300 Sandwiches

Smith, a senior reporter for the New York Post, had her 15 minutes of fame in September, 2013, when the Post ran an article on her attempt to woo her boyfriend into marriage via his stomach. "Honey, you are 300 sandwiches away from an engagement ring," he told her. Thus began a marathon of meats and cheeses, which led to a blog (300sandwiches.com), which in turn led to feminist and anti-feminist responses, an appearance on the Today Show, and now to this memoir-cookbook hybrid with a release date conveniently set two and a half weeks before Smith's wedding. As memoirs go, this one is easily digestible in one or two sittings, and involves a lot of%E2%80%94not surprisingly%E2%80%94sandwich making, along with healthy doses of engagement anxiety and envy-inducing vacationing. The froth is counterbalanced by the poignant tale of Smith's relationship with her dying father, which effectively hijacks the narrative for the better. The recipes, a handful of each at the end of every chapter, include pheasant sliders, gingerbread cookie sandwiches, sweet and sour Sloppy Joes, and a chicken and waffle BLT. There is also a collection of "Forbidden Sandwiches," made with ingredients her fianc%C3%A9 despises. These, of course, prove irresistible to Smith when she gets to make them for herself. (May)