AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR OCTOBER 2015 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, deantudor@deantudor.com Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.ca These food and wine book reviews are always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.ca But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.THE SPIRITS (Square Peg, 2015, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-22410118-9 $35.99 CAN hard covers) is by Richard Godwin, a UK newspaper features editor with a blog called The Spirits. It is a very nifty book about the life of “cocktailing”, citing F. Scott Fitzgerald's use of “to cocktail” as a verb in 1928. Like many such cocktail books, there are classic preps, contemporary preps, and classic-with-contemporary-spin preps. What sets this book apart is his writing style and adamant feeling that the ability to make a good cocktail will never be a waste of time. He tears apart the champagne cocktail (and rightly so: “no classic is quite so poorly designed as this”). After the classics, it is all arranged by technique: the stirred, the shaken, the long, the occasional, the invented. He also covers hangovers, hosting, and ingredients for the bar. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Very handy are the ten basic ratios for making your own cocktails. There is an index to all major drinks and their variants. Audience and level of use: those looking for a stylish cocktail manual. Some interesting or unusual facts: he presents the cocktailing day, beginning at 7AM with corpse reviver #2, 8 AM's English breakfast martini, the 9 AM bloody mary, the 10 AM sherry cobbler, and so on through to the 11 PM sazerac and the midnight champagne cocktail. If you are up all night, the nuclear daiquiri at 2 AM might be good, or the espresso martini at 4 AM. Anyway, he's got a drink for every hour. The downside to this book: some people may not appreciate the fact that there is not a single photo of any drink, and the generic line drawings are just that. But I don't care – it is some relief that they are not there. The upside to this book: there is a chapter on the 25 classics: at number 20 is the Gin & It. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.GROWING TOMORROW (The Experiment, 2015, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-284-7, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Forrest Pritchard, author of the best-selling GAINING GROUND and a seventh-generation farmer. This book grew out of readers' letters to that book: where are these farms and what doe they do and sell? A lot of people came together for log rolling: Batali, Ruhlman, Burros, Marion Nestle and nine others (including a Deborah Madison forward). It is a farm-to-table journey in photos and recipes with behind the scenes accounts of 18 sustainable farmers on family farms who are changing the way Americans eat. Every US region is covered: the west, the southwest, the southeast, the midwest, and the northwest. Each farm is described, with material about the farm, photos, pithy quotes, web sites, addresses and contact names, hours, how to buy, etc. Not every farm is organic but all of them follow sustainable, natural practices as much as possible. There is a honeybee farm, goat dairy, berries, orchards, veggies, mushrooms, grains, and mixed. One of my fave stories is about D-Town Farm in the middle of Detroit (I saw a documentary about them at DevourFest last year): they do veggies, honey and compost. They also give employment to many of the city's blacks. At the back there is a directory and metric conversion charts. As well, there is a brief guide to blanching and canning. Audience and level of use: those concerned about the food that we eat. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: from D-Town Farms – tomato sauce from scratch, full-flavored collard greens; from Potomac Vegetable Farms – pear-cucumber-sesame slaw; from Nichols Farm and Orchard – fresh linguine with spring radishes and peas; from Hayton Farms Berries – raspberry beer cocktail, blueberry salsa. The downside to this book: no overall index to tie in thoughts and stories. The upside to this book: while there is no overall index, there is an index to the recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 92. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.OODLES OF NOODLES (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-653-2, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Louise Pickford, food writer now living in France with over 15 cookbooks to her credit (many for Ryland Peters & Small). Here she runs through the basic types of wheat noodles, buckwheat, rice sticks, sweet potato, flat rice, cellophanes, vermicelli, rice paper, buckwheat, and more. There are 70 recipes here for mostly Asian noodles. After the basics, she delves into separate chapters called for in soups, salads, apps, stir-fries and curries. Each prep has a full colour photo. A very good, well-prepared book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: those looking to use a lot of Asiatic noodles. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: steamed rice noodle dumplings with scallops; vegetarian spring rolls; shio ramen with pork and eggs; num banh chok; seared salmon and green tea noodle salad. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 4.MEZZE (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-651-8, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Ghillie Basan, a cookery writer and journalist specializing in Middle East cuisine. She has written other Middle East books for Ryland Peters & Small. Here are some 93 recipes of dips, bites, salads and other small plates to share, or apps or even mains. The Persian word “maza” means to relish and savour, accompanied by tea, sherbet or yogurt, occasionally wine or beer. Spanish tapas are the Middle East Moorish-influenced dishes, but with alcohol. I usually love a whole meal of little plates. This book is arranged by cold mezze, hot mezze, and sweet mezze. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: those looking for a small dish or two, or entertaining ideas. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: olives with harissa and preserved lemon; sweet melon with feta; spicy beef tartare and bulgur balls; hot hummus with pine nuts and chilli butter; spinach and feta pastries with pie nuts; roasted meat-stuffed onions with tamarind and butter; pears in saffron and cinnamon syrup. The downside to this book: I wish that there were more recipes. The upside to this book: the usual gorgeous RPS photos. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5.CHICKEN WINGS ((Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-656-3, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Carol Hilker, a food writer in San Francisco who has written several cookbooks for Ryland Peters & Small. I am not convinced that we need another chicken wings book, but the publisher at least had an American author. Chicken wings are perfectly adaptable to a huge range of dips and sauces, marinades and glazes. So any BBQ book with a lot of these savoury methods is useful. According to the National Chicken Council (US), over 1.25 billion chicken wings were consumed during the 2015 Super Bowl. I'd imagine that chicken wings are very popular at ANY guy sports function, but I am not sure that they (the guys) demand variety during the session. My experience has been that guys only differ over heat levels (some can, some cannot), so all you really need are two types with and without heat. Nevertheless, this book does detail some 72 recipes for fried, baked, and grilled wings, plus some sides and drinks (some non-alcoholic for the kids or those who don't like beer). Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: party goers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sticky lime and maple wings; cola wings; mole wings; teriyaki wings; lemon-basil-pepper wings. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 6.THE HEALTHY MATCHA COOKBOOK (Skyhorse Publishing, 2015, 143 pages, ISBN 978-1-63450-221-4, $16.99 US hard covers) is by Miryam Quinn-Doblas, RD, who owns the blog at eatgood4life.com. Her subtitle says “green tea-inspired meals, snacks, drinks, and desserts”, using matcha powder to give the immune system a power boost. The anti-oxidant powder is far stronger than the liquid tea, and the 60 preps take advantage of this. The book is a nice resource tool, with its primer and arrangement (breakfasts, snacks, lean meals that are free of red meats, desserts, and menu plans for two weeks. There is a good resources section. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those looking to increase their immune systems. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: apple walnut bundt cake; breakfast smoothie bowl; lemon coconut bites; fish curry; cauliflower and thyme soup; mahi mahi in tomato sauce. The downside to this book: I'd like a few more recipes. The upside to this book: The menus have page references to the recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 7.DINNER PIES (Harvard Common Press, 2015, 271 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-851-8, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Ken Haedrich, who has written 12 other cookbooks, including the award-winning PIE which covers sweet pies. Here, he has savouries, ranging from shepherd's pies and pot pies to turnovers, quiches, hand pies and others, about 100 in all, mostly one-crust or two-crust. It is arranged by type of pie, and includes at the end a tortilla pie, cheeseburger pie, and shepherd's pie. He's also got cobblers, strudel, and wrapped entrees such as meatloaf wellington. And there is nothing with gluten-free flours. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: turkey crumb pot pie, roasted vegetable strudel, fresh tomato and ham cobbler, Natchitoches meat pies, Philly cheesesteak hand pies, and pepperoni pizza bites. The downside to this book: his shepherd's pies are all beef, which are actually “cottage pies” (no index entry here); he never mentions lamb at all except for Moroccan lamb pie. The upside to this book: many of the pies are simply stews with covers of pastry or potato. So you can easily convert, just watching out for the liquid component. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 8.LE FRENCH OVEN (Gibbs Smith, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-4053-0, $30 US hard covers) is by Hillary Davis, cookbook author of a variety of books about French food. Here she concentrates on the Dutch oven (enameled cast iron pot), of which the best are now apparently made in France, such as Le Creuset, Frontignac, and Emile Henry. She does cover seven brands, but some might be hard to find in North America. Le Creuset is just about everywhere; it originated in Picardy in 1925. It also has one of the best warranties. All the ovens are interchangeable, and she does cover choosing and caring for it. “The recipes in this cookbook are French inspired one I created for 5 quart to 6 quart (5 to 5.7 litre) French ovens. This is the mid-range size for feeding 4 – 6 people. There are larger and smaller ones, of course, and preps can be adjusted. She begins with appetizers in mini-cocottes, followed by soups, baking, stovetop prep, roasting, stewing, braising, and frying. Desserts are also in mini-cocottes, or in French ovens (your choice). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Audience and level of use: those with enameled Dutch ovens. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: summer garden crudites with Lyonnaise herb dip, French green lentil and toasted walnuts soup, lamb hachis parmentier, lemon-braised chicken with green olives, braised lamb shanks with gremolata. The downside to this book: pictures are suited to this over-sized book, but are too non-food for tourists. How many pots can you can only pretty up for a book? The upside to this book: a good single-equipment cookbook from a French expert. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 9.THE BACKYARD HOMESTEAD BOOK OF KITCHEN KNOW-HOW (Storey Publishing, 2015, 356 pages, ISBN 678-1-61212-204-5, $19.95 US soft covers) is by Andrea Chesman, a Vermont cookbook writer with a couple of dozen books dealing with local cooking life (Pickled Pantry, Root Cellar, Serving Up the Harvest). Here she tells us how to be self-reliant in the kitchen; these skills can inspire confidence. Cooking from scratch includes milling your own flour, making butter and yogurt, curing sausages, making braises and stews, freezing and drying veggies, and preserving fruits. The variety here includes: canning fresh purees, dehydrating quartered tomatoes, making salsa, fermenting green tomatoes, preserving eggs, cooking stewing hens, making broth, making pates, making ricotta, cooking with yogurt. A very good reference book with about 100 recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who have the time to cook from scratch. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above, mostly techniques. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 10.THE RECIPE WHEEL (Ebury Press, 2014, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-09195704-9 $41 CAN hard covers) is by Rosie Ramsden, cook, writer and food stylist for Delicious magazine. These are recipe ideas in visual form, very easy to follow. There are 10 wheels with 120 total preps. Her principles are based on balance (flavours, textures), colour, and leftovers (inventive). For example, a wheel entitled “Simple White Bread” leads to ideas of “no frills”, “night in”, “friends”, “creative”, “impress” and “leftover”. For the latter, you've got eggy bread and bread pudding. For impress, there is beetroot panzanella. Another recipe wheel is “Vegetable Soup”: night in (mum soup), friends (celeriac and mustard soup), or creative (clam chowder). There are eight more. Preparations have their ingredients listed in a mix of metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: jaded cooks or those who wish to learn more, maybe millennials too. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above Quality/Price Rating: 85. 11.FERMENTING FOOD STEP-BY-STEP (DK, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-4143-0, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Adam Elabd, an educator in the field of fermentation, nutrition, and natural healing. Here are over 80 step-by-step recipes for fermenting kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, vinegar, chutney, sourdough, rejuvelac, and kefir. It is a visual guide, very well prepared. It also includes breads such as gorditas made from corn masa and injera made from teff flour. It is a great and useful reference book for those wishing to learn more. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The photos with the arrows are particularly good for the millennials who can visualize. Audience and level of use: entry level for those wishing to explore fermenting foods. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: purple amazake sourdough; pineapple cider vinegar; mandarin wine; coconut water kefir; masala kraut; mole ketchup. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 12.FLAVORFUL (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 374 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-52355-1, $35 US hard covers) is by Tish Boyle, co-editor of Dessert Professional magazine. She's written many other dessert books about cakes, diners, chocolate, and cookies. Here she has 150 preps that she guarantees are “flavourful”, It is based on the pastry chefs' list of the most popular flavours in the US – vanilla, berry and cherry, apple, citrus, cheese, nuts, caramel, coffee, and chocolate. These are what most people eat most of in the way of desserts, so let's give it to them. So on average, that's about 15 preps per fancy. It is a great idea, and it forms a basis for a manual on baking and desserts. Each chapter covers a flavour, following a primer section. As with all good chefs, ingredients are scaled for exact ratios. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: intermediate Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: raspberry cheesecake cupcakes; French apple cake; cherry-vanilla frozen pops; espresso granita with mascarpone cream; lime-coconut mousse cake; pistachio Linzer hearts; two-tone milk chocolate mousse. The downside to this book: vanilla is a nice flavour but it is also everywhere, like salt in savoury. Also, where would you place mocha? The upside to this book: a nifty idea for arrangement, and this gets all the popular flavours anybody would need in one place. Quality/Price Rating: 86. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 13.CROSSROADS (Artisan, 2015, 284 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-636-2, $35 US hard covers) is by Tal Ronnen, founder and chef at Crossroads, Scot Jones, executive chef of Crossroads, and Serafina Magnussen, vegan baker at Crossroads. The restaurant opened in LSA in 2013, and of course struck a chord in vegan Hollywoodland. These 100 recipes, with lots of log rolling from Bill Clinton, Paul McCartney, plus four others, emphasize the imitative approach with vegan examples of Mediterranean food: flatbreads, pastas, desserts – all without the meat and dairy. The arrangement is from apps to desserts, with cocktails. Thus: butternut squash farinata with arugula salad and pomegranate vinaigrette, or vegetable bouillabaisse with rouille, or pappardelle bolognese. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 14.BUTTER CELEBRATES! (Appetite by Random House, 2015, 260 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01686-2, $35 US hard covers) is by Rosie Daykin, owner of Butter Baked Goods (also the title of her first cookbook) in Vancouver; her products can be found in 300 retail stores. From the subtitle, it is “a year of sweet recipes to share with family and friends” – over 100 of them, arranged by holiday/celebration such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Birthdays, Hallowe'en, Christmas, etc. Also included are arrivals of new babies, welcoming neighbours to the street, al fresco summer parties – even a dog's birthday! Lots of memoir-type stories and illustrative photos complete the picture. And of course presentation is all. Try triple chocolate mousse with coffee crème anglaise, spicy nuts, sweet potato marshmallow pie, or raspberry fluff. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. A bright and cheerful book, complete with a celebratory bookmark ribbon!! Quality/price rating: 87. 15.PER LA FAMIGLIA (Whitecap, 2015, 234 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-224-6, $29.95 CAN paper covers) is by Emily Richards, who worked in restaurants, Canadian Living and on the Food Network cooking shows. She's also from a large Italian family, and these are their recipes: southern Italian, principally Calabria, but also involving Puglia, Sicily, Sardinia, and Campania. So this is a family cookbook celebrating heritage recipes and are local takes on classic dishes involving pasta doughs, sauces, antipastos, desserts, roasts, homemade wine – and dinners delayed until the whole family could be there. There are lots of memoirs here, as well as family photos. The 130 preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 87. 16.OLYMPIA PROVISIONS (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 282 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-701-7, $40 US hard covers) is by Elias Cairo, co-owner of Portland's Olympia Provisions in Oregon, which he founded in 2009. Co-author Meredith Erickson is a London-based food writer and cookbook author. Boulud and Ruhlman are the lead log rollers. This is the story of cured meats and takes from the charcuterie company. So it is part memoir and part cookbook detailing the intricacies of curing meats in several different ways. There is a section on basic recipes for sausages (breakfast, bratwurst, Italian, salami), slow-cooked meats (rillettes, capicola), pate and forcemeat (pate, mousse, en gelee, ballotine), smoked meats, dry-cured meats, and fermented dry-cured salami. Then follow his restaurants and their recipes for brunch, lunch, “wine time”, and dinner. A good solid meat book. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 17.ALL THINGS JERKY (Skyhorse Publishing, 2015, 173 pages, ISBN 978-1-63450-489-8, $14.99 US paper covers) is by Andy Lightbody, an outdoors writer and co-host of an outdoors food TV show. Kathy Mattoon is the other host of that food show, “Cookin' on the Wild Side”. This is a guide to making jerky and other dried snack offerings from all manner of flesh, including fish, seafood, poultry, pork, bear, game, fruit and veggies. They cover the basics of drying home ovens and smokers, knives, slicers, grinders, storage and vacuum sealers, marinades, spices, cures, seasonings, and brines. The recipes are solid and goof proof, a good book for that outdoors person in your life. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 18.FRANKIE AVALON'S ITALIAN FAMILY COOKBOOK (St. Martin's Griffin, 2015, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-05913-0, $24.99 US hard covers) is by celebrity singer Frankie Avalon, with award-winning cookbook writer Rick Rodgers assisting. It's your standard Italian cookbook, sure to win over his fans with 80 family recipes from four generations of Avalons in America. It is principally southern Italian, choosing Romano cheese over Parmesan. Typical are bruschetta with bell peppers, braised meatballs, seafood salad with calamari, stuffed shells with three cheeses – enough food for the usual Sunday feast of Italian-Americans. And lots of details and pix of the Avalon family get-togethers along with memoirish material from Frankie himself. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 19.JACQUES PEPIN HEART & SOUL IN THE KITCHEN (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 436 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-30198-6, $35 US hard covers) is by the chef who has been in twelve PBS cooking shows, written over two dozen cookbooks, and has won many Beard and IACP cookbook awards. This current book is from Pepin's final PBS series, and is a look at the chef and the food he cooks at home. There are 200 recipes, covering the simple to the elegant and sophisticated, to parties and celebratory events. It is also a bit of a memoir with thoughts about his life with food. And we get older with him: the typeface is large, with plenty of leading for the older readers. It is arranged by course, with hors d'oeuvres [sic] first, soups, salads, through to cakes and custards, and with organ meats along the way too. At the end are 26 menus with (unfortunately) no page references to the recipe itself. He's got a fast fougasse, a cannellini bean dip, ricotta quenelles, tripe and pigs' feet ragout, and a corn souffle – all great food for home family style eating. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 20.THIS IS CAMINO (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 260 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-728-4, $35 US hard covers) is by Russell Moore and Allison Hopelain, who opened Camino in Oakland. It specializes in local, sustainable, food frugally prepared in California style of flavour combinations. There's a lot of heavy log rolling (Bittman, Waters, Lebovitz, Tanis, Ottolenghi), but then Russell cooked at Chez Panisse for 21 years. There's an opening primer centered on the basics and the larder/pantry with ingredients and methods used. They go on to do veggies, fish, chicken and eggs, duck, lamb, pork, desserts and cocktails. Try slow cooked duck legs with Savoy cabbage, prunes and duck cracklings, grilled king salmon with herb broth, or sauerkraut salad. There's lots of detail about the restaurant, with many pictures, and as well chapters on a week at Camino (with a timeline) and massive detail on grilling. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 21.THE HELL'S KITCHEN COOKBOOK (Grand CentralLife & Style, 2015, 264 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-3569-9, $30 US hard covers) comes from the TV show which debuted on Fox in 2005; it has aired 14 “seasons”. Gordon Ramsay is one of the executive producers. It is a highly dramatic culinary competition. The 100 preps here, with 25 menus lets you make your own without the stress of the workplace. Actually, I am surprised that this is its first cookbook after 11 years of shows. There is opening material on what the show is like, followed by the recipes divided into starters, entrees, sides, desserts, and then the 25 menus with (unfortunately) no page references to the recipe needed. Try bacon and caramelized onion jam, smoked collard greens, sauteed linguine, roasted fennel, cioppino with turbot and seafood, steamed mussels with tequila and coconut milk and cilantro. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 22.THE HOT BREAD KITCHEN COOKBOOK (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8617-9, $35 US hard covers) is by Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez and the bakers of Hot Bread Kitchen (NYC). It is a home diverse breads, and the book reflects it: baguettes, multigrains, conchas, bialys, naans, and more. The bakery hires immigrant women, providing the bakery and culinary skills needed. So you get authentic breads in one place, which is also handy for restaurants who order from them. They are assisted in the book's writing by Julia Turshen, a cookbook co-author. It is all arranged by type of bread: unleavened flatbreads, leavened flatbreads, tortillas, lean breads and rolls, enriched breads and rolls, filled doughs from around the world, and quick breads and holiday breads. The concluding chapter of 25 pages is all about what to do with leftover breads: grilled cheese French toast, bread puddings, croutons, panzanellas, bread salads, bread crumbs, and chilaquiles. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois and metric measurements, as all good bakers scale. Quality/price rating: 89. 23.THE DEAD RABBIT DRINKS MANUAL (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-37320-4, $27 US hard covers) is by Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry, two North Belfast lads. Muldoon is founder and manager of Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog in Lower Manhattan; McGarry is the manager. Both lads and Dead Rabbit have garnered about a dozen major drink awards (best bar, best menu, best bartender, etc.). It is part memoir and the story of Dead Rabbit and part drinks manual. The drinks include communal punches, sours and fizzes, cups and cobblers, juleps and smashes, slings and toddies, flips, possers and nogs, bishops and then “cocktails” with a whole chapter on absinthe. There is even a selection of drinks for the invalid, such beer based items as porter sangaree, elderberry beer, shandygaff, velvet gaff, and, of course, Irish coffee. A really good read. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 24.SOUTHERN SOUPS & STEWS (Chronicle Books, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-2485-8 $24.95 US soft covers) is by Nancie McDermott, who plays the role of Cake Historian on the Food Network's GOOD EATS show. She's also a food writer with 10 other cookbooks to her credit. Here are 75 recipes, including Kentucky's burgoo, Cajun gumbo, etouffee, and fricassee. Others include Brunswick stew (but no opossum), shrimp and grits, chowders, dumplings, veggies, and others. She's got some richly detailed histories behind all of the recipes. There is a bibliography at the end. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 25.TACOS (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-553-44729-3, $32.50 US hard covers) is by Alex Stupak and Jordana Rothman. Alex is a restaurateur with three Mexican restaurants in New York City; Jordana is an experienced food writer. This book deals with all manner of tacos (shells, soft, corn, flour, and neo-traditional masa based tortillas made with beets, saffron, pistachios, spinach, sweet corn, yuca, chorizo,and chicken. He's also got non-masa buckwheat tortillas and rye tortillas. Talk about variety!! This is also the story of his Empellon Taqueria, Cocina, and Al Pastor (his three NYC restos). Tacos actually begin on p105; the early part of the book concerns the variety of tortillas, the salsas, and the Mexican pantry. The fillings use the usual meats and veggies, plus here he includes offal, and sends with sweet tacos. This is a thorough and comprehensive taco book for the true lover. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 26.PATISSERIE MAISON (Ebury Press, 2014, 224 pages, ISBN 9780091957612, $42.95 CAN hard covers) is by Richard Bertinet, a baker from Brittany but now living in Bath. He's set up The Bertinet Kitchen cookery school in 2005; this is his fifth cookbook. It is a British import now available in Canada through Penguin Random House. These are the basic 50 preps for patisserie that you could reasonably expect on the pastry counter: eclairs, gateau saint honore, baba au rhum, Paris a Brest, meringues, and mousses. He has step by step photos. He's got four major divisions: small, shared (large), treats, and festive. Preparations have been scaled and their ingredients listed in mainly metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 27.RACHEL KHOO'S KITCHEN NOTEBOOK (Chronicle Books, 2015, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-4056-8, $29.95 US soft covers) is by the author of THE LITTLE PARIS KITCHEN which was a popular television series on BBC2 and The Cooking Channel. She is also a food columnist. Her book was original published by Michael Joseph (Penguin) in the UK. She gives us over 100 recipes from her own personal cookbook, recipes she liked to make over and over for friends and company. It is arranged by course: apps, mains, desserts. She's got a section on homemade treats, equipment, and some ingredients. Try the exciting Gorgonzola and ricotta sfogliatella, raw fig trifles, slow roasted pork belly with sloe gin, seafood paella nests, or mushroom stroganoff with spinach and wild rice. Good head notes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 28.THE CHAKRA KITCHEN; feed your body to nourish your spirit (CICO Books, 2015, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-78249-265-8, $19.95 US paper covers) is by UK vegan chef Sarah Wilkinson, owner of Chakra Cakes and The Chakra Kitchen. Everything here is organic, vegan, gluten-free with natural sweeteners. The 60 recipes work with the seven chakras (energy centres). Optimal health and well-being is stressed by chakra work, and food nicely complements this activity. For the advanced believer, it would also be helpful if crystals were involved in boosting the power of the food ingredients. The arrangement is by season, beginning with Spring, about 15 for each quarter. Recipes and foods are identified by colours for the relevant chakras. Typical dishes include rainbow chard with smoked tofu and cashews, or raspberry-pecan-goji berry pudding. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 86. 29.RAMEN FUSION COOKBOOK (DK, 2015, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-4142-3, $19.95 US soft covers) is by Nell Benton, owner of The National Cafe (Milwaukee) who specializes in international cuisine. It is a collection of some 40 traditional recipes and modern makeovers of the classic Japanese broth soup. She suggests making them from scratch. After the primer, the book is divided into types of stocks: recipes with dashi stock, with chicken stock, with pork stock, and with vegetarian stock-- about 10 preps for each kind of stock. There is material about accompaniments to ramen, such as edamame, avocado salad, bean sprout salad, ramen burgers and ramen frittata. Try spicy miso pork ramen, pork shio ramen, or pork red curry ramen. There is also coconut curry tofu vegetarian ramen and mushroom miso vegetarian ramen. Good idea for a book! Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 30.GJELINA (Chronicle Books, 2015, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-2809-2, $35 US hard covers) is by Travis Lett, chef at Gjelina (and two other places) in Venice, California. The emphasis is on grain-and-vegetable cuisine with an international bent. Celebrities and food lovers gather here. Here are more than 150 recipes covering salads, toasts, [pizza, veggies, grains, and some meats (mainly fish but also lamb and pork). It is a pretty book, featuring his stories and his types of dishes – one for his fans. Try kabocha squash and goat cheese agnolotti with brown butter and walnut picada for a wide-range of taste sensations. Or grilled octopus with braised black-eyed peas. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 31.MODERN GERMAN COOKBOOK (DK, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-4394-6, $22 US hard covers) is by Frank Rosin, owner of a two star Michelin restaurant, Rosin, in Germany. In addition, he has appeared on German TV (Rosin's Restaurants) and is a celebrity judge on the reality cooking show The Taste. Here he presents some home-scaled versions of modern German food, about 100 recipes which also include upscale contemporary versions of beef roulades and sauerbraten. His new German classics also involve a strong Mediterranean influence from Italy, Spain, Greece and Turkey. The arrangement is by course: apps through desserts, along with some basic recipes and lots of tips/advice. Try baked apples with marzipan filling, barley risotto with pecorino cheese, or roast beef with eggplant and tomato salsa. Classic napkin dumplings are no slouches either. The whole package comes with the usual photography that DK has made a point of attending to details. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 32.SLOW FIRES (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8623-0, $40 US hard covers) is by Justin Smillie, chef-partner of Upland in NYC, specializing in rustic CalItal food. It is divided into braising, roasting, and grilling, with recipes for each (plus a primer section). He's got pork shanks (didn't these used to be pork hocks? They look the same) with late-season tomatoes and polenta, olive oil-cured cod and summer tomato panade, and grilled sausage coils with charred escarole and hazelnut vinaigrette. There are about 50 preps in all plus a whack of foundations and finishes. Each recipe has a story. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Great stylish food, well-worth a look. Quality/price rating: 88. 33.SIMPLY NIGELLA; feel good food (Appetite by Random House, 2015, 402 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-752989-3 $45 CAN hard covers) is by Nigella Lawson, TV personality and food journalist, author of nine bestselling cookbooks. Here she concentrates on comfort food, or “simply feel good food”. The passion of cooking at home should be uncomplicated – leave the stress to the chefs. Simple means easy-to-prepare and relaxed, satisfying the taste buds and the palates. So the 125 recipes here are divided into chapters such as quick and calm (which are easy), bowlfood (salad, pasta, soup), dine (mains and bites), breathe (slow-cook, make-aheads), sides (veggies), sweet (desserts), and beginnings (breakfast and brunch). Good thinking here. Typical are chicken traybake with bitter orange and fennel or sake-sticky chicken drumsticks. In the mix are gluten-free and dairy-free recipes, highlighted in the index along with bold print for the major ingredient. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 34.BAKING WITH THE BRASS SISTERS (St. Martin's Griffen, 2015, 294 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-06435-6, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Marilynn and Sheila Brass, authors of other cookbooks “...with the Brass Sisters” in the title. They have appeared on US TV cooking shows. Here are 125 recipes for classic American cakes, pies, cookies, breads, desserts and some savouries. Solid baking such as lemon-lime tassies, almond jam clothespin cookies, strawberry blondies, or tutti frutti biscotti. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. ------------------------------- * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 35.LUCKY PEACH 101 EASY ASIAN RECIPES (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 271 page, ISBN 978-0-8041-8779-4, $35 US hard covers) is by Peter Meehan and the editors of Lucky Peach, a quarterly journal of food and writing that has won multiple James Beard Awards for its single theme issues. These preps have been drawn from that magazine, and are designed for the fans and others who wish to explore easy Asian dishes such as pesto ramen, sichuan pork ragu, seaweed salad, five-spice chicken, braised chicken wings, or greens with whole garlic. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 36.TEA TIME (Skyhorse Publishing, 2015, 170 pages, ISBN 978-1-63450-343-3, $22.99 US hard covers)is by Francis Amalfi, who has written more than 15 food books. This book was originally published in Spanish as TODOS LOS TES DEL MUNDO; it has recipes, facts, and tips on tea preparation. It is also heavily illustrated. There is a history and culture, a description of various teas, therapeutic properties and household uses, and tea ceremonies. The recipes include infusions and tisanes, and there is even tasseomancy (reading tea leaves). At the end there is a select bibliography. You could try roasted peppers and potatoes with green tea, tea and mango sorbet, wild rice with tea, or green tea flan with vanilla and crunchy pistachio wafers. Preparations have their ingredients listed irregularly in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 37.MARK BITTMAN'S KITCHEN MATRIX (Pam Krauss Books, 2015; distr. Penguin Random House, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8801-2, $35 US hard covers) has selected essays and photographs from his New York Times Magazine column EAT between 2011 and 2015. His simple formulae mix and match ingredients and techniques in a matrix to easily adapt many recipes for each season, taste, or flavour pairing. For example, white fish fillets can be done at least 12 ways: broiled, sauteed, roasted, poached with variations of garnishes and styles. Paillards (cutlets) are even more versatile, since any meat such as chicken, lamb, beef and pork can be used for the base and fried with different intents. He's got a lot of different variations for tomato sauce, Thanksgiving leftovers (over 20), and chicken parts. A great book to leaf through for ideas. Unfortunately, preparations have their ingredients listed irregularly in both metric and avoirdupois measurements with no consistency, and there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 38.RISOTTO (Ryland Peters & Small, 2011, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-661-7, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Maxine Clark, a UK food writer specializing in Italian food, and who has authored many cookbooks for Ryland Peters & Small. It was originally published in 2011, and here it is updated. She comes up with 60 recipes for this Italian classic dish, including a variety of leftover uses and desserts. It is arranged by ingredient, with veggies followed by cheese, eggs, poultry, game, meats, and fish/seafood. Some interesting recipes include suppli al telefono con sugo di pomodoro (rice croquettes), saltimboca di risotto, arancini, torta di riso e formaggio tricolore (rice and cheese cake), cherry and almond risotto puddings, and dark chocolate Easter risotto. There are some useful UK and USA websites, as well as Italian titles for all of the recipes (including the index). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 39.FIONA BECKETT'S CHEESE COURSE (Ryland Peters & Small, 2009, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-687-7, $24.95 US hard covers) is by the award-winning UK food writer and author who specializes in food and wine matching (www.matchingfoodandwine.com}. It was originally published in 2009, and some of this book can be found in bits and pieces (and kept up to date) through her website. The subtitle says it all: styles, wine matching, plates and boards, recipes. She covers the different forms of cheeses (from fresh and soft to old and hard and blue), how to pair wines (and beers and spirits), how to set out an attractive cheeseboard and a cheese plate when entertaining, and how to employ cheese in your cooking course by course. She has about 40 preps here, with their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Some recipes: cheddar and cider fondue; lavender honey and vanilla cheesecake; taleggio and grape focaccia; bell pepper and Manchego Spanish omelet; leek and blue cheese quiche. There is a listing of UK and North American cheese producers, including Canada. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 40.VEGETARIAN INDIA (Alfred A. Knopf, 2015, 422 pages, ISBN 978-1-101-87486-8 $35 US hard covers) is by the renowned Madhur Jaffrey, well-known actress and cookbook author (she has seven Beard Awards). It was originally published in England by Ebury Press in 2014 under the title “Curry Easy Vegetarian” and in a slightly different form. Jaffrey has been at the cookbook game for over 40 years, yet still needed logrolling from such British chefs as Yotam Ottolenghi or April Bloomfield. At least two of her previous cookbooks had the word “vegetarian” in the title. Here she covers the whole of the Indian subcontinent, from north to south, from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal, with collections of family recipes from friends and relatives. Each of the 200 preps has a story that she tells. It's arranged by course, from apps through to desserts and drinks, with large pit stops for dals and grains. And while there is an index, all the recipes are also listed in chapter order at the back so that you can see at a glance what each chapter contains. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 41.HAPPY COOKING (Pam Krauss Books, 2015, 312 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8792-3, $35 US hard covers) is by the fabulous Giada De Laurentiis (I would kill for her teeth and smile), star and judge on many TV cooking shows and cooking reality programs. And she's written seven bestselling cookbooks. So here's another one, based on her digital magazine GIADA, between August 2013 and the present (about two years worth). Here she tries to maintain good health without the stress of cooking and eating in an everyday ritual. So that means preparing in advance and having a slew of decadent treats. There are about 200 recipes here, time-saving tips and advice, and healthy eating strategies for the busy weekday activities. It is arranged by both course and meals (breakfast, snacks, salads, soups, stews, pastas, weeknights, weekends, veggies, and sweets). You could try her citrus-chile acorn squash, butternut squash with marjoram and gluten-free pasta, soy citrus turkey jerky, margarita chicken wings, or shellfish noodle paella. Each prep has indications of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free. Recipes have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 42.FRENCH COUNTRY COOKING (Arcade Publishing Skyhorse, 2015, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-61145-858-9, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Francoise Branget, a member of the National Assembly of France. It was originally published in France in 2011 and then translated into English for North American release. These are 180 authentic recipes from every region. It is actually a collection contributed to by every member of the National Assembly of France. It also has some politics and some legends to relate. It is an interesting book, although some of the stories are unreadable because of the light typeface ink. There's a slow-cooked hare prep, an offcuts in a pot pie (stewed scraps, soubes style), and chicken poached and sauteed with chanterelles. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 43.JAPANESE HOME COOKING (Firefly, 2015, 280 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-606-6, $39.95 CAN hard covers) is by Chihiro Masui (author of over 20 cookbooks) with Hanae Kaede. It was originally published in France in 2013, and this is the North American English language translation, finally available. Many step-by-step photos clearly show the techniques and ingredients of Japanese cuisine. The book moves from the basic cooking of rice to the sophistication of setting and dressing a table. The comprehensive nature of the book deals with Japanese approach to food with cultural history and the impact of foreigners, the basic technique skills, the final dish presentation, and the Japanese table. There are about 90 recipes with some variations, for a mix of everyday home food and gourmet special occasions. There are some tips on substitutions for hard-to-find ingredients. The range of dishes follow the standard Japanese meal pattern, beginning with cold starters and ending with desserts. Multiple indexes are useful, with a glossary, an ingredient index, and English recipe index, and a table of recipes from transliterated Japanese. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR SEPTEMBER 2015 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, deantudor@deantudor.com Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.ca These food and wine book reviews are always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.ca But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.BEER BITES (Chronicle Books, 2015, 168 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-3524-3, $24.95 US soft covers) is by Christian DeBenedetti and Andrea Slonecker. He's a food and drinks writer (The Great American Ale Trail) and brewery owner; she's a cookbook writer (Eggs on Top) and food editor. Together they have produced about 65 recipes for beer pairings, ranging from snacks to major dishes. Plus several desserts. Each recipe comes with at least five recommended beers from specified named breweries. They've got introductory material on how to taste beer and the principles of food matching. Each prep comes with extensive notes on how to match beers to the flavours. It is arranged by beer style, so neighbouring preps can be close to similar beers listed for other recipes. First up in “crisp & clean” as in lagers, “fruit & spice”, “hoppy & herbal”, “sour & complex”, “malty, rich & sweet”, and “deep, roasty & smoky” (stout territory). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements; there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: beer drinkers, those interested in matching beer to food. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: duck carnitas nachos; sweet corn griddle cakes; Irish oatcakes; smoked trout board with cabbages; chicken hearts!; hoisin-glazed pork belly lettuce wraps with daikon carrots; seafood ceviche with crunchy quinoa. The downside to this book: I wanted more. The upside to this book: quite a series of complex matches, first rate job! Quality/Price Rating: 92. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.MY KITCHEN YEAR; 136 recipes that saved my life (Appetite by Random House, 2015, 329 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-752995-4, $39.95 US hard covers) is by Ruth Reichl, well-known cookbook and recipe writer (since 1972), restaurant reviewer, novelist, and food editor (Gourmet). In October 2009 Gourmet closed and Reichl was at loose ends. She turned to the kitchen for a year, and used cooking as therapy, developing some preps to help her motivation. The book is part recipes, part narrative-memoirs, and each recipe is anchored by a tweet she sent the day she cooked the recipe. The dishes were created and photographed in her Hudson Valley home kitchen. There is both a recipe index and a subject index, which is perfect if you want to read the narratives separately by theme. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: fans and those new to cooking. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: spicy Korean rice sticks with shrimp and vegetables; pollo alla diavola; eggplant and arugula sandwich; food cart curry chicken; grilled London broil with red onions; three-day short ribs; cider-braised pork shoulder; Venetian pork spareribs. The downside to this book: tight binding and/or small gutters The upside to this book: a good commentary on how food can chase away the blues. Quality/Price Rating: 91. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.HOMEBREWING (Alpha Books, 2015, 290 pages, ISBN 978-1-61564-8-290, $19.95 US soft covers) is a good basic entry level book for covering the homemade aspects of combining malt, hops, yeast and water. Daniel Ironside, the author, is a blogger at theapthomebrewer.com, specializing in small batches and limited spaces. The brewing process is explored, as well as adjuncts of fruit, sugar and spices. Basic equipment and sanitation are covered, as well as accuracy of notes. He's got 60 recipes for ales, stouts, porters, lagers, pilsners, IPAs, bocks, etc. As one of the Idiot's Guides, it lays bare all the essential details that you will need to produce a beer worth drinking. This is a good read. Audience and level of use: beginners The downside to this book: there's now a lot of competition in homebrew books. The upside to this book: there's a list of print resources and an even bigger list of blog resources. The web is very useful here since it allows constant Q and As. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 4.150 BEST SPIRALIZER RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0522-9, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Marilyn Haugen, who had previously written (under a pseudonym) 150 Best Breakfast Sandwich Maker Recipes. Spiralizers began life as another thing to do with potatoes: turn them into spirals. Now, there are machines that can create noodle-like spirals out of all those fleshy veggies such as roots (beets, carrots, radishes, jicama, celeriac, potatoes and sweet potatoes, etc.), squash and zucchini (about 40 of the preps here), plus apples and pears. Veggie noodles can replace the carbs and calories of wheat pasta. You don't need to make a whole meal out of them: they can be used for stir-fries, soups, salads, sides, garnishes, and apps. Separate chapters deal with gluten-free recipes, paleo recipes, vegetarian/vegan recipes, and raw food recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The index, though, in order to be accommodated has very teeny tiny typeface, which is a shame. [You could also forgo all of this and just buy spaghetti squash]. Audience and level of use: very useful to anyone with a spiralizer, or even contemplating buying one. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: twisted Thai salad with peanut lime dressing; sweet potato pizza; parsnip spaghetti with pesto sauce; spiralized fruit tarts; shrimp and squash vermicelli soup. The downside to this book: it would have been nice to have had an illustration or product name for a spiralizer. They do come in different shapes and price ranges. The upside to this book: a good equipment cookbook, revamping old fave recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 5.VEGETARIAN COMFORT FOODS (Skyhorse Publishing, 2015, 199 pages, ISBN 978-1-63220-332-8, $17.99 US hard covers) is by Jennifer Browne of Vancouver, who has a certificate in plant-based nutrition. In 2001 she was diagnosed with IBS but has been symptom-free since the fall of 2010 with her adoption of a plant-based diet. Previously, she had authored HAPPY HEALTHY GUT. Her 75 recipes in this current book are preceded by chapters on tools, pantries, and cleansing. Her sections include juicing, smoothies, sauces, breakfasts, nibbles, sides, salads, mains, and desserts. And she has 4 weeks worth of menus with recipes and page references. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Everything here is vegetarian and she has references to “vegan” and “gluten-free” in the recipe headers. Audience and level of use: vegetarians, vegans, IBS sufferers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: blonde muesli; Denver “eggs”; guacamole; figgy fruit parfait; crispy chocolate peanut butter bars; poached pears; cabbage roll casserole. The downside to this book: “breakfast quinoa with honey and bananas” is mislabeled. Also, the recipe index is by recipe name only, and not by ingredient. The upside to this book: good scholarly introduction complete with endnotes for documentation. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 6.TRUE TO YOUR ROOTS (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2015, 231 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-598-4, $26.95 CAN paper covers) is by Carla Kelly, author of three previous books (her latest was VEGAN AL FRESCO). Her preps concern roots, tubers, and rhizomes in lighter vegan versions of traditional soups and stews. As well she has juices, salads and desserts. She also has a lot of info about some of the less popular items such as kohlrabi, yuca, celeriac, and sun chokes. Then she has some new ways with parsnips, carrots, turnips, beets and potatoes. Many have a “root to tip” approach, using edible greens and the peels in the preps. She's got indications of which recipes are gluten-free, contain nuts, and/or are raw. The 150 preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements mixed, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegetarians and vegans. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Christmas cheesecake; ground beet tacos; kalecannon and avocado; spinach-parsley and parsnip soup; golden borscht; roasted reds and whites and greens. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 7.GLUTEN-FREE GIRL AMERICAN CLASSICS REINVENTED (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-21988-5, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Shauna James Ahern, who is a Beard Award winner (GLUTEN-FREE GIRL EVERY DAY) and also runs glutenfreegirl.com) and Daniel Ahern, her professional chef husband. These are all the tried and true comfort foods of the homeland, adapted to the gluten-free lifestyle. Indeed, fried foods and desserts cover about a third of this book, with another third being devoted to sandwiches, breads and breakfasts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements mixed, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The breads and the flour mixes are all weighed out in grams. Audience and level of use: those who cannot eat gluten. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting; fried green tomatoes; blackberry meringue pie; coconut cream cake; Texas sheet cake; shrimp and grits cakes. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 8.DECOLONIZE YOUR DIET (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2015, 255 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-592-1, $26.95 CAN paper covers) is by Luz Calvo and Catriona Rueda Esquibel, both academics in the San Francisco Bay area. They promote the health benefits of indigenous Mexican-American cooking, and thus this book supports Mesoamerican sustainable cuisine. Everything here is plant-based (replacing prepared foods), covering a wide range of courses from apps through soups, mains, corn dishes, beans, salsas, and sweets. The work concludes with beverages and breakfasts. Native ingredients and heritage crops are emphasized. The 120 preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegetarians. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: red pozole with medicinal mushrooms; amaranth corn tortillas; kabocha squash in pipian verde; chayote salad; scrambled egg and nopalito tacos; New Mexico green chile stew. The downside to this book: the title was a little puzzling. At first I thought it had to do with clearing out the gut (colon). But then it hit me: it actually meant pre-Columbian food, as in “indigenous diet of over 500 years ago”. The upside to this book: there are 14 menu ideas for such as brunches, celebrations, parties, and meals of the day. Quality/Price Rating: 87. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 9.HEARTLANDIA (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-36377-9, $30 US hard covers) is by Adam and Jackie Sappington, chefs are various restaurants including Portland's Wildwood Restaurant. They now own and run The Country Cat Dinner House in Portland. Ashley Garland, a writer and cookbook author, has assisted them. There's a lot of the inevitable log rolling, including the Lee Brothers from Charleston. The 80 recipes here reflect heritage cuisine from the rustic American heartland. He's a skilled butcher, she's a skilled pastry chef. So these are some of the largest chapters in the book, reflecting the dishes available at the restaurant but written with the home cook in mind. Like man of these books, the arrangement begins with breakfast, and then moves through garden food, soups and stews, finger food, seafood, poultry, and meats. Finishing with desserts and drinks and preserves. Try autumn squash soup with apple cider and brown butter, bread-pudding stuffed lamb shoulder, or free form apple pie. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 10.A REAL SOUTHERN COOK IN HER SAVANNAH KITCHEN (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 272 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-38768-3, $25 US hard covers) is by Dora Charles, who has worked for Paula Deen for 22 years in staffing and managing. She became the first woman kitchen manager at the restaurant Lady & Sons in Savannah. Log rollers include the Lee Brothers and Nathalie Dupree. It is a very personal book, with such family recipes as parched peanuts, fried green tomatoes, and Savannah red rice. She has a local spin on fried spareribs with Savannah seasoning, green pea salad with dill, and cheesy meatloaf with mushrooms. Arrangement begins with breakfast, moving on to breads, dinner, stews, fish, picnics and church suppers, company entertaining, sides and desserts. Extremely heart food. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 11.MARTHA STEWART'S APPETIZERS (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-95462-6, $27.50 US hard covers) is yet another updated revision of Hors d'Oeuvres [sic] which was originally published in 1984. In 1999 it became Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres [sic] Handbook which was larger and had more ideas. Now this new collection has been recast into 200 recipes spread around 4 food chapters (about 50 preps each): snacks, starters, small plates, and stylish bites. The fifth chapter covers sips (30 beverage preps), and there are the basic techniques of party planning. With your own series of innovations and variations, this book is virtually complete – until the next round of new dishes or preps. Every small thing of course looks great in their photos. The book is a caterer's dream. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 12.THE COMPLETE COOK'S COUNTRY TV SHOW COOKBOOK (America's Test Kitchen, 2015, 564 pages, ISBN 978-1-940352-17-6, $29.95 US paper covers) is from the popular PBS TV show of the same name. It's a spin-off from America's Test Kitchen; it is filmed in a renovated 1806 farmhouse in Vermont and complements Cook's Country magazine. All eight seasons of the show are here: it has 300 US recipes (every prep on the show), every ingredient testing, and every equipment rating. It is, of course, American cooking with ethnic possibilities of Tex-Mex and Italian. At the back there is a listing of their fave equipment, packaged food, and an episode directory to each show. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 13.MY PANTRY (Pam Krauss Books, 2015; distr. Penguin Random House Canada, 144 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8528-8, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Alice Waters and her daughter, art historian-curator Fanny Singer. It's a book about making a well-stocked pantry/larder, preserving seasonal foods for flavours to augment simple meals for elegance and flair. It is a good book for those who really cook from scratch. In addition to preserving, their preps include infusing, pickling, making cheese, roasting nuts, conditioning spices, and so forth. At the back, Waters has a list of cookbooks that have had an impact on her pantry skills. It is all arranged by topic, beginning with condiments and spice mixtures, moving through beans and legumes, whole grains, and sweets. They've got some slow roasted nuts with sage leaves, beans cooked over the fire, stocks of course, brandade, brandied cherries, panforte, and ricotta – 68 in all. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 14.HEALTHY JAPANESE COOKING (Quadrille, 2015, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-669-8, $19.95 US soft covers) is by Makiko Sano, owner of Suzu in London, which specializes in Japanese small plates (mainly sushi and sashimi). Her first book, published last year, was Sushi Slim. She's been doing more vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan recipes. Here she has 70 simple and healthy preps, and she includes many raw options as well. Her book is based on the principles of shoku-iku (healthy foods to cook and eat). Meals should include five colours, five tastes and textures, and come from one of the five food groups. And there are five easy ways to cook: simmer, steam, broil, grill and fry – no oven is required. It is a good philosophy that works. Gorgeous photos, including some technique ones. Try the full Japanese garden breakfast, or the squash of plenty or the sweet potato treat. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 89. 15.BATTERSBY (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015, 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-5332-7, $35 US hard covers) is by Josephy Ogrodnek and Walker Stern, chef-owners of Brooklyn's Battersby and Dover restaurants. They are joined by food collaborator Andrew Friedman, winner of two IACP awards for his cookbook collaborations. It is an impressive collection of the major dishes served at Battersby, developed for the home kitchen. They emphasize that their own open kitchen is small (4 x 6), so we at home can do it too. It just takes strategy and make-aheads and a pantry/larder. Most recipes begin with “to prep” instructions and then “to serve” the range is from openers (breads, snacks) to desserts, with concluding sections on basic techniques and sources. Gorgeous photography and superb notes about the restaurant, a must purchase for their fans. Included are cocetel de Mariscos, gougeres with sauce mornay, bucatini with fennel sausage ragu, grilled mackerel with summer veggie salsa, and roasted broccoli with watercress, lemon and pecorino. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88, 16.THE KITCHEN ORCHARD (Ebury Press, 2014, 272 pages, ISBN 9780091957582, $53.95 CAN hard covers) is by Natalia Conroy, who worked at The River Cafe in London. She has some immense UK log rolling from Claudia Roden, Ruth Rogers, and Nigella Lawson. It is basically book about eating out of your fridge/pantry/larder with some help from leftovers. Her subtitle is “fridge foraging and simple feasts”. The preps are arranged by topic, beginning with “top vegetable drawer” (parsley, garlic, basil, dill, mint) and moving on to “bottom vegetable drawer” (apples, lemons, rosemary, sage, thyme, bay), “fridge door” (eggs, milk, cream, sour cream) and ending with the pantry (spices, seeds, anchovies, dried mushrooms, capers, mustard, vinegar). A very good novel idea for a book, resulting in Swiss chard-rosemary-white bean soup, ricotta-lemon-polenta teacakes, carrot-yoghurt-cumin soup, and banana-cinnamon-pineapple bread. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. All ingredients are listed in a different ink colour and are underscored as to quantities. Quality/price rating: 88. 17.ALPINE COOKBOOK (DK,2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3795-2, $22 US hard covers) is by Hans Gerlach, a chef in Michelin-starred restaurants. He grew up in the Alps, and here he has updated his fave mountain dishes, lightening them to be more healthy but still retaining their authenticity in taste. This is comfort food from the mountains, featuring a heavily Teutonic influence but covering north Italy, Provence Alps, Slovenian mountains, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, et al. Classics include gateau au fromage, schnitzel, potato pancakes, Suure Mocke (Swiss sauerbraten), regional specialties of brotsuppe and chrut gipfeli, pastries and dumplings, and even freshwater fish (a rarity in mountains). Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. A good idea for a cookbook. Quality/price rating: 87. 18.MICHAEL SYMON'S 5 IN 5 FOR EVERY SEASON (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8656-8, $19.99 US paper covers) is by an Iron Chef who is also the co-host the The Chew and host of All-Star Academy; he also owns a string of restaurants. His focusing co-author is Douglas Trattner. These are 165 quick dinners, sides and holiday dishes, made from scratch with 5 fresh ingredients and 5 minutes of heat. It is a follow-up to his previous book: this one is organized by season (spring through winter), and includes preps for no-bake summer fruit desserts and wintertime spiked drinks. The last chapter concerns holidays, and it is especially welcomed since that usually means a crowd. It is a boon for the harried. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 19.BAKING (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 158 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-801-4, $22.99 US hard covers) is by Food52, an online community for cooks with more than 30,000 recipes and a hotline. It has won Beard and IACP Awards for its website. Here the editors of Food52 produce a book that has “60 sensational treats you can pull off in a snap” – or a mouse click in time. Its arranged by format: breakfast goods, cookies and bars, fruit desserts, custards, cakes, and savoury (grilled flatbreads, crackers, popovers). There's one gluten-free: lemon blackberry corn cake which also uses tapioca flour. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 20.THE CHILI COOKBOOK (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 194 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-795-6, $18.99 US hard covers) is by Robb Walsh, a food writer (three-time Beard Award winner) who also co-owns El Real Tex-Mex Cafe in Houston. It is a basic book, but concentrates solely on chili: one-pots containing three-bean to four-alarm and con carne to vegetarian. He covers 500 years of chili history, from the Aztec period through Route 66. His many preps include lamb chili, pork chili, chicken, shrimp, lobster, meatless and also include global look alikes in Hungarian goulash, Pakistani keema, tagine, and Greek spaghetti sauce. Some recipes do well in the slow cooker, and these are indicated with an icon. He's got Christmas in New Mexico and chili in smokers, as well as modern calorie/fat conscious styles and vegetarian chili. There is also a concluding chapter on how to throw a chili party. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 21.THE VIOLET BAKERY COOKBOOK (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-671-3, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Claire Ptak, once pastry chef at Chez Panisse before opening Violet Bakery in Hackney, east London (2010). She's also a food writer and stylist for the US and UK press, with three cookbooks to her credit. Her more than 100 recipes here are largely unpretentious, simple to cook and satisfying to eat. The arrangement is by time of day: morning, midday, afternoon, evening, and party time. She's got chapters on her pantry and on foraging. Most everything is sweet, but there are some enticing savouries too, such as braised fennel-olive-caper bread pudding, mozzarella-rosemary-new potato tarts, and cheddar and green onion toastie with quince jelly. Most preps can be scaled since the preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. But there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 22.BRUNCH @ BOBBY'S (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-385-34589-7, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Bobby Flay, owner of five NYC restaurants and a burger chain. As well, he's a host-chef of many TV cooking shows, including Brunch@Bobby's; this book accompanies that series with 140 recipes ranging from coffee, tea and cocktails to pancakes, egg dishes, pastries, breads, French toast, sandwiches, fruit dishes, and some savoury side dishes such as peach and arugula salad with pancetta and gorgonzola, rosemary home fries, tomato strata, fried green onions, and other grilled or fried delights. He's also got eight menus at the back, including some suggestions for a Southwest brunch, an Italian brunch, French, spa, New England, and chocolate. Pretty comprehensive. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 23.PASTA (Quadrille, 2014, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-664-3, $39.95 CAN hard covers0 is by Antonio Carluccio, owner of Carluccio's Caffes in London. He's written 15 cookbooks for Quadrille. This one celebrates classic pasta: the different types, the correct sauce with the correct pasta, fresh pasta with step-by=step photos of techniques, variations on classics, and regional specialties. The first 50 pages is all about pasta; this is followed by the recipes. These are arranged by course: pasta in brodo, pasta asciutta (sauces), filled pastas, baked, salads, leftovers, and desserts. There are over 600 shapes and sizes, but he covers most of them through the 100 preps. A very yummy book, with such as tripoline all amatriciana, pappardelle con ragu soffritto (lamb offal), pinci con ragu di cinghiale (wild boar), and mafalde con broccolo romanesco. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements; thus there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 24.FARMHOUSE RULES (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015, 284 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-3105-9, $30 US hard covers) is by Nancy Fuller, hostess of the highly rated Food Network show of the same name. It is a family book, crammed with 120 recipes for simple, seasonal and healthy food such as butter braised radishes, three-layer cheese and vegetable terrine, and farmer's fish stew. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 25.LAURA IN THE KITCHEN (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8713-8, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Laura Vitale, host of the eponymous cooking channel on YouTube, receiving more than 8 million monthly video views. She also has a show on the Cooking Channel. It is a good book for her fans as it promotes fave Italian-American recipes done in an quick and easy style. There are opening sections on pantry and cooking basics, followed by “quick-fix suppers”, leisurely entrees, “super-simple salads and sides”, desserts, cookies, and easy breakfasts/brunches. Typical are pasta al forno with veggie sugo, bow-ties with peas and ham, marsala mushrooms, and calamari puttanesca. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. And hooray – this is one of the very few American cookbooks with conversion charts! Quality/price rating: 86. 26.SATURDAY KITCHEN SUPPERS (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2014, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-29786-912-2, $38 CAN hard covers) is from the BBC cooking show, Saturday Kitchen. It has been running for over eight years, with guests chefs, cooks and hosts. It draws over 3 million viewers. Here are 100 seasonal recipes for weekday suppers, family meals, and dinner party showstoppers. It is arranged by season, from spring onward, with drink notes from Suzy Atkins. Each prep has been credited to a chef. Occasionally menus are introduced as are pantry items. And there is a fabric ribbon bookmark. Typical are grouse with pumpkin and sunchokes, pistachio souffles, and pheasant with cavolo nero and chestnut stuffing. No slouches here. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 27.PRASHAD AT HOME (Saltyard Book Co., 2015, 258 pages, ISBN 978-1-444-73474-4, $45 CAN hard covers) is by Kaushy Patel, an owner of Prashad in the UK. It is her second book, and this time deals with a vegetarian kitchen. There is an air of fusion as there are Italian and Chinese influences here, but times have changed and what we eat should suit our lifestyles. The 100 preps include desserts as well. The range is from light lunches through speedy and/or slow suppers. Pantry matters are dealt with, as well as teas. Typical are green chilli pizza toast, Indo-Italian macaroni cheese, paneer ravioli, Indo-Hakka street food noodles, Manchurian cabbage dough balls, and even Indo-Mexican veggie enchiladas. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 28.ASIAN-AMERICAN (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-8526-7, $32 US hard covers) is by Dale Talde (owner of Talde in Brooklyn) with focusing food writer J.J. Goode. Its subtitle says it all: “proudly inauthentic recipes from the Philippines to Brooklyn”. Talde was born in Chicago to Filipino parents. He grew up with American fast food and Filipino food. His restaurant combines both: his influences come from diners, gyro shops, Polish delis, taquerias, burger joints, and Chinese spots (among others). So he will do Sichuan versions of chicken wings, a brunch bowl of ramen noodles, buttered toast, bacon and egg. Vietnamese pot roast (almost pot de feu) and other mixes. He admits that this is a sauce-heavy book on purpose: the key to Asian-American blends is in the sauce. Try the everything roti bread or pad thai with bacon. Yum. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 29.VEGAN STREET FOOD (Ryland Peters and Small, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-650-1, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Jackie Kearney, a top-4 finalist in BBC One's MasterChef 2011. She's been doing food trucks and pop-ups, specializing in International vegetarian and vegan food with a spicy finish. She takes her inspiration from the fact that most of the food in South-East Asia is dairy- and meat-free. It is but one more step to make it all vegan as well. She's got three chapters: India and Sri Lanka for one (with deep-fried fritters and fiery pickles), Thai-Laos-Vietnam for another (with creamy curries and hot and sour soups), and Indonesia and Malaysia for the third (veggie dumplings and spicy sambal). Absolutely delicious and satisfying food, with different heat and spice levels. It is sure to be a winner at home. 92 recipes of Asian street food, including snacks. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both avoirdupois and metric measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 30.THE HOW CAN IT BE GLUTEN-FREE COOKBOOK, v2 (America's Test Kitchen, 2015, 318 pages, ISBN 978-1-936493-98-2, $26.95 US paper covers) is from the America's Test Kitchen series of cookbooks (this is one of the Handbook Series). Volume one was enormously successful, so here is more of the same, with 190 all-new recipes featuring a new whole-grain flour blend, some dairy-free variations, and the usual nutritional data for every recipe (but why are all of the recipes in avoirdupois while all of the data are in metric?). This makes no sense, but certainly the ATK is “American” so it must use American measurements, and not that silly foreign metric stuff. This does not take anything away from the recipes, but surely they could have done a better job of displaying ingredient measures for their global sales. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but at least there are conversion tables. Try the new sandwich bread whole-grain texture, or any of the 75 dairy-free recipes. The good thing about ATK is that they tell you “why this recipe works” and deal with various lab testing reports. The range here includes comfort foods, mains, pizza, crackers, cookies, bars, fruit desserts, pies, cakes, and tarts. Quality/price rating: 88. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 31.SIMPLY VIETNAMESE COOKING (Robert Rose, 2015, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0521-2, $19.95 US paper covers)is by Nancie McDermott, a US SouthEast Coast food writer specializing in SouthEast Asian food. It was published in the US in 2006 as Quick & Easy Vietnamese, with 75 everyday recipes. She has also authored “Quick & Easy Thai” and “Quick and Easy Chinese”. The Vietnamese book, with 135 recipes this time, has traditional dishes plus some shortcuts. She has notes on ingredients, substitutions and techniques, as well as a glossary, pantry notes, and utensils needed. There are menus for 12 different meals, with extensive details. The arrangement is by food type(beef, chicken, etc.). She concludes with a bibliography and a North American mail order source list. Some interesting recipes include lemongrass soup. grilled leaf-wrapped beef kebabs, crab and asparagus soup, hainan chicken and rice, grilled tuna steaks with pineapple-chili sauce, and sweet and tangy soup. The index has both the Vietnamese and English names of the dish, and the menus all have page references to the recipes used. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 32.MICHAEL JACKSON’S COMPLETE GUIDE TO SINGLE MALT SCOTCH Fully Revised 7th edition. (DK, 2015, 448 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3798-3, $25 US hard covers) has been expanded by 112 pages since the 1999 edition. It was originally known as MALT WHISKY COMPANION. This Companion was first available in 1989, so it has been around for 26 years now. Regular revision has enhanced the late Jackson’s status; this is the world’s best selling book on malt whisky. There are over 1000 tasting notes, reviewing the latest releases from every distillery in Scotland (plus a few from offshore in Ireland, Japan, Sweden, Germany, India, and Australia – but not Cape Breton. Included are bottlings from closed distilleries and some rediscoveries. The first 70 pages here bring us up to speed on malt whisky, including “what’s new?” (e.g., micro-distilleries, wood finishes, cask strengths, vintages and single casks, and unchillfiltered). Then, there is the A-Z listing of single malts. The range is from Aberfeldy to Tullibardine. For each is given the usual names and numbers, websites, history, house style, tasting notes for each label and brand (colour, nose, body, palate, finish, score). The good stuff is scored over 70, the exceptional drink is in the 80s, while the 90s are for the greats. These scores are not indexed, so you have to skim through the whole book to find the “best” malts. I’ll tell you now that The Macallan 1824 Sienna rates a 91, while there is Highland Park 18 year old (92) and Lagavulin 12 year old (91), Lagavulin 2014 distilled 1995 (93), and Springbank 21 year old (91). There is also a bibliography and an index. Nova Scotia’s Glenora Distillery’s Glen Breton once rated a few encouraging lines but a score of only 71 in the past. It is no longer in the book. Because of the need for colour in the label reproductions, the pages are thick and the book is exceedingly heavy. Not a bedside winner for the faint. In addition, there is no index to the rating numbers, nor are price ranges quoted. Quality/Price rating: 91. 33.COMPLETE CHINESE COOKBOOK (Firefly Books, 2011, 2015, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-583-0, $29.95 CAD soft covers) is by prolific chef-cookbook author Ken Hom. He’s sold over 2 million cookbooks over the past 35 years, as well as appearing on many TV cooking series. This is a group of 250 or so recipes, co-published in the UK by BBC Books. It is a paperback reprint of the 2011 hard covers book. There’s a primer on ingredients, equipment, techniques, menus, and how to eat Chinese food. The range is from apps through desserts, although Hom does discourse on yin, yang, and yin yang. Overall, it is a basic book, emphasizing that Chinese food is healthy, modestly priced, and quick and easy. So it fits today’s trends. Preps are sourced from all different regions such as Cantonese, Hong Kong, Szechuan, and more. Try curried vegetarian spring rolls, Beijing-braised lamb, cold marinated peanuts, walnut chicken, paper-wrapped chicken, or stir fried spinach with garlic. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is also a table of equivalents. Good layout, interesting photography, and large typeface. Quality/price rating: 88. 34.BETTY CROCKER GLUTEN-FREE BAKING (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-57920-0, $22.99 US paper covers) has about 230 recipes for all meals, both sweet and savoury. It is loaded with tips and photos to make life easier, presented in a succinct style of tables. Just about everything is covered, and you can, with comfort and ease, make your own variations. There are a couple of gluten-free flour blends, but mostly they fall under the Betty Crocker (TM) banner (e.g. the BC GF yellow cake mix, the all purpose rice flour blend, the devil's food cake mix, or the Biquick (TM) gluten- free mix). Nothing wrong with that since most feel comfortable with a pre-mix, one that will work. Overall, I think the cookies work best. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 35.LANCASTER CENTRAL MARKET COOKBOOK (Good Books, 2015, 284 pages, ISBN 978-1-68099-066-9, $19.99 US paper covers) has been pulled together by Phyllis Good. It's the 25th Anniversary Edition of The Central Market Cookbook, it's former title. This now is an expanded collection, now updated with new recipes and revisions, and contributions from the “new” current standholders. The Lancaster Central Market was founded in 1730; it is the oldest continually run farmers' market in the US, just off the main square in Lancaster, PA. It operates Tuesday, Friday and Saturday with a mix of local organic farmers, truck patch gardeners, bakers, butchers, cheese-makers, and cooks from local kitchens who bring their fully prepared food to sell. 25 years ago one of the sellers collected her fave recipes, and a book of 300 preps was issued. It now has 300, ranging from pumpkin cream soup to lamb balls with sour cream and capers, to scallops and pasta Romano, espresso mousse, and strawberry snowbank pie. Good had previously written the bestselling “Fix-It and Forget-It” cookbook series; in her youth she worked at the market and now still shops weekly at the market. The range covers apps to desserts, and is distinctly family oriented. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 36.THE COMPLETE WILD GAME COOKBOOK (Robert Rose, 2015, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0516-8, $39.95 CAN paper covers) is by Jean-Paul Grappe, chef and owner of four restaurants. It was originally published in French in Montreal in 2008. It is an all-in-one game book, with advice on preparing the flesh of game birds (half the book) such as duck, goose, grouse, ptarmigan, partridge, quail, pheasant, turkey and others. The other half deals with game animals such as moose, caribou, wild boar, bison, muskox, bear, beaver, rabbit and more. Quite thorough: they only thing lacking are game sausages, although there are patties and terrines. There are also preps included for gravies, broths, marinades and glazes. Related preps include pairing with wines and wild plants and mushrooms. Each recipe such as the roasted American Black duck with root veggies or the filet of Virginia deer on gingerbread loaf with confit of onions and fava beans comes with a variety of tips and variations. The photography is first-rate. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements with no need for a table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 37.THE ESSENTIAL AYURVEDIC COOKBOOK (Robert Rose, 2015, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0513-7, $27.95 CAN soft covers) is by Lois A. Leonhardi, a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and educator who creates individual diet/exercise programs. Portions of the book were previously published as East Well, Be Well in 2013. Here are 200 basic recipes for health/wellness/balance. It addresses dietary needs for omnivores, vegetarians, gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free individuals. Her approach is breezy in style, and it is written for the modern day life of millennials (dare I say it?) with busy lifestyles who need to save time, make food ahead, get organized, and find essential ingredients rapidly at grocers. Knowledge of ayurvedic principles is not required. The first 100 pages concern the ayurvedic life (five elements, twenty qualities, three doshas, six tastes), followed by pantry/larder material. The preps are arranged mainly by meal time, breakfast through to end-of-day snacks. Typical are amaranth crepes with pomegranate syrup, endive with honeyed goat cheese, lavender essence tea bread, and ginger salmon hand rolls. Each prep has tips and variations, with their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 88. 38.BEST OF BRIDGE HOME COOKING (Robert Rose, 2015, 360 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0514-4, $29.95 CAN spiral bound) is by the “Best of Bridge” team (over 4 million sold). These are the tried and true classics for the home, a sort of first cookbook choice for those setting up their first kitchen. Comfort food like you would not believe (hot sausage sandwiches, chicken tacos, poached eggs, creamy tuna pasta bake, carrot raisin muffins – 250 recipes are here. Plus advice on quick meal preparation and shopping. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 86. ---------------------------------------------------- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR SUMMER 2015 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, deantudor@deantudor.com Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.ca These food and wine book reviews are always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.ca But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.THE TEA BOOK (DK, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3606-1, $22 US hard covers) is by Linda Gaylard, a Canadian certified tea sommelier. She does a lot of international writing and lecturing as well as her blog www.theteastylist.com. She explores 16 of the most important tea-growing regions after a primer section on definitions, infusions, and tisanes. Next she has about 100 recipes, divided by type of tea: green, iced, white, oolong, kombucha, black masala – 11 in all. She concludes with specific features on tea cultures around the world. It is a nice all-purpose tea book, great for new tea lovers, and perfect (and affordable) for students. Well-illustrated too. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners, students. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: The downside to this book: could have more depth. The upside to this book: basic text for students. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.YOGURT CULTURE (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-25232-5, $22 US hard covers) is by Cheryl Sternman Rule, author of Ripe and the award-winning culinary blog 5 Second Rule. She's also a free-lance food writer appearing in Cooking Light, Eating Well, Vegetarian Times, and more. You also cannot beat the log rollers of Mollie Katzen, Deborah Madison, Anne Mendelson, and others. Yogurt has been around North America for about a century, but lately, with the advent of Greek-style Yogurt (which is simply drained yogurt and thus sweet and creamy when most of the whey has been eliminated), sales have climbed. Most of the yogurt now sold is Greek-style (sweet and creamy). This is a basic cookbook, subdivided by topics such as Flavor, Dress or spread, Sip, Slurp, Dine, Bake, Chill, and Lick. Within each is material on different kinds of global yogurts from Afghanistan, Mongolia, India, Serbia, Turkey, Israel and more. There is a primer on how to buy yogurts, visit yogurt producers, read labels, and even make your own (and yogurt cheese such as labneh). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. She concludes with a selective bibliography, a resources lists, some end notes, and three full pages of acknowledgments. Audience and level of use: yogurt users. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: strawberry-rhubarb compote; fennel-pear-carrot slaw; savory lassi; cauliflower bacon soup; little cheddar-chive-cornmeal pancakes; shahi korma (creamy beef curry). The downside to this book: it has been awhile since the last yogurt cookbook, but do we indeed need another one? The upside to this book: she has a FAQ troubleshooting section. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.THE DUMPLING SISTERS COOKBOOK (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 2015, 272 pages, ISBN 978-0-297-60906-3, $34.99 CAN hard covers) is by Amy and Julie Zhang aka The Dumpling Sisters. They have been active on YouTube for two years now, with 41,000 subscirbers. Their philosophy is that Chinese cooking an be a breeze, and this family cookbook can prove it. There are oabout 100 preps here, ranging from noodles to banquet to baked goods, emphasizing too the mouthfeel of the foods (there are explanations). Exotic foods can be added from purchased packages, such as wood ear mushrooms, golden needle veggies, salted preserved fish, dried bean curd, and others. It all begins with yum cha (Cantonese drinking tea), with pork and prawn open dumplings, silky congee, pork pot-stickers, pan-fried turnip cake – all the major and well-known dim sum. There's a lot on basics, pantry, ingredient names, and suppliers in the UK. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners, millennials Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: five spiced pork belly with spring onions; zingy orange pork schnitzel; beef kebab sticks with satay sauce; broccoli oyster sauce noodles with fried onions. The downside to this book: most of the recipes are easy. The upside to this book: great pix. Quality/Price Rating: 86 4.FEED YOUR ATHLETE (DK Publishing, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3537-8, $22.95 US paper covers) is by Michael Kirtsos and Joseph Ewing, both Registered Dietitians. Kirtsos also teaches sports nutrition, while Ewing also writes cookbooks for DK. Here is a cookbook to fuel high performance, with 150 easy natural recipes for those on-the-go. At a minimum, the book is extremely useful for all school athletes and would-be marathon runners. The collection includes pre-competition dishes to build a body's resources, snacks and replacements to maintain energy during events, recovery meals, and how to stock a pantry. There are sports drinks, soups, snacks, salads and entrees, plus desserts for each category. Each has nutrition tables. At the end, there are meal plans and body fat calculations. Two indexes: alphabetical and by nutrient content (high carb, high fiber, high protein, low fat, low fiber). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those in training, those who want high performance foods. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chickpea salad, banana orange sunrise smoothie, snack mix cereal bars, low-fat banana bread, frozen cherry cheesecake pops, pineapple basil mojito. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5.EVERYDAY VEGETARIAN (St. Martin's Griffin, 2015, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-06616-9, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Jane Hughes, editor of Vegan Life magazine, cookery school teacher, and food writer. It has been endorsed by the American Vegetarian Association. Its subtitle says it all: 365 days of healthy seasonal recipes. There's a recipe for every day, but the book is divided by season, beginning with spring, and further arranged by course (soups and apps, mains and sides, desserts and drinks). Unfortunately, there are no menus, so you'll need to pull together a complete meal yourself. Vegan dishes are indicated by a V. It is a good database, filled with classic dishes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegetarians or those looking for veggie alternatives. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: blackberry and feta salad; spiced winter pickles; poached pears with chocolate sauce; summer ratatouille. The downside to this book: no menus. The upside to this book: nifty collection. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 6.GRILL IT, BRAISE IT, BROIL IT, and 9 other easy techniques for making healthy meals (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 297 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-88809-9, $19.99 US soft covers) is from the American Heart Association. Previous cookbooks from the AHA have stresses slow cookers, fresh foods, low-salt, and safe cardio preps. This one, with 175 recipes, stresses healthy cooking techniques. Besides the three in the title, these are: slow cooking, microwaving, blending, stir-frying, stewing, steaming, poaching, roasting and baking. Recipes can then be customized, so there are more than 175 here. The arrangement is by technique, with a primer at the beginning for shopping and lifestyles, and a resources checklist at the back for a pantry, cooking equipment, safety basics, and food groups. A good all-purpose book with service notes, nutrition counts per serving, and clear instructions. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents, which is a drawback in a book like this, especially since the nutrition data is in metric. Audience and level of use: those looking for a healthy eating style. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Peruvian quinoa salad, pork loin stuffed with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, Madeira flank steak, peanut butter and banana “ice cream”, shrimp and grits with greens. The downside to this book: no metric tables. The upside to this book: good idea to cover food by technique. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 7.THE BARBECUE LOVER'S BIG BOOK OF BBQ SAUCES (Harvard Common Press, 2015, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-845-7, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Cheryl and Bill Jamison, who have written many other BBQ books (at least 7), including Texas Home Cooking. They cover 225 sauces, rubs, marinades, mops, bastes, pastes, and salsas for smoke-cooking and grilling. There are, of course, detailed instructions on using a recipe for smoking or grilling. It's arranged by type of meat, from beef and bison through poultry, fish, lamb and venison, veggies, and fruit. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: BBQ fans of the Jamisons. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: bacon jam, Northern Alabama white lightning, magic black hot sauce, red chile honey butter, chile-lemon baste, roasted onion ranch dressing, umami bomb. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 8.BREW BETTER BEER (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 234 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-631-7, $23 US hard covers) is by Emma Christensen, a homebrewer and former beer reviewer, and now the recipe editor for www.thekitchn.com. It's a basic book, covering from grain to glass; she does a nice job. And the book should appeal to women brewers as well, simply because there are so few other beer books authored by women. At the moment I cannot think of any. The subtitle here is “learn (and break) the rules for making IPAs, sours, Pilsners, stouts and more”. Her primer opens with getting to know your ingredients (malts, water, hops, yeast) and your equipment (brewing, fermenting, bottling), followed by brewing your first and easy batch. Then it is on to types: pale ales, Indian pale ales (IPA), brown ales, porters and stouts, British ales, Belgian ales, Scottish and Irish red ales, wheat beers, rye ales, saisons and gluten-free beers, and ending with lagers (Pilsner, Octoberfest, and San Francisco Steam Beer. As in the better baking recipes, preps here are scaled – in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, with equivalents converted on the end pages. There are lots of choices in this book, with subtle additions or subtractions of ingredients to extend the database of recipes. Audience and level of use: beginner brewers and others. Some interesting or unusual facts: The downside to this book: some beers have special ingredients that you may not want much of. For example, the Campari IPA is good as a bottle or two for that herbal complexity with beer, but a whole batch of five gallons? Only for the steely. Best to just add a shot of Campari to an IPA. The upside to this book: wide selection of recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 9.COCONUT KITCHEN (Familius, 2015, 184 pages, ISBN 978-1-939629-72-2, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Meredith Baird, co-author of other cookbooks (Raw Chocolate, Everyday Raw Detox, Plant Food). Here she is concerned with just coconut, a superfood for health (digestion aid, immune boost, candida prevention, cholesterol balance, detox, inflammation reduction, eczema and psoriasis treatment) and cosmetic skin care, as well as food (milk substitute, non-diary kefir, sweetener, cooking oil, vegan desserts, gluten-free flour). She's got the primer about preps and what coconuts can do for you. This is followed by the recipes, divided by course: breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans, those wanting a detox, those with a surplus of coconuts. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: coconut butter with apple, blueberries and cinnamon; coconut toast; peaches and cream parfait; coconut chia pudding; coconut matcha smoothie; coconut with spinach, golden raisins and pine nuts. The downside to this book: ingredient listings are in bronze colour and do not stand out too well on the printed page. The upside to this book: good photos. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 10.OKTOBERFEST COOKBOOK (DK, 2015, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3939-0, $20 US hard covers) is by Julia Skowronek, living in Munich and has worked the Hofbrau tent for the past two decades. These are typical dishes served at the Oktoberfest, along with material on dress and beer tent culture, history, Munich beer, other attractions in Munich, etiquette, and a phrase guide to beer-tent Bavarian. Arrangement of the preps is by course: snacks, soups, entrees, veggies, sides, and sweets. There is exceedingly good charm in this book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: German beer and food lovers; those interested in Oktoberfest. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: brotzeit platter with cheese, cold cuts and radishes; pork schnitzel cordon bleu; beef roulades; beer battered fish; Bavarian cabbage. The downside to this book: everything is “heavy”, but then that's their nature. The upside to this book: lots of Oktoberfest pictures. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 11.MY BUSY KITCHEN (Hodder & Stoughton, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-444-79920, $38.99 CAN hard covers) is by Alex Hollywood. It reflects her food background influences of Norway, Scotland, France and Spain. These are uncomplicated family recipes with foreign tinges and fringes from her past (the book's subtitle is “a lifetime of family recipes”). She delves into pantries (with country flavour themes) and larders, freezers, and basic sauces and stocks. She's arrange her book by course: breakfast, salads, lunches, veggies, mid-week meals, suppers, and entertaining. Plus the open-ended desserts, applicable anytime including tea. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners, those looking to refresh their memories Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: raspberry chocolate bombes; roast pineapple with homemade custard; tartiflette; marinated olives with manchego cheese; mont d'or en croute; chicken, fennel and ouzo gratin; smoky fish pie. The downside to this book: the hook did not grab me, but they are good family dishes. The upside to this book: lots of interesting quirks and ideas to jazz up simple dishes. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 12.CITRUS (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 177 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-767-3, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Valerie Aikman-Smith, an LA writer and food stylist. AND 13.SWEET AND TART (Chronicle Books, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-3479-6, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Carla Snyder, baker and Beard-nominated cookbook author based in Ohio. Both books came out about the same time, same length, 75 preps in the Aikman book and 70 in the Snyder. They are also both up against last year's PUCKER from Whitecap Books, which only covered the more sour citrus families (no pomelos or oranges). Aikman is arranged by type (lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, and the rest (citron, yuzu, kumquats). Snyder is by food (cookies, bars, pastries, tars, pies, cakes, frozen desserts, muffins, etc.) with a small chapter on savouries. Aikman's preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Snyder is avoirdupois with no tables of equivalents. Aikman has 16 lime recipes, while Snyder does just 2. But many can be interchangeable if you wish to explore. I do not think you need both books; just one will do. Audience and level of use: intermediate. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Aikman – gravadlax with lemons and green peppercorns; ricotta with Persian lime oil; Meyer lemon and thyme hearth bread; lime and coconut lassi; Szechuan shrimp and ruby grapefruit salad. Snyder – 4 Meyer lemon preps (candied, blackberry ices, drop cookies, ice cream); 4 ricotta (crepes, flat bread, cookies, tyropita); orangey fig and almond biscotti; grapefruit custard pie. Quality/Price Rating: 87 apiece. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 15.THE OCEAN WISE COOKBOOK 2; more seafood recipes that are good for the planet (Whitecap, 2015, 376 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-238-3, $34.95 CAN paper covers) is a collection of preps from chefs and restaurants from across Canada, although most of them are from the West Coast (mainly Vancouver). It’s an accessible guide to sustainable seafood and freshwater fish, which the index indicates ranges from ahi tune to yellowfin tuna. This is the sequel to the original, published in 2010. Jane Mundy, a professional cook and writer, did the editorial work. Ocean Wise is a nationwide conservation program created by the Vancouver Aquarium to educate restaurants and consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood: it has over 200 members. 170 recipes in this edition feature about 45 types of seafood – and each prep is sourced as to chef. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. After a discussion on sustainability, farmed versus wild, fresh versus frozen, and storage for fish, the preps are listed in cooking technique order and then by type of fish, with chapters on “one-pots” and canned foods. Try finnan haddie, sablefish with roasted sunchokes and pancetta, or baked harissa steelhead with quinoa. A very worthwhile book in support of a great cause. Quality/price rating: 90. 16.COOK'S COUNTRY EATS LOCAL (America's Test Kitchen, 2015, 310 pages, ISBN 978-1-936493-99-9, $26.95 US paper covers) is from the PBS show. It is one of a series stressing family cooking (blue ribbon, grandmothers, potluck, grilling), and this time the show gives us 150 regional recipes “you should be making no matter where you live”. So these are local recipes gone national: the New Orleans muffulettas, jo jo potatoes from the Pacifi Northwest, St. Louis gooey butter cake, porketta from Minnesaota, New England bar pizza, West Virginia pepperoni rolls, Carolina sweet potato sonker, and Iowa skinnies of crispy pork cutlets. It is all part of Christopher Kimball's scheme to find the perfect iconic recipe by testing and re-testing it – until it seems right. The final recipe for each dish is the one that is published in this book. The book's arranged by four regions, and each prep comes with a headnote on why this particular recipe works. There are also dining destinations on where to eat the food, should you be traveling. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are four pages of equivalents. This is a winning formula. Quality/price rating: 90. 17.LET THERE BE MEAT (Orion, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4091-5635-2, $37.99 CAN hard covers) is by James Douglas and Scott Munro, owners of Red's True Barbecue in the UK. They know US BBQ culture since they spent years of travel and study in the American Deep South. The book is extremely useful in Canada since it is a true outsider's view of American smokehouse barbecue. 120 preps cover low and slow cooking, from rubs and crusts through meats, sides, sauces, pickles, sweet stuff and drinks. Chapter four covers feasts such as doing a cabrito asado (whole goat kid, or substitution of lamb), weaner pig, and seafood boil. A good smart-looking book, well-photographed. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 18.DOS CAMINOS TACOS (The Countryman Press, 2014, 280 pages, ISBN 978-1-58157-234-6, $24.95US hard covers) is by Ivy Stark, a NYC top chef who has run many Mexican styled restaurants, but is now executive chef at Dos Caminos. Joanna Pruess, who also worked with Stark on her first book Dos Caminos Mexican Street Food, is the focusing food writer. Here Stark extends the taco section from her previous book on street food. There are 100 preps, opening with vegetarian, and moving through fish and seafood, then poultry, followed by red meats. She's got some sides, saldsa, condiments, desserts, and beverages. Try the sweet potato and colorado bean kash tacos, or the wild mushroom and napales filled tacos, or perhaps the tuna tacos with lime aioli and honeydew jicama slaw. Fried green tomatillo tacos with green olives and chipotle remoulade is inventive. Suggested tortillas are corn or flour, warm or cold, soft or hard. A glossary, including the types of chilies, concludes the book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 19.CRUMB; the baking book (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-836-6, $27.50 US hard covers) is by Ruby Tandoh, Great British BakeOff finalist and now a Guardian columnist. It is a celebration of baking, a basic primer to cakes, breads, sweet dough, cookies and crackers, pies and tarts, pastries and “decadent desserts”. There is alittle bit of everything, and it is all oriented to family dining and family cooking. It was originally published in the UK in 2014, and has been Americanized in its terminalogies for the US market. But I am glad that baking measurements have been employed (both metric and avoirdupois) and that everything metric is scaled. The range includes chamomile vanilla cupcakes, rosemary pecan pie, and fennel seed and chile crackers. This shows a good emphasis on the sweet and savoury elements of a single dish. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 20.TIPSY TREATS (Skyhorse Publishing, 2015, 118 pages, ISBN 978-1-63220-692-3, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Autumn Skoczen, owner of Auts Tipse Treats which opened in 2011. In 2014 she pioneered new liquor laws in Ohio regulating the use of liquor in confections, and hers was the first company to receive a license. These preps here are alcohol-infused cupcakes, marshmallows (drunken s'mores?), and martini gels. She's got the usual spiked jams, margarita cupcakes, and rum-raisin cupcakes. But there are also Irish car bomb cupcakes with whiskey ganache frosting. The book was a pleasant surprise in its limitations of alcohol-infusions. Well done. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 21.A LIME AND A SHAKER; discovering Mexican-inspired cocktails (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-30232-7, $18.99 US hard covers) is by the Tippling Brothers (Tad Carducci and Paul Tanguay), bar owners and consultants in NYC. It is basically a tequill cocktail book, but it does have some seven alcohol-free frescas. There's a total of 72 preps, including some spiced concoctions and syrups. There is a primer on the culture of tequila, including history and types. And even some food. One recipe uses Scotch in the scotch foam. But the book is over-illustrated. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 22.TOMATOMANIA! (St. Martin's Griffin, 2015, 210 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-05728-0, $24.99 US soft covers) is by Scott Daigre, owner and producer of Tomatomania, the world's largest tomato seedling sale, and Jenn Garbee, an LA food journalist and co-author of several cookbooks. It's a basic tomato cookbook, but it begins with a real gardening approach to growing tomatoes. You'll need lots of sunshine, so that lets out most of Canada. But it avoids all the Kraft Heinz teardowns. There are twenty recipes and numerous kitchen tips to get the most out of the harvest. There's tomato-vanilla bean marmalade, tomato upside-down cornmeal cake, and stone fruit and tomato gazpacho. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 23.GUILT-FREE BAKING (Nourish Books, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84899206-1, $20.95 CAN hard covers) is by Gee Charman, a caterer who also cooked at Kensington Palace, and a food stylist for UK TV. These are low-calorie and low-fat sweet treats: muffins and cupcakes, cookies, sheet cakes, bars, brownies, tarts and pies, meringues and large cakes. The Full Monty of Brit sweets. A lot of it is fruit-based rather than sugar based. Pantries have been reduced to limit any impacts, so there is a nice choice of flours, dried fruits and nuts, different healthy sweeteners, and a variety of useful spices. The emphasis is, of course, on guilt free, so there is Guilt-Free Vanilla Custard Sauce and Guilt-Free Vanilla Ice Cream. Typical are chocolate cupcakes with avocado frosting, sour cherry and almond cantuccini, and blackberry and coconut sheet cake. Yummy photographs too. There's no scaling, so preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements; there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 24.GUITTARD CHOCOLATE COOKBOOK (Chronicle Books, 2015, 177 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-3533-5, $25 US paper covers) is by Amy Guittard, a fifth-generation San Franciscan who oversees marketing for her family company, founded in 1868. These are preps from a premium bean-to-bar chocolate company. The early part of the book describes the company and gives an account of the day-to-day processes. There is also a description of the chocolates produced, which are used in the prep process in this book. So if you do not have that particular Guittard bar or nibs, you might have to search around for a substitute via the description, to find something comparable. It is arranged by food type, cookies through brownies and bars, cakes, cupcakes, tarts, pies, fudge, puddings, to toppings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, with some scaling. Quality/price rating: 87. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 25.THE GOOD COOK'S BOOK OF OIL AND VINEGAR (Skyhorse Publishing, 1992, 2015, 429 pages, ISBN 978-1-63220-587-2, $18.99 US hard covers) is by Michele Anna Jordan, a Bear Award winner and cookbook author (Good Cook's series and a dozen more). She still writes for a local paper and hosts a radio show in California. It was originally published in 1992 (23 years ago) at 264 pages, with 100 recipes, by Perseus Books. Here, it has been expanded to 429 pages and with 150 recipes (50% more). It is a good guide, one which has withstood the test of time. There is a discussion on oils and vinegars in two chapters, updated with the latest health information. She's got notes on oil tasting and vinegar tasting, as well as stocking the pantry. The cookbook itself begins on page 71, and runs through the gamut of courses, apps to desserts and beverages. The appendices list an updated bibliography, resources, glossary, and templates for tracking tasting note and recommendations. She's got Fall Fruit Gazpacho with watermelon, Garden Minestrone , umpteen salads, and the usual standards of bruschetta, tuna tapenade, feta with olive oil, grilled pizzas, spaghettini with walnut and parsley sauce, and poached eggs with warm shallot vinaigrette. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Some dishes come with beverage recommendations. Quality/price rating: 89. 26.THE APPLE COOKBOOK, 3rd edition (Storey Publishing, 1984, 2001, 2015, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-61212-518-3, $14.95 US soft covers) is by Olwen Woodier who has written six cookbooks. This is an updated collection to some 125 “freshly picked” preps, originally published in 1984 with a second edition in 2001. The range is both sweet and savoury, from breakfast through late night snacks. There is material on pick-your-own farms, cider mills, and nostalgia. It is all accented by 95 updated recipes and 30 brand-new ones. At the end she's got a description of the more prominent 28 varieties, with pictures, and some material on 27 heirloom varieties. Then she has charts showing which varieties are best for eating, salads, sauces, baking whole, pie and freezing. Be prepared for fragrant lamb stew, curried ham and apples, polish sausage with apples and red cabbage, and a variety of pies and salads. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 27.THE VEGETARIAN'S BIBLE (Skyhorse Publishing, 2012, 2015, 351 pages, ISBN 978-1-63220-309-0, $18.99 US paper covers) is by Inga-Britta Sundqvist, a chef-writer in Sweden. The book was originally published in 2012 in Sweden with an English translation that same year. This is the paperback edition of that hardback book. She's got 350 quick and relatively easy preps for a fresh take on food and life. The recipes are good for a range of conditions: raw food, low glycemic, vegan, lacto-ovo, and gluten free. This is home cooking, and she recommends five seasonal buffets for any large crowd when entertaining. She's got a whole range of descriptions about non-meat foods, and finishes with vitamin and mineral guides and a variety of indexes for recipes and foods. It is an all-in-one book. Arrangement is by food category: salads, dips, apps, soups, pasta, through to mains, desserts, breakfasts, breads, and drinks. Most, if not all, are classic dishes, suc has as mango salsa, lemon marinated haricot verts, gomasio, tabbouleh, oat with apple and ginger, and zucchini pasta. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are also tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 28.COOKING UP A STORM; recipes lost and found from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans (Chronicle Books, 2008, 20157; distr. Raincoast, 368 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-4400-9, $30 US hard covers) is edited by Marcelle Bienvenu and Judy Walker. This is the 2015 HARD cover reprint of the original paperback release from 2008. All the preps come out of the Times-Picayune newspaper. It is interesting that the newspaper became a post-hurricane swapping place for old recipes that were washed away by Katrina. There are about 225 recipes here, along with the stories of how they came to be. They have been collated from the newspaper archives, local readers and chefs, and local restaurants. Both classic and contemporary are repped here, so you’ll get a dose of beignets, chicken with okra, red beans and rice, grits, and local drink recipes. It is wide-ranging, and not all recipes are Creole or Cajun – it is more like a community cookbook from New Orleans and the parishes. And it means that there are many non-Creole dishes such as “Mexican lasagna” or “liver with onions” or “beef kababs”. Arrangement is by course, from apps to desserts, with, of course, a lagniappe chapter. The book concludes with a guide to local descriptions of food, such as po-boy or gumbo. Recipes use avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents at the far back. Anecdotes and pictures of a lost New Orleans complete the package. Some interesting recipes include pain perdu, seafood gumbo, fresh corn and shrimp chowder, banana bread, anise cookies, praline cookies, and muffuletta. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 29.BEST SALADS EVER; recipes for sensational salads all year long (Grub Street, 2009, 2015, 174 pages, ISBN 978-1-909808-33-1, $29.95 CAN soft covers) is by Sonja Bock and Tina Scheftelowitz; it was originally published in Copenhagen in 2008. This is the English translation via a London UK publisher, first released in 2009. The arrangement is by category: beetroot salads, cabbage salads, root veggie salads, potato salads, and then noodles, pasta, grains, beans, greens, and then fish, meats, and fruits. These are followed by a chapter on dips and dressings. They conclude with lots of buffet ideas and recipes for entertaining. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 30.THE BEST OF JANE GRIGSON; the enjoyment of food (Grub Street, 1992, 2015, 462 pages, ISBN 978-1-909808-28-7, $39.95 CAN hard covers) is material by the late Jane Grigson as compiled by Roy Fullick. It was originally published in 1992 By Michael Joseph, and this is the 2015 reprint. “This book is intended both as tribute to Jane Grigson's culinary skills and scholarship and as a practical cookery book.” It's divided into chapters that reflected her interests: England, France, Charcuteries, Mediterranean, Europeans, Americas, India, and Celebration Treats. There is a bibliography of her writings at the back. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. A good book to read, a great book for gifting. Quality/price rating: 90. 31.GOOD AND CHEAP (Workman Publishing, 2015, 190 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-8499-7, $16.95 US soft covers) is by Leanne Brown. It was her master's paper in food studies and food policy from New York University. It became a PDF with 700,000 downloads, morphed into a Kickstarter campaign to self-publish the book (40,000 copies), and that self-published book won the 2015 IACP Judge's Choice Award. As every copy of the Workman edition is sold, there will be a book donation to a family who needs it. The current book's premise is to present recipes to nourish people on only $4 a day. 46 million Americans have to survive on only $4 a day for food: students, grads seeking jobs, young families, retirees. It has been revised from its original publication. She's got a strategy and a flexible approach. Every prep is costed and there are economical cooking methods. The page on leftovers gives suggestions which are mainly for sandwiches or wraps, and soups. Nothing should be wasted. Typical foods include green chile and cheddar quesadillas, teriyaki carrots, breakfast quinoa, ramen-inspired deviled eggs, roast chicken, chana masala tomatoes. The global scope emphasizes some of the poverty areas of the world. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 32.175 ESSENTIAL SLOW COOKER CLASSICS (Robert Rose, 2006, 2015, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0524-3, $27.95 CAN paper covers) is by Judith Finlayson, a longtime food writer who the publisher claims has sold more than 750,000 slow cooker books and close to 1 million cookbooks in all. If you have a slow cooker and don't have any of her other cookbooks, then where were you? This current book includes many preps from her first three books plus sixty new ones that were developed for inclusion here. Slow cookers are a mature industry, and they are one of the safest electric appliances. There's a wide range of meals plus different levels of expertise and different situations, from family home cooking (and kids' use of slow cookers) to entertaining. Useful are sweet potato lasagna, leek risotto, and buttermilk lemon sponge. Most dishes can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated; not everything here is a soup or a stew. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 33.MR.WILKINSON'S WELL-DRESSED SALAD (Black Dog & Leventhal, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-57912-993-4, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Matt Wilkinson, a market owner and chef-owner of many restaurants in Melbourne. He also authored Mr. Wilkinson's Vegetables, a top seller and IACP Design award winner. This current book was originally published by Hardie Grant in Australia as Mr. Wilkinson's Simply Dressed Salads. I'm not sure why the title was changed, since “simply dressed” and “well-dressed” are at opposite ends of the word spectrum. Simply dressed implies lightness while well-dressed is more formal and heavy. Nevertheless, this book is arranged by the seasons (spring through winter) with a primer on growing your own leaves, creating your own dressings, and a glossary. For autumn we have an old man's slaw, egg with green olive and dukkah salad, and torn fresh figs & grapes with almonds and strawberry balsamic. The book is well-presented and laid out, so it is sure to wine another book design award somewhere. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. ---------------------------------------------------- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR JUNE 2015 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, deantudor@deantudor.com Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.ca These food and wine book reviews are always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.ca But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.INFUSE (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8676-6, $25 US soft covers) is by Eric Prum and Josh Williams, both founders of W & P Design which works with the food and beverage industry to create environments. They have a whole series of Mason Jar products, including a shaker and a tap. And, of course, they are experts in mixology. This book concentrates on oils, spirits, and waters – and how to infuse (steep in liquid) to extract outside flavours. They have more than 50 recipes, with instructions, tips and ideas. I used to use EverClear which I brought back from the US and Saint Pierre/Miquelon. It provided maximum infusion capability (at 96% ABV) at low cost. After the infusion (for me, mostly herbs or lemons), I cut it with distilled water and syrup if needed. Here though, the authors grapple with peach bourbon (Southern Comfort anyone?), cucumber mint water, basil-infused olive oil, roasted pineapple mezcal, spiced pear liqueur, salted lime syrup, garlic confit oil, and cranberry-infused rum (among others). Each of oil, spirit and water gets about 40 pages, and apart from the oil, everything can be used at a bar. So this is also a barman's book. It's for millennials (the typeface is small and grey) with arrows directing eye traffic. And the photos are mainly of people under 30. Yet the book's recipes work very well and certainly will add to the delights of the kitchen pantry, especially the oils. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: bartenders, cooks, those looking for flavours Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above The downside to this book: it is a very pretty book, appeals to the younger crowd, but the grey typeface made me rush to the magnifying glass. The upside to this book: a good, useful collection. Quality/Price Rating: 92. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.SPELT (Nourish, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84899-196-5, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Roger Saul, who grows organic spelt on his farm Sharpham Park in Somerset UK. Spelt is a passion with him, and this cookbook is the result. Spelt is probably the best of the wheat grains: more nutty in flavour, useful for anything driven by wheat, more nutrients than modern wheat, easier to digest (less bloat), a lower Glycemic Index, and it has the lowest amount of gluten from among the various wheat varieties. This lower gluten makes it useful for people, like my wife, with gluten “sensitivities” to be able to have some regular bread with chew. He covers the baking gamut of cakes, cookies, and breads. The range is from pasta through sourdough starters, farmhouse loaves, pizzas, pear and ginger muffins, spelt and herb dumplings, and a variety of desserts (there's even brown bread ice cream and Christmas Pudding). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those with some tolerance for gluten. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above Quality/Price Rating: 93. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.SEVEN SPOONS (Appetite by Random House, 2015, 268 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01630-5, $29.95 CAN hard covers) is by Tara O'Brady, owner of the eponymous blog since 2005. She has one of the oldest food blogs; she also does freelance writing. It comes with heavy-duty log rolling from Molly Wizenberg, David Lebovitz, and Bonny Stern. There are about 100 preps here, globally inspired, covering the range of family dishes from breakfasts through desserts and staples/pantry items. These are her fave recipes from her blog; this is the food that she likes. Scattered throughout are memoir stories. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner to intermediate. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Vietnamese sausage rolls; tomato raita; yellow dal; braised veggies; yellow tomato gazpacho; celeriac soup with green horseradish oil; blurry sunrise smoothie. The downside to this book: they may be fave recipes, but the scope of the preps also seems very general in tone. The upside to this book: there is a heavy bent to Indian subcontinent cooking in Canada. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 4.COMFORT FOOD WITHOUT THE CALORIES (Orion Books,, 2015, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4091-5469-3, $18.99 CAN paper covers) is by Justine Pattison, a UK diet recipe writer and recipe developer for TV, as well as a magazine food writer. She has a series for Orion, “Without the Calories”; her other books involve takeout, quick and easy, pasta and rice, one pots and desserts – without the calories. The standard setup is one page for the prep, with calories highlighted per serving, ingredients, recipe, tips, etc., and a photo of the plated results. It is all arranged by course. At the back of the book is nutritional information for each dish and various other useful pantry ideas. It is a winning series. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric measurements, but there are many tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners; those looking to lose weight, or at least count calories. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: minestrone soup; eggplant parmigiana; moussaka; Cobb salad; braised peas with lettuce and bacon; panna cotta; roasted squash tomato and spinach lasagna. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 5.MASTERING HOMEBREW (Chronicle Books, 2015, 384 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0551-2, $29.95 US soft covers) is the latest beer book by Randy Mosher (he's already written one this year for Storey Publishing). It's a basic how-to book, with gorgeous illustrations. He's got 26 master recipes, all of which can be customized for substitutions and add-ons. There are sections on understanding beer style, choosing and using equipment, understanding ingredients, how to formulate your own recipes, and how to package and serve a great glass of beer. The book is thorough, comprehensive and very witty. Heartily recommended for its bibliography and extra reading matter, resources lists, and large type index. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are also tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who love beer and want to know more about the process; those who want to make their own beers. Some interesting or unusual facts: “Clever homebrewers, in search of simplicity or speed, have thrown out the rule book [on sparging]and found a number of alternate methods of separating the wort from the spent grain.” The downside to this book: there is so much here, it all appears daunting. Read it slowly. The upside to this book: comprehensive and encyclopedia. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 6.GOOD CHEAP EATS; everyday dinners and fantastic feasts for $10 or less (Harvard Common Press, 2014, 320 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-843-3, $16.95 US paper covers) is by Jessica Fisher, bloggist at Good Cheap Eats. She's also written two other value-driven cookbooks. Here she concentrates on the dollar value: a meal for a family of four for under $10. She's got suggested menus, but readers can mix and match (prices will go up or down) from among the 200 preps here. Each recipe has been tagged for meatless, or dairy-free, or gluten-free, or make ahead, etc. Lots of tips on living well with minimum food purchases. This might be a popular book to be borrowed from a library (it will cost you nothing). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: strapped families. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cranberry pesto pasta salad; buttery orzo; baby greens with lemon-basil vinaigrette; spinach and mushroom pizza with roasted tomato sauce; garlic rolls; arroz con pollo. The downside to this book: it is on heavy paper, and weighs a lot (320 pages). The upside to this book: good idea Quality/Price Rating: 85. 7.TRULY MADLY PIZZA (Rodale, 2015, 230 pages, ISBN 978-1-62336-218-8, $27.50 US hard covers) is by Suzanne Lenzer, a food stylist and writer who has worked with Mark Bittman (he did the Foreword here) for many years. She's done a lot of styling for other magazines and cookbooks. Here, she admits to being obsessed by her crust. She tells the story of how she got to her “go-to, tried-and-true, know-by-heart” pizza dough. I won't give it away. She spent eons developing it, and here it is over 4 pages – much like Child's French bread recipe. Good detail and techniques. In honour of her late mother-in-law (who tinkered with the original go-to recipe by adding whole-wheat flour) Lenzer did devise one variation: a whole wheat pizza dough. Everything else in the book is a series of vibrant toppings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The bread flour weighs in at 390 grams or 2.75 cups. Audience and level of use: pizza makers and lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: caramelized onion jam; roasted garlic sauce/spread; walnut pesto; broccolini-mushroom-breadcrumbs; ground lamb with cumin-grape tomatoes and cilantro; duck confit and cannellini beans with caramelized onions and rosemary. The downside to this book: I would have liked her take on gluten-free pizza dough. The upside to this book: good idea – one dough, and stick with it. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 8.NEW ENGLAND OPEN HOUSE COOKBOOK (Workman Publishing, 2015, 388 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-5519-5, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Sarah Leah Chase, who had collaborated on The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. She's also written other cookbooks based on New England food, and now lives on Cape Cod. Here are 300 recipes, introduced by some memoir-type material (including the diverse “how long does it take to write a cookbook?”). In a two column format, it is arranged by food type: salads, bivalves, lobster, fish, poultry, beef, and veggies. There are chapters on desserts, breakfasts, drinks and picnics. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: Down East food lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Cape Codder stuffed lobster tails; hot crab dip; cranberry bog peperonata; broccoli salad with toasted almonds and cranberries; Cape Cod chocolate chip; angels on horseback; gratinee asparagus; New Hampshire styled egg scramble; corn canoes. The downside to this book: it is a hefty book, and the perfect binding needs to stand up to wear. The upside to this book: it is thorough and comprehensive, and with 20 preps for lobsters, it screams “classic!” Quality/Price Rating: 90. 9.NEW ENGLAND FARMGIRL (Gibbs Smith, 2015, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3800-1, $30 US hard covers)is by Jessica Robinson, who now divides her time between New England and North Carolina. She blogs at newenglandkitchen.com and carolinafarmhousekitchen.com. It is a very rural book since it deals with farm food from New England. There's some commentary on local natural and organic food, farmstand markets, orchards, honey, dairy, eggs, maple sugar, wineries and vineyards, plus the obligatory raising your own food. She's even got a chapter on Christmas tree farms. Each section comes with a resources list for personal (or even online) visits. She's got about 100 recipes. It nicely complements Chase's New England Open House Cookbook (see above). Together, the two would be a great gift for the New Englander who lives far from home. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: for the absent New Englander. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: apple cider doughnuts; farmhouse apple crisp; bacon-wrapped meatloaf; green beans in hearty sausage and veggie soup; blueberry coffee cake; creamy cheddar and broccoli soup; Maine lobster stew; and a lot of maple syrup recipes. The downside to this book: it is a posh production, but maybe too posh. The upside to this book: a good account of a farmer's daughter. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 10.HEALTHY HAPPY VEGAN KITCHEN (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-37980-0, $25US soft covers) is by Kathy Patalsky, creator of a vegan food blog (HealthyHappyLife.com) and author of 365 Vegan Smoothies. And 11.MASTERING THE ART OF VEGAN COOKING (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015, 328 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-5753-0, $25 US hard covers) is by Annie and Dan Shannon, authors of Betty Goes Vegan. And 12.VEGAN EVERYDAY (Robert Rose, 2015, 576 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0499-4, $27.95 CAN soft covers) is by Douglas McNish, a vegan executive chef and consultant who has authored two raw cookbooks. All three books were published about the same time. The first two (Patalsky and Shannon) are quite similar, with over 200 recipes each. Both books are also loaded with log rollers. Patalsky arranges her book by course: sandwiches, burgers, sides, fritters, salads, soups, apps, entrees, desserts, smoothies, “for the kids”, with a collection of 12 menus. It is family oriented, mostly derived from her blog, with many dishes titled “vegan”, as in Vegan Cashew Ricotta or Vegan Senate Bean Soup or Vegan OO pizza dough. It's gluten-free in part, and she lists ways to “veganize” the kitchen and substitute within dishes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The Shannons pay a vegan homage to Julia Child, and devote some space to tips on how to spend less but get more. They have more overt titles for vegan dishes, such as Vegan Yankee Pot Roast, Korean Kimchi BBQ Burgers, and Not-cho Everyday Chili Dogs. They encourage you to have your own “Victory” garden. It is arranged by meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner, with additional sections on leftovers and special occasions (maybe next time they could deal with leftovers for special occasions? Just wondering.). The concentration is on thrift, such as Americans did during the Depression and World War II. There are references to USO and to meat substitutes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Both of these books also promote an attractive vegan lifestyle. But if you are already vegan (or vegetarian), you might want to look at McNish's book since he covers twice as many (500) recipes, from breakfast through desserts, with courses like apps, snacks, beans and grains, pasta, stir fries, soups and stews, and baked goods. His book is also gluten-free, an added value here if you cannot eat wheat, barley or rye. It is a well-thought out book prepared by a trained vegan chef for his clients. It is laid out in typical Rose style, with both avoirdupois and metric measurements for each ingredient. There's lentil shepherd's pie, potato salad wraps, stewed onions and mushrooms with millet, cannelloni, plus the usual vegan knockoffs of stroganoff, burgers, chicken noodle soup, and avgolemono soup among others. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: all three books use nutritional yeast, but the first two only have it in a dozen recipes while McNish uses it in over 40 preps. Quality/Price Rating: Patalsky 86; Shannons 87; McNish 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 13.SANTA FE SCHOOL OF COOKING; CELEBRATING THE FOODS OF NEW MEXICO (Gibbs-Smith, 2015, 120 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3813-1, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Susan Curtis and Nicole Curtis Ammerman, founders of the SFSC. There is a short history of the School, some shopping locations in Santa Fe, pix of students, and the like. It's a lot like those cooking school adventures in Tuscany. The book then can serve as a model New Mexican instructional cookbook, arranged by starters, soups, salads, tortillas, salsas, sauces, corn, rice, beans, and then mains and desserts. Much of the teaching comes from local chefs. Some of the few illustrations are striking, but the value in the book is the larger typeface, the black on white contrasts, and the bold face of the ingredients. Even the index has a large typeface. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 14.BONJOUR Y'ALL; Heidi's fusion cooking on the South Carolina coast (Gibbs Smith, 2015, 152 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3994-7, $30 US hard covers) is by Heidi Vukov and Sara Sobota. Heidi has run Croissants Bistro and Bakery for more than 20 years in Myrtle Beach, while Sara teaches journalism and is a freelance travel/lifestyle writer. It's a book dealing with life in Myrtle Beach, beginning with a history/memoir of the Bistro. It is mostly a brunch place, and so there are sections on breads, starters (crab cakes, she crab soup), brunch items, cookies, desserts, and some seafood mains such as shrimp and grits, scallops, bay clams, pan-seared grouper, and other seafood. A good book for the fans. Finishing off with pantry recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 15.ESQUIRE: the eat like a man guide to feeding a crowd (Chronicle Books, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-3184-9, $30 US hard covers) is from the magazine. It advises you on how to cook for family, friends, and spontaneous parties. It's even got a page from Mario Batali on what you'll need to begin, even before cracking open this guy book. About 60 chefs and recipe contributors appear here: Charlie Palmer, Michael Symon, Thomas Keller, Tom Colicchio, Wolfgang Puck – all with attributions. Apparently, having a lot of people at your home to feed is “every man's dream”, or, in my case, nightmare. This book smooths the way through 80 recipes to prepare “great tubs of pasta”, “foot-long sandwiches”, grilled steaks, and endless platters of food. Thrown in are party tips, time savers, cocktails, etc. Use only forks and spoons, keep away from knives. Finger foods and bowls will keep the mess down. It is arranged by time of day, from “late morning” (aka brunch) through late afternoon, dinner, and late night. Unfortunately, like many such books, there is really nothing here about cleaning up – pay the kids. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 16.CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL ENTERTAINER (Gibbs Smith, 2015, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3715-8, $30 US hard covers) is by Steven Stolman, a US writer and designer by education and profession. It is a bit of a retro cookbook, with its sans serif typeface and photo layout. And it uses common everyday ingredients (“I use a lot of stuff that comes out of bottles, jars, cans and boxes to create loose impressions of classical dishes”). He's not neat, and again, there is nothing in the book to help you clean up – just pay the kids. But Stolman just loves to entertain, and will do it with sometimes weird food. It is the opposite of the Esquire life (see previous review) but it all works because we are back in the fifties and sixties, just like Mad Men. He's got tea sandwiches, country club chocolate cake, sweet-and-sour salmon en gelee, chicken hash, baked shrimp and feta, and even bouillabaisse. The book is arranged by grouping: cocktail parties, dinner for the boss, family stuff, winter dinners, alfresco, and breakfast. About 80 recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 17.FLAVORIZE (Chronicle Books, 2015, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-2530-5, $22.95 US hard covers) is by Ray Lampe, multiple cook-off champion, chef, and cookbook author for Chronicle Books (five and counting). Here he concentrates on dressing up the meats: 115 recipes for marinades, injections, brines, rubs and glazes. His recipes are for the grill, stovetop, and oven. The chapters follow the dressing, beginning with marinades through to glazes. For each, there is a recipe. But to a certain extent you can also mix and match. Cranberry brine goes with holiday pork roast, but it can also go with pork chops and chicken breasts (both of which have their own brines which can also go with pork roasts). Everything here adds more flavour, which can be unfortunately needed if you use commercial mass produced meats. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 18.GRILLING WITH THE HOUSE OF Q (Figure 1 books, 2015, 181 pages, ISBN 978-1-927958-10-0, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Brian Misko, multiple BBQ Canadian champion pit-master with his own line of rubs and sauces (House of Q). He has a TV segment “BBQ Tips” on Global. It's a basic book, with tips and advice, instructions and some memoir/story material, but of course with a Canadian slant (God knows we need these). The range is from appetizers, sausages, burgers, pork, beef, poultry, seafood, veggies, salads, sides, desserts, with sections on brines, rubs, sauces, and spreads. As well there is a chapter on competition BBQ. Handsome photography but too many non-food pix detract from the book's total usefulness. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 19.GRAINS AS MAINS (DK Books, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3180-6, $25 US hard covers) is by Jodi Moreno and Sarah W. Caron. Jodi is a chef, food photographer and blogger; Sarah is a freelance writer and recipe developer, and blogger. Here are 150 recipes with 14 “ancient” grains (six are forms of wheat). Each is identified, healthy benefits are explained, preps are step-by-step, and cooking techniques produce flavour combos. Most are gluten-free, except for barley, the wheat grains and rye (the latter is, for some reason, not here). The book is not arranged by grain but rather by course (breakfast, brunch, desserts) or by menu items (soups, salads, stir-fries, risottos, pilafs, burgers, stews). I particularly liked the framing of the photos and the layout. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 20.MASTERING THE ART OF SOUTHERN VEGETABLES (Gibbs Smith, 2015, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3738-7, $25 US hard covers) is by Nathalie Dupree, long time specialist in Southern US Cooking and TV host/chef on many cooking shows. Plus she's got at least three Beard awards. Her co-author is Cynthia Graubart, Southern Living magazine columnist, cookbook author and a Bear winner. This is at least the third book that these two have co-authored together. It used to be that veggies in the Deep South were boiled and/or fried in lard/baconfat. Now, of course, there are other ways. There are 120 recipes for some 26 categories, including the all important “Greens”, which gets 12 pages. These include turnip tops and turnip greens, collards, kale, chard, poke sallet, sorrel, beet and broccoli greens, lambs quarters, and cressi. An important chapter. There is good detail on seasonings and on the prep methods. The typeface is large for the recipes, and even larger for the index entries: good ideas. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 21.PATSY'S ITALIAN FAMILY COOKBOOK (St. Martin's Press, 2015, 214 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-03939-2, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Sal Scognamillo, third generation owner-chef of Patsy's Restaurant (NYC), which specializes in Neapolitan Italian food. It comes with celebrity log rollers Sean Combs, George Clooney, Michael Buble – even Martha Stewart. It is home cooking all the way – since 1944 – with puttanesca sauce, marinara, meatballs, shrimp casino, chicken pizzaiola, cacciatore, spiedini, gelatos, and ricotta cheesecakes. There are reproductions of old menus and a lot of memoir material. It is a great book for the Patsy's fans. Also, there is just a minimum of personal photos so that there is more room for the preps. A fun book, with menus. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 22.THE BEETLEBUNG FARM COOKBOOK (Little Brown, 2015, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-40407-5, $35 US hard covers) is by Chris Fischer, who took over his grandparents five-acre farm on Martha's Vineyard. This is a year of cooking at that farm, using, of course, his own local ingredients and nearby fish stocks. There are 17 chapters through the year, each with a menu. Before the farm, Fischer had been cooking at Babbo and The River Cafe plus some more experience in Rome. Top log rollers here include Alice Waters and Mario Batali (his former employer at Babbo). He's a cook and a farmer here, with many stories about farming life that also translate into dishes. In November, for example, he will have venison on cedar, fromage blanc crostino with chard, rabbit and fennel, carrots and celery root, and a beet cake (with fennel icing). Excellent choices. Large print, great layout. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 91. 23.HONEY & CO. THE COOKBOOK (Little Brown, 2015, 291 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-28430-1, $35 US hard covers) is by Itamar Srulovich, once head chef under Yotam Ottolenghi in London, and his baker/pastry chef wife Sarit Packer. It's a Middle East cookbook, along the lines of Jerusalem (of course: Ottolenghi is log roller here). They started their own place, Honey & Co in 2012. Preps include dips, spreads, salads, one-pan dishes and stews from Persia, tagine, Israeli sofritos. Plus mezze, breads, and light dinners. About 150 recipes. Bold faced index entries, but also quite a few personal photos which take away space from the vibrant preps. Lamb salad with a Georgian plum sauce works for me, as do drinks such as orange blossom iced tea or elderflower cordial. A nice book for his fans, and for followers of Ottolenghi. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 24.THE CRAFT COCKTAIL PARTY (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015, 226 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-8159-7, $26 US hard covers) is by Julie Reiner, co-owner of Brooklyn's Clover Club and The Flatiron Lounge in Manhattan. She's been featured on TV and many of her recipes have been published in print. Recipes are organized around the seasons, summer through spring, with an emphasis on different themes and events and holidays. This is a nifty collection of drinks for every occasion. The prelims cover the basics of mixology and equipment, and then come the recipes: in the summer it is fresh fruit and veggies, such as La Rosa (strawberries and rose wine), Maria sin Sangre (cherry tomatoes and tequila), or santana's sour (cilantro leaves and fresh pineapple with tequila). Extremely useful with large print, good white space layout, and excellent photos. No food recipes, but gotta love those glass shapes. With variations, there should be about 200 recipes. Cocktails have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 25.THE BROAD FORK; recipes for the wide world of vegetables and fruits (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 336 pages, ISBN 978-0-385-34502-6, $35 US hard covers) is by Hugh Acheson, chef-partner in four restaurants in Georgia. He's got two Beard Awards (one for a previous cookbook), and has been a TV food contest judge. Here he covers home versions of simple food prepared with veggies and fruits. It is all arranged by season with 12 or so ingredients covered (Fall through Summer), and then sub-arranged alphabetically within each by name. Fall has apples, celery, celery root, chanterelles, through to vidalia onions; winter has bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts through to winter squash. For each, there is a description and photo plus about four recipes each. So we are looking at around 200 preps. Emphasis seems to be on the US Southeast, what with collards and mustard greens, okra, melons, avocados, persimmons, sunchokes, and the like. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 26.PLANT BASED COOKBOOK (DK, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3536-1, $25 US hard covers) is by Trish Sebben-Krupka, chef-owner of Local Girl Makes Food, specializing in vegan/vegetarian/eco-friendly diets through catering and culinary education. She's got about 200 whole-food recipes emphasizing a better life style through better health. Sections deal with breakfasts, sauces, salad dressings, dips, sandwiches, soups, one-pots and casseroles, breads, pastas, desserts plus sidebars on avocados, unrefined oils, mushrooms, ginger, greens, cruciferous veggies, sweet potatoes, quinoa, alliums, and berries. It appears to be exhaustive. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Entries in the index are very lightfaced, and also hard to read in size. Quality/price rating: 89. 27.PASTA BY HAND (Chronicle Books, 2015, 200 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-2188-8, $25 US hard covers) is by Jenn Louis, executive chef and co-owner of two Portland OR restaurants and competed on TV's Top Chef Masters. She has an impressive list of log rollers, headed by Mario Batali's foreword. No special equipment is needed since this is all hand made pasta shaped into orbs, cups, twists, shells and dumplings. The arrangement is by region, with such dishes as cavatelli from Basilicata, orecchiette from Puglia, gnocchi from Lazio, gnudi from Tuscany, or spatzli from Alto Adige. She's got a variety of 10 standard starter ragus (pesto, fonduta, tomato) but you can also, of course, use your own sauces. A needed component of many dishes is ricotta and/or squash puree, and she tells you how to perfect these at home. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. First rate book. Quality/price rating: 92. 28.SUPERFOODS (Quadrille Publishing, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-666-7, $22.95 US soft covers) is by Julie Montagu, yoga and nutrition teacher in London, star of Ladies of London (Bravo). This one comes out of The Flexie Food Academy which she runs, along with her own line of energy snacks. It's a basic meat-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free diet emphasizing plant-based foods. But it does cover a wide-range of foods, and unfortunately it is a late arrival to the “superfoods” wagon. Still, a good introduction propelled by its star author, with good, clean and clear preps that are vegan, with lots of choice in substitutions. Essentially, all you need to do is scale back all the bad foods by being more flexible, and eating these foods. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 29.THE CRAFT BEER REVOLUTION; how a band of microbrewers is transforming the world's favorite drink (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014, 2015; distr. Raincoast, 252 pages, ISBN 978-1-137-28012-1, $16 US paper covers) is by Steve Hindy, co-founder of the Brooklyn Brewery, It comes loaded with more than a dozen different log rollers, most of whom are associated with the US microbrewing industry. And four glosses of reviews. It is a basic history of the past 50 years' explosion of artisanal crafted beer. The pioneers started the demand for strong flavours, all-malt, and higher alcohol than the frankly acknowledged horse piss of the major players. It is also about independence and the frontier, reflected in the labels that are just short of cuss words and incitement to riots. There are more than 3000 craft brewers in the US, with more being added all the time; they have about 10% of the total market. There is comparable growth in Canada, but the regulatory bodies have nipped the flashy labeling. For example, in the UK, 140 labels have been pulled since 1989. Rebel brands are a big deal in the US, especially south of the Mason-Dixon line where some labels really are rebel, as in Civil War. Still, there are fractious factions in the craft brewing industry, and he pulls no punches. Hindy also discusses the acquisition period where big money meets craft brewing (1994 – 2000). There are notes on the associations (Brewers' Association of America and the Association of Brewers). But nothing on NAFTA or free trade. There are black and white photos scattered throughout this good business history book. But as Hindy says, “The future of craft brewing largely depends on how that [Brewer's Association] power is wielded.” Quality/Price Rating: 89. 30.WORLD CHEESE BOOK (DK, 2009, 2015, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3605-4, $25 US soft covers) has been edited by Juliet Harbutt (cheese expert since opening Jeroboams Wine and Cheese Shop in 1984, now an industry consultant-judge) with an international list of 21 contributors, generally one per country or region. It is a basic reprint of the 2009 edition but in paper covers. Gurth Pretty (www.cheeseofcanada.ca) covers Canada. He gives 24 cheeses, three per page, on p310 through p317. He tries for regional representation, but still, most cheese are from Quebec – and rightly so. And there’s even a generic “cheddar curds” from all over the country. My Canadian fave is the black waxed cylinder of Dragon’s Breath Blue from Nova Scotia, which changes over time and intensifies its “blueness”. The book has 750 cheeses, photographed as you would buy them AND in close-ups so you can see the cleanly sliced version and check for colour, holes and texture of the paste. Most should be available at the larger urban cheese store. Some can come via post from producers or cheese shops. There is a basic primer on cheeses, well-illustrated, over two dozen pages. Then there is a country-by-country arrangement beginning, of course, with France, plowing through the rest of Europe, the Americas, Japan, and Australia and New Zealand (you’d think that with all those sheep there would be more ewe cheeses, but no). For each cheese, there is a description, tasting notes on the paste and rind, how best to enjoy it, its age, weight and shape, size, type of milk (not broken down by time of day), classification, producers. A first rate job. The publisher has lots of menu suggestions for accompaniments, with some wine notes, use in cooking, and cheeseboard ideas and possibilities. And I love those close-up pix of the pastes and 7rinds. Quality/Price Rating: 91. 31.THE VEGETABLE GARDEN COOKBOOK (Skyhorse Publishing, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-63220-673-2, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Tobias Rauschenberger, a chef who is now a food stylist and cookbook author. It was originally published in German in 2013. 23 veggies are covered through 60 recipes, beginning with eggplant and running through to fennel and onions. There is a good description and photo of the plant followed by some recipes. Onion pasta is pretty simple, but also pretty good. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR MAY 2015 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, deantudor@deantudor.com Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.ca These food and wine book reviews are always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.ca But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.TEN COCKTAILS; the art of convivial drinking (Salt Yard Books, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-444-79137-2, $25 US hard covers) is by Alice Lascelles, hard liquor columnist for the The Times in UK. She has also done free lance writing about cocktails for other publications. Her book is part memoir, part history, and anecdotal as she searches Havana for the best Daiquiri, harvests juniper in Umbria, sips Sazeracs in New Orleans, and cruises The Savoy Cocktail Bar. She covers, as well, Gin & Tonic, Martini, Negroni, Punch, Old Fashioned, White Russian, Bloody Mary. As she says, the book is a “distillation of the best stories, people, places and recipes that I've unearthed in ten years of writing about the hard stuff”. But along the way she explores what makes a particular cocktail. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: those interested in a good story and trivia about spirits. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: “If you can just master the ten recipes in this book, you will have acquired almost every technique you need to make any drink that matters”. The downside to this book: except for the recipes, all of the text is in grey print, which makes it hard to read unless the room is well-lit. The upside to this book: a good idea, covering the basics. Quality/Price Rating: 88. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.THE NO TIME TO COOK! BOOK (DK, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-2990-2, $25 US hard covers) is by Elena Rosemond-Hoerr, author of other DK cookbooks and blogger. Laura Herring is listed as “additional contributor”. Here are 100 quick and easy recipes that can be prepared in 20 minutes or less, provided that you have an operational pantry and/or a mise en place. There are also many variations. Each prep is broken down into simple visuals (which DK is well-known for) such as graphics, charts, diagrams, even, dare I say, “pie-charts”. There are over 600 photos and illustrations, about six per recipe. Topics include “speedy breakfast”, “lunch in a flash”, “quick weeknight dinners”, “short and sweet”. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: the harried but kitchen-wise cook. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: pea and pancetta pasta; fresh fruit hand pies; peach salsa; pan bagna; pad Thai; pumpkin and cinnamon waffles; raspberry cheesecake; feta cheese, tomato and red pesto tart; sweet potato and rosemary quiche cups. The downside to this book: you might need special equipment, eg, sandwich press, or special spices in the pantry. The upside to this book: the emphasis is on maximum flavour and minimum effort. Quality/Price Rating: 88. * DVD OF THE MONTH +++++++++++++++++ 3.A YEAR IN CHAMPAGNE (First Run Features, 2014, 82 minutes, FRF916554D, $31.48 CAD, cheaper in US and at Amazon) has been written and directed by David Kennard, who is now in the midst of his wine trilogy. Previously, he had done A Year in Burgundy and is now involved with filming A Year in Port, to be released next year. Overall, it is a fine doc, rated 6.7 at IMDB (which seems low to me for it is not an instructional video but rather a POV doc). It apparently may be coming to DevourFest, the food film festival held every November in Wolfville Nova Scotia (they had showed A Year in Burgundy last year). The video shows the process and the vintners of Champagne, assisted by the presence of Martine Saunier, a wine importer from the US. I remember her being more involved, though, in the Burgundy film. There is a description and actual viewing of the process and rules in Champagne, a very heavily regulated major industry that really has no competitors since it is both unique and a Protected Designation of Origin. The video does go into its uniqueness but not into its PDO status. As I said, this is a POV doc not an instructional one. Throughout the world, it is the brand name that is important in selling and marketing Champagne. There are good descriptions on the region's chalky soil, its northernmost position, frost, rain and rot. There is a brief history, from Attila the Hun through WWI which showed the impact of invasions and wars, and the need for deep cellaring. There are about one billion bottles in the cellars of Champagne. Kennard chose a diverging range of producers and vineyards to visit; thankfully, none was really commercial or a co-op: Bollinger, Diebolt-Vallois, Gosset, San-Chamant, Stephane Coquillitte, and Gonnet-Medeville. The 2012 year began as a grim one with moist bad weather and pests. But as August opened, the sun came out and the crop was saved – down in quantity but up in quality. Kennard does not explore the Champagne label for what is on it, and thus did not remark on the five or so designations that are part of the Champagne rules. The two that affect us the most are RM and NM, for grower and negociant champagnes. There is also no talk of the varieties allowed in Champagne, although Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are noted as well as the one mention of Pinot Meunier. Apart from the narration, it is all in French with English subtitles. If you turn on the subtitles, then you'll also get the English narration in written English. Bonus tracks include deleted scenes and there are biography scripts. I would have picked better music for the beginning (Why Blue Danube? Why not some Piaf? Keeps it French....), but this is still a worthwhile video that I enjoyed very much. Quality/Price Rating: 88. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 4.THE CURIOUS BARISTA'S GUIDE TO COFFEE (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-563-4, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Tristan Stephenson, a well-know celebrity UK bartender, bar owner, and consultant (Fluid Movement). This is his third book (the other two were bar-tending books), and it deals with coffee, with 25 recipes. Most of the book is encyclopedia: guide to coffee producing regions, histories, how to make a cup of coffee through different brewing methods, etc. It is an excellent survey for the price, well illustrated with old adverts, drawings, and a nifty chapter on latte art. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 88. 5.GINO'S VEG ITALIA! (Hodder & Stoughton, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-444-79519-6, $38.99 CAN hard covers) is by Gino D'Acampo, an Italian chef from Naples now working in the UK as a TV chef on at least three food shows. This is his 13th book, and first meatless book. There are 100 basic recipes for the tried and true Italian veggie, all flavoured with herbs, oils and chili. They are of course, healthy, and provide sustenance along with grains for pasta, gnocchi, pizza, breads, and soups. Some interesting preps include pizza cake with semi-dried tomatoes, spinach and goat's cheese; eggplant lasagne; zucchini mozzarella omelette; and potato rosti and poached egg with fresh herb sauce. Large print and bold face makes this one a useful winner in the kitchen. Arranged by course, from antipasti through pizza, through sides. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly metric measurements. Quality/price rating: 86. 6.CURBSIDE; modern food from a vagabond chef (Whitecap, 2015, 294 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-223-9, $32.95 CAN paper covers) is by Adam Hynam-Smith, chef and co-owner of El Gastronomo Vagabundo, Ontario's first gourmet street food truck. He is also a co-host for “Restaurant Takeover” on the Food Network Canada. The preps here have been modified from his prior restaurant experiences, street food pop-ups, and his current truck. He pretty well covers the evolution of street food in North America (although he has Australian roots). He's also got some recipes from other chefs. His own signature dishes include gourmet tacos, traditional curries and soups, and salades composees, many with an emphasis on fish and seafood. He advocates a mise en place to speed things up and to provide essential condiments. The 171 recipes include global foods such as Egyptian eggs and Thai soups. There are photos of plated dishes and techniques as well. Babi in a Bowl comes from Cindy Arman in Toronto, Lamb Souvlaki comes from Cath Claringbold in Melbourne, and Venison Sausages comes from Mike McColl in Burlington. Great food swiftly prepared, useful for guys in the kitchen. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 7.FEEDING THE FIRE; recipes & strategies for better barbecue and grilling (Artisan, 2015, 264 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-557-0, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Joe Carroll (Fette Sau and St.Anselm Restaurants in Brooklyn) and Nick Fauchald (Brooklyn-based food editor and author). Log rollers include Steven Raichlen, Adam Perry Lang, and Peter Kaminsky. It comes complete with a wine list of recommended producers, resources (including bibliography), tools, BBQ restaurants in other parts of the US, noted for mutton and sliced pork shoulder or barbacoa and pit beef), and list of his own four restaurants. It's a basic BBQ book but with serious intent: you can have fun only after you know the rules – BBQ is a technique, not a recipe. Keep sides simple. If you must, sauce...Fire equals flavour. Keep charcoal pure. Oil early and oil well. Bringing is worth the time. Leave chicken on the bone. You can grill before noon. And the recipes are classed by these chapter headings. Try Santa maria-style tri-tip, or butcher's steaks with garlic butter. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 8.MAANGCHI'S REAL KOREAN COOKING (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 310 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-12989-4, $30 US hard covers) is by Maangchi, who has 48K Fbers, 7K Twitterers, and 313K Utubers (Lauren Chattman is the focusing food writer in the book). Her website at maangchi.com is the top destination for Korean cooking, and gets 1.7 million page views a month. Here, she summarizes everything via authentic dishes for the home cook. These are all the classics and the dishes found in restaurants, ranging from spicy Napa cabbage to bulgogi, fried chicken, and bibimbap. Others include seafood scallion pancake, kimchis, side dishes, and the like with over 800 step-by-step photos. She's got a glossary for ingredients, along with websites for resources. At the back there is a section of a dozen menus (with page references), plus a lunar New Year's Day feast and birthday celebrations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 9.FISH (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-605-1, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Mat Follas, a UK chef/owner and winner of Marchef (BBC) in 2009. This set is organized by fish type: salmon & tuna, freshwater fish, small fish, round fish, flat fish, exotic fish, with crustaceans, squid and octopus occupying the last quarter of the book. There's material on sustainability, stocks and soups, and drinks to match the food. The 75 recipes come loaded with tips. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 10.MAGIC SOUP (Orion Publishing Group; distr. Hachette, 2015, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-4091-5492-1, $34.99 CAN hard covers) is by Nicole Pisani (head chef at Ottolenghi's NOPI in London) and Kate Adams (food author). It is a basic book from the UK, about the comfort levels associated with soups, such as for health and happiness. They've some preps that deal with cleansing, comfort, feats, and chilled soups. Each one of the 100 preps has a meaning. At the back there are lists for other books and web resources. Good photography too. Check out winter miso for one, crayfish congee, lemon chicken and mint with quinoa, mulligatawny, cinnamon and pumpkin soup, and even pickled soup. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 11.SEASON WITH AUTHORITY (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-31555-6, $30 US hard covers) is by Marc Murphy, chef/owner of the five NYC Benchmarc Restaurants, and a judge for the Food Network. These are his favourite recipes for highly flavoured or seasoned foods (not hot), led by comfort foods such as pastas, familiar foods such as cured salmon or deviled eggs, burgers, and the like. A good book for his fans, and led by such log rollers as Jonathan Waxman, Daniel Boulud, Marcus Samuelsson, and Rachel Ray. Some of the emphasis is on preps that make staple foods taste all that much better, such as pesto or sherry vinaigrette. His book is traditionally arranged by ingredient (apps, salad, pasta, rice, fish, poultry, meats, veggies, desserts) concluding with his famous pantry of seasonings. There's about 130 recipes along with many well-framed and shot photographs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 12.KEW ON A PLATE; recipes, horticulture and heritage (Headline, 2015, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-4722-2437-8, $36.99 CAN hard covers) is by Raymond Blanc, OBE (2007), well-known chef/owner of a country house hotel plus a cookery school. The book is being offered by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, to accompany the BBC Two TV cooking program, Kew on a Plate. There is also a Kitchen Garden that was created at Kew to showcase the botany and the heritage. The aim is give a history of the plant's arrival in the UK along with tips on growing and Blanc's tasting notes and 40 recipes. Topics include potatoes, rhubarb, peas, asparagus, through beetroot to quince – about 20 in all. For each, there are nifty illustrations, botanical drawings, growing notes, use in the kitchen, plus a few recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois mix of measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 13.HOME; recipes to cook with family and friends (Little Brown, 2015, 257 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-32388-8, $35 US) is by Bryan Voltaggio, a chef/owner of five establishments in the Washington DV area. He's also been a finalist on two seasons of Top Chefs. Here he presents his take on American comfort foods, with seasonal, farm-to-table cooking. It is a basic mid-Atlantic book, with, as the publisher says, crab waffle Benedict, chicken pot pie fritters, sweet potato fries, rhubarb salad. He's got menus for a crowd, weekend brunches, Sunday suppers, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. The measurement quantities in the recipes are in boldface, and in most instances in both metric and avoirdupois, although this can vary. A nice book for the new cook. Nothing daunting. Quality/price rating: 85. 14.EGG; the very best recipes inspired by the simple egg (Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 2015, 208 pages, ISBN 978-0-297-87160-6, $30 CAN hard covers) is by Blanche Vaughan, a London chef (River Cafe, St. John) and food writer (In One Pot). She's written a basic but upscale egg book, emphasizing the taste of the egg. She's got the obvious perfectly poached, scrambled, and fried eggs. But there are also some souffles, tarts, and omelettes, curds, and puddings. British classics are, of course, emphasized, such as the steamed pudding or the Arnold Bennett, and new ones like zucchini fritters and fonduta sauce. It is all arranged by course (breakfast, lunch, tea, supper) or type (puddings, sauces, drinks). With its good photography and ribbon bookmark, this can be a nifty gift book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly metric with some avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 80. 15.CHARLIE PALMER'S AMERICAN FARE (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015, 254 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-3099-1, $40 US hard covers) is by an award-winning chef (Aureole in NYC and Las Vegas, Charlie Palmer Steaks in four cities – 14 restaurants in all). He also owns some wine shops and some boutique hotels. Now he's at the cookbook business. Here he has some 100 preps dedicated to “American” food, that he feels any cook can make with ease. There's corn chowder with shrimp, quick and easy pizza, grilled double lamb chops with roasted garlic-carrot mash, guacamole, and rum-scented lobster with orzo. It is arranged by course (soups, salads, lunches, veggies, sides, pasta, grains, meat, birds, fish, snacks, desserts) plus chapters on family faves and backyard dinners. Enough to keep y'all busy, best served over the summer. There is a sources list as well. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 16.HEALTHY PASTA (Appetite by Random House, 2015, 188 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01683-1, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Joseph Bastianich, the restaurateur co-owner of Batali and Bastianich Hospitality Group and Tanya Bastianich Manuali, a cookbook author who also oversees the production and expansion of her mother Lidia's food line. The siblings have come up with 100 recipes, all under 500 calories per serving. Of course, it is easy to use and can be gluten-free by simply using GF pasta. The trick here is minimizing fats and increasing fibre (using whole-grains). Each prep has a nifty photo and the number of calories per serving. The typeface is large and readable. You could not go wrong with smoked pork with cabbage and ziti, tuna rotini with puttanesca sauce, or shells with cherry tomatoes and sweet peppers. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 17.STRAIGHT UP TASTY; meals, memories, and mouthfuls from my travels (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-385-34448-7, $29.99 US hard covers) is another American cookbook, covering breakfast, lunch, snacks, small plates, dinner, side dishes, condiments, and sweets. Adam Richman has hosted and produced several Travel Channel TV shows. He has also written “America the Edible”. Here are 100 family-style preps that reflect his travels. In addition, he has mentions of fave places to eat in the US. The book is appealing to millennials because of its style and layout, reflecting bits and pieces of paper in an eclectic array. Look at the photo from baked gouda, for example. Nice long string of cheese. Good wide-ranging photos. Try corn on the cob, gyro burger, deviled scotch eggs, or roast pork and broccoli rabe dumplings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 18.PROOF; the science of booze (Mariner Books Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 2015, 273 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-53854-2, $15.95 US soft covers) is by Adam Rogers, a science and technology award-winning writer. It comes with some heavy duty log rolling from at last 8 other writers, including a student dropout I once taught in journalism school! The soft cover reprint is the same as the hard version, but with a new afterword, commentating on the book and introducing some new updates. He begins with yeast, sugar, fermentation, and CO2 bubbles, and then the distillation process. After that, it is merely a matter of aging, smelling and tasting, reaction of the body, the brain, and then the hangover. At each point he goes into exhaustive detail. It is a scientific history, recapping all the advances that come together in the modern bottle. There is nothing social here such as religion and its impact, nor any mention of the Arabic world's contribution – at least not in the index. He has a discussion about craft brewers and artisanal distillers such as St. George, but little on wine (although he does address the issue in the afterword). He doesn't look at the complete decomposition cycle where alcohol will turn to vinegar, and then vinegar to water. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 19.COMPLETE CHILDREN'S COOKBOOK (DK Books, 2015, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3546-0, $24.99 US hard covers) has been assembled by DK using material from eight other cookbooks they published between 2004 and 2013 (Children's Cookbook, Cookbook for Girls, The Children's Baking Book, and others). It is thorough and covers topics such as breakfast, soups, salads, light bites, mains, desserts, cakes, muffins, cookies, breads, and parties. The latter includes preps for pizza, min-burgers, cheese and pesto straws, potato and carrot chips, veggie platter, dips, ice cream, and lemonade ice pops. The text is relatively large with copious illustrations – for 150 recipes. Lots of techniques are illustrated, as well as a guide to kitchen equipment. With assistance from another family member, these are all nicely doable and sit well on the palate. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements ( with metric weights), but there is no table of metric equivalents. The downside to this book: it is a very heavy book, so obviously younger children need to be discouraged from moving it around, paying attention only to the recipe at hand. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 20.FLAVORS OF SUMMER; simply delicious food to enjoy on warm days (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-634-1, $24.95 US hard covers) is a publisher's book of some 150 recipes for fresh foods: picnic, bbq cookout, al fresco, patio cocktails, and others. Most of the recipes come from Valerie Aikman-Smith, Tori Finch, and the team of Acland Geddes and Pedro da Silva. It is arranged by editor Kate Eddison to reflect context: snacks and sharing plates, summer salads, sunshine lunches, BBQ, outdoor dining, desserts and drinks. Hilary Bird provided the excellent index. Typical preps include kebabs, Buffalo wins, wild blueberry coolers, beef and black bean sliders, quinoa salad, rhubarb and ginger, French strawberry tart, Vietnamese summer rolls, and a chilled pear yogurt. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84. 21.HERBS AND SPICES; the cook's reference (DK Books, 2002, 2015. 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3598-0, $30 US hard covers) is by Jill Norman, a longtime UK food and drink writer, and an expert on herb and spice usage. She has written many books on this topic, and some of them have won major writing awards in the UK. Here, she gives us a reference book that has been updated to 2015. There are three major sections: herbs, spices, and a collection of recipes. About 120 herbs and spices are arranged by aroma and taste, with notes on how to buy, store and cook. The subsections for herbs, for example, go from mild, through sweet, tart, licorice, minty, oniony, bitter and pungent. Thus, parsley -- since it is mild -- comes up first, and cilantro is in the pungent section. There are photographs of each plant, and the details cover at least one page, sometimes two, for the more prominent condiments. She details preparation methods (drying, grinding, crushing), herb and spice mixtures, sauces, and marinades -- all illustrated with colour photos. The index is by common and botanical names, and ingredients and techniques from the recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements with some weight metrics, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 22.THE COOK'S BIBLE; the best of American home cooking (Little, Brown and Co., 1996 [2015, 443 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-73570-4, $20 US paper covers) is by Christopher Kimball, the publisher and editor of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country. He also hosts the TV show America's Test Kitchen. It was originally published in 1996, and this is a straight paperback reprint. It is a collection of articles, mainly in the “best way to make” mode, such as BBQ, stir frying, rice, roasting veggies, and salsas. There are 400 preps here plus 250 step-by-step illustrations. Not much has changed in how recipes are made, but there have been improvements since 1996 in techniques. One example is that mediocre manual knife sharpeners have improved so much that they have overtaken the electric models, especially if price is a consideration. Japanese knives? Not here. You can actually get the America's Test Kitchen cookbook covering more than the same ground (950 recipes) for little more than this paperback price, and the ATK book is current through 2014. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 83. 23.BIERGARTEN COOKBOOK; traditional Bavarian recipes (DK Books, 2014, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3401-2, $20 US hard covers) is by Julia Skowronek, a German cookbook writer with chef's papers. It was previously published in German in 2014 by Dorling Kindersley in Munich, and this is the 2015 North American English edition. It's regional cookery at its finest, with 70 home style recipes for “Brotzeit”: the food meant to accompany biergarten delights. As with all DK books, it is very heavily illustrated. Typical preps include apfelkucherl (apple fritters), krautschnecken (sauerkraut filled crepes), and leberkasburger (pork and egg sandwich). All recipes are indexed by both German and English names. She's got a short history of biergartens (the first was in 1812) plus some material on biergarten food for vegetarians, beer notes, tips on a biergarten party at home, and taking along children. The top 10 biergarten dishes are obatzda cheese spread, sausage salad, potato salad, soft pretzels, roast chicken, roast pork, hamburger patties, pork sausages, Tyrolean hash, and cheese spaetzle. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 24.THE DESSERT BIBLE; the best of American home cooking (Little, Brown and Co., 2000 [2015], 399 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-33919-3, $20 US paper covers) is by Christopher Kimball, the publisher and editor of Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country. He also hosts the TV show America's Test Kitchen. It was originally published in 2000, and this is a straight paperback reprint. It is a collection of articles, mainly in the “best way to make” mode, such as drop and shaped cookies, rolled cookies, brownies, custards, frozen desserts, pies, tars, and more. There are 300 preps here plus 100 step-by-step illustrations. Not much has changed in how recipes are made, but there have been improvements since 2000 in techniques and equipment. You can actually get the America's Test Kitchen cookbook covering more than the same ground (950 recipes) for little more than this paperback price, and the ATK book is current through 2014. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 83. 25.YAN-KIT'S CLASSIC CHINESE COOKBOOK. Rev. ed. (DK Books, 1984, 1998, 2007, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3007-6, $25 US hard covers) was written by the late Yan-Kit So in 1984, and then revised in 1998 and 2006 – although it is difficult to surmise under what pretext she could also assume a 2006 copyright since she died in 2001. Her estate, maybe, but not she herself. Here are 150 preps, from different regions, set up as a course book with step-by-step instructions. It says that it is a visual guide to ingredients, equipment, and techniques. All courses are covered in the basic recipes, followed by regional menus with page references, regions in which local food character is explored. For what it is worth, the transliterated names have not been updated since the earlier edition. Hence, Beijing is still Peking (as in Peking duck). There is a concluding glossary, and a menu for “mixed” food regions. The Peking menu has mandarin pancakes, Peking duck (with Cantonese duck as a variation), deep-fried cabbage greens, fish in a wine sauce, pickled cabbage, and Chinese celery cabbage, plus rice, soup and dessert. The ingredients have both metric and US measurements, but only for weights. Volume is still expressed as US measurements, and there is no table of equivalents. This can be confusing for a cook using metric. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 26.A BONE TO PICK (Pam Krauss Books; distr. Random House Canada, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8654-4, $26 US hard covers) is by Mark Bittman, the New York Times writer on food and recipes. This is a collection of articles published in the New York Times opinion columns between February 2011 and June 2014. The book has not all of them, just the more relevant to the themes of the subtitle: “the good and bad news about food, with wisdom, insights, and advice on diets, food safety, GMOs, farming and more.” And the book's equal value is that it has an INDEX!!!!! Indexes are so often lacking in memoirs and collections of essays, so this is a great bonus – it means the material can be more easily retrieved and collated (and this works wonders if you are trying to pin down a named source). As Bittman says, “In this book is some of the best work I've ever done”. No recipes, but none were expected. Quality/price rating: 90. 27.THE GLUTEN-FREE COOKBOOK (DK, 2012, 2015, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3450-0, $18.95 US soft covers) is by Heather Whinney, Jane Lawrie, and Fiona Hunter (who is also a nutritionist), all experienced food writers and stylists. It’s another book in the gluten-free sweepstakes, part of the vegan-vegetarian category of books now being published throughout North America. This is the paperback reprint of the 2012 hard cover book. Here are 230 “easy” preps, step-by-step illustrations, plus advice for the gluten-free diet. Hunter provides a nutritional analysis of every recipe and special “nutrient boost” features for menu planning. Essentially, gluten-free means no wheat, barley or rye. But there are plenty of choices for other kinds of flours, which work rather well. Only breads suffer, and if you are as picky as I am, then you might avoid gluten-free breads and move on to other foods. The taste of the bread is different and there is no chew factor. There’s about 40 pages on flours and making pastry, cakes, pastas and breads. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements for weight (not for volume), but there is no table of metric equivalents. Some interesting recipes include lavosh with eggplant dip, tuna and vegetable pasta salad, fattoush with corn tortillas, crispy fish, smoked salmon and cream cheese picnic pies. The book has good indexing plus highlighted heads. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 28.THE ILLUSTRATED QUICK COOK (DK, 2009, 2015, 544 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-3008-3, $24.95 US) has been edited by Heather Whinney, a British food writer and editor. The basics here: 700 plus recipes, many to be ready in 30 minutes or less, 1,000 photos of finished dishes, quick techniques, step-by-step master recipes. Categories involve everyday family meals and express entertaining. Of course you will need three things that not everyone has: a larder-pantry, a mise-en-place, and some food prepared in advance. She has planners, tables, and an illustrated table of contents. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements, but there are also metric tables of equivalents and conversion charts, right up front. Extra features include: menu planners, recipe chooser galleries, Cheat tips, Cook's Notes, recipe variations, and practical information to introduce every time-saving device. Signs are used to indicate prep times and cooking times. Some interesting or unusual recipes include quesadilla with feta cheese, green olives and peppers; asparagus and herb tart; spiced pork and chicken pie; shepherd’s pie (which correctly calls for lamb); coq au vin; pork with fennel and mustard. The book does weigh a lot, over 5 pounds, and can be inconvenient. It has also been the source of many quick and easy spin-off books from DK. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 29.THE NEGRONI; drinking to la dolce vita with recipes & lore (Ten Speed Press, 2013, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-779-6, $18.99 US hard covers) is by Gary Regan, who has written other bar books and “The Cocktailian” column for the San Francisco Chronicle. This current book was published in a slightly different form in the UK in 2013, in time for the first celebration of International Negroni week. Two years later it arrives on American soil, just in time to celebrate the third International Negroni Week. There is new photography and some new text and recipes since 2013. It is a good narrative about the Negroni, with all the history and trivia, plus the the recipe for the classic. You can use any gin (I use Tanqueray Rangpur), any vermouth (I use Dubonnet Rouge), but you must use only Campari. My wife invented the Nero cocktail (I did due diligence): take away the gin, use only Campari and vermouth. From the word Negroni, drop the “g”, the “i”, and the second “n”. Clever. There are bastards in this book, such as the French Negroni which uses vodka and Amer Picon, or the East India Negroni which uses rum and sherry but at least retains the Campari. An interesting book, worth reading if Negroni is your fave cocktail. