I can’t remember how I heard about The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry first; I think I bumped into on Amazon where it was listed as one of the books customers bought along with the one I was looking at. When I found out that this story has Le Cordon Bleu as the main focus, I was overjoyed! I ordered a copy immediately.
The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry is a lovely memoir of Kathleen Flinn who pursued her long standing dream of studying at the world’s finest culinary school. Once her job let go off her, her boyfriend encouraged her to follow to go to Paris and said, “Do you want to be on your deathbed, wondering why you never went?” 24 days later, she was at Le Cordon Bleu.
The book chronicles her way though cooking school with a little bit of life thrown in (though I would have loved to read more about what goes on in the kitchen). Through the book you will have gone to Paris and back.
Inspiring, riveting and emotional – I couldn’t keep the book down (even while climbing the stairs to my office!) I loved it so much – I want to give a new copy of this book to one of you!
There are a whole bunch of recipes in this book, but French haute cuisine is not for me (just yet 
). However, I did make the Banana and Nutella Crepes from this book.
Banana and Nutella Crepes
Yield: 8 crepes
Recipe source: The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry
For the crepe batter
¾ cup / 80g all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup / 250 ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 tbsp butter, melted
Filling for the crepe:
Thinly sliced bananas
Nutella (the proportion of this can never be defined – dollop them on the crepes to your hearts content.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl, making a well in the centre.
- In a Pyrex jug or another bowl, mix together the milk and the vanilla.
- Add a third of the milk mixture and the eggs to the well, slowly incorporating in the flour.
- Whisk in the remaining milk and melted butter.
- Allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick pan on a low-medium heat and dab or brush it with a little butter. (However, if yours is a newer non-stick it will be fine so you don’t worry about it sticking to it too much.)
- Scoop about ¼ of the batter and pour it on the heated pan, making sure it is not too hot.
- Tilt the pan to evenly cover with the batter.
- The crepe is ready to flip once the edges are slightly browned. Stack them up.
- Now with each crepe, spread some Nutella on it and line with slice bananas. Have it the no-fuss way by rolling it up or simply fold it over like an omlette and serve. YUM!
- Leave a comment on this post telling me about what you are currently reading or which book is next on your list.
- Facebook fans and e-mail subscribers, automatically qualify for the giveaway. To up your chances of winning, become a fan of The Purple Foodie and subscribe to my regular email updates!
- Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the give away, making sure you include the link to this post. The more you tweet, the higher your chances! Each time, come back here and comment with the link to your twitter status to qualify.
- Stumble this post.
The giveaway is open to local and international readers until the 25th of July, 2009.
{ 79 comments… read them below or add one }
I'm currently reading _In Defense of Food_ by Michael Pollan and am also in the middle of _Killing Yourself to Live_ by Chuck Klosterman. But all I want to do is read food books!
Hey! Finally I got to see this!! Okay,I am currently on Nigella FEAST & the next on my list is a an all CHICKEN cookbook by Rashmi Uday Singh!
http://twitter.com/RiaMathew That's the tweet for ya!
annnnd an RT
contest! this book looks great. RT @PurpleFoodie: Giveaway time on The Purple Foodie! http://bit.ly/gmMjy
A great book! I'd love to win it…
Mmmhhh, those crêpes are making me drool!
Cheers,
Rosa
Love those crepes! What doesn't go together better than bananas and nutella?
I just finished Ruth Reichl's Tender to the Bone and am on my way to her second bio Comfort Me With Apples. Great reading!
Fabulous give-away book, just the kind I love to read! I follow you on Twitter already and am on my way to fan you on FB!
the next book i want to read is julie and julia
and i'll probably write one on 'memoirs of a sunny afternoon spent berry picking'
lol
pick me !pick me ! pick me!:P
Ive been dying to read this book…
here's a list of things i will do for this book
1) sing and dance on one foot
2) bake 200 cupcakes(with frosting, PLEASE)
3) grovel
4) walk on fire and thorns or both combined
5) watch rakhi ka swayam var back to back
6) tweeeeeeettttttttttttttt all day long
7) im sure you got the message!!
oh btw im reading stephen King's "the stand"— verdict : BORINGGG
What a wonderful giveaway!
