As a child, writer and singer Tinky Weisblat disliked rhubarb and balked at eating it. As an adult, she has evolved into an enthusiast for the tart red stalks that pop up in her New England yard every year. Like most converts, she is wildly enthusiastic about her rhubarb “religion.” In "Love, Laughter, and Rhubarb" Tinky shares some of her reasons for loving rhubarb: its taste, its place as one of the first crops of the agricultural year, and above all its versatility. This sweet/tart plant can be made into just about anything. To demonstrate rhubarb’s adaptability, she provides more than 60 recipes, from beverages and appetizers through main courses and desserts. From the Madame Rhubarb (a Manhattan cocktail concocted with homemade rhubarb bitters) to Rhubarb Pizza to (of course!) Rhubarb Pie, "Love, Laughter, and Rhubarb" offers dishes to delight rhubarb enthusiasts and treats to tempt those who are not yet in love with “pie plant.” The book also includes essays about the history of rhubarb, rhubarb’s place in fiction, its use as the centerpiece of festivals around the country and beyond, and the many meanings of the word “rhubarb.” Of rhubarb, Tinky writes: "It’s beautiful. It’s resilient. It’s versatile. Oh, my goodness. I just realized that I may love rhubarb because it’s like ME!"