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR APRIL 2015 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, deantudor@deantudor.com Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.ca These food and wine book reviews are always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.ca But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.THE ART OF AMERICAN WHISKEY (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 186 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-718-5, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Noah Rothbaum, spirits article writer and author of The Business of Spirits (as well as former editor-in-chief of liquor.com). Lots of log rolling, which is now a permanent feature of book-selling; apparently, it is easier to trust someone you might have heard of rather than a publicist for a publisher. This is a visual history through 100 iconic labels plus archival photos and drawings. The frame is late 1800s through now, embracing prohibition, war years, swinging sixties, and so on. It is a very pleasant read, with a bibliography for further reading. Audience and level of use: excellent beginner book for the budding brown spirit lover. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sales of American whiskey (bourbon, Tennessee, rye, corn) were up almost 40% between 2000 and 2014. The downside to this book: a bit short in length. The upside to this book: excellent illustrations. Quality/Price Rating: 89. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.TRES GREEN, TRES CLEAN, TRES CHIC (The Experiment, 2014, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-251-9, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Rebecca Leffler, a former French film journalist now doing “Green, Clean, and Chic” consultancies in New York and Paris. The book was originally published in French in 2014, and was translated for the US market. It is vegan and seasonal French cooking, along with gluten-free elements. The subtitle pretty much says it all: “eat (and live!) the new French way with plant-based gluten-free recipes for every season”. She's also got some beauty tips, yoga poses, and happy music to sing along with. At the back she's got resources lists. There is also a lot of log rolling blurbs (about 10 endorsements) including David Lebovitz. She's got 150 or so plant-based recipes with no gluten, soy and refined sugar, arranged by season. Other material serves as positive reinforcement (yoga, natural treatments, and music to sing along to). There are also contributed recipes from a dozen or so other writers and restaurateurs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in small type and mostly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents unfortunately. Audience and level of use: millennials Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: green smoothies; rainbow tomato carpaccio with raspberries and purple basil; spring salad with mustard-miso vinaigrette; healthy wrap sandwiches; muesli; baby dahl; NOtella spread. The downside to this book: slight ADHD feelings due to jittery typefaces, colours, layout and the like. But I'm sure millennials fit right in, and it is juts me being crabby. The upside to this book: good idea for all things French. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.THE SPROUTED KITCHEN BOWL AND SPOON (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 226 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-655-3, $25 US hard covers) is by Sara Forte who got a Beard nomination for her book The Sprouted Kitchen. Here she concentrates on using the bowl with a spoon to create and eat singles dish loaded with proteins, greens, veggies, and whole grains. It is perfect for sitting around and watching TV or just lying on a couch: and there may even be leftovers for the next day's lunch. It is a good collection, arranged by time of day or size of bowl. Morning Bowls are followed by Side Bowls, Big Bowls, and Sweet Bowls, with a chapter on dressings and sauces. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents on the inside back cover. Audience and level of use: millennials and others who want a quick but nourishing meal. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: roasted pasilla and goat cheese sauce; seared scallops in Thai broth; herbed falafel bowl; Spanish chopped salad with walnut paprika vinaigrette; mixed greens with beet and walnut puree; turkey meatballs in tomato sauce. The downside to this book: too many cute non-food photos. The upside to this book: a good idea, just the bowl and spoon. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 4.CAKE MY DAY! (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-54426-369-7, $18.99 US soft covers) is by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Both are experienced cookbook authors with followings, and creators of the serious of cupcake books Here they have expanded to bigger things, but you would of course also consider the cake a larger cupcake. With more room for decorating. Nice good ideas for kids and parties, they are just having fun. Contents range from round cake, to rectangles, loaves, bowl cakes, measuring-cup cakes, and decorating store-bought pound cakes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: party lovers, kids' parties. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: yellow taxi cab; workman's boot; Barney; cow; gingerbread-type house; pumpkin; zebra; goat cake; pig cake, etc. The downside to this book: a little goes a long way. The upside to this book: good designs and templates. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 5.THE GREAT ROTISSERIE CHICKEN COOKBOOK (Appetite by Random House, 2015, 202 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01640-4, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Eric Akis, a Victoria-based food writer who had worked in the hospitality industry as a trained chef for 15 years before starting a journalism career. This is his eighth book. Given that you can buy rotisserie chicken in every supermarket, large convenience store (plus Costo, etc.) and butcher, it was just a matter of time before the millennials would have discovered it and used it in many meals – since the chicken is already prepared. If you want to cook it yourself, Akis gives a few recipes. Otherwise, just buy the chicken and use it in a variety of settings. There are over 100 recipes for the pre-cooked bird, plus others for doing it yourself. If it is just one or two of you, then there will be leftovers (certainly there will be enough for a stock for soup, or bone soup). The meals can be made within an hour or less. He's got preps using the bird and preps (salads, sides) to accompany the bird. International cuisines are the themes. He's also got 10 preps on spicing up your home-cooked birds: BBQ, Spanish, Moroccan, jerk, Piri-Piri, Chinese, Tandoori, Thai curry, et al. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: millennials, those who may fear cooking. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Asian-style noodle salad with chicken and peanuts; chicken pad thai; country-style chicken and cabbage soup; pulled chicken sliders; chicken on mixed-mushroom risotto; Vietnamese style chicken and rice noodles; shrimp and chicken paella. The downside to this book: while he preaches food safety, rotisserie birds are notorious for their over-salting (not pointed out). The upside to this book: a good idea, useful ideas. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 6.FIKA; the art of the Swedish coffee break (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 162 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-586-0, $17.99 US hard covers) is by Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall, both of Swedish extraction and both involved in the food writing and blogging business. About half of the book concerns a history of Swedish coffee and the whole break thing, including a modern day break and eating outdoors. A lot of it is life stories and memoirs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric plus avoirdupois weights and volumes measurements. Audience and level of use: lovers of Swedish food and coffee. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sliced chocolate cookies; prunes and rye bread; caramel cake; jam fig preserves; anise and hazelnut biscotti; oat crisp chocolate sandwich cookies; Swedish mulled wine; Swedish pancakes. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 7.SESAME & SPICE (Headline, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4722-2360-9, $36.99 CAN hard covers) is by Anne Shooter, food writer for the Daily Mail in England. It is a baking book, concentrating on the flavours of the Middle East, principally Jewish (her heritage). Thus one can expect apples, honey, almonds, figs, pomegranates, cinnamon, orange zest, sesame, lemons and vanilla aromas to be incorporated into flatbreads, cakes, and cookies. And here they are. It is a nice collection of recipes, with a chapter on baking for Passover (with gluten-free recipes). She's even got a small collection of savoury bakes too. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: lovers of Jewish food or new baking ideas. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: deli style rye bread, upside-down apple and honey cake; spiced raspberry and sour cream cake; Ottoman sponge cake; apricot and feta spelt with honey crème fraiche cookies; quinoa and pineapple spice cake; black and white cookies; Jerusalem cheesecake. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 8.THE TOMATO BASKET (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-598-6, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Jenny Linford, a London food writer and author of 15 books. Here she gives us 75 or so preps spread over chapters dealing with small bites, soups and salads, flesh, veggies, ice and pasta, breads, sauces and preserves. Along the way she discusses varieties, growers, festivals, and heritage tomatoes. All with the usual sharp photography from RP & S. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: tomato lovers, intermediate level cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: honeyed duck and apricot tagine;tomato ketchup; harissa sardines with tomato salad; tomato fennel buns; tomato tabbouleh; tomato risotto; eggplant lasagne; panzanella; sun-dried tomato and rosemary corn bread. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 9.TWENTY DINNERS (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 272 pages, ISBN 978-0-385-34528-6, $37.50 US hard covers) is by Ithai Schori and Chris Taylor, partially trained in restaurants but great home cooks. This is entertaining at its finest, assisted by Rachel Holtzman as the focusing food writer. The arrangement is by season, beginning with fall and moving through to summer. At the end, there is ancillary material on pantries, techniques, equipment, shopping advice, and other lists. There are 20 dinners here for one to duplicate, five to a season, for every other week or so. Desserts are downplayed, and service is both family style and plated for the proper expression of flavours and of eating food together. Given that many food books go all out for gastroporn, there are way too many gratuitous non-food photos (an empty chair? A sunset? Logs?, Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: millennials looking for some ideas on easy food preps. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: from dinner 7 – duck confit and tagliatelle; radicchio salad with pears, blue cheese and bacon. With a smoked Earl Gray hot toddy as pre-prandial and pinot noir with the meal. The downside to this book: the dinners really work well if you make the entire meal with no substitutions. The upside to this book: wines are suggested by varietal name Quality/Price Rating: 86. 10.SIMPLY ANCIENT GRAINS (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 262 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-588-4, $27.50 US hard covers) is by Maria Speck, cookbook writer and multiple-award winner for her book “Ancient Grains for Modern Meals”. Here, with some log rolling from Deborah Madison and The Joy of Cooking authors, she advances further into the realm of grains. There is the primer to some two dozen of these (all with an indication to gluten), including freekeh and some farros. This is followed by chapters on breakfast and brunch, salads and sides, soups and stews, pasta, mains, and sweets. At the end there is in ingredients section plus sources. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: health conscious, those looking for new foods. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: quinoa salad with roasted red beets, blood oranges, and pomegranate; barley and wild rice dressing with fennel, apples and Marsala; warm wild rice salad with herb-roasted mushrooms and parmesan; minted lamb sliders with pine nuts and currants; red rice shakshuka with feta cheese. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 11.YOGURT (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-712-5, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Janet Fletcher, author or co-author of more than two dozen cookbooks. She writes a lot on cheese, and teaches cheese-appreciation courses. So yogurt fits right in. These are sweet and savoury recipes for every meal and snacks, arranged by course from apps to desserts. The opening primer on making yogurt at home is valuable, although of course you can buy your own. But with homemade yogurt you get to control the milk source (organic?) and its freshness. We make our own organic cow's milk yogurt but buy organic sheep milk yogurt for its richness. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: yogurt lovers, cheesemakers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lamb meatballs in warm yogurt sauce; lamb souvlaki with skillet flatbread; orzo with spicy lamb, chickpeas and yogurt; yogurt parfait with peaches and peanut brittle; banana-fig smoothie. The downside to this book: I'd like more discussion on sheep milk yogurt, and yogo cheese. The upside to this book: she's got three nice recipes for yogurt (yogo) cheese. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 12.MEAT MAN (Mosaic Press, 2015; distr. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 154 pages, ISBN 978-1-77161-127-5, $27.95 CAN paper covers) is by Ronald Chapchuck, one of the major meat suppliers (principally beef) to Toronto's restaurants, delis, pubs, hotels, and steakhouses for over 40 years. He's worked at J.J. Derma Meats in Kensington Market, then Honeyman's Beef and then Sysco Fine Meat, through 2013. He still works at a meat purveyor in Oakville, but wrote this memoir in his spare time. The coverage is nominally 1950 – 2000. It is loosely arranged by type, beginning with his earliest moments in Chinatown and then progressing through delis, butcher shops, hotels, restaurants, et al. For each place he has some history and some stories to tell. Many, of course, are no longer with us (a quarter-century of life seems to be the limit): Bassel's, Bistro 990, Bombay Bicycle Club, Napoleon's, Brown Derby, Corner House, Danish Food Centre, Diana Sweets, Eaton's, Mermaid, Indian Rice Factory, Hop and Grape, Walker House (Franz Joseph, Rathskeller), and more. But some are still here: Fran's, La Bodega, Tom Jones Steak House, Black Angus Steak House, Shopsy's. He's got some nifty black and white photos along with reproductions of some menus and match boxes, and the like. But I am still waiting for the swizzle stick collection, like the one from Chicken Palace of the 1950s. A good collection of vignettes and anecdotes, with a valuable index to the places and people. Audience and level of use: Toronto historians, food historians, nostalgia lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Napoleon's had a mysterious explosion in 1984. The downside to this book: it needed a few more themes to pull it all together, otherwise it is a collection of vignettes. The upside to this book: great stories, index. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 13.WITHOUT THE CALORIES: takeaway favourites (Orion Books, 2015; distr. Hachette, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4091-5473-0, $18.99 CAN soft covers) and 14.WITHOUT THE CALORIES: quick and easy (Orion Books, 2015; distr. Hachette, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4091-5471-6, $18.99 CAN soft covers)... ...are both by Justine Pattison, a UK diet recipe writer who specializes in preparing recipes for TV chefs and presenters, as well as writing food columns for British publications. She's got four other books in this series, dealing with comfort food, past and rice, one pots, and baking). Her 123 Plan is an easy approach to meals: each prep has been counted for calories and some nutritional data. The emphasis is to reduce weight by reducing calories, and she also has some ideas and tips on a global scale. “Takeway favourites” is arranged by cuisine: Indian, Chinese, SE Asian, Japanese, Mediterranean, and US. For the latter she's got lower fat burgers, fish burgers, chicken strips, and smoky pulled pork. For the Mediterranean, there's red pepper hummus, pita crisps, Moroccan marinated olives, pollo pasta with pesto. “Quick and easy” is arranged by major ingredient (breakfast, chicken, pork, lamb, fish, meat-free, sweets) with avocado and cucumber soup, tom yum soup, poppadum poppers, and smoked trout pate. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric measurements, but there are tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners, the fat conscious. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above The downside to these books: more preps are needed The upside to these books: good layout, calories listed in large type of a different colour. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 15.THE ELIMINATION DIET (Grand Central Life & Style; dist. Hachette, 2015, 331 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-8188-7, $27 US hard covers) is by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre. She's a chef-blogger-nutritionist while he is a nutrition academic researcher. Together they have also authored The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook (2008, 2014) and the website, concentrating on “whole food” recipes, including gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and egg-free dishes. Almost something for everyone. Their current book helps you to discover the foods that are making you “sick and tired”, and what you can do about it through whole life nutrition. It is thorough and comprehensive, beginning with a primer on diet sensitivities, the need for whole foods, the larder, the equipment, the cooking techniques. The 100 recipes begin on page 190, and are arranged by course, from soups to desserts, beginning with smoothies, bacteria-cultured foods, whole grains, dips and sauces, snacks and beverages. All with large type, easy to use instructions, and tips/tricks. There is also a web resources listing and a listing of printed references; there's more at www.wholelifenutrition.net (recipes, courses, newsletters, blogs). For all of this to work, you must detoxify (2 days of smoothie and juices), eliminate potentially inflammatory foods over two weeks, and then reintroduce the eliminated foods over two months to see what works and what doesn't work. Recipes have been sub-categorized into detox (phase 1), elimination (phase 2), and reintroduction (phase 3). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those seeking a cure that might actually work. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Moroccan-spiced veggie stew; black beans and yam and avocado taco; chickpea curry with potatoes and kale; herb-roasted wild salmon; beet-fennel juice; purple veggie juice; red cabbage and berry smoothie. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 16.COOKIE LOVE (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 290 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-681-2, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Mindy Segal is a Beard-winning Chicago pastry chef, owner of HotChocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar. She has freelance writer Kate Leahy as the focusing food writer-editor. They've got more than 60 recipes and techniques for elevating the level of the cookie. The book is divided by type: drop cookies, shortbreads, sandwich cookies, egg white cookies, twice-baked (hey, biscuits), rugelach, bars, and thumbprints. There are lots of primers dealing with basics and pantries, as well as equipment and tips and sources. Try smoky bacon candy bar cookies, kitchen sink cookies, goat butter shortbreads, or apple confit breakfast pie squares. Scrumptious! Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 17.MILK BAR LIFE; recipes and stories (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-7704-3510-3, $35 US hard covers) is by Christina Tosi, the pastry chef-owner of Momofuku Milk Bar and the pastry chef for Momofuku itself. She also teaches classes and has a line of mixes and cookies. She's assisted by Courtney McBroom. It is a collection of recipes from the restaurants as well as life stories and memoirs, anchored by gorgeous photos of people and dishes. It has an eclectic arrangement of preps, beginning with “hand me downs”, recipes from her childhood and the related stories of how they happened to be. But all courses are covered from apps to desserts, such as brisket and broccoli, apple dumplings, smoked cantaloupe jam, mango drinks, Tex-mex breakfast casserole, and burnt-butter honey. You'll have fun with this one as it flits about. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 18.PRESERVATION SOCIETY HOME PRESERVES (Robert Rose, 2015, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0503-8, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Camilla Wynne, founder of the business Preservation Society (Montreal). It's a small batch preserves firm. Some of the contents of this book were previous published in 2013 as “Les conserves selon Camilla”. There are 100 preps here, with all of the classics and some re-inventions and some contemporary preserves as well. She's also got 18 recipes that use the preserves in cooking (jam-swirled cheesecake, marmalade truffles, pb & j scones, et al). Canning is experiencing a comeback, especially since it is easier than in the past. Less work such as no pectin, less sugar, no special equipment, using the freezer. After the primer basics, she covers jams, marmalades, jellies, butters, canned fruit, syrups, pickles, chutneys, relishes, and savoury jams. Each recipe is carefully detailed in that Robert Rose style, with cooks notes and tips as well as both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 87. 19.GOOD FOOD, GOOD LIFE (Appetite by Random House, 2015, 290 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-0-1589-6, $35 CAN hard covers) is by Curtis Stone, chef, restaurateur, and TV food host. This is his sixth book. It is an international collection of 130 of his fave recipes, arranged by type of dish (light meals, dinners, sides, sweets, mornings, snacks and drinks). It is a useful compilation of tasty food, taken from all stages of his cooking life, for the home cook. Light meals include posole, seafood stew with cream and fennel, pan bagnat, navy bean and ham soup. Dinners include piri piri chicken with slaw, roasted pork belly with applesauce, penne with sausage and broccoli rabe, and teriyaki beef ribs with enoki mushrooms. Sweets include cherry-amaretto lattice pie or roasted banana souffles with caramel sauce. The index has a large enough typeface, larger than the ingredient listings in the recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 20.BACK IN THE DAY BAKERY MADE WITH LOVE (Artisan, 2015, 302 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-556-3, $24.95 US hard covers) is from Cheryl and Grif Day, the lovable owners of Back in the Day Bakery in Savannah. Their first book was a hit, and now they are back. Here are more than 100 recipes and DIY projects, arranged by form: pie, cakes, breads, holiday celebrations, breakfasts, treats, savory pies, and make-ahead preserves. Down home cooking all the way, starting with caramel cake with salted caramel frosting, buttermilk waffles with candied bacon, apple brandy brown butter-glazed cake, festive yule log, and chocolate bubble loaf. The five page French baguette recipe that made Julia Child's book so wonderful for home bakers has been almost matched here by the Day's four page ciabatta rolls recipe. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 21.FRANKLIN BARBECUE (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 214 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-720-6, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Aaron Franklin, co-owner along with wife Stacy of Franklin Barbecue in Texas. It has nothing to do with the Franklin Stove. It's subtitle is “a meat-smoking manifesto”. Texas BBQ is all about beef, but there are some pork preps here as well as turkey breast. And of course everything is smoked. This is BBQ from scratch, with sections on building/customizing smokers, finding/curing the right wood, creating/tending fires, and top-quality meats. We don't even get to the preps until about page 125. A book for the completist, for the really committed backyard smoked BBQ fan. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 22.WILD COCKTAILS (Cico Books, 2015, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-78249-200-9, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Lottie Muir, owner of The Midnight Apothecary in London. Over the years she has cultivated botanicals near the Thames, with veggies, herbs and flowers, transforming them into cocktail additives. She now teaches botanical cocktail masterclasses and works with the Royal Horticultural Society. Here she has 100 or so recipes for cocktails using seasonal and foraged plants. She's also got preps for infusions, syrups, bitters, and liqueurs. Her primer covers home equipment and techniques. Cocktail recipes begin at page 110; the preceding pages are all about setups and techniques. She's got limoncello with strawberries and cream foam, lavender gin fizz, pea tini, strawberry and basil gimlet – all good healthy food (especially if you dropped the alcohol). There's more at www.thecocktailgardener.co.uk. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, and there is a resources list. Quality/price rating: 87. 23.SALSAS AND MOLES (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 152 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-685-0, $16.99 US hard covers) is by Deborah Schneider, executive chef/partner of SOL Mexican Cocina and Solita Tacos. She's also a multiple award-winning cookbook author, specializing in Mexican cuisine. Here she has a little book on fresh salsa and moles, for pico de gallo, mole poblano, guacamole, chimichurri, and other classics. She's got a primer on chilies and fresh ingredients, followed by sections on classic table salsa, hot salsas, salsa for tacos, mole salsa, and chunky salsas – about 100 in all. Good selection of salsas and botanas. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 24.STATEN ITALY (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-8354-6, $28 US hard covers) is by cousins Francis Garcia and Sol Basile, founders of Artichoke Pizza on 14th Street in NYC (2008). The question: do we need another Italian cookbook ? Obviously they publisher seems to think so. The variation here is the success story of a pizza joint that now has six locations in NYC and Berkeley, along with a frozen pizza line and a cooking show about American pizzerias. Rachel Holtzman is the focusing food writer. It's also a memoir book with photos and nostalgic remembrances of Italian food in America. Certainly it will sell well to its many fans. It's arranged by course, with apps through desserts to accompany the pizzas. Different styles are discussed along with a multitude of sauces and ideas for menus and entertaining. Typical dishes include artichoke fritters (of course), fried rice balls, roasted red peppers, eggs pizzaiola, broccoli rabe and sausages, plus a variety of pasta dishes. Family style at its best. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 25. 101 BBQ AND GRILL RECIPES (Dog 'n' Bone, 2015, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-909313-54-5, $19.95 US hard covers) has been compiled by Dan Vaux-Nobes, drawing from a writing stable led by Fiona Beckett, Maxine Clarke, Louise Pickford, and 13 others. It's a basic grilling and smoking book, with international preps for jerk chicken, grilled eggplant, duck satay, spiced falafel burgers, charred leeks, and Sicilian spiced seabass. The 101 preparations have their ingredients listed in a mix of metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 26.EAT RIGHT FOR YOUR SIGHT (The Experiment, 2014, 2015, 210 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-249-6, $24.95 US paper covers) was first published in hardcover in 2014 as “Feast for the Eyes” by the American Macular Degeneration Foundation. Here it has been reissued for a larger commercially popular audience. As the publisher notes, these are simple, tasty recipes that help reduce the risk of vision loss from macular degeneration. And, to that end, of course, it is in large print. Even the index is in a larger typeface. Some preps come from other writers such as Lidia Bastianich, Andrew Weil, Alice Waters or Jacques Pepin, and some from named spas. Arrangement is from apps to desserts, with some healthy beverage drinks. It is a full panoply of recipes, totaling some 85 plus recipes (Tuscan kale salad, spicy broccoli saute, Provence pizza, spicy udon noodles, et al). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 27.SIMPLY VEGETARIAN THAI COOKING (Robert Rose, 2015, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0505-2, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Nanci McDermott, a food writer who specializes in Thai food (she lived there for three years). She has written other books dealing with Thai cookery. In fact, this one was originally published in 1997 by Chronicle Books in San Francisco. Here it has been revised, extended, and also rendered into both metric and avoirdupois. Of the 125 recipes, more than 100 can be considered vegan; in essence, this is mostly a vegan cookbook. Her preps have substituted for eggs and dairy. She seemed to have worked really hard in finding a replacement for fish sauce, but she did it. The arrangement is by course, from apps to sweets and drinks. There is an important collection of basic recipes such as various curry pastes, mushroom mince, roasted chile paste, and even sriracha sauce. The range of soups covers coconut and butternut; there are also spring rolls and bean fritters. There are cook notes plus the usual Rose photos, clear instructions and ingredient lists. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 90. 28.SUPERGRAINS (Appetite by Random House, 2013, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01688-6, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Chrissy Freer, a food writer-nutritionist and recipe developer who contributes to many magazines.. It was originally published in Australia by Murdoch Books in 2013. Here are over 100 recipes (about 40 or more are gluten-free) for 12 grains: quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, brown rice, chia, millet, oats, and the gluten grains of spelt-kamut-farro-freekeh (all variants of “wheat”) and barley. But no rye, which is puzzling. “Supergrains” have nutrients to control blood sugars, they are a source of dietary fiber, and half are gluten-free. The book is arranged by grain, which is a nice touch. Typical preps include barley and oat porridge with fig and hazel nuts, creamy Parmesan millet with ratatouille, buckwheat granola bars, and chicken and freekeh (toasted green wheat) tagine with lemons and olives. All good international flavours. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 29.THE FOODS OF THE GREEK ISLANDS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2000, 2015, 298 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-46502-2, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Aglaia Kremezi, who won a Julia Child Award for her best-selling “The Foods of Greece”. She has written other Mediterranean cookbooks as well. This book was originally released in 2000 and has been reprinted in 2015, and without (apparently) updating web resources. No matter as things move slowly in Greece itself. Her other book covered Greece; here, it is the Islands' turn. Some preps come from Molyvos in New York, from their extensive Greek menu. It is arranged by course, beginning with meze and moving on to savoury pitas and pies, fish and seafood, meats, beans/rice, salads, breads and then desserts (which includes cheeses). There is not much directly mentioned about “healthy” food since the book was written by 2000, but the Islands have been acclaimed for their inhabitants' longevity based on their diets. It is good to see this book back in print. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 30.PEANUT BUTTER COMFORT (Skyhorse Publishing, 2013, 265 pages, ISBN 978-1-63220-362-5, $14.99 US paper covers) is by Averie Sunshine, a food blogger whose work has appeared in major US food magazines and food blogs. It was originally published in 2013; this is the paperback reprint. It's a good collection for breakfasts, brunches, bars, cakes, brownies, fudge, candy, cookies, frozen or cold desserts, frostings and dips, savoury and salty snacks, and even no-bake preps – over 100 recipes in all. At the end she's got the basic recipe for homemade peanut butter (food processor) plus 27 more ways to jazz up the butter (adding coffee or cinnamon or hazelnuts or cherries or chocolates, et al) and five recipes to make a dish in under five minutes each. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 31.AT HOME WITH MAGNOLIA (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006, 2015, 157 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-46272-4, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Allysa Torey, who opened Magnolia Bakery in New York’s Greenwich Village in 1996. She had also authored “The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook” (1999) and “More from Magnolia” (2004). This time the book is an all-purpose cookbook of family dishes, ones she uses at her upstate New York home. It was originally published by Wiley in 2006; this is the 2015 paperback reprint. As such it is trading in on the Magnolia name. There’s nothing wrong with that, so long as the purchaser/reader of the book knows that the recipes here are not just for baked goods. 93 preps cover all courses (it’s arranged that way), and deal with retro-styled comfort food – such as corn fritters with chile-lime mayonnaise, eggplant with cherry tomato sauce, tomato lentil soup with spinach and corn and brown rice, baked vegetable cavatappi with besciamella sauce, chicken with mustard cream sauce. While the preps are expressed in US weights and measures, there are no metric tables of equivalents. A bonus: the index is in large print. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 32.GENIUS RECIPES (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 254 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-797-0, $35 US hard covers) has been compiled by Kristen Miglore, executive editor at the multiple award-winning food52.com site (Beard, IACP). There are over 30,000 recipes at this site, and Miglore also writes the Genius Recipe column. The idea for the book is terrific: a one-stop place for all the great recipes created by cooking geniuses in one place in print (otherwise, one could use the Internet to locate the original prep or her columns). Thus, she has Judy Rodgers' roasted applesauce, Roger Verge's fried eggs with wine vinegar, Deborah Madison's currant cottage cheese pancakes, Ottolenghi and Tamimi's basic hummus, Lahey's no-knead bread, and other preps from Wolfert, Greene, Willan, Ruhlman, Hazan, Kennedy, Raichlen, Lawson, Waters, Medrich, Kafka – quite a parade (hey, even my wife's ex-husband's first wife is here!!). But no Bayless nor Trotter nor Bittman; and some writers have more than one recipe here. The complete recipe is given, along with a re-shot photo of the plate and some new tips from Miglore and others. All tips and recipes have a credit, and full bibliographic data is at the end of the book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 33.BLUE RIBBON CANNING; AWARD WINNING RECIPES (Taunton Press, 2015, 268 pages, ISBN 978-1-62710-769-3, $21.95 US paper covers) has been collated by Linda J. Amendt, who has won nearly 1,000 awards in state and country fair canning and baking competitions. She's also a cookbook author. Here she has 140 prize-winning recipes, all sourced and notated, for jams, jellies, marmalades, preserves, conserves, sauces, butters, pickles, veggies and fruit. There are photos of some of the winners and some photos of being at a fair (many tilt-a-whirls here), as well as stories about people involved. She's got a primer on preservation, and as well some material on judging: what they look for (container, appearance, texture, flavour), reasons for disqualification, and canning mistakes (e.g. stale nuts, weak seals, incorrect headspace). The book also has a directory of fairs, including Canada. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 34.THE COMMUNITY TABLE; recipes and stories from the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan and beyond (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-5435-5, $35 US hard covers) has been collated and pulled together by Katja Goldman, Judy Bernstein Bunzl, and Lisa Rotmil, all chefs at the JCC. From around the USA there are anecdotes and other recipes. Log rolling involved Claudia Roden and Mimi Sheraton. It is kind of an upscale junior league collection, like Colorado Cache. But of course everything here is kosher, with an indication of what works for holidays and Passover. It is arranged by topic, with breads, starters, soups, salads leading the parade, marching through pasta and polenta, fish, poultry, meat, grains, legumes, veggies and desserts. There are recipe charts for dairy, meat or pareve, shabbat and holiday menu suggestions, plus recipes that are kosher for Passover. I enjoyed fig and fennel bread, latkes four ways, stracciatella, and cilantro matzo balls. Despite the overlarge photos that show people and food (not plated dishes), the book can be a real winner in the Jewish gourmet cookbook sweepstakes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR MARCH 2015 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, deantudor@deantudor.com Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.ca These food and wine book reviews are always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.ca But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.BEER FOR ALL SEASONS (Storey Publishing, 2015, 200 pages, ISBN 978-1-61212-347-9, $14.95 US paper covers) is by Randy Mosher, author of many books and articles about beer. His latest was “Tasting Beer” (Storey Publishing – 120,000 copies printed) which emphasized the techniques of beer tasting. Here he moves on to celebrate the beers that we use to, well, celebrate our occasions in life. It's arranged by season, with guides to beer events such as Oktoberfest, craft beer weeks, and summer festivals. In detail he describes why certain beers are best at certain times of the year (based on agriculture and history). He's also got holiday celebrations and food pairings, as well as more tasting notes and beer style notes. He concludes with “around the world in 80 beers”. So – beginning with Spring he delves into bock beers. And spring is also about lamb, so he's got the beer pairings for lamb, followed by Easter and Mother's Day. Summer is cold lager (and wheat beers) and national holidays (and Father's Day: get a mixed pack of beers). While the thrust of the book is American, comparable holidays do exist in Canada. All that is lacking for Canadian content are actual dates or titles of local beer festivals, although the national ones in Montreal and Vancouver are covered. The book is heavily illustrated with labels and adverts and pix of beer glasses in all their colours of brown and yellow. No actual food or beer recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 91. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.KITCHEN CREAMERY (Chronicle Books, 2015, 248 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1162-9, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Louella Hill, a professional cheesemaker with a series of classes in the Bay Area Here she advocates making yogurt, butter and cheese at home in your kitchen. She's got a primer on Greek yogurt, kefir, creme fraiche, and butter. Next up is ricotta, quark, chevre, feta and mascarpone. Then there are the washed rinds, bloomy rinds, and the pressed cheeses. So there are about 42 in all, complemented by post-production fundamentals of judging ripeness, setting up a cheese cave, storing and freezing. It's a good book for classes, as are its intentions. Other material includes a glossary, troubleshooting, appendices on cultures and butterfat, sanitation and presses, and resources and references. It is a good reference book, just loaded with readable information. Recipes are for making cheese; there are no cooking with cheese ideas. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The index is in large type. Quality/Price Rating: 91. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.BUT I COULD NEVER GO VEGAN! (The Experiment, 2014, 308 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-210-6, $23.95 US paper covers) is by Kristy Turner, once a caseophile (and professional fromagier) but now the writer of a vegan food blog. Her subtitle is the engaging “125 recipes that prove you can live without cheese, it's not all rabbit food, and your friends will still come over for dinner”. It also takes seven logrollers. Her enticement is through the substitutions for cheese, which of course can be consumed by vegetarians but not by vegans. She calls for making your own BBQ sauce, seitan, ranch dressing, and tofu sour cream. She claims you will never miss with tempeh bacon mac 'n' cheese with pecan parmesan, tofu chevre, or mushroom cheddar grilled cheese sandwich. At brunch, she recommends a caramel apple-stuffed French toast. At dinner there is carrot cashew pate and gnocchi alla vodka. Ice creram includes mango lassi and oatmeal raisin ice cream sandwiches. The book is a good way to move from vegetarianism to veganism. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Audience and level of use: vegans, vegetarians-in-transit. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above The downside to this book: what if I never liked cheese? The upside to this book: a number of other recipes are also useful Quality/Price Rating: 86. 4.SALAD LOVE (Appetite by Random House, 2014, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01676-3, $27 CAN paper covers) is by David Bez. It was co-published in the UK by Quadrille. He was determined to eat more veggies, so he created a blog (Salad Pride) to record one new salad every day using seasonal, healthy foods. The 260 preps here are derived from that blog, The salads are usually some leafy platform, some protein, some toppings, some crunch with nuts and toasts. It can be as simple as mixing and matching, noting that you'll need a base, some veggies/fruits, proteins, toppings, herbs, and dressings. But there are a few different ones, such as using grains for the base, or ribbons of veggies such as carrots and zucchini. He's got 24 nice looking (the book is well-illustrated) dressings, so lots can be accommodated. The salads are arranged by season, starting with summer. Each salad has a photo, the ingredients for layering, and a dressing. Each also has a term such as vegetarian or pescatarian, and in many cases there are alternatives to the salad, such as a vegan option or a raw option. For example, the pinto beans, artichokes and sesame seeds salad is vegan but also presents an omnivore alternative. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: salad lovers, those looking to put more veggies on their plates. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: smoked mackerel, cauliflower and asparagus; chorizo, black quinoa, asparagus and edamame; crabmeat, avocado and marinated peppers; roasted turkey, butternut squash and chickpeas; eggs, asparagus, croutons and pecorino. The downside to this book: hmm, I wonder which recipes are missing, since there are 365 days in a year. The upside to this book: all of the options are indexed. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5.DIY NUT MILKS, NUT BUTTERS & MORE (The Experiment, 2014, 194 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-230-4, $16.95 US paper covers) is by Melissa King www.mywholefoodlife.com who is a recipe developer and blogger. She's got a good selection of six log rollers for her book which mainly tells you how to make creamy nut milks, butters, and other items. She's arranged it by topics of milks, butters, nut pulps, smoothies, breakfasts, no=bake treats and baked treats, ending with ice creams. Nuts include cashews, almonds, Brazils, hazelnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, peanuts, pecans, macadamias, and walnuts. There's also a resources list. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: millennials, GF and vegan (for the most part, with substitutions). Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: strawberry Brazil nut milk, no-bake brownie bars, salted caramel Brazil nut butter, flourless almond butter blondies, grain-free energy bites, chocolate hazelnut coconut tart. The downside to this book: I wanted more recipes, there are only about 50 plus. The upside to this book: good topic and worth exploring. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 6.THE SOUP CLUB COOKBOOK (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-7704-3462-5, $25 US paper covers) is by Courtney Allison, Tina Carr, Caroline Laskow, and Julie Peacock, who have formed a soup club in order to share food. It's a great idea, and can also be applied to other common, family foods such as sandwiches or pastas. It is a continuing pot luck affair in that, on a rotational basis, families only have to prepare one meal every now and then (dependent on number of members). Most of the preps here make 8 US quarts (8 litres), and the authors provide dozens of tips for quantity cooking or customized tailoring. There are, of course, some guidelines for starting your own club and getting larger equipment. Soups are arranged by type: beans, hearty, chilled, fish, and meat. Other preps here include food for forks and fingers (salads, veggies, breads, snacks) – just to make life more interesting. Preparations have their ingredients listed only in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners, social club joiners, harried families. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cucumber-yogurt soup; Thai fish curry; cauliflower korma; beef mole chili; caldo verde; borscht; leek soup. The downside to this book: as with any club, one must ensure that everyone does equal work and spends equal money on ingredients. The upside to this book: if you can boil water, you can make soup. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 7.BOB'S RED MILL EVERYDAY GLUTEN-FREE COOKBOOK (Robert Rose, 2015, 336 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0500-7, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Camilla V. Saulsbury, food writer and blogger (powerhungry.com). She has written many other cookbooks for Rose. But I am puzzled as to why the title includes Bob's Red Mill since not one of the products is even mentioned, not even the All Purpose flour mix. You can get these flours through a variety of health food or bulk stores, or by email. But other producers also make millet, amaranth, teff, etc. There is no mention of the book on Bob's website, and he has a remarkably good collection of GF recipes too. So he's not selling the book himself, nor is he directing URL traffic to Robert Rose or Amazon. There's nothing copyrighted by Bob, but there is his trademark on the front and back cover. So it is an endorsement of sorts, that he “approves” of the book, to kick along the sales. That's fine. The book is a collection of 281 whole-grain recipes that are GF, for everyday use. It has been done up in the Rose style of cook notes, tips, double column ingredient quantities for metric and avoirdupois (just follow one or the other) – and use your own flour from whatever producer, for Bob is not directly named. Arrangement is by course (breakfasts, soups, salads, seafood-poultry-meat, breads, and desserts. Audience and level of use: those seeking whole-grain GF recipes Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: rhubarb vanilla crumble; coconut,pineapple and basmati salad; multi-seed quinoa crackers; Gianduja biscotti; sesame ginger pork with millet slaw; teff date bread. The downside to this book: why Bob's Red Mill? The products are not even mentioned. The upside to this book: a good looking collection, sure to satisfy. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 8.FERMENTED FOODS FOR VITALITY & HEALTH (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-607-5, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Dunja Gulin, a chef who runs fermented foods workshops, and is the author of several vegan cookbooks such as The Vegan Pantry. Naturally fermented foods boost the digestive immune system with pro-biotics, and appear in just about every culture (Japan's miso, Korea's kimchi, everybody's sourdough, beer, wine). Pro-biotics increase energy levels, stabilize blood pressure, improve sleeping patterns, and promote healthier skin. Gulin here has 60 ways to make fermented foods part of a normal meal pattern. It is all sorted by course (breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides, salads, breads, condiments, drinks), concluding with an international list of sources and resources. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois with some metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: those interested in exploring new food patterns and pro-biotics Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: vegan yogurt; water kefir; probiotic gazpacho; sauerkraut with quinces; sourdough grissini; spicy leek and miso condiment; Scandinavian chanterelle salad; purple sauerkraut with dulse and caraway seeds. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 9.WELL FED, FLAT BROKE (Arsenal Press, 2015, 257 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-579-2, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Emily Wight, who blogs at wellfedflatbroke.com in the continuing saga of balancing a career and parenthood – and eating to stay alive. Here are some imaginative and nutritious meals for those on a budget and perhaps with messy kitchens (students, families, basement dwellers). The 120 preps cover the range from simple to intriguing, from breakfasts through snacks, from apps to desserts, with notes along the way for pantry stocking, picky eaters, and select kitchen equipment. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois with some metric measurements too, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: millennials? Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: rapini and sausage with white beans; rigatoni with chickpeas and tomatoes; tomato chicken curry; mustard fried chicken; roast paprika chicken; buttermilk Dutch baby with bacon-baked apple. The downside to this book: too many pix of the author and not enough of the food. The upside to this book: good theme, nice blog. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 10.OUT OF THE POD (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-611-2, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Vicky Jones, formerly wine and food editor of the UK's House & Garden magazine. Here are 60 preps for simple home cooking involving beans, chickpeas, lentils and other legumes. She's got a primer on buying, storing, soaking, and cooking, plus a summary of nutritional benefits. All the classics are included. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Moors and Christian, cassoulet, paella, pakoras, Moroccan harira soup, dosas, Greek fava dip, falafel. The downside to this book: too short, but then it fits into the publisher's 160 page book series. The upside to this book: she very wisely has separate chapters for both “main dishes” and “vegetarian main dishes” Quality/Price Rating: 87. 11.THE REAL PALEO DIET COOKBOOK (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 353 pages, ISBN 978-0-54430-326-3, $35 US hard covers) is by Loren Cordain, Ph.D, generally acknowledged as the originator of the paleo diet; he's written at least four other books on paleo foods. Here arev 250 recipes with 75 full-colour photos. Paleo food is based on whole, unprocessed foods headed by animal proteins, veggies, fruits, nuts, oils and fats. The paleo way has been shown to “ease” digestive diseases, skin conditions, arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. The book is arranged by course – from apps to desserts -- with a breakout for proteins of beef (& bison), pork (& lamb), poultry, fish (&shellfish) and a chapter for breakfast/brunch. There is also, of course, the primer on paleo food and why you need this diet. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: paleo lovers; guy chefs. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: ancho-rubbed lamb chops; Brussels sprouts and apple salad; fruit-stuffed top loin roast with brandy sauce; grilled salmon with artichoke heart salad; Asian beef and veggie stir-fry; curried chicken stew with root veggies; peach-brandy glazed drumsticks. The downside to this book: book weighs too much for heavy kitchen use. The upside to this book: delicious recipes, very guy-inspiring. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 12.PLANT-BASED PALEO (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-612-9, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Jenna Zoe, author of Super Healthy Snacks and Treats and founder of Foods to Love website. She's got 60 protein-rich preps here for vegans (seeds, sprouted grains, fruits and veggies). She argues that you can have a paleo diet based on vegan principles since a plant-based diet gives us all that we require, by going back to the source. It is arranged by course, from breakfast to munchies to salads and sides, light lunches, evening feasts, and desserts. It is a great book for vegans or for those already practicing a plant-based diet. Important foods for accent points include chia seeds, hemp, coconut oil, tree nuts, cacao, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, quinoa, and gluten-free flours. She's also got a resources list. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: guacamole; summery noodles with spiced almond butter; fusion noodles with asparagus; cauliflower rice couscous; carob latte; butternut squash fried; Asian kale salad; lemon tahini sauce; chocolate orange pie. The downside to this book: could be bigger The upside to this book: useful adjunct to other paleo books. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 13.THE SALAD BOWL (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-601-3 $21.95 US hard covers) is by Nicola Graimes, a UK food writer specializing in vegetarian cookery. These are 75 or so fresh, haelthy and wholesome preps for all seasons. Arrangement is by principal ingredient: meat/poultry, fish/shellfish, dairy, grains, beans/pulses, and fruits/veggies. Her chapters are vividly photographed. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: spiced chicken with white beans and chilli dressing; Vietnamese beef salad; chilli prawns with avocado dressing; warm pearl barley and smoked cheddar; put lentils, grapefruit and feta cheese with harissa dressing. The downside to this book: a bit short in length. The upside to this book: good detail and photos. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 14.THE PERFECT EGG (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 168 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-625-6, $18.99 US hard covers) is by Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park, both food bloggers at spoonforkbacon.com, creating drinks, recipes, and pictures. Here are more than 70 recipes for egg use, arranged by the topics morning, noon, and night, with specific sections on egg primer basics, snacks, and sweets. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner to intermediate. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: beef empanadas; havarti dill popovers; mini toad-in-a-hole sandwiches; gyeran bbang (Korean); matcha kimi balls (Japan); hot and sour soup. The downside to this book: I think it needed more recipes. The upside to this book: a huge variation on the number of egg salad sandwiches and buttermilk pancakes. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 15.VIRGIN TERRITORY (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 338 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-20322-4, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Nancy Harmon Jenkins, author of many books dealing with Mediterranean food and olive oil. She's a frequent contributor to major US food publications and newspaper food pages, and is also a radio and TV commentator. Here she highlights EVOO in about 100 preps, roaming from small dishes to soups, breads, pasta, rice, veggies, seafood, meal, poultry, sauces, and desserts. It's a good book, but even Jenkins seems to need ten log rollers (Hesser, Madison, Nestle, Wolfert, et al)! She does have a hundred page primer with history and cultural material as well as technical stuff on how to buy and how to cook with it. It's also a well-illustrated book with pictures of her own Tuscan olive grove. She's got a list of acceptable all-purpose cooking oils, as well as some more expensive brands. In general, I have found that the best brands of olive oils usually comes from a winery that has made them from olive groves on their own property. But you may differ...Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: seafood tagine; quince and ginger olive oil cake; roasted squash soup with cumin; roasted red peppers with anchovies; pasta alla checca; broccoli or cauliflower with lemon, capers and black olives. The downside to this book: I was expecting more recipes, and fewer classics. The upside to this book: there is a very good bibliography for further reading and other recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 16. LIGHTEN UP, Y'ALL (Ted Speed Press, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-573-0, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Virginia Willis, author of a series of Y'ALL cookbooks and other southern foods. Even so, she needed five log rollers such as the Lee brothers (counts are one or two?). She was told to lose weight, so she re-developed a lot of her standard fare into “lighter” food, and this is the resulting book. The range is full: nibbles, salads, slaw, veggies, seafood, grains/grits, poultry, meat, soups, stews, biscuits, sweets. It is mainly classics (but no chess pie). And it might help to trim the meat better, in order to get ride of some fat (eg, lamb rack). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Each prep also has nutritional data covering calories, fats, carbs, fiber, and protein. Audience and level of use: lovers of southern food who must diet. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: buttermilk pie; red beans and greens; Creole dirty rice; turkey meatloaf with mushroom gravy; pulled pork with red pepper; rack of lamb with pecan-mint dipping sauce; yogurt piecrust; lemon-chia seed cake; vegetable corn bread. The downside to this book: just the classics are covered, which is actually what she wanted to do. The upside to this book: a good read on the classics re-done. Quality/Price Rating: 87. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 17.THE CRUMBS FAMILY COOKBOOK (CICO Books, 2014, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-78249-172-9, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Lucy and Claire McDonald. Together they are UK sisters, journalists, bloggers, mothers, and have a popular YouTube channel called Crumbs Food. Here are 150 easy recipes for family food, all “really” quick and “very” easy for meals in minutes. There are also after-school snacks and menus for large crowds. It is pretty basic but comforting, with preps for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, snacks, parties. They've got pizzas, pastas, pestos, sides, one-pots, vegetarian mains, cook aheads, boxed foods, even drinks and some baked goods. A nice package, well laid out in sassy style. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 85. 18.MR. & MRS. SUNDAY'S SUPPERS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-17529-3, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Lorraine Wallace, author of Mr. Sunday's Soups and Mr. Sunday's Saturday Night Chicken; her husband is the Fox Sunday News anchor, hence the name. It is a straight forward account of more than 100 homemade recipes for family dining. They are goof for any occasion, including game-days, holiday or birthday feasts. Or even for weeknight dining when harried. There are lots of ideas here, such as a three-berry cobbler, glazed short ribs, key lime pie bars, enchiladas, salmon burgers, and beef stew with winter root veggies. I particularly like the bold faced index entries,making it a breeze to locate dishes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 19.THE PALEO CHEF (Ten Speed Press, 2015, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-743-7, $24.99 US hard covers) is another entry in the lo-carb cookbook sweepstakes. Pete Evans is the chef here, as well as a cooking show host and cookbook author, originally from Australia where they thrive on this kind of food. He's got some heavy-duty logrolling endorsements from the authors of Grain Brain, Perfect Health Diet, and The Wheat Belly Cookbook, in addition to three others. For the most part, the preps are grain-free and dairy-free (but he does use ghee). There's even a page on fermented foods, to reflect the now-current trend. He's got some interesting items with nuts such as bacon bark or macadamia cheese, or as activated nuts and seeds. Try lamb meatballs, turkey and shiitake lettuce cups, or sardines escabeche. Preparations have their ingredients listed in a mix of metric or avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 20.SOUL FOOD LOVE (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-3793-5, $30 US hard covers) is by best-selling novelist Alice Randall and her daughter Caroline Randall Williams. Ms. Randall is also an expert on African-American cookbooks. They've taken about 80 recipes from her family's soul food tradition, and have nicely overhauled them to being them into the modern context of easy and healthy food. The basics are here: peanut chicken stew, red bean and rice salad, sweet potato pie, and more – in lo-cal and lo-fat versions. A good third of the book is memoir, devoted to her family's traditions. The balance of the book follow the setup from apps through desserts. This is followed by “crowns” (tall, rounded dishes given to their cherished guests) of mulatto rice, cauliflower, eggplant tower, and salmon mousse. At the very end there is a section on feeding large numbers, which includes a whole smoked turkey, Moorish pizza, roasted leg of lamb, and a chia pudding (among other recipes). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 21.COOK YOUR BUTT OFF! (Grand Central Life & Style, 2015; distr. Hachette, 251 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-8352-2, $26 US hard covers) is by Rocco DiSpirito, a Beard winner and chef of Union Pacific in NYC. He's had TV series and has authored 10 cookbooks, mainly diet-type such as this one. Here he re-emphasizes the pound a day loss diet, with more preps on fat-burning foods and gluten-free recipes. It's a 14 day program emphasizing fat-burning foods such as lactose-free, gluten-free, refined-sugar-free, with pre- and pro-biotics and a healthy acid-alkaline balance. The 75 recipes here begin with The Plan, followed by a course-by-course selection (beverages, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, desserts). Good layout of the index. There are article references and fitbit scan tie-ins. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 22.THE COVENANT KITCHEN (Schoken Books, 2015; distr. Random House of Canada, 262 pages, ISBN 978-0-8052-4325-3, $41 CAN, hard covers) is by Jeff and Jodie Morgan, co-owners of Covenant Winery in Berkeley, producing kosher wines. They have authored seven previous cookbooks. Here, with log rolling, they present more than 100 recipes augmented with suggested wine pairings (grape varieties, no labels are mentioned). There are international flavours here from the Mediterranean, Asia and California. Jewish customs are noted and of course some traditional foods are given a contemporary makeover. There are sidebars on wine pairing principles, kosher food preparation, menus for Jewish holidays, a history of Jewish wine. Recipes have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 23.HOW TO BRAISE (Little, Brown and Company, 2015, 148 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-25413-7, $25 US hard covers) is by Michael Ruhlman, now a prolific author of food reference books. Together with Mark Bittman (both collectively known as Bittruhl or Ruhlbitt) and his collective recipe books, they seem to have cornered the market on all manner of food reference database books. Here, in the second book in the “how-to” series, he deals with braises for red meats, poultry, and veggies. There are 20 in all, with lots of notes and procedures and possibilities for variations. Basic trendy preps include pork belly, pulled pork, chicken thighs, shanks, and short ribs. Soon to be trendy include “trotters” and braised fennel. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 24.THE FOOD OF TAIWAN (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-30301-0, $30 US hard covers) is by Cathy Erway, a radio host with a food show (Eat Your Words, on the US Heritage Radio Network). She also has a blog Not Eating Out in New York. Her mother is Taiwanese, and cookbooks about the cuisine are few and far between. This one might put it back on the map. Here are 100 preps of homestyle food, with five-spice powder, fresh chilies, and Sha-cha sauce. She's got an introduction to the cuisine's history, people, land and the famous Night Markets, Tea Culture, and Stinky Tofu. There are also a lot of travel-type photos and appealing food shots. The preps range from apps to desserts, with chapters on drinks, pantries, condiments and street snacks. Typical recipes are for sweet tofu custard, oysters with black bean sauce, Hakka-style pork stir fry, and oyster noodle soup (they have lots of oysters in Taiwan). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 25.TEA COCKTAILS (Skyhorse Publishing, 2014, 171 pages, ISBN 978-1-63220-449-3, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Abrigail R. Gehring, cookbook author, in partnership with Teatulia Organic Teas. Their specific teas are mentioned in the recipes, but of course you should be able to use your own fave varieties. The Teatulia co-op have their own organic gardens in Northern Bangladesh. This is a mixologist's guide to tea-infused cocktails, and is arranged by weight: from the light and fruity cocktails (rooibos berry daiquiri) to the sweet and spicy cocktails (ginger Lillet sin), the dark and smoky cocktails (lapsang manhattan), and the warm and toasty cocktails (ginger glogg). A variety of alcohols are used (brandy, rye, wines, etc.) and syrups and bitters (she has some recipes for these too). There is a brief tea primer at the beginning and a glossary and sources list at the end. She's also got a short chapter on tea-infused appetizers (bacon-wrapped dates with coconut chai dipping sauce, shrimp with bloody mary cocktail sauce). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 26.FROM VINES TO WINES (Storey Publishing, 2015; distr. By T. Allen, 254 pages, ISBN 978-1-61212-438-4, $25.95 CAN paper covers) is by Jeff Cox, who has written over 20 books on food, wine, gardening, and landscaping. He's also a writer for many magazines. His book From Vines to Wines was originally published in 1999; this is the fifth edition. Almost 200,000 copies have been sold over its lifetime. It's a standard and classic work: the complete guide to growing grapes and making your own wine. Wine connoisseurs, gardeners, and home winemakers will find the latest techniques in this fully revised and updated edition. There are thorough and illustrated instructions for choosing and preparing a vineyard site; constructing effective trellising systems; planting, pruning, and harvesting the right grapes for an area's climate; pressing, fermenting, aging and bottling wine; and judging wine for clarity, color, aroma, body, and taste. Quality/price rating: 89. 27.THE EASY KITCHEN: GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-597-9, $19.95 US hard covers) and 28.THE EASY KITCHEN: VEGETARIAN DISHES (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-596-2, $19.95 US hard covers) are both good examples of publisher books. The Easy Kitchen series brings together quick and easy recipes on popular subjects with mostly SLOFE principles (seasonal, local, organic, fast, and easy) covering the the esses: snacks, small plates, soups, sandwiches, sauces, stews, salads, substantial savouries, seafoods, sides, and sweets. Recipes come from the stable of writers (all given credit) such as Tonia George, Hannah Miles, or Ross Dobson. They are mainly arranged by course, with excellent photography. But caution: there is a semolina crumpet recipe in the GF book (semolina is hard durum wheat, but it can also be ground rice or ground corn grits – check the labeling). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 29.VEGETARIAN MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE (Taunton Press, 2015, 238 pages, ISBN 978-1-62710-768-6, $19.95 US paper covers) is from Academia Barilla. It was originally published in Italian, and here it is translated for the American market. They offer 100 regional Italian dishes, with cooking tips and some cultural history. It is mainly the Mediterranean region of Italian cooking, rather than Mediterranean cooking in general. There's cipolle ripienne (stuffed onions), asparagi alla bismark, eggplant parmigiana, or cavatelli with fava bean puree and crispy breadcrumbs. It is a nice package, with difficulty levels indicated. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are also tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 30.COOKING FOR ONE (Ryland Peters and Small, 2015, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-602-0, $16.95 US hard covers) is another publisher's book with contributions from their writing stable (Laura Washburn, Tonia George, Caroline Marsden, et al). It's a good idea, with worthwhile preps for solo dinners that also emphasize satisfaction, quick cleanup, and waste minimization. There are some freezer friendly recipes here, as well as batch cooking and storage. London has a third of homes occupied by just one person, while New York and Paris have more than half, and Stockholm has almost two thirds. That's the market. There are over 90 recipes here, and they have all been indexed by a named indexer, Hilary Bird. Preparations have their ingredients listed in a mix of metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR JANUARY 2015 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, deantudor@deantudor.com Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.ca These food and wine book reviews are always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.ca But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.THE WHISKY CABINET (Whitecap, 2014, 188 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-237-6, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Mark Bylok, a whisky consultant and drinks writer. It is a basic tour through Scotland, Ireland, US, Canada, Japan and some emerging areas. He's got reviews of types and styles plus individual labels and distilleries. He also has a useful chapter on how to get the most from one's whisky drinking experience. As he says, you cannot rush the aging process. He also says that blind tasting is the key and that there's no perfect answer to “what's better?”. For the US he covers 10 distilleries, including Maker's Mark (my fave) and Woodford Reserve. In Canada, Glenora stands out. The bulk of the book is, of course, Scotland, with 32 or so distilleries specially profiled, including my fave Talisker. Audience and level of use: whisky lovers, reference libraries. The downside to this book: his style does not lend itself to more directory-dictionary type data. The upside to this book: over 100 brands are reviewed, with many more recommended. Quality/Price Rating: 87. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SUGARS & SWEETNERS (The Experiment, 2014, 280 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-216-8, $16.95 US paper covers) is by Alan Barclay (consulting dietitian for diabetes), Philippa Sandall (a nutrition editor) and Claudia Schwide-Slavin (an RD specializing in diabetes education). There are 185 entries, with products from acesulfame potassium to yacon syrup, arranged in dictionary format with material on history, taste, use, nutrition, and scientific data for each. There's a primer on using the book and on the Gylcemic Index; as well, there is a discussion on health matters, such as added sugars = added calories, special diets, and labeling issues. Of great interest is the chapter on “test kitchen” wherein two recipes are used to substitute a variety of sugars and sweeteners, with cosmic results: vanilla butter cookie, and blueberry bran muffin. They use rice syrup, agave nectar, honey, stevia-erythritol blend, demarara sugar, coconut sugar, and xylitol. Both the cookie and the muffin were compared and contrasted with the various sugars as to taste, texture, appearance, finish, calories. At the end there is an appendix of brand names of high-intensity, non-nutritive sweeteners. The book will answer important questions, such as which sweeteners perform well in baking, will the kids notice if there are sugar substitutes, and which are best for dieting or blood sugar. Audience and level of use: libraries, those looking for sweeteners beyond sucrose. Some interesting or unusual facts: From a taste note on stevia – “then came the follow-up – a lingering, very sweet, slightly bitter aftertaste on the tongue and the front palate. You could not really identify the vanilla or butter flavors – the whole point of making a vanilla butter cookie.” Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.GATHERINGS; bringing people together with food (Whitecap, 2014, 318 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-226-0, $34.95 CAN paper covers) is by Jan Scott (former event planner) and Julie Van Rosendaal (cookbook author). Currently, both are heavily involved in family nutrition writing, appearing in the national media and in Toronto and Calgary respectively. Here the idea is the family table to sit around and eat. The range is from casual weeknights to special occasions and weekends, with the emphasis always being “gathering”. There's material on party planning and catering your own event. The arrangement is by occasion:weekend brunch, showers, pie party, pantry party, birthday party, BBQ, pizza party, snow day, plus a dozen more. Many recipes can be interchangeable if you dig around. The 100 preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Audience and level of use: families Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: simple French onion soup; no bake chocolate pots de crème; sticky cocktail meatballs; browned butter brownies; cracker-coated chicken strips. The downside to this book: the typeface for the ingredients is very faint and can be hard to read. The upside to this book: there is a menu and ideas for a book club gathering. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 4.WINTER GRILLING (Whitecap, 2013, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-249-9, $29.95 CAN hard covers) is by Tom Heinzle, an Austrian grill specialist. Here he expounds on winter BBQ, which features such as boar, hare, turkey and duck. There are also recipes for seasonal sides and desserts. It is a basic book, but you don't need to freeze while grilling outside. Just grill some other time. There are 46 preps plus six more desserts (grilled apples, figs). Winter equipment is explained. There is NO index (a major fault) but the preps are listed in a table of contents, and have titles such as “beer-can duck”, “wintry spare ribs”, “chicken with hay”, and “lamb shoulder” which are self-explanatory. It is an interesting book, but also with too many photographs. Heinzle concludes with a glossary. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Audience and level of use: BBQ fanatics Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: bacon-wrapped cheese cubes; lebkuchen with bacon and chili; smoked trout fillets with smoked mushrooms and habaneros; roe deer shoulder in bread; venison with root veggies. The downside to this book: no index, too many photos The upside to this book: good idea for a book Quality/Price Rating: 85. 5.SHEET PAN SUPPERS (Workman Publishing, 2014, 296 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-7842-3, $15.95 US paper covers) is by Molly Gilbert, cooking instructor and recipe tester for Saveur. Her idea is a spin-off of the one-pot. Here, it is the sheet pan and the oven. She's got 120 recipes for complete meals, snacks, brunch and dessert. Just choose one method: roasting, broiling or baking. They all intensity flavours. She's got a sheet pan primer for foil, parchment paper, and oven knowledge. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those looking for quick and easy new treatments. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Thai green curry eggplant boats with tofu; pecan fried fish with tartar sauce; baked turkey meatballs and slow-roasted tomatoes; fresh tomato bruschetta; thinnest brownies; cannoli roulade; raspberry and white chocolate scones. The downside to this book: some of the preps are standard issue roasts and bake, so nothing really new here. The upside to this book: good idea for another cooking technique, and best when coupled with a slow cooker and/or blender for those cooks who appreciate “one” item to clean up. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 6.THE DASH DIET YOUNGER YOU (Grand Central Life & Style, 2014, 252 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-5454-6, $26 US hard covers) is by Marla Heller, RD and a clinical instructor in nutrition at University of Illinois, She has authored many DASH diet books; this is her latest. The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) has been recognized as the best diet overall by several reputable sources, but it might be stretching it a bit to say (as the publisher does on the front cover) “shed 20 years and pounds in just 10 weeks”. I can see the pounds, I cannot see reversing the aging process. DASH is still a good diet although here it seems to have moved on from its “hypertension” roots. There's an emphasis on colour on the plate, eliminating sugars, eating more plant-based foods, doing a detox, and avoiding agribusiness and pharmacy. It is all good healthy food in this book, along with menus for several different time frames. She concludes with many charts, including a useful food serving tracker, a Body Mass Index chart, and details on calcium-rich, potassium-rich, and magnesium-rich foods. Eat as much of these as you can/ Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are conversion tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those looking for a relatively safe diet. Some interesting recipes: carnitas; quick steak and vegetable soup; stir-fried beef with spinach and noodles; peach and balsamic glazed pork chops; mango walnut salad; salade nicoise; spiced roasted chickpeas. The downside to this book: it is hard to give out anti-aging advice. The upside to this book: the food trackers and the advice. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 7.THE PLAN COOKBOOK (Grand Central Life & Style, 2014, 214 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-5653-3, $26 US hard covers) is by Lyn-Genet Recitas who wrote the bestseller, The Plan. It is an anti-inflammatory nutritional protocol. Some material from the first book is necessarily repeated here, but I should think that you would not need both books. If you are indeed interested in The Plan, then this is the book, with all of its recipes. The Plan seems to have helped people lose weight fast and forever by discovering which food work for their unique body chemistry. Her preps are supposed to boost your energy and cut inflammation, as well as make you lose weigh. It is a lifestyle change. Preps cover all meals, from breakfast through salads, soups, sides, apps, sauces, dressings, mains, and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those searching for anti-inflammation diets and lifestyle changes. Some interesting or unusual recipes: vegan cream of mushroom soup; duck breast tacos; whipped coconut cream; venison medallions in apple bourbon sauce; mini lamb meatballs; steak fajitas. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 8.HAND MADE BAKING (Chronicle Books, 2014, 207 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1230-5, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Kamran Siddiqi, a food writer and recipe developer. Here he's got an eclectic collection of some 55 preps, ranging from classics (cream scones and brioche) to some innovatives (pistachio polvorones). He's got a lot of fun and ease in his style, great for young people, to provide enthusiasm and confidence. He begins with breakfast goodies, moves through pies and lunches, and then tackles cookies and the tea times, ending with cakes and breads/biscuits. As a true baker, his recipes are scaled with metric and avoirdupois measurements. Audience and level of use: beginners, millennials Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: blondies; New York bagels; Nutella shortbread sandwich cookies; Caribbean princess cake; baklava; butterfly cookies (i.e. palmieres); strawberry crumble; chocolate Swiss roll; apple harvest loaf cake. The downside to this book: too wide-ranging a collection. The upside to this book: good warmth and many variations Quality/Price Rating: 86. 9.PUCKER (Whitecap, 2014, 214 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-227-7, $29.95 CAN paper covers) is by Gwendolyn Richards, food writer (Calgary Herald) and blogger. It's a book meant for those who love the sour taste of citric acid through lemons, limes, grapefruits, and some sub-varieties such as Meyer lemons and key limes. She covers the sour (pucker) side, leaving alone pomelos, citrons, kumquats, oranges, tangerines, mandarins, and sevilles. She's got a hefty section on drinks and apps, followed by soups, sides, mains, desserts, and breakfasts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. About 92 recipes all told, most of them illustrated with colour closeups. Audience and level of use: beginner to intermediate. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: veal scaloppine limone; lemon drop martini; glazed lemon-raspberry drop scones; citric-braised pork shoulder tacos; tarte au citron; banh mi burgers with spicy limo mayo; earl grey cupcakes with lemon butter cream. The downside to this book: I was disappointed that only one recipe used orange juice and only one used orange blossom water. The upside to this book: great photographs. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 10.QUENCH (Roost Books, 2014, 204 pages, ISBN 978-=1-61180-128-6, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Ashley English, who has written several food books (A Year of Pies, Handmade Gatherings, Keeping Bees among others). Here she concentrates on thirst-quenching drinks, with 100 recipes for natural sodas, fruit nectars, tisanes, shrubs, kombucha, bitters, liqueurs, wines infused liquors, party punches, and more. As the subtitle indicates, these are “handcrafted beverages to satisfy every taste and occasion”. Her book is about evenly divided between soft drinks and hard drinks. The soft drinks are either invigorating or comforting in style. The hard drinks can be festive, warming or spirited. That's how she's got them arranged, with detailed indexing at the back. Her gin toddy calls for ginger tea; my gin toddy just calls for hot water and bitters. There are enough variations throughout the book to satisfy all. Wine is pretty well limited to seasonal sangrias, mulled wines, and “vin maison”. All the preps here can be labeled “social drinks” and should have instant appeal for parties or crowds. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those looking for something different; millennials Some interesting or unusual recipes: wineberry wine; dandelion and honeysuckle wine; vin de noix; basil vodka; pear bitters; vanilla milkshake; root beer; rose and cardamom soda; rhubarb bitters. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 11.CAFE KITCHEN (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-561-0, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Shelagh Ryan, who setup an Australian-style cafe (Lantana) in London in 2008. She's also got Salvation Jane and Ruby Dock cafes. These are some of the preps from those restaurants. It's arrangement by course, beginning with breakfasts/brunches, small bites, salads/soups, larger plates, and desserts. Expect Anzac cookies, crack cake (bananas, pineapple, cinnamon, pecans, cream cheese frosting), and apple bircher and almond muesli. Eighty recipes in all, mostly Australian-inspired. There is also Thai fish cakes with nahm jim dipping sauce, Asian chicken noodle salad, and spicy pork burger with mango salsa. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Solid cafe fare of simple ingredients, great to make at home. Quality/price rating: 87. 12.GOOD FAT COOKING (Rodale, 2014, 190 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-552-9, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Franklin Becker, chef and partner in Little Beet, Beet Cafe, and Cast Iron restaurants in NYC. He was a diabetic and decided to improve his diet. He believes in healthy cooking with “friendly fat” such as olive oil, avocado oil, nut/seed oils, and seafood oils. Peter Kaminsky is the focusing food writer. The book is traditionally arranged by salads, soups, grains, seafood, poultry and meat, veggies, desserts, and finishing with “nibbles and noshes”. His recipes showcase nuts and seeds for crunch, gluten-free grains for texture, avocados for silkiness, and seafood for healthy fat protein. Try his toasted kasha with mushrooms and scallions, quinoa tabbouleh with feta cheese and cucumber, seviche of snapper with avocado and cilantro, grilled striped bass with sweet peppers, or pan-roasted Brussels sprouts with southeast Asia flavours. Not your usual bistro food. While the 100 or so preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 13.LOLA'S FOREVER (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-565-8, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Lola's Team of Bakers, headed by Julia Head for the cupcakes and Robert Budwig for the cakes. They have made the preps suitable for home baking, and all tips and hints have been tested by Head. Lola's flagship store is in Selfridge's in London. Here are 73 recipes not only for cakes and cupcakes, but also for cupcake drinks, cookies and candies. You might want to try Earl Grey tea fruit loaf, apricot and pistachio flapjack, or chocolate cookie traybake, and high hat marshmallow cupcake, and custard cream cupcake. Just watch your diet. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 14.CARMINE'S CELEBRATES (St. Martin's Press, 2014, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-04108-1, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Glenn Rolnick, the director of culinary operations for Alicart Restaurant Group which owns Carmine's in several different cities. Chris Peterson is the focusing food writer. There had previously been Carmine's Family-Style Cookbook. The food is southern Italian; the level is family-style. But here they go into celebration mode for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Rolnick has menus for these holidays and other events such as a cocktail party, game day, weekday special, sit-down dinner, and more. The book is arranged by course, beginning with cold apps, and then hot apps, salad, pasta, fish/seafood, meat/poultry, sides, and desserts. His primer includes notes on the Italian kitchen pantry and on menu suggestions. It is a pretty basic book with asparagus and fava bean salad with blue crab (in season), scallops and shrimp scarpariello, osso buco, tomato focaccia, and tiramisu. But a good book for fans of the restaurants. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 15.PARTY-PERFECT BITES (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-568-9, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Milli Taylor, a London caterer who has a supper club called Milk & Sugar. Her book is all about finger food (sorry, only one asparagus recipe: asparagus filo cigars) and small bites. She's got about 100 recipes, all easy and quick to do. In addition, there are menu planners to help serve a variety of people and a selection of both hot and cold apps – all matched to the season, the celebration, and the venue. These include a formal drinks party, a casual drinks party, a festive winter drinks party, a vegetarian affair, and a gluten-free affair. Strewn throughout are the usual shortcuts, tips, hints and advice on parties. Typical preps are chestnuts and bacon, mini okonomiyaki, banana-hazelnut pancakes, beetroot and apple on crispbreads, prosciutto-pear-gorgonzola rolls, and churros. Something for everyone. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 88. 16.FUTURE CHEFS (Rodale, 2014, 276 pages, ISBN 978-1-62336-206-5, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Ramin Ganeshram, a chef and food writer who is also a TV food competition judge. Here she collates a selection of 150 recipes from young cooks all over USA. These come from tweens and teens, but have been curated and kitchen tested by Ganeshram. Each of the 39 gets a profile, and each already has a website. And there are more girls than boys. The book is arranged in traditional normal course order. Some interesting foods include eggplant pesto sandwich, bacon mac and cheese, turnips with beef brisket, kale Caesar salad, capresse salad, spinach smoothie, and zucchini fries. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Worth a look. Quality/price rating: 85. 17.CHARCUTERIE; how to enjoy, serve and cook with cured meats (Ryland Peter & Small, 2014, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-567-2, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Miranda Ballard, who co-owns the UK ethical beef concern Muddy Boots with her husband, and have opened The Modern Meat Shop in London (although neither fact seems to appear in the book itself). Charcuterie and salumi are discussed, especially in the creation of a charcuterie board (French, Italian or Spanish). Layouts are noted, as well as choice of meats and sausages. The Italian board would have olives and crostini, as well as a pecorino and olive oil and sun-dried tomatoes. The French board would also have tapenade, baguette, and a soft cheese. The Spanish board would also have olives, marinated red peppers, rustic breads, Manchego cheese, and almonds. The the rest of the book concerns small bites, apps, salads, light lunches, larger dishes, and side dishes with accompaniments. Home curing is part of the primer. It is a good start. Presumably, you could also end the meal with a cheese board, although this is not discussed. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 89. 18.COOKING ALLERGY-FREE (Taunton Press, 2014, 266 pages, ISBN 978-1-62710-396-1, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Jenna Short, owner of shortbreadnyc.com (a boutique events company focusing on gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, kosher, and sugar-free foods. She was also formerly sous chef at Bon Appetit magazine. Here she gives us 150 recipes, all easy and quick, and spiced up with flavours. Each prep is free of one or more of the most common food allergens, easily identified by icons which are also applied for GF, vegetarian and vegan. Everything here is also kosher. So it is an all-in-one book, useful for those families that have multiple allergies or lifestyles. Her primer deals largely with grocery shopping, pantry stocking, and kitchen strategies to maximize your time. As well, there are are menu suggestions for weeknight meals and parties. Arrangement of the preps is by traditional course; the index to recipes is by allergen. Typical preps include such as asparagus beef rolls with horseradish cream, which is useful for those who have six of the allergens. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 19.THE CHIA COOKBOOK (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 146 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-664-5, $16.99 US paper covers) is by Janie Hoffman, founder of MammaChia, an organic line of chia-based foods and beverages. There have not been too many chia books lately, but this one is small but well-illustrated with upscale foods. Chia is a unique super-food, with the highest omega-3 content of any vegetarian source, more protein than soybeans, more fibre than flax seed, more calcium than milk, and more antioxidants than blueberries. Chia is already in my life, and here are more ways to use it in juices, smoothies, snacks, small bites, soups, salads, desserts and nibbles. There are even a few mains such as grilled veggie sandwich with chia dijon-balsamic spread, salmon en brioche with chia tzatziki, or Thai-style sweet and sour chicken thighs. There are lots of preps here for everybody – just dig in. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 20.GREENS 24/7 (The Experiment, 2014, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-227-4, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Jessica Nadel, owner-baker of Oh My Bakeshop in Sudbury, Ontario, an organic vegan special order bakery. Here she presents more than 100 quick and easy vegan preps for leafy greens and other greens (peas, broccoli) – meant for every meal of the day plus desserts and snacks. Try one of eight green smoothies or kale in cornbread for brekkies. 40 greens are covered, including spirulina, kelp and zucchini. She begins with nutritional profiles and prep guides for each type, followed by the recipes (chocolate hazelnut avocado torte, pesto polenta fries, tropical green smoothie). She's got an international flavour as well, with spicing from India, Japan, Mexico and Italy. There is also nutritional data for each prep. Nadel has been blogging for almost four years at http://www.cupcakesandkale.ca/ Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 21.NEW GERMAN COOKING (Chronicle Books, 2014, 236 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-2806-1, $40 US hard covers) is by Jeremy and Jessica Nolen, chef and pastry chef at Brauhaus Schmitz in Philadelphia. Drew Lazor is the focusing food writer-editor. Typically, new German cooking is marked by its lightness, refinement, big flavours, and more veggies. They've got about 100 recipes for the classics, all re-engineered (say the publisher). It is arranged by course, with brotzeit (breads) followed by salate, then suppen, fisch, geflugel (poultry), fleisch, gemuse (veggies), nudeln und knodel, pickles, condiments, and desserts. German titles include mandeltorte (almond-honey cake), apfelstrudel, kirschstrudel, lebkuchen, presskopf (headcheese), schnitzel and bratwurst. There is some history behind the dishes plus an explanation for the changes. At the end there is a resources list. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois measurements, but the desserts are scaled in both metric and American. There is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 22.THE PLAN (Grand Central Life & Style, 2013, 2014, 307 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-1549-3, $16 US paper covers) is by Lyn-Genet Recitas, a holistic nutritionist for more than 30 years. It has been a best-selling book and is now available as a paperback reprint with added recipes, plus some updated ones. Essentially, her diet calls for structuring a food plan around the foods that are best for you. It is a way of changing how you eat, and for life. Prepping begins with a three day cleanse followed by testing for food groups and types. Trigger foods are identified and should be avoided. At the same time, you can lose weight by personalizing a healthy foods list that promotes rapid weight loss. She's got many ideas, including a spring diet and a thyroid diet, both of which involve some testing. Additional menus and ideas are to be found at her website www.lyngenet.com. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Well worth a look. Quality/price rating: 87. 23.THE DASH DIET ACTION PLAN; proven to lower blood pressure and cholesterol without medication (Grand Central Life & Style, 2007, 2014 , 220 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-1282-9, $16 US paper covers) is by Marla Heller, RD, who also teaches food science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This was Heller’s first DASH book (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension); this is the paperback reprint version. The DASH diet has been proven to lower blood pressure and cholesterol without the need for medication. With a diet of fruits, vegetables, low-fat and nonfat dairy, lean meats, fish and poultry, nuts, beans and seeds, healthy fats, and whole grains, one can drop pounds and get a faster metabolism with lower body fat and improved cardiovascular fitness. Her diet book is the plan, with a few basic recipes to get you started. She’s got 28 days of meal plans at different calorie levels, shopping lists, eating-on-the-run tips, plus advice on exercise. This is fourth time through for this book, it is already a classic. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 24.LOMELINO'S CAKES; 27 pretty cakes to make any day special (Roost Books, 2012, 2014, 148 pages, ISBN 978-1-61180-150-7, $22.95 US hard covers) is by Linda Lomelino, a food writer living in Sweden. It was originally published in Swedish in 2012; this is the 2014 translation for the North American market. It is a neat book with much material on equipment, ingredients, baking cake layers, dividing the cake into layers, filling and covering the cake, piping techniques, assembling and decorating. Plus the inevitable tips, hints, advice, and secrets. Some of the 27 preps are complicated but not difficult. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois weight and volume measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Some of the ingredients are scaled for correct ratios. Some interesting cakes include chocolate and licorice cake, cardamom cake with blueberries, lemon lover's dream cake, frozen mango passion, and frozen tiramisu. Quality/price rating: 85. 25.THE TASTE OF BELGIUM (Grub Street, 1996, 2014, 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-909808-18-8, 25 pounds sterling, hard covers) is by Ruth van Waerebeek, a Belgian chef who wrote this book in 1996 (Workman Publishing) and is now currently a brand ambassador and house chef for Conch y Toro winery in Chile. She runs major cooking classes in Chile. The original title was Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook, and over the years it has proved to be a classic by selling over 50,000 copies. It has long been out-of-print, so there is great joy in welcoming it back for new cooks. Belgian cuisine is like no other, with a merge of strong Germanic traditions with French culture. Belgium has more 3-star restaurants per capita than any other country, including France. This is home cooking at its highest point, and it is thus substantial with hearty soups (she's got 20), herring salads, pork liver pates, mussels and snails, eels, Belgian fries, partridge and red cabbage, beer and more beer (especially in cooking), Brussels sprouts, potatoes, apples, waffles, chocolate. Total recipes: 250, and each is a gem. It's a good reference book to Belgian food as she provides deep background for most of the preps. Recipes have their ingredients listed in both avoirdupois and metric measurements. One drawback – the native words (Dutch and French?) for each prep are too lightly grey-screened in tiny print – you'll need a magnifying glass. Quality/price rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR NOVEMBER 2014 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, deantudor@deantudor.com Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.ca These food and wine book reviews are always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.ca But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.TASTING WHISKEY (Storey Publishing, 2014, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-61212-301-1, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Lew Bryson, managing editor and feature writer for Whisky Advocate. It is a general all-purpose introduction to the rising tide of brown spirits now embracing and encompassing North America. More and more artisanal distilleries are making small-batch whiskeys, including rye, bourbon, and scotch. Sub-varieties in this insider's view cover those spirits of Tennessee, Ireland, Japan and Canada. The opening chapters roam through fermentation and distillation, styles, regions (with a chapter on Canada), craft whiskey, “dilution” (a great name for water and ice and cocktails), food pairing, collecting whiskey, and some resources plus a glossary. Bryson, who used to be a librarian, carefully marshals and presents his facts and figures, with graphs, maps, and photos. For example, in the Canadian chapter, he's got a flavour profile for various brands, tours of wineries with personal comments, sharp looking photos of the Distillery District and Glenora, and commentary on tax structures. The cocktail section deftly covers the basics of Manhattans, Old Fashioned, Whisky Sours, Highballs, etc. Collecting whiskey is for the rich, as are whiskey travel trails. Audience and level of use: those interested in learning about whiskeys in general. Some interesting or unusual facts: until 2011, Canadian whisky was the largest whisky category in the US. Even now, though, it took the combined bourbon and Tennessee whiskey to move past Canada. So Canada is still #1 if you separate bourbon from the pack. By using neutral American ingredients up to 9.09% of the final exported blend, Canadian whisky gets a tax break in the US. That's why it is cheaper there. The downside to this book: there's a wealth of material in here that needs to be digested – so take your time. The upside to this book: I can only quote a log roller – “I shouldn't say this is the only whiskey book you need, but it probably is” (C.K. Cowdery) Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.FOOD IN TIME AND PLACE (University of California Press, 2014, 395 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-28358-9, $49.95 US paper covers) is from the American Historical Association. It is a companion to food history, a set of essays on diverse topics to accompany senior level college lectures or academic research in food history. It also serves as a great introduction to the foods of the world as written by some of the best scholars. It is a survey on the state of historical research on food, endorsed by the AHA, and gives us a topically broad understanding of food cultures through history: the Mediterranean, medieval societies, the haute cuisine of France, colonization and immigration, restaurants, cookbooks, homogeneity, and popular culture. By committing to this project, the AHA has outed food history as a bona fide research subject worthy of academic study. Audience and level of use: anyone interested in the role of food in history, culture or politics. Some interesting or unusual facts: the Columbian food Exchange (mainly livestock for plants) dramatically affected food cultures and greatly enhanced population growth. The downside to this book: pricey, even in paper covers. The upside to this book: it is a gateway to further food resources Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.PARTY POPCORN (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 128 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-22223-6, $14.99 US hard covers) is by Ashton Epps Swank, a dessert blogger. She's got 75 preps, divided into savoury, sweet, fun for kids to make, and holiday/seasonal popcorn. She's got prep times, cook times, and cool times indicated for each recipe. Nacho cheese doritos popcorn is always a winner before or during sporting games or action movies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: family Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: eggnog popcorn; pumpkin pie popcorn; firecracker popcorn. The downside to this book: it needs more recipes. The upside to this book: a good collection. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 4.THE BEST PASTA SAUCES (Ballantine Books, 2014, 239 pages, ISBN 978-0-345-54714-9, $28 US hard covers) is by Micol Negrin, a cooking school owner and food magazine editor and writer. Her book Rustico was nominated for a Beard Award. Here she emphasizes some fave regional Italian recipes from all over: northern Italy (rich creamy/cheesy sauces), central Italy (cured meats, sheep cheeses, olive oil), and southern Italy with its preponderance of tomatoes and fresh ingredients. The islands of Sicily and Sardinia contribute seafood to the mix. Her primer starts with “the ten rules of cooking pasta” and also presents basic recipes and mail-order sources. She also suggests certain styles of pasta for certain sauces, along with some Italian red or white wine pairings. A very readable and efficient book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: families, intermediate cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: creamy fontina sauce with crushed walnuts and white truffle oil; creamy tomato sauce with speck, nutmeg, and basil; Romagna ragu with Marsala and crispy prosciutto; tomato sauce with tiny meatballs; slow cooked sausage ragu with milk. The downside to this book: it seems a bit pricey for a pasta sauce book. The upside to this book: it is a very good tour. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 5.PIE SCHOOL (Sasquatch Books, 2014, 232 pages, ISBN 978-1-57061-910-6, $24.95 US soft covers) is by Kate Lebo, owner of the Pie School and food writer-baker. Here she has about 50 recipes plus the pie primer (double-crusts, rolling by hand, baking blind, lattices, etc.). She's got eight basic pie crusts, including two that are gluten-free. All of her pies here are sweet, and divided by categories such as rhubarb, blueberry, cherry, peach, plum, blackberry, apple, plus nuts and chiffons. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are conversion tables. Audience and level of use: family cooks, pie makers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: maple blueberry pie; pecan pie with whiskey; mumbleberry pie; banana cream pie; huckleberry pie; blueberry lemon verbena galette. The downside to this book: a handful of more recipes would be useful The upside to this book: great for a pie party Quality/Price Rating: 85. 6.IDIOT'S GUIDES BAKING (Alpha Books, 2014; distr. DK, 2870 pages, ISBN 978-1-61564-609-8, $21.95 US paper covers) is by Alexandra Zohn, a master pastry chef, nutritionist and food writer. It is a basic beginner's book, ranging from making meringues to cake decorating. It is a step-by-step tutorial on cooking basics, with good looking colour photos in the layout. She's got some substitutions and gluten-free options as well as recipes for cookies, souffles, cakes, bars, brownies, tarts, pies and bread. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements with scaling, but there are no tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: families. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: vanilla velvet cake; yogurt muffins; walnut-raisin bread; French bread; fresh fruit tart in almond crust; key lime pie. The downside to this book: gluten-free options are not indexed. The upside to this book: there's a primer on baking utensils and equipment including a usage section. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 7.WISDOM FOR HOME PRESERVERS (Taunton Press, 2014, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-62710-711-2, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Robin Ripley, a Maryland food writer and blogger with a kitchen garden. Here are 500 tips and techniques (no actual recipes beyond the basics) with six chapters or divisions (one for each method). All the info here is detailed and practical, including storing and troubleshooting. Topics include canning, freezing, drying, fermenting, salt curing and smoking, and cold storage root cellaring. There are also many other topics such as hot-water bath and pressure canner high altitude adjustments. There is also an equipment list and a general index. Audience and level of use: beginner levels. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 8.WISDOM FOR HOME BREWERS (Taunton Press, 2014, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-62710-710-5, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Ted Bruning and Nigel Sadler. Both are craft brewers and writers in England. Here are 500 tips and techniques plus basic beer-making recipes. It all begins with simple $50 home brew kits, and then escalates upwards depending on what you want to do. Tips are divided by chapter covering home brewing equipment, malts, hops and flavourings, mashing and boiling, fermentation and maturation, bottling and kegging, and then troubleshooting. The beer preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. The general index ties it all in together rather nicely. Audience and level of use: beginner levels. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 9.GARLIC; an edible biography (Roost Books, 2014; dist. Raincoast, 261 pages, ISBN 978-1-61180-160-6, $16.95 US paper covers) is by travel writer and historian Robin Cherry, who also has written about organic produce and style in the past. It is a good looking history of the politics and mythology of garlic. She's also got 100 recipes, covering about half the book in normal course order (apps, dips, sauces, breads, soups, salads, poultry, meats, seafood, vegetarian, sides, even desserts). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: garlic lovers; professional foodies; food reference libraries. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: moretum (look it up); beer-battered deep-fried garlic cloves; gambas al ajillo; carciofi alla giudia; pizza escarole. The downside to this book: no metric conversion tables. The upside to this book: there's a bibliography at the back. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 10.GREENS + GRAINS (Chronicle Books, 2014, 124 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-3159-7, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Molly Watson, a San Francisco food editor and writer who once developed recipes for Sunset magazine. It is a small collection of some 45 recipes, but it manages to give good coverage through the three sections: soups, salads (and sides), and mains. Both grains and greens have fibre, vitamins, minerals, and proteins. They are virtually complete. Every meal should have some of them. For greens, there are beet greens, dandelion greens, escarole, collards, fava greens, kale, mustard greens, nettles, purslane, chard, and spinach. Plus some lesser and smaller ones such as sorrel, watercress, and arugula. For grains, she's got amaranth, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, faro, millet, oats, quinoa, rye, spelt, wheat and wild rice. Most are gluten-free except for the spelt, barley, wheat and rye. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there are no conversion tables. Audience and level of use: vegetarians and gluten-free eaters; those seeking a healthier lifestyle. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: arugula soba noodle soup; green tea soup with brown rice and greens; quinoa-crusted tilapia on chard; braised chicken with farro, kale and winter squash; winter fattoush salad. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 11.THE FRUGAL PALEO COOKBOOK (Page Street publishing, 2014, 207 pages, ISBN 978-1-62414-088-4, $19.99 US paper premium covers) is by Ciarra Hannah, a food blogger-creator of popularpaleo.com which gets almost half a million hits a month. She's also got a log rollers endorsing her. Here she presents a collection of her 100 preps for affordable, easy and delicious paleo foods. All feature grass-fed meat and naturally-raised whole food ingredients, with an eye on the purse. Her secret, of course, is to use cheaper and tougher cuts of meat that need braising time, plus making bigger batches to make future meals. She's got tips for budgeting and pantry storage, as well as creating “five ingredients or less” seasoning blends. Arrangement is by type of proteins: beef, lamb, poultry, pork, seafood, eggs, and then veggies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: paleo food lovers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: grilled pork with spicy apricot BBQ sauce; avocado lime salad; summer prawn salad; bacon ranch chicken; Irish nachos; cabbage packages; balsamic rosemary beef; barbacoa. The downside to this book: nothing much, if anything. The upside to this book: nice looking index, lots of space. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 12.ANNE BYRN SAVES THE DAY! COOKBOOK (Workman Publishing, 2014, 360 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-7610-7, $18.965 US paper covers) is by, well, Anne Byrn, an extremely popular writer on food with a Doctor series and extensive TV promotion. Here are 125 “guaranteed-to-please” go-to recipes to rescue any occasion. These are also her top picks for food anytime and anywhere, such as bacon and cheddar torte, stuffed peppers, shrimp and cheese grits, sweet and sour brisket. They can all be done in about a half an hour or so. But of course they only work if you have the ingredients at hand. Shrimp and grits may be hard to come by in Canadian homes, but they are standard in Nashville where she lives. All courses are covered, and it is loaded with tips. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are conversion tables. Quality/price rating: 85. 13.THE NORTH AMERICAN WHISKEY GUIDE FROM BEHIND THE BAR (Page Street, 2014, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-62414-076-1, $21.99 US hard covers) is by Chad Berkey and Jeremy LeBlanc. Berkey is head bartender at Aero Club Bar in San Diego (with over 900 different whiskies); Jeremy LeBlanc bartends at Parq in San Diego, and has authored Best Craft Cocktails. The brown spirits category has soared lately, and this is but one of the latest score of books on whiskies. Here are 250 reviews of American and Canadian whiskeys from real bartenders, and provides expert guidance. There are also 30 cocktail recipes. Covered are bourbons, ryes, American malts, Canadian and Tennessee whiskey, blends, and cigar pairing. Each has a descriptive summary, a fun fact, directory type data (variety/style/barrel-type/age/origin/ABV/price), and some related bottles to enjoy. There is also a bottle photo shot and some comments from local bartenders. The type size is very tiny, so a lot is packed in. Not for reading in a dimly lit bar...Cocktails have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 88. 14.TAMALES (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 139 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-596-9, $18.99 US hard covers) is by Alice Guadalupe Tapp, co-owner of Tamara's Tamales in Los Angeles (Marina del Rey area). They have been in business for about two decades, and always feature some 30 different kinds of tamales, In 2002 she authored Tamales 101. The current batch here are from her restaurant, and are arranged by shape or course: inside-out tamales, meat tamales, nose-to-tail tamales, vegetarian and vegan tamales, and dessert tamales. So long as you stick with masa then the tamale will be gluten-free (just watch out for outside thickeners). She opens with a huge section on sauces and salsas, followed by tamale wrapping styles in the assembly (all illustrated with line drawings). Try her tuna inside-out tamale or the ratatouille inside-out. The nose-to-tail section includes beef cheeks, pork blood tamales, bone marrow, pigtail, lamb head, tongue – a generous selection of the more offal cuts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are conversion tables. Quality/price rating: 89. 15.IKARIA (Rodale, 2014, 306 pages, ISBN 978-1-62336-295-9, $35 US hard covers) is by Diane Kochilas, an NYC chef (Molyvos) with a TV cooking show, a cooking school on Ikaria, and an IACP award winning cookbook author of some 18 titles. Ikaria is an island where longevity rules. Her book is part cookbook, part travelogue, with photos, preps, interviews with locals, and reasons why people live so long (there's a 101-year-old weaver who cooks combinations of herbs). Kocilas covers breads, savoury pies, bean dishes, and seafood (which is remarkable). Arrangement is by course (mezedes, salads, soups, savoury pies, veggies, legumes, pasta/rice, seafood, some meat, and desserts. She's also got a resources list and a bibliography. Preparations have their ingredients listed mostly in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 16.INSIDE THE TEST KITCHEN (Clarkson Potter, 2014, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-385-34455-5, $35 US hard covers) is by Tyler Florence, a Food Network chef, author of twelve books, product designer, and the chef-owner of Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco and El Paseo in Mill Valley, California. He also produces wines, and will open the Tyler Florence Test Kitchen, a culinary laboratory, think tank, and event space, in late 2014. This book is part of that Test Kitchen experience. He has 120 recipes which he claims are “perfected” – but first he gives us the testing portion for each prep. His chapters include BBQ, meatloaf, fresh cheeses, chicken, eggs, baking mixes, pasta, pork chops, pork carnitas tacos, potatoes. risotto and veggies. For each he starts with the process and the basics, and then discusses the “failures” or the wannabes he creates. He's pushing the envelope here, with onion rings and French fries, a stretchy cheese for mac and cheese, and new tricks for everything. There are a lot of photos with handwritten notes (which also intermittently appear as pop ups). A good book for the millennials since it attracts ADHD. This could be a fun book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in American avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 17.PRUNE (Random House, 2014, 568 pages, ISBN 978-0-8129-9409-4, $45 US hard covers) is by Gabrielle Hamilton, chef-owner of Prune in NYC and author of Blood, Bones and Butter. She's a Beard Award winner and a major food writer. The book is a history of her restaurant since it opened in 1999, beginning with the first prep (canned sardines with triscuits) in her first chapter (bar snacks). Other chapters cover small plates at dinner, mains, vegetable sides, desserts, lunches, brunches, cocktails and family meals. The book also comes complete with more photographs than you could ever think possible, driving up the weight. She's got pop up written comments everywhere, plus hand-written recipe titles. Generous typeface size and white space plus leading adds to its appeal for those older folks who can lift the book. Otherwise, a cookbook stand is needed. She concludes with a forbidden list of foods for family meals (mostly because of the expense), and an employee manifest going back to 1999. Preparations have their ingredients listed in American avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 18.THE MEAT HOOK MEAT BOOK (Artisan, 2014, 312 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-527-3, $37.50 US hard covers) is by Tom Mylan, executive chef and co-owner of The Meat Hook (2009) in Brooklyn. He concentrates on sustainable local meats. His book is a good guide to naturally grown meat, a cookbook, an instruction manual, and a butchering handbook. The least expensive form of meat acquisition is to buy large unbutchered pieces of meat from a local farm or butcher shop. You don't need to buy a side, and you can start with small animals such as lamb (as we do). You get the meat you want, and with a few simple cuts you can break down some elements into stew, ground, chops, small roasts, etc. We usually get one lamb a year, quartered, and then break it down ourselves. The same with chicken. Mylan has about 67 recipes arranged by animal beginning with beef (first hundred pages), then pork, lamb, sausage, chicken, turkey, duck, and rabbit. His primer deals with cooking styles (grill, roast, braise, smoke, fry, sous-vide) plus bones and fat. He's even got a section on pasture breeds for beef, lamb, and pigs, followed by a resources list for further reading and supplies. Try cumin lamb stir-fry, lamb belly pancetta, meat hook chili, or scrapple. Lots of instructional photos and drawings of techniques makes this book a worthwhile purchase for the meat eater. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 19.BAR TARTINE (Chronicle Books, 2014, 368 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-2646-3, $40 US hard covers) is by Nicolaus Balla and Cortney Burns, co-chefs of the eponymous restaurant that is a sister to Tartine Bakery. It is a record of their restaurant involvement from their arrival in mid-February 2011 through February 2014 when they turned in the manuscript after three years. So it has everything in it: experiments, frustrations, memoir stories, successes, and recipes. Part one is devoted to techniques in how they do things: drying assorted herbs, alliums, peppers, spice mixes, fruits and meats; dairy; sprouting and soaking; oils and animal fats; vinegars,; pickles and preserves; syrups and beverages; and stocks. Part two are the preps, arranged by soups, salads, mains, and sweets. Gorgeous photos, large typeface, and sufficient white space for reading and viewing. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 20.THE PIZZA BIBLE (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 312 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-605-8, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Tony Gemignani, chef-owner of seven restaurants, mainly in San Francisco. He's been making pizza for over two decades, and is 11-time World Pizza Champ. He's assisted here by Susie Heller and Steve Siegelman. He describes the book as a collection of the world's fave pizza styles, from Neapolitasn, deep-dish, wood-fired, Sicilian, calzones and focaccia to New York, New Haven, Detroit – and more! There's almost 100 recipes here, divided by region or style. First up is regional American (Chicago, Sicilian, California, Napoletana) followed by regional Italian (Lucca, Rimini, Calabrese, and others) and pizzas found in Barcelona, Munich, Dublin, Paris and Greece. There's a separate chapter on grilled pizza, another on wrapped and rolled, and then focaccia and bread. He's got baker's percentages charts and conversion charts: everything here is scaled. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Try his version of the New York-New Jersey tomato sauce, Italian beef, guanciale and quail egg, or margherita extra. Quality/price rating: 89. 21.IT AIN'T SAUCE, IT'S GRAVY (Alfred A. Knopf, 2014, 178 pages, ISBN 978-0-385-34989-5, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Steve Martorano, a real celebrity – he owns five Cafe Martoranos in Florida, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City, he owns a wine label, a line of pasta sauces, and a line of clothing. He even had a TV show. His log rollers (at least 10) include actors and NFL quarterbacks. He began by selling sandwiches made in his mother's basement. It is a book with preps about macaroni, home-style cheesesteaks, meatballs, and “how food saved my life”. Michael Rubino is the focusing food writer. The 78 preps come from the restaurant, and include arugula watermelon salad, grilled octopus, stuffed hot peppers, bucatini carbonara, and pork chop martorano. A good read, and nicely laid out with large typeface and white space. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 22.VINE LINES (Wine Appreciation Guild, 2007; distr. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 96 pages, ISBN 978-1-891267-93-2, $14.95 US hard covers) is by Judy Valon with illustrations by Roger Roberts. It is a “cheery and humourous exploration of wine terminology”. It's got wine information and quotes. With its pictures, it deals with serving wine, sparkling wines, red wines, white wines, fortified wines, and faulty wines, ending with some of the more common wine tasting terms (and a brief description for each). The illustrations (bacon wine, for example) are hilarious. A fun book. Quality/price rating: 87. 23.MAKING SENSE OF WINE TASTING. 5th ed. (Wine Appreciation Guild, 2010; distr. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 174 pages, ISBN 978-1-891267-03-1, $34.95 CAN paper covers0 is by Alan Young. It was originally published in 1986, and this is now its fifth edition. It's a basic book that is frequently reissued for demand sake, and it has been described as the ultimate wine tasting book, “elucidating all sorts of grey areas” (Sutcliffe).He covers sight, smell, taste, and touch in a humourous way, along with practical exercises. This new edition has been updated by Diane Spencer Hume. Topics covered include: quality, sight, glassware, smell, taste, touch, and judging wine. This is a first rate book, good value for sommeliers or any wine education class. Quality/price rating: 89. 24.THE UNIVERSITY WINE COURSE. 3rd ed. (Wine Appreciation Guild, 2009; distr. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 426 pages, ISBN 978-0-932664-69-3, $49 CAN soft covers) is by Marian W. Baldy, a microbiologist-geneticist who has been teaching wine appreciation courses since 1972. Her husband is a viticulturist and professor of agriculture also at Cal State along with Ms. Baldy. This book is based on her notes, and was first issued in 1993. This is a wine appreciation text with a self-tutorial. It is a little formal, but it has a strong academic and scientific basis, nicely organized. You can get a 12 week college level course out of it. It's a standard work that has been used for many years at many colleges or many wine appreciation classes. It pretty well covers everything: sensory evaluation, white wine production, red wine, sparklers, dessert wines, fortified wines, viticulture, varietals, chemistry, tasting at home (do it yourself) with lots of tables and forms. An extremely useful book for the wine lover who wants to know more. Quality/price rating: 90. 25.MY LITTLE FRENCH KITCHEN (Chronicle Books, 2013, 2014, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-3507-6, $35 US hard covers) is by Rachel Khoo who wrote The Little Paris Kitchen book and hosted the TV show of the same name. This book extends the range to the rest of France, into the regions. It was originally published in the UK in 2013. She's got a 100 or so preps “from the mountains to the market squares and shores of France”. There are dozens of her hand drawings and many photographs. It is arranged by region: Brittany, Bordeaux, Basque, Provence, Lyon, and Alsace. Try tian provencal, goat cheese-strawberry-cucumber mille-feuilles, sticky cassis pork ribs with mint and fava bean couscous, or some French savoury pintxos (tapas). She's got some good regional descriptions of local cuisines, but too many photos of herself (selfies?). Preparations have their ingredients listed in some metric but mainly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 26.THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO SOUTH AFRICAN WINES. 2nd ed. (Cheviot Publishing, 2009; distr. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-98027423-3, $39.95 CAN softbound) is by Elmari Swart, a winery owner and author of wine books about South Africa. It was originally published in 2006. It's a strong mix of “terroir and travel”, allowing you to discover many things for yourself along various wine trails. There are travel tips, what to see, some GPS pointers, plus recommendations for food and accommodations. Mostly there is material on the better known wineries and information about grape varieties and tasting notes. Things have changed greatly (for the better) in the Cape since 1994 when Mandela was freed and trade sanctions lifted. An excellent book package. Quality/price rating: 88. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR OCTOBER 2014 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, deantudor@deantudor.com Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.ca These food and wine book reviews are always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.ca But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.SHERRY (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 264 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-581-5, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Talia Baiocchi, editor-in-chief of Punch, an online magazine focused on wines, spirits and cocktails (what? No beers?). She's also written a number of articles for all the major wine magazines. With Sherry, she has made a good choice to begin book authorship. It is, according to the subtitle, “a modern guide to the wine world's best-kept secret, with cocktails and recipes”. And it may just be what the sherry industry needs in North America. For too long, sherry has been neglected, with stagnant and/or declining sales. It is seasonal at best (think Christmas) and sweet at worse. There is some nice logrolling here from five other authors who are not the usual “chefs” or “celebrities”. It covers the basics: how made, types, history, towns and bodegas, sherry cocktails, and recipes involving sherry (either as ingredient or accompaniment or both). The 100 pages of preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There's a resources list on where to drink sherry and eat food in the Spanish region (names, addresses, best dishes) and in the US, along with some places in the US to buy bottles of sherry. It is a very nifty book, not really meant for those of us in the know (most sherry books have been stodgy). But it should appeal to millennials and those new to drinking and cocktail making. With its very colourful pictures, this work may be the ticket to an increase in sherry sales. Audience and level of use: younger drinkers. Some interesting or unusual recipes: cazon en adobo; tortillitas de camerones el faro; huevos a la flamenca; The downside to this book: for the first 150 pages it is a great overview of sherries, but in a simpler style that won't appeal to connoisseurs. The upside to this book: there is a small but useful section on sherry vinegars. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.RUHLMAN'S HOW TO ROAST (Little, Brown and Co., 2014, 144 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-25410-6, $25 US hard covers) is by Michael Ruhlman, who began writing narratives about chefs but has now become a source for food reference books. He has begun branding his books, e.g., Ruhlman's Twenty, Ruhlman's How to Roast) which is also mnemonically useful for the word “rule”. He's a Beard Award author who has come up with a blend of food history, recipes and practical advice. Roasting is pretty basic, and if you can tell time, then you can roast and never burn. He covers tools, staples, ovens, techniques, photos, etc. The 25 recipes begin with roasted chicken, and then moves on to standing rib roast and the Thanksgiving turkey, moving through roasted monkfish and ending with roasted pineapple. It is a good book for beginners, well-illustrated with technique photos. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois with some metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. If you need more recipes, check out FINE COOKING ROASTING ($14.95 US, below). Audience and level of use: beginners, students Some interesting or unusual facts: “while there may no longer be a difference in the act of baking or roasting, the semantic difference is meaningful and useful.” The downside to this book: a bit brief, especially with large print, leading and white spaces. The upside to this book: this is the first book of a new series on basic techniques. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.WHISKEY COCKTAILS (Fair Winds Press, 2014, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-59233-639-5, $22.99 US spiral bound) is by Warren Bobrow, also author of Apothecary Cocktails and freelance beverage articles. His book is dedicated to rediscovered classics and contemporary craft drinks using what is the world's most popular brown spirit. He's got 75 preps here, ranging from sweet to smoky to white whiskey and even quinoa whiskey. The primer covers all the basics of bars, history, glasses, etc. He begins with Tennessee sipping whiskey, moves on to craft whiskey made from alternative grains, then white whiskey, rye, scotch, and some international (French, Japanese, Indian), recommending a mix of Japanese whisky with sake or French whisky with iced coffee. But even he gets confused – is it French whisky or French whiskey? He uses both forms, an obvious error due to spell-check apps. His last chapter is about cooking with whiskey, mainly male-oriented. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table equivalents. Still, one needs to check the consistency of the measurements. Audience and level of use: cocktail lovers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: slow-cooked suckling pig with bourbon BBQ glaze; bourbon and maple syrup-glazed ham and swiss sandwiches; Fernet Branca, bourbon, and Carpano Antica glaze for pork shoulder. The downside to this book: some of the metric quantities are way off in comparison to the avoirdupois (e.g.Fernet-bourbon-Carpano Antica glaze). The upside to this book: good coverage Quality/Price Rating: 84. 4.FOOD TRUCK ROAD TRIP; a cookbook (Page Street Publishing, 2014, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-62414-080-8, $21.99 US paper covers) is by Kim Pham and Phil Shen, creators of www.behindthefoodcarts.com, an award-winning food and travel blog. Terri Phillips is the focusing food writer. It is an engaging description of some of the myriad of food trucks roaming the US – and there are even more of them since the success of the movie “Chef”. There's some log rolling to entice you. Here are more than 100 recipes collected from food trucks. It is a road trip in pursuit of the best food, like what the Sterns did for diners. It is part cookbook, part history, part photography as the stories of reach truck is wrapped around a recipe. It is all quickly-prepared food, of course, but not fast food in a pejorative sense. Soup and sandwiches, along with desserts, sides and snacks, prevail, in Latin American mode, Asiatic, and fusion modes. A good book for the armchair food traveller. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Audience and level of use: those craving some international comfort foods. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: jalapeno corn cakes (NY), oxtail mac 'n' cheese (LA), fried chicken sandwich with fennel slaw (Oakland), roasted roots salad (Minneapolis), Japanese curry with chicken kara-age (San Francisco), coconut-cashew kaffir lime trout (Portland, OR). The downside to this book: not enough recipes!!! The upside to this book: great layout. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5.GROW WHAT YOU EAT, EAT WHAT YOU GROW (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2014, 223 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-548-8, $22.95 CAN soft covers) is by Randy Shore, food writer for the Vancouver Sun. He's also a former restaurant cook and is now also an avid gardener. He reaps what he sows...He and his wife grow much of their own food in Roberts Creek BC. He's self-taught in growing food, even though his father and grandfather grew up on farms. Here he tells us how to make our own fertilizers, how best to grow specific produce, advice on container gardens, and how to cook the food (both vegetarian and not). He's into preservation: so there are also details on canning, pickling, and curing. But the book is mostly recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in a mix of metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who wish to make a difference by growing their own foods. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Boxing Day soup; cheddar dill biscuits; duck fat rosemary potatoes; green eggs and ham; farm-style pear sauce; beer-battered fish; fragrant turkey brine; grilled autumn vegetables. The downside to this book: his one acre of arable land is on BC's Sunshine Coast, which is far removed from the bluster of Ontario and the East Coast. Also, the light coloured typeface for the list of ingredients gets wearing after awhile. The upside to this book: there is some personal stuff too. For him, the best comfort foods of winter are the chicken fricassee and lasagna with zucchini and ricotta. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 6.THE BIG BOOK OF SIDES (Ballantine Books, 2014, 471 pages, ISBN 978-0-345-54818-4, $30 US hard covers) is by Rick Rodgers who has written more than 40 cookbooks in his career. He's been a recipe tester, a co-author, and a consultant on cookbooks. Here he tackles the inevitable: sides. He's got more than 450 preps for veggies, grains, salads, breads, sauces, pickles, relishes, legumes, and others. It is principally an American cuisine book, with nods to Latin American and Asiatic ethnic influences, and of course, Deep South food plus the regionality of creole/cajun. There's enough here to keep everybody happy in fresh and innovative food. He's got uncomplicated sides for weeknight suppers, family faves, impressive sides for dinner parties, recipes for the majority of holidays, buffet recipes with “covered dishes” for transporting to picnics or potlucks, some historical recipes and classics, and a variety of vegetarian plates which are hearty enough to serve as main courses (these also come with gluten-free and vegan options). And, as is common with most American cookbooks, preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements; there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: comfort food lovers; those seeking different variety of side dishes. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sweet potato and pear casserole with bacon; steamed boniato with orange mojo; cheese and grits souffle; double-baked potatoes with goat cheese and cremini mushrooms; shredded beets with scallions and walnuts; grilled marinated portobello mushrooms; saute of okra and tomatoes; buttermilk and sage spoon bread. The downside to this book: I think I would have liked an index to mains that are recommended with the preps of certain sides designed to accompany – the mains are mentioned in the recipe but they are not indexed separately. The upside to this book: it is refreshing not to see a book overloaded with a lot of photos (it has two main inserted sections). Quality/Price Rating: 86. 7.BREAD REVOLUTION (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 250 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-651-5, $30 US hard covers) is by Peter Reinhart, once a co-founder of Brother Juniper's Bakery in Santa Rosa, and now a baking instructor in North Carolina. He's a multiple Beard Award winner and the author of eight bread books. This one is a globally-based book dealing with sprouted and whole and ancient grains, and heirloom flours. He's got 50 recipes and formulas for breads. He also uses nut and seed flours, alternative flours such as teff and grape skins, and deals with gluten-free approaches. He's created some master recipes that we can all follow, such as sprouted sandwich rye bread or gluten-free many-seed toasting bread. With sprouted flours, pre-ferments such as bigas and starters are not necessary. But for other grains, they are, and Reinhart give some precise guidance here. There arrangement is by primer tutorial, sprouted flour breads, sprouted pulp breads, whole grains, and the future of baking (really interesting). Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric and avoirdupois measurements by volume and weight (scaling). Audience and level of use: bakers looking for something new and diverse. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sprouted wheat breakfast focaccia; sprouted wheat croissants; whole wheat currant pretzels; and the exotically-named mozzarella milk and pear bread with coffee-bean trap starter. The downside to this book: some preps can be complicated and/or difficult – you must read through it all before deciding. The upside to this book: that it exists. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 8.FLAVORS OF THE MIDDLE EAST (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-537-6, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Ghilli Basan, a Cordon Bleu trained food writer of books dealing with the Middle East and with South-East Asia. This book is more a general introduction, almost-travel book with its photography by Steve Painter. The arrangement here is pretty traditional, beginning with basic recipes and a cultural history of the region, followed by mezze, salads, soups, meat, poultry, seafood, veggies, grains, sweets and drinks. It is a fabulous introduction with a good layout. Preparations have their ingredients listed in some metric but mainly avoirdupois measurements, and there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: those cooks looking for an entry-level Middle East cookbook. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chicken tagine with fried halloumi and olives; chicken onions and sumac; lentils with rice and caramelized onions; carrot, almond and cardamom conserve; pickled purple turnips; brown beans with soft-boiled eggs; fish tagine with chermoula and cabbage. The downside to this book: needs more recipes (only 65 here). The upside to this book: gorgeous photos. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 9.CHLOE'S VEGAN ITALIAN KITCHEN (Atria Paperback, 2014, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-4767-3607-5, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Chloe Coscarelli, who has taken many certified natural and plant-based nutrition academic programs. She's written two other vegan books as well. Here she gives us 150 pizzas, pastas, pestos, risottos, and “creamy” sauces. And there is also a guide to allergen-free Italian food (gluten, soy and nut) with suggested substitutes. The range is for a full meal, from antipasti through verdure, zuppa, insalata, pastas, secondo (meatless of course), and dolci. She's got a vegan Italian pantry for us, as well as a listing of her fave Italian restaurants in the US and Italy, which of course do vegan foods. As with most American cookbooks, preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: butternut ravioli; pumpkin risotto; avocado basil sauce; lasagna bolognese; shittake bacon; shortcut marinara; sweet potatoes and almond couscous salad; bowties in garlic cream tomato sauce. The downside to this book: nothing really, everything seems to work. The upside to this book: I'd kill for her toothsome smile. Quality/Price Rating: 88 10.MADELEINES (Quirk Books, 2014, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-59474-740-3, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Barbara Feldman Morse, an award-wining baker and recipe developer. Here are 70 or so recipes for all tastes, from sweet breakfast bites and desserts to savoury apps and fruit-nut snacks. She's got a one-bowl method for making a quick batch, plus a variety of tricks. Gluten-free flours are briefly mentioned, and she notes – correctly – that the madeleine will be a bit grittier. But, hey, it is doable if you are GF. The madeleine is a French tea cake, but Morse has expanded its uses. Her book is arranged by morning madeleines, chocolate madeleines, fruit-nuts, savoury, and off-the-wall indulgences. The art of presentation is covered, leading to some recipes fro crème caramel and candied violets (among others). She's also got a section on “personalization” to make your own inventive madeleine. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: intermediate bakers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Proust, of course, wrote about his madeleine prompting an involuntary memory of his aunt who gave him a dipped piece. The downside to this book: a bit short, even for a single product cookbook. The upside to this book: there's a resources list. Quality/Price Rating: 86. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 11.AT HOME IN THE WHOLE FOOD KITCHEN (Roost Books, 2014; distr. Random House Canada, 386 pages, ISBN 978-1-61180-085-2, $35 US hard covers) is by Amy Chaplin, once executive chef of the vegan Angelica Kitchen in NYC. She has also cheffed around the world and contributes frequently to all the leading magazines and to the Food Network. Here she's got some heavy duty logrolling from Deborah Madison and Natalie Portman (a client). She works from scratch, from a pantry, which is all explained in part one of over 120 pages. She's got basic recipes in this part of the book. The other preps are arranged by course, such as breakfast, soups, salads, snacks, meals, and desserts. This is followed by a short section on the benefits of tea, cleansing, and organics. She's got a resources list and bibliography at the finish. If you are a vegan, you can cook nearly every recipe. Some of the print is a tad too small for me, yet there is plenty of white space. Try eggplant curry with cardamom-infused basmati rice, roasted acorn and delicata squash salad with wheat berries and bitter greens, pumpkin bread with toasted walnut cinnamon swirl, red lentil soup with spinach, or a black sesame flax dressing. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 12.THE GREAT LOBSTER COOKBOOK (Appetite by Random House, 2014, 206 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01628-2, $29.95 paper covers) is by Matt Dean Pettit, the owner of Rock Lobster Food Co., a restaurant and food company that deals almost exclusively with lobster. The firm started as a pop-up food truck, but now has several locations in downtown Toronto. Here he's got 100 or so simple but tempting recipes, including some dishes from other Toronto chefs (McEwan, Aprile, Gentile, Agostino, et al). All courses are covered, so you might want to try lobster eggs benny, lobster bacon hash, lobster cappucino bisque, tequila lime lobster taquitos, lobster lasagne – if you can cook it, you can also add lobster meat to it. And, of course, all parts of the lobster meat are used. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. He's also got a primer for basic lobster data (glossary, anatomy, buying and storing, basic cooking). A lovely single ingredient cookbook. Quality/price rating: 88. 13.VANILLA (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-566-5, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Janet Sawyer, founder of Little Pod, a vanilla company in the UK. Most of the preps use her vanilla paste as a source of vanilla, but she does share a recipe for making it yourself. The only question is the time involved: yours vs. the bottle. It's arranged by all forms of baking: cookies, cakes, puddings, creams, custards, brunches, confections, beverages, and some savouries as well. There is a winter salad, truffled sweetcorn chowder, butternut squash soup, eggnog, sikarni, and gluten-free chocolate muffins. Preparations have their ingredients listed in some metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 14.THE CUBAN TABLE (St. Martin's Press, 2014, 324 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-03608-7, $35 US hard covers) is by Ana Sofia Pelaez, an award-winning food blogger (Hungry Sofia) personality who has appeared on television and writes for many online publications, such as Huffington Post. It comes with advanced log rolling by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Naomi Duguid and Julia Turshen. There are some nifty photos on location shot by Ellen Silverman. And as well there is also memoirish material (indexed, too). The arrangement is by course, from soups and stews through beans and rice, chicken, meats, fish, veggies, and desserts. Plus, of course, cocktails. There is material about the Cuban pantry and a glossary, as well as a resources list. You might want to try rabo encendido (fiery oxtail), black rice with squid, red beans and rice, moros y cristianos, or black-eyed pea fritters. There are lots to choose from here. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 15.MAKE IT AHEAD (Clarkson Potter, 2014, 272 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-46488-0, $35 US hard covers) is by Ina Garten, who needs no introduction, but I'll do it anyway: Barefoot Contessa in the Kitchen. She's also a best selling author based on her TV show; this is her ninth book. It is, of course, all about making meals ahead. It is now apparently the number one question she is always asked. So this collection of preps is arranged by course, beginning with cocktails (both beverages and foods to have with them), and then moving to apps, lunch, dinner, veggies, dessert, and then breakfast (why so late in the sequence?). She's also got some make-ahead menus, but only 8 of them. She could use a few more, say a couple of dozen. If home cooks really want a lot of make ahead meals, then they will also want some menus so that they won't have to think. None of her menu items have page references, but there is a recipe index at the far back arranged by chapter heading. As with most American cookbooks, preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try her dark chocolate terrine with orange sauce, asparagus and prosciutto bundles, peas and pancetta, ham and leek empanadas, or summer paella salad. Good spacing and large typeface fonts are winners with me. Quality/price rating: 85. 16.FLAVOR FLOURS (Artisan, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 368 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-513-6, $35 US hard covers) is by renowned baker Alice Medrich who owned Chocolat in Berkeley. She doesn't need any log rolling, but gets it anyway, with such as David Lebovitz. With this book, gluten-free flours have gone mainstream. But these are the more flavoursome ones such as teff, buckwheat, and sorghum. She's got other whole and ancient grains, coconut flour, and nut flours. The 125 preps here are all gluten-free. The arrangement is by flour, beginning with rice, moving on to oat, corn, buckwheat, chestnut, teff, sorghum, nut and coconut. Each chapter opens with a primer on that type of flour. At the beginning of the book, she discusses waffles, pancakes and crepes as the ultimate platform that uses any kind of combo of flours. Toppings pf course can be regular, such as maple syrups, jams, whipped cream, fruits, etc. Hey, at our house, this alone can replace breakfast and even some lunches...Try some chocolate fudge cupcakes, buckwheat sponge cake, chestnut sponge cake with figs, peach crumble, nutty oat sables, carrot spice cake, and more. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, and even include scaling. There are also tables of conversions and equivalents on the last page. Quality/price rating: 89. 17.CHOCOLATE AT HOME (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-573-3, $27.95 US hard covers) is by the UK's Will Torrent, a multiple award-winning chef now a consultant pastry chef to Waitrose and others, specializing in chocolate. He wants you to try your hand at melting, tempering, and moulding chocolate truffles at home. He's got some 80 recipes, all illustrated, and with techniques to inspire the home cook. He opens with the primer and the basic steps, followed by chapters on truffles, cookies, desserts and puddings, ice creams, and even mixed items such as champagne truffles, Aztec hot chocolate, and other exotic sinfully rich items. Try pistachio stracciatella gelato, billionaire's shortbread, spiced white chocolate and blackcurrant crumble cake, and milk chocolate and cardamom sables. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements with scaling, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 18.HAROLD DIETERLE'S KITCHEN NOTBOOK (Grand Central Life & Style, 2014, 382 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-2863-9, $32 US hard covers) is by the co-owner of Perilla and Kin Shop in New York City. He was also the inaugural winner of the Top Chef TV series. He's got logrolling from Michael Symon, Michael White, and Jonathan Waxman. The influences in this book are eclectic: contemporary, Italian, Thai, and German. These are preps and notes from his Kitchen Notebook, arranged by course (salads, starters, soups, pasta and risotto, seafood, poultry, meats, desserts, with appendices of basic techniques and basic recipes followed by mail-order resources. There are about 100 different notebook subjects, ranging from artichokes to white beans, and including deep-fried eggs, duck fat, eggplant-basil combinations, lychees, jerk marinade, and other items. And of course there is also the recipe index itself. Do try the braised veal and polenta, roasted tilefish with sweetbreads, grilled branzino and spicy cumin lamb with water chestnuts, or the salted caramel apple crisp with dried cranberri4s, almond streusel and vanilla bean ice cream. He's a busy man. But like most American cookbooks, preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 19.AMERICA – FARM TO TABLE (Grand Central Life & Style, 2014, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-8468-0, $35 US hard covers) is by Mario Batali, with Jim Webster (a newspaperman familiar with food). I half-expected some log rolling by Mario himself, but then – wait a minute – it is his own book!! Still, the publisher did manage to extract two paragraphs from his own signed Introduction. It is basically an information package, not a Batali cookbook. He and Webster had asked some chef friends across the US to tell them who their fave farmers were. These farmers shared their personal stories and products with them. It is a farm-to-table book, with Webster doing the digging with the chefs and the farmers and Batali doing the home recipes using the best ingredients. It does work rather well; there are 100 recipes here, arranged by appetizer, soups, salads, sandwiches, etc. through to desserts. There is a chef from each city who works with a farmer. Thus, from Austin Chef Bryce Gilmore works with Farmer Nathan Heath. There are seven preps here from Batali on the main ingredient of carrots and roots: carrot frittelle with feta cheese, beet salad with baby spinach and goat cheese, etc. And from Rockland Maine, the chef I am best familiar with is Chef Melissa Kelly from Primo Restaurant, and Farmer Jeff McKeen who does oysters. So there are eight oyster preps from Maine. Two questions: why is there nobody from Portland, the hotbed/cutting edge of American food? And why did Batali not do New York City for himself? I'm just curious. Other cities include Chicago, Las Vegas, Nashville, San Francisco – 14 in all. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 20.MARCUS OFF DUTY (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-94058-7, $35 US hard covers) is by Marcus Samuelsson, the youngest chef ever to win two 3 stars from the NY Times, and five-time Beard Award winner, and now also a TV host along with the Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem. These are dishes that he makes at home for his wife, family and friends. It is an eclectic culinary mix of Ethiopian, Swedish, Mexican, Caribbean, Italian and Deep South soul. It is also largely casual food, with dill-spiced salmon and coconut-lime curried chicken. There are some children's dishes too. The book comes complete with log rolling from Anthony Bourdain, Zarela Martinez, and Jonathan Waxman. Along with music selections, this is a pretty good introduction to home cooking. Try habesha lamb chops with apple-mango chutney (Africa), androuille sausage with red shrimp and spicy grits, bourbon shrimp with baby spinach, parsnip soup with walnuts, or the marvelous three-shades-of-green vegetable broth. As with most American cookbooks, preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 21.EVERYDAY ITALIAN FAVORITES (Taunton Press, 2014, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-62710-709-9,$19.95 US paper) is by the Academia Barilla. It was originally published in Italy and is now translated for the North American market. It is a collection of recipes for weeknight meals, all put out by Chef Mario Grazia, who also contributed some of the text and some of the photos. There are about 100 preps here, meant for busy Italians who cook simply at home during the week. It is all arranged by apps through desserts, with separate chapters for pasta and rice, and for pizza and focaccia. Family-friendly dishes include spaccatelle with veggie ragout, lasagne bolognese, Tuscan pork roast, and ricotta gnocchi. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are also tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 22,MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE (White Star Publishers, 2014, 304 pages, ISBN 978-88-544-0830-2 $35 US hard covers) comes from the Academia Barilla in Parma; it was originally published in Italy in 2011. It is one of the more renowned cooking school in Italy. In 2010 the Mediterranean Diet was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The 130 recipes here have been chosen by the Academy to most reflect the Mediterranean heritage. The emphasis seems to be more on the coastal sides of Italy, but range from apps through primi and secondi, salads, desserts, focaccia, and preserves. The limoncello recipe calls for Sorrento lemons, but just about any untreated or organic lemon will do. It does follow the principles of the Diet, while emphasizing seafood. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The index is in teeny tiny print, so do wear your glasses. Quality/price rating: 86. 23.MOOSEWOOD COOKBOOK. 40th Anniversary Edition (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 232 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-756-7, $30 US hard covers) is by Mollie Katzen. In 1974, she hand-wrote, illustrated, and locally published a spiral-bound notebook of recipes for vegetarian dishes from what was served at the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY. In 1977, it was enlarged and published by Ten Speed Press, and in 1992 it was thoroughly revised and added to with an extra 25 recipes. In 2000 it was tweaked and re-published, and here it is again, with a mite more re-tweaking. It is a great book, we use it a lot at home. It has sold millions of copies, and is an influential vegetarian cookbook. What more can I add? Just the one disappointment (for its international sales including Canada) - preparations have their ingredients listed only in avoirdupois measurements, and there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 93. 24.WINEWISE (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008, 2014, 376 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-33462-5, $35 US hard covers) is by Steven Kolpan, Brian Smith and Michael Weiss – all professors of wine at the Culinary Institute of America. In 2008, Wiley published “WINEWISE; your complete guide to understanding, selecting, and enjoying wine” (360 pages) by these same three authors; it subsequently won a Beard Award. Wiley has since left the consumer market, and the book transferred over to HMH. It is meant as both a textbook for hospitality students, especially those at the CIA, and for the informed consumer who wishes to pursue his vinous knowledge. It is a fairly complete basic guide within two covers at a very decent price. There are over 300 colour photos and 32 maps (in colour, and with sufficient detail). The authors aim to prepare the basic consumer to appreciate wines, to select and buy the best bottles in both stores and restaurants, and to pair wines with foods (and vice versa). They begin coverage with material on the major white and red varietals. They continue with profiles of the major wine regions in the world. Here, Canada is lumped with Greece in a separate chapter labeled as “up and coming”. Ok, I can handle that. There are a few errors in the Ontario section: there is no mention of Prince Edward County as a wine growing region. But some corrections and additions have been made since 2008. Additional material concerns lists of value wines. As for restaurant pricing policies, the authors say “the wine should never cost double its retail price on the wine list” (p352). With a straight face, I can say that for Ontario, the wine should ALWAYS cost quadruple its retail price. A $10 bottle from the consignment warehouse is regularly priced in the $40 to $50 range. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 25.FINE COOKING ROASTING (Taunton Press, 2014, 154 pages, ISBN 978-1-62710-807-2, $14.95 US paper covers) comes Fine Cooking magazine and its editors. 42 contributors are named, and their recipes are sourced. For example, current Torontonian Jennifer McLagen, who has written four books concerning roasts (Bones, Fat, Odd Bits, Cooking on the Bone) has garlicky shrimp with basil, slow-roasted leg of lamb, moussaka gratinee, lamb nicoise salad, and Indian lamb curry. The recipes cover the whole dinner pattern, from apps, soups, to desserts and even leftovers. Ingredients include meats, poultry, veggies, and others. There is nutritional information as well. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 26.THE CHEESECAKE BIBLE (Robert Rose, 2008, 2014, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0192-4, $27.95 CAN soft covers) is by George Geary, a food journalist with five cookbooks. It was originally published in 2008, and some of the preps were earlier published in two Robert Rose anthologies in 2002 and 2005. It is a basic book, with 200 recipes devoted to decadence. They are very easy to make and bake, and they are full of flavour because they have fat. I did not see any low-cal or low-fat versions by flipping or by the index. Basic techniques include getting it out of the pan. There's some material on cracking and on side crumbs. The source list is all US except for one place. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 27.COMPLETE BOOK OF INDIAN COOKING (Robert Rose, 2007, 480 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0170-2, $37.95 US paper covers) is by Suneeta Vaswani, who has been teaching Indian cooking for over 30 years. It is the soft cover reprint of the 2007 hard cover edition, with no changes. The 350 recipes come from all regions of India. It is a pretty basic book, and extremely useful because of that. Chapters are arranged by course (apps, chaat, beans and lentils, grains, eggs-chicken-meat, fish and seafood, veggies, salads, etc.) after a brief introduction to the culinary highlights of Indian foods: ingredients, spice blends, herbs, regional cooking differences. Within each chapter there is a categorization by region (north, east, west, south). Chaat has its own chapter for street food. Spicier recipes are labeled HOT, and there is a glossary. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Try mustard-flavoured chicken tikka, fruit chaat, south Indian rice and lentil crepes, or lamb with green mango. Quality/price rating: 88. 28.PIES AND TARTS FOR DINNER AND DESSERT (Melville House, 2012, 2013, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-61219-417-2, $32 US hard covers) is by Stephane Reynaud, chef-owner of Villa 9 Trois just outside Paris. He has written award-winning cookbooks such as Pork & Sons, and he has appeared on TV. Here he has 75 recipes for savoury pies and tarts for dinner, as well as some desserts. There are regional French variations here as well. The book was published in French in 2012, and then translated in 2013 by Murdoch Books Australia. He's got a section on “successful pate brisee”, “successful pate sablee” and “successful pate feuilletee” with photos of techniques, all numbered and co-ordinated. Try his marvelous herb and hazelnut pie or duck confit a l'orange pies, or even sweetbread pie. Yeah, it is that kind of book. A winner. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There are indexes to the recipes by major ingredient, by type of pastry used, and by individual product (e.g. boar. Brie, cantal). Quality/price rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR SEPTEMBER 2014 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, deantudor@deantudor.com Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.ca These food and wine book reviews are always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.ca But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.BEER; the ultimate world tour (Race Point Publishing, 2014, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-93799-441-9 $30 US hard covers) is by Bill Yenne, who has written about brewing history (e.g. Guinness: the 250-year quest for the perfect pint; Beers of North America; and several others). Here he runs through the planet on a country-by-country basis, beginning with Ireland, then the UK, Scandinavia, East Europe, Germany, Belgium, Middle East, Far East, Canada (12 pages), and US. He also gives us an overview of beer styles and beer glassware. Each country gets an overview of brewing heritage, culture and styles – well over 1000 brands in the book. Beer festivals are covered, as well as bottle shapes. The emphasis is on bottled beer, not draughts or cans. Audience and level of use: beginners, arm-chair travelers, beer buyers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: with the exception of the United States, the world's brewing industry uses hectoliters as a standard measurement. The downside to this book: it could use a bit more depth but then the book would have been much bigger. The upside to this book: it is a good survey of many minor countries. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.THE ALLERGY-FREE PANTRY (The Experiment, 2014, 314 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-208-3, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Colette Martin, a food writer specializing in allergy-free foods. It is directed to those eaters suffering from multiple allergies, principally children. She gives advice and recipes for making your own snacks and staples without wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, nuts – six of the top eight allergens (the other two are fish and shellfish). First up in her book is “avoiding contamination”, then comes “ingredients and substitutions” followed by clean equipment and “storage considerations”. Once the kitchen is clean, she moves on to flour blends and mixes, non-dairy milk, replacing eggs, meals (breakfast, sides, pasta and pizza, freezer meals) followed by savoury and sweet snacks/desserts. There is much material on being careful and measuring everything, as well as a resources list. Each recipe has substitutions and variations, if possible. Her book has 110 preps, and there is a lot more material at her website www.learningtoeatallergyfree.com. You can avoid reading small labels at stores if you do this yourself, and avoid possible contamination: save time and money, and be reassured of a healthy life. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is only a table of metric flour weight equivalents. Audience and level of use: allergy sufferers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sunflower seed butter, hamburger buns, powdered donut holes, animal crackers. Quality/Price Rating: 92. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.VEGETARIAN DINNER PARTIES (Rodale, 2014, 290 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-501-7, $32.50 US hard covers) is by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarborough, award-winning authors of more than 20 cookbooks. Here they delve into entertaining with 150 meatless meals “good enough to serve company”. It's arranged by size, with chapters on no plates, small plates, soups, pastas, large plates and final plates. They open with cocktails and punches, and close with food gifts on departure, such as granola. Nice touches. Vegan dishes are clearly labeled as such, but in a lighter ink. In addition to the preps, there are some highly structured tips and advice on how to entertain a crowd, emphasizing the nicer touches (no paper napkins, for example). Menus, with page references, are given for every dish, which is a terrific idea. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegetarians, entertainers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: beet tian with walnuts and oranges; watercress and celery root salad with za'atar; pistachio shortbread with tomato gelee; fiddlehead tacos with almond romanesco; braised kobacha squash with scallions and miso; ricotta spinach dumplings with parmesan cream sauce. The downside to this book: “vegan” needs darker ink. The upside to this book: good menus for each dish. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4.1000 JUICES, GREEN DRINKS AND SMOOTHIES (Firefly Books, 2014, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-451-2, $29.95 CAN hard covers) is by Deborah Gray, cookbook author of healthy books such as 500 Vegan Recipes. Here she presents 100 foundation preps with 900 variations (to include milkshakes, slushies, and frappes). It is illustrated, but mostly with colourful liquids in a glass. Threads include breakfast blends, cleansing drinks, restorative drinks, energy boosters, thirst quenchers, frozen drinks, party drinks, and “mocktails”. Teeny tiny typeface for the important index (locator of all recipes by name), which is unfortunate – especially since one or two nondescript photos, such as the last one for a shampagne cocktail, could have been eliminated and freed up a few pages. Those most interested in healthy food are the older folks, like myself, who struggle sometimes with computerized typeface sizing. Also unfortunate is the similar size for the list of ingredients, despite plenty of spacing. The preliminary pages deal with processing drinks (equipment, types of food, dairy alternatives, sugar substitutes nuts and seeds, supplements and additives) followed by the sections. Each has a model recipe followed by 9 or so variations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: healthy food eaters, beginners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: under cucumber agua fresca (flavoured water), she has herbed cucumber agua fresca, gingered agua fresca, lemongrass and ginger agua fresca, lemongrass and vanilla, cucumber cranberry, lavender, strawberry, blackberry and lemon verbena, pineapple mint, and warm lemon water. The downside to this book: small typeface, some non-essential photos. The upside to this book: good data collection of preps. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 5.THE FRENCH COOK: soups and stews (Gibbs Smith, 2014, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3576-5, $21.99 US hard covers) is by Holly Herrick, who is a Cordon Bleu grad and restaurant critic, living in Charleston, SC. She has also written a few cookbooks for Gibbs Smith. This is the fourth in a series on French cuisine (Herrick has written three of them). And, of course, what better time to roll-out than with versatile soups and stews. There are photos and step-by-step techniques. The six basic stocks are here, as foundations for the soups and stews. Soups are mainly clear or delicate consommes, and creamy (corn, mushroom, chestnut, fresh pea). Some variations are noted. The basic hearty stews are here: beef bourguignon, cassoulet, lamb stew. The book is set up as a primer for beginners. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: fruity curried lamb stew, vichyssoise with asparagus, cold red pepper soup, cantaloupe soup. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 6.FERMENTED VEGETABLES (Storey Publishing, 2014, 376 pages, ISBN 978-1-61212-425-4 $24.95 US paper covers) is by Kirsten Shockey and Christopher Shockey, farmers in southern Oregon. They have created over 40 varieties of cultured veggies and krauts which they sell at their farmstand. Lacto-fermentation is a classic preserving method, yielding nutrient-dense live foods with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and priobiotics. In this book they deal with sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, and fermented condiments. Then they give us about 64 different preps for fresh veggies, herbs, and fruits. There are a total of about 140 recipes here which include incorporating fermented vegetables into a plated fish for any meal. The techniques need to be mastered first, but they are easy. For example, kimchi can be made with asparagus, garlic scapes, parsnips, and snow peas. There are, of course, some ethnic flavours here. The arrangement is: primer, A-Z guide to veggie and fruits, plated dishes incorporating the fermented foods. They have a resource list, a bibliography, and a troubleshooting area (“scum”) to describe problems or not-problems. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those seeking a healthier lifestyle, those with digestive issues. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: au gratin potatoes; lentils and rice; fish tacos; egg salad; zucchini muffins. The downside to this book: nothing, really. The upside to this book: something new, especially during the preserving and holiday seasons. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 7.THE KITCHN COOKBOOK (Clarkson Potter, 2014, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-7704-3443-4, $32.50 US hard covers) is by Sara Kate Gillingham, food writer, food author, and founding food blogger at The Kitchn (from 2005). Faith Durand is the other author; she is a cookbook writer and executive editor of The Kitchn. It is a basic book of recipes, kitchens, and tips to be an inspiration to cooking. Part one is devoted to setting up the kitchen with its tools, and then maintaining it. Then there is stocking the pantry and planning the meals, which also includes a chapter on 50 essential cooking skills. That's all in the first half of the book – then come the recipes for 150 pages. There is a resources section with a list of suppliers of essentials with some websites. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents (just a mathematical formula to multiply fluids by 30 or solids by 28). Audience and level of use: beginners, fans of websites Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: winter squash and chicken thighs over polenta; baked brown rice, lentils and cauliflower with cucumber yogurt sauce; black bean edamame burgers; green payaya pad Thai; jam hand pies; Middle Eastern turkey burger. The downside to this book: sorry, but it needs a proper metric table. The upside to this book: fairly comprehensive for the novice. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 8.SERIOUSLY DELISH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-17649-2, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Jessica Merchant, a recipe developer and writer-blogger at How Sweet Eats. It is an upbeat book, emphasizing colour and flavours, presentation, and great mouthfeel. Her philosophy is that you have to have a relationship with food. The arrangement is eclectic, but begins with breakfast, moving on to snack, sandwiches, salads, soups, veggies, Tex-Mex, burgers, pizza, cocktails, and celebrations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner, millennials. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: amaretto-butternut squash soup with cinnamon toast croutons; crab cakes with sweet corn and blueberry salsa; caramel bourbon brownie milkshakes; confetti cupcakes. The downside to this book: so many pix of Jessica The upside to this book: much of this food seems to be an obsession with her. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 9.THE NATURAL FOOD KITCHEN (Ryland Peter & Small, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-560-3, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Jordan Bourke, a trained chef who writes cookbooks and had worked with Yotyam Ottolenghi, who is the log roller here. These are seasonal dishes using fresh and healthy alternatives to flours/sugars/dairy/fats (as listed). His first book was The Guilt-Free Gourmet; here, he moves along to be more global in concept. The arrangement is by course, beginning with all the esses: snacks, small plates, soups, sandwiches, sauces, stews, salads, substantial savouries, seafoods, sides, and sweets. There is a pantry in the primer. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois and some metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: intermediate range Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chocolate and nut butter tart; sardines with sunchokes and salsa verde; quinoa with mint, orange and beetroot; farinata; chickpea fritters. The downside to this book: it is a heavily competitive field for this kind of cookbook The upside to this book: gorgeous photos Quality/Price Rating: 85 10.BROOKLYN SPIRITS: craft distilling and cocktails from the world's hippest borough (Powerhouse Books, 2014, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-57687-705-0, $35US) is by writer Peter Thomas Fornatale and longtime mixologist Chris Wertz. Since 2002, craft distillers have been allowed to function in New York state. Brooklyn is now a hotbed of distilling activity. The authors give profiles of some of the local business, including infusers, bitters makers, and a vermouth producer, about a dozen in all. Each description has some recipes from producers, bartenders and restaurants in Brooklyn, and includes commentary from these people. Many of the products have some national distribution in the US, but not all. Indeed, for Canadians, we may be SOL and lacking. This means you'll need to substitute something appropriate, and there are suggestions here for the 100 plus cocktails. So, for Brooklyn Hemispherical Bitters, we have a history, a biography and the philosophy of Mark Buettler the founder, and some preps. Audience and level of use: cocktail lovers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: “people who refer to themselves as “wine-makers” are just self-absorbed idiots or chemists. Nobody actually makes wine; wine makes itself”. The downside to this book: well, Noilly Prat was misspelled – in large type The upside to this book: well-framed photos. Quality/Price Rating: 85. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 11.CHICKEN; THE NEW CLASSICS (Nourish Books, 2014, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-84899-197-2, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Marcus Bean, who doesn't seem to have any bio in the book nor on the web site. Deep research shows that he's an Iron Chef in the UK with some TV cooking shows. It is an engaging book, full of “classics” with some contemporary touches. The primer gives guidelines for purchasing, storing, and preparing whole chicken or chicken parts. Then come weekday meals, followed by chapter "for the weekend" and concluding with dinners and celebrations: more than 100 recipes include tasty chicken salads such as chicken Waldorf salad with crispy shallots; chargrilled chicken, fennel with feta salad; glazed orange and mustard chicken with chard and spinach salad; and quinoa chicken and asparagus salad. He's got spring rolls with hoisin sauce, fajitas, homemade smoked paprika wraps, mango and coriander chicken pita, and some US dishes such as fried chicken and Corn or New Orleans jambalaya with chicken, chorizo and shrimp. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 12.THE DIRTY APRON COOKBOOK (Figure.1; distr. Raincoast) 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-927958-17-9, $34.95 CAN hard covers) is by David Robertson, the first chef-de-cuisine at Chambar in Vancouver. Since 2009 he has been teaching at his Dirty Apron Cooking School and Delicatessen. He has about 8,000 students a year. The school has a large range of classes, for different levels and different themes. His book is a collection of the “tried-and-true” preps from the school. It is very heavily illustrated, which also suggests more of an armchair chef or even food stylist, but there are 80 items, from brunches, apps through soups, deli lunches (sandwiches, pasta), mains, and desserts. There is also a history/memoir of the school. Techniques in the preps are, of course, useful. Typical brunches include prosciutto and taleggio brioches, poached eggs on herb potato rosti with sun-dried tomato hollandaise, and Moroccan mimosas. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. More details are at www.dirtyapron.com. Quality/price rating: 86. 13.FRENCH ROOTS (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 262 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-547-1, $35 US hard covers) is by Jean-Pierre Moulle, retired as executive chef at Chez Panisse in 2012 (he began working there in 1975) and Denise Lurton Moulle, member of the well-known Bordeaux wine making Lurton family (she distributes Bordeaux wines in North America). They have homes in both Sonoma and in Bordeaux; their book contains food from both places. It is also part memoir with descriptions of French family life and life in Berkeley where they both worked. Now they spend their time leading culinary tours, foraging, hunting and preserving. Some French dishes via Denise, when she was growing up, include: porcini omelet, apricot crisp, ile flottant, swiss chard frittata, and summer vegetables stuffed with pork sausage. Some dishes via Jean-Pierre, when he was at Chez Panisse, include: grilled quail with red cabbage and chestnuts, cream of young turnip and turnip greens with cured ham, fish and shellfish terrine, and grilled scallop skewers with pancetta and herb butter. There are lots of intriguing photos of food plating and raw ingredients, plus copious background notes to each dish. The material is fairly comprehensive and self-revelatory. The last chapter deals with aperitifs and canapes, with such tasty items as walnut wine, wild salmon tartare, olive tapenade, marinated sardines, and canned roasted tomatoes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 14.BLUE RIBBON BAKING FROM A REDNECK KITCHEN (Clarkson Potter, 2014; distr. Random House Canada, 239 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8578-3, $22 US paper covers) is by Francine Bryson, who has won more than 200 local and national backing competitions, including some on reality TV shows. Both of her grandmothers passed on their recipes to her. The whole range is here: pies (coconut cream, peanut butter), cookies and bars (cow patties, ginger snaps), cakes, cheesecakes, biscuits, breads, and ending with candy and truffles. If you like to go all out with fats and sugars, this book's for you. Mmmm-mmm. About 120 preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 15.LET US ALL EAT CAKE; gluten-free recipes for everyone's favorite cakes (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-629-4, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Catherine Ruehle, a cake artist and once owner of Sublime Bakery. She is now a health coach and TV personality (at the end of 2010 she had to forego dairy and gluten). Sarah Scheffel who assisted, is a cookbook editor. It comes with log rolling, although some of them are hard to read on the inside cover. Here are 60 recipes for a variety of coffee cakes, later cakes, cupcakes, little cakes, snack and breakfast cakes: lemon blueberry bundt, honey-lavender tea cake, polenta breakfast cake, chocolate orange gateaux, lemon meringue cupcakes, and chocolate layer cake. Plus, of course, the various glazes and frostings. There is also a section on decorating techniques and special occasion cakes. Who says gluten-free has to be boring? Dive in...Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 16.AARTI PAARTI (Grand Central Life & Style, 2014,304 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-4541-4, $28 US hard covers) is by Aarti Sequeira, who has prominently appeared on the Cooking Channel and the Food Network in a variety of shows, including one of her own (Aarti Party). She has her own YouTube channel and blog aartipaarti.com. There's some logrolling here from Michael Symon and others. Her book is derived from the blog and from TV shows: it is a blend of Middle East and Indian flavours with American food through 100 recipes. It is part memoir too, showing how she became the woman she is. It is broken down by ingredient: chutneys, breads, veggies, sides, salads, legumes, poultry, meat, seafood and dessert. There's an Indian pantry and a resources list. Many of the non-English words in the recipe titles have phonetic pronunciations. Typical dishes include kebab sliders with date chutney and arugula raita, bacon-mint-pine nut stuffing muffins, Moroccan carrot salad with caramelized lemon and pine nuts, blistered corn on the cob with zesty masala and lime, and chai-brined pork chops with spiked spiced apple chutney. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 17.MISS VICKIE'S KITCHEN (Figure.1, 2014, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-927958-15-5, $29.95 CAN hard covers) is by Vickie Kerr, who founded Miss Vickie's Potato Chips in 1987. It is her first book, and yes, it includes a recipe for her iconic chip (as well as two preps for chips and chocolate desserts). Other than that, this is a family cookbook of some 70 recipes, ranging from apps through salads, sides, soups, stews, meat, seafood, desserts, and putting food by with preserving and pickling. She has a Montreal dry garlic spareribs, baked wild salmon, shepherd's pie (actually, cottage pie), pan-fried potatoes. Most of it is quick and easy. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84. 18.SILVANA'S GLUTEN-FREE AND DAIRY-FREE KITCHEN (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 231 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-15734-7, $25 US hard covers) is by Silvana Nardone, cookbook author, blogger, and former owner of an Italian bakery. It is a basic book with Nardone re-working mainly comfort foods into GF-DF foods. It's arranged by course, from apps through desserts, with plenty of breads along the way. She's got some reinvented baking mixes for breads, pizza, bagel, pancake, etc., and some milk substitutes for ricotta cheese, parmesan, whipped cream, dulce de leche, bechamel, buttermilk, and more. Since her son needs GF-DF, they must work – he eats them and stays healthy. Family food is especially good. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 19.WORLD SPICE AT HOME (Sasquatch Books, 2014; distr. Random House Canada, 228 pages, ISBN 978-1-57061-907-6, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Amanda Bevill, owner of World Spice Merchants in Seattle, and Julie Kramis Hearne, a cookbook author who also worked at Herbfarm restaurant. There are over 75 preps here, each worked on with a vibrant spice of some kind. The authors have a primer covering pure spices and spice blends, and then the book proceeds from apps to desserts and breads through the standard meal pattern. Spice-blends include baharat, berbere, besar, Chinese five-spice, curries, dukkah, harissa, kasmiri garam masala, ras el hanout, and za'atar. The is the most valuable part of the book, and there is a separate contents listing for recipes that use these blends. Otherwise, there is an index by ingredient and dish name. They've got za'atar fries, spiced nuts, chicken wings with chili-garlic and Chinese five-spice, beet salad and goat cheese with dukkah, crab melts with kasmiri curry, and maple-glazed pork chops with besar. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 20.MY PERFECT PANTRY (Clarkson Potter, 2014, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-385-34566-8, $30 US hard covers) is by Geoffrey Zakarian, chef/partner of some NYC restaurants, works on Food Network and Iron Chef projects, and also judges on TV. Here he works on a pantry cookbook, a nifty idea: 150 easy recipes based on 50 essential ingredients from your pantry (oats, honey, olive oil, tuna, ketchup, bread crumbs, raisins, chickpeas, et al – major shelf keepers that will not deteriorate). Just add a few common items from shopping at a market, such as shrimp, tomatoes, pork, chicken, and so forth. Et voila! The easy preps include grilled salmon with almond tarragon romesco, almond-crusted pork chops with apples, bagna cauda, beef barley bisque, with duck and barley salad among other foods. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 21.BACK AROUND THE TABLE (Ballantine Books, 2014, 299 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-7685-9, $30 US hard covers) is by David Vebable, QVC's Resident Foodie (he's been with the network as a food personality since 1993) with many shows and a cookbook. He's got the log rollers Michael Symon, Emeril Lagasse, and Lidia Bastianich. It is comfort food with style, about 150 preps worth, divided by style: mix and mingle, brunch, shake and stir, quick and easy, smoke and fire, gather and share, light and bright, fresh and flavourful, and sweets and treats. The themes are about what one would expect, and it is all tied together through the extensive index for retrieval. The style includes lasagna roll-ups, blueberry-lemon ricotta pancakes, lighter baked mac and cheese, angel food cake, breakfast poppers with grits and bacon, Guinness beef stew, hummus, and maple-glazed carrots and parsnips. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 22.BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS NEW COOKBOOK. GIFTS FROM THE KITCHEN, plus Food Gift Chapter. 15th edition. (Wiley, 2012, 2014, 672 loose leaf pages, ISBN 978-544-30707-0, $29.99 US, ring binder) is from the magazine of the same name. In fact, with each book US and Canada residents can get a free subscription for one year (value: $6 US). Since the book is widely discounted at box stores and Amazon, with the subscription the book can be had at virtually next to nothing. The 15th edition was published in 2012. It is important to remember: this is a classic that keeps getting better, for the basic home cook. Now in this edition of more than 1400 preps are 1300 recipes with 1200 photos (800 new) and 400 photos of techniques. And there is more complete nutritional data for each dish. New features include a chapter on “Cook's Secrets”, “8 to Try” (flavour changes to perk up simple recipes), and a new chapter on holiday faves. Recipes have been laid out in a more eye appealing fashion, and there is advice on how to customize basic recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is still no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 23.THE LOW-SUGAR COOKBOOK (Nourish Books, 2010, 2014, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-84899-975-6, $17.95 CAN paper covers) is by Nicola Graimes, an award-winning healthy-food writer of more than 25 books. The recipes were taken from an earlier book published in 2010 as Quick & Easy Low-Sugar Recipes. The other material is newly written, and of course, some of the preps have been updated. It is a British context, by=but then sugar is sugar. These low-sugar versions do not resort to artificial sweeteners, so of course they are more healthy. Her collection includes some basic preps (such as chutneys, relishes, jams, almond milk), breakfasts and brunches, light meals and snacks, dinners, desserts, cakes, breads, and some menu planning. The index could have been more useful if more ingredients were indexed: for example, spelt soda bread is only under soda and bread, but not spelt. Preparations have their ingredients listed in some metric but mostly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Preps and cooking times are given, and there are four 5-day menus. Quality/price rating: 87. 24.THE BEER BOOK (DK, 2008, 2014, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-1952-1, $25 US hard covers) has been pulled together by Editor-in-Chief Tim Hampson. There are 14 contributors (with bios), but no signed reviews or entries. Most of the beers are bottled, but there are some from microbrew pubs. There is a pix of a beer bottle or can or pump for all the major beers covered. The directory-type data includes names and addresses, websites, and a mini-capsule history. There are also maps which include the US, Germany, UK, Belgium, and the Czech Republic (considered the Key Nations in beermaking). There are more maps of “Beer Trails” in Oregon, Bamberg, Cotswold’s, Brussels, and Prague. There are features on the biggies Anheuser-Busch, Brooklyn, Guinness, Hoegaarden, Pilsner Urquell, and others. And essays on tasting, malts, German beer, lager, hops, glasses, wild beer yeasts, and beer-food matching. There is a glossary and index to beers, as well as space for your own tasting notes. More than 800 breweries are covered in this updated 2014 edition, with some tasting notes for more than 1700 beers. Canada gets six pages for Amsterdam, Creemore, Granville Island, Pump House, McAuslan, etc. (27 companies in all), with 2 to 4 beers apiece. We needed more on Canada – also why was there Labatt and Molson coverage? Quality/Price Rating: 88. 25.LA TARTINE GOURMANDE; recipes for an inspired life. (Roost Books, 2011, 2014; distr. Random House of Canada, 314 pages, ISBN 978-1-61189-078-4, $26.95 CAN soft covers) is by Beatrice Peltre, creator of latartinegourmande.com weblog. She’s also a free-lance food writer, stylist and photographer, working in and around Boston. So she did almost everything in the book: food writing, food styling and food photography. There’s log rolling from David Lebovitz, and Dorie Greenspan. This is a soft cover reprint from the 2011 hardbound book. There are about 100 recipes, mostly inspired by her French roots. Other preps come from Denmark, New Zealand, and Boston. She’s also slightly gluten-intolerant, so most of the baked goods here have gluten-free flours. She’s careful to explain all of this and to list her organic flours. Every prep comes with a memoir-like anecdote, so it is a bit of a personal book. After a kitchen primer, the arrangement is by course (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert). Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Some interesting or unusual recipes include cold honeydew and cucumber soup, omelet wraps with nori and crunchy veggies, cumin and parsley- flavored cheese gougeres, white lentil soup with chorizo and poached eggs, and lavender ile flottantes. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 26.RAW SNACKS (Grub Street, 2011, 2014; distr. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-909808-05-8, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Caroline Fibaek, a Danish naturopath who consults for raw food restaurants. It was originally published in Denmark in 2011; this is the English translation. It is an engaging collection of raw food, emphasizing the entry points of spicy nuts, raw chocolate truffles, grape lollipops, date fudge, coffee substitutes and energy drinks. As the title says, they are all snacks, and these can be the easiest to handle for non-raw food eaters – and great at mixed parties. Arrangement is by type: salty, chocolate, liquorice, wine gums, caramel, “ice cream”, milkyshakes, sparklers, and more. These have no dairy, no white sugar, no gluten, no animal fat. Just 100% raw vegan. There is an international list of suppliers' websites at the rear. Preparations have their ingredients listed as hybrids in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 27.COFFEE TIME TREATS (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-569-6, $24.95 US hard covers) is a publisher's collection of some 80 recipes for coffee cakes, sticky buns, muffins, and other soppers for the morning espresso, mid-day latte, and after-dinner cappuccino. Only a few (under 15) actually have coffee in them; the bulk are meant as spicy-nutty accompaniments. Credits go to the RPS stable of cookbook writers such as Liz Franklin, Hannah Miles, Isadora Popovic, Sarah Randall, and Julian Day. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR AUGUST 2014 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, deantudor@deantudor.com Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.ca Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.ca But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.WINES OF SOUTH AMERICA; the essential guide (University of California Press, 2014, 302 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27393-1, $39.95 US hard covers) is by Evan Goldstein, a Master Sommelier with his own consulting firm. Previously, he had authored two books for UC Press on wine and food matching. Here, he conducts a country-by-country tour of South America, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay plus Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. He begins with an overview and grape varieties grown (along with acreage by country: did you know that Chile has 10 acres of Tannat?). For each country, he gives a history and some notes on “game changer” people. This is followed by a region-by-region analysis, with maps and recommended producers. Each country concludes with some winery profiles with directory information, what wines it is known for, its signature wines, and occasionally a black and white photo. But no real tasting notes. The maps and statistics are generally uptodate. He has a list of significant and important wines to try, and I find it rather disheartening that most are not available in Ontario since they cost more than $20. At the end he has sections on touring, dining, and selecting wines. But he does need to devote more words and space to some wine terms such as Reserva and Gran Reserva, which are appearing more frequently on South American wine labels in order to differentiate wines on the shelf. Audience and level of use: wine lovers, reference libraries, schools of hospitality and wine schools. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay lead the way for whites, while Bonarda, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot have the largest acreage for the reds. The downside to this book: the scene is so volatile and expanding that it is hard to keep up with in book form. The upside to this book: good insight, and an indication of problem areas. Quality/Price Rating: 92. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.WORD OF MOUTH; what we talk about when we talk about food (University of California Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0-520-27392-4, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Priscilla Parkhurst Ferguson, a sociology professor at Columbia University specializing in French cultural and cuisine studies. Here, in the social aspects of cross-cultural studies on food she delves into conversation about food, which she notes can often trump consumption. She explains the language behind culinary practices: how we talk about food says a great deal about the world and our place in it. I am reminded of a very recent New Yorker cartoon in which the man asks his wife, “Now that it's summer, should we talk incessantly about tomatoes or corn?” To master food talk in all its forms and applications she draws on documents, interviews, cookbooks, novels, comics, essays and films. The focal point is of course North America, but there is also a strong linkage with the mother cuisine of France since that is what most of the intelligentsia has been exposed to. There are end notes, a huge bibliographic section, and an index. Audience and level of use: sociologists, food lovers, knowledgeable foodies. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: In the culture of haute food, culinary individualism trumps established authority, innovation takes precedence over tradition, and experimentation has priority over formality. The ordered world of haute cuisine has rules, regulations, and reverence for the whole over the part. The downside to this book: it is a compelling book but a scholarly read. The upside to this book: great topic. Quality/Price Rating: 91. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.THE COMPLETE COCONUT COOKBOOK (Robert Rose, 2014, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0488-8, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Camilla V. Saulsbury, a freelance food writer and recipe developer (see her www.powerhungry.com blog). I've always been partial to single ingredient cookbooks that are also comprehensive; they tend to give you everything there is to know about a food, such as coconut. Even hard core health food people have embraced high energy coconut dishes. Her book as 200 gluten-free, grain-free and nut-free vegan recipes using coconut flour, oil, sugar, and other non-meat non-dairy vegan ingredients. It is also a typical Robert Rose book with that particular layout and design (large print, both forms of measurement, tips). She has about four dozen pages of notes emphasizing health and food partners for coconut, plus some bibliographic references at the end. She's got a bunch of coconut flour recipes (tortillas, flax bread, flatbread, focaccia, and pie crust), but most of the preps use coconut oil or coconut milk in place of dairy and fats. All courses are covered, from breakfast through desserts, with beverages, breads, and cakes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Audience and level of use: vegans, healthy lifestyle adherents. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: coconut pancakes; Moroccan sweet potato, butter bean and coconut tagine; coconut-braised baby bok choy; raspberry crumble bars. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 4.WILL IT WAFFLE? (Workman Publishing, 2014, 210 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-7646-6, $14.95 US paper covers) is by writer Dan Sumski, currently living in Montreal. It is an attempt to impose waffle structure on a variety of food items. He promotes waffled bacon and eggs (waffle the bacon, waffle the eggs for lacy whites, and a waffle for a platform). Some may say it is too much of a good thing, but if you like the look and appearance of waffles, then you use a waffle appliance for anything that needs to be cooked. And I am all for using these small gadgets since they have a built-in cost of infrequent use and kitchen space. Here are 53 recipes to make in a waffle iron. He likes the Belgian machine best, for its deeper ridges. There's a short section on waffle history and culture, plus equipment use and safety. This is followed by chapters on breakfasts and brunches, mains, snacks and sides, and desserts. There is also a section on pitfalls, such as too little or too much liquid, how to waffle ice cubes and mixed drinks, and other silly stuff. Over all it is worth a look, but I'm sure that if you have a panini machine, it would work just as well – but with different grill marks. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who own a waffle maker. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: spaghetti and waffled meatballs; waffled raviolis; waffled calamari salad; bibimbap; s'mores (of course). Quality/Price Rating: 84. 5.THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO MAKING MEAD (Voyageur Press, 2014, 160 pages, ISBN 978-0-7603-4564-1, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Steve Piatz, an award-winning beer and mead-maker. He's a Grand Master for the beer judge certification program, and an exam director the the BJCP exam program. It has been awhile since the last mead making book, but here you can find the latest up-to-date techniques. Mead seems to appeal to beer makers since many of the same processes are involved and bottling just involves beer bottles and crown caps. He offers us a brief description of what mead is all about in culture and history; this is followed by materials on mead's character and the varieties involved. He goes on to produce dozens of recipes for the basic meads (only honey), melomel (honey and fruit), metheglins (honey and spices), and braggots (honey and malt), the latter a definite connection to beer making. Chapters cover the basics of ingredients, yeasts, the process, finishing the mead, and bottling. He's got some advanced techniques (clarifying, blending, aging) and recipe development as well. There is a troubleshooting section covering faults (but not for beer malt) and controls, and a concluding glossary of terms. He introduces a log page which can be photocopied for each batch, and a source list. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home brewers, mead lovers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: he stresses the no-boil process and the staggered addition of yeast nutrients. The downside to this book: more recipes, please The upside to this book: excellent photography for the equipment and use. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 6.PROOF; the science of booze (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 264 pages, ISBN 978-0-547-89796-7, $26 US hard covers) is by Adam Rogers, a science and technology award-winning writer. It comes with some heavy duty log rolling from at last 8 other writers, including a student dropout I once taught in journalism school! He begins with yeast, sugar, fermentation, and CO2 bubbles, and then the distillation process. After that, it is merely a matter of aging, smelling and tasting, reaction of the body, the brain, and then the hangover. At each point he goes into exhaustive detail. It is a scientific history, recapping all the advances that come together in the modern bottle. There is nothing social here such as religion and its impact, nor any mention of the Arabic world's contribution – at least not in the index. He has a discussion about craft brewers and artisanal distillers such as St. George, but little on wine. Audience and level of use: spirit lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: the major part of the book deals with distillation as it applies to whiskey. The downside to this book: he doesn't look at the complete decomposition cycle where alcohol will turn to vinegar, and then vinegar to water. The upside to this book: very well written. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 7.THE ULTIMATE BEER LOVER'S HAPPY HOUR (Cumberland House, 2014, 307 pages, ISBN 978-1-4022-9632-1, $14.99 US paper covers) is by John Schlimm who also wrote The Ultimate Beer Lover's Cookbook. He's also a member of the brewing family Straub. Here he's got bar bites, beer cocktails, chasers, punches, etc. with nearly 1000 related pairing suggestions using the modern seasonal beer style. It is all for your own happy hour at home. He's got a short discourse on beer styles and a seasonal beer chart (winter is the time for doppelbock, dunkelweizen, stout and scotch ale). Then he presents different preps for nuts (including the hot spot nut bar with toasted pecans, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, coconut, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and cashews) and pretzels, chickpeas, kale chips, popcorn, etc.), corn fritters and dills, game day sauces/salsas/dips, tapas, pizzas, and burgers. All of it is easy to make. There is a resource guide and a glossary. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beer hounds. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above The downside to this book: so many preps. The upside to this book: a good idea for a home Happy Hour. Saves money. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 8.YUMMY SUPPER (Rodale, 2014, 278 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-544-4, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Erin Scott, creator of the blog www.yummysupper.com. It comes with log rolling by Deborah Madison, Alice Waters, and three others. Scott gives us 100 fresh and luscious recipes, mostly drawn from her blog. But gluten is not everywhere. Many of the preps were gluten-free to begin with: that is, the classic preps had (and hers continue to have) no wheat/barley/rye. Her divisions are slurp, egg, veg, sea, butcher shop, grain + seed, nut, fruit, and kid faves. Just carefully read any labels to avoid gluten. So you really won't find any gluten replacements here by way of bread or flour. There are a few substitutes such as pasta, but no preps for loaves of breads or cakes using GF materials. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who must avoid gluten. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: apple galettes; figs with prosciutto; pears poached in Lillet; preserved lemons; brown sugar caramel corn; baked eggs on a bed of roasted cherry tomatoes; frittata packed with greens. The downside to this book: the use of faint green ink lessens the appeal when searching for items – it is hard to read, too faint. The upside to this book: good looking index. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 9.I LOVE RAMEN (Gibbs Smith, 2014, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3807-0, $16.99 US hard covers) is by Toni Patrick, who doesn't seem to have a life arc. In the Introduction, she appears to be a student somewhere living with five other students, all doing ramen. Of course, I should have realized it: ramen is the student's new Kraft Dinner – it is more affordable. Anyway, you'll need to be young if you want to survive the salt, which is quite a change from the sugar of teen years. Nothing in moderation, apparently. The arrangement is by course, from soup to sweets. Typical are puns such as beef ramenoff, or implement-driven such as slow cooker beef and noodles. Chicken fajita ramen salad sounded interesting. But then it hit me: the preps are basically stews that could also be made with vermicelli or rice. Why bother with ramen? It's a peer thing. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: college undergraduates, penurious millennials. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above The downside to this book: ramen can be added anything if you avoid the packet. The upside to this book: moderately=priced food. Quality/Price Rating: 80. 10.FRENCH COMFORT FOOD (Gibbs Smith, 2014, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3698-4, $30 US hard covers) is by Hillary Davis, a longtime food journalist who has been living in France for the past 13 or so years. She's written a few books on French food, and here tackles what is largely classic bistro and home food. Despite the price, it is a posh looking book with many large photos, giving the book an appearance of being a travel title. Comfort food involves good digestion, which in many cases means fat/salt/sugar in some form. She's got a short discourse on the regional flavours of France, and the preps come from all of these regions. She opens with iconic cheese souffles, but served in a mug – thereby capturing an old dish but in a new presentation. Very clever. She ends with brie melted in its box with brown sugar for two. Again, very clever. You can use a cheaper US brie knockoff in a melt dish (melted cheese is extremely popular) with all the sugar you can handle. Topics include apps, brunch French style, soups, sandwiches, family-style recipes, supper with friends, and sweets. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois with some metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents printed. Audience and level of use: comfort food lovers, travel lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Other iconic dishes include duck breasts with black cherry sauce, flank steak with port sauce, lobster thermidor, chicken marengo, and pan bagnat. The downside to this book: too many non-food larger photos. The upside to this book: nicely presented. Quality/Price Rating: 86. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 11.THE SOUP SISTERS AND BROTH BROTHERS COOKBOOK (Appetite by Random House, 2014, 208 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01642-8, $24.95 CAN paper covers) has been edited by Sharon Hapton, founder of Soup Sisters, a non-profit (with branches) that organizes multiple volunteer soup-making events across Canada – serving over 10,000 every month. This particular book of some 100 soups follows the seasons, and comes from both the volunteers and celebrity Canadian chefs such as Rob Feenie, Susur Lee, Michael Smith, Anna Olson and some international chefs. Included are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. The Soup Sisters Cookbook was originally published in 2012; this second volume contributes different recipes. Preps have been sourced (eg. Mark McEwan's corn bisque, Daniel Hayes' gazpacho Andaluz) and most make 4 to 6 servings. There are savory rutabaga and red lentil soup, Mexican lime soup with chicken and feta, Parisian cream of green bean with white wine and herbs, and avgolemono soup. Sales from the book goes to support the programs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Do visit www.soupsisters.org. Quality/price rating: 87. 12.THE GEFILTEFEST COOKBOOK (Grub Street, 2014, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-909166-25-7, $40 CAN hardback) is from Gefiltefest, a British Jewish food charity which explores the relationship between Judaism and food through education in heritage, ethics, culture and traditions. Over a three year period, 65 global chefs (including Deborah Madison, Fred Plotkin, Claudia Roden, Paula Wolfert, Yotam Ottolenghi) donated recipes to this project. The book is in regular format, beginning with starters, soups, salads, progressing to mains and desserts. There is also a history of Jewish cookbooks, contributed by Maureen Kendler. Preps are sourced (Madison's elixir of fresh peas, Tina Wasserman's Moroccan orange and olive salad, Florence Fabricant's leeks and fennel in anise vinaigrette) and each is labeled parve or dairy, etc., with variations. Each contributor is given a short bio. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 13.BROWN SUGAR KITCHEN (Chronicle Books, 2014, 225 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-2234-2, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Tanya Holland, executive chef and owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen and B-Side BBQ in West Oakland, California. Jan Newberry is the focusing food writer. Log rollers include Alice Waters, Sara Moulton, and Bruce Aidells. This is a soul food place, and the book has 80 preps to reflect that, such as shrimp & chicken gumbo, summer squash succotash, North African spiced beef short ribs, blackened catfish, bourbon and chili-glazed salmon, or jerk baby black ribs. Arrangement is by course, from breakfast through snacks, salads, lunch, soups, sandwiches, big bowls, and sweets. There are a dozen beverages, not all alcoholic. And of course there is some memoir material about the restaurant. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and (mainly) avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 14.TACOLICIOUS (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 212 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-562-4, $22 US hard covers) is by Sara Deseran, co-owner of Tacolicious in San Francisco (4 locations in the area). It comes with log rolling from Mark Miller and three other chefs. She's had assistance from her husband (the other co-owner, her exec chef, and the beverage manager. It is a handsome book, with excellent photography and design, beginning with salsas, moving through snacks, sides, tacos, and then beverages (mainly cocktails) for 40 pages. There is a glossary, list of mail order sources, and even a listing of some her fave Latin restos in California and Mexico. She's got pork albondigas in chipotle sauce, carnitas taco, chile verde taco, potato and chorizo taco, and a Lone Star breakfast taco. There's also spicy pork ribs with jicama salad, halibut crudo with citrus and capers, and tuna tostadas. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 15.CANADIAN CHEESE; a guide. Second edition. Updated and Expanded.(Firefly Books, 2014, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-362-1, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by the well-qualified Kathy Guidi, who founded the first full curriculum cheese appreciation school in North America and is a founding member of the ACS Cheese Professional Certification Program – over 40 years experience working with cheese mongers, consulates, trade organizations, and distributors from Europe and North America. It was originally published in 2010, and here it has been revised by new, spot-on tasting notes for 225 artisan cheeses (up from 180 in the first book), a new chapter on Canadian goat cheese, some notes on 31 Euro cheeses that have influenced Canadian styles, an expansion of her notes on Canadian washed rind cheese, and some notes from 11 other Canadian cheese professionals sharing their faves. She's got the cheese making process and ingredients, wine and beer pairing ideas, a ladder of appreciation to try similar cheeses, material on buying and serving cheese, plus opinions on raw milk cheese, discerning quality, and eating rinds. Plus, of course, how to actually taste cheese like a pro. It is all arranged by style, from fresh unripened cheese to hard and blue cheese. No recipes, just pairings. Quality/price rating: 91. 16.125 BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2003, 2014, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0072-9, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Julie Hasson, a cookbook author and host of the Internet cooking show “Everyday Dish”. It was originally published in 2003, and is here basically reissued with a new cover and colour photos. She uses mostly semisweet dark chocolate chips, with a variety of extras such as cocoa powder, unsweetened dark chocolate (now edging 95%), even chocolate bars for emergencies. White chocolate? Forget about it. There are six layer bar cookies, chocolate chip cranberry muffins, chocolate tiramisu, and more. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 17.SHADOWS IN THE VINEYARDS; the true story of the plot to poison the world's greatest wine (Twelve Grand Central Publishing, 2014, 289 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-1610-0, $27 US hard covers) is by Maximillian Potter, a journalism graduate with magazine credentials, now living in Denver. In fact this book began as a magazine story he wrote for Vanity Fair. So it is an expanded version. It's got large print and large leading, so I'm really not sure if expansion was needed. Certainly he has more room to flesh out the arc. As Daniel Boulud (one of five chefs or authors used as log rollers here) says, “Potter has taken a sinister plot and woven an intriguing story around the most revered wine estate in the world...a colorful tableau filled with fascinating historical evidence on why the terroir of Burgundy is one of the most treasured sites on earth.” Is it still awaiting its UNESCO Heritage status? Nevertheless, the bare bones of the article has been filled out with his research into the matter and with background material on Burgundian terroir. Essentially: Aubert de Villaine, owner of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, received in January 2010 an anonymous note threatening the destruction of his vines unless he paid one million Euros. This would lead to a Parisian sting operation, the primary suspect's suicide, and an investigation. It is a good read, and it even has an index. Quality/price rating: 87. 18.BASIL THYME CORIANDER AND OTHER HERBS (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2003, 2014, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-55455-288-7, $22.95 CAN paperback) is by Jean-Paul Grappe, a chef and professor at l'Institut de tourisme at d'hotellerie du Quebec in Montreal. It was previously published in French in 2003; this is the English translation in a paperback format. It is a nifty basic book of 20 herbs, with notes on their history, use, and therapeutic value, along with recipes such as sauteed chicken supremes with lemon balm sauce, lamb shoulder stuffed with rosemary, and pike back (loin) with nettles. Photography is pretty good, especially for the composition of the grilled veal kidneys with mustard sauce and the illustrations (photo and drawing) of the herb. Most preps are for mains, with some suggested series of veggie/starch accompaniments. There is a series of photos on butchering techniques and cooking techniques, as well as a glossary of terms. The 60 or so preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 19.NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC FOODS FOR HEALTH (National Geographic Society, 2013, 2014, 320 pages, ISBN 978-1-4262-1275-8, $22.95US paper covers) has contributions from Barton Seaver, who runs the sustainable food program at Harvard School of Public Health, and P.K. Newby, a Doctor of Science specializing in diet and chronic diseases. It was originally published in 2013; this is the paperback reprint. The book deals with choosing and using the very best foods “for your family and our planet.”, with seasonal menus and many prep tips. It is arranged by product, beginning with veggies (artichoke to turnip), then fruit (apple to strawberry), and then proteins, whole grains, fats and oils, and concluding with beverages (including alcohol). Each of the 150 or so foods cover common topics such as “choose and use” (where to find and how to enjoy), “for your health” (why it is good for you), and “for our planet” (such as carbon footprints). No recipes per se, just some guidance. Quality/price rating: 88. 20.150 BEST DIPS & SALSAS (Robert Rose, 2014, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0485-7, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Judith Finlayson, Canadian food author, and Jordan Wagman, a James Beard Award nominee. The recipes in this book also appeared in 750 Best Appetizers (Robert Rose, 2011), some in a slightly different form. Perhaps the other 600 apps from that book may be reprinted in their categories of Shooters, Wraps and Rolls, Savoury Tarts, Dumplings and Crepes, cheese, crackers, and more. You can still buy the 2011 book on Amazon, for as low as $5 used. Topics in this current book include veggies, fruit salsas, pulse dips and spreads, desserts, and a chapter on chips, crostini, and flatbreads. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 21.BERRIES AND OTHER SMALL FRUIT (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2005, 2014, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-55455-287-0, $22.95 CAN paperback) is by Jean-Paul Grappe, a chef and professor at l'Institut de tourisme at d'hotellerie du Quebec in Montreal. It was previously published in French in 2005; this is the English translation in a paperback format. It is a nifty basic book of “petit fruit” such as apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, figs, lychees – about 20 in all - with notes on their history, use, and therapeutic value, along with recipes such as rabbit thighs and apricots, sauteed poultry gizzards vol-au-vents with apricot, spiced French toast with cherry jam and chocolate curls, and almond cakes with figs and red wine reduction. Good-lookin' photography as well. The wide range of preps cover all courses and meals. There are tables and charts, as well as a glossary of cooking terms. The 60 preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 22.THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO HOME HERBAL REMEDIES (Robert Rose, 2014, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0489-5, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Melanie Wenzel, a homeopathist in Germany. It was originally published in German in 2013; this is the English translation. The publisher says that these are easy recipes using medicinal herbs to treat more than 125 conditions from sunburns to sore throats. I have a muscle cramp, but while there appears to be nothing specifically about it, there are (according to the index) references to muscles and tension. Cramps are not indexed. The 68 recipes are for oils, tinctures, compresses, herbal baths and infusions, plus drinks (teas, vinegars and wines). For coughs, sneezes and sore throats (which we all seem to have most of the time), she proposes top blockbusters such as fennel honey, gargling solutions, sea salt nasal spray, inhalation mixture, various teas and poultrices. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Other topics embrace a history of herbal medicine and the modern natural pharmacy, how to find and use the best quality ingredients, Quality/price rating: 88. 23.WEIGHT WATCHERS COOK IT FAST (St. Martin's Griffin, 2014, 364 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-05295-7, $19.99 US paper covers) is from the Weight Watchers Publishing Group. Many recipes in this book were previously released in the Momentum Cookbook and Pantry to Plate, both Weight Watchers meeting room cookbooks. There are lots more resources at www.weightwatchers.com. Just about every time you see the word “fast” in a recipe, it also implies “easy”. Here are 250 simple dishes for every meal of the day, broken into 15-, 20-, and 30-minute recipes. There are few ingredients, and most preps are from scratch. There's a bonus chapter of main dishes that take longer, and can be used for weekend or entertaining meals. Tips abound, but the best guidance possible is to set up your kitchen for fast cooking and do a mise en place. It is all basic stuff, such as spinach-feta scramble or pancakes for breakfast, Mediterranean turkey burgers for families at dinner, slow cookers such as beef stew provencal or chicken curry, and snacks (hummus, popcorn, nachos). There is even an index by PointsPlus. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 24.150 BEST BREAKFAST SANDWICH MAKER RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2013, 2014, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0484-0, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Jennifer Williams, a food and health writer. I enjoy single-implement cooking books almost as much as I enjoy single-ingredient books. Sometimes there are too many of them in the market at the same time. Not so here – come on, hands up if you have breakfast sandwich maker. Hands held higher if you've ever seen one? You won't find one in this book since there is no picture of it here – you'll have to to to Amazon or some other online small appliance catalogue to see the varieties of this hot selling single-implement. The author discovered it one day as a compact appliance that promised to cook breakfast in just 5 minutes. She developed 35 recipes for it and her off-to-college daughter. It was published as The Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich in 2013. This is an expansion of that book. She's got the classic breakfast sandwiches and omelets, gluten-free options, beef and burgers, gourmet meals for one or two, plus a variety of global faves and kid-friendly options. While it can go pretty fast, there are two caveats: you've got to like round sandwiches (the maker is round), and you should use medium eggs to make sure there is no run off. And of course, you can use this device for more than just breakfast. Typical preps include Canadian bacon and cheddar sandwich, artichoke frittata with roasted pepper and ricotta, avocado and garlic aioli sandwich, pepperoni and black olive pizza, and marmalade sandwich with white chocolate and coconut. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 87. 25.TIN FISH GOURMET; gourmet seafood from cupboard to table (Arsenal Pulp Press, 1998, 2014, 161 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-546-4, $21.95 CAN paper covers) is by Barbara-JO McIntosh, a food professional who now owns Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks bookstore in Vancouver. A first edition of this book was published by Raincoast in 1998; this new edition has been redesigned with new chapters, recipes, and photos. It deals with canned seafood, a mother's helper: a quick filler for salads, casseroles, and sandwiches. But here there are recipes for taking it up a notch for tinned salmon, tuna, mussels, herring, clams, oysters, shrimp, crabmeat, sardines, anchovies, mackerel, caviar – but no octopus or squid. New preps include herring and beet lasagna, and many have added garnishes which fluff up the presentation and the taste crunch. There are 85 recipes here for the tins, arranged by type of seafood, and covering the range of apps through mains, sides, and salads. She's got an upscale pantry listing of foods which will uplift all the tinned foods. Preparations, such as crab and spaghetti sauce, anchovy-stuffed dates, or smoked mussel and chorizo paella, have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. She's also got two menus, one for a tinned fish tea party, the other for an apero or cinq a sept “happy hour”. Quality/price rating: 88. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR JULY 2014 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.NATURAL WINE; in introduction to organic and biodynamic wines made naturally (Cico Books, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-78249-100-2, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Isabelle Legeron, the first French woman to become a Master of Wine, She runs the RAW Natural Wine Festival in London, and consults with restaurants and promotes “natural” wine. She's also got a website www.thatcrazyfrenchwoman.com, with a TV show on the Travel Channel under that name. There is a large argument raging in the wine world over what is a natural wine. Some believe that it should be applied only to organic and biodynamic farms; others think it should also mean “sustainable” or “green”, etc. The key would simply be to get rid of the word “natural” and just have “organic or biodynamic” and “sustainable”. It is only the organic and biodynamic wines that are certifiable. There are no controls over the rest of the “natural” wording on the label. Indeed, some organic wineries just press organic grapes and then use regular winemaking techniques. They can still call their wines organic. I know of many farms who use the term “natural” to reflect their organic practices, because they just do not have the money nor the wait time to apply for certification. Legeron offers one of the first books meant for the general reader to cover O & B wines. In general, wine is a process, and it is also an industry. Wineries try to be consistent from year to year because they have a product to sell. The weather determines what about of “corrections” the winemaker needs to take (more acid, earlier/later picking, more sugar, more irrigation, etc.). A natural O & B winery rolls with the punches and produces wine “as is”. The author takes us through the year and discusses wine faults, stability, health issues, taste, fermentation, sulphites, and a load of contentious issues. She's assisted from time to time by other writers such as Nicolas Joly, Tony Coturri, and 11 others. She gives notes on 140 wines, sorted by types (bubbly, red, white, rose, sweet). Not surprisingly, France has the most listings, followed by Italy: these are the two leaders by production. Canada has one mention (Pearl Morissette in Niagara, a Chardonnay), but none in the longer list of “other” wineries. Other additional sections cover a glossary, lists of associations and wine fairs, restaurants and stores for the US and UK, and a bibliography Audience and level of use: the curious reader, wine lovers. Some interesting or unusual facts: “soils harbor 80 percent of the world's biomass. Earthworms alone, for example, amount to about the same weight as all other animals combined.” The downside to this book: too many gratuitous photos of just bottles and the like. The upside to this book: a beginning – let's have more. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: The downside to this book: The upside to this book: Quality/Price Rating: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.DAILY TORTILLA; authentic Mexican recipes (Front Table Books Cedar Fort, 2014, 181 pages, ISBN 978-1-4621-1411-5, $18.99 US soft covers) is by Ricardo James (originally “Richard M. James”) who was once a missionary in Mexico. This is fine home cooking, starting with basic tortillas, beans, rice, and salsas. Most of the items can be found in Mexican restaurants, such as bunuelos, torta de jamon y queso, tacos de pollo adobado a la parrilla, picadillo, and quesadillas. Nice illustrations with techniques carefully explained, and good bold print. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner The downside to this book: pretty basic, and I am not sure about lasana con habanero The upside to this book: good little book for college students. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 4.MEATLESS ALL DAY; recipes for inspired vegetarian meals (Taunton Press, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 202 pages, ISBN 978-1-62113-776-4, $19.95 paper covers) is by Dina Cheney, a cookbook author, a free lance food writer, and a recipe developer. Here she gives us 80 preps for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. She's got a list of some 46 “power ingredients” which are supposed to be meat substitutes in that they are “meaty”: eggs, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, parmesan cheese, seaweed, tomatoes, soybeans, avocados, pumpernickel, cauliflower, etc. This is an excellent array, and certainly useful to get the chewy meat eaters to convert at least some of the time. Just increase the umami!! Or, if you absolutely have to, just add some grilled meats/shrimp/poultry. Also, she's got useful tips on how to make the dishes vegan. It is all arranged by course, with many illustrations and a list of vegetarian resources. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: flexitarians and meat eaters Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: grilled cheese with apples, mustard and cheddar; potato and cheddar latkes; rigatoni with asparagus, leeks and goat cheese; bean loaf with maple cranberry sauce; Cuban black bean stew with sweet plantains; strata with cremini mushrooms, olives and sun-dried tomatoes. The downside to this book: needs more recipes for variety The upside to this book: a good beginning Quality/Price Rating: 87. 5.VEGAN AL FRESCO; happy & healthy recipes for picnics, barbecues & outdoor dining (Arsenal Press, 2014, 267 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-532-7, $26.95 CAN soft covers) is by Carla Kelly, who has authored two previous vegan cookbooks. This is a book slanted to the outdoor life, including BBQ, picnics, and even hiking/walking. It comes complete with 11 log rollers busy promoting the book. Everything here is portable, and allergies are carefully marked. It's arranged by ingredient type such as finger food, sandwiches, salads, grill food, baking, dessert, cookies, drinks, plus the needed dips, sauces, condiments, salad dressings, and more. She's also got a listing of uncommon ingredients that will perk up any meal, an allergen list and index, and 12 menu/themes for picnics or beach parties. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: buckwheat and onion mini-loaves; pickle and asparagus potato salad; fennel and wild rice salad; cilantro lime coleslaw; peanut butter adobo BBQ sauce; caper and edamame dip. The downside to this book: while there are recipes for hiking trips, I'd like some preps for overnight camping stays. The upside to this book: a great idea for the outdoors. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 6.FLEX APPEAL; a vegetarian cookbook for families with meat-eaters (Whitecap, 2014, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-188-1, $29.95 CAN paper covers) is by Pat Crocker (herbalist and prolific cookbook author) and Nettie Cronish (organic foods chef and cookbook author). Their book is about putting together a healthy and delicious dinner in half an hour or less for both vegetarians and carnivores. I must say that when I first saw the book, I thought - “hey, terrific, a cookbook about flax seed”. But there was no flax in the book, and I needed new glasses...Nevertheless, “flexitarian” as a term has become more popular, and seems to be an ideal meeting place for the convergence of carnivore and vegetarian. In essence, it is all about treating meat as just another garnish and serving it with a lot of veggies. A little meat goes a long way, such as a single strip of bacon or even just using bacon fat to saute veggies. They've got a whole section on how to eat less meat and how to make sharp meat purchases (mostly by buying organic and by buying less). This is mainly a veggie book with a little meat that could be added. Think strips and small e.g., shrimp, chicken liver, sirloin and poultry strips, etc. So with caramelized onion and pear tart, you could add bacon, with feta-stuffed figs, try prosciutto, with cheddar and salsa tortillas try tuna, or chicken with spicy lentil pinwheels. It is arranged by course, from apps/snacks to breakfast, skillet suppers, stir-fries, one-pots, noodles, wraps, soups, stews, salads, and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegetarians and meat eaters. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cauliflower and coconut curry chowder (whitefish); Alsatian vegetable gratin (turkey); avocado and olive salad (trout); skillet fava bean paella (shrimp); hot and sour tempeh noodles (scallops); Mediterranean frittata (sausage); Caesar salad (crab). The downside to this book: I'd like more meat choices per dish. The upside to this book: good concept. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 7.THE SIMPLE ART OF VEGETARIAN COOKING (Rodale, 2014, 270 pages, ISBN 978-1-62336-129-7, $32.50 US hard covers) is by the remarkable Martha Rose Shulman, the New York Times health food columnist and author of over two dozen cookbooks. Here she tries to offer a simple and easy method for creating plant-based meals every day, regardless of season or availability of the veggie. She has a vast array of templated master recipes with simple guidelines for creating essential dishes such as a stir-fry, rice dish, pasta, soup, and frittata. Then there are notes for adding or subtracting ingredients based on seasonality. The arrangement is by templates; in addition to the above, there are gratins, polenta, whole grains, risotto, beans and lentils, tacos, couscous, stews, and savoury pies. Many dishes can be cooked ahead, with some finishing off when you return from the market. She's got a vegetarian pantry and a chapter on basics such as wilted greens, peppers, onions, mushrooms, roasted veggies, tomato sauces, pesto, and eggs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners, families Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: for minestrone, she has the template with dried beans. Variations would be with canned beans, with cabbage and winter squash, with spring and summer veggies, with lentils, with leeks and kale. Here are a number of variations here, such as using rice, shell beans, vegan versions, and advanced prep. The downside to this book: some of the decision-trees needed to get to the prep will need attention to detail. The upside to this book: lots and lots of variations Quality/Price Rating: 88. 8.VIBRANT FOOD; celebrating the ingredients, recipes, and colors of each season (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-541-9, $25 US hard covers) is by Kimberley Hasselbrink, a food photographer and blogger, so she would know all about the colour of food. Of course, she did her own photography. There's some log rolling, especially from Alice Waters. Some of the preps here have come from her food blog. It all begins with spring's soft colours, moving to the bold of summer, the rich of autumn, and the deep colours of winter. Within, it is arranged by ingredient, to include (for example, under spring) spring greens, alliums, spring roots, rhubarb, and flowers. Nicely laid out, great typeface, wonderful photos of each and every dish. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: armchair cooks (for the photos), vegetarians. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sweet corn and squash fritters with avocado crema; summer squash pasta with green goddess dressing; scrambled eggs with cherry tomatoes and harissa; wild rice salad with rainbow chard and grapes; almond honey cake with poached quince. The downside to this book: there's about 16 preps per season, I would have liked more. The upside to this book: customized photography. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 9.COMPLETE FAMILY NUTRITION (DK Books, 2014, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-1949-1, $25 US hard covers) is by Jane Clark, a chef-nutritionist, top Harley Street consultant, and writer on health issues. It's a one-stop basic reference to balanced diets for families. She covers essential nutrients, wise food choices, ideal serving sizes, and how nutrition helps: optimal memory, development, digestion, and balanced moods. There are details on key nutrients for each of the fifty recipes which are at the back in a section called “classic recipes made healthy”. Each has service details, prep times, cooking times, and nutrition data. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both avoirdupois and some metric measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: families, beginners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: poached fall fruit compote; nut butters; cinnamon and maple granola; herb-topped fish pie; oat-crusted salmon nuggets; roasted chicken and root vegetables; falafel burgers with arugula and tzatziki; Thai rice noodle salad. The downside to this book: I wish that there were more recipes. The upside to this book: there are over 200 photographs and illustrations. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 10.THE BAR BOOK; elements of cocktail technique (Chronicle Books, 2014, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1384-5, $30 US hard covers) is by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, an award-winning bartender in Portland OR, with Martha Holmberg, an award-winning food writer in Portland OR. It is a self-help book, almost like a textbook, focusing on techniques in order to enable the reader's skill set. His book is of value to both amateur and professional bartenders. It is a very detailed book, divided into chapters dealing with ingredients (citrus juices, other juices, sodas, mixers, simple syrups, compound syrups, infusions, bitters, tinctures, dairy, eggs, ice) and techniques (measuring, stirring, shaking, swizzling, blending, muddling, garnishing). For each, such as for cream, he notes that you are adding a layer of texture through foam and fat. You'll need to choose the best cream and apply it to the drink. He uses Alexander cocktail and Irish coffee as examples, using cream shaken by the Mason jar method. It is quite explicit. Audience and level of use: budding bartenders, other bartenders wanting to improve themselves. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: there are about 60 cocktail preps, used to illustrate each technique or ingredient. The downside to this book: it's a little too specific (Swissmar spoons?) The upside to this book: good detail to help you. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 11.SIMPLE THAI FOOD; classic recipes from the Thai home kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 228 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-523-5, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Leela Punyaratabandhu, who writes for blogs including her own She Simmers. She's got a WOW list of log rollers, with the likes of David Tanis, Mollie Katzen, David Lebovitz, and Andy Ricker. These are family-style simple Thai dishes; they are accessible. The arrangement is by course, from nibbles through stir fries, salads, soups, curries, noodle dishes, rices, and sweets. At the end are basic dishes: homemade tamarind pulp, curry paste, toasted rice powder, chile jam, satay sauce, cucumber relish, and more. There is also a glossary and some mail-order sources listed. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners, those new to Thai cuisine. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sweet potato fritters with peanut-sweet chile sauce; chicken and fried garlic on rice; bananas in sweet coconut cream; mango and sweet coconut sticky rice; shrimp paste rice; sweet dry curry of pork and long beans; rice noodles with chicken and Chinese broccoli. The downside to this book: the presentation is more upscale than the book's contents. The upside to this book: she does a really good job of explaining Thai cuisine to North Americans. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 12.THE BANH MI HANDBOOK (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 126 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-533-4, $17.99 US hard covers) is by Andrea Nguyen, cookbook writer and blogger-owner of www.vietworldkitchen.com. She also writes for the LA Times and Wall Street Journal. Here she creates a nifty book for making your own banh mi sandwiches, created by Vietnamese street vendors in the 19th century as a local equivalent to the French snack of pate and bread. You will need three things: a crusty-chewy bun (French stick preferred but ciabatta buns also seem to be popular), toppings such as daikon and carrot pickles, chile slices, cucumber strips, cilantro sprigs, etc., and a filling (grilled pork, roast chicken, pork liver pate, Vietnamese cold-cuts). Then it is just up to you to create a classic or a modern innovation. Arrangement is by ingredient: bread, toppings, cold cuts, chicken, seafood, pork, beef, vegetarian. There are even two slider recipes, although just about everything can be reduced in size for two-biter dishes. For when you get tired of sandwiches, she's also got banh mi lettuce wraps and a banh mi salad (you can use gluten-free croutons here). All of these are so tasty...Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements; there is no table equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner, the curious snacker. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: grilled lemongrass pork; peppery portobello; egg and tofu pancakes; shrimp in caramel sauce; chicken liver pate; Hanoi grilled chicken; chicken satay. The downside to this book: I wanted more! The upside to this book: you can have fun with this book. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 13.UN-JUNK YOUR DIET (Skyhorse Publishing, 2014, 300 pages, ISBN 978-1-62873-771-4, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Desiree Nielsen, RD, who has a private practice in Vancouver BC. There are fifty recipes here, and a lot of material on how to shop, cook and eat right – in order to fight inflammation and thus feel better. Of course, she's a whole food advocate. The book has an evangelical tone, since it is addressed to food sinners who eat too much junk food. But then she is a motivational speaker on a mission to improve life's qualities. The important element here is how to shop. The preps are at the back, and indexed. She's also got resources lists and bibliographic references to her positions. Well-written with verve. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: junk food addicts, others seeking nutritional information. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: liquid gold smoothie; real muffin; breakfast bars; salad for breakfast; turmeric chicken; crunchy nut candy bars; greens and beans casserole; baked apple oat pudding. The downside to this book: I wished that there were more recipes. The upside to this book: I appreciate her take on muffins, and how today they are basically white sugar and white flour. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 14.THE 12 BOTTLE BAR; a dozen bottles, hundreds of cocktails, a new way to drink (Workman, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 412 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-7494-3, $14.95 US soft covers) is by David Solmonson and Lesley Jacobs Solmonson, owners of the blog 12bottlebar.com. She's also a spirits and wine food writer, authoring a few books on gin and liqueurs. It's a good idea to have a restricted bar, limited to a few bottles with appropriate garnishes. It could be for a small bar in a tavern, or it could be for home. Either way it is useful for mixed drinks. The 12 bottles include 7 spirits, such as gin, rum, brandy, rye and vodka, plus 5 mixers involving liqueurs, vermouths and bitters. No bourbon, scotch, or tequila since these have limited cocktail applications. So it is a system to limit yourself to 200 classic drinks: sours, slings, toddies, highballs, martinis, etc. All of the beverages are “old school” as part of classic cocktails with some new innovations. New stuff such as tequila/mezcal are limited to two or three popular concoctions: they do include ONE prep for a margarita. Bourbons and scotches are neat or with soda or water. So you can still have them: just don't make cocktails with them. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home bartenders or small bars. Some interesting or unusual facts: there's a drink index by theme (poker night, brunch, pool party, bbq, Christmas/New Year's, girls night. The upside to this book: good idea, and I'm glad they don't have the other liquors. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 15.MOONSHINE; the cultural history of America's infamous liquor (Zenith Press, 2014, 208 pages, ISBN 978-0-7603-4584-9, $25 US hard covers) is by Jaime Joyce, currently an editor at Time Inc. It is a straight forward book with notes and sources and indexes. I wish I could say that three armed border agents swarmed my house as this US book was delivered to my door, but it only seemed like it in these Canadian days of repressed alcohol beverages. I usually get goosebumps just walking into a Uvint, even though I don't use them. Nevertheless, this is a book review on a US book about US white lightning or mountain dew – but I am sure that the Internet police will know that I've written it. Moonshine is untaxed liquor made in an unlicensed still. It is clear and unaged – sort of like raw vodka. But cheap. Her history sets the cultural background beginning with Irish and Scottish immigrants used to making their own whiskey. There are two elements here: government denial of a liquor license, and excessive alcohol taxation. Without a license, you cannot legally make the stuff. But once made, you can sell it or give it away – and the government wants its cut. Does that seem fair? Shouldn't the still be licensed first if the state wants the tax? Unregulated stills can create health issues (e.g., blindness, death) but also folklore issues related to movies and television, folk and country music (“She was only the bootlegger's daughter but I loved her still”), and some white trash trailer park material. Audience and level of use: beverage historians and those interested in moonshine Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: moonshine led to military involvement, NSCAR and the Prohibition. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 16.FLOURLESS; recipes for naturally gluten-free desserts (Chronicle Books, 2014, 191 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1955-7, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Nicole Spiridakis, a recipe developer and wedding cake baker. She is also a free lance food writer, with a blog at cucinanicolina.com. Here she uses ground nuts, fluffy egg whites, ripe fruit, dark chocolate – such as plums, pistachios, apples and cornmeal, hazelnuts, coconut, lemons. These can create batters and doughs. Her book is in four parts: cakes and cupcakes, cookies, puddings and tarts, and candies/confections. The 80 or so preparations have their ingredients listed in metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents given. Audience and level of use: those who need gluten-free food. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: almond cake with balsamic-roasted strawberries; vanilla cupcakes with lemon butter-cream; sesame-tahini cookies; Indian pudding; roasted stone fruit with honey mascarpone and mint. The downside to this book: there is a fair bit of white space taking up room away from more recipes. The upside to this book: a good contribution to the gluten-free bibliography. Quality/Price Rating: 87. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 17.PORK CHOP (Chronicle Books, 2014, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1367-8, $22.95 US hard covers) is by Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe, a multiple cook-off champion who has made multiple appearances on TV and has written other outdoors books. He's also at www.drbbq.com. Here he concentrates on pork chops, and the 60 preps include spicy pork chop lettuce wraps and pork chop noodle soup. Chops are a lower fat alternative to ribs, and can be prepared in much the same way, allowing time constraints for not drying out. Not everything is grilled: there are also recipes for breaded, fried, baked, jerked, stir-fried, slow-coked, sandwiches, and even in a salad. To be fair, some of the chops have been boned, so loins can be used too in those cases. The contents are arranged by classics, contemporaries, one-pots, “international” and something called “extreme” (pastrami pork chop, jalapeno pork chops, pig wings with spicy mustard dipping sauce, and pork chop-stuffed French toast. Great fun. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois and some metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 18.SUNDAY CASSEROLES (Chronicle Books, 2014, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-2120-8, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Betty Rosbottom, a food writer and PBS host. She's writing her way through Sunday – with Sunday Brunch, Sunday Roasts, and Sunday Soups (all published by Chronicle Books). There's some logrolling from Anne Willan. She meanders through the homes of New England, New Orleans, Singapore, Provence, and other places, scoping out preps for the American family and entertaining. Unfortunately, a lot of people (including my own kids) blanch at the word “casserole” – hey, they left home to avoid them, now they'll return? It'll take a lot of pressure and some tasty preps. Rosbottom supplies the preps – you've got to apply the pressure yourself. There's a usual primer and pantry section, and then the recipes start with poultry, meats, seafood, veggies, toppings (biscuit, potato, etc.), pasta casseroles, and then breakfast casseroles. All of these are mains and all of them are tasty. In addition to mac and cheese, there's mac and lobster, mac with peas and pancetta, and mac with smoked sausage. If you like olives, there's baked fish on spinach, Provencal daube, rigatoni and tomato sauce, and shrimp with tomatoes and artichokes under saffron croutons. A very good spread, nicely done in under 100 recipes. At the end, there is a menu listing for when to serve what casserole (crowds, feasts, holidays, one hour, longer times, economical, splurge-worthy, healthy, and freezable). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois and mostly metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 19.BROCCOLI, LOVE & DARK CHOCOLATE (Whitecap Books, 2014, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-211-6, $29.95 CAN paper covers) is by Liz Pearson, RD, author of two other books dealing with healthy foods and diets. She was the nutrition columnist for Chatelaine and appears regularly on TV and radio. She comes with five log rolling endorsers. The bulk of the book is composed of bite-sized, science-based nutrition information on superfoods, dietary and food misconceptions, weight loss, and chocolate. She tackles alcohol, multivitamins, water, snacking, coffee, gluten-free diets, and what are known as “heartfelt life lessons”. Certainly the writing style is upbeat. There are about 60 recipes, divided by course or ingredient, which are fully indexed, plus a nutrition index and a resource bibliography. Typical are quinoa salad with black beans, sweet potato fries, chili, arugula salad, and other family faves. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 86. 20.MEAT AND POTATOES; simple recipes that sizzle and sear (Clarkson Potter, 2014, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-98524-8, $22.50 US soft covers) is by Rahm Fama, formerly the executive chef of The Lodge at Vail, now a corporate chef at US Foods, and TV host for the Food Network. He calls it chuckwagon cuisine, with mostly just a cast iron skillet for the guys. And it is based on his TV show. There are 52 meals here, one for each week of the year. He includes one-pot preps, sandwiches and other ideas for leftover meats. Try lamb parmesan with mint-tomato sauce (accompanied by orzo with chevre and stovetop ratatouille), or brick chicken with goat cheese and potato croquettes plus fava beans and oyster mushrooms, or even hefeweizen braised pork belly with brie mac and cheese plus cilantro-glazed carrots. Great stuff for during the week: there is nothing subtle here. There is also a short listing of resources. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 21.TAPAS AND OTHER SPANISH PLATES TO SHARE (Ryland Peters & Small, 2010, 2014, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-570-2, $19.95 US hard covers) is a publisher's collection of assorted recipes – 60 preps for sharing, all with a Spanish theme. Recipes come from six writers, including Juliz Beresford (who has the most) and Linda Tubby (second-most). It was originally published in 2010 and slightly revised for 2014. It is a full range of meat, poultry, seafood and fish, veggies, cheese and eggs. Typical are chicken with garlic, Catalan chickpea salad, chorizo in red wine, pork and veal turnovers, ham and chicken croquettes, migas, and others, ending with tortilla campestre. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois and some metric measurements, but there is no table equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 22.EASY EVERYDAY SLOW COOKER RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2010, 2014, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0483-3, $27.95 CAN soft covers) is by Donna-Marie Pye, whose slow cooker books now have over a half million copies in print. The 200 preps here come from Slow Cooker Winners, a collection of 300 or so recipes, published in 2010. All courses are covered, from soups, stews, chilis, poultry, meats, big dinners, meals for two, and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 86. 23.FAMILY TABLE; recipes and strategies (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2008, 2014, 189 pages, ISBN 978-1-55455-037-1, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Marie Breton and Isabelle Emond, dieticians and mothers who have written other family cookbooks. This one was published first in French in 2006, then translated into English for publication in 2008, and it is now reissued as a soft covered book. It's a book about organizing a kitchen, menus and shopping lists in order to nutritionally feed a family. There are also some suggestions here for helping kids become good eaters and how to connect at dinner time. There are about 100 healthy, simple, fast and appetizing preps with nutritional values listed separately by dish and plenty of variations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 24.JOHN SCHREINER’S OKANAGAN WINE TOUR GUIDE. Revised and updated fifth edition (Whitecap, 2014, 430 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-230-7, $19.95 Canadian paper covers) is by the renowned B.C. writer who has written many books about B.C. and Canadian wines, as well as snapping up major writing awards in this area. He’s been busy in the past few years, crafting works on Canadian wines (in general) and on BC wines. The publisher claims that Schreiner has added 60% new material to this fifth edition, yet the price has remained the same – and 60 more pages were added. This tour guide includes the Similkameen Valley as well, which is the most southerly wine region in BC but only 5% the size of the Okanagan. He describes the sub-regions, and this is followed by an alphabetical order to the 196 (up from 178 in the last edition) wineries themselves including others not yet producing. For each, there is a description and commentary, followed by some specific but brief notes on a few of the wines. A black and white picture of the owner and/or winemaker appears, as well as the date opened, address, phone numbers, website, and times of day open. Maps appear on the back flaps. Schreiner concludes with a vineyard census, general production figures, and VQA sales. The most popular grape in BC is still Merlot, followed by Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Gewurztraminer. The black and white photos are still on the dark side. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 25.PEPPER; a history of the world’s most influential spice (St. Martin’s Press, 2013, 302 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-04866-0, $16.99 US soft overs) is by Marjorie Shaffer, a business and science writer currently at New York University School of Medicine. This is the paperback reprint of the 2013 hardbound edition. She’s crafted details about what is arguably the most important of the taste spices: black pepper. It’s not a thorough history of European pepper trading in Asia, but it does examine why – and how – our forebears wanted a single product. As such, it is also the business history of the trading routes and regions. And there are also some pages on the US pepper fortunes. The colour section is loaded with visuals of plants, plantations, older woodcuts, and early drawings. She’s got maps of the Indian Ocean, India, Malaysia and Indonesia so that readers can track the trade routes. There are copious end notes, a well-researched bibliography, and a workable index. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR JUNE 2014 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.NATIVE WINE GRAPES OF ITALY (University of California Press, 2014, 621 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27226-2, $50 US hard covers) is by Ian D'Agata, a Rome-based wine writer (International Wine Cellar, Decanter, Figaro) who has also written The Ecco Guide to the Best Wines of Italy. It is a comprehensive guide to the more than 500 indigenous or autochthonous grapes of Italy. The country grows the largest number of native wines grapes known – almost a quarter of the world's commercial wine grape types. And here they all are, from the red Abbuoto in Lazio to the white Zirone Bianco from Sardinia. D'Agata spent 13 years interviewing and researching, plus tasting wines. He's got material on classifications, clones, soils, genetic evidence, history and local stories about each grape. The first fifty pages covers the primer of varieties in general. This is followed by three sections: grape groups and families; major varieties; little-known varieties; and crossings. To tie it all together, there is an index plus a grape variety index. The appendix lists tables of planting distributions, a glossary, and an extensive bibliography. Each grape entry tells where it is found, a national registry code, a colour, the descriptions, and a note on which wines to try and why. This book is going to snap up a few awards. Audience and level of use: Italian wine lovers, reference libraries. Some interesting or unusual facts: “This book does not discuss obvious international varieties such as Pinot Nero or Gewurztraminer, but it does tackle varieties that have been traditional to specific parts of Italy for hundreds of years and are integral to wines considered archetypal of a region's production.” Quality/Price Rating: 93. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.THE TASTEMAKERS; why we're crazy for cupcakes but fed up with fondue (Signal McClelland & Stewart, 2014, 319 pages, ISBN 978-0-7710-7912-2, $29.95 CAN hard covers) is by business and food writer David Sax, who authored Save the Deli. He's also a Beard Award winner for his writing. Here he looks at the world of food trends: where they come from, how they grow, and their decline. It is a book full of anecdotal material plus some hard evidence from chefs, entrepreneurs, and analysts. Certainly it is good read about what we are “told” to eat. The “Tastemakers” are people who spread the news about new foods. They are a sub-category of who we used to call “opinionmakers”. So this is an investigation into who is creating the buzz about a variety of food products. Most noticeably, there is kale, sriracha, quinoa, cupcakes (sales grew 56% from 2008 to 2012), chia seeds, apples, acai berries, pomegranates, kombucha, and more (there is an index from which you can pick out your fave food). Ultimately, it is all about money and influence, and celebrities. I'm not too cynical, although the book can make you one (the difference between a pessimist and a cynic is that the cynic is better informed). He's got four types of trends: cultural, agriculture, chefs, and health. These trends break out mostly by marketers, and they matter mostly because they are profitable and cutting edge. Nobody wants to be left behind; everyone in this business is searching for the next big food trend. Most of the discussion is about “trends”, but really, they are just fads. You cannot call the Paleo diet a fad (as he does) since it has been around since 1975, just bubbling under until recently. Cupcakes, though, are definitely a fad since the modern ones transmogrified from muffins and were featured in Sex and the City. And it is lacking in a discussion on wines (one half-page only), beers and cocktails (not at all for both). It's a good book, and a fine read for summer. More details can be found through his bibliography. Quality/Price Rating: 92. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.BEER AND FOOD; bringing together the finest food and the best craft beers (Dog 'n' Bone Books, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-909313-23-1, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Mark Dredge, a UK award-winning (four times) beer writer. This is his second book: the first was “Craft Beer World”. There is much more of his writing at his blog www.pencilandspoon.com. He looks at different combinations of beer and food, and tells us how best to enjoy them together. The first half of the book covers the making of beers and the different 30 or so styles, with general information on food pairing by tasting what is in the food and what is in the beer. For each style he describes what he would match to it and why, with stories about the food and the beers. About 150 specific beers are mentioned (none from Canada) from around the world, with bottle shots. This part deals with beer matched with food. This is followed by more principles on matching (this time) food with beer, about 150 different foods. There is an index that pulls all this together. There is also a short chapter at the end for some highlighted 50 recipes on cooking WITH beer (and of course matched to the same beer). Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. But for some reason there are two pages on apple ciders! Which is totally out of place in a beer book. If you have international apple ciders, why not also have international perries? (or is it perrys?) Audience and level of use: those beer lovers really interested in food matching. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: brewmaster's pie, beer jelly, beer ice cream, BBQ ribs with Belgian beer, Gueuze chicken vindaloo, and chicken and Wit pie. The downside to this book: I got tired quickly of reading type on a background of feint or pastel colours. The upside to this book: good matches, and lovely detailed work. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4.BETTY CROCKER: the big book of breakfast and brunch (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 336 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-24770-3, $19.99 US paper covers) delivers full value at low price – 200 recipes are here, in a book with French covers (which tells me how serious they are). There's nothing stunning here, just comprehensive for families and singles who entertain. While there's the Triple-Threat Antioxidant Smoothie and homemade granola bars, there are also only ten gluten-free baked goods (according to the index). Still, the range is wide and useful: cereals, eggs/bacon, pancakes/waffles, French toast, hearty brunch dishes, and many coffee cakes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. I love the large typeface and white space. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 5.IDIOT'S GUIDES: Gluten-Free Eating (Alpha Books, 2014; distr. DK Books, 318 pages, ISBN 978-1-61564-423-0, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Elizabeth King Humphrey and Jeanette Hurt. There is a primer on gluten and the GF lifestyle, plus shopping and menus. Included are tips for marketing, traveling, and eating out at restaurants. There are also about 100 recipes plus substitution lists to convert family favourites. This is a real boon to celiacs. It is a basic book with resources lists and glossary. The preps have yields, prep time, cook time, serving size, and nutritional data. They've got an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (flours of white and brown rice, sorghum, plus starches of tapioca and potato). But of course this lacks the chew factor of a crusty bread. Ah, well...Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 6.IDIOT'S GUIDES: the Chia Seed Diet (Alpha Books, 2014; distr. DK Books, 286 pages, ISBN 978-1-61564-441-4, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Bud E. Smith (a how-to writer), Paul Plotkin (chef and caterer), and Joesph Ewing RD. The chia seed is high in protein, fibre, antioxidants, and Omega-3 oils. It is also gluten-free and an acknowledged superfood. All of this lowers blood pressure, helps with weight loss, improves heart and brain functions, and reduces glucose levels. There are about 100 recipes (plus menu planning) here for dishes, from breakfast through dessert, with many tips for incorporating chia seeds into vegan, gluten-free, Paleo and other diets. When dining out, just pour out a few onto the dish. Easy enough. There are also menus and shopping lists, and even a few purchasable products. It is a basic book with resources lists of books and the Internet, and a glossary. The preps have yields, prep time, cook time, serving size, and nutritional data. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 7.IDIOT'S GUIDES: Grilling (Alpha Books, 2014; distr. DK Books, 312 pages, ISBN 978-1-61564-456-8, $21.95 US paper covers) is by Thomas N. England, a certified chef and former general manager of Chateau Thomas winery. He is now teaching cooking in Indianapolis. In a well-illustrated volume he covers the basics of grilling, with colour photos and tips from his life. It is a step-by-step method, so it is virtually goof-proof. There's data on how to choose a grill or smoker, cooking beef-pork-lamb-poultry-fish (separate chapters), and also veggies and fruit. He also advocates jowl meat over bacon, although prices are creeping up for both now. Hard to go wrong here, as they say “as easy as it gets” in about 100 easy-to-grill recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 8.IDIOT'S GUIDES: The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook (Alpha Books, 2014; distr. DK Books, 290 pages, ISBN 978-1-61564-445-2, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Denise Hazime, of Lebanese extraction and owner of www.dedemed.com where she teaches Mediterranean cooking through instructional videos. She's got over 200 preps concentrating on the high consumption of olive oil, fruits, and veggies. Included are legumes and whole grains, a moderate consumption of dairy-wine-fish, and a low consumption of meat and meat products. All of this is combined with daily physical activity. Basically, meat is considered a garnish, and eat your greens. It is one of the healthiest diets in the world. The primer here introduces us to the Mediterranean pantry, followed by the recipes for breakfasts, brunch, lunch, snacks, and suppers. Everything was checked out by Mary Rodavich, a registered dietician. As with all such guides, it is pretty elementary and basic, but also, of course, a useful exploration and explanation. There's a glossary and nutritional tables. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 9.IDIOT'S GUIDES: Canning and Preserving (Alpha Books, 2014; distr. DK Books, 280 pages, ISBN 978-1-61564-460-5, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Trish Sebben-Krupka, a cookbook author and corporate chef for the Viking Culinary Center. She teaches classes in home food preservation as well as catering vegan, vegetarian and eco-friendly meals. She encourages the reader to stock up with veggies and fruits, especially if a deal can be made. Then the reader can get down to doing all kinds of preservation to get through the winter. So there is advice on tools and equipment, the techiques of freezing-drying-pickling, how to prepare raw items for preservation, and making dehydrated foods. Then it is on to step-by-step photos illustrating canning jams, jellies, pie fillings and other fruits. Pickling is largely reserved for veggies, although I also did not see any recipe for cherry pickles. Fermented foods get their section, as well as pressure-canned foods. And there are recipes for chutneys and salsas. A good basic book, with a glossary and a bibliography for additional reading. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 10.EATING CULTURE; an anthropological guide to food (University of Toronto Press, 2013, 324 pages, ISBN 978-1-4416-0465-0, $34.95 CAN paper covers) is by Gillian Crowther, an anthropology prof at Capilano University in Vancouver. It is a primer-guide to the food component of social anthropology: the study of everyday lives of ordinary people anywhere. Food is pretty basic, always, as she says, eaten locally, whether locally produced or globally sourced. The range here is broad, from ingredients to recipes to meals to menus, around the world and throughout all time. She gives it all some structure and management through sections dealing with omnivores, food rules, dietary taboos (and their origins), nutritional concerns (and government mandated regulations), food gathering, evolution of cuisines, agriculture, intensification and commercialization, domestic and restaurant cooking plus street food, recipes, feasts, locavorism, farmers' markets, and takeouts. Other topics include food waste, table manners, food tourism, and sharing. Specifically for Canada, there are details on commercial fisheries, Canada Food Guides, labelling and GMOs, and ethnic restaurants. While ingress is covered for nutrition and balance, there is little if anything on the egress of food through our internal waste system. I suppose there should be a book on sanitation and body waste management. There are black and white illustrations, plus a colour pix section. There's a glossary and a long bibliography, with internal page references within the body of the book. What makes the book really good is that it is a readable framework for social anthropology. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 11.THE CARNIVORE'S MANIFESTO (Little, Brown, 2014, 260 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-25624-7, $26 US hard covers) is by Patrick Martins (owner of Heritage Foods USA and a founder of Slow Food USA) and Mike Edison (a professional writer on the counterculture). Together, they write about eating responsibly and eating well, and also eating meat. The book has some log rolling from Waters and Batali, as well as Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food International. Martins services over 150 restaurants every week, delivering specialty breeds that have been cared for according to Slow Food principles: Akaushi cattle, Columbian Wyandotte chicken, Kiko goat, Bourbon Rd turkey, Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, and many more. Here are fifty short chapters all dealing with a variety of topics involving sustainability and meat – and hey, there is a long index, which immediately makes the book an invaluable read, and a bibliography for further reading. Selected topics include: media campaigns of the industrial farming complex, political correctness, locavores, slaughterhouses, The Whole Earth Catalog, goats, baking, trucking industry, and many more. You could read a couple every night before bedtime. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 12.THE BEEKMAN 1802 HEIRLOOM VEGETABLE COOKBOOK (Rodale, 2014, 276 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-575-8, $32.50 US hard covers) is by Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, founders of Beekman 1802, a lifestyle company centred around their farm in New York. They've authored two other cookbooks for Rodale. Here, the book is arranged by season, beginning with Spring, to celebrate the bounty of food from a kitchen garden on their farm. They aim to create memories around the table with a variety of dishes that follow the seasons. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There are about a hundred recipes here, two dozen or so a season, along with a listing of some seven seed companies that sell heirloom seeds. Audience and level of use: budding farmers and slow food consumers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: golden gazpacho with minted cream; veggie cheddar breakfast muffins; roasted cauliflower steaks with orange-olive sauce; penne with roasted salmon, asparagus, peas and ramps; Asian-style pea shoots with garlic, ginger and sesame; collard greens and apple with hot dressing. The downside to this book: I really missed metric measurements The upside to this book: good looking photos Quality/Price Rating: 87. 13.PICKLED & PACKED; recipes for artisanal pickles, preserves, relishes & cordials (Ryland Peters and Small, 2014, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-490-3, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Valerie Aikman-Smith, an LA based food stylist who has done work for films (e.g. Titanic) and TV, as well as authored other cookbooks. She's got the old classics and new contemporaries for us, sorted into five chapters dealing with pickling, relish/mustards, bottled veggies/fruit, candied fruits, and liqueurs. Her short recipes show how to pickle and preserve, while the longer recipes show how to create whole meals. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: the adventuresome. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: spicy kimchi hash browns with poached eggs; west coast crab cakes; salade nicoise with pickled eggs and onions; artisanal cheeseboards; lobster & lemon potato salad; rosemary & thyme mustard; frangipane tart with vin santo plums; barley water. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 14.ASIAN PICKLES (Ten Speed Books, 2014, 200 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-476-4, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Karen Solomon, a food writer and blogger. She's authored other “preservation” cookbooks, including a series dealing with Asian Pickles available as e-cookbooks. So here she concentrates on sweet, sour, salty, cure3d and fermented preserves, arranged by country beginning with Japan. That lead to Korea, China, India and the rest of “Southeast Asia” such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Mayalsia. There's a glossary and a resources list of books and websites. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Her primer deals with unique techniques for Asian pickles and a variety of “quick pickles”. There are about 75 recipes in all, and most are photographed. Included, of course, are the classics of Korean kimchi and Indian chutney. Audience and level of use: adventuresome intermediate cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: apples in mustard with mint; Chinese preserved vegetables; coconut-cilantro chutney; paneer-stuffed pickled chiles; pickled chiles with lime (Thailand). The downside to this book: nothing, really. The upside to this book: a great idea for a cookbook. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 15.DELICIOUSLY VINTAGE (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-486-6, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Victoria Glass who runs Victoria's Cake Boutique. She also does design work for the cakes, and has written Boutique Wedding Cakes. Here she concentrates on sixty baking classics (cookies, cakes, pastries). They range from jumbles to chocolate chip cookies, scones, Victoria sponge cakes, sachertorte, eclairs, lemon meringue pie, trifle, madeleines, Black Forest, peach cobbler and more. All of them are easy enough o do, and it is good to have them all under one set of covers. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric (mostly) and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 16.MARY BERRY COOKS; my favourite recipes for family and friends (BBC Books; distr. Random House Canada, 2014, 320 pages, ISBN 978-1-849-90663-0, $39.95 CAN hard covers) is meant to accompany the TV series of the same name, for the BBC. It is a new collection of her preps, covering about 100 recipes. It's arranged by plate or course, beginning with the primer and moving on to quick bites, canapes, starters and apps, veggies, salads, cold desserts and hot puddings. There are separate chapters on sharing plates, family favourites, suppers, and afternoon tea. It is very British, with aubergines and courgettes, but it is vitally useful to her legion of worldwide fans. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, and there are even tables of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 17.MUSSELS; preparing, cooking and enjoying a sensational seafood (Whitecap Books, 2014, 196 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-214-7, $29.95 CAN paper covers) is by personality Alain Bosse (chef, consultant, food editor) and Linda Duncan (executive director of the Mussel Industry Council). If you love mussels and want to cook them at home, then this is the book for you. The collaborators tell how to purchase, store and prepare mussels. The variety of 77 preps range from classic marniere to curried, risottos and carbonaras to more contemporary offerings which move into South East Asia or Latin America. There's Tom Kha soup with mussels and lemon grass, mussel ceviche, chorico cider mussels, and sweet Thai chili mussels. Mussel strudel used mangoes. It's arranged by course (apps to BBQ, with sides and breads covered) with plenty of detail on home cooking such as BBQ. They are enthusiastic and the pix are gorgeous. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 18.THE DELICIOUSLY CONSCIOUS COOKBOOK (Hay House, 2014; distr. Raincoast, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-4019-4580, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Belinda Connolly, a private chef who runs a stall at the Totnes Market in Devon, England. She's got about 100 vegetarian recipes here: many are GF, dairy free, low sugar and/or vegan. There are some notes on her philosophy of cooking plus some memoirish material. This is followed by savoury recipes, from soups to salads to pastries, and then sweet recipes (tarts, cakes, cheesecakes). She's also got a resources section, both US and UK, with some recommended reading. Try her butternut-berry & goat's cheesecake, or Thai cauliflower with coconut and lime as a soup. For the unusual, there is adzuki bean fudge brownies and tropical parsnip and polenta cake. Also mushroom chard and cheddar quiche. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 19.BEEROLOGY (Appetite by Random House, 2014, 179 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01612-1, $24.95 CAN, paper covers) is by Mirella Amato, a Master Cicerone (a beer sommelier) living in Toronto. Indeed, she is an award-winning judge and the first non-US resident to be a Master Cicerone, and heard on CBC Radio. Any book with French flaps and the word “Cicerone” gets my immediate attention. She's written a convincing introduction to the world of suds, one that is not gung-ho with machismo prowess, thus it appeals to women as well. There's some log rolling from Brooklyn Brewery and Dogfish, both American craft breweries, but the book needs American sales to thrive. Amato has been promoting local beer and beer appreciation since 2007. The first part of the book deals with the mechanics of making beer and other basics. Then she has a section on beer styles, ranging from light to heavy, with top notch descriptions, what each is fun with, food to pair with, and some international label examples (there are a lot of Canadian and US examples here). The last section is the “entertaining” one, with points on constructing a beer tasting, pairing beer with food, and beer cocktails. These have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. At the end, there is a resources section with a glossary, evaluation sheet, beer flavour wheel, and some visual reference charts. There is more to be found at beerology.ca where she has news and a blog. Quality/price rating: 90. 20.SCOOP ADVENTURES; the best ice cream of the 50 states (Page Street, 2014, 191 pages, ISBN 978-1-62414-034-1, $19.99 US soft covers) is by Lindsay Clendaniel, a blogger at scoopadventures.com. It comes with log rolling endorsements from some head pastry chefs. Here are the preps from great ice cream shops in New York, Maryland, Illinois – at least one per state. Clendaniel has adapted the recipes from the creameries for home use. There are over 80 ice creams here, with anecdotes behind the flavours, photos of the shops (but not the people) and photos of the finished scoop. It is arranged by region; even DC is covered. There are names and locations for each place, including websites (but for three places, just phone numbers: nice to know that not everybody is on the web. And their ice cream is also old-fashioned). Try key lime pie ice cream, purple cow ice cream, or chipotle raspberry ice cream. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, with no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 21.MERINGUE GIRLS; incredible sweets everybody can make. (Chronicle Books, 2014; distr. Raincoast, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-3353-9, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Alex Hoffler and Stacey O'Gorman, the Meringue Girls in London UK who plan food-events and supply sweets and food stylings. It was originally published in the UK in 2013 by Square Peg. It is a basic book about what you can do with meringues, incorporating ideas for design. There are many preps for kisses, summery desserts, and winery puddings, plus gift ideas. Of particular value is the chapter on “using your yolks”. In addition to the regular meringue method, they highlight three others: marshmallow meringue, Italian meringue, and maple meringue. It is an extremely colourful and playful book, bound to reward all younger readers. Try almond meringue roulade, Eton mess, pomegranate meringue slab, or meringue Easter eggs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 22.PALEO GRILLING; a modern caveman's guide to cooking with fire (Fair Winds Press, 2014, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-59233-612-8, $22.99 US paper covers) is by Tony Federico, who hosts a paleo radio show and is a full-time writer, and James Phelan, who last was chef at Matthews' restaurant in Florida but is now a gourmet paleo delivery service. So this is the paleo guy book of meats and sides. There are also drinks and desserts, but mercifully short with only five apiece. There are over 100 preps here for grilling (charcoal, gas, smoking, BBQ), along with a primer and a “primal pantry”. There's a good section on smoking without a smoker and a resources list. Log rolling comes from five other paleo authors. The book is arranged by meat type, and does include wild game and offal. Try smoked offal meatloaf, or BBQ bison ribs, lamb steaks with gremolata, herb-smoked clams, or Korean frilled pork belly. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 88. 23.CAESARS; the essential guide to your favourite cocktail (Appetite by Random House, 2014, 200 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01648-0, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Clint Pattemore, chief “mixing officer” for Mott's Clamato; he has been the brand ambassador since 2012. Connie DeSousa and John Jackson, partners in CHARCUT Roast House in Calgary, developed the 20 food recipes designed to accompany or “pair” with the 50 drinks here (which include such variations as blackberry lemon Caesar, Thai mango Caesar, and smoked lime and tequila Caesar). A Caesar or Bloody Caesar is a cocktail created and primarily consumed in Canada. It typically contains vodka, Clamato (a proprietary blend of tomato juice and clam broth), hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce, and is served with ice in a large, celery salt-rimmed glass, typically garnished with a stalk of celery and wedge of lime. The Caesar was invented in Calgary (1969) by Walter Chell to celebrate the opening of his new Italian restaurant in the city. It quickly became a popular mixed drink within Canada where over 350 million Caesars are consumed annually and it has inspired numerous variants. However, the drink remains virtually unknown outside Canada. The standard is vodka with clam and tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce and “other” spices, quite similar to a Bloody Mary. But like the Martini, it has been popularized with other base alcohols. All of the preps here use some product from Mott (such as Mr. and Mrs. T), but you can, of course, substitute your own. The arrangement of the drinks is by season. None of the food recipes use Mott materials, except for one vinaigrette. All of them have been paired with a suggested “Caesar” of different provenance. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Try some figs stuffed with blue cheese, turkey breast porchetta, or grilled asparagus with tarragon dipping sauce. Quality/price rating: 85. 24.THE POUND A DAY DIET (Grand Central Life & Style, 2014, 298 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-2367-2, $26 US hard covers) is by Rocco DiSpirito, a Beard winner and author of 9 other diet and cookbooks. He founded Union Pacific restaurant (which became a major food show on US TV), and is also now a host on the Food Network. This current book says that you can lose up to 5 pounds in 5 days by eating the foods you love. This is accelerated weight loss by virtue of eating six low-calorie meals a day. The principles are explained, followed by the recipes for both the diet and the maintenance program. There are about 60 recipes, mostly quick and easy, and with five ingredients or fewer. There is also some advice on how to buy store-bought versions of the main foods. He's got some menus and shopping lists as well as calorie counts. Typical preps include rotisserie chicken and teriyaki Asian noodles, turkey Alfredo, cab taco, frozen dark chocolate shake, and sweet potato chips. Worth a shot. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. At the end there is a resources list. Quality/price rating: 85. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 25.EATING ON THE WILD SIDE; the missing link to optimum health (Little, Brown and Co., 2013, 2014, 408 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-22793-3, $16 US soft covers) is by Jo Robinson, a health writer and food activist in Washington state. She’s the author or co-author of some 14 books, and runs www.eatwild.com. This is the paperback reprint of the 2013 book. The premise of her book is to choose present-day foods that approach the nutritional content of wild plants —our original diet. Game, although on the website, is not covered in the book. Log rollers include Andrew Weil and Loren Cordain. Ever since agriculture was “domesticated”, the nutrient value of produce has diminished. Some wild potatoes have up to 20 times more anti-oxidants than today’s russets; wild tomatoes can have up to 30 times more lycopene than most supermarket varieties. You do not necessarily have to go foraging in the wild for such plants, but certain heritage varieties are better for you than others, and they are worth seeking out. Part one covers veggies (wild greens, alliums, corn, root vegetables, tomatoes, crucifers, legumes, artichokes, et al). Part two covers fruits (apples, berries, stone fruit, grapes, citric, tropical fruits, melons). For each, there is a description of what the past has been, what the present is now (and how we got that way), the loss of diversity, storage, eating, a recipe, a table of recommended varieties (with comments for each), and “points to remember”. She tells you how to store broccoli in a way that increases its antioxidants by a quarter more. Frozen berries can be thawed to double their anti-oxidants. Tearing romaine lettuce the day BEFORE you eat it doubles its anti-oxidant content. Cooked carrots have twice as much beta-carotene as raw carrots. Orange juice made from concentrate has almost 50% more anti-oxidants than fresh or canned juice. The 14 preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 26.THE ILLUSTRATED COOK’S BOOK OF INGREDIENTS; 2,500 of the world’s best with classic recipes (DK, 2010, 2013, 544 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-1460-1, $22.95 Canadian soft covers) is a nice book package from DK. This is the 2013 paperback reprint of the 2010 hard cover book. According to the publisher, the reader can learn how to buy, store, prepare, cook, preserve and eat about 2500 international foods. It’s a visual reference with thousands of photos and major contributions from such top UK writers as Jill Norman (Elizabeth David’s editor) on herbs and spices, Jeff Cox on veggies, Judy Ridgway on oils and vinegars, Clarissa Hyman on fruit, and the American Juliet Harbutt, cheese consultant. Each has a separate chapter, so the book is not an alphabetically arranged reference tool (there is an index). It’s also a heavy book because of the paper needed for the photos. 200 classic regional recipes are also here. Some examples, such as “Slinzega: made in Valtellina using smaller strips than bresaola, traditionally horse, but increasingly venison or pork.”, or p.154 has some nifty pix of offal, including tongue and a pig’s head. Preparations have their ingredients listed mostly in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. The index is a gem, with leading and a larger than normal typeface. It’s pretty hard to beat the price of this book. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 27.ASD: THE COMPLETE AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER HEALTH & DIET GUIDE (Robert Rose, 2014, 408 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0473-4, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by R. Garth Smith (developmental pediatrician), Susan Hannah (research associate), and Elke Sengmueller (registered dietician). Together they have created a package of material about ASD, from mild impairment to severely disabled. The first two parts cover what ASD is and how to manage it (120 pages). Then there are fifty pages on “feeding therapy” and “dietary therapy”, leading to a gluten-free casein-free (GFCF) diet program which can be useful if children have milk and/or wheat allergies, food sensitivities, or gastrointestinal difficulties. This is followed by the 175 recipes, all GFCF and arranged by course. These come from 36 other Rose cookbooks (there is a list), and they are all consistent in their layout with chef notes, tips, advice, and nutrient listings per serving. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. At the back, there are resources and references for further reading or Internet viewing, plus, of course, an index. I cannot comment on the ASD material, but the preps are of the usual Rose quality. Quality/price rating: 89. 28.FRESH PANTRY: eat seasonally, cook smart & learn to love your vegetables (Skipstone, 2014; distr. Raincoast, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-59485-817-8, $21.95 US paper covers) is by Amy Pennington, a Seattle cook, writer, and urban farmer (GoGo Green Garden). She's also the host of a PBS food show. Urban Pantry was her last book, but her current one (Fresh Pantry) is based on her monthly e-short series of the same name. Here she tells us how to select, prepare, and dine on fresh in-season veggies every day of the year. The 120 preps here are arranged by season, beginning with winter (cabbage, winter squash, onions) and moving through spring (rhubarb, lettuce), the berries and tomatoes of summer, and the peppers and kale of autumn. There are other vegetables too, but this is not a “vegetarian” book – she's also got meats (rhubarb-tarragon sausage) and fish (summer squash and corn fritters with lox). She's even got a 17 item pantry for us to use, after making the condiments. There is a list of recipes by course, as well as a developed index. Try Korean ribs with pumpkin puree, toasted pecan and cranberry relish, or caraway-beet chutney. Good notes on growing. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 29.IDIOT'S GUIDES: The Anti-Inflammation Diet. 2D ed.(Alpha Books, 2014; distr. DK, 316 pages, ISBN 978-1-61564-430-8, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Christopher Cannon, MD, and Heidi McIndoo, RD. It was originally published in 2006 as The Complete Idiot's Guide etc. … There's been renewed interest in increased inflammation and its linkage to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and many more including cancer and IBS. It is more a question of eating whole unprocessed foods and avoiding refined foods entirely. Thus, for the most part, you would need to do your own cooking or visit known restaurants. As with many other such basic how-to books, there is a detailed table of contents and a larger index, both to facilitate easy retrieval. Recipes are scattered about depending on the topic, and cover a range of foods (fats, grains, fish, meat, fruits, and veggies). There are chapters on the principles of dieting, nutrition, dining out, food shopping strategies, supplements and herbs, stress and weight reduction, exercises, plus commentary on other diets. The 60 or so preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. ---------------------------------------------------- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR MAY 2014 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.THE CRAFT BEER REVOLUTION; how a band of microbrewers is transforming the world's favorite drink (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014; distr. Raincoast, 250 pages, ISBN 978-1-137-27876-0, $25 US hard covers) is by Steve Hindy, co-founder of the Brooklyn Brewery, It comes loaded with 17 different log rollers, most of whom are associated with the US microbrewing industry. It is a basic history of the past 50 years' explosion of artisanal crafted beer. The pioneers started the demand for strong flavours, all-malt, and higher alcohol than the frankly acknowledged horse piss of the major players. It is also about independence and the frontier, reflected in the labels that are just short of cuss words and incitement to riots. There are more than 3000 craft brewers in the US, with more being added all the time; they have about 10% of the total market. There is comparable growth in Canada, but the regulatory bodies have nipped the flashy labeling. For example, in the UK, 140 labels have been pulled since 1989. Rebel brands are a big deal in the US, especially south of the Mason-Dixon line where some labels really are rebel, as in Civil War. Still, there are fractious factions in the craft brewing industry, and he pulls no punches. Hindy also discusses the acquisition period where big money meets craft brewing (1994 – 2000). There are notes on the associations (Brewers' Association of America and the Association of Brewers). But nothing on NAFTA or free trade. There are black and white photos scattered throughout this good business history book. Audience and level of use: students of beer. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: “The future of craft brewing largely depends on how that [Brewer's Association] power is wielded.” The downside to this book: American examples and usage. The upside to this book: much of the scene in Canada follows the US course. Quality/Price Rating: 89. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.EGG; a culinary exploration of the world's most versatile ingredient (Little, Brown and Company, 2014; distr. Hachette, 236 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-25406-9, $40 US hard covers) is by Michael Ruhlman, who started writing about and collaborating with the lives of chefs two decades ago. His food reference series includes The Book of Schmaltz, Ruhlman's Twenty, Ratio, The Elements of Cooking, and Charcuterie. He co-wrote books with Thomas (French Laundry) Keller. He's a Beard Award winner and an IACP winner. He envisioned the structure for this book as a flowchart with the whole egg at the top; it is included in a pocket, inside the back cover. The egg is the Rosetta stone to the kitchen, and Ruhlman treats it that way, with deep respect. There are about 100 preps here to celebrate basic poached and scrambled eggs, followed by mayonnaise, pasta, custards, quiches, and cakes. The recipes have chapters based on techniques: whole eggs (in shell, out of shell, blended), as ingredient in doughs, and separated (yolk, white, used together but separated). There is an index by technique and a general index, as well as many technique step-by-step photos by his wife. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly metric with avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents listed. Audience and level of use: beginners can use this book Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: shirred eggs Florentine; picadillo meatballs; corn and sweet pepper fritters; Italian drop cookies with lemon glaze; profiteroles; rum-soaked cherry bread; omelet with creamy moral mushrooms; crepes. The downside to this book: nothing really, except it is heavy by weight. The upside to this book: excellent photography by his wife, Donna Turner Ruhlman. Quality/Price Rating: 92. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.KEEP YOUR BRAIN YOUNG (Robert Rose, 2014, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0472-7, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Fraser Smith, ND, prominent naturopathic academic, and Ellie Aghdassi, PhD, RD, dementia researcher and academic in Toronto. It is a book in line with other self-health books from Rose, covering arthritis, skin, diabetes, liver, et al. Because we are all growing older, we need to keep our brains in shape to avoid neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It is more important than ever to age well. The book deftly summarizes the issues on age-related diseases, proposes a 12-step healthy brain diet to help prevent or delay damage, and has 150 recipes done up in Rose style, with tips and notes and nutrient tables. Recipes come from other Rose books, and these are noted as to author or authority. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. At the end there are periodical and book references as well as websites and web-pages listed. Audience and level of use: those interested in a program to prevent brain damage. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: the number of those with Alzheimer's is expected to triple by 2050. Anti-oxidants from fruits and veggies can protect the brain against disease. The brain can make new neural connections in the elderly. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 4.HOMEGROWN TEA; an illustrated guide to planting, harvesting, and blending teas and tisanes (St.Martin's Griffin, 2014, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-03941-5, $23.99 US paper covers) is by Cassie Liversidge, a UK gardener-food writer who last wrote Grow Your Own Pasta Sauce, about eating home grown food. Here she looks at tea gardening (backyard, balcony, and window sill). She delves into growing tea from seeds, cuttings and small plants. She gives details on when and how to harvest, plus how to prepare and dry the teas for year-long storage. She's got sections on nutritional and medicinal benefits as well as an illustrated guide on prepping fresh and dried teabags. Arrangement is by part of the plant: leaves, followed by seeds, fruits, flowers, and roots. There is also a plant reference chart, and index of plants, and some recommended sources. Audience and level of use: a book for the tea completist. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: under sage, she lists varieties and botanical names, medical benefits, growing, harvesting, making the tea, some relevant tips for making bag blends – as well as an illustration of the leaves. The downside to this book: no recipes for cooking with teas. The upside to this book: good encouragement for tea drinkers. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 5.LOW & SLOW; the art and technique of braising, BBQ, and slow roasting (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 246 pages, ISNM 978-1-118-10591-7, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Robert Briggs (professor) and the Culinary Institute of America. The basic principles here concern low heat and slow cooking times for prepping tough but flavourful cuts of meat. It tells one how to make the most of every cut of meat, any time of the year. There are chapters on homemade rubs and sauces, plus some accompanying sides to prepare. It is arranged by the three techniques, and each chapter begins with a master recipe, with all the techniques fully illustrated and explained. Under braising, there are two recipes for each prep, one using a slow cooker, the other a stovetop or oven braise. Under BBQ, there are extensive notes on prepping and regional styles. The emphasis throughout is on international cuisine influences. It is a good thorough book, with plenty of techniques illustrated and good suggestions for sides. Just under 100 preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginning cooks, and men. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: braised pulled pork BBQ sandwiches; Korean-style braised short ribs; beef braised in beer and onions; braised oxtail; Moroccan chicken tagine; Eastern North Carolina BBQ pork butt; spit-roasted garlic and lime chicken. The downside to this book: could have had more recipes. The upside to this book: very compact. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 6.THE FRENCH COOK: souffles (Gibbs Smith, 2014, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3612-0, $21.99 US hard covers) is by Greg Patent, a Bear Award winning author for 2002, a blogger, and radio host. This is the third in a new series on French cuisine, here dealing with the basics of souffles: mainly how to beat eggs and how to create the sauces. There are photos and step-by-step techniques. The basic souffles are here (hot, cold, sweet, savoury, molded, unmolded) plus more and some variations are noted. The book is set up as a primer for beginners. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: leek and pancetta souffle; fennel and salmon; chocolate; vanilla; fresh fruit; almond and praline. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 7.300 BEST HOMEMADE CANDY RECIPES; brittles, caramels, chocolates, fudge, truffles & so much more (Robert Rose, 2014, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0475-8, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Jane Sharrock, who comes from a long line of candy-makers (her mother was also a Home Ec professor). This is candy as it used to be, and it you really want to duplicate it, try using organic fair-trade sugar for authenticity (that's my opinion). There's a primer for candymaking, sections dealing with heirloom candies, fudge, farmhouse faves, and short and sweet for a quick fix. Thus, there are chocolates, pralines, creams, toffee, holiday treats, and no-bake cookies. There are two indexes: one by level of difficulty, from novice to expert) and one alphabetical by ingredient. The book is also loaded with cook's notes and tips for most recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. This is the usual thorough Robert Rose package. Audience and level of use: beginner to intermediate Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: caramel pecan pralines; Mexican candy; Mexican orange drops; patience candy; brown candy; butterscotch nut marshmallows; lollipops; turtles; raspberry fudge truffles. The downside to this book: I really don't think we should eat this much candy, so the 300 recipes should really last us a lifetime before repeats. But she does have a top 40 list, so begin with those. The upside to this book: there is an excellent selection of popcorn candy recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 8.SOUTHWEST DUTCH OVEN (Gibbs Smith, 2014, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3635-9, $15.99 US spiral bound) is by George and Carolyn Dumler, both seasoned Dutch oven cooks preparing food for large crowds. They have qualified for the World Championships every year since 2009. Indeed, some of these preps here are reprinted from cookbooks of the 2010-2012 World Championship Cook-Off Dutch Oven Recipes. There's a primer, and then the book is arranged by course or ingredient such as chiles, sauces, sides, mains, breads, and desserts. There is also a menu for a big Southwestern Thanksgiving, with nine recipes. This must be the tenth book published this year on Dutch ovens: a really popular item? Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: Dutch oven users. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: mashed potatoes; turkey with chile garlic marinade; turkey breast with chipotle gravy; chorizo and pistachio stuffing; corn pudding; cheddar jalapeno twists; tequila cranberry compote; pumpkin pinon bread; and pecan chile pie. The downside to this book: ripped out pages are easy (spiral binding) The upside to this book: spiral bound, lies flat. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 9.GLUTEN-FREE MADE EASY (Front Table Books, 2014, 268 pages, ISBN 978-1-4621-1408-5, $22.99 US paper covers) is by Christi Silbaugh and Michelle Vilseck. Silbaugh is an active blogger, with three on the go, plus lots more food social media interactions; her daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009. Vilseck has needed to be gluten-free for the past 11 years or so. Together they have created more than 150 preps in this book plus the tips and tricks involved in putting the dishes together. There's a primer (here, called FAQ) and some resources, plus a glossary and endnotes. The thrust here is on family cooking, so there are lots of things that kids could make, eat and enjoy. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are also tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who need GF foods. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: raspberry breakfast bars; peanut butter power balls; cauliflower pizza crust and cheesy bread; parmesan crusted halibut; mini-taco salads; flour-free cloud bread. The downside to this book: like many other GF books, this one – sadly – has no “chewy” bread recipe. It's the Holy Grail of GF food. The upside to this book: I love the large print and the bolding of the ingredient lists. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 10.COOKING TECHNIQUES AND RECIPES WITH OLIVE OIL (Two Extra Virgins, 2014, 132 pages, ISBN 978-0-9893289-2-0, $26.95 US hard covers) is by Mary Platis and Laura Bashar. They have a variety of olive oil social media websites (Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Google Plus, and more). This book originated as an ebook; in fact, it was a gold medalist as a Global Ebook Award. They have basic olive oil information followed by chapters devoted to poaching, braising, marinating, steaming and baking. There are also some bibliographic references at the end. Lots of tips and advice, nicely integrated with the photos. Prep times and cook times are indicated. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginning cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Rosemary-Garlic Lamb Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Artichokes; Tuna with Citrus and Avocado Salad; Greek Style Vegetables with Tomatoes; Chicken Kabobs with Cucumber-Mint Barley; Stuffed Grape Leaves with Brown Rice, Kale and Fresh Herbs; Olive Oil Almond Cookies with Rosewater and Cardamom; Olive Oil and Vanilla Ice Cream; Watermelon Shooters with Persia Mint Syrup and Olive Oil. The downside to this book: as a basic book, it could use a few more recipes. The upside to this book: great photography. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 11.THE GREEK YOGURT KITCHEN (Grand Central Life & Style, 2014; distr. Hachette, 242 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-5120-0, $20 US paper covers) is by Toby Amidor, MS, RD, a top nutrition advisor and consultant to major groups, including Foodnetwork.com. Here she gives us a basic yogurt cookbook, using Greek yogurt as the base since it is a trendy power food. And with seven log rollers. So long as the nutritional benefits of Greek yogurt carry through, then you can cook with it. Otherwise, it may be best just as it comes out of the fridge. It's a form of yogurt that has been strained to remove a lot of the whey, which results in a lower fat content and higher protein content. This also means that it has lower levels of lactose. If you have to, you could substitute just about any unflavoured organic yogurt. Whatever you do, you must check the label to see what is in the yogurt: go for simple, cultured, and unflavoured. The 133 recipes here are a beginning. They range from traditional breakfast food through snacks, apps, salads, mains, and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who are lactose sensitive, health food fans. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: crustless mushroom quiche; buttermilk chicken fingers; mexican-sty6led creamed corn; coconut lemon cookies; dulce de leche bowl. The downside to this book: the use of “Greek” yogurt is overplayed when other forms can also be used. The upside to this book: good selection of recipes, including one for making your own low-fat Greek yogurt by straining out the whey. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 12.MARINADES; the quick-fix way to turn everyday food into exceptional fare, with 400 recipes (Harvard Common Press, 2014; dist. T.Allen, 320 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-827-3, $17.95 US paper covers) is by Lucy Vaserfirer, recipe developer and cookbook author. This is a great idea for a book, as an alternative to a slow-cooker. With the right marinade, you can dress up meats or veggies in the morning, put the food in the fridge for the day, and finish off the plate at night with a broil, grill, microwave, or saute. Of course, for meat like beef, this only works on the softer textured cuts. The heavy duty stewing meats may be a tad too tough for quick cooking. The 200 marinades here are vinegar-based, oil-based, fruit-based, milk-based, and alcohol-based. There is certainly something for every day; each marinade comes with a recipe that shows one way to use it. More than half the “suggested use” recipes are for grilled dishes and BBQs, but they can be adapted for indoor use. She opens with the marinades, in separate chapters for herbs, spices, citrus, tomato and the like. Then she moves on to different cuisines, such as southwestern marinades, South American marinades, European, Chines-Japanese-Korean, Southeast Asia, Indian, African, Caribbean, and even “sweet” dessert marinades. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those willing to experiment or looking for more jazzy flavours. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Buffalo wing marinade; balsamic-soy marinade; grilled portobellos; cranberry-cider marinade; teriyaki marinade. The downside to this book: I just wish that there was something that can be done for the bully beef and the mutton, and other tough cuts of meat, that can happen within the 12 hour spread of AM and PM in the fridge. The upside to this book: there are two indexes, one to the marinades and another to “suggested use”. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 13.THE HUNGRY GIRL DIET (St. Martin's Griffin, 2014, 285 pages, ISBN 978-0-312-67679-7, $26.99 US hard covers) is by celebrity Lisa Lillien, author and TV personality of a series of Hungry Girl books going back five years – over 2 million were sold. She's got hungry-girl.com (with a free companion app to create shopping lists and track one's food) and shows on the Food Network and Cooking Channel. Here she proposes a diet of big portions, big results, and dropping 10 pounds in four weeks. It has all been vetted by David Grotto, RD. There are 60 easy recipes, including Hungry Girl classics such as oatmeal bowls, egg mugs, salads, and foil packs. And the usual tips, tricks, hints, strategies, how-tos, and food swaps or substitutions. The emphasis, as always, is on lean protein, fat-free and reduced dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables, and huge portions for volume. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 14.FIRE & SMOKE (Clarkson Potter, 2014, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-7704-3438-0, $24.99 US soft covers) is by Chris Lilly, executive chef and partner of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q. Their competition cooking team has won 10 World BBQ Championships, six other world titles, and other competitions. Lilly has also written Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book. It is just one of many new BBQ books unleashed this season (see below for others), by competition champion celebrities and cookbook authors. Each, of course, has pitmaster secrets and also reflects as a Good Ol' Boy. Lilly combines the speed of grilling with smoky flavours of low-and-slow BBQ. No special equipment required: just the hot grill of smoldering coals and a rack or pan. There are 100 preps here, covering BBQ oysters, lamb ribs, grilled pizza, smoked pork belly confit, and cowboy ribeye. Sides, apps, salads, desserts, and cocktails are also here. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Profusely illustrated. Quality/price rating: 87. 15.VIRGIL'S BARBECUE ROAD TRIP COOKBOOK; the best barbecue from around the country without ever leaving your backyard (St. Martin's Press, 2014, 335 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-04109-8, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Neal Corman, executive chef of Alicart Restaurant Group, with freelancer Chris Peterson as the focusing food writer. Virgil's has been doing BBQ since 1994 in New York City, with ideas from US BBQ country of Texas, North Carolina, Kansas City and Memphis. Here there are preps for beef (Texas brisket, chicken fried steak, burnt ends), pork (baby ribs, pulled pork, slow ham), and chicken (pulled, fried, jerked). No lamb. It's arranged by course, from apps to desserts, with suggested menus (social gatherings, game day, afternoon grill fest, fish fry, Sunday brunch – 7 in all). There are also beer notes. These are recipes modified for home use from the restaurants which use 1400 pound smokers. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 16.WILEY'S CHAMPIONSHIP BBQ (Gibbs Smith, 2014, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3631-1, $19.99 US spiral bound) is by Wiley McCrary, a former Atlanta BBQ caterer, now a BBQ pitmaster champion and owner of Wiley's Championship BBQ restaurant in Savannah, Georgia. He's a co-author here with his wife Janet and Amy Paige Condon, associate editor of Savannah magazine and food writer (she's also co-authored The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook). It is all done with the engaging subtitle “secrets that old men take to the grave”. It is thorough and comprehensive, with pix of techniques. The spiral binding in a plus, for the recipes can lie flat on the counter or by the BBQ. There's the primer on smoking and BBQ, calculating, sauces (he also has a line he sells), and a section on how to use this cookbook, including getting a notebook for your own revisions. He's got a beef tri-tip, a smoked leg of lamb, pulled pork, deep-fried turkey, smoked and stuffed chicken breasts, and even a seafood casserole. Sides and accompaniments include fried pickles, black-eyed pea hummus, grilled peaches, and a bread pudding with bourbon. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents on the inside back cover. Quality/price rating: 88. 17.THE LUCKY SANTANGELO COOKBOOK (St.Martin's Press, 2014, 162 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-01465-8, $27.99 US hard covers) is by novelist Jackie Collins, who needs no further attribute. Here are 100 recipes inspired by the seven novels featuring Lucky Santangelo: the world of lust, intrigue, violence, and redemption. Maybe the latter involves cooking. Most of the dishes here are traditional Italian, glam desserts, and over-the-top cocktails. Just what Collins' readers need. The Italian dishes include pasta puttanesca, angel hair pasta, fettuccine with crab and cream, chicken Milanese, and the like. There are little tidbits from the novels. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Definitely a book for her fans. Quality/price rating: 83. 18.ARTISAN BREAD (Race Point Publishing, 2014, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-937994-42-6, $30 US hard covers) is by Keith Cohen. He bought the 100-year old Orwasher's, an Upper East Side New York bakery, in 2007, and returned it to its beginning roots. Just about everything is sourced locally, and Orwasher's now has a line of artisan wine and beer breads to complement some re-inspired kosher rye and challah breads. The wine bread uses wine grape starters with natural yeasts for the leavening process. Beer breads use a local stout for the dough. There are other techniques too, and this is all carefully explained with lots of instructions and engaging photography of the techniques. The 30 recipes are all scaled. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. A glossary concludes the book. Quality/price rating: 88. 19.RAWLICIOUS AT HOME; more than 100 raw, vegan and gluten-free recipes to make you feel great (Appetite by Random House, 2014, 174 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01618-3, $29.95 paper covers) is by Angus Crawford and Chelsea Clark, founders and co-owners of a Rawlicious mini-chain/franchise in Toronto and southern Ontario (six in all, and one just around the corner from me). This is an easy cookbook, inspired by their own resto dishes, for home preps. There is a full ranger here from drinks/smoothies, breakfasts, apps, soups, right through to desserts. There is even a section of 12 preps for common staples such as pizza crust, burger buns, tortillas, herb and onion flatbreads, and various “cheeses” from nuts. A primer covers the “raw life” and pantry/larder. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Typical recipes embrace a raw/vegan/gluten-free side of pad Thai, nori rolls, coffee cheesecake, and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Lots of white space and large type is a good thing here for the kitchen, but the typeface for the index is smaller than it could be. Quality/price rating: 87. 20.MARC FORGIONE; recipes and stories from the acclaimed chef and restaurant (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 417 pages, ISBN 978-1-11830278-1, $40 US hard covers) is by the eponymous chef in Tribeca, New York City. It is an acclaimed restaurant, and Forgione is also on Iron Chef America. Recently, he's opened three other restaurants. He's assisted here by Olga Massov, a Brooklyn-based food writer and blogger. There is also some heavy log rolling from Alfred Portale and Michelle Bernstein, and others. This is an illustrated memoir of his journey through life, from line cook to chef, with 170 recipes and more photos. There's also primer material on prepping food and his thoughts on the New American cuisine. His resto's most popular recipes are here: Chili Lobster, Chicken Under a Brick, Bacon-Crusted Hampshire Pork Chop, and Tortellini d'Avanzi. Other recipes are family faves or native American traditions. Most of the recipes were home-tested by his mother. There's a tool list and a sources list. All of the recipes are well-detailed. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. A great book for his fans and armchair cooks. Quality/price rating: 88. 21.GALE GAND'S LUNCH (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-54422650-0, $27.99 US hard covers) is by a Bear Award winner and co-founder of TRU in Chicago. She has made multiple appearances on Food Network shows, including hosting Sweet Dreams. She's written seven other cookbooks. Focusing writer Christie Matthews is a food writer, and coauthor of other food books, including one other book with Gale Gand. To complete the picture there is an A-list of log rollers, including Batali, Cat Cora, Moulton, and Dupree. Gand tries to re-invent lunch, steering people away from a medley of breakfast leftovers and vending machines and food courts, to some decent and relevant food. There are 150 heal;thy and homemade lunches here. Some of them are school lunches, while others are picnics or midday parties. All of it is fine, but it helps to have kids to partially prepare their own meals, and there is still the problem of socializing at work. There is a vast difference between eating at your desk, in a work lunchroom, and in a food court. Although, maybe with social media, we actually no longer have to talk to anybody over lunch – just text your way through the meal. Rustic ratatouille tart shines, as does a variety of veggie and fruit salads. Chipotle cheddar biscuits are filling, and Israeil couscous with cranberries and toasted pecans is something new. Well worth looking at, although time can be a problem. Healthwise, lunch should be the biggest meal of the day, loaded with energy and protein and carbos – to sustain you. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 22.TEA & TREATS; perfect pairings for brews and bakes (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-497-2, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Liz Franklin, a finalist in the BBC Masterchef competition, BBC food host and producer, and now cookery school owner and food writer. She's written two other cookbooks. Here she offers us ideas on tea time. She has 60 recipes matching tea and sweet treats. She defines the types of teas and then proposes a small baked good. So for white sweet tea (pai mu tan), there is cardamom shortbread; for fennel tea, there is lemon and almond financier. For teas you don't like, you can always make the treat and have them with something comparable. The major arrangement is by class: breakfast tea, calming tea, different tea, afternoon tea, and dinner party tea. It is a great gift book for a tea lover. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There is also a sources list (UK and US only). Quality/price rating: 85. 23.THE SODA FOUNTAIN (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 218 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-484-9, $19.99 US hard covers) is the first book I've seen for summer. It is by Gia Giasullo and Peter Freeman, co-founders of the Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain. They've appeared on various TV shows and channels. And they have log rolling from such celebrities as Alain Ducasse and the Borough President. Their place, opened in 2010, replicates the soda fountain, and here the recipes deal with floats, sundaes, egg creams, and more. There are vintage illustrations and adverts, plus a memoirish history involving seltzer water. The range is from classics to contemporary, such as the Sundae of Broken Dreams, topped with broken pretzel bits, or the Makin' Whoopie with hot fudge and chocolate whoopie cake. You can make your own milkshakes and syrups and a variety of toppings (they also suggest others). There are even some resources pages, a bibliography, and a cocktail alcohol beverage section. Scaling is encouraged, so recipes have volumes indicated with weight equivalents. But preparations have their ingredients listed only in avoirdupois measurements; there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 24.EXTRA VIRGIN (Clarkson Potter, 2014; distributed by Random House Canada, 272 pages, ISBN 978-0-385-34605-4, $32.50 US hard covers) is by Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos. Debi is an actress (Entourage, Goodfellas) while Gabriele was raised in Tuscany. Together they are the producers and co-hosts of Cooking Channel's primetime show Extra Virgin, which is all about Tuscan food. This book developed out of the show. It is a book about everyday good rustic food from Tuscany; most of it is traditional. Log rolling comes from Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Marty Scorsese, Bourdain, Madonna, Cat Cora, and many more. Arrangement is by course: apps, pastas, risotto, soups, salads, mains, sides, pizza, panini, desserts and drinks. There are no wine notes at all. Good classic Tuscan food. There are two dough recipes: one for pizza dough, and another for Tuscan bread dough (involving a starter). The pizza dough is in avoirdupois measurements by volume like the rest of the book. But the Tuscan bread recipe is only in metric, and it is scaled. As preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, and there is no table of metric equivalents, I find this can be confusing to the avid reader. And there is no explanation anywhere. Quality/price rating: 85. 25.MAN MADE MEALS; the essential cookbook for guys (Workman Publishing, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 631 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-6644-3, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Steven Raichlen, author of seven grilling books (one of which is the award-winning Barbecue! Bible which I reviewed in 1998, with its 500 BBQ recipes) and host of the PBS series Barbecue University and Primal Grill. The book concentrates on guy food: heavy, substantial flavours, lots of protein and starches. Veggies are mainly chiles, beans, corn, potatoes, mushrooms, kale, cauliflower, and collard greens, although he does have a (downplayed) salad chapter. The 300 preps here stress that knowledge is power and that all men have an inner chef who loves showing off that power. Like in the wine world, Raichlen advises kicking butt (in the introduction)-- whatever sells the book which is being billed as a cookbook, textbook, and guidebook to male cooking. He also manages to pull in material from Thomas Keller, Michael Pollan, and Mark Bittman, among others. The 17 food chapters embrace courses and meals, such as breakfast, sandwiches, pizza, breads, ribs, chili, soups, and a short sweet chapter (rum and coke float, affogato, bourbon brown cow, Mexican chocolate pudding, bananas Foster). There are lots of lists and tables (male things) scattered throughout, plus an opening primer. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. I found some inconsistencies in the index, such as the matter of corn-flour-taco-tortilla. Quality/price rating: 89. 26.ONE-HOUR CHEESE (Workman Publishing, 2014, 260 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-7748-7, $14.95 US paper covers) is by Claudia Lucero, a developer of DIY Cheese kits and the Williams-Sonoma's home cheesemaking kit. These preps, with colour photos of each step, tell us how to make 16 fresh cheeses at home, in an hour or less, using basic ingredients and equipment. There are also some recipes for the cheeses that we have just made, such as Mexican bahn mi torta, grilled eggplant rolls, butternut and chive crostini, and curry lettuce wraps. There is a pix of the plated dish, but no pix of the prep steps for the application of the cheeses. Covered are: ricotta, mozzarella, chevre, paneer, burrata, fresco, cottage cheese, haloumi, and others, grouped around three types (creamy, chewy, and melty). Fun for all, and quite easy. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of equivalents. There is a supplies list and a bibliography. Check out urbancheesecraft.com for more. Quality/price rating: 88. 27.BUVETTE; the pleasure of good food (Grand Central Life & Style, 2014, 286 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-2552-2, $30 US hard covers) is by Jody Williams, chef and owner of Buvette, a top restaurant in NYC. She recently opened a second Buvette in Paris. With some log rolling headed by Alice Waters and Mario Batali, the book is a pretty good account of a restaurant's life in the world of French and Italian bistro cooking. She makes and serves the classic dishes in a book arranged by time of day (mornings, afternoons, aperitifs, evening, sweets). There is a chapter on beverages that deals with cocktails and covers some French wine regions, but otherwise there are no wine recommendations for the courses. Her chapter on larders discusses crème fraiche, vinaigrette, herbes de provence, pistou, pickles, rouille, and about a dozen more. Try oxtail marmalade, leeks in vinaigrette, salmon rillettes, pate de campagne, duck confit, or almond toffee. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 28.THE TEXAS FOOD BIBLE; from legendary dishes to new classics (Grand Central Life & Style, 2013, 2014; distr. Hachette, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-7430-8, $30 US hard covers) is by Dean Fearing, former chef at the Mansion on Turtle Creek and now at Fearing's. He's been a fave chef of mine for years; maybe it's his first name. Here he offers a history of Texas food through culinary experiences. He expands it all to the southwestern regional experience through such as Navajo fry bread, sweet potato spoonbread, enchiladas, and BBQ. It is a guide to regional grilling-smoking-braising, with additional recipes from other chefs. There is also material about local suppliers. He begins with a pantry, and moves through the courses of breakfast, brunch, apps, salads, mains, sides – with other chapters on the grill and BBQ. Good boldfacing of ingredient lists, as well as a list of sources. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try poblano-mango-carmelized onion quesadillas with cilantro-lime-sour cream, or molasses-tabasco duck with smoked veggie dressing, or even smoked salmon tartare with roast jalapeno cream and roasted garlic. Innovative stuff. Quality/price rating: 89. 29.THE NOLAN RYAN BEEF & BARBECUE COOKBOOK; recipes from a Texas kitchen (Little Brown and Co., 2014; distr. Hachette, 172 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-24826-6, $25 US hard covers) is by baseball great Nolan Ryan and three others: JP Rosenthal (food and baseball writer), Cristobal Vazquez (executive chef at Texas Rangers Ballpark), and Charlie Bradbury (CEO of Nolan Ryan Beef). Texas BBQ is all about beef, so here it is: hamburgers, hot dogs, T-bones, rib-eyes, strip steaks, tenderloins, sirloin, roasts, ribs, brisket, flank steak, flat iron steak – plus some salads and sides and desserts. It is not Dean Fearing, but it is Texas and it is beef. The idea too is to pitch Texas beef, specifically Beefmaster cattle (half Brahman, quarter Hereford, quarter Shorthorn). So you can order it, at least in the USA, and try it out on the BBQ grill. He's got easy T-bone with soy and pineapple, slow-roasted prime rib with natural jus, beer-braised country ribs, and grilled balsamic flank steak. It is a good introduction to Texas beef, with many compelling recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 30.SAUSAGE MAKING (Chronicle Books, 2014, 207 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0178-1, $35 US hard covers) is by Ryan Farr, author of Whole Beast Butchery, and owner of 4505 Meats, an artisanal meat company where he teaches butchery classes and makes sausages. Jessica Battilana is the focusing food writer. It is a basic book for home cooks, with the techniques skills and equipment needed for cooking/curing/smoking every type of sausage. The arrangement is by texture, with a section on coarse (chorizo, merguez, Italian), firm (linguica, Polish, bratwurst), soft (boudin noir, scrapple), smooth (bierwurst, bologna, wieners), and combination (duck confit and cherry terrine, headcheese). There is a major discussion of selecting meats and fats (including frog), techniques of grinding-mixing-stuffing-twisting, and cooking styles – most with photos. Typical preps of the 38 sausages here include those for goat sausage with peppers, turkey-apple-campari sausage, guinea hen and kimchee links, smoked trout and pork sausage, and the veal-sweetbread-morels en croute combo. Other recipes cover condiments and breads. There is a resources list and a picture of a side view of each sausage. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both US and metric measurements, along with ratio tables. Quality/price rating: 89. 31.COOLHAUS ICE CREAM BOOK; custom-built sandwiches with crazy-good combos of cookies, ice creams, gelatos, and sorbets.(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-12004-4, $25 US hard covers) is by Natasha Case (CEO) and Freya Estreller (business manager), with Kathleen Squires as the focusing food writer. Coolhaus began as a food truck, but now it is a national brand. Their sandwiches are sold throughout the US at supermarkets and trucks. There are also tips on ice cream making and some memoir-like materials. Ice cream sandwiches are divided into fruity, boozy, cakey, cheesy, nutty, salty, savory, smoky/spicy – the Eight Dwarfs (my phrase) of the business. Other chapters explore gelato, sorbet, and vegan sandwiches. There is a nice chapter on vegan and gluten-free cookies to make your own. There are guides to flavours and to toppings, and of course, “making your own” is encouraged. Both my faves Earl Grey and Green Tea ice cream sandwiches are included. You can have fun with this book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 32.THE COUPLE'S KITCHEN; a newlyweds cookbook. (Ryland Peters and Small, 2014, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-499-6, $29.95 US hard covers) is a cookbook package pulled together by the publishers with recipe credits from Ross Dobson, Maxine Clark, Tonia George, Ben Reed, and others – 25 in all. It has been stylishly designed by Maria Lee Warren, and edited by Gillian Haslam and Miriam Catley. It has been indexed by Hilary Bird (good to see an indexer credit). The arrangement is by course, from breakfast and brunch to apps, soups, salads, right through to drinks and menu planning, with 14 menus and their page refs. Other chapters are for preps for dealing with just two people, or feeding a crowd, or having a “baking” day. It is an affordable good wedding gift package or a shower item. It ranges from simple preps for two to stylish ideas for elegant entertaining and hosting special occasions. Among the drinks there is the Champagne cocktail and sherry cobbler, kir royale, hot buttered rum, and other social beverages. Pancetta and fennel puffs, fresh beans with pecorino and prosciutto, Moroccan orange cake, and huevos rancheros – these are some of the recipes. The format is large and prestigious, there is a bookmark cloth ribbon, and the recipes total 150 or so. There is even room for both the husband and wife to cook together. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 33.THE WHOLE LIFE NUTRITION COOKBOOK; a complete nutritional and cooking guide for healthy living (Grand Central Life and Style, 2014; distr. Hachette, 449 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-8189-4, $26 US paper covers) is by Alissa Segersten (once a personal chef and now cooking instructor) and Tom Malterre (an academic nutritionist). Together they also run the Whole Life Nutrition website. Here are over 300 “whole foods” recipes, including gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and egg-free dishes. Almost something for everyone. It was originally published in 2008, and it is now updated into virtually a brand-new book. Even the bibliography is current: there are references to 2014 works. It is thorough and comprehensive, beginning with a primer on diet sensitivities, the need for whole foods, the larder, the equipment, the cooking techniques. The recipes are arranged by courses, from soups to desserts, with diversions to smoothies, bacteria-cultured foods, whole grains, dips and sauces, snacks and beverages. All with large type, easy to use instructions, and tips/tricks. There is also a web resources listing; there's more at www.wholelifenutrition.net(recipes, courses, newsletters, blogs). Various diets are discussed as there is some benefits in every one of them. I could not find any discussion on alcoholic beverages, not even through the index. While there is a table of US equivalents (weights and volumes), preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 34.TRUE FOOD; season, sustainable, simple, pure (Little, Brown, 2012, 2104, 255 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-12940-4, $19 US paper covers) is by Andrew Weil and Sam Fox, with Michael Stebner. Weil is well-known for his books and columns on alternative health practices and issue (including many food recipes). He is partner with Sam Fox in the True Food Kitchen chain. Stebner is the executive chef of these restaurants. The work comes heavily endowed with log rollers Alice Waters and Marion Nestle. This is the 2014 paperback reprint. It’s a book based on SLOFE principles (seasonal, local, organic, fast, and easy); there are about 150 recipes adapted from the six restaurant chain. The important thing you need to know about Andrew Weil is that the guy is completely trustworthy: he has impressed me for over 20 years. Other than that, this is good food with plenty of explanations from Weil and a pantry to start up. You cannot go wrong here. There are good illustrations and sufficient white space in the book’s layout. The chapters follow a daily meal, with breakfast, appetizers, salads, soups, mains, pasta, veggies, desserts and drinks (only a few with alcohol). This is a good book for the struggling dieter – you will get your appetite sated. Dishes include chocolate- banana tart, stir-fried long beans with citrus-sesame sauce, bibimbap, bison umami burger, and halibut with fingerling potatoes. There are no tables of nutritional sources. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents, which is a shame for international sales. Quality/price rating: 88. 35.CROHN'S & COLITIS DIET GUIDE. 2D ed (Robert Rose, 2008, 2014, 336 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0478-9, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by A. Hillary Steinhart, MD, Mount Sinai Hospital, and Julie Cepo, RD. It accompanies Dr. Steinhart's Crohn's & Colitis Understanding & Managing IBD (also in a second edition). The major part of the book, here revised since its 2008 publication date, is a FAQ about food and IBD, along with a primer on causes, symptoms and therapies. These are proven dietary strategies for managing IBD, with menus and meal planning, tips on maintaining good nutrition, and 175 recipes. Over 25 new ones have been added, to take into account new foods such as banana cinnamon quinoa waffles, or new techniques such as slow cooker squash couscous. The preps largely come from two dozen Rose cookbooks, which have been vetted, of course, for their IBD relationship. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of metric equivalents. Each recipe has been noted as vegetarian or vegan, low cal, low fat, high protein, lactose, fibre, sodium, and others. Lots of tips for following a low fibre diet. Quality/price rating: 87. 36.THE GLUTEN-FREE TABLE; the Lagasse girls share their favorite meals (Grand Central Life & Style, 2012, 2014, 230 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-1687-2, $17 US soft covers) is by Jilly and Jessie Lagasse, daughters of Emeril Lagasse. It was originally released in hardback in 2012, and this is the paperback release. In 2004 Jilly was diagnosed with celiac disease. Jessie, at some point, needed to follow a gluten-free diet. Both of course have been food-inspired by their upbringing, so it seemed to be a no-brainer that a gluten-free cookbook was in the shaping. They have taken their fave preps from childhood and family and redeveloped them into tasty, celiac-friendly alternatives. There’s about 100 recipes, of family favourites, Southern classics, and ten original preps from Emeril himself. It’s all arranged by course, from apps to sweets. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There’s a concluding list of resources and website. Some interesting or unusual recipes redefine Southern food: cornbread and Andouille stuffed pork chops; baked halibut with creole tomato and Vidalia onion vinaigrette; cheesy shrimp and crab grits; mini goat cheese and fig pizzas. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 37.NATHALIE DUPREE'S SHRIMP AND GRITS (Gibbs Smith, 2006, 2014, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-36665-6, $21.99 US hard covers) has been co-authored by Marion Sullivan. They have worked together for three decades, with heavy involvement in maintaining the culinary experience of the American south through cookbooks, magazines, newspapers, and broadcasting. Both of them live in Charleston SC. This is a revised edition of the 2006 book. Its history is covered: the evolution of shrimp and grits (cooked grits were also called hominy) from a breakfast dish, and the variations made by local chefs in the Carolinas. Most of this book covers those variations, but the last chapter is about grits alone, and here is where the reader can find some desserts (peach and grits cobbler, peach and grits parfait, anadama bread, grits pudding, grist waffles, and more. For the savouries, there are a lot of sauces to go with shrimp and grits, such as a chorizo cream sauce, roasted red pepper sauce, hot pepper cream sauce, garlic butter sauce, lemon sour cream sauce, or sausage gravy. A great book for shrimp and/or grits lovers. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 38.DELICIOUS DIABETES COOKING FOR ONE OR TWO PEOPLE (Robert Rose, 2014, 144 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0476-5, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, founder of the Free From Food Awards (food allergy/intolerance). It was originally published in 2013 in London by Grub Street. These preps have been specifically designed for one or two (they can be scaled upwards), and can be used by anyone who needs low-sugar restrictions. With some modifications they can also be used for managing dairy or gluten allergies. Everything is fairly easy. Each prep has full nutritional analysis, larger type face, and tips. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Arrangement is by course, from apps and soups to baked goods and desserts. Typical are herb frittata, moules marinieres, pasta and broccoli gratin, and cod with chilies. Quality/price rating: 87. 39.SIMPLE FRENCH FOOD. 40th Anniversary Ed. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1974, 1992, 2014, 455 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-24220-3, $24.99 US hard covers) is by the late Richard Olney, one of the better passionate writers of French cuisine. I remember reviewing this book in 1974 for the American Library Association, but over the years I had misplaced it. Olney began with “The French Menu Cookbook”, criticized by some for being overly complicated. He was persuaded to come up with a “simple” book. This latest reissue comes with the original Foreward by James Beard (1974), the Introduction by Patricia Wells (1992), and a New Foreward by Mark Bittman (2014). There is also unabashed log rolling from Jacques Pepin and Alice Waters. He opens with some thoughts about French cooking, wine, breads, and then moves on to courses by ingredients. He also did all of the drawings in this book. As Wells says, “Olney shares with us the tactile, aromatic, visual joys of food.” His reclusive ways belied his editing of all 27 volumes of the Time Life Good Cook series. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 92. 40.CANADIAN WHISKY; the portable expert (McClelland & Stewart, 2012, 2014, 236 pages, ISBN 978-0-7710-2744-4, $22 CAN paper covers) is by Davin de Kergommeaux, a sommelier and whisky expert who has been writing for more than decade about whisky through print and his award-winning blog at . This book is a paperback reprint of the 2012 edition, with no changes. It was a finalist of the 2013 Taste Canada Food Writing Awards. As a basic book, it covers what Canadian whisky contains (grains, water, wood), how it is made, flavours and tasting techniques, plus a concise history of the industry, with extra notes on the nine distillers of Canadian whisky. There have been some changes here, including ownership and name changes, since 2012, but these have not been incorporated. Still, a great basic book about Canadian whisky and the industry, made better for most people by the inclusion of a section about tasting techniques. There is a bibliography, a glossary, and two indexes: a general one and an index to the tasting notes. Quality/price rating: 89. 41.BEST OF BRIDGE HOME PRESERVING (Robert Rose, 2014, 303 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0482-6, $29.95 CAN spiral bound) is by the Bridge folks. It is a collection of some 120 recipes for jams, jellies, marmalades, pickles, and more. These have been derived from quite a few Best of Bridge books, plus some Rose books, and some unpublished preps by Sally Vaughan-Johnston. The Bridge format works – all caps printing enclosed in a window, easy instructions, and detailed overall techniques for the basics of pickling, jamming, and the like. While local produce has been emphasized, for the adventuresome, try pineapple/mango/papaya conserve, or kiwi/pineapple/orange jam. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. The spiral binding is a nice bonus, with all the pages lying flat. This sets it apart from many of the other recent home canning books which have traditional binding. Quality/price rating: 87. 42.LA MERE BRAZIER; the mother of modern French cooking (Rizzoli, 2014; distr. Random House Canada, 272 pages, ISBN 978-0-8478-4096-0, $35 US hard covers) is by Eugenie Brazier who opened La Mere Brazier in 1921 in Lyon. She was awarded multiple Michelin stars. Her book was first published in 1977 in France (just as she died), but here it is in North America, available in English for the first time. Most of the recipes here come from her niece's husband, Roger Garnier, who was Brazier's chef for 20 years. The rest come from taped transcriptions in 1975. This is, in all senses, a Gallic memoir. There are photos, line drawings and classic menus (with page references). Paul Bocuse lends an informal foreward. Arrangement is by ingredient (eggs, fish, poultry, meat) or by course (apps, first courses, baking, desserts, butters). There is also glossary of cooking terms. This is classic French cooking, over 300 recipes, with reminiscences: beurrecks a la turque, ecrevisses a la nage, langouste au ricard, poulet saute a la provencale. Regional wine recommendations for each dish are made. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 43.BLOOD SUGAR: quinoa & healthy living (New Holland, 2013; distr. T.Allen, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-74257456-1, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Michael Moore. It is a collection of previously published recipes from his Blood Sugar cookbook series, with some additional new preps using quinoa. Moore has owned or managed numerous restaurants in London and Sydney, including the Ritz Hotel London and the Bluebird London. He is currently the chef and owner of O Bar and Dining in Sydney. This is basically a diabetic book (Moore is a diabetic) but also one for clean, healthy living. It is divided into meals, with breakfast, light meals and snacks, mains and desserts. He's got figs on toast with ricotta, hot milk and barley porridge, homemade breakfast bars, plank-roasted salmon with quinoa tzatziki, strawberry quinoa custard pie, and more. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR APRIL 2014 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.SUPERJUICING (Firefly Books, 2014, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-307-2, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Tonia Reinhard, RD (director of Coordinated Program in Dietetics at Wayne State University in Detroit, and a teacher of college-level nutritional courses) with some writing and research by her husband John. She also authored SuperFoods (Firefly), the second edition coming out last month (see previous review). Juices are nutrient-dense foods packed with the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals and other good things – for the least calories. Many are tasty on their own, others need palate help. Here are more than 100 veggie and fruit recipes (82 sweet, 18 savoury), combining plants with ginger and flax and other supplements. The leftover pulpy fibre can be added to quick breads, muffins, soups, stews, meatloaf, and more. No waste here, but the chart on page 147 could have been incorporated into an earlier chapter that deals with primer material. Each prep has a nutritional analysis, with graphs and charts in some cases. The photos are basic: there is nothing much one can do with glasses of juice. Garnishes do not help. There is also a helpful section on some juicers in the market. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no handy table of equivalents. She concludes with a glossary, a resources list, and a bibliography. Audience and level of use: those into juicing; reference libraries. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: mango carotene; berried grapes; tropical kale (with pineapple, kiwi, mango); carrot limeberry; blackberry citrus; red pepper mango; pearberry tofu; curried avocado dal; and beany zucchini. The downside to this book: the pulp chart on p147 needs to be expanded and re-positioned in the primer section. The upside to this book: a look at some juicers. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.CHARCUTERIA; the soul of Spain (Surrey Books, 2014, 462 pages, ISBN 978-1-57284-152-9, $39.95 US hard covers) is by Jeffrey Weiss, chef at Jeninni Kitchen + Wine Bar in Pacific Grove, California (Monterey Peninsula). He earned a ICEX culinary scholarship to live in Spain, learn regional cuisines, and cook in top kitchens. This amazing book deals with Spanish butchering and meat-curing techniques in English for North Americans. There are more than 100 traditional Spanish recipes, with step-by-step photos, and engaging closeups of plated dishes. There's log rolling by Colman Andrews and Michael Ruhlman – at least they say something informative beyond “great book”. It is also a partial travel book with some memoir material, good for the armchair traveler-cook or as a gift. There is some historical depth and a superb re-telling of “dead pig walking” as butchering is described. Not for the faint of heart, but real it is. There is a lot of material about charcuteria stylings, including some charts and fat levels. Then come the recipes: basic brines and cures, adobos, escabeche, confits, embutidos, pates and terrines, salsas, and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents (and p.437 is blank). There is a Spanish sources list with street addresses, other sources, a glossary, a bibliography, and excellent photography. It weighs almost 2 kilos, but it should be an award-winning book at a great price. Audience and level of use: it is a good book for those engaged in whole beast cookery; also very useful for the jaded cook who demands more. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: caldo blanco; cured egg yolks; bacalao in green sauce; partridge escabeche; alioli; bocadillo de chorizo (sandwich); panceta curada; preserved pork shank and ham bone; botifarra sausages; chistorra sausages. The downside to this book: there may be too much info here for many people, but it is a good reference book. The upside to this book: the index has both Spanish and English. Quality/Price Rating: 93. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.BRASSICAS (Ten Speed Press, 2014; distr. By Random House, 167 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-571-6, $23US hard covers) is by Laura B. Russell, food writer and recipe developer in Portland OR. She's also written The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen. There is even some logrolling from Andrew Weil and Deborah Madison. This current book is devoted to cooking the world's healthiest veggies: kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and leafy such as collards, mustard greens, rabe, arugula, bok choy and Napa cabbage – about 22 in all. There's a short section on why brassicas are good for you, special diets and some tables, and a bibliography. She has 80 recipes that call for roasting or sauteing, pickling, wilting and the like. All preps are useful for retaining the nutritional elements that the brassica is good for: vitamins, minerals, fibres, phytochemicals, and more. They tend to be anti- many things, such as anti-inflammatories, anti-oxidants, anti-carcinogenics. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: brassica lovers, those looking to improve their diet. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: roasted kale chips; leek and broccoli soup; roasted cabbage wedges with vinaigrette; boke bowl cauliflower and Brussels sprouts salad; mizuna salad with cumin-roasted cauliflower; Moroccan turnip and chick pea braise. The downside to this book: I would have liked more recipes, say, at least 100. The upside to this book: there are alternatives given for gluten-free, soy-free, vegetarian and vegan diets. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4.MY PARIS KITCHEN (Ten Speed Press, 2014; distr. Random House, 346 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-267-8, $35US hard covers) is by chef-author David Lebovitz. He spent 13 years at Chez Panisse, but then left the restaurant business to write books, moving to Paris in 2004. His blog davidlebovitz.com is very popular; he has written several dessert cookbooks plus a memoir. Here he combines the memoir aspect with 100 classic French dishes, giving us his own take on the preps, concentrating mainly on how the Parisian eat today. Log rolling includes Ottolenghi and Ruhlman, as well as Dorie Greenspan and Suzanne Goin. It is arranged by course, apps to desserts, with the largest section on the latter. He concludes with his pantry. Along the way he digresses and talks about Paris matters. It is a good read in its diversity, but he's best when writing about the food markets. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of equivalents. At the end, there is a sources list, principally American. Audience and level of use: armchair travellers, French food lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: onion soup; cassoulet; coq au vin; crème brulee; cheesecake; pistou; polenta with braised greens; quiche with ham and pear and blue cheese; kirsch babas; braised guinea hens. The downside to this book: there are more desserts than I expected, especially since he has written so many sweets books. The upside to this book: it is eclectic. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 5.THE SOUTHERN BITE COOKBOOK (Nelson Books, 2014, 252 pages, ISBN 978-1-4016-0543-8, $24.99 US soft covers) is by Stacey Little, creator of southernbite.com blog (since 2008), which gets over a quarter million page hits a month. It is a mix of some 150 recipes, from his own family through four generations, and his reader contributions. The preps involve easy-to-make plates using spring and summer foods, some gluten-free options, and things to make with your kids. It's all arranged by occasion, beginning with party bite foods, followed by weeknights and then weekends. There are sides, potluck, holiday, and heirloom foods, as well as desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: lovers of southern US food, families. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chicken bacon ranch mac and cheese; hummingbird sheet cake; brunswick stew; blueberry salad with balsamic; green bean casserole; cornbread salad; cheese grits; cheesy corn and rice casserole. The downside to this book: makes it seem too easy. The upside to this book: good notes on using leftovers Quality/Price Rating: 86. 6.DINNER ON THE GROUNDS; southern suppers and soirees (Gibbs Smith, 2014, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3628-1, $35 US hard covers) is by James T. Farmer III, a designer with a flair for writing lifestyle books (plants, porch living, party drinks, decorations, etc.). He currently contributes to Southern Living magazine. Here he promotes the southern lifestyle, more uptempo than the preceding southern cuisine book (no. 5 above). Traditions and heirlooms are stressed in these dinners and soirees in the open; the art of Southern entertaining is that each event is grandly presented with style and confidence rooted in hospitality. The collection of menus focus on 10 themes: family reunion, dinner in the garden, summer picnic, barn dinner in the mountains, dinner on the dock, birthday dinner, fireside dinner, opening night dinner, rehearsal dinner, and wedding reception. There's large type and leading, and upfront and close pictures of plated dishes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. There is a resources section and a substitutions list. Audience and level of use: those who entertain Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: from the fireside dinner, oven-poached salmon, roasted okra, roasted squash, skillet toast, sweet potato wedges, honey-lemon olive oil cake, amaretto peach bake. The downside to this book: it helps to have “the grounds”, sorely lacking in Canada except in mid-summer. The upside to this book: good advice for entertaining. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 7.PALEO ITALIAN SLOW COOKING (Cider Mill Press, 2014; distr. Simon & Schuster, 271 pages, ISBN 978-1-60433-464-7, $18.95 US soft covers) is by Dominique DeVito, with Breea Johnson RD. DeVito writes cookbooks and own a winery near Ghent, New York. The emphasis is on meats, fish, and seafood, with particular fruits and veggies plus nuts, seeds and oils. She's got material on slow cookers (and how to convert from conventional cooking), the paleo diet and Italian food. The first thing is to get rid of pasta and other grains, which will be hard to do with Italian food. But it has to happen. Also gone are crackers, chips, breads, sugar, candy, cookies, many oils, peanut butter, beans, most dairy. Then she has a list of what to have on hand in the “new” Italian pantry. All courses are covered (antipasti, minestre, secondi, contorni, dolci), but of course there is no “primi” since that would be pasta. Minestre or soup is in that position in the menu. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: slow cooker owners; Italian food lovers; paleo dieters. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chicken scottiglia; beef and sausage ragu; duck novarese; shellfish stew; stuffed peppers; lamb stew with prosciutto and bell peppers; asparagus with pancetta. The downside to this book: not sure who the authors are – there is no bio material within or on the book. So I searched Amazon. The upside to this book: there is a handy list of paleo-friendly foods on pages 268 – 269. Many of them fall into the Italian category. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 8.THE PALEO FOODIE COOKBOOK (Page Street, 2014, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-62414-048-8, $28 US hard covers) is by Arsy Vartanian, who has also written an paleo slow cooker cookbook. It comes with a huge number of paleo log rollers, but I guess they tend to support each other. She's back with Amy Kubal, RD, her co-author on The Paleo Slow Cooker. Here are 120 preps for gluten-free and grain-free meals. There's a rundown on the paleo lifestyle followed by recipes divided by course, with chapters on snacks, seasonal soups and stews, sides, and sauces. There's large print, good clean white spaces, an engaging photo for most dishes, and a thorough index. I enjoyed the pan-fried halibut with avocado salsa, but I substituted haddock. Worked just as well. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois and some metric measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: paleo food lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: salmon ceviche; bacon-wrapped dates; roasted bone marrow (cut lengthwise); Thai coconut curried mussels (a personal fave); persian green bean stew; lemongrass and cashew beef; slow cooker lamb vindaloo; braised goat shoulder. The downside to this book: nothing really, except too many log rollers. The upside to this book: slow cooker recipes can be used, and converted back and forth. Pages also lie relatively flat. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 9.THE NOURISHED KITCHEN (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 314 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-468-9, $27.99 US paper covers) is by Jennifer McGruther, a food educator and blog owner at www.nourishedkitchen.com. It comes with log rolling from Deborah Madison and others. It can be summed up as “farm-to-table recipes for the traditional lifestyle, featuring bone broths, fermented vegetables, grass-fed meats, wholesome fats, raw dairy, and kombuchas”. – nutrient dense real food. A traditional diet allows for grains, unlike a paleo diet, and for cultured dairy such as kefir or yogurt, fermented food with pro-biotics, and organ meats. The important to remember is that raw dairy, fermented foods, and organs should always be organic. Arrangement is by location: foods from the garden, the pasture, the range, the waters, the fields, the wild, the orchard, and the larder. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. At the end she has a glossary and a list of resources, including a listing of food advocacy groups. Audience and level of use: those seeking a healthier lifestyle. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: rabbit pie with bacon and chanterelles; mincemeat hand pies; red berry kvass; beetroot relish; greek salad with buttermilk herb dressing; dulse and potato soup; salmon baked in cream with thyme and dill; squash, butternut, and white mean mash with garlic and sage. The downside to this book: not much is stated about the importance of “organic” foods, although much is implied. The upside to this book: good treatment. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 10.HEALTHY DISH OF THE DAY (Weldon Owen, 2014, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-665-1, $34.95 US hard covers) is from Williams-Sonoma, and is one of a series from them on 365 recipes for every day of the year. Kate McMillan, owner-chef of a catering company and food educator, is the author. There's two or three preps on a page, along with a calendar and photos. It is seasonal, so for February 19, there is chicken cacciatore, for which you can use frozen chicken and canned tomatoes from the larder, to avoid shopping trips and outofseason veggies. For July 18, there are fresh eggs poached in fresh tomato sauce with crostini. One dish a day does it, the other two can be leftovers or no-cook preps. It's pretty straightforward and its value lies in “healthy” and “365 recipes”. So you could have two a day, and repeat some faves. There is something here for everyone and for every occasion (quick weeknight meal, entertaining on weekends, healthy classic comfort dish. The arrangement by calendar precludes a quick dip for a type of course, so there is a traditional index by ingredient and an index by type (burgers, curries, pasta, pizza, salads, sandwiches, soups, stews, stir-fries, vegan, etc. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois and some metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: those looking for healthy meals. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: I'm writing this review on April 2, so I should be having pasta with English peas and morels tonight, followed by tomorrow's asparagus-pea and fava bean stew, then Friday's salmon satay burgers with cucumber-onion relish, and then stuffed artichokes, spinach frittata, spring veggies, and pan-seared chicken. The downside to this book: the preps require an extensive larder if you stick with the plan. It also weighs a lot. The upside to this book: good database of preps, like other in the series. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 11.THE CREAMERY KITCHEN (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-494-1, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Jenny Linford, author of some 15 books including Food Lovers' London. Here, in 45 recipes, she delves into fresh dairy products such as butter, yogurt, labneh (yogurt cheese), sour cream, cream cheese, ricotta, cottage cheese, feta and others. These are all easy to make, and seem straightforward in an uncomplicated way. There are many colour photos of techniques, and recipes that use the cream products. All of this, of course, tastes better when made with raw milk, but accessibility in North America is spotty, unlike the UK (but it is banned in Scotland). Certainly organic pasteurized milk can be a compromise. Preparations have their ingredients listed mostly in avoirdupois with some metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents given. Audience and level of use: homemade artisans, the adventuresome. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: for example, under labneh yogurt cheese, there are lamb skewers with za'atar labneh, asparagus-pea and labneh salad, dukkah flatbreads with herbed labneh, and saffron & cardamom labneh with mango. The downside to this book: I think it needs more recipes. The upside to this book: homemade artisanal foods are trending. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 12.THE VEGAN PANTRY (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-489-7, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Dunja Gulin, a teacher-chef in Zagreb who has authored other raw and vegan cookbooks. Here she presents a primer of 60 basic preps, with data on important vegan ingredients, substitutions when needed, getting essential vitamins and minerals, and – most importantly for the book – how to stock and maintain a pantry (grains, dried legumes, pasta, oils/vinegars, salt, nuts/seeds, herbs/spices, thickeners) and a fridge (condiments, non-dairy milk). Arrangement is by course, and includes breakfast, apps, mains, salads, sauces/dips, soups/stews, and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed mostly in avoirdupois and some metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: those seeking the vegan lifestyle. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: millet croquettes; eggplant and date chutney; quinoa, fennel and arame salad; sweet potato wedges; curry tofu; Mediterranean green lentil loaf; zucchini and walnut canapes. The downside to this book: has basics that many vegans may already know. The upside to this book: a good primer Quality/Price Rating: 86. 13.FRESH FROM THE FARM; a year of recipes and stories (Taunton Press, 2014, 250 pages, ISBN 978-1-60085-904-5, $28 US hard covers) is by Susie Middleton, former editor of Fine Cooking magazine and now cookbook author and free lance food writer and blogger. This is part memoir, part recipes – taken from a year on her farm, which she began commercially on Martha's Vineyard in 2010. There are 125 seasonal recipes, 35 finished-dish photos, and 181 lifestyle photos. Her culinary storytelling evolves in the memoir style of trials, failures and triumphs. It should be noted that the recipes are not all vegetarian. It is arranged by season, from late spring to early fall. She concludes with four designs for garden or farm. Since the book is seasonally arranged, the two indexes are useful: by course, and by ingredient. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are no tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: for those looking to start their own veggie farm Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: summer veggie-palooza paella; greens, sausage and tortelloni soup; roasted parmesan-crusted cod with baby potatoes and bell peppers; corn-off-the-cob and yellow bean saute with bacon and herbs; molasses crinkle cookies. The downside to this book: some of the memoirs run as continuous sidebars through the recipes, and can prove to be distracting. The upside to this book: good marketing advice, good business plans. Quality/Price Rating: 88. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 14.JON BONNELL'S WATERS; fine coastal cuisine (Gibbs Smith, 2014; distr. Raincoast, 222 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3306-8, $35 US hard covers) is by the owner of Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine (2001), a regional-Texas style restaurant in Fort Worth. But this is about his newest place, Waters, and is devoted to seafood. He has also authored two other books about Texas cuisine. He has recipes for fancy dining on more than 35 varieties of fish and seafood, with a grouping of accompaniments to produce a full course. All techniques are covered: cold, raw, ceviche, soup, salad, poached, steamed, sauteed, crispy fried, grilled, roasted, and baked. Many of the dishes call for Southwestern spicing, and he has his appropriate rubs, sauces and blends. He also has a nice, all-round recipe for Waters Bay Blend, with 22 different seasonings. Try steamed mussels with jalapeno, seared mahi with artichokes and capers, almond crusted speckled trout with brown butter, or grilled scallop kebabs on rosemary skewers. Large print format is a real plus here (and this includes the index). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 15.A VISUAL GUIDE TO SUSHI-MAKING AT HOME (Chronicle Books, 2014, 223 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0710-3, $35 US hard covers) is by Hrio Sone (Beard Award winning chef and co-owner of Ame Restaurant and Terra Restaurant in the Frisco Bay Area) and Lissa Doumani (the other co-owner). There are usually two books year on making sushi (at least since 1997), but this one has tons of photography. These are the fundamentals for 50 recipes, with step-by-step visuals. The first 100 pages cover the basics of breaking down and trimming the fish/seafood, plus making rice, dashi, soy glaze, pickled ginger, and grating daikon and toasting nori. The rest is making hand-formed sushi (nigiri-zushi), gunkan-maki warship rolls, maki-zushi skinny rolls, maki-zushi hand rolls, and sushi don bowls. I've always played it safe when eating at unknown places, so I've largely stuck with salmon, tuna and shrimp as the seafood. But I do love smoked eel...Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois and mostly metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The photography of the finished plates is amazing, and can serve as a great catalogue of sushi dishes. Quality/price rating: 89. 16.JOSEY BAKER BREAD (Chronicle Books, 2014, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1368-5, $27.50 US hard covers) is by baker Baker operating out of The Mill in San Francisco. Here are 18 step-by-step lessons, ranging from sourdough through whole grain breads, with rye and seeded along the way. The core recipes here can be spun off into buns, pizzas, and pockets and other shapes and sizes. There are also scones, fruit crumbles, cornbread – even cookies. Covered are sesame loaves, olive bread, cinnamon raisin, black pepper parmesan, sesame poppy, cranberry walnut, corn kamut, cheddar chive, and fig fennel. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table equivalents and only the metric is scaled. Quality/price rating: 86. 17.CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE & MORE CHOCOLATE (Imagine! Books, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-62354-020-3, $18.95 US hard covers) is by Ellie Tarrab, now running a chocolate boutique in Tel Aviv called Cardinal, offering pralines, bonbons, and the like. There are 80 preps here for chocolate truffles, ganache, candies, cookies, sheets, bars, pralines, and general desserts. Plus, of course, a primer on dealing with chocolate. He even has blondies (white chocolate). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 18.PANCAKES, CREPES, WAFFLES & FRENCH TOAST (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-487-3, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Hannah Miles, one of the Ryland stable of food writers (over 12 books), TV presenter in the UK, and one of three finalists in the MasterChef TV show in 2007. It's a concise and precise book, with 60 recipes on the brunch front, with material on how to make fancy sauces and fillings for simple comfort foods. There are thick US-type pancakes and thin French crepes. There is even one gluten-free spinach and ricotta crepe recipe, using buckwheat flour. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois and mostly metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. There are also the usual fabulous Ryland photos of plated dishes. Quality/price rating: 87. 19.FRIENDS AROUND THE TABLE; Mediterranean recipes for relaxed entertaining (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84986-461-3, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Acland Geddes, now owner of Megan's in London (after catering and then cheffing in gastropubs). Recipes were developed by Acland and Pedro da Silva, head chef at Megan's. The 60 recipes call for careful planning, to make it an event (tablecloths, cutlery, decorations, etc.), not just taking advantage of warm weather to eat outside. Lunch al fresco brings back the classics: gazpacho, carpaccio, grilled sardines and/or calamari, couscous salad or crunchy fennel salad, grilled nectarines with mozzarella, roasted pears. Another section deals with a large crowd and serious meats such as lamb or beef. A third covers just two diners, with preps scaled down to two (no leftovers). Another is teatime, another is for side dishes. Well-thought out, but I would have like a few more recipes (try cutting back on the lavish photography, which I cannot eat). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois and mostly metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 20.PLANT FOOD (Gibbs Smith, 2014; distr. Raincoast, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3062-3, $19.99 US soft covers) is by Matthew Kenney, Meredith Baird, and Scott Winegard – all associated with the Matthew Kenney Restaurant and Academy. Both Matthew and Meredith have written a variety of raw cookbooks, and this is also a raw food book. But instead of just being plates of “raw” food, the chefs have here innovated with different techniques that involve no cooking and retain the nutritional elements of the plant. Familiar tools used in new ways such as smokers and dehydrators – there is a two page list of modernist equipment at the back of the book. The preps are presented in groups: found, quality, sprouted, spun, dried, smoked, sealed, cured, pressed, fermented, aged, sweetened and sipped. There is also an interesting section on kefir grains. Typical are lemon verbena “creme” on porcini cracker, young celery with juniper oil, rye seaweed crisps with macadamia butters, smoked cashews with herbs and flowers. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Great photography. Quality/price rating: 87. 21.WOLFGANG PUCK MAKES IT HEALTHY (Grand Central Life & Style, 2014; distr. Hachette, 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-0884-6, $30 US hard covers) is by Puck and Chad Waterbury with Norman Kolpas and Lou Schuler. Waterbury is a strength coach and personal trainer. The subtitle says it all – light, delicious recipes and easy exercise for a better life. As Puck says, “I never, ever expected to write this book”. But over the years, he's become more concerned about his own eating habits, diets, and exercises. This concern has moved over to his family and friends and paying customers of his restaurants and catering company. This is his seventh cookbook, with 100 useful recipes to satisfy nutritional needs. It is mainly popular food (Mediterranean, Asiatic, Mexican) which is full of flavours, simple to prepare, and full of calorie/fat reducing elements such as using yoghurt to replace sour cream (who doesn't these days? But do get the pro-biotic kind), egg whites to replace some of the yolks, and so forth. The arrangement has the kitchen first, followed by the dishes in course order, and then an exercise section of some 30 pages (extremely useful). I did not notice any menus, although there is a page on meal planning. Typical dishes include mandarin noodles with sauteed pork and veggies, prosciutto pizza, stir-fried shrimp salad, and a variety of low-cal/low-fat sauces and dressings. With Puck's name attached, the healthy lifestyle must have hit the mainstream. Go for it...Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 22.THE CHOPPED COOKBOOK (Clarkson Potter, 2014; distr. Random House of Canada, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-7704-3500-4, $27.50 US hard covers) is by the Food Network Kitchen, the operation behind the TV shows, website, magazine, restaurants, and Kohl's products. It is staffed by food stylists, recipe developers, researchers, and chefs. Here, they've put out the preps behind the TV show “Chopped”. It uses the same principles as the show (use what you've got to cook something great), but substitutes your pantry and leftovers in the fridge for 188 doable recipes. Most of the dishes here use four ingredients plus the pantry. There are a lot of shortcuts listed, as well as timing (active, total), and of course it is arranged by major ingredient: there are chapters for pastas, chickens, eggs, veggies,salads, fish, grains and desserts. Scrumptious dishes include coconut panna cotta with candied peanuts, chile affogato, mushroom and cheese baked polenta, carrot and almond arancini, and butter-basted flat iron steak with tomato butter sauce and parsley noodles (25 minutes total time for the steak). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 23.TEENY'S TOUR OF PIE; a cookbook (Workman Publishing, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 272 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-7336-6, $15.95 US soft covers) is by Teeny Lamothe, who runs Teeny Pies in Washington, DC. She's also written on pies for online and print publications. Here she has 67 preps, mainly from her business, covering fruit pies, cream pies, innovative pies, and savoury pies. Included are profiles of pie-makers and some regional specialties. There are 10 no-fail crusts here (including one that is gluten-free), as well as a pie calendar (what to make according to the season: in summer, bluebarb pie, peach pie, strawb-lime tarts, and summer squash pies with a cracker crust seem very convenient. There are extensive instructions and many tips, along with nutritional advice and timings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 24.FRENCHIE; new bistro cooking (Artisan, 2012, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-534-1, $22.95 US hard covers) is by Greg Marchand, owner of Frenchie bistro in Paris. It was originally published in French in 2012, as an “at home” cookbook from the French bistro. This is its North American debut, and it comes with some heavy-duty log rolling from Oliver, Waters, Bourdain, and Lebovitz. The latter nails it when he refers to a “matchup of French and American cooking showcases the best of both cultures.” The arrangement is by season, from spring. There is a short intro that is a partial memoir, and a short list of sources. There are about 50 recipes; those from spring include foie gras with cherry chutney, wild garlic broth with fresh crabmeat, crispy pollock with asparagus, and grilled mackerel with cauliflower farrotto and trout roe. Upscale, but doable. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Profusely illustrated. Quality/price rating: 86. 25.THE BIG-FLAVOR GRILL; no-marinade, no-hassle recipes (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-527-3, $25US hard covers) is by former Boston chef-owner of East Coast Grill (and Beard Award winner) Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, now editorial director for magazines at America's Test Kitchen. The 130 recipes here promise no brines, marinades or basting are needed. Waiting time will be saved, which also means you can sort of spontaneously make BBQ. The authors advocate spice rubs (made up and used in the time it takes for the grill to heat up) and powerful post-BBQ ingredients to toss with the food (citrus, hoisin, fish sauce, ginger, basil, fresh chiles). They recommend trying five-spice steak “tips” with grilled pineapple and sweet-sour sauce, Thai-style baby back ribs, chicken breasts with maple-soy glaze and peanut-ginger relish, and fish steaks with sriracha-basil butter. Yummy. Now, can we just get rid of the grilling? The book is predicated on live fire grilling, although there is advice on how to handle gas grills. Certainly, if you are stuck indoors, you can use a ridged cast iron grill on the stove – you'll need a hooded fan, but it works. Try smoke-roasted whole chickens, grilled pork chops with hoisin-peanut sauce, grilled new potatoes, and other goodies. Complete with flow charts (hey, this is a guy book), this is a real winner here...Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 26.GRILL TO PERFECTION (Page Street Publishing, 2014, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-62414-042-6, $21.99 US soft covers) is by Andy Husbands (Beard Award winning chef-owner of Tremont 647) and Chris Hart, a multiple BBQ competition winner. Both are part of the award-winning BBQ team, iQUE, and together they have been Kansas City BBQ Society Grand Champions 35(!) times. Food free-lancer Andrea Pyenson has been the focusing writer. The book has been arranged by physical heat: it opens with hot direct grilling (searing), followed by medium (roasting), and low direct grilling. The authors also introduce their two-zone hybrid grilling by building a two-zone fire in a gas grill. The last chapter is about low and slow grilling using the two-zone method. In addition to traditional meats, preps include fish, lamb, and veggies. There is a resources list, a drinks section, and a section “the tools we always have when we grill”. The first rate recipes include seared greens with grilled chicken livers and blue cheese, BBQ oysters, chocolate sea salt butter, grilled shrimp cocktail with chipotle sauce, and even grilled spam with curried slaw. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Very useful book, lacking just the regular margin gutters that Page Street is known for. Quality/price rating: 87. 27.SLIMMING MEALS THAT HEAL (Random House Canada, 2014, 338 pages, ISBN 978-0-345-81350-3, $29.95 CAN soft covers) is by Julie Daniluk, RHN, author of Meals That Heal Inflammation, and the co-host of Healing Gourmet, a reality cooking show on the Oprah Winfrey Network. She's appeared on many other TV shows as a nutrition expert. In her current book, she connects inflammation-allergies-weight gain, and gives us 120 or so new recipes. The basis premise here is lifestyle change: tasty food that will make you come back for more, even after you've lost that weight. There is information here on organ cleansing, superfoods, and techniques to reduce food cravings. At the heart is her five-step plan on how to boost metabolism and to balance hormones. The first 140 pages cover the program material, and then come the recipes, arranged by course. Each prep has a logo to indicate eggs, soy, dairy, tree nuts, GI score level, high GI score, raw foods, and nightshades. All preps are gluten-free. Typical are lemon-marinated fennel bulbs, Key lime shake, turkey chili, a no bake pumpkin pie, a gluten-free lasagne, and cashew-crusted chicken. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. She concludes with a resources list, bibliographic references, and two indexes (by subject and by recipe). Quality/price rating: 87. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 28.TEA; history, terroirs, varieties. 2D ed (Firefly Books, 2014, 270 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-319-5, $24.95 CAD paper covers) is a heavily illustrated compendium on non-herbal tea, rich in anti-oxidants and with proven medical benefits. It was originally published in French in Quebec in 2009, and here is translated into English. The second edition reflects a general updating with more material on health benefits. The four writers of this book own The Camellia Sinensis Tea House in Montreal and work as tasters, traveling the world looking for teas. Jonathan Racine who works for the Tea House did the editorial work. Topics include a primer on tea, varieties, processing, cultivars, making-serving-tasting tea, tea ceremonies, and tea in cooking (with 14 recipes by Quebecois chefs). The source of all non-herbal teas is the plant Camellia sinensis, which is processed three different ways to produce the major classes (black, green, oolong, white, yellow, Pu er, scented and smoked. Terroir also imparts unique character to a tea. Reference material includes a bibliography, scientific tables for the biochemical properties of 35 teas, and a directory of teas. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Throughout the book, there are profiles of tea growers. The first edition of this book was my Drink Book of the Month; this edition has the same rating: 92. 29.SUPERFOODS; the healthiest foods on the planet. 2D ed (Firefly, 2014, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-256-3, $24.95 CAD paper covers) is by registered dietitian Tonia Reinhard, who has authored other books dealing with vitamins and nutrition. Here, she devotes a page to each of some 200 superfoods. The definition of such is “nutrient-dense”, one that provides a high level of nutrients in a reasonable number of calories (that is, more bang for the buck). There have been a number of such books over the past few years; indeed, it has even reached down to “Superfoods for Dummies”. Her book is arranged by food type: vegetables, mushrooms, legumes, fruits, nuts and oils, herbs and spices, grains, meats, dairy food, and beverages. In this second edition, she gives data on new research about the food (“The Healthy Evidence”), and how effective that food is. For each superfood, she has details on nutritional content, seasonal variations, curative value, combinations that enhance their efficacy and those to avoid, how to maximize the beneficial effects of each, prep advice, and culinary tips. But no recipes. There are lots here such as an explanation of anti-oxidants, omegas, free radicals, enzymes, and minerals. Certainly, you’d want to begin eating these foods before many others....and quickly. There are also updated nutritional tables and a glossary. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 30.HOW TO GROW FOOD; a step-by-step guide to growing all kinds of fruits, vegetables, herbs, salads and more (Firefly, 2011, 2014, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-317-1, $19.95 CAD soft covers) is by Richard Gianfrancesco, who is a plant scientist who has co-ordinated hundreds of garden plant tests and trials, which have been published in magazines and online. The book has been co-published in the UK by Quarto, and is now available as a paperback. Here he appeals to those who want to “eat local”, whether from their window box or from a large backyard (maybe as much as one-third of the North American population?). He has some good principles about organic gardening, soil management, composting, weeds and pests, pruning, growing from seed, buying plants, and growing in containers. In fact, his title should really be “How to Grow Real Food”. The main section is a plant-by-plant analysis for growing. He begins with veggies and salads (potato, sweet potato, onion, lettuces, herbs, etc. – about 64 in all), continuing with 22 fruits and three nuts. At the end are some ideas on preserving the crop (jams, jellies, pickles, chutneys, drying, and freezing). There’s also a sowing summary, a crop selection summary, and a list of hardiness zones. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Most of the typeface is a shade too small for my eyes, but the index has leading and is easy to read. And there is a good explanation on how to use the book, at the front. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 31.WHERE TO EAT AROUND THE WORLD (Travel + Leisure, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-932624-62-5, $19.95 US soft covers) is from Travel + Leisure magazine. After 40 years it still the largest audience of any travel magazine. Reportage includes style, culture, food and design, all complemented by superb photography. This package migrates to a book which the publisher says is “coverage into an expertly vetted collection of culinary journeys. The material includes: top restos in New York, London, and Copenhagen; exotic cuisines in Sao Paolo, Marrakesh, and Vietnam; iconic dishes in Italy, Japan and Paris; and local dishes in Texas, Dubai and South Africa. There is other experiental material about eating in such places as Hawaii, Mexico City and Shanghai. There's directory type data and recommendations on what to order, and more than 200 colour pix. There's a chapter on the search for pizza in Naples vs. Rome, another on Greek wine country, and a third on “for the love of ramen” – just some of the 27 locations in all. Quality/price rating: 88. 32.FOOD & WINE ANNUAL COOKBOOK 2014; an entire year of recipes (Food & Wine Books, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 408 pages, ISBN 978-1-932624-63-2, $32.95 US) comes from "Food & Wine" magazine, and the recipes are actually from 2013's contents (using the principle of forward dating employed by almanacs). These are most, if not all, of the recipes published in 2013. All topics and courses are covered in individual chapters, from apps to desserts, with lunches and breakfasts and brunches plus drinks in their separate sections. Each of the 700 or so recipes is sourced as to author, with a short biography at the back of the book for each person. Contributors are noted chefs, freelancers, staff, and professional recipe developers, such as Mario Batali, the late Marcella Hazan, and Michael Symon. Beverages are also included, as well as a few basic recipes to round out the completeness of the book. Each main course and appetizer has been paired with a wine, listed by style or varietal name, but brands are mentioned and may not be available in Canada. 200 staff faves have been highlighted, and over the years, it was learned that these are the ones the book purchasers try first. All preparations are coded as to "fast", and "healthy", and "make ahead". What I like about this book is the extensive, really good index, the use of colours, and the wine pairing. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 33.BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS FRESH GRILLING (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-24219-7, $19.99 US soft covers) is the latest in the test kitchen series from a variety of magazines in both Canad and the United States. Which ones you prefer is probably dependent on whether you read the magazine or not. Certainly, they are all affordable and represent value. Here, the BH&G magazine presents some 200 grilling recipes, each with a photo, full nutritional information, and prep and grill times. Primer data includes the basics of equipment, techniques, sauces and rubs, and a produce guide for choosing, storing and preparing fresh veggies and fruits. Arrangement is by course: apps to desserts. There's a special chapter on “quick smoke”: using wood chips or planks for a smoky accent in 30 minutes or less (rosemary-orange stuffed smoked pork tenderloin, smoked duck breast with acorn squash, smoked new york strip steaks, smoky beets-orange-ribeye salad, rack of lamb with smoked potatoes, and more). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is also a full page of tables of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 34.PIZZA ON THE GRILL (Taunton Press, 2014, 186 pages, ISBN 978-1-60085-828-4, $17.95 US soft covers) is by Elizabeth Karmel, a cookbook author, AP writer, and executive chef of Hill Country Barbecue Market and Country Chicken (NYC, Brooklyn, and Wash DC) and Bob Blumer, host of various Food Network shows and author of five cookbooks. It was originally published in 2008, and sold about 60,000 copies. It has been updated by both tweaking her and there and adding 10 gluten-free recipes (plus a gluten-free pizza dough). The 60 preps are easy-to-follow, good for all tastes and body needs: vegetarian, kids, meat eaters. Each comes with ingredient substitutions plus a drink and salad suggestion to complement the flavours of the pie. All pizzas are meant for grilling, so no bake stone is needed – the heat of the grill is enough. There are the classics, the meatless, the seafood, the pork, the chicken, the beef, the veggies, even the sweeties. One for summer. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 35.28 DAYS TO YOUNGER SKIN (Robert Rose, 2013, 2014, 253 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0480-2, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Karen Fischer, who has authored other Rose books on skin care and eczema and diets. An earlier book offered a diet for 8 weeks with 100 recipes. This one goes for only 4 weeks, with only 50 or so recipes – a fast track program for people who have a special occasion coming up, such as a wedding, a holiday, or family/school reunion. It is a supplement to any current skin program one is using, and was originally published in Australia in 2013. Why 28 days? It takes that long for skin cells to be produced and travel to the surface. Also, it takes 21 days to break or form new habits, so 28 days seems to be an ideal run. One's metabolism will be boosted, and nutrients supplied for renewal and maintenance. But it will take some work since this is a fast-track, not a lifestyle change. Her top 12 foods include dark leafy greens, red quinoa, black sesame seeds, blueberries, pomegranate, red onion, yellow curry powder, cloves, and more. Each recipe has nutritional data and tips, etc. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. There is, though, a resources list to check out and track down all the research she gives us. And the usual Rose production of large print and leading. Quality/price rating: 88. 36.THE SCIENCE OF WINE; from vine to glass. 2D ed. (University of California Press, 2005, 2012, 216 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27689-5, $39.95 US hard covers) is by Jamie Goode, UK wine writer and columnist. The first edition in 2006 was the Glenfiddich Drink Book of the Year. It's a great introduction to the scientific and technical innovations applied to grape-growing and winemaking. It explains how the practical applications of science affects the quality, flavour and perception of wine. In addition, there is also some material on Mother Nature: how climate change and global warming is also affecting wine production and styles. As it is about the “science” of wine, it also covers biodynamics, health benefits, and screw cap closures. New to this edition is a discussion of genetically modified grapevines, sulphur dioxide, the future of cork, wine flavour chemistry; updating by new chapters has occurred for soils, vines, oxygen management, red wine production techniques, and the role of language. An immensely accessible book, written for the lay person, and with a glossary at the end. But no footnotes or bibliography. Quality/price rating: 90. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR MARCH 2014 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.SUPER FRESH JUICES & SMOOTHIES (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-493-4, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Nicola Grimes, a former editor of Vegetarian Living magazine and an award-winning British author of more than 25 books. Here she emphasizes flavourful beverages for all occasions, such as pick-me-up, a detoxifier, a weight-loss aid or an anti-ageing rejuvenator. Fresh fruit and veggies are augmented in most cases by a variety of superfoods such as spirulina. wheatgrass, maca, baobab, lacuma, acai berries, chia seeds, and raw cacao – to name a few. And these are all going to be better for you than store-bought shelf-sitters. Over 100 recipes are presented – with no additives, no sugar, and no pasteurization. She's got the usual introductory material on buying a juicer or blender, what superfoods are, seasonal foods, and shopping tips. Other areas covered include making yogurt and nut milks, sprouting beans and seeds. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those seeking nutritional beverages. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: apple zinger; breakfast booster; purple days; smooth as a peach; cherry aid; berry good; vanilla shake; virgin apple mojito; aniseed twist. The downside to this book: too much colourful photography gives the book a party atmosphere, which may have also led to a disclaimer re: children. The upside to this book: there is a list of both UK and US suppliers. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.DONE; a cook's guide to knowing when food is perfectly cooked (Chronicle Books, 2014; distr. Raincoast, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1963-2, $27.50 US hard covers) is by James Peterson, the prolific award-winning food writer and former restaurant chef. He's authored 15 books and has won seven Beards. And, of course, a great food reference book almost always trumps a cookbook in the category FOOF BOOK OF THE MONTH. Here, Peterson tells you how to know – by sound, smell, look and/or feel – when more than 85 vexatious cooked foods are really cooked to their standard. You can check out too-firm artichokes, rubbery shellfish (e.g. calamari), uncooked (in the middle) fish or chicken, runny pies, limp bacon, dry poultry, gray yolked eggs – and more. There are three alone for asparagus: boiled, steamed, roasted. Great photography of the finished products keyed to the text, so you can see what it “should” look like. He opens with a small section on how to determine “doneness”, for sauteing, glazing, braising, frying, roasting, poaching, grilling, broiling, smoking, and barbecuing. Then he goes on to cover the elements of sauces, the prep work for eggs, and then the other foods of veggies, seafood, meats, and desserts. Lots of hand tests and visualizations. Terrific for beginners and an aide-memoire for the unsure. No real recipes (just narratives) but what there is have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, with no table of equivalents. Be aware that there are no fixes if you screwed up – just ways to prevent it from happening again. Quality/price rating: 91. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3.ALMONDS; recipes, history, culture (Gibbs Smith, 2014, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3464-5, $21.99 US hard covers) is by Barbara Bryant and Betsy Fentress, co-authors of “The Bryant Family Vineyard Cookbook”. Recipes are by Lynda Balslev, a food writer and recipe developer in the Frisco Bay Area. Along with some high powered log rolling, the team has produced a unique book of 60 recipes featuring the cuisines of China, India, Lebanon, France, Italy, Mexico and the US. All forms of almonds are here: raw, blanched, ground, roasted, slivered and sliced. The range is for every course, from snacks and starters to baked goods. Much of the data came from the Almond Board of California (www.almonds.com) but they also have a short bibliography. In addition to cultural notes and histories, there are sidebars from time to time with tidbits of material. The photography is also really good. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: nut lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: almond granita and raspberries; mixed greens with roasted beets, feta and toasted almonds; almond and apricot skillet bread; almond and lemon crusted salmon; pulled pork with red mole; white peach and prosciutto salad; winter kale and quinoa salad with carrots and raisins; green olive and almond tapenade. The downside to this book: more recipes would have been appreciated. The upside to this book: a nifty book for almond lovers. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4.THE NEW SOUTHERN TABLE; classic ingredients revisited (Fair Winds, 2014, 200 pages, ISBN 978-1-59233-585-5, $21.99 US soft covers) is by Brys Stephens, food writer and restaurant critic, now operating as www.cookthink.com. His book is arranged by ingredient: okra, field peas, squash, rice, collards, corn, sweet potatoes, lima beans,peanuts, pecans,figs, peaches, and watermelons – with something for everyone. There are about 100 recipes showing French, Mediterranean, Latin and Asian roots through combinations and techniques. Okra and feta shows off Greek tones, hoppin' john with coconut seems to be from the Caribbean, while Sicilian watermelon pudding is from Italy. Each product is introduced, there is photography, and some general food matching principles. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: lovers of Deep South food looking for a change. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: buttermilk pecan ice cream; chick, collard, and country ham saltimboca; forbidden coconut rice with mango; steak tacos with watermelon salsa; quick cook collards, chard and escarole; flounder in parchment with field peas, squash and peppers; peaches with pecan mint pesto. The downside to this book: more recipes would have been useful because this is a great idea. The upside to this book: good concept. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 5.RAWSOME VEGAN BAKING (Page Street, 2014, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-62414-055-6, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Emily von Euw, creator of the blog www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com which gets about a half million page views a month. The techniques, tips and preps come from the blog's site. It is a handsome book, made even the better with the exclusive Premium Binding which stays open for hand free viewing. The subtitle pretty much says it all: “an un-cookbook for raw, gluten-free, vegan, beautiful and sinfully sweet cookies, cakes, bars and cupcakes”. It manages to combine three trends in one: raw, vegan, and gluten-free. Certainly these are healthier alternatives to many current desserts that are laden with bad sugars and bad fats. Over 100 recipes go into details such as use of the food processor and blender. An example given is the vanilla chocolate chunk cheesecake with peanut butter which uses oats, pitted dates, bananas, coconut oil, cashews, carob powder, peanut butter and chocolate – everything is raw. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans, desert lovers, gluten-free eaters, fans of raw food. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: s'mores cupcakes; sorbet with strawberries, agave and mint; rhubarb almond crumble with maple oregano glaze; caramel tarts with pistachios and pumpkin seeds; chocolate nut butter cups; blueberry strawberry banana ice cream cake; “endless energy bars” (nuts seeds, figs, raisins, coconut). The downside to this book: I would have liked more recipes, but I suppose these can be found at the blog. The upside to this book: the concept and the binding. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 6.EGGS ON TOP; recipes elevated by an egg (Chronicle Books, 2014; distr. Raincoast, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-2368-4, $24.85 US paper covers) is by Andrea Slonecker, a food writer who is also head of the Portland Culinary Alliance and a chef instructor at the Art Institute of Portland (OR). It is a nifty, basic book about perfect protein. The first part of the book deals with how to cook eggs in different ways, including special basting with bacon dripping or special poaching in wine. The rest of the book (110 pages) covers recipes about adding whole eggs to dishes. The first chapter covers eggs on bread/sandwiches, then there is a section on eggs on soups and stews, followed by eggs on salads, eggs on veggies, eggs on grain and legumes, and eggs on noodles. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: egg lovers; those looking for relatively quick food. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: welsh rarebit with hide-and-seek eggs and burnt broccoli; oeufs en meurette; crispy lemon eggs and avocado on toast; sweet potato red flannel hash with fried eggs; Swiss chard, chickpeas and crunchy egg stew; salad of favas, radishes, beet-pickled eggs and wheat berries. The downside to this book: there is a very short few paragraphs on using eggs on leftovers, which could be expanded. The upside to this book: a unique presentation, well thought out. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 7.SUPER GRAINS & SEEDS (Ryland Peters & Small, 2014, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-488-0, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Amy Ruth Finegold, who markets gluten-free baking mixes in the UK via Whole Foods. See www.amy-ruths.com. She now lives in the US. Here are 60 preps using chia, quinoa, flax, farro, and other grains and seeds. A good introductory book, based on her own health problems – that have largely disappeared with her new food eating patterns. She's divided the grains into gluten and non-gluten, and has also added acai berries, almond flour and coconut oil. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginning cooks, those with health problems. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: almond flour tea loaf with fresh berries; spice cake with mesquite flour; quinoa spaghetti with chilli crab; beetroot herb dip with seeded amaranth crackers; wild rice with artichoke, peaches and pine nuts. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 8.THE ITALIAN VEGETABLE COOKBOOK (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 326 pages, ISBN 978-0-547909165, $30 US hard covers) is by Michele Scicolone, author or co-author of some 19 books, including The Sopranos Family Cookbook. She's gathered 200 preps from home cooks, chefs, produce vendors, and vineyard owners in Italy. Some are from Italian magazines, while others are her family faves. The whole range is here: antipasti, soups, pasta, mains, desserts. For the most part it is vegetarian except for some optional pancetta, anchovies or chicken broth as flavour enhancers. No other flesh is here. There is some material on storing veggies and fruit. This is followed with course-by-course sections of the meal. There is a good layout with leaded font giving the cook lots of room to view the instructions and the ingredients. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks who love veggies or Mediterranean foods. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Easter Swiss chard and cheese pie; stuffed mushrooms; dragged penne; stuffed eggplant; acquacotta (bread, tomatoes and cheese); fruit focaccia; plum crostata; watermelon granita. The downside to this book: a too short sources list – why bother? The upside to this book: good selection of rustic recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 9.THE FARMSTEAD EGG GUIDE & COOKBOOK (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-62795-2, $19.99 US soft covers) is by Terry Golson, a James Beard nominated cookbook author and a chef. She's also a cooking instructor with a flock of hens for more than 18 years, and a website hencam.com for her to share expertise and answer questions. So here are 100 preps. This is the second egg book I've had for review this month: there must be a revival of interest in eggs since they were proven to be good for you. There are the usual egg dishes plus puddings, pies and tarts. If you want to do your own egg-laying hens, then she's got some 40 pages of advice for selecting, feeding and caring. Preps are arranged by topic, from scrambled eggs through fried, hard- and soft-cooked, poached and shirred, omelets and frittatas, stratas, quiches, tarts, sweet custards and puddings, sauces, meringues and general baking. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There's even a recipe index by course, so all the apps and soups are together, as well as the sides and breads. Audience and level of use: home cooks, those wanting chicken layers for eggs. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: beef and egg piroshki; Spanish garlic soup; egg panini; shirred eggs on polenta; smoked trout omelet; Bombay scrambled eggs; weekend French toast; kale and egg panzanella salad. The downside to this book: no references between coddled and shirred eggs. The upside to this book: good details on farming. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 10.ITALIAN DESSERTS & PASTRIES (Taunton Press, 2013, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-62710-474-6, $19.95 US soft covers) is from the Academia Barilla in Parma, Italy. There are 100 recipes here, from every region, and include all the classics (tiramisu, zuppa inglese, cannolis, cakes, pastries, cookies and puddings. All recipes are “traditional” but also include some modernization. The techniques are relatively simple. Three people contributed the text, while Chef Mario Grazia did the recipes, as well as some of the great looking photos. Arrangement is by type, with cakes and tarts followed by cookies and candies, pastries, frozen desserts, and then fruit desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are also tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks and lovers of desserts. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: mixed nut tart; Margherita cake; chocolate dessert salami; hazelnut biscotti; Sicilian cheesecake; bonet from Piedmont; ricotta mousse with almond milk; Saint Joseph's fritters. The downside to this book: I would have liked more recipes. The upside to this book: easy to use, with prep times indicated. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 11.ADIRONDACK COOKBOOK (Gibbs Smith, 2014, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3273-3, $14.99 US spiral bound) is by Hallie Bond and Stephen Topper. It contains about 100 recipes “to please the modern palate that were inspired by the foods and foodways of the Adirondack past”. So there is a bit of sidenote history as well as historical photos from the Adirondack Museum (Bond was with the Museum for 30 years; Topper has cheffed in the region). Arrangement is by course: apps, soups, salads, entrees, sides, desserts, breads, beverages. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: culinary historians. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: dandelion salad; pan-fried trout; maple-glazed root veggies; strawberry and rhubarb cobbler; herbed potato cakes; seared venison loin; forest mushroom and goose sausage; celery root and apple slaw; yellow perch fillets in broth. The downside to this book: nothing really, fairly complete. The upside to this book: spiral bound for ease of viewing while cooking. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 12.250 BEST MEALS IN A MUG (Robert Rose, 2014, 312 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0474-1, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Camilla V. Saulsbury, a freelance food writer and recipe developer. She's written many books for Rose, as well as winning top cooking competitions including the Food Network's $25K Ultimate Recipe Showdown. Here she covers homemade microwave meals in minutes, attuned to solo dining or families pressed for time. Just a few ingredients, a microwave, and a mug or outsized coffee cup. Even a measuring cup will work...Not only that, mug cookery is extremely useful for RVs, at your day job, dorm room or basement. Most of the recipes can be created from scratch in less time than it takes to defrost a store-bought meal. The book has the usual great Robert Rose layout and typeface with leading. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home aloners, harried parents. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cauliflower and goat cheese casserole; smoked sausage and potato chowder; chicken pot pie soup; sweet potato and coconut soup; soupe au pistou; buttermilk biscuit. The downside to this book: you'll need a microwave oven, of course. The upside to this book: good advice to users, including the mug pantry. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 13.BACK TO BUTTER; a traditional foods cookbook (Fair Winds Press, 2014, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-59233-587-9, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Molly Chester and Sandy Schrecengost, a mother-daughter team of bloggers at www.organicspark.com. Molly was a personal chef in Hollywood before moving on to Apricot Lane Farms, a quarter country section dealing with organic and biodynamic principles of farming. This is a whole foods book for traditional eating. It all begins with a well-stocked pantry, and that covers the first fifty pages: fats & oils, sustainable meat, dairy, nuts-seeds-beans-grains, and natural sweeteners. Then the recipes follow, in traditional order by course (apps to desserts). And of course, it is all historically based. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. At the back there is a two page resources list. Audience and level of use: home cooks looking for a great, wholesome diet. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: seared scallops with creamy carrot puree; poppy seed chicken casserole; new potatoes, green beans and bacon with dill; confetti slaw; sour cream drops; multi-seed crackers; meaty baked beans. The downside to this book: it can be preachy at moments, but it's not personal. The upside to this book: a great collection of recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 88. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 14.THE AL TIRAMISU RESTAURANT COOKBOOK; an elevated approach to authentic Italian cuisine (CreateSpace, 2013, 382 pages, ISBN 978-1-491205327, $40 US paper covers) is by chef-owner Luigi Diotaiuti, who is also a certified sommelier. In 1996 he opened Al Tiramisu in Washington, DC, and it is now a home for many politicians. It has also won awards for Italian cooking, from Italy, as “authentic”. He's joined here by food writer/celebrity/opinionmaker Amy Riolo. In addition to about 100 recipes pulled from the restaurant, there is a bit of history of Italian food, Al Tiramisu, and Diotaiuti. The four major chapters each cover antipasti through dolci: one chapter is on the restaurant, another on the beginnings of Italian food, a third on Diotaiuti's travels, and finally the fourth deals with his life in America. That's roughly 25 preps a chapter. There are historical and family photos, as well as engaging mini-stories and tips after each recipe. Wine choices are also listed. Each recipe is special to Diotaiuti – fava beans with chicory, grilled sea bass with asparagus and potatoes, grilled veal chops with dried figs and port reduction, and sweet carnival fritters. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The typeface size is large, a bonus for aging eyes, and this carries through to the index of principal plates. Both the Italian and the English name of the dish is included. A good, passionate family history and recipe sourcebook, and a great idea for patrons of the restaurant. It can be bought at the restaurant or through the publisher's website https://www.createspace.com/4378686 Quality/price rating: 87. 15.DOWN SOUTH; bourbon, pork, Gulf shrimp & second helpings of everything (Clarkson Potter, 2014; distr. Random House Canada, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-7704-3318-5, $35 US hard covers) is by Donald Link, a Beard Award winning chef of several New Orleans restaurants – Herbsaint, Cochon, Peche, Calcasieu. His first book, Real Cajun, won the Beard for Best American Cookbook. He is again assisted by Paula Disbrowe, his coauthor from Real Cajun. As he says, “This cookbook is a collection of remembrances and recipes meant to make you hungry, make you laugh, and convey what it's like to be both a chef and an eater in today's South”. The theme chapters include drinks, cocktail parties, outside cooking, roasts, feet/necks/bones, seafood, fresh veggies for sides, and southern sweets. From the roast/braise/simmer and fry chapter alone – guinea hen gumbo, hunter's style braised duck, slow-roasted pork should with kumquats and chiles, tupelo honey-glazed ham, crispy pork cutlets, pork belly and smoked sausage cassoulet, and braised goat with yogurt sauce. There's also roasted fig tart, Mississippi mud pie, broiled flounder, and New Orleans BBQ shrimp. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Scattered throughout are memoir materials and a variety of non-food photos. Quality/price rating: 87. 16.THE CHEESEMONGER'S SEASONS; recipes for enjoying cheeses with ripe fruits and vegetables (Chronicle Books, 2014, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1288-6, $35 US hard covers) is by Chester Hastings, chef and cheesemonger at Joan's on Third in LA. He's got more than 100 different varieties of domestic and imported cheeses. His first book was The Cheesemonger's Kitchen. This is a second helping or recipes: 90 preps that go with the seasons, beginning with Spring and moving to Winter. Every dish used cheese, of course: coffee-rubbed leg of lamb stuffed with spinach and aged cheddar, buckwheat pasta with savoy cabbage and potatoes and fontina/bitto cheese, melted vacherin with carrots, camembert with chanterelle duxelles, pear risotto with testun al barolo and hazelnuts. A good lively selection by season, illustrated by cheeses or plated dishes or just food. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 17.KITCHEN WORKSHOP: PIZZA; hands-on cooking lessons for making amazing pizza at home (Quarry Books, 2014, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-59253-883-6, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Ruth Gresser, owner of Pizzeria Paradiso (since 1991) in Washington, DC. It's being touted as a complete pizza kitchen manual, detailing all the techniques and skills needed to produce pizza at home. It is loosely arranged by level of difficulty: basics (seven variations on tomato-cheese style, including a gluten-free one), the “classics” (margherita, quattro formaggi, calzone), a selection of originals from the pizzeria, and chapters for creating your own (seven sauces, seven protein toppings, seven veggies, and seven fruit). That's 49 in all, a good number to begin with. It is a nice book, easy to use, and is clearly meant for those who are bored with eating out of a box or doing takeout. Inviting food photos too. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 18.EAT WELL AND STAY SLIM; the essential cuisine minceur (Frances Lincoln, 2014, 336 pages, ISBN 978-0-71123-536-6, $40 US hard covers) is by Michel Guerard, once a driving force behind nouvelle cuisine. His Cuisine Minceur has sold more than a million copies since it was first published in the 1970s. He has owned and operated Eugenie-les-Bains in southwest France since before his book; it has three Michelin stars. This current book was published in France in 2012, and it is here translated into English. There are forty years of culinary and nutritional wisdom here, with main courses coming in at 240 calories or less per person, aided by blends of vegetable and fruit purees. The 140 recipes include such tasty items as warm Thai chicken salad with potatoes (140 calories), tomato and strawberry gazpacho (75 calories), carpaccio of salmon with olives and tapioca, and spiced carrot and orange salad (75 calories). The top calorie item is French toast with vanilla-scented apple (240 calories). It is a complete book with the first 100 pages detailing the basics of the minceur cooking philosophy and techniques. The next 220 pages are the recipes. Each has cooking time prep and calorie count and level of difficulty. Good photography, although the list of ingredients has feinted printing. There is a glossary and two indexes: one by name of dish, the other by name of ingredient. It is also available as an ebook. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 19.MY IRISH TABLE; recipes from the homeland and Restaurant Eve (Ten Speed Press, 2014; distr. Random House Canada, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-430-6, $35 US hard covers) is by Cathal Armstrong (an award-winning Irish chef with seven restaurants in the Washington DC area) and David Hagedorn (once a chef but now a food writer with the Washington Post). It comes with some heavy log rolling from Phyllis Richman and Alice Waters. The book was published relatively close to St. Patrick's Day, so I decided to have it jump the queue so this review will be released in a timely fashion. Ireland has much produce, dairy, seafood, and grass-fed meats, helped along by foreign investments. Armstrong talks about his Irish culinary heritage, and in memoirs here, writes about his progress from Dublin to Washington. One of the places he owns is named after his daughter Eve. Through it all, we learn that Armstrong is heavily involved with sustainability and local food movements, and is using his influences to heavily promote them. It is a great read. His book has 130 preps, mostly the Irish classics but tempered with his French culinary training. The arrangement is by topic: there are sections on Irish breakfasts, food his mother cooked, Friday fish days, special occasions (Sunday, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, birthday, Halloween, Christmas), preps from Restaurant Eve, garden food, breads, and desserts. There is a glossary, a resources list, and primers on sauces and stocks. Try an Irish Caesar salad, Irish BLT, pork belly with braised cabbage and poached apples, Irish coffee (of course), and Cashel Blue cheese and toasted pecan terrine with frisee and apple jam. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are conversion tables of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 20.PIES AND TARTS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 330 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-87359-5, $29.99 US hard covers) is by the Culinary Institute of America and Kristina Petersen Migoya, a baking and pastry instructor at the CIA and formerly at Bouchon Bakery. Its subtitle says “the definitive guide to classic and contemporary favorites from the world's premier culinary college”, but it also comes with log rolling from four respected bakers. There are 150 preps, easy-to-follow techniques based on college teaching, and a well-laid out scheme of ingredients that lists both volume and weight of the products. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents – which is a shame, since most of the world is metric and the volume is US alone. Anyway, these are the classics with some surprises and riffs (roasted ginger plum tart, salty caramel apple pie, Mexican chocolate tart). The crust recipes can be mixed and matched. Variations include seasonal flavours. Gluten-free flours do not seem to be a consideration. Most of the recipes, with extensive sections on tools, techniques, and finishing touches, are sweets. Savouries are the last 40 or so pages. Good value for the price. Quality/price rating: 87. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 21.A LA MERE DE FAMILLE (Chronicle Books, 2014, 280 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1828-4, $35 US, hard covers) comes from the Parisian confectioner of the same name (founded in 1761). It was first published in France in 2011 by Hachette; this is its North American debut in English, with a text by Julien Merceron and photography by Jean Cazals. There are 9 locations of the store in Paris, but of course, only one of them was the first. So of course, this is also the history of the company. There is a lot of material on the French style or manner of doing confections, followed by a judicious selection of recipes for chocolates, cakes and pastries, candymaking, jams, cookies, tuiles and meringues, syrups, candied fruits, and frozen treats. About 100 in all. The photography is drop dead gorgeous; my fave is the candied pineapple on p179. “As with all candied fruits, the process for candying stretches out over a week (p178).” But the techniques and steps are simple and do not take much time in themselves. These are recipes for the patient: praline paste, lady fingers, orange-chocolate cake, montelimar nougat, crunchy almond spread, pistachio ice pops. Well worth it if you have the available time for the project; many preps require a maturation period which is down time for the chef. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. No index, but there is a table of recipes and a handy bookmarker ribbon. Quality/price rating: 88. 22.THE FLEXITARIAN TABLE; inspired flexible meals for vegetarians, meat lovers, and everyone in between (Houghton Mifflin, 2007, 2014, 342 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-27390-0 $19.95 US soft covers) is by Peter Berley, a well- known former chef and now cookbook author and magazine food writer. This is his third such book – his last one got both a Beard and an IACP. Yet he still needs logrolling from Rachel Ray and Mollie Katzen. This is the soft cover reprint of the 2007 book, with nothing changed. The book has been authored “with Zoe Singer” who is not identified, but is presumably a focusing writer. A “flexitarian” is an outer limit vegetarian operating on the fringes: a flexible vegetarian. It is also an excellent weasel word used to describe those eaters who consume more non-meat than meat. He has 150 recipes, sorted by 40 seasonally arranged menus (10 per season). All recipes can be mixed and matched, but of course should remain within the season if the principle of eating seasonally is to be followed. Thus, he has convertible meals that can be prepared with a vegetable and/or meat protein; some hearty vegetarian meals for the meat lover; and meals with fish, poultry, and some red meats, with ample veggie sides that could become mains when your back is turned. He has additional ideas for adding flesh and for getting dinners quickly. His main foods for heartiness include only organic or wild meats, beans and tofu, dairy and eggs, plus nuts and seeds. US volume measurements are used, but there are no metric tables of equivalents. One menu has lentil and rhubarb curry with potatoes and peas, a cucumber lime raita, naan bread, and roasted spring carrots with cumin and lime. Another has roast duck with spiced red onion marmalade, goat cheese frittata, rice with herbs, and sautéed asparagus and fiddlehead ferns. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 23.THE HEALTHY SLOW COOKER. 2d ed. (Robert Rose, 2014, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0479-6, $27.95 CAN soft covers) is by Judith Finlayson, who has sold over a million cookbooks. The first edition was in 2006 when healthy food meant low fat, low calorie, no saturated fat. Since then, thought has shifted on saturated fats and on wheat. So it is back to the drawing board with new versions of older dishes. Since 2006, Finlayson has authored a slew of slow cooker books on comfort foods, veggies, gluten-free whole grains, and paleo dishes. Some of the recipes in this book had appeared in those earlier books. Indeed, the subtitle now reads “135 gluten-free recipes for health and wellness” – inasmuch as slow cookers can retain certain nutrients. Try her creamy morning millet with apples, leek and potato soup, Thai-style coconut fish curry, butternut chili, New Age succotash, or poached pears in chocolate sauce. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. She also has a reading list and a table of diabetes food values. Quality/price rating: 87. 24.THE NEW VEGETARIAN COOKING FOR EVERYONE (Ten Speed Press, 1997, 2014, 666 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-553-2 $40 US hard covers) is by Deborah Madison. It was originally published in 1997, and it had won both a Beard and a Child book award. It came back as a “tenth anniversary edition”, but nothing was changed in that edition. Today, the food world has changed in the past 17 years, and Madison acknowledges this in a brisk introduction. “you will find nearly all of the recipes you have come to love. But you will also find over 200 new ones and information on new ingredients that we have come to know.” If you have the original book, then there is no real need to buy this one, except as a gift or replacement copy. Our own copy for 1997 is still serviceable, but I will retain this one for the new recipes. In 1997, she had 9 quinoa recipes, which was probably – at that time – 9 more than any other book. Quality/Price rating: 94 for first time purchase. 25.NEW FLAVOURS FOR THE LEBANESE TABLE (Ebury Press, 2007, 308 pages, ISBN 978-0-091917241, $22.99 CAN soft covers) is by Nada Saleh, a cookery writer from Beirut and lately a cook at Books for Cooks in Notting Hill. It is a straight reprint in paperback of the 2007 edition. 200 recipes are compiled, most of them classics with contemporary leanings. Everything here is highly aromatic, but may I recommend the makdouss? (cooked baby eggplants stuffed with walnuts and chili – can be frozen). Large typeface too. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR JANUARY, 2014 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * FOOD AND DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1.THE CANADIAN CRAFT BEER COOKBOOK (Whitecap, 2013, 184 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-193-5, $29.95 CDN soft covers) is by David Ort, a food and beer writer in Toronto (PostCity.com, TorontoLife.com, SpotlightToronto.com). Here he has developed preps for craft beers that can be found locally just about anywhere in Canada, ranging from abbey ale, India pale ale, barley wine, witbier, pilsen, brown, lager, bock – the full panoply. There is a rundown on pairing beers with food, and 75 or so preps for the full range of apps through salads, mains, desserts. Each has specific beer recommendations, so you might have to look around for comparable local brands. There are even some beer cocktails. The usual and expected are here: welsh rarebit, Flemish beef stew, stout braised lamb shanks. But there are also some new and welcomed interpretations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: beer drinkers; cooks wanting to use beer and bittering agents. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: currywurst; brownies with spiced ale chocolate sauce; rapini with dopplebock; soba salad with sriracha dressing; witbier onion rings; IPA guacamole. The downside to this book: there are a lot of pictures and some interesting profiles of people, but I would have appreciated more recipes in these spaces. The aim should have been for over 100 recipes. The upside to this book: there's a bibliography for more reading and recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2.THE HOME BREWER'S GUIDE TO VINTAGE BEER (Quarry Books, 2014, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-59253-882-9, $24.99 US spiral bound) is by Ronald Pattinson, a brewing historian now based in Amsterdam. He has collaborated on new batches of old beers with a variety of beer bloggers and craft brewers. This current work contains rediscovered recipes for classic brews dating from 1800 to 1965. This historical collection, also with modernized preps, allows you recreate the originals or adapt them to suit your own palate. It is mainly British in orientation, with chapters devoted to porter, stout, IPA, Scottish ales, pale ales/bitters, stock ale, and then moving on to light and European beers – all in 12 chapters. There are profiles for each beer, plus of course the recipes. There's an 1880 Whitbread FA, a 1910 Fuller's AK, an 1804 Barclay Perkins TT porter, an 1853 Younger XP, and a 1868 Tetley East India Pale Ale – 100 in all. The first 35 pages deal with brewing techniques and ingredients; there are also historical photos and label reproductions strewn about. At the end there is a glossary, a weights and measures conversion chart, and an index. Audience and level of use: beer makers, libraries. Some interesting or unusual facts: “Where rice was used extensively in the late nineteenth century might come as a surprise: Germany. The Reinheitsgebot was applied to the whole of Germany only in 1906”. The downside to this book: while the spiral binding is a plus for laying flat, it also leads to vandalism in libraries and bookstores. It may be safer to order it online. The upside to this book: each chapter is preceded by a generous history of the style of beer. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 3.THE ALL-NEW VEGETARIAN PASSPORT; 350 healthy recipes inspired by global cuisines Whitecap, 2013, 432 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-179-9, $34.95 CDN paper covers) is by Linda Woolven, who specializes in natural health writing (she's written or co-authored more than six books, appeared in broadcasting, and has written newsletters and articles). Here she promotes the vegetarian diet which is higher in fibre, nutrients and anti-oxidants, and lower in bad fats – than meat-based diets. There is a lot of general health material as well as signpost logos which are attached to each prep: logos indicating that the dish is good for fighting cancer, or candida, celiac disease, diabetes, gout, heart disease, memory loss, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, and/or rheumatoid arthritis. There is also a sign for indicating that the dish is vegan. The arrangement of the recipes is by region: North Africa and the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Europe, India, Asia, Latin America, North America – with a separate chapter for desserts and beverages. There's a glossary and some pantry advice. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegetarians, those needing more natural health. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Greek feta, kefalotiri, and kale bake; pasta with chard and feta; grilled Asian vegetables; Mexican black bean soup; kidney bean and salsa salad; red potato, onion and celeriac salad. The downside to this book: this book could get heavy use, and the binding may become less secure with time. The upside to this book: the glossary and the signposts. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 4.WEEKNIGHT GLUTEN FREE; simple, healthy meals for every night of the week (Weldon Owen, 2013; distr. Simon & Schuster, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-687-3, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Kristine Kidd, once food editor of Bon Appetit – for over two decades. It includes over 100 preps plus advice for the gluten-free lifestyle. She emphasizes cooking with the seasons, although the book is arranged by main ingredient (almost meatless, seafood, poultry, meat) followed by desserts. If you have gluten-intolerance you'll need to read packaging and labels carefully. Otherwise, you avoid wheat, barley, and rye (so this includes barley beer as well). The hardest part is bread-avoidance and cooking with flours. There is not much you can do about replacing the “chew” in breads, and the inventory for flours can be onerous in space. But this is still a nifty quick and easy cookbook for the weeknight. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: gluten-free eaters. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lamb burgers with mint Greek salad topping; grilled skirt steak with Thai cucumber and peanut salad; quick herb-roasted pork and sweet potatoes; chopped salad with chicken, citrus, and avocado. The downside to this book: not enough breaded substitutes. The upside to this book: goods photography on the plating. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 5.PALEO ON A BUDGET; saving money, eating healthy (Front Table Books, 2013, 198 pages, ISBN 978-1-4621-1327-9, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Elizabeth McGaw, blogger at www.paleoonabudget.com from whence is derived this print book. It is, of course, dedicated to the paleo diet for the budget-conscious. The stress is on meat, eggs, nuts, vegetables and fruits in balance. Overall, the selection of food is based on being wallet-friendly, and also being healthy. But it is still a diet book, meant for everyday meals. The arrangement is by course – breakfast, soups/salads, snacks/sides, fish, chicken, meat, and “splurges”. Paleo 101 and basic preps cover the first third of the book. She does her own photography, which is quite good. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: paleo dieters and other looking for healthy budget food. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: coconut pumpkin cookies; panzanella salad; baked scallops; zucchini boats; almond butter truffles; broken-down burrito. The downside to this book: I think it needs more recipes. The upside to this book: nice looking index, with a large typeface and leading. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 6.STUFFED; the ultimate comfort food cookbook (Page Street, 2014, 206 pages, ISBN 978-1-62414-011-2, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Dan Whalen, creator-blogger for www.thefoodinmybeard.com. As he explains, this book takes your fave comfort foods to the next level with extreme stuffed recipes. There are some log rolling endorsements, such as one from “Eater Boston”. The idea is to combine popular foods, stuffing one with the other. So for mac and cheese, there are lobster stuffed fried mac and cheese balls, mac and cheese chile rellenos, mac and cheese raviolis, and mac and cheese stuffed burger (I don't suppose you would want to stuff macaroni? Too labour intensive). I find a little goes a long way, but the ideas are sound and useful. Arrangement is by main ingredient, so you have stuffed breads (sandwiches?), stuffed pasta/rice, stuffed meats, stuffed veggies/fruits, and stuffed sweets. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Good typeface size and leading in the index, and the pages lie flat. Audience and level of use: home cooks, probably male. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lasagna timpano; avocado eclairs; bacon avocado chicken salad stuffed tomatoes; jalapeno popper dog; turducken (of course); cheeseburger ravioli burger. Sfogliatelle and Epic Timpano too (although each could use a photo). The downside to this book: a little goes a long way, but then comfort food is limiting. The upside to this book: I love the way the book lies flat due to the page work from premium binding (stays open, hands free) Quality/Price Rating: 89. 7. THE ARTISAN FOOD ENTREPRENEUR; profiles in passion and success (WWW Press - Quarry Books, 2014, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-59253-894-2, $26.99 US paper covers) is by Jo Packham, President of Chapelle which publishes magazines such as Where Women Create and Where Women Cook. Here she presents success stories of 20 top professional small business women in the US artisanal food business. These are bios with pix of food entrepreneurs; typical businesses include The Santa Fe School of Cooking, Slide Ridge Honey, Queen City Cookies, and Dry Soda. These are stories of successful restaurant owners, caterers, farmers, bakers, and beekeepers among other occupations. Some of them are Beard winners, other are Child winners, some have a “top food blog”, another has authored multiple cookbooks. Audience and level of use: business schools, hospitality schools looking for role models. The downside to this book: The upside to this book: Quality/Price Rating: 86. 8. STRAIGHT FROM THE EARTH; irresistible vegan recipes for everyone (Chronicle Books, 2014, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1269-5, $27.50 US soft covers) is by the mother-daughter team of Myra Goodman and Marea Goodman. Myra is the co-founder of Earthbound Farm. Here they advocate a plant-based diet, and since everything from their California business is organic, all the veggies should also be organic. There is some memoir-ish material about their lifestyle and vegans, followed by cooking tips and an arrangement of courses or ingredients. First up is breakfast, followed by salads, soups, apps, entrees, sides and desserts. At the end, there are the appendices: 11 theme menus and metric conversion charts, plus a chart on greenhouse gas emissions for common foods (the highest id=s for lamb, the lowest is for lentils and tomatoes). The 90 or so preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements with some metric by weight, but there are tables of equivalents. Each recipes comes with nutritional data, and there are also some cooking charts. Audience and level of use: great for vegetarians and vegans. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Thai fresh spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce; pasta with creamy mushroom sauce; grilled fig sandwiches roasted pistachio pesto and balsamic caramelized onions; cabbage and carrot crunch salad. The downside to this book: nothing really. The upside to this book: straightforward, easy-to-read, uncomplicated. Quality/Price Rating: 88. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 9.WEEKNIGHT WONDERS; delicious, healthy dinners in 30 minutes or less (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-40949-7, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Ellie Krieger, host of the Food Network's Healthy Appetite. She's also a registered dietician who has a Beard Award for a previous cookbook (The Food You Crave). Here, with log rolling from both Jacques Pepin and a “Food Network star”, she gives us some 150 easy to prepare dishes for the busy cook who comes home late. Every prep can be done in 30 minutes or less, with an emphasis on fresh and flavour. From among the fish dishes, try pistachio-crusted tilapia, pasta in creamy tuna sauce with arugula, or mojito mahi mahi with mango and avocado. Of course, it helps to have the right ingredients handy, so there is advanced work in maintaining some kind of pantry inventory. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Nutritional data is given for each prep, and concludes serving sizes, calories, a breakdown of nutrients, and a an indication of how excellent the dish is as a source. Quality/price rating: 87. 10.THE POUND A DAY DIET (Grand Central Life & Style, 2014; distr. Hachette, 298 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-2367-2, $26 US hard covers) is By Rocco DiSpirito, a former restauranteur who created Union Pacific in NYC and currently hosts “Restaurant Divided” on the Food Network. He's also written nine cookbooks; this is his tenth. Most of his books advocate weight reduction. Here he takes it more slowly, but the cover does scream out: “lose up to 5 pounds in 5 days by eating the foods you love”. It comes with a forward by a medical doctor. There's a large disclaimer, beginning with the words “This publication is intended to provide helpful and informative material...”. He says over 95% of the participants who followed the program as specified lost 6 pounds of fat in the first week. Then he goes on to say that all of the participants maintained or lost more weight after going off the diet. It is basically a low-cal six-meal-per-day program, with little or no cooking or exercise. One of the keys is the weekend: go wild. So you are five days on and two days off, repeatable for as long as you want. As I lifelong dieter, I find the idea intriguing, but I also realize that the first five pounds off is mainly water. Still, there are 60 quick preps here, most with five ingredients or less. The important principle here is always to have a plan and to stick with it. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Nutrient contents are listed for each recipe. Quality/price rating: 85. 11.TARTINE BOOK NO. 3: modern ancient classic whole (Chronicle Books, 2013, 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1430-9, $40 US hard covers) is by Chad Robertson co-founder of Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. As the title says, it is number three in the series of baking books. He's also a Beard Award winner. This current book looks to ancient grains and flavours in a modern interpretation. So there are 85 recipes for whole-grain versions of Tartine specialties. There are also preps for porridge breads and sprouted grain breads. There are also some previous Tartine pastry recipes redone with whole gains and nut milks. Maybe next time Robertson could also redo everything with gluten-free flours – wouldn't that be a treat!! Bread reparations have their ingredients listed in baker's percentages and by metric weight. Other recipes have both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Try the sprouted emmer with maple and beer, or rye porridge. Quality/price rating: 88. 12.MIRAVAL'S SWEET & SAVORY COOKING (Hay House, 2014; distr. Raincoast, 206 pages, ISBN 978-1-4019-4190-1, $29.95 US hard covers) is by husband and wife Justine Cline Macy and Kim Macy, both culinary teachers and TV personalities – but also executive chef and pastry chef (respectively) at the Miraval Resort & Spa in Tucson Arizona. This is food that conforms to well-being and delicious treatments. It is also known as “spa food”, and it is very useful to get you on track again. Sweet and savoury actually have no meaning (since all food is either sweet or savoury), except to indicate that there are items here for every type of course which includes a sweetener and/or salt. It is a complete package, as you find in a spa, with Kim's breakfasts, quick breads, yeast breads, cookies, bars, baked goods, cakes, custards, and Justin's soups, salads, appetizers, and mains. Both contribute side dishes. Along the way there are some pix and text about the resort, about the staff, and plated foods. It's a very nice package if you have ever been to a spa. Try some parmesan and olive crackers (gluten-free) or quinoa fettuccine with seasonal veggies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of equivalents at the back. Quality/price rating: 87. 13.COWGIRL CREAMERY COOKS (Chronicle Books, 2013, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1163-6, $35 US hard covers) is by Sue Conley and Peggy Smith, co-founders of Cowgirl Creamery, a farmstead cheese producer in Point Reyes California. It is mostly cows' milk as the name implies, with some sheep and goat. The book has the story of the artisanal creamery and how it evolved into a force within the organic food movement. It's also got strong log rolling from Ina Garten, David Tanis and Suzanne Goin. There are 75 apps, soups, salads, snacks, mains, and desserts: Earl Grey panna cotta, chilled garlic and asparagus soup with crème fraiche, and blue butter on grilled rib-eye. The arrangement is by type of cheese, with preps for various parts of the meal strewn about each chapter. There's even a glossary. Material about cheeses include accompaniments for cheese, tasting, sorting, aging, pairing beverages, serving, storage – even a discussion about rinds. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 14.WEEKNIGHT FRESH & FAST; simple, healthy meals for every night of the week (Weldon Owen, 2011, 2013, distr. Simon & Schuster, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-686-6, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Kristine Kidd, once food editor of Bon Appetit – for over two decades. This 2013 paperback reprint is the same as the 2011 edition; it restores it to print, with added stickers. The book covers some 100 quick ideas for dinner, much like Krieger's book above. It is in the Williams-Sonoma series of cookbooks for Weldon Owen publishers. The arrangement is by season, beginning with spring. It is loaded with tips for fresh and fast meals – well worth a look. Try spice-scented roast chicken and vegetables, clams with white beans and fennel, grilled shrimp and summer squash, or Asian-styled tofu-rice-broccoli salad. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Nice exciting photography of the plated dish. Quality/price rating: 87. 15.GLUTEN-FREE 101; the essential beginner's guide to easy gluten-free cooking (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-53912-5, $19.99 US paper back) is by Carol Fenster, author of ten other cookbooks, including 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes. Here she has 175 preps for everyday family dishes: pancakes, muffins, pizza, fried chicken, banana bread, cookies, cupcakes. The book has been around for a decade; it was last printed up in 2008 by Savory Palate publishers. As the author notes, these preps have been reviewed, revised, rewritten and reworked over the years, with input mainly from her students. It is also 30 preps larger. There are more whole-grain recipes, more dried bean and legume preps, more time saving techniques, more small meals, and more menus. She gives a framework for gluten-free flours and starches, including a recipe for a flour blend than uses sorghum, potato starch, and tapioca flours. This book is better than many other gluten-free books since the emphasis is on wheat/barley/rye replacement in breaded products. You could try some French bread or pumpernickel bread. I also like the fact that the largest typeface in the book has been reserved for the index, so you don't have to squint. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There are also nutrient data for each recipe. Quality/price rating: 90. 16.KEEP CALM AND SLOW COOK (Thunder Bay Press, 2014, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-60710-926-6, $19.95 CDN hard covers) is a strange publication: distributed in Canada by Raincoast but published by Thunder Bay Press (Baker & Taylor imprint) and produced by Collins & Brown (Anova Books imprint of the UK), with a copyright for The National Magazine Company Ltd. The cataloguing data shows a Barbara Dixon as author, but otherwise she is nowhere to be found. The verso lists many photographers (so the pictures were leased?) and a dozen home economists and five food stylists. It is what we used to call in library land “bibliographically untidy”. At least it has an index! Other than that, it is a hard bound collection of slow cook/braised recipes, ranging from tasty soups through fish, chicken, meats, veggies, and sweets. There is a chapter on slow cookers, but otherwise the book is about braises. No introduction is needed, apparently. Each prep has timings, service numbers, some minimal nutrition data, an indication of ease, and cook's tip. Try pasta and chickpea soup with pesto, or honey pork with roast potatoes and apples, or caramelized onion and goat cheese tart. The more than 100 preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84. 17.KEEP CALM AND VEG(ETARIAN) (Thunder Bay Press, 2014, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-60710-927-3, $19.95 CDN hard covers) is a strange publication: distributed in Canada by Raincoast but published by Thunder Bay Press (Baker & Taylor imprint) and produced by Collins & Brown (Anova Books imprint of the UK), with a copyright for The National Magazine Company Ltd. The cataloguing data shows a Barbara Dixon as author, but otherwise she is nowhere to be found. The verso lists many photographers (so the pictures were leased?) and eleven home economists and six food stylists. It is what we used to call in library land “bibliographically untidy”. At least it has an index! Other than that, it is a hard bound collection of vegetarian dishes, ranging from tasty soups through light bites, sides, mains, egg and cheese dishes, legumes, grains, pastas and pizzas, pies, pastries, breads and desserts. No introduction is needed, apparently. Each prep has timings, service numbers, some minimal nutrition data, an indication of ease, and cook's tip. Try endive-blue cheese-walnut salad, cheese scone twists, roasted Mediterranean veggies, or artichoke and mushroom lasagna. The more than 100 preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR OCTOBER 2013 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. COMPLETE WINE SELECTOR; how to choose the right wine every time (Firefly Books, 2013, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-225-9, $24.965 CAN paper covers) is by Katherine Cole, wine columnist for The Oregonian newspaper in Portland and a professional journalist. It is a colourful book, well-illustrated, that takes the novice through the basics of wine making and wine selection. However, despite what she says, it would be useful to have quiz-show memories: remembering what you tasted is preparation for retention of wine knowledge. She’s got it all organized, with directory-style, bulleted, decision-trees and flow charts. It works if you have this kind of mind. Like the popular Dummy books, there is a factor of ten: the introduction to 10 wine styles, 20 greatest wine shops in the world, 10 top sommeliers and chefs tell us their fave food and wine matches, top 10 dos and don’ts in wine storage, 10 most common wine faults, and more. Just memorize; nothing wrong with that. Actually, the 10 wine styles have been around for years: they were originally cast as six for table wines (3 for white, 3 for reds, sort of light-medium-full for each colour). She’s added sweet wines (mostly white), sparklers, rose, and fortified. It’s a good book, there is lots packed into it. But it is still memory. Audience and level of use: beginners. Some interesting or unusual facts: the natural match for Argentine Malbec is churrascuria cuisine. The downside to this book: wine tasting is still memory-based. The upside to this book: good statement of all the factors involved in wine knowledge. Quality/Price Rating: 88. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. ISA DOES IT; amazingly easy, wildly delicious vegan recipes for every day of the week (Little, Brown and Co., 2013, 311 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-22190-0, $30 US hard covers) is by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, co- author of the bestseller Veganomicon. She does www.portpunkkitchen.com, Which is a leading website for all things vegan. She has over 200 preps here, ranging from the simple to the complex, from the small to the large crowd, and weekdays to Sunday best. There’s lots of advice on shortening cooking times, knife techniques, planning ahead, cleaning up, substitutions in case of allergies, and a vegan pantry. Throughout there are also 30 minute meals, Contents include the range: soups, salads, pasta, risotto, stews, curries, stir-fries, and courses (Sunday night, breakfast, brunch). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans and potential vegans Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Greek diner salad; quinoa Caesar salad; shroomy hot and sour soup; chocolate-zucchini bundt cake; baked garlic-curry fries; kitchen sink chocolate cookies; roasted potato and fennel soup. The downside to this book: it is very thick and heavy. The upside to this book: a good collection of one-bowl desserts Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. THE COMPLETE FIBROMYALGIA HEALTH, DIET GUIDE & COOKBOOK (Robert Rose, 2013, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0453-6, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Louise D. McCrindle, ND and Alison Bested, MD, both specialists in fibromyalgia care. and 4. THE COMPLETE MIGRAINE HEALTH, DIET GUIDE & COOKBOOK (Robert Rose, 2013, 336 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0454-3, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Susan Hannah, a health researcher, with Lawrence Leung, MD and Elizabeth Dares-Dobbie, RD. Both books are set up in similar fashion: there’s a collection of research, medical experience, anecdotal experience, and strategies for guiding you through health problems associated with fibromyalgia or migraines. Each promotes better health through comprehensive dietary therapy programs, and includes a 4-week menu. In the case of fibromyalgia, the diet avoids inflammatory foods to reduce pain. In the case of migraines, the diet is about low- or antihistamine foods. Half of each book is the science and diet guide. The other half is comprised of the recipes, which come from previous books authored by the Rose stable of cookbook writers such as Alexandra Anca, Johanna Burkhard, Judith Finlayson, Camilla V. Saulsbury (the largest number), and others. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. The fibromyalgia book has 100 recipes, the migraine book has 150. Each also has pages of additional reading references, and nutritional data for each prep. Audience and level of use: those in need of relief from migraines and/or fibromyalgia. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: broiled rosemary chicken thighs; herb-roasted salmon; multigrain sandwich bread; lemony brussels sprouts quinoa salad; herbed chicken and pomegranate salad; sauteed spinach with pine nuts. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 5. SOUTHERN CASSEROLES; comforting pot-lucky dishes (Chronicle Books, 2013, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1228-2, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Denise Gee, a Southern food writer for many magazines. She’s got about 40 casseroles here, along with full photos, from every part of the US south (although she has strong Mississippi roots). Side dishes are also included in this collection of one-pot wonders. The basic division is easy eats and company’s coming, plus sides done in one pot. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: duck and sausage cassoulet; chicken and herbed dumplings; tamale pies; jambalaya; crawfish fettuccine; chicken pot pie. The downside to this book: not enough recipes. The upside to this book: great picture on page 169. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 6. A FIRST COURSE IN WINE; from grape to glass (Race Point Publishing, 2013, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-937994-13-6, $28 US hard covers) is by Dan Amatuzzi, beverage director at Eataly in NYC, co-owned by Mario Batali, who, amazingly enough, provides the essential log rolling here via a preface. It’s a well-illustrated work, with perhaps too many photos. It begins slowly, as most beginner wine books should, covering the wine basics, the seasons of the vine, wine enjoyment, wine regions of the world, and a resources list. It’s descriptive: not too much on confusing wine notes or recommended producers. The major division is by colour: half the book is on reds, the other half on whites. But two little paragraphs on Canada (one on reds, one on whites) just doesn’t cut it for me. Audience and level of use: armchair travelers, beginners. Some interesting or unusual facts: Many wine specialists recommend having something in your stomach when consuming wine. The downside to this book: too many generic pictures The upside to this book: good layout and conceptions. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 7. 200 SKILLS EVERY COOK MUST HAVE (Firefly Books, 2013, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-210-5, $29.95 CAN hard covers) is by Clara Paul and Eric Treville. Clara is head chef at the UK Books for Cooks, while Eric owns the store. Both are food writers and cooking demonstrators. There are over 300 colour photos here in this largely technique book. There are 12 chapters for different skills, with alternative methods and explanations as well as additional techniques. Topics, for the contents, include sauces and dressings, preparing/cooking fruits/veggies/meat, fish skills, pastry/baking skills, pasta/bread/rice/noodles, presentation and plating, preserving and storing, entertaining tips. Their philosophy is to make better cooks out of good cooks. There is also a glossary if terms. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are also tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginning cooks The upside to this book: usually a skill begins on the left page and continues to the right page, so there is no flipping. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 8. 1000 SAUCES, DIPS AND DRESSINGS (Firefly Books, 2013, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-212-9, $29.95 CAN hard covers) is by Nadia Arumugam, a food writer and recipe developer who trained at Leith’s and worked with Mosimann. Now she writes for numerous publications and online magazines out of New York City. This book is a nice database of all the possible savour and sweet additions to enhance a plate or a meal. Too often these can come in a processed food jar; making your own frees you from preservatives and saves space as well. There’s material on the five mother sauces of French cuisine and how they can be used in combination. There are 15 chapter categories such as creamy and cheesy sauces, pestos and herb sauces, BBQ sauces, savoury fruit sauces, Asian, ketchups, salsas, meat and seafood dips, oil and vinegar dressings, and dessert sauces. Many recipes, of course, have variations, which can lead up to 1000 sauces. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home chefs looking to expand their repertoire, Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sticky toffee, raspberry coulis, cilantro lime sauce, honey peanut sauce, pesto all Genovese, spicy pumpkin seed. The downside to this book: the type font is very small and the ingredient listing is faint, especially for quantities. The upside to this book: at the back there is a sauce selector series of tables. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 9. PIES AND TARTS WITH HEART; expert pie-building techniques for 60+ sweet and savory vegan pies (Quarry Books, 2013, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1- 59253-846-1, $24.99 US paper covers) is the third book by Denise Balcavage, who blogs at urbanvegan.net. Dairy-free and honey-free pies, also gluten-free alternatives (even raw options!) are here in the 70 preps. Classics have been modified, such as whoopie pie, Boston cream pie, and Key Lime pie. She’s also got a pretty good primer on preparing dough, rolling, transferring/finishing, and decorating. Of great interest is quiche 10 ways, with different fillings – and you can make your own too. Icons are used for GF, fast, low fat, raw, kid-friendly, and no-bake. Kudos for a giant type font in the index! Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and (mainly) avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans and potential vegans. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: North African kale pie; sweet parsnip pie; whipped nut toppings plus variations; raw raspberry chia-cashew pie; frozen spumoni pie; cheeseburger pie. The downside to this book: a few more savouries please! The upside to this book: plenty of variations. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 10. I LOVE PASTA; an Italian love story in 100 recipes (Taunton Press, 2013, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-62710-087-8, $24.95US hard covers) is by the Academia Barilla, a research-cooking school founded by the Barilla pasta family. It’s divided into long pasta, short pasta, baked and egg pasta, and soup pasta. In all, Italy has about 300 shapes, so there are plenty to mix and match. Of special value are the chapters on the Barilla Company and the history of pasta in Italy. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Very good photography. Audience and level of use: Italian food cooks, pasta lovers, culinary historians. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: risoni with fava bean puree and breadcrumbs; Genoa-style egg lasagna; sedani rigati salad with parma ham; fusilli with tuna; vermicelli with mussels; capellini with sausage and saffron. The downside to this book: it’s a producer book, with named pasta brands. The upside to this book: a good collection that should satisfy everyone, especially for the photos. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 11. THE BOOK OF BUNS; over 50 brilliant bakes from around the world (Ryland Peters and Small, 2013, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-435-4, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Jane Mason, who started Virtuous Bread cooking school and then Bread Angels. This is a basic international collection of bun recipes: sweet and savoury buns, steamed and baked buns, stuffed buns, and special occasion buns. They are easy enough to do (she has a primer), and of course they are portable. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: bakers, home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: snittsidan bullar (Sweden); krentenbollen (Holland); muesli stangen (Germany); spaccatini (Italy); bastounakia (Greece); kahvalti (Turkey); fastnachts (Canada). The downside to this book: not enough recipes The upside to this book: good theme Quality/Price Rating: 88. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 13. PERFECT PATISSERIE; mastering macarons, madeleines and more (Firefly Books, 2013, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-211-2, $24.95 CAN hard covers) is by Tim Kinnaird, owner of Macarons & More. It was launched after Kinnaird reached the finals of the BBC’s MasterChef show in 2010. His recipes are in two cookbooks derived from that show. He also sells online at www.macaronsandmore.com. This book is for the home baker, with details on how to make the various parts and how to assemble them. It’s fully and richly illustrated, with tips and advice for a range of foods dealing with choux paste, tarts, gateaux, entremets, petits fours, fillings and frostings, plus decorating. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. There is also a glossary and a resource list. Try apple crumble and custard caramel éclairs, maple syrup-bacon-blueberry macarons, green tea and white chocolate and lemon delice, or arlette cookies. Have fun! Quality/price rating: 86. 14. PAYARD DESSERTS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 360 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-43589-2, $40 US hard covers) is by Francois Payard, owner of Payard Patisserie & Bistro and other places in NYC. In 1995 he won a Beard Award as Pastry Chef of the Year, and since then he was been accoladed by his profession. He is one of 85 “best pastry chefs in the world” via his membership in Relais Desserts International. Even so, he needs a boatload of eight log rollers, including Thomas Keller, Dorie Greenspan, Eric Ripert and Daniel Boulud. His focusing food writer is Tish Boyle, an experienced dessert food writer, recipe developer, and cookbook author. She does the instructions, ingredients and equipment, but the preps are his. Chapters have section s that incorporate frozen desserts, fruit desserts, pastries, meringues, custards, mousses, tarts, soufflés, crepes, cold dessert soups, and even the cheese course (warm ricotta tart, gorgonzola ice cream, chevre cheese, and more). Each dessert also includes a beverage pairing suggestion from Olivier Flosse, sommelier of A Voce restaurants in NYC: wine, beer, liqueur, cocktail. Some specific brands are mentioned, but many are not. