imagination, until the last page is turned, so it's no surprise that this book is full of charm and wit as well! ...This book will have you laughing and crying! "- Bless Their Hearts Mom Blog
"I was in a reading slump until I picked up Kathleen Flinn's newest book Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good. If you love food or love eating food, this book is for you." - Feed Your Reader Blog
"This book offers something for us all, and the recipes just add to the charm." - Five Minutes For Books blog
"Craving a beach read with a bite? Kathleen Flinn's new memoir, Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good, chronicles her Midwestern family's culinary adventures, starting with a move cross-country to run her uncle's pizzeria. There are plenty of hilarious missteps (like a maybe-don't-try-this-at-home experience raising chickens), but food is a blissful constant, even in the craziest of times. And the book is filled with recipes - Grandpa's Mich-Mex chili, Mom's cinnamon rolls - so you can create some memorable family meals of your own." - Redbook Magazine
"You wouldn't think a memoir consisting of someone else's family stories would be all that interesting, but Kathleen Flinn had me hanging on each and every account in her memoir Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good.I connected with her immediately, and while reading I often thought of my own parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents... I won't forget these stories." - A Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall
" A memoir with lots of eating, road trips and family history, this combination platter will fill you up." - Campus Circle
"Kathleen is a born storyteller! Her books grab you from page one, and hold onto you and your imagination, until the last page is turned, so it's no surprise that this book is full of charm and wit as well! ...This book will have you laughing and crying! "- Bless Their Hearts Mom Blog
"I was in a reading slump until I picked up Kathleen Flinn's newest book Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good. If you love food or love eating food, this book is for you." - Feed Your Reader Blog
"This book offers something for us all, and the recipes just add to the charm." - Five Minutes For Books blog
"Craving a beach read with a bite? Kathleen Flinn's new memoir, Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good, chronicles her Midwestern family's culinary adventures, starting with a move cross-country to run her uncle's pizzeria. There are plenty of hilarious missteps (like a maybe-don't-try-this-at-home experience raising chickens), but food is a blissful constant, even in the craziest of times. And the book is filled with recipes - Grandpa's Mich-Mex chili, Mom's cinnamon rolls - so you can create some memorable family meals of your own." - Redbook Magazine
"You wouldn't think a memoir consisting of someone else's family stories would be all that interesting, but Kathleen Flinn had me hanging on each and every account in her memoir Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good.I connected with her immediately, and while reading I often thought of my own parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents... I won't forget these stories." - A Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall
Praise for The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry
“I can never get enough of true stories about people who stop in the middle of their life's journey to ask, ‘What do I really want?' and then have the guts to actually go get it. Kathleen Flinn's tale of chasing her ultimate dream makes for a really lovely book— engaging, intelligent and surprisingly suspenseful.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love
“The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry is an engaging story about a fantasy fulfilled. It's Under the Tuscan Sun goes to cooking school.”—Michael Ruhlman, author of The Soul of a Chef
“Although I can't cook my way out of a sac de papier, I found this book a joy to read. It's is a compelling story about learning to cook and learning to love at the same time, told with humility, humor and passion.”—Bill Radke, host of public radio's Weekend America
“Kat Flynn’s vivid story of her adventures at Le Cordon Bleu Paris had me smiling page after page. It's about what you should always think about in the pressure behind a hot stove – the pure romance of cooking.”—Jerry Traunfeld, author The Herbal Kitchen
“Learning to tame a sadistic chef/instructor is one of the tougher trials Flinn faces in this soufflé-light memoir of her life-changing year at the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. Bon appetit.” – Good Housekeeping
“A charming, yet surprisingly suspenseful account of the education of a chef (with some classic recipes and many tips), but also one woman’s inspiring story of rising to, and surmounting, an imposing challenge.” – Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“Those who relish the adventures to be found in food will undoubtedly enjoy this tale of a corporate middle manager who followed her heart into the heat of the kitchen and came out a triumphant graduate of Le Cordon Bleu.” – The Christian Science Monitor
“I can never get enough of true stories about people who stop in the middle of their life's journey to ask, ‘What do I really want?' and then have the guts to actually go get it. Kathleen Flinn's tale of chasing her ultimate dream makes for a really lovely book— engaging, intelligent and surprisingly suspenseful.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love
“The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry is an engaging story about a fantasy fulfilled. It's Under the Tuscan Sun goes to cooking school.”—Michael Ruhlman, author of The Soul of a Chef
“Although I can't cook my way out of a sac de papier, I found this book a joy to read. It's is a compelling story about learning to cook and learning to love at the same time, told with humility, humor and passion.”—Bill Radke, host of public radio's Weekend America
