I can't tell. I think so. Or it may just stir it up. Or it's other dust that rushes in to take its place." I was hooked from the very first line where Jill describes a scene that reflects a constant source of frustration in my own life - ‘What would you like for dinner?’ Thrifty Thursdays: Yummy meals on a budget—Sliders with Red Onion Marmalade and Blue Cheese; Roasted Cauliflower, Broccoli, and Pasta Bake with Cheddar

Ironically, the observation shared by Maureen and Bryan after the dinner (regarding Lottie's drinking) is mirrored during the dinner, when Lottie and Norris share a similar observation about Maureen and Bryan... But Norris isn't telepathic. Earlier in the novel, Norris remarks that he is unable to read Lottie's mind. Indeed, he isn't telepathic. This prediction is not a commentary on the strength of Norris's relationships, his ability to read Mag's mind vs. his failure to read Lottie's mind. On the contrary, this prediction is a commentary on the weakness of his relationship with Mag. The relationship itself is predictable, as predictable as the actions of the characters in Biddy's serials... Indeed, her "secret tippling" does not go unnoticed. Bryan remarks: "I wonder what gives a person the idea you can't smell vodka ... Did you catch her breath?" Maureen remarks: "It went to my heart when she almost fell over that rug." Whether or not Lottie has a drinking problem (there is no question, considering she is, in the next chapter, admitted to a hospital to be treated for her alcoholism) the hypocrisy of Maureen and Bryan should be noted. Are they any better for drinking in plain sight?... Her book remains relatable to the very last line. This is all down to Jill’s writing style. Interesting, informative, entertaining and engaging, ‘What’s for Dinner?’ is easy to read and yet it asks a lot of pertinent questions. In a considered, non-preachy way, ‘What’s For Dinner’ captures the conflict we face between the food choices we would ideally like to make (especially when social media tells us what we should be doing and thinking), against what’s realistic in our individual circumstances.And then the reader is dropped into the psychiatric ward of a hospital, where they are acquainted with a new cast of sordid characters. Enter Mrs Brice, an older woman who has lost her son (along with his family) in a car accident. And Bertha, a college student afflicted with "spells" that leave her seemingly comatose - often lying face down on the floor. And Mr Mulwin, an overworked man with a cannonball in his gut. And later Mrs Judson, a disaffected middle-aged woman. And later Mr Carson, a recovering alcoholic who wants to die. As Lottie becomes better acquainted with the other patients, so too the reader becomes better acquinted. Incrementally, they grow into real people with first names. Bertha, whose childish demeanour is emphasized by her first name, grows into a real person with a last name.

But the novel hasn't relinquished the cast of the suburb in Lottie's absence. Lottie's story, taking place in the hospital, is only half of the story. The other half follows Norris, along in the suburb with the Delehanteys. To this cast another character is added - Mag Carpenter, recent widow and friend of Lottie's. The set-up is obvious. The bachelor and the widow...

What could be better than having a new arsenal of Stone’s recipes at your fingertips? . . . Charming for both his accent and kitchen knowledge, this man is as down to earth as they come.” —Milwaukee Journal Sentinel A beam of sunlight came through the evergreens and into the room, disclosing in its passage the finest of hovering dust. Jill finishes the book by saying, ‘Food shouldn’t be yet another source of angst and worry in our lives. Above all, food should nourish us’. I couldn’t agree more, and her book helps us to do that - guiding us to making informed, individual choices, without all the hype. Norris's resolve, however, is short-lived. The set-up is obvious and the outcome is predictable. In fact, the next prediction belongs to Norris. It's Norris who urges discretion, and Norris (if I remember correctly) who suggests that Maureen is likely to catch on - neighbourhood gossip that she is... I loved the glimpses into Jill’s own life (the story about saving the newborn piglets from a boar on her father’s lot was so visual it was almost as though I was there, cheering her family on), and her observations are infused with a gentle humour that had me smiling from beginning to end.