There are sooooo many books I want to read, many of them food-related, unsurprisingly!
At the moment, I'm reading "Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Vietnamese Recipes from the Heart" by Pauline Nguyen. It's a beautiful, beautiful book from the luxurious cover (with it's funky design of blossoms and writing) to the collection of family photographs to the autobiography of a Vietnamese family who, along with many "boat people" escaped from Vietnam to Australia and set up restaurants there to the recipes themselves, many with mouthwatering photographs!
Next on my list is another book by the same publishers – it's called Serendip Peter Kuruvita. This time the country of origin is Sri Lanka though again, the author lives in Australia.
Born in London to parents who emigrated from India, we had friends of many nationalities growing up, including our Ceylonese friends who cooked traditional dishes from Sri Lanka.
I am hoping this book will give me both recipes and insights into Sri Lanka.
Oh wow….book sounds really intresting……Currently there two books iam digged into one is cookbook Southern Spices and another one is beautful friction Kite Runner……Next in my list is A Princely Legacy….featuring Hyderabadi delectables.
Ooops those crepes with nutella and banana looks drooooooooooool worthy…..
What am i reading? The CAstle by Italo Calvino. but i am a foodie too and i just bought my SECOND Anjum Anand cookbook. I am shamelessly declaring in public that i want to win this book!!!! ;-P
Crepes and Banana – have been eating this. Adding Nutella, damn why didn't me or wifey ever think of this one. thanks – u just made the morning a lot more interesting with just a bit of chocolate in it.
Now let's try and win that book.
I am reading:
Superstars by Shobha De
rude food by Vir Sanghvi
you can negotiate anything – herb cohen
Plan to read:
Business stripped bare – richard branson
Call of the mall
Kitchen Confidential (thanks for the suggestion)
Of course I have been a regular reader, not sure if my comments are that active, tough. we have each other on twitter (kapilb) so that's covered. The post is stumbled.
Anything more?
Great giveaway Purple, & beautiful crepes. 'One of a kind' is doing the dance…looks like a winner! But well, here I go for my chance:
Currently reading & enjoying 2 books ; 'A Homemade Life' by Molly Wizenberg & 'Modern Spice' by Minca bhide. Both great reads & bedtime favourites as of now!! Next on my list is 'Sweet Life in Paris'if I can get to it, or of course your giveaway if I get lucky!! Off to twitter about it…
Ok…I tweeted about it, I became a fan & I subcribed. Hopefully I've upped my chances!!
Thanks for the giveaway Shaheen – the book looks great, and my daughter and I would love to add it to our collection. I am currently reading "Jack Maggs" by the incredibly talented Australian author Peter Carey. Take care, Michele
I retweeted, and I can tell you about the last 10 books I read, or last 100. Whatever works…I gotta read that one!
hello! i retweeted earlier today, and would love to win the book
Lovely giveaway book. I really enjoy your posts and your passion for cooking. For me cooking and food are all tied up in memories of family and friends. Along that theme, I'm reading a book called Monsoon Diary by Shoba Narayan that tells the story of an Indian family. It is great because it ties up all the memories with food and the recipes are included. I'm also reading Quentin's by Maeve Binchy, a fictional story about a restaurant in Dublin. And finally, I'm reading Shantaram about an Australian criminal and his life in Mumbai. Can't put it down!
Sas (sas@aip.net.au)
I am reading One Fifth Avenue by the author of Sex in the City. Good summer fun
As mentioned In Defense of food is a good read.
In fact, I stopped baking a lot of stuff after going through it.
The book that I have been reading is "Cookwise" I would suggest you get a copy as soon as possible.
Pls. don't count me in the give-away. I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this book when I read it. I only wish I had had some of your crepes to nibble on at the time.