“Kat Flynn’s vivid story of her adventures at Le Cordon Bleu Paris had me smiling page after page. It's about what you should always think about in the pressure behind a hot stove – the pure romance of cooking.”—Jerry Traunfeld, author The Herbal Kitchen
“Learning to tame a sadistic chef/instructor is one of the tougher trials Flinn faces in this soufflé-light memoir of her life-changing year at the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. Bon appetit.” – Good Housekeeping
“A charming, yet surprisingly suspenseful account of the education of a chef (with some classic recipes and many tips), but also one woman’s inspiring story of rising to, and surmounting, an imposing challenge.” – Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“Those who relish the adventures to be found in food will undoubtedly enjoy this tale of a corporate middle manager who followed her heart into the heat of the kitchen and came out a triumphant graduate of Le Cordon Bleu.” – The Christian Science Monitor
About the Author
Kathleen Flinn has been featured in media outlets worldwide, including People, Elle, Bon Appetit, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio and CBS Morning News. Her acclaimed second book, The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, was named a 2012 Book of the Year by the American Society of Journalists & Authors. She divides her time between Seattle and Anna Maria Island, Florida, with her husband, Mike Klozar, and their trusty rescue dog, Maddy. kathleenflinn.com
More About the Author
Kathleen Flinn is best known as the author of the New York Times bestseller "The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry," a memoir with recipes about leaving her corporate life to study at the venerable Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and falling in love along the way. Her acclaimed follow-up, "The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices Into Fearless Home Cooks" (Viking/Penguin 2011) was named a 2012 Book of the Year by the American Society of Journalists & Authors.
Her latest book, "Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good" (August 2014, Viking/Penguin), is a multi-generational culinary memoir that tracks the trials of her Midwest family.
Flinn and her books have been featured in dozens of media outlets, including People, Elle, Good Housekeeping, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor and CBS This Morning. She is at work on two books, one fiction and one-fiction, and teaches both cooking and food writing around the country. She and her husband, Mike, divide their time between Seattle and Anna Maria Island, Fla., their trusty rescue dog, Maddy, in tow.
Her latest book, "Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good" (August 2014, Viking/Penguin), is a multi-generational culinary memoir that tracks the trials of her Midwest family.
Flinn and her books have been featured in dozens of media outlets, including People, Elle, Good Housekeeping, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor and CBS This Morning. She is at work on two books, one fiction and one-fiction, and teaches both cooking and food writing around the country. She and her husband, Mike, divide their time between Seattle and Anna Maria Island, Fla., their trusty rescue dog, Maddy, in tow.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By
Galley Hunter
on August 15, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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If you have never read anything by Kathleen Flinn, you're really missing out! She is quite the master of the memoir. She has taken her fairly ordinary life and written not one, but three, rich, compelling books about it. Because cooking is such a part of who she is, each book contains some great recipes for the foods she has discussed. The recipes are a treat, and definitely an added bonus.
This book tells of Flinn's family history, weaving a tale of three generations. The family is, in many ways, just like any other family. But the stories and details she tells make the family seem not so ordinary. Like her other books, this one was inspirational. Her family was not afraid to make a leap and try new experiences. I had fun reading about the good old days, hours of playing cards and board games as a family, and spending time together before the digital age. It reminded me of my own childhood. I loved how the family moved around a lot and pursued their dreams. My interest dipped a bit when she talked about fishing and hunting, but those activities were a big part of her family life.
I definitely liked Flinn's other two books, The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry, and The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, quite a bit better than this one, simply because they were more educational and I found them far more interesting. They told about her experiences with cooking school, and teaching others cooking skills. Anyone with some interest in learning to cook could probably appreciate those books. This one, on the other hand, was just more the telling of her family history. I gave all three books a four star rating, which could be misleading. I would give this one 3.5 stars and the other two 4.5 stars. If you enjoy memoirs, all three books are well worth reading.
*I am thankful to have received a free advance copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
This book tells of Flinn's family history, weaving a tale of three generations. The family is, in many ways, just like any other family. But the stories and details she tells make the family seem not so ordinary. Like her other books, this one was inspirational. Her family was not afraid to make a leap and try new experiences. I had fun reading about the good old days, hours of playing cards and board games as a family, and spending time together before the digital age. It reminded me of my own childhood. I loved how the family moved around a lot and pursued their dreams. My interest dipped a bit when she talked about fishing and hunting, but those activities were a big part of her family life.
