the butch cook book
Prepare to disabuse yourself of the notion that the butch half of a lesbian couple is not the cook. Divided into chapters with punny headings—“Warm Thoughts” for the soup course and “Hot ’n’ Heavy” for entrees—this collection of recipes (contributed by butch friends of the editors from around the world) offers both beginners and experienced cooks plenty to enjoy, with an emphasis on comfort food. Take the cheese grits, in a recipe submitted by “a tough lesbian attorney who recognized the dynamics of illegitimate power when she confronted it, and she always confronted it.” Dinner? Try “Chicken for Emily,” which is both a recipe and a love letter. But, above all, don’t forget the “Butch Basics,” which include macaroni and cheese from a box and a mayo sandwich (easy enough with only three ingredients: bread, pickles, and mayo). But this is more than just a witty cookbook. The editors envision the volume as a “validation of who we are,” and the personal stories that accompany the recipes (as well as the forays into lesbian history) are as comforting as the food. --Ilene Cooper