"Star Trek #38 (DC Comics 1986-1989, 1st Series)"

WORTH CONSUMING!

A classic trek tale with a plot hole I should have seen a mile away. Still, while I can’t recall why Kirk was being targeted and betrayed, I really enjoyed the art and the action.

"Showcase Presents: House of Mystery, Vol. 2"

WORTH CONSUMING!

Gone are the days when I would snap up 10 of these (and other DC/ Marvel horror titles) bad boys for only a buck at the old Tales Resold location in Raleigh, NC. Why, at about age 3, the first comic I ever bought was a horror title. It was Carlton Comics ‘Ghostly Tales’.

So, to have these stories coming back in re-print is a delight. The art, the stories, and the chills are as vivid as ever.

Sadly, Volume 1 is already out of print and to get a copy, I’ll have to pay 3x the cover price on ebay. In a way, it is also a blessing, because I now know to act fast each a new volume comes out.

"McIlhenny's Gold: How a Louisiana Family Built the Tabasco Empire"

WORTH CONSUMING!

As a foodie, I read lots of books on food. This book however was a first for me- and I couldn’t be more excited. I own a fiery food gourmet store, so this book about the history of Tabasco sauce and the McIlhenny family who produce it was the first book I ever read as “market research”.

I had found out about this book in a trade publication, I put in on my list of things to read, and then I read it.

 I really enjoyed it. There actually were people in this book that I know either in passing or very well, like Dave Lutes of Hot Shots. And I learned and unlearned tons of things about Tabasco, Scoville Units, and the Hot Sauce industry. Especially, the whole legend of how Tabasco sauce was discovered. Edmund McIlhenny’s pepper crop was left untouched by Union forces after the Civil War and so he decided to make his famous sauce. And thus a legend was born. This sounds an awful lot alike the story of how the Dukes of Durham started their tobacco empire. And upon finding that the Tabasco Sauce legend is nothing more than just that, I find myself questioning the Duke legend.

 This book is essential for any lover of hot sauces, foodies, or those interested in Cajun/ Creole society.

What on Earth is Going On? (Signs of the Times Series)

WORTH CONSUMING!

The end of the world- it’s a scary thing. Even for someone like myself who is saved by the blood of Jesus, just thinking about the end times scares me. I fear for those family and friends not saved. I fear for those who will die. Those who won’t have a second chance.

I could’ve picked a much bigger book than this. It’s only 110 pages. But, I’ll tell you a secret- despite my salvation, the whole book of the Revelations of John really freaks me out.

Willie & Joe: the WWII years, Volume II

WORTH CONSUMING!

This is a very quaint collection of WWII comics drawn by Bill Mauldin. I’m not sure who he is, but he’s got talent. The humor is a lot like MASH, very authentic and topical- Pro American and Anti-war at the same time.

The best aspect of this book is the director’s cut type commentary at the end of the book that helps explain some of these cartoons in which if you did not know SOP, you’d very lost!

Sadly, not every comic gets this treatment, as they still were some that went over my head.

 I cannot wait to read Vol. 1!

"Star Trek #37 (DC Comics 1986-1989, 1st Series)"

WORTH CONSUMING!

So the Voyage Home is complete, now Kirk and crew have a ship that doesn’t work and every little to no crew. All is not right with the world, but the writer makes it work.

The cover artist however, butchers the Star Trek logo. See above picture. It’s lop-sided and looks amateurish.

"The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell"

I hope to one day get my Ph.D in food science. It’s such a fascinating subject, and if one can grasp just a fraction of what it’s all about, it will so improve your cooking skills, love of fine food, and knowledge of cuisine in general. It’s essential to know this stuff if you want to even be considered a foodie!

I am a foodie- I own my own hot sauce retail store and website. So, when it came to finding a book that would be topical with my recent trips to the beach, I choose a great book about New York’s (formerly) thriving oyster industry. Who knew?

This book is written by a former James Beard Winner, is about food and the science of food (the sections on waste and cholera may make you never want another oyster again), the prep of oysters, the history of old New York, makes this like my dream book.

 There are even tons of recipes. But since I am not an oyster fan- I doubt I’d even make them. Well, no, I’d make them- I just doubt I would try them.

 Very Much Worth Consuming.

"Bram Stoker's Dracula"

WORTH CONSUMING!

I labeled this wrong (in my head)- it’s not manga- it’s 50 times better. I couldn’t tell if I was looking at cells from a cartoon or inked artwork. It’s that good. The adaptation is very well done- this is like Stoker’s book, not the Lugosi Drac.

Very entertaining read. It’s supposed to be part of a series, like those Illustrated Classics of the 80s (which freakin’ rock!), and I would love to find more!