I definitely liked Flinn's other two books, The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry, and The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, quite a bit better than this one, simply because they were more educational and I found them far more interesting. They told about her experiences with cooking school, and teaching others cooking skills. Anyone with some interest in learning to cook could probably appreciate those books. This one, on the other hand, was just more the telling of her family history. I gave all three books a four star rating, which could be misleading. I would give this one 3.5 stars and the other two 4.5 stars. If you enjoy memoirs, all three books are well worth reading.
*I am thankful to have received a free advance copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By
Alexandrea Brandon
on August 19, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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Kathleen Flinn is a true story teller, this books was wonderful and I couldn't put it down. The passion and love comes through in this telling of her family history, so much so that I wanted to be one of the children on those family fishing trips/vacations. Flinn comes from a family that truly lived by the idea that as long as you were together and there was love and laughter, everything else will come to be with hard work. The book had me smiling, laughing and crying at times, but by the very last word I was left with a smile on my face a warm feeling in my heart and stomach. The warm feeling in my stomach was aided by the Farmers Eggs I made from the book this morning. Standing over my stove with a wooden spoon in one hand and this book in the other.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
Jan Kellis
on August 29, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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What's not to love here? Family, fishing, foibles and food are all part of this fabulous Michigan memoir that includes the recipes mentioned in the story. Kathleen Flinn, author of bookshelf-worthy reads The Sharper Your Knife The Less Your Cry and The Kitchen Counter Cooking School, delivers yet another engrossing true story, and this one is set in Michigan (also my home state)!
I don't want to give too much away, but I can tell you I laughed at the chicken coop tale and the streaking story, and I cried at one point...maybe two. Kathleen included family photos as well, captioned with quotes and other wise words from her parents and ancestors. This book is a celebration of family and an inspiring invitation to cook a grand yet simple meal to share with your loved ones. By the time you turn the last page, you'll believe that burnt toast really does make you sing good.
I don't want to give too much away, but I can tell you I laughed at the chicken coop tale and the streaking story, and I cried at one point...maybe two. Kathleen included family photos as well, captioned with quotes and other wise words from her parents and ancestors. This book is a celebration of family and an inspiring invitation to cook a grand yet simple meal to share with your loved ones. By the time you turn the last page, you'll believe that burnt toast really does make you sing good.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
Gemini Rising
on September 22, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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I've been a fan of Kathleen Flinn's books ever since "The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry." She's one of my favorite authors and her latest book carries her trademark honesty, openness, humor, poignancy, and wit as she traces her family's history back through a few generations. I love she ties memories to food and recipes (something I love in all her books) and that she includes recipes at the end of every chapter. I look forward to more books by this author.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
Serious reader
VINE VOICE on September 22, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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This charming account of Ms. Flinn's family was a joy to read. I was touched by the loving relationship with her father. How lucky the author was to have been raised with so much love and sense of adventure. As a product of a dysfunctional family, I was green with envy reading this book. But I loved it. The writing is excellent, by the way.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By
L. Evelev
on August 30, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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In Kathleen Flinn’s memoir, The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry, she told the story of fleeing the corporate world to study at the world’s most famous cooking school. In Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Good, Flinn tells the remarkable story of her large Michigan family and her Irish/Swedish roots, including her parents’ unlikely decision to pack up everything and move to California to help run an Italian restaurant, their abrupt move to a primitive Michigan farmhouse, and their gamble to raise chickens with no prior experience.
Her anecdotes about her parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles are far from ordinary, yet they repeatedly show how family and food can be inextricably linked, bonding and sustaining its members during the happiest and saddest of times.
It’s also a fascinating look at how the people who’ve come before us shape the people we become. Flinn’s seemingly impulsive decision to pursue her passion at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris seems less like a fluke than the result of a heritage rooted in adventure, a love of cooking and a resilient, can-do spirit. She also includes more than two dozen of her family’s recipes, for comfort foods like apple crisp, chicken and biscuits and Grandma Inez's pancakes.
Her anecdotes about her parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles are far from ordinary, yet they repeatedly show how family and food can be inextricably linked, bonding and sustaining its members during the happiest and saddest of times.
It’s also a fascinating look at how the people who’ve come before us shape the people we become. Flinn’s seemingly impulsive decision to pursue her passion at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris seems less like a fluke than the result of a heritage rooted in adventure, a love of cooking and a resilient, can-do spirit. She also includes more than two dozen of her family’s recipes, for comfort foods like apple crisp, chicken and biscuits and Grandma Inez's pancakes.
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