I need to first take the time to thank Lydia for this whole Cross-Bloggination idea and for hosting me today. This is the second month and I have to tell you, it is really fun to be looking out for just the right book to share with new readers every month. It is like my books are in a competition to be featured and many of them scream, “Pick me, pick me!”

On to the fun, if you have ever had the chance to peruse Chew & Digest Books, you will surely know that I dig reading about American History and Immigration. What you probably don’t know is that in the last few years I have been trying hard to foster a love of cooking. Canning, baking, stewing, heavens, I even bought a food processor! This from a girl that lived on nothing but Raman and Mac & Cheese even after college.

What I didn’t know until this month was that there was a book out there that covered all of those subjects. 97 Orchard by Jane Ziegelman is that book and the subtitle pretty much says it all. “An Edible History of Five Immigrant Families in One New York Tenement Apartment.” Have you ever endeavored on an edible history?

You can click on the book above for the actual review, but want I want to share with you was one of the fine recipes in this book. A few weeks ago, thank to the kindness of strangers, I found my self with a wind fall of Zucchinis. It was in the chapter on the Baldizzi family that I found a solution.

Zucchini Fritatta

4 large or 6 small zucchini

1 small onion sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 eggs

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1/3 cup bread crumbs

salt and pepper

Rinse and grate zucchini using a food processor or mandolin. Place grated zucchini in a colander over the sink. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt, toss, and let sit for 15 minutes or longer until the zucchini begins to “weep”. Squeeze out extra moisture and set aside.

Saute the onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until lightly golden. (If you like to add a bit more bulk, thrown in some shredded potatoes in at this point like I did) Add zucchini and cook until the zucchini until it has browned in spots and the excess moisture has cooked away. Season with salt and pepper. and remove from stove.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the warm zucchini mixture along with the cheese and the bread crumbs. Let it sit for a minute. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and let it get hot. Add the egg mixture, turn the burner down to low and cook until the fritatta starts to set around the edges.

Then place pan under a hot broiler to finish cooking the top. Slide onto a platter and garnish with something like sour cream, salsa, or guacamole and serve.

Easy Peasy and not only does it look like a dream on the table, it tastes like heaven. See all of the wonderful things that you can get into by simply picking up a nonfiction book? You are looked a bit peeked, what are you waiting for? Go check out 97 Orchard by Jane Ziegelman, grab your apron, and you will find yourself cooking history.

Thanks again for playing along and remember Books don’t just feed your soul or brain, they can feed your belly too!

Be sure you stop by Chew & Digest Books to see what Danielle for There’s a Book is sharing with my readers today. Thanks Lydia!

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Thank you so much for providing us with a fantastic look at this book, Gwen!   For those interested, please feel free to hop on over to There’s a Book and Chew & Digest Books to view the other cross-bloggination books!