Ideas for living the good life on a shoestring budget run throughout "Edible Alchemy: Making Life Magic," a book of restaurant reviews, holiday celebrations, and travel memoirs. Ruth Pennington Paget delves into the culinary culture of the ethnic restaurants she takes her family and friends to as a way to enrich life. She explores the universal aspirations that render life sacred in her food stories about Greek Orthodoxy's Epiphany and New Year's, Islam's Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, Judaism's Rosh Hashanah, and Hispanic Day of the Dead.The travel memoirs from the time she lived in Europe and Wisconsin recount her foibles as an innocent abroad and new mother. Ultimately, "Edible Alchemy" will inspire one to write one's own life story.

"Praise for Ruth Pennington Paget's previous work: "
""Eating Soup with Chopsticks" is written in Ruth's breezy, dialogue-rich style--a fun read."
--Sue Fishkoff, "Monterey County Weekly"

"Since her youth, Paget has always been fascinated with ethnic cuisine and she shares that enthusiasm in these captivating essays."
--Bob Walch, "Monterey County Herald"