Crazy For: Sweet Paul Eat & Make

Hooray! It's release day for Sweet Paul Eat & Make, the new hybrid cookbook/craftbook from Paul Lowe, better known as Sweet Paul, the creative guy behind the eponymous lifestyle mag. I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced copy, and it's already become a favorite.

Reading the book feels like curling up on a couch with a good friend underneath a handmade quilt. Many of the recipes were inspired by Paul's Norwegian heritage and memories of sharing a kitchen with his grandmother. I love to imagine the two of them in front of the oven with flour-coated hands, watching the biscuits rise. (Of course, these are no plain Jane biscuits: they're loaded with cheese, dill, and pumpkin seeds.) The recipes are full of charming details (why not cut your French toast in the shape of stars?) and brilliant combinations of flavors and textures. Case in point: I never would have thought to pair savory polenta with sweet honey, nuts, and pears, but now I'm jonesing for it, big time. The food styling and photography are to die for, too: you can practically smell the aromas wafting from the food.

Photo courtesy of Sweet Paul

In an era of overly ambitious Pinterest-inspired concoctions, the crafts are refreshingly simple, and often require little more than the stuff you've shoved to the back of your junk drawer. Take this clever trivet: it's made from lowly clothespins and floral wire. Get the how-to here.

The book exudes a sense of homeyness and warmth. I promise you'll want to step inside of its pages--and probably help yourself to a big spoonful of that polenta.