I just started David Lebovitz's "The Sweet Life in Paris" and am thoroughly enjoying it already.
Next on my reading list is the book you are giving away! I ordered it from half.com over a month ago and it never came. So I'm going to need a new copy please. Thank you! carrie dot wood at hotmail dot com.
I LOVE bananas and nutella!!! Really great crepes!!
I'm currently reading Eat, Drink and be Vegan! So far loving every part of it and the fabulous recipes!
Ummm! Yummy. I'm reading "The Road". It's part of Oprah's bookclub!
Hope I win!
These crepes look so delicious and I just can't get enough of nutella. Thanks for visiting my blog, I'm glad to find yours
Sounds great! I love reading, Right now I'm working on Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma and it's really interesting…Definitely worth checking out!
I'm not reading anything right now, but I want to read Julie and Julia.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(d0t)com
I am currently reading Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich. I just finished The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman and wanted to read something lighter and fun.
mamie316(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
I am currently working on the latest Anita Blake Novel SkinTrade.
Thanks
darkfyre1(at)gmail.com
I am almost finished reading "Into the Beautiful North" by Luis Alberto Urrea. asthenight at gmail dot com
I'm reading Petite Anglaise by Catherine Sanderson and Ciary of an Unlikely Call Girl is next
logan dot judith at gmail dot com
my sisters keeper and julia I have just begun
I'm currently reading Bob Barker's memoir, Pricless Memories (I have always loved Bob Barker) and next up waiting on the shelf is Michael J. Foxes newest, Always Looking Up.
I just subscribed to email updates and am following you on Twitter.
banana nutella? mm!
The book really sounds like a great one and of course I would love to win. I am reading the Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii's Culinary Heritage by Rachel Laudan. I made Ozoni Soup from it a few days ago and today I am making Turron (Filipino Banana Fritters)
~devany, Hilo, HI
http://www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
I read and reviewed The Sharper Your Knife awhile back, so I don't really want to win. I just finished reading (and will review next week) Cooking Up A Storm, a cookbook with recipes requested by displaced New Orleanians following hurricane Katrina. It is put out by The Times Picayune, New Orleans' daily newspaper. I am also reading Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton and Rick Steves' Travel As A Political Act.
I'm currently reading a book called "Odd Mom Out". It's a great read, love the main character in the book. I wish my mom would have been like her!
Hey purple foodie, thats a nice tought & i would surely like to win that book , At present i am reading Stephene Myres Book called Breaking point , it is not food related but its a awesome story abt vampires.Next book on hand is memoirs of grisha.
Pinky
pinkygaikwad@gmail.com
twitter.com/strawberryf1eld
tweeted!
currently reading/cooking "Giada's Kitchen" <– Giada de Laurentiis. Yummmm food!
I am currently reading "the Terror". I am liking it. Next on the list will be the new Stephen King book. Thanks for the chance
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
I'm reading "The Road Home"
I'm reading "The Omnivore's Dilemma"… it's pretty interesting, actually!
I am currently reading Jansten Gift. Thanks for the giveaway
sharr1226 at yahoo dot com
I just finished reading "The Namesake", by Jhumpa Laahiri (excellent), and before that "TeaTime for the Traditionally Built"(delightful), the newest in the Alexander McCall Smith series. And just bought "French Women for all Seasons" as a birthday present for my chef daughter, but hope to sneak a peek at it before giving it to her.
Just wandered onto your website and am happy to be here.
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
Alice
alicerose58@yahoo.com
I've been wanting to read that book! I didn't know much about it (I just used to cook) and your description made me sniffle! Thank you for the giveaway.
gibbylet21 at hotmail dot com
A lovely giveaway!
I'm currently browsing through GDL's Giada's Kitchen.
Currently reading The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent.
Have the nutella but now just need bananas!!
bsyb100 at gmail dot com
I'm reading Obama's BlackBerry.
13rubberducks [at] gmail [dot] com
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