Using charming characters as her ingredients, Erica Bauermeister reprises her recipe for comfort reading in The Lost Art of Mixing, her sequel to The School of Essential Ingredients. With an ensemble that mixes well – some adding spice, others watering down the flavor – Bauermeister connects the lives of mismatched lovers, family anxiety over elder care, and a grieving widower to her staple heroine,Lillian, restaurant owner and chef. As Lillian tries to manage her own issues, the intercepting lives of foodies and friends connect.

The recipe includes finding love, being true to yourself, learning life lessons, and happily ever after endings – with descriptions of the rainy American Northwest as well as some mouth-watering dishes. Not to be read on an empty stomach, or you may be salivating more than sighing through the scenes.