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. If you do these procedures a lot, the recipes are not really complicated: you just need to run through them a few times. For a four-hour baked apple napoleon with caramel chantilly and caramel sauce, you’ll need some time, five recipes (including one for spiced tuiles) plus some assembly instructions that are easier than IKEA. Quality/price rating: 88. 15. MODERN NATIVE FEASTS; healthy, innovative, sustainable cuisine (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2013, 189 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-507-5, $21.95 paper covers) is by Andrew George Jr. who had earlier written A FEAST FOR ALL SEASONS; traditional native peoples’ cuisine (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2010). He was recently head chef at the Four Host First Nations pavilion at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He was also involved with the World Culinary Olympics as part of the first all-Native team in the competition’s history. He instructed at the Kla-how-eya cooking school, and also develops Native menus for restaurants and hotels internationally. There are over 100 preps here for a variety of appetizers, salads, soups, and mains that match traditional native ingredients with modern flavours and techniques. In time for the 2013 holidays are the recipes for buffalo and cranberry stew, venison tourtiere, and wild berry crumble. Other foods from native areas of Canada, such as salmon, wild duck, oysters, caribou and elk are also here. The emphasis is on “feast” foods and ceremonies, for a gathering small or large; it could even be a family dinner. There are cultural food notes. Try moose cannelloni, cranberry sweet and sour goose breast, spicy elk wraps, or even three-game meatballs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with some metric weights, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 16. GREAT HOMEMADE SOUPS; a cook’s collection (Jacqui Small, 2013, 232 pages, ISBN 978-1-909342-23-1, $40 US hard covers) is a collection of some 100 soup recipes, mostly from award-winning Chef Paul Gayler of The Lanesborough (London). He’s been on British TV and has over 20 cookery books under his name. It’s a “master class” book, with templated recipes to replicate or expand on. He’s also got some guests chefs: Daniel Boulud, Pierre Koffman, Susan Spicer, and five more. There’s the basic primer about soups and stocks and equipment. This is followed by clear soups and consommés, smooth and creamy, hearty and wholesome, some British favourites, wild and exotic soups, and chilled soups (only a few are fruit-based). Globally, there is pho from Vietnam, ajiaco from Colombia, miso noodle soup from Japan, and a chickpea and fennel soup from Sardinia. One of my faves is the yam- peanut-ginger soup from Ethiopia. Great photographs, but a tiny font for the index makes it difficult to locate a recipe. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 17. DELICIOUS SOUPS; fresh and hearty soups for every occasion (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2013, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-463-7, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Belinda Williams, founder of the Yorkshire Party Company (events and catering) and the Yorkshire Provender. She’s been busy designing soups for the latter. There are about 60 preps here, arranged by style of soup. It is much the same as Gayler’s book above, but with fewer recipes. Her chickpea soup is a Moroccan harira; there is no pho or miso. But there is a nifty sunchoke soup with sorrel and sage, and a field mushroom soup or a creamy coconut and lamb soup. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 18. THE MODEL BAKERY COOKBOOK (Chronicle Books, 2013, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1383-8, $35 US hard covers) is by Karen Mitchell and her daughter Sarah, along with Rick Rodgers as the focusing food writer. Karen founded Napa Valley’s Model Bakery in 1984, and Sarah expanded it to a market in 2008. Here are 75 preps featuring their most requested foods: breads, desserts, fresh pastries – mostly along the lines of pain au levain, sticky buns, peach streusel pie and ginger molasses cookies. Model Bakery has been described as the quintessential hometown bakery. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 19. THE FOUR & TWENTY BLACKBIRDS PIE BOOK; uncommon recipes from the celebrated Brooklyn pie ship (Grand Central Life & Style, 2013, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-2051-0, $30 US hard covers) is by Emily and Melissa Elsen, whose mother once owned the Calico Kitchen in South Dakota. Her daughters later established Four & Twenty Blackbirds pie and coffee shop in Brooklyn in 2010, and since then they seem to have been featured all over the NYC media. There are 60 preps here, arranged by season starting with spring, and with many photographs (some illustrating techniques). With its lack of fresh fruit, winter brings more nuts and citric pies, such as malted chocolate pecan pie, grapefruit custard pie, lemon chess pie, buttermilk chess pie, or green chili chocolate pie. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re- editions”... 20. COOKING AT HOME WITH THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA. Rev. ed. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 408 pages, ISBN 978—0-470-58781-2, $35 US hard covers) presents the essentials of cooking: tools and equipment, ingredients, pantry, techniques. It was originally published by Wiley in 2003, selling at $60. This edition has 104 more pages, and now has 250 new recipes and new colour photography. There are scores of cooking techniques which are explained, with full instructions and photos of processes, followed by basic recipes with more photos of platings. The book starts with soups (and stocks) such as Thai hot and sour soup, moving through the menu to desserts such as bread and butter pudding. The basic and the classic are presented, with plenty of paged cross-references from a recipe to the techniques involved. Gone, for example, are the chicken thighs with duxelles stuffing and the braised rabbit. Basics also include southern fried chicken and chicken breasts made with diverse sauces. Classics include duck and orange sauce, osso buco, and paella Valenciana. While there are illustrations of what you can do with a knife (e.g., chop, dice, julienne, etc.), there are no detailed instructions nor illustrations on how to hold the knife, nor on the stroke action. What I do like about this book is its authoritative style, very useful for beginners. Preparations have their ingredients listed only in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tabled of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88, for the home cook 21. COUTURE CHOCOLATE; a masterclass in chocolate (Jacqui Small LLP, 2011, 2013, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-909342-45-3, $29.95 US soft covers) is by William Curley, four time winner of Best British Chocolatier award from the Academy of Chocolate. There’s also log rolling from Heston Blumenthal and Marco Pierre White, amongst others. This current book, originally published in 2011, won the Guild of Food Writers Cookery Book of the Year award in 2012. It is a colourful book examining origins and bean qualities, plus other items in a chapter dealing with essentials. This is followed by classes in truffles, bars, bouchees, cakes, patisserie, ice cream and sauces, and so forth. It’s a DIY book, with absolutely gorgeous photos. There’s a glossary, and a resources list (almost all of it is British). Try chocolate and pistachio cake, milk chocolate and jasmine granita, or caramelized white chocolate and miso ice cream in coconut and orange cone. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR SEPTEMBER 2013 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. I do this because MOST of my readers are American. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. POSTMODERN WINEMAKING; rethinking the modern science of an ancient craft (University of California Press, 2013, 344 pages, ISBN 978-0-520- 27519-5, $34.95 US hard covers) is by Clark Smith, world renowned winemaker for Diamond Ridge vineyards and WineSmith Cellars. He’s a teacher and wine consultant, specializing in wine chemistry fundamentals. His column “The Postmodern Winemaker” has appeared in Wines & Vines since 2009. From the Preface, “The book consists of twenty-five chapters, two appendices, and a glossary. It is largely based…on material compiled from my monthly columns in Wines and Vines magazine and articles published by AppellationAmerica.com and Practical Vineyard and Winery magazine, reworked to include a lay audience.” Smith is a leading innovator in red wine production techniques. He says that great wines demand a personal and creative engagement with many elements of the process. So he shows us this process, along with profiles of others doing the same thing. Smith is a polarizing figure in the California wine world, but the book is eminently readable as he runs through the process of oaking, vineyard management, oxygenation, minerality, brettanomyces, and other tools available to the winemaker. Quality/price rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. THE HEART OF THE PLATE; vegetarian recipes for a new generation (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 456 pages, ISBN 978- 0-547-57159-1, $34.99 US hard covers) is by Mollie Katzen, renowned cookbook author and co-founder of the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca New York. It is her 12th book, yet still needed (in the publisher’s eyes) some heavy duty log rolling from such as Jamie Oliver, Andrew Weil, Nigella, Batali, Pepin and Anna Thomas. Of course, her 200 preps here will be an instant hit anyway, and I am not taking anything away from that. About 10 per cent of the recipes have come from her other books. These are the basic veggie dishes, many of which were once heavily laden with cream, butter and eggs. Now, half the book is vegan and the rest are lighter, reflecting a “new generation” and its lifestyle. It is traditionally arranged, from soups through desserts, along with the usual photos and watercolours that Katzen has employed before. There are some pantry notes and a series of both vegetarian menus (20) and vegan menus (15) with page references to the preps. The stew dishes come with appropriate starches (called “accessories”) such as the curried cauliflower stew with onion pakoras, or the Peruvian potato-bean stew with quinoa-speckled buttermilk corn cakes. Some of these are gluten-free, or at least wheat-free, but more would be needed (or variations). There is good advice here, along with good detail in the techniques. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegetarians, most vegans, beginners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: couscous with dates, pistachios, pine nuts and parsley; forbidden rice with beluga lentils and mushrooms; asparagus puff pastry tart; orange-olive-fig saladita; mixed mushroom ragout. The downside to this book: I wished that there were some gluten-free alternatives for the accessories and other preps. The upside to this book: great illustrations Quality/Price Rating: 91. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. THE BIG BEAUTIFUL BROWN RICE COOKBOOK; the world’s best brown rice recipes (SquareOne Publishers, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 184 pages, ISBN 978-0-7570-0364-6, $16.95 US soft covers) is by Wendy Esko, who has studied and taught macrobiotic cooking for over four decades. She’s written over 20 cookbooks, and currently works for Eden Foods. She’s been around and around these recipes for quite some time. It’s a basic primer of some 140 recipes with practical cooking tips and guidelines, plus variations. There’s also a glossary of ingredients. It is organized by course, with breakfast up first, followed by soups, stews, salads, condiments, apps, sides, mains, and desserts. At the beginning, there are the basics of brown rice and a pantry of sorts. There is also a large list of resources. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: for vegetarians and vegans. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: fried adzuki bean rice; stuffed grape leaves; muesli; Moroccan rice; applesauce brown rice muffins; mushroom onion sauce; California rolls; baked rice and barley casserole. The downside to this book: the emphasis is on brown rice, not macrobiotics. The upside to this book: good glossary Quality/Price Rating: 88. 4. THE GLUTEN-FREE QUINTESSENTIAL QUINOA COOKBOOK; eat great, lose weight, feel healthy (Skyhorse Publishing, 2013, 285 pages, ISBN 978-1- 62087-699-2, $17.95 US hard covers) is by Wendy Polisi, author of last year’s “The Quintessential Quinoa Cookbook”. This version is now all gluten-free. It’s based on the large feedback she got from that book: why not make it all gluten-free? So here it is, with photos and nutritional info for every recipe, gluten-free desserts, and quinoa recipes for kids. She’s even given alternative ingredients and prep methods for many dishes, including vegan, sugar-free, and quick and easy. She’s got two recipes for gluten-free flour blends – an all- purpose quinoa flour blend and a quinoa cake flour blend. These can be used without fear. The book is arranged by course, breakfast through apps and snacks, salads, wraps and tacos and sandwiches, mains, baking and desserts. About 140 dishes here, but there is more at cookingquinoa.net. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who require a gluten-free diet Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: gluten-free pizza dough; quinoa bread; apple onion focaccia bread; broccoli quinoa casserole; BBQ quinoa sloppy joes; Mediterranean lettuce cups; smoked chile rellenos. The downside to this book: I would have liked more preps, but I can always visit the website. The upside to this book: good pictures and descriptions. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5. INDIAN COOKING UNFOLDED (Workman Publishing, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 330 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-6521-7, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Raghavan Iyer, an award-winning author-teacher with several Indian cookbooks to his name. This one has 100 easy recipes with few prep techniques and few ingredients or spices. The publisher has a “foldout” format: each of the seven sections of the book opens with an illustrated technique lesson that leads the cook through a foundation recipe. This is the master class part of the book. For example, in the veggie mains section, there is a class on smoky yellow split peas (dal), with detailed instructions and technique photos. It is the first lesson in the section, followed by others: spicy Indian omelets, cardamom-scented cheese with peppers, pan-fried cheese with creamy spinach, sassy chickpea curry, red lentil dal, mustard cannellini beans, and six more, leading to root vegetable pie. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners, those interested in Indian food. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above The downside to this book: nothing really, although I got bored with the sections headed “extra credit” – made it all seem so school-ey. The upside to this book: there’s a bibliography for advanced reading. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 6. GREAT GLUTEN-FREE WHOLE-GRAIN BREAD MACHINE RECIPES. (Robert Rose, 2013, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0463-5, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt, both professional home economists with credentials in the fields of gluten-free recipe development and bread machine baking. Together, they have written nine cookbooks, including 300 Best Canadian Bread Machine Recipes. Here there are 150 recipes using flours that include quinoa, amaranth, teff, tapioca, rice, buckwheat, millet, sorghum, corn, and oat. Every prep comes with detailed notes off set up, nutritional information, tips and variations, plus minute usage of the bread machine. New ones have a gluten-free cycle; however, the authors also give a work-around system for older machines without the cycle. The book begins with re- interpretations of the classics, and then continues with artisan breads, hearty breads, seed-nut breads, mixes, egg-free breads, and then the flatties of filled breads, flatbreads, and pizzas. There are glossaries of equipment, ingredients, and techniques. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. A very useful book. Audience and level of use: those gluten-free cooks with bread machines. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: carrot poppy loaf, challah, five-seed brown bread, mock rye loaf, panini sandwich loaf. The upside to this book: there are sections on egg-free, nut-free, and rice-free breads. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 7. THE FRENCH COOK: cream puffs and eclairs (Gibbs Smith, 2013, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3243-6, $21.99 US hard covers) is by Holly Herrick, who is a Cordon Bleu grad and restaurant critic, living in Charleston, SC. She has also written a few cookbooks for Gibbs Smith. This is the second in a new series on French cuisine. And, of course, what better place to start than with versatile pate a choux or choux paste (pastry), which can translate into many sweet and savoury cream puffs and éclairs. There are photos and step-by-step techniques. The basic pastes are here (gougeres, puffs, croquembouche, profiteroles) plus more and some variations are noted. The book is set up as a primer for beginners. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: avocado mousse with bacon and tomato in choux paste; “gnocchi” made with choux paste; gougeres; Dreamsicle orange cream puffs. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 8. THE SOUPMAKER’S KITCHEN; how to save your scraps, prepare a stock, and craft the perfect pot of soup (Quarry Books, 2013, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-59253-844-7, $24.99 US soft covers) is by Aliza Green, a Beard winner (Ceviche!, published in 2001). She’s written 13 cookery books in all, and was a former food writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer and Cooking Light magazine. Her last book was Making Artisan Pasta (2012). Here she concentrates on the clever art of “scratch” cooking and “leftover” cooking. Hardened family cooks (like my wife) already know the ins and outs of sterling soup production. But for others, the book is a gem. There’s an in-depth chapter on stock followed by the major categories of soups (clear, bisques, stews, chowders. Lots of tips and advice too. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: intermediate or beginner home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: golden tomato gazpacho with smoked paprika; scallop and white corn chowder with roasted poblanos chiles; Turkish red lentil soup; acquacotta maremmana; French soupe de potiron; Caribbean callalou soup. The downside to this book: no shrimp recipes. The upside to this book: it is an all-purpose book with some vegan recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 9. GRAIN BRAIN; the surprising truth about wheat, carbs, and sugar – your brain’s silent killers (Little Brown and Co., 2013, 323 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-23480-1, $27 US hard covers) is by David Perlmutter, MD, an award-winning brain specialist with numerous books on the brain (e.g., The Better Brain Book). There’s some heavy duty log rolling here, ascribing the linking of dementia to a diet high in sugar and grains. Most carbs also appear to link to ADHD, epilepsy, anxiety, chronic headaches, depression, decreased libido, and more. Most of the book deals with proving this point; the balance h=goes on to describe a 4-week lifestyle change plan on how to keep the brain healthy, with recipes, strategies, and so forth. Kristin Loberg is the focusing writer. First, you must determine your baseline on blood glucose, insulin, hemoglobin, vitamin D, gluten, and other factors. Then, there is a list of OTC supplements such as coconut oil, DHA, probiotics, resveratrol, turmeric, and Vitamin D, which must be taken daily for the rest of your life. Then you clear out your kitchen, re-stock, maybe fast a little, eliminate all gluten, focus on exercise and sleep, and find motivators. There are some sample menus and some starter recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Extensive end notes. Audience and level of use: those wishing to go off carbs. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: broccoli soup with cashew cream; herb garden salad with balsamic; Nicoise salad; avocado-tahini dip; chocolate truffles; sofritos; dill spread. The downside to this book: much of the beginning can be condensed even further, but is still useful for argument’s sake. The upside to this book: the last 100 pages of text are the most valuable. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 10. THE GREAT VEGAN BEAN BOOK (Fair Winds Press, 2013, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-59233-549-7, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Kathy Hester, a blogger and freelancer who writes on vegan matters (healthyslowcooking.com, keyingredient.com, Chickpea magazine) and teaches vegan cooking classes. Her book has more than 100 plant-based dishes with lots of protein, and most recipes are soy- and gluten-free (each recipe is tagged thus). There is also some heavy duty log rolling from other vegan writers. All courses are covered, including breakfast, snacks, soups, salads, sandwiches, stews, casseroles, and desserts. If you are vegan, you may already know this material. Nevertheless, for newbies, this is a good assortment of bean preps for every day and every course. At the end, there is a resources list. All kinds of beans are covered, including cannellini, calypso, edamame, and adzuki. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Nutritional data is given per serving. Audience and level of use: vegans or those looking at veganism. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: faux goat cheese; pumpkin white bean chowder; orange blossom brunch biscuits; cream of the crop garden soup; salsa quinoa salad; asian black soybean slaw. The downside to this book: I think it needed a few more recipes. The upside to this book: the index has a listing of oil-free, gluten- free, and soy-free dishes, arranged alphabetically. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 11. NOSH ON THIS; gluten-free baking from a Jewish-American kitchen (The Experiment, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 274 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519- 086-7, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Lisa Stander-Horel and Tim Horel. There is some heavy duty log rolling from other authors of gluten-free or Jewish cooking. Most recipes come from the Eastern European tradition. Chapter sections have headings: cookies, macaroons, bars and brownies, cakes and cupcakes, pies and tarts, pastries, doughnuts, breads and matzo, baked savouries, and others. Preparations have their ingredients listed mostly in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. At the back, there is also a list of resources, including a glossary/pantry/equipment table, along with a store locator. Both celiac and Jewish baking Internet resources are noted, and there is a handy Jewish holiday baking chart for seven events, including Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Passover. Audience and level of use: gluten-free food lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cherry chocolate cupcakes; marble chiffon cake; baked jelly donuts; challah; crostata; hand pies. The downside to this book: why all the endorsements? The upside to this book: the Resources section is terrific. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 12. THE WARM KITCHEN; gluten-free recipes anyone can make and everyone will love (Family Chef Publishing, 2013, 264 pages, ISBN 978-0-9894843- 0-5, $26.95 US paper covers) is by Amy Fothergill, an experienced chef- consultant who now writes a gluten-free column for the Examiner.com in San Francisco and has her own popular blog thefamilychef.blogspot.com. Her oversized book has 150 recipes with dairy, sugar, and egg substitutions to handle most allergies. She’s got not only the usual cooking tips, techniques, step-by-step instructions, but also family friendly dishes and how to stock a gluten-free pantry. Everything is covered, from breakfast to dessert, covering soups-salads-mains-sides- breads. Of particular value are her preps for GF breads, mostly based on her GF flour blend. There’s a lot packed in here: try stuffoli, banana cupcakes, battered chicken, shepherd’s (actually, cottage) pie, cinnamon raisin bread, and crispy pizza dough. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 13. VEDGE; 100 plates large and small that redefine vegetable cooking (The Experiment, 2013; dist. T. Allen, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-085- 0, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby, chefs and owners of Vedge which opened in 2011 in Philadelphia. Landau has been opening restaurants since 1994, while his wife Jacoby is also a pastry chef and sommelier. Good credentials, but it still needed some advanced log rolling for “praise”. It’s a vegan book, using vegan butter, vegan cream, vegan shortening, and other substitutes. There are about 100 dishes, based on the Vedge menus. It is augmented by stocks and spice blends. There is an apps section, soups and stews, freshly pulled veggies, mains, stews, and desserts and breads. Try pesto trapanese, roasted asparagus with hazelnut picada, French breakfast radishes with nori and tamari and avocado, beetroot pots de crème, or grilled broccolini with pistachio and cured olive. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 14. BALABOOSTA; bold Mediterranean recipes to feed the people you love (Artisan, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-500-6, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Einat Admony, chef-owner of Balaboosta, Taim, and Bar Bolonat restaurants in New York. Balaboosta is Yiddish for “a perfect housewife”. This is a Mediterranean melting pot series of recipes, with (surprisingly) only three preps for lamb. The heritage is Israeli with influences from Persia, Morocco, and other southern parts. It is meant for families, but there are dishes from her workplaces for entertaining (spicy chicken tagine, Moroccan carrots), for kids (red velvet gnocchi), quick meals (roasted broccoli, shakshuka), comfort food (sinaya), romantic food (lamb chops with Persian lime sauce), BBQ, healthy options, slow-cooked recipes (5000 year-old eggs), and others. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 15. BAKE AND DESTROY; good food for bad vegans (Page Street Publishing, 2013; distr. Can Manda Group, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-62414-002-0, $19.99 US soft covers) is by Natalie Slater, creator of the popular blog bakeanddestroy.com. She was a Cooking Channel winner and has served as a judge on the Food Network, plus she free lances her writings. This is vegan food for today’s young generation: punk rock, heavy metal, slasher movies, and pro-wrestling. It is also a fun book, filled with her rants and raves. Typical recipes are for bike messenger brownies (with caffeine chai latte), crouching cornbread hidden broccoli (for the kids), taco lasagna, shepherd’s pie pizza…and more! If it attracts people to good food, then go for it…What I especially like about the book is the way Page Street Publishing lets the pages spread out, with no holding down of the gutters or inner margins. More please!! Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements; there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 16. GREAT MEAT; classic techniques and award-winning recipes for selecting, cutting, and cooking beef, lamb, pork, poultry and game (Fair Winds Press, 2013, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-59233-581-7, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Dave Kelly of Ruby & White, a UK butcher shop, and John Hogan, executive chef of Keefer’s of Chicago. Kelly did the text and the material about cutting, while Hogan did the recipes. The book is about, well, meat. Here is a basic go-to guide about the technical aspects of home butchery, as well as useful recipes, not only from Keefer’s, but also from The Town House, The Manor House Hotel, and The Circus Café. Try steak and arugula salad, chilled Vietnamese braised beef shank, stuffed pork loin chops, rabbit pie, game casserole, or lemon poussins. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 17. THE SCARPETTA COOKBOOK (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 370 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-50870-1, $35 US hard covers) is by Scott Conant, Beard Award winner and TV cooking judge. He’s the chef at Scarpetta, which now has five locations (including one in Toronto). Still, despite the accolades, there is log rolling from Bobby Flay and Marcus Samuelsson. There are 125 recipes here from the restaurant, as he says “all designed to teach essential cooking techniques” such as chiffonading fresh basil, shaping quenelles, or deboning a chicken. There is also wine advice from Paolo Barbieri, sommelier at Scarpetta Las Vegas. Recommended wines are from Italy, and specify actual brands (although there is often a choice). It’s an upscale Italian cookbook, recast for home kitchens from the restaurant. And there are pictures and stories from Scarpetta. Try parmesan crackers, endive salad with creamy pine nut dressing and shaved parmesan, duck and foie gras ravioli with Marsala sauce, or radish confit. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 18. SWEET (Artisan, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 344 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965- 468-9, $35 US hard covers) is by Valerie Gordon, who opened Valerie Confections in 2004 in Los Angeles. This book is a collection of 100 recipes, mostly from that store. It’s divided by type of dessert, so there are separate chapters on pies and tarts, chocolates and confections, cookies and bars, cakes, jams and marmalades. Some log rolling is here, but it seems responsible and reasonably intelligent. Part of the book is memoirish and about making gifts for others. There is some mixing and matching of dishes, some hybrids through variations, and complementary desserts. She’s got a nifty pantry mise en place section for ingredients and equipment. And excellent layout and photography. Try Angelino plum ice cream, black-and-blue fool, blackberry-mango curd pie, or apple and caramel aged Gouda crostata. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re- editions”... 19. THE SLOW COOK BOOK (DK Books, 2011, 2013, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1- 55363-219-1, $19.95 CAN soft covers) is by Heather Whinney, a UK food write4 and cookbook author. It was originally released in 2011, and this is the paperback reissue. She covers braising, stewing, poaching, steaming and baking with pot roasts, casseroles, paellas, risottos, hearty soups, curries, gumbos, tagines, chilies and desserts. 200 recipes in all. The great value of the book is each prep includes two methods: one for crock-pot, the other for stovetop/oven. Good DK photos, as per usual. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 20. THE COMPLETE CHOCOLATE BOOK (Transcontinental Books, 2013; distr. Random House Canada, 351 page, ISBN 978-0-9877474-6-4, $34.95 CAN hard covers) is from the Canadian Living Test Kitchen which treats chocolate as a versatile food product that can be dressed up or dressed down. And because of this, it can be a fragile food in the cooking/baking process. So this is a “best-of” collection of previous chocolate recipes from their archives, plus helpful photos and tips. It is family oriented, so do not expect pyrotechnics. The eight chapters are arranged by texture, a great idea: gooey (chocolate cheesecake with pecan sauce), creamy (puddings, mousses, fondues), crunchy (cookies and tarts), chewy (brownies and breads), melty (truffles, bars), crumbly (shortbreads), chilly (frozen treats), and cakey. Beverages fall into the cracks of creamy and/or chilly. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with some weights in metric, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 21. 200 BEST PANINI RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2008, 2013, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0201-3 [sic], $27.95 CAN paper covers) is by Tiffany Collins, who once served as culinary spokesperson for the Texas Beef Council. 35 panini here are made from beef; this represents one-sixth of the book. The book comes with some new photos, but essentially it is the same as the 2008 version. Panini, for the uninitiated cook, are pressed and grilled sandwiches. You can take almost any sandwich and make it into a panini: just keep the ooze factor to a minimum. This book has several hundred recipes, if you count all the variations, and it is a good book for beginners. The arrangement is by format or content, such as breakfast and brunch panini, vegetarian, seafood (smoked salmon, red onion, cream cheese and caper panini), poultry, meat (beef, caramelized onions and blue cheese panini), deli, leftover, panini for kids, and desserts (chocolate, hazelnut and strawberry panini). She has riffs such as classic Reuben panini, Montecristo panini, Philly chicken panini, chicken Caesar, lobster fontina, even pizza panini. Some of the preps are glamorous such as the sardine and balsamic tomato panini. Others are upscale. The type of bread is up to you, she says, but ciabatta and focaccia are best according to the author. The book shows the standard Robert Rose approach: larger typeface and additional leading, avoirdupois and metric measurements, colour plates with page references, cooks notes, and index. There is even a chapter on condiments. Quality/price rating: 83. 22, 200 EASY HOMEMADE CHEESE RECIPES. 2d ed. (Robert Rose, 2009, 2013, 408 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0465-9, $27.95 CAN paper covers) is by Debra Amrein-Boyes, head cheese maker and owner of The Farm House Natural Cheeses in BC. It was originally published in 2009 at 385 pages. There’s a primer on basic cheese-making techniques, plus equipment and tools, and sanitation. Chapters include fresh cheeses, filata stretched cheeses, mold-ripening, blue-veined, washed-rind, washed-curd, semi- soft, semi-firm, and hard cheeses. Other chapters deal with ethnic and regional cheeses, yogurt and kefir, butter, buttermilk and crème fraiche. There is also a trouble-shooting section and a glossary. New changes indicated include an all-new 32-page troubleshooting section, new step-step-photos, and new inclusion of prep times with each recipe. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 23. FINE COOKING SOUPS & STEWS; no-fail recipes for every season (Taunton Press, 2013, 235 pages, ISBN 978-1-62113-795-5, $17.95 US paper covers) is by the editors of Fine Cooking magazine, published by Taunton Press in Connecticut. Fine Cooking (at finecooking.com) has many recipes available, so it is spinning them off by theme. Others have included pies, chocolate, fresh cooking, and comfort food. This book concentrates on the warm and nourishing bowls that stave off winter chills: classics, modern interpretations, vegetarian options, and ethnic specialties. It is also possible to turn a soup into a stew and vice versa. The arrangements are by type: pureed soups, bisques and chowders, hearty soups, and stews and chilis (only 60 pages). There are over 65 named contributors, including Kamman, Tanis, Willan, Wright, McLagen, Pellegrino, and Ash. Look for Mediterranean kale and white bean soup with sausage, buttercup squash and leek soup, chicken noodle soups with lemongrass, chicken coconut soup, Thai hot and sour shrimp soup, and matzo ball soup. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 24. THE RUNNER’S WORLD COOKBOOK; 150 ultimate recipes for fueling up and slimming down – while enjoying every bite (Rodale, 2013, 278 pages, ISBN 978-1-62336-123-5, $26.99 US hard covers) has been edited by Joanna Sayago Golub, nutrition editor at Runner’s World magazine. Runner’s World magazine is a leading disseminator on running information, and nutrition, of course, plays a large part in any runner’s health. So the basic drive here is the burning of calories and stamina for performance. Most of the 150 preps here come from the magazine, with contributions from Mark Bittman, Patricia Wells and Pam Anderson – 33 in all. There are two indexes: one is the general, the other is a series of sub-divisions of special lists such as prerun, recovery, gluten-free and vegetarian among others. There is a runner’s pantry to keep on hand. The preps are tabbed as to a number of suitable categories, but all of them deal with high energy and stamina performance, such as salmon cakes with salsa, tagliatelle with peas and chile, or BBQ beef sloppy joes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 25. VEGAN COOKING FOR CARNIVORES; over 125 recipes so tasty you won’t miss the meat (Grand Central Life & Style, 2012, 230 pages, ISBN 978-1- 60941-241-8, $18 US soft covers) is by Roberto Martin, who now cooks exclusively vegan meals for Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. The preps in this book come from his repertoire. He graduated from the CIA and then became a personal chef to celebrities, focusing on healthy food. The book is a reprint of the 2012 hardback, which became a New York Times bestseller; it makes many vegan recipes accessible because it is endorsed by DeGeneres. There’s a small drawback: in the index, there’s an entry for honey-mustard vinaigrette, but when you turn to the prep (which is labeled “honey-mustard vinaigrette”), he uses agave nectar. The use of the word “honey” might turn off a true vegan, but no honey is actually used. Just sayin’. The contents are arranged by course, from breakfast through lunch initially, followed by apps to desserts. It is also “substantial” food, with lots of tofu and meat substitutions, to give dishes that heavier consistency that one expects from meat. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try buckwheat pancakes, avocado reuben, soft pita with hummus and almond pesto, chopped Asian salad, or chile rellenos. Quality/price rating: 85. 26. THE CLUELESS BAKER; learning to bake from scratch (Firefly Books, 2013, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-245-7, $16.95 CAN soft covers) is by Evelyn Raab, who wrote the popular Clueless in the Kitchen book for Firefly in 2011. The current book is a revised and updated edition of the 2001 title. There are more than 100 tried, tested, and true baking recipes, as well as the basics of how to bake and what to bake with, plus the pantry. It now includes more gluten-free recipes, as well as suggestions on how to convert conventional recipes using wheat alternatives, more preps using whole grains, bold faced ingredient lists in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, new recipes including a trendy coffee mug cake. Quality/price rating: 88. 27. SERIOUSLY BITTER SWEET; the ultimate dessert maker’s guide to chocolate (Artisan, 2003, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 336 pages, ISBN 978-1- 57965-511-2, $25.95 US soft covers) is by Alice Medrich, acclaimed author of seven other cookbooks, most dealing with chocolate in some format. This current book was published originally in 2003, and here it has been updated and revised as a paperback for a more “bitter” audience. Tastes change; most chocolate used in cooking is labeled by cacao percentage. She guides us through the percentages and the classic styles of dealing with chocolate. Preps include ice cream and brownies, chocolate tortes, truffles, mousses, soufflés, cakes and fillings, glazes, pies, and cookies. There is also valuable data on “chocolate by the numbers”, web sites of artisans and suppliers, and other sources for recipes. There are also variations throughout. Try chocolate meringues with berries and cream, bittersweet semifreddo with rose cream and sesame crunch, or “Carmen meringay”. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR AUGUST 2013 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. CANADIAN WINERIES (Firefly Books, 2013, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085- 244-0, $29.95 CAN paper covers) is by Tony Aspler, well-known and prolific Canadian wine writer, and photographer Jean-Francois Bergeron. It is a photographic essay-profile to 82 of Canada’s finest wineries. Aspler provides the context with stories of the regions and the people, while Bergeron illustrates the winemakers and modern facilities, the vineyards, and the settings with his photos. Currently, there are over 560 wineries in Canada, and (if you include fruit wines and grape juice) wine is made everywhere. Over the years, Aspler has written many books about Canadian wines, and some have been photographed principally by Steve Elphick. Here, Bergeron and Aspler have roamed around Canada over the years in different seasons to produce what could actually be a wine-touring guide (although it is a weighty book). To be selected in the top 15% or so, a winery had to have quality and consistency in vintages over the years, had to be historically significant in an impact manner, and had to be aesthetically appealing for its setting. There are 34 wineries here from Ontario, an equal number for BC, 9 from Quebec, and 5 from Nova Scotia. Each gets a directory listing, a photo of a wine bottle, a photo of people or building or vineyard (and more), and a profile of the people and the business. Audience and level of use: wine lovers, Canadian winery visitors, reference libraries. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: seven million tourists visit Canadian wineries each year. Wineries contribute $6.8 billion a year and support 31,000 jobs. The downside to this book: no real tasting notes. The upside to this book: a good look at important wineries and the people behind them. Quality/Price Rating: 91. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. THE BOOK OF SCHMALTZ; love song to a forgotten fat (Little, Brown, 2013, 179 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-25408-3, $25 US hard covers) is by Michael Ruhlman, an author of food reference books (Ratio, Ruhlman’s Twenty, Charcuterie, The Elements of Cooking) and a co-author of Thomas Keller, Eric Ripert, and Michael Symon. Still, even winning a Beard, he gets heavy duty log rolling from Joan Nathan and Arthur Schwartz. The book actually began as an iPad app, but Ruhlman was persuaded to also set it in print. Schmaltz appears in all the recipes here; it is rendered chicken fat flavoured with onion. Ruhlman believes in flavours, so schmaltz is a first pick. There’s a chapter on its background and use in both classic Jewish cuisine (matzo ball soup, kishke, kreplach) and in contemporary cuisines. He gives details about differences in flavours and complexities in the use of schmaltz as opposed to vegetable oils, butter, or olive oil. For the non-Jewish, though, lard and bacon fat would be other considerations, but not in this book. The schmaltz recipe is easy – six steps, ninety minutes, He even has three chicken stock recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks looking for flavours. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: schmaltz-roasted potatoes with onion and rosemary; vichyssoise with gribenes and chives; chicken rilettes; pate de foie gras en terrine with croutons; chicken with schmalz dumplings; Parisienne gnocchi; savory brioche. The downside to this book: too few recipes – the pages are full of photos and large typefaces. The upside to this book: great photos by Donna Turner Ruhlman. Quality/Price Rating: 91. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. IDIOTS’S GUIDES WINE (Alpha, 2013, 262 pages, ISBN 978-1-61564-416- 2, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Stacy Slinkard, sommelier and wine editor of About.com, and wine educator. What distinguishes Idiot Guides from all the other such introductory tools is the use of colour and clay-based paper. So: if a picture is worth a thousand words, then this is the basic wine guide for you. It is loaded with maps, labels, vineyards, and the like. But in essence, it gives the bare bones of wine varieties (the top 8) and vintages, Old world vs. New world, tips for matching/pairing wines with food, and how to find wines that you will enjoy. For us here in Canada, the section on local wines is laughable (three pages, frozen vineyards and grapes, three producers – even Virginia gets four producers). But hey – it is all so simple that it can be memorized for your next dinner/patio party. Audience and level of use: beginner Some interesting or unusual facts: “Situated on opposite sides of Canada, British Columbia and Ontario are…” Really? The downside to this book: “The coveted juice is bottled in half- bottles” – I think the grape juice used in ice wine has to be fermented first. The upside to this book: lots of pictures. Quality/Price Rating: 79. 4. BULLETS AND BREAD; the World War II story of feeding Americans at home and on the battlefield (History Publishing Co., 2013, 330 pages, ISBN 978-1-933909-75-2, $28.95 US hard covers) is by Kent Whitaker, a food writer and book author who also specializes in the history of food and nutrition in American conflicts such as the Civil War and WWII. Here he delves into food during 1941-1945, concentrating on “chow” – the military cooks and what was provided by the government, plus what citizens at home ate during rationing. There are chapters on canned chow, both Allied and Axis rations, training for cooks, chow on trucks- planes-boast-battleships, food for the invasions in Italy and France, Victory Gardens and home rationing. As he says, he examines the food supply chain and the transformation of the food industry needed to feed a military that grew from one million to ten million over night. There’s a large chapter on “memories”, a sort of oral history or reprints of remembrances, with many photos and illustrations. This is followed by some recipes, based on pamphlets and cooking manuals of the time. It is a bit of a hodge-podge, but it is cohesively laid out with readable typefaces. He ends with a huge list of military museums and their libraries that he visited, along with websites. Audience and level of use: military historians, culinary historians, reference libraries. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: army cakes (hot cakes), ration muffins, vegetable omelet, dishes with SPAM, SOS for the home, kale and rice ring, meatless bean recipes. The downside to this book: some of the writing style in the first part is a bit turgid, but the overall impressions can be savoured and the points get across. The upside to this book: lots of adverts, photos, reproductions (all black and white). Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5. EATS; enjoy all the seconds (Advantage, 2013, 252 pages, ISBN 978-1- 59932-386-2, $29.99 CAN paper covers) is by Mary Rolph Lamontagne, who went to cooking school in Paris and then returned to Montreal to work as a food writer for the French Canadian magazine Recevoir. Since 2005 she’s been a food consultant and teacher in South Africa. Here she concentrates on leftovers (she has had to be frugal with food in the South African game lodges). She makes suggestions for using up leftovers or excess from a garden or farmer’s market. I know myself that I suffer from overzealous shopping, so the book will prove invaluable for still more ideas. Indeed, I’ve now gone beyond leftovers and seconds. To me, my problem is what I call “holdovers”, third helpings of the same food. Personally, I can reduce everything to a sauce or to a stuffing. She’s prepared fruit and veggies in master recipes which can then be re-invented into three or four other components. There are 135 preps for 12 fruits and 15 veggies, which she has divided by colour: the greens, the purples, the reds, the yellows, and the whites. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. For more ideas, visit savourandsave.com. Audience and level of use: home cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: for red cabbage, there is red cabbage salad, cabbage and apple soup shooters, sweet-and-sour red cabbage, Asian chicken salad, and fish tacos with cumin-scented cucumber and cabbage slaw. The downside to this book: I wanted more recipes. The upside to this book: there are multiple indexes, by course, dish, and ingredient. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 6. KEEPERS (Rodale, 2013, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-354-9, $26.99 US hard covers) is by Kathy Brennan and Carolina Campion, who have both won culinary awards and worked for Saveur, among other magazines. The subtitle says it all: “two home cooks share their tried-and-true weeknight recipes and the secrets to happiness in the kitchen”. Well, they may be home cooks, but they have a terrific amount of experience, more than you or I. There is also some heavy duty logrolling from people such as Daniel Boulud. It is a folksy book, mainly for families during the week, the key to which is, of course, ORGANIZING. The preps are mains and sides, with a selection of sauces and dressings. There are recipe indexes by category (extra-fast, popular with kids, vegetarian, etc.) and by ingredient. There are also lots of tips throughout the book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: homemakers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: black bean and butternut squash enchiladas, Asian pork sliders, Japanese style meat and potatoes, “jump-in-the-mouth” turkey cutlets, adobe-style chicken wings. The downside to this book: maybe a little too much emphasis on lifestyle in yet another family cook book? The upside to this book: lots of leading and a large typeface. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 7. FISH; 54 seafood feasts (Chronicle Books, 2013, 228 pages, ISBN 978- 1-4521-0948-0, $27.50 US hard covers) is by Cree LeFavour, a cookbook writer and author of Poulet. Here she looks at shellfish, fillets, and crustaceans, organized into 54 set meals. It is arranged by international region: American, European, Latin, East Asian, South Asian, and Middle Eastern/African. LaFavour has chosen fish that are sustainable, abundant, and flavourful. She has a long list of what to avoid and what to buy – there is still plenty of choice out there at the market, but one is limited sometimes by a restaurant menu. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: fish lovers, and those wishing to know more about sustainability. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: braised squid, prawn-studded Persian rice, grilled shrimp kebabs, kimchi oyster dogs, Ramen noodle bowl, wok-braised haddock, yellowfin tuna sliders, panfried lime- chipotle tilapia, Kauai ahi poke. The downside to this book: my eyes got fatigued looking at the typewriter-style typeface, which is the same (Courier) as I have looked at for the past 50 years. The upside to this book: my fave picture is the last one in the book. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 8. CARAMEL (Gibbs Smith, 2013, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3212-2, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Carole Bloom, who has written ten other books about chocolate, desserts, pastries, candy, and even some for the Dummy series. Here the emphasis is on the brown side of food, including caramelizing: cakes, cupcakes, brownies, tarts, pie, cookies, custards, mousses, parfaits, ice cream, candies, just about everything imaginable that can be browned. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements for both volume and weight. There are also tables of metric equivalents. Introductory notes cover caramel, butterscotch, toffee, and brittle. There is a sources list, but mainly for equipment. Audience and level of use: pastry cooks, caramel lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: dulce de leche sandwich cookies, hazelnut praline biscotti, caramelized upside down pear tart, caramel pecan cake squares, caramel buttercream frosting, chocolate dulce de leche pecan pie. The downside to this book: no gluten-free flours are used. The upside to this book: excellent photography of sweets. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 9. SLOW COOKING FOR TWO; basics, techniques, recipes (Gibbs Smith, 2013, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3383-9, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Cynthia Gaubert, co-author with Nathalie Dupree of Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking (2013 Beard winner) and Southern Biscuits. Here she deals with a busy two-person household who need a low maintenance food pattern. All the preps were done in a Cuisinart brand slow cooker; it uses the same amount of electricity as a 75 watt bulb. What’s different about this book is the concept of Double Dinners. Most cuts of beef and chicken are sold in packages designed to serve four or more people. Her Double Dinner recipes call for using slow cooker liners as separate cooking bags to cook TWO entirely different recipes in the same implement at the same time, using the total supermarket package. For example, the smallest chuck roast at her store is two pounds. She cuts it in half and makes two entirely different meals with liners, following two separate recipes. One gets eaten now, the other tomorrow or whenever (it will not be a leftover). She has also developed a slow cooker pantry: refrigerator, freezer and dry. All courses are presented. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: slow cooker appliance owners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Cornish hen in port wine and fig preserves, bulgur pilaf, potato gratin, kale and kielbasa soup, banana bread, ginger peach butter, The downside to this book: there is enough white space to allow for a casserole version of many dishes, for those without slow cookers. The upside to this book: Double Dinner idea. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 10. HOME BREW BEER (DK Publishing, 2013, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654- 0983-6, $22 US hard covers) is by Greg Hughes, co-owner of BrewUK, an online brewing website. He also organizes beer competitions. It is a fun book – anyone can make their own beer, from a simple kit or from an elaborate setup with friends. There are 100 recipes here from around the world, in different styles, with colour photos of techniques and the finished beers. The range includes lagers and ales, wheat beers, herb-spice-fruit beers, all with different levels of strength and concentration of flavours. I used to make beer for 20 years, but had to switch to ciders for my weight problems. So it is a treat to revisit a basic home brew book. There is the usual DK treatment of pictures and graphs illustrating timelines, geography, ingredients and techniques. There are many complications involving yeast treatment, hops, adjuncts, and even waters. A simple recipe is all you need to get started – the rest are for the big boys’ club, which you can join after experience. The first rule is to never, ever use sucrose (table sugar) because the resulting brew will taste too apple-y. Of course, you may like that style, so do go ahead – it’s a shandygaff. Equipment can be basic or extensive, but will always involve transfer hoses, air locks, and carboys. More than a third of the book covers all this material. The recipes are the remainder. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is also a table of metric equivalents. He has a glossary, a trouble-shooting FAQ, and some online forums for further help and assistance and recipes. Audience and level of use: potential home brewers, even experienced ones looking for something different. Some interesting or unusual facts: Beer is unlikely to make you sick as the alcohol will kill off the bacteria. Damage from exploding bottles is mostly a thing of the past if you follow directions exactly and use plastic bottles. The downside to this book: some preps look too complicated but really, they are not. The upside to this book: good fun. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 11. BAKING BY HAND; make the best artisanal breads and pastries better without a mixer (Page Street Publishing, 2013; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-62414-000-6, $22.99 US paper covers) is by Andy and Jackie King, founders of A & J King Artisan Bakers in Salem, MA. It’s also got lots of log rolling, from Jeffrey Hamelman and Nina Simmonds. The Kings advocate mixing by hand, which usually takes place after most of the products have been incorporated. Here, it happens at the beginning. They develop their own sourdough culture, and then shape the bread for the oven. It’s a good method, led by the Four-Fold technique for making bread at home. There are lots of detail about the bakery, as well as pix of techniques. The preps come from their bakery, and include a ciabatta, a multigrain, some pastries, and of course the sourdough. There are chapters on breads and flatbreads, sandwiches and fillings, croissants and sticky buns, some sweet and savoury tarts, and even bread puddings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Most preps are also scaled, so that ingredients have to be weighed. Audience and level of use: home bakers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: English muffin toasting bread; caraway-rye sourdough; oatmeal-cinnamon-raisin loaves; brown ale and barley bread; caramel-bourbon-pecan bread pudding. The downside to this book: no gluten-free adaptations. The upside to this book: great binding makes the book lie flat with no effort. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 12. STARTERS & SIDES MADE EASY; favorite triple-tested recipes (Artscroll/Shaar Press, 2013, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4226-1422-8, $15.99 US) is by Leah Schapira and Victoria Dwek, both of them food writers specializing in kosher cuisine. This is just one of the “Made Easy” series for the kosher home (others deal with fresh food and Passover). There are 60 preps here that are supposed to jazz up any meal, kosher or not. Check out more at cookkosher.com. There’s a spice guide, followed by a fundamentals section of mashed food, roasted veggies, and rice as a platform. And then a section on plating. The recipes come next, followed by a chapter on how to make a side or starter into a main. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: kosher kitchens Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: za’atar and rosemary baked olives; braised steak kebabs with apricots; black rice with mango and peaches; falafel cigars; sweet potato and leek quiche. The downside to this book: I’d like more recipes. The upside to this book: good photography. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 13. STEP-BY-STEP CAKE DECORATING (DK Books, 2013, 256 pages, ISBN 978- 1-4654-1441-0, $25 US hard covers) is by Karen Sullivan, a custom cake maker with a successful celebration cake business. She’s assisted by three professional cake decorators (Asma Hassan, Sandra Monger, and Amelia Nutting). Together, they present hundreds of ideas, techniques, and projects for creative designs. Step-by-step techniques go over icings, coverings, piping, embossing, modeling, and airbrushing. You could make a filigree-piped wedding cake with tumbling roses, or a pirate ship cake with cake pops, or even a simple g=handbag. There are more than 100 step-by-step techniques illustrated here, along with cake basics and templates. There are also resources list and tables on adapting cake quantities. Decorating techniques include 3-D, stenciling, and imaging. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home bakers, intermediate level of skill. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 14. RAW, QUICK & DELCIIOUS! 5-ingredient recipes in just 15 minutes (Robert Rose, 2013, 221 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0455-0, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Douglas McNish, a vegan executive chef who has also written “Eat Raw, Eat Well”. Here he continues to promote the vegan life style with more raw dishes. This time, he’s limiting himself to five ingredients in each and prepared in 15 minutes or so. There are 175 preps here, and they do not deal with dehydrators or sprouting. All meals are covered, from Breakfast’s smoothies, drinks and juices, through Snacks, Salads, Dressings, Mains, Pasta and noodles, Sides and Desserts. There is some material on techniques and maintaining a raw pantry of 15 items. And there are lots of variations for many recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans, vegetarians, raw food lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: date muesli; mushroom tart; stuffed cucumber cups; carrot pad Thai; mango ginger cilantro dressing; strawberry cheesecake smoothie. The upside to this book: Good layout, good typeface Quality/Price Rating: 88. 15. THE COMPLETE LEAFY GREENS COOKBOOK; 67 leafy greens & 250 recipes (Robert Rose, 2013, 480 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0457-4, $27.95 CAN soft covers) is another good value book from award-winning cookbook author- journalist Susan Sampson via Robert Rose publishers. Since Nana said you should eat your greens, then this is the book to begin with: 67 greens include the well-known plus sorrel, grape leaves, perilla, turnip greens, and more. While the arrangement is dictionary-style, she does have columns of data about four sub-groupings: salad greens, cabbages, leaves and vines, and wild greens (chickweed, dandelion greens, fiddleheads, purslane, ramps, watercress, et al.). Each green gets a description embodying ID names, foreign names, tasting notes, equivalents (bunches, weights, leaves, stems), health notes, varieties, how to buy and store, prepping, and substituting. Then follow a few recipes for each green, in which she notes whether the prep is vegan or where it goes in the menu (side, salad). Of course, there is a colour illustration of what the plant looks like. Beverages and health drinks are covered too (check the index under “B” for beverage). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. For more, look at www.thefarelady.com. Audience and level of use: vegetarians, reference libraries, plant eaters. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: for sorrel, she’s got creamy sorrel soup, fattoush, garlic lover’s beans and greens soup, and sorrel pesto. The downside to this book: the book is weighty because of the need for colour. The upside to this book: a good collection. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 16. THE BEEKMAN 1802 HEIRLOOM DESSERT COOKBOOK (Rodale, 2013, 260 pages, ISBN 978-1-606961-573-4, $32.50 US) is by Brent Bridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, founders of the lifestyle company Beckman 1802 in New York. They focus on seasonal living, and have a show on TV and have written other cookbooks. You can find them at beckman1802.com. Here the boys present about 100 preps from the farm and garden, with some help from Sandra Gluck. The book is seasonally arranged, from winter through fall. This current book is a major accompaniment to their earlier The Beckman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook. Classic preps here include buttermilk pie with pecan crust, concord grape pie, sweet green tomato hand pies, cardamom cake with coffee glaze, baked stone fruits with cannoli cream, and lemon-toasted poppy seed cake. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 17. KEWL BITES (Rodale, 2013, 212 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-510-9, $21.99 US paper covers) is by Reed Alexander, an 18-year old TV actor who looks 13. He’s the current spokesperson for the Clinton Foundation’s Alliance for a Healthier Generation. He’s also part of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative. He’s a regular at food festivals, food TV shows, and his own blog, kewlbites.com. So he’s a natural as a cookbook writer. There’s some heavy duty log rolling from such as Bill Clinton (but no Michelle Obama). It is a good book for youngsters in that this is food that is both nutritious and easy for them to prepare, although I’m not sure about eggplant or artichokes appealing to anybody under 25. Nevertheless, there are other concoctions here, along with a rationale about why that food or dish is useful for any growing kid. His faves are dark-chocolate banana marble bread, mini chicken parm meatballs, and vegetable dumplings with lemongrass dipping sauce. The arrangement is by type of dish (soup, salads, mains, pasta, sides, sweets) opening with breakfast/brunch. I’m all for it if the youngsters will not only eat it but also do their own cooking! Take it off to college, folks. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 18. WORLD-CLASS SWEDISH COOKING; artisanal recipes from one of Stockholm’s most celebrated restaurants (Skyhorse Publishing, 2012, 2013, 318 pages, ISBN 978-1-62087-735-7, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Bjorn Frantzen and Daniel Lindeberg, owners of Frantzen/Lindeberg, with two Michelin stars and Best Swedish Restaurant award for 2012. Of course there are lots of pix of the boys, their resto, menus, and food items. There are also details on their cooking techniques and philosophy of dining. The preps look at shellfish, fish, breads, dairy, meat, pork, fowl, veggies and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is also a table of equivalents. Many recipes have no listed ingredients, but they can be figured out, especially with a photo of a plated dish beside it. There are two indexes: one to the recipes and one to the ingredients. The adventuresome may want to try oven-baked raspberry ice cream with licorice mousse, grouse baked in hay, confit chin of cod (cod cheeks), or compressed watermelon and sorbet of xintai cucumber. Cutting edge stuff, challenging at home. Quality/price rating: 90. 19. THE SIMPLY RAW KICTHEN; plant-powered, gluten-free, and mostly raw recipes for healthy living (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2013, 207 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-505-1, $21.95 US paper covers) is by Natasha Kyssa, a former model who became a vegan in 1990. She’s adopted a raw lifestyle, and now runs SimplyRaw Express in Ottawa (see also www.simplyraw.ca). There’s some impressive log rolling as well, from some such as Bif Naked. Her latest book (an earlier one, The SimplyRaw Living Foods Detox Manual, was published in 2009) promotes a whole-food, nutrient- rich diet designed for optimal health. And she’s had a quarter of a century experience with this lifestyle. There are 134 recipes such as taco verde, righteous brownies and caramel frosting, plus some cooked vegan preps such as her family’s borscht, mushroom goulash, and Romanian cabbage rolls. The preps are coded as to contents, and arranged in a standard format: beverages, breakfasts, soups, salads, pates and dips, mains, and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 20. MUG CAKES; 100 speedy microwave treats to satisfy your sweet tooth (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2013, 168 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-02658-3, $22.99 US paper covers) is by Leslie Bilderback, a California restaurant pastry chef who has also written eight books in the Idiot’s and Everything series (while doing monthly food columns), and winning big in a reality TV cooking show on the Food Network. Here she has assembled 100 dessert ideas for a microwaved mug (=Mason jars). These are small bites for singles or parties, individually tailored with assorted toppings and frostings – or not. There are preps with alcohol infusions, dietary needs, non-cakes (puddings, pies, cheesecakes). All it takes is five minutes – yummy. The basics are covered in 10 pages, and classic cakes are deconstructed: buttermilk mug cake, red velvet mug cake, banana mug cake, strawberry shortmug cake, carrot mug cake, oatmeal-raisin mug cake. These are followed by kids, adults (liquor), chocolate, nuts, fruit, and non-cakes. Very much worth a look, especially if you have a microwave. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 21. WORLD FOOD CAFÉ; quick and easy recipes from a vegetarian journey (Frances Lincoln Ltd, 207 pages, ISBN 978-0-7112-3296-9, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Chris and Carolyn Caldicott, who both once owned the World Food Café in Covent Garden, cooking vegetarian food from recipes uncovered in their travels. They’ve also written other veggie books for Francis Lincoln, a UK publisher, including World Food Cafe Quick and Easy in 2006. Thus, this is a follow-up book. In their travels, author Chris photographs while he and Carolyn collect tales and preps from home kitchens, street stalls, restos, and roadside cafes. It’s arranged by country, beginning with Bangladesh and ending with Vietnam (with such rarities as Bhutan, Burma, Lapland and Namibia). The 100 recipes here include such as spiced veldt bread, caramelized rum and coconut pina assadas, crispy rice cakes, and sweet mung bean che. For vegetarians, this book is well worth a side-trip to enjoyment. All recipes are for four greedy or six modest portions unless otherwise stated. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re- editions”... 22. THE FONDUE BIBLE; the 200 best recipes (Robert Rose, 2007, 2013, 269 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0166-5, $27.95 CAN paper covers) is by Ilana Simon, who has written other cookbooks for Robert Rose. In 2001, she produced 125 recipes for fondues, and then in 2007 it became this book of 200 preps. The latest book is an updating (lower calories and fat) plus additional colour photos. It’s basic, of course, but the resulting food is healthier. The arrangement is by type: cheese, oil, broth, and dessert, with a chapter on dips and sauces. Try the traditional emmentaler-gruyere fondue, or a Dijon lamb, or paella fondue, and, of course, the world famous chocolate fondue. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements in separate columns, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 23. DIFFORDSGUIDE COCKTAILS; THE BARTENDERS BIBLE, 11th ed. (Firefly Books, 2013, 502 pages, ISBN 978-177085-222-8, $49.95 hard covers) is by Simon Difford, an award-winning spirits writer in the UK. It was last out, as a tenth edition, just in 2012. It is exceedingly useful for its 3000 recipes, with many new ones since the last edition. Many recipes have been modified one way or another: different brands are used, different proportions adapt to modern times, recipes are simpler. There are four basic ways to mix a cocktail: stir, shake, blend, and build, and there is an order in which to mix the ingredients. His preps show those things, along with appropriate garnishes, a correct glass, and information on origins. He has a listing of 14 key alcoholic ingredients for 450 cocktails and 28 essential staples. Most of the book is, of course, an A – Z dictionary style arrangement of the cocktails, using the best known name of the drink. There is no real ingredient index, but there is a printed “partner index” which highlights some suppliers used as ingredients. He has no overall print index to, say, rye or rum. You can always search cocktail recipes by ingredients at Diffordsguide.com. Quality/price rating: 85. 24. THE HEALING HERBS COOKBOOK (Robert Rose, 1999, 2013, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0004-0, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Pat Crocker, award-winning cookbook author and professional home economist. It was originally published in 1999, but here it has been updated, extended, and revised. Her book is about incorporating the health benefits of herbs into our daily food, although you might have to eat a lot of it. There are 115 vegetarian recipes here, covering the gamut from starters, soups, salads, mains, pasta, desserts, beverages and condiments. There is also a glossary and herb-specific entries in the recipe index. Try kamut with sauteed summer veggies, cauliflower with split peas, parsnip veggie cakes, and veggie sushi. Unfortunately, while the herb sources listing has been updated, the bibliography hasn’t. There is not a single book that has been published since 1997. Really? Preparations have their ingredients listed in both avoirdupois and metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 25. PASTRY; a master class for everyone, in 150 photos and 50 recipes (Chronicle Books, 2012, 2013, 223 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1549-8, $30 US hard covers) is by Richard Bertinet, owner of an eponymous cooking school in the UK. His first book was awarded a Beard for Baking and Desserts. This current book was first published in the UK by Ebury Random House in 2012, and this is the North American release. Here is the art of hand made pastry, embracing salted, sweet, puff and choux. There is step-by-step photography and weight measurements for all pastry ingredients. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but unfortunately there is no table of metric equivalents. You will end up having to weight such things as 1.2 ounces of water or 8.9 ounces of flour, but still deal with tablespoons and fractions elsewhere. That’s the beauty of metric: great scaling and proportional numbers. Everything works well, but you MUST pay attention to the numbers. Quality/price rating: 81. 26. THE 250 BEST COOKIE RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2001, 2013, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0468-0 $19.95 CAN soft covers) and 27. THE 250 BEST BROWNIES BARS AND SQUARES (Robert Rose, 2001, 2013, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0467-3, $19.95 CAN paper covers) are both by Esther Brody who has developed thousands of baking recipes over the years. Other best selling books have dealt with “250 Best Muffins” and “250 Best Cobblers, Cupcakes and Bread Puddings”. These current books came out in 2001 and then got reworked together in 2004, and then split apart again in 2013. Both are straightforward collections. The cookie book includes separate chapters for drop cookies, hand shapes, sliced, biscotti, no-bake, and holiday. The other book has separate chapters for chocolate bars and squares, coconut bars and squares, fruit bars and squares, brownies, no-bakes, frostings, and more. Most preps call for all-purpose flour, but there are some with oats. Unfortunately, there was a lost opportunity to stick in a few gluten-free baking recipes. These would have been exceptionally useful since baked desserts are the best, most successful use of gluten-free flours. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements by columns, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 28, CANADIAN LIVING: 150 ESSENTIAL BEEF, PORK & LAMB RECIPES (Transcontinental Books, 2013; distr. Random House Canada, 270 pages, ISBN 978-0-9877474-5-7, $29.95 paper covers) is from the Test Kitchen of Canadian Living Magazine. Here are dishes, mostly culled from the monthly pages, which the publisher says “carnivores crave”. So we have a collection intended for family dinners, BBQs, and some entertaining, ranging from stews and burgers through to roasts and steaks. But lamb has only 27 preps, it does not sell as well as beef or pork. And the Lazy Shepherd’s Pie is really a Lazy Cottage Pie, since it calls for all beef and no lamb at all. Lamb is the only meat in Shepherd’s Pie (why do you think it is called shepherd’s pie????). Arrangement is by type of cut. If you want all the recipes for one kind of animal, you’ll have to look up “lamb”, “pork” or “beef” separately in the index. Try pork katsu, cilantro lamb racks, lamb korma, Mexican slow-roasted leg of lamb, and Spanish-style lamb kebabs. Preparations have their ingredients listed mostly in avoirdupois measurements with no metric, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 29. THE ECZEMA DIET; discover how to stop & prevent the itch of eczema through diet & nutrition. (Robert Rose, 2012, 2013, 269 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0461-1, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Karen Fischer, health researcher and nutrition author (The 8-week Healthy Skin Diet). Here she takes on eczema. The book was originally published last year in Australia, and has been revised for the North American market. The number of people with eczema is rising and has tripled in recent years throughout the developed world – now reaching about one in five. Modern medicine provides temporary and topical relief, but Fischer believes that lifestyle changes in environment and diet are necessary for a “cure”. She’s got lots of research and anecdotal evidence, charts, graphs, tables, and the like. There is basic info on healthy skins, how the eczema diet works, how to promote a healthy liver, top foods, recipes, and more. Plus the 50 or so recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 30. 125 BEST INDOOR GRILL RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2004, 189 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0102-3, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Ilana Simon. It is now back in print: a basic primer on using indoor grills, mostly electrical. It is loaded with techniques, ingredients, tools, charts for internal cooking times, and the 125 recipes covering salads, sandwiches, burgers, mains and sides, plus a few desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Try Asian steak noodle salad, grilled brie pockets, or orange sesame chicken. Quality/price rating: 85. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR SUMMER 2013 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. WINES OF THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA; tradition and revolution (University of California Press, 2013, 324 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-26023-8, $39.95 US hard covers) is by Tim James, a free lance South African wine journalist and associate editor of the renowned Platter Guide to South African Wine. This is both a wine history and a political history, covering the sweet wines of Constantia (18th and 19th centuries) and the emerging wine industry, the devastation of the industry by apartheid policy, and the re-emergence of the South African wine industry after the 1994 democratic elections. He examines the terroir and climate in the making of wines, using a regional approach through the Cape, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Swartland, Tulbagh, and other places. Throughout there are profiles on about 150 producers and material on wine styles and blends, and of course grape varieties. The section on KWV is most interesting to read. There is both a general index and a wine producer index, as well as bibliographic notes, a statistical table, and sketch maps. Audience and level of use: wine lovers, wine reference libraries. Some interesting or unusual facts: much of the South African wine industry is still based on brandies and fortified wines. The downside to this book: I would have liked more statistics. The upside to this book: well-written and expressed. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. THE GLORIOUS VEGETABLES OF ITALY (Chronicle Books, 2013; distr. Raincoast, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0886-5, $30 US hard covers) is by Domenica Marchetti, author of three other Italian cookbooks. It comes with log rolling by Frances Meyes and Tracey Ryder (co-founder of Edible Communities), and with glorious photos from Sang An. There is an opening chapter which describes and photographs the veggies and their seasons: artichokes, arugula, asparagus, beans, cardoons, chicory, eggplant, fennel and more – almost 50 if you include the herbs. Behind all these are about 100 Italian recipes, including some preserves and condiments. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: Italian food lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: crepe cannelloni with mushroom and zucchini, penne rigate with blistered green peppers, spring risotto, grilled lamb spiedino on caponata, pumpkin gelato. The downside to this book: it is not a vegetarian book since there are meat dishes, but these are mostly mains. The upside to this book: good photography. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. EATING ON THE WILD SIDE; the missing link to optimum health (Little, Brown and Co., 2013, 408 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-22794-0, $27 US hard covers) is by Jo Robinson, a health writer and food activist in Washington state. She’s the author or co-author of some 14 books, and runs www.eatwild.com. The premise of her book is to choose present-day foods that approach the nutritional content of wild plants —our original diet. Game, although on the website, is not covered in the book. Log rollers include Andrew Weil and Loren Cordain. Ever since agriculture was “domesticated”, the nutrient value of produce has diminished. Some wild potatoes have up to 20 times more anti-oxidants than today’s russets; wild tomatoes can have up to 30 times more lycopene than most supermarket varieties. You do not necessarily have to go foraging in the wild for such plants, but certain heritage varieties are better for you than others, and they are worth seeking out. Part one covers veggies (wild greens, alliums, corn, root vegetables, tomatoes, crucifers, legumes, artichokes, et al). Part two covers fruits (apples, berries, stone fruit, grapes, citric, tropical fruits, melons). For each, there is a description of what the past has been, what the present is now (and how we got that way), the loss of diversity, storage, eating, a recipe, a table of recommended varieties (with comments for each), and “points to remember”. The 14 preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegetarians, unenlightened eaters. Some interesting or unusual facts: she tells you how to store broccoli in a way that increases its antioxidants by a quarter more. Frozen berries can be thawed to double their anti-oxidants. Tearing romaine lettuce the day BEFORE you eat it doubles its anti-oxidant content. Cooked carrots have twice as much beta-carotene as raw carrots. Orange juice made from concentrate has almost 50% more anti-oxidants than fresh or canned juice. The downside to this book: But hey – no pears? The upside to this book: lots of little known facts, with a long list of scientific references to check out. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4. THE EVERYDAY DASH DIET COOKBOOK; over 150 fresh and delicious recipes to speed weight loss, lower blood pressure, and prevent diabetes. (Grand Central Life & Style, 2013; distr. Hachette, 215 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-2806-6, $26 US hard covers) is by Marla Heller, RD, who also teaches food science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Rick Rodgers is a focusing food writer of over 40 cookbooks, and he prepared the recipe developments. This is Heller’s third DASH cookbook (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). The DASH diet has been proven to lower blood pressure and cholesterol without the need for medication. With a diet of fruits, vegetables, low-fat and nonfat dairy, lean meats, fish and poultry, nuts, beans and seeds, healthy fats, and whole grains, one can drop pounds and get a faster metabolism with lower body fat and improved cardiovascular fitness. With new recipes developed by Rodgers, the book is arranged by course (with breakfast up first), from soups to desserts. The basic technique is salt, fat and sugar reduction, with herb/spice increases to keep the flavour and promote good health. She has mixtures for seasonings: Cajun, Italian, and Mexican. There’s a page of general DASH guidelines and a resource guide (mainly Internet). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those seeking a foolproof diet. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: curry-rubbed sirloin with peanut dipping sauce; pork chops in mustard sauce; pomegranate- marinated leg of lamb; kale, pear and bulgur salad; apple coleslaw with buttermilk dressing; cod with grapefruit, avocado, and fennel; roasted Brussels sprouts with toasted almonds; buttermilk panna cotta with fresh berries. The downside to this book: no mixture for Asiatic seasoning. The upside to this book: There are few snacks here, a good thing Quality/Price Rating: 88. 5. THE POWER OF FOOD; 100 essential recipes for abundant health and happiness. (Whitecap Books, 2013, 200 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-182-9, $34.95 CAN paper covers) is by Adam Hart, founder of the eponymous lifestyle company (Power of Food). He is committed to educating organizations and individuals about the benefits of seating a plant- based diet. In his book, Hart explains eleven Action Steps and six Power Categories (nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables). He has given us about 100 preps to blend these foods into a healthy eating plan. He was overweight, pre-diabetic, asthmatic, depressive, and overly medicated. He brought himself around 13 years ago, and now motivates others to do the same, with a plant-based diet and exercise. The main foods are listed below, but there are other preps for other foods that are nearly as good (cucumbers, bananas, potatoes, etc.). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who want to change their lifestyle. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: recipes for nuts involve pistachios, pecans, almonds, walnuts, and cashews; seeds are flaxseeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds; grains are gluten-free, such as brown rice, whole oats, amaranth, and quinoa; legumes are chickpeas, lentils, black beans, green peas; fruit are goji berries, coconut, avocados, and blueberries; main veggies are kale, ginger, garlic and beets. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 6. 200 TEN-MINUTE MEALS (Hamlyn, 2013; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-600-62617-6, $7.99 US paper covers) is from the same team that produced about three dozen other “200” books dealing with food. Here the emphasis is on quick and easy, virtually no prep food, based on existing larders and the fridge/freezer. It can be pricey since a lot of the prepared food comes in jars and cans. Planning is of the essence, and the formula works so long as you don’t do it for all your meals. The book complements two others in the series (wait, don’t get ahead of me): 20 minutes meals and 30 minute meals. Because the food is quick, most food here also tends to be on the Asiatic side. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: intermediate skills, harried cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: crispy coconut shrimp (6 minutes prep, 3 – 4 minutes cooking); sweet and sour ground pork (1 minute prep, 8 – 9 minutes cooking); chorizo, bean and tomato salad; salted caramel brownies. The downside to this book: the time refers to the dish, not to the entire meal. So one with an app, a main, a side and a dessert could take over 30 minutes to prepare. The upside to this book: great pictures. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 7. YOU CAN TOO! Canning, pickling, and preserving the Maritime harvest (Nimbus Publishing, 2013, 134 pages, ISBN 978-1-77108-024-8, $19.95 CAN soft covers) is by Elizabeth Peirce, an English professor in Halifax. She has written other books, notably Grow Organic, a guide to Nova Scotia vegetable gardening. Here, in this current book, she describes the best way to preserve Maritime crops, including dehydrating, freezing and fermenting. Plus the use of root cellars for preservation. She’s also done interviews and has some recipes from Maritime canners. Her book is modern enough that she has a prep for kale chips. Instructions are detailed, and there are photos. Chapters are arranged by technique, and there is an annotated bibliography, with websites. But there is no index, unfortunately. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: canners or beginners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: plum ketchup, mustard pickles, homemade potato chips, pumpkin soup, canned meat broth, kimchi, and sauerkraut soup. The downside to this book: no index. The upside to this book: covers a wide range. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 8. CREATING YOUR CULINARY CAREER (Wiley, 2014 [sic], 278 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-11684-5, $29.99 US paper covers) is by Ronald Hayes, Associate Director of the Culinary Institute of America’s Career Service Department. It’s been touted to “land your dream job in the culinary arts” (back cover) – the book explores the broad spectrum of jobs available in the culinary area, along with career-planning guidance. He offers material on what’s available in the field, goal- setting, resumes, interviewing, negotiating, and school work. It’s a basic book, useful here in Canada too, with material on salaries, job outlooks, interview question types, job searches, and professional development resources. Quality/Price Rating: 87, more if you really need this book. 9. DUTCH OVEN BREAKFASTS (Gibbs Smith, 2013; distr. Raincoast, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3228-3, $15.99 US, spiral bound) is by Debbie Hair, who has been competing in Dutch oven cook-offs since 2003. She’s also former president of the International Ditch Oven Society…who knew? This is the third in a series of Dutch Oven cookbooks from Gibbs Smith: the others were on general foods and baking. They are all uniform in size and layout, with nifty spiral bindings. All the authors are cook- off winners. Here, there are 40 preps categorized by eggs, potatoes, pancakes/French toast/crepes, breads, pastries, and breakfast casseroles. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Denver omelet (Western omelet in Canada), eggs benedict, potato spears, quiche, burritos, firehouse hash. The downside to this book: spiral binding is ok for awhile but the pages end up being jammed over time. The upside to this book: there is a full explanation on how to use a Dutch oven. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 10. PREVENTION RD’S EVERYDAY HEALTHY COOKING (Skyhorse Publishing, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-62087-689-3, $22.95 US hard covers) is by Nicole Morrisey, and is drawn from her successful blog, Prevention RD (in operation since 2009). She is a registered dietician and a diabetes educator. There are 100 light recipes to promote energy, weight loss and well-being. Snacks are included, as well as apps, soups, chilies, mains, veggie side dishes, classic pastas, and useful desserts. The book has many icons to indicate if the recipe is dairy-free, or gluten-free, or heart-healthy, low-fat, high- fiber, quick, vegan and vegetarian. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents at the back. Recipes have nutrition information, as well as large type (although the list of ingredients is much smaller) and some comments by the author. Unfortunately, there is NO index to indicate ingredients or dishes. Audience and level of use: beginner Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: berry spinach salad, buttermilk whipped cauliflower mashed potatoes, quinoa black bean burrito bowls, lemon chicken orzo soup. The downside to this book: NO index seriously hampers the book. The upside to this book: large print for the directions. Quality/Price Rating: 82. 11. CANCER NUTRITION & RECIPES FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley, 2013, 340 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-59205-2, $22.99 US paper covers) is by Maurie Markman, MD, and Carolyn Lammersfeld, RD, both with Cancer Treatment Centers of America. It’s a basic work that teaches you how to speed up the healing process through diet and to navigate side issues like dehydration, fatigue and nausea. The authors give forth 80 or so recipes (breakfasts, lunches, desserts, soups, mains) such as apple carrot ginger soup, Moroccan shrimp, baked salmon, cauliflower Italiano, and homemade granola – all of them with prep times, cooking times, yields, and nutritional information per serving. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those serious about getting back on track with their diets. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above. The downside to this book: makes it sound too easy, beyond hand holding. The upside to this book: good advice does not interfere with any medical reasons. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 12. PALEO LUNCHES AND BREAKFASTS ON THE GO (Page Street, 2013, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-1-62414-016-7, $19.99 US paper covers) is b y Diana Rodgers, a nutritional therapy practitioner and cooking teacher. She is a consultant and a founder of Radiance Nutrition. This is a book for busy people who need to pack either or both of a breakfast and lunch. She’s got over 100 practical and packable paleo meals such as lettuce wrap sandwiches and egg muffins. There is also some packaging advice for portability for the food. There is also some advanced log rolling from nutritionists. The photos are really done well; they make the book look very colourful and appealing. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois with some measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Her book concludes with a resources list of blogs and other printed materials. Audience and level of use: paleo lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: We especially enjoyed “cheesy” kale chips; bubble and squeak; bacon, lemon and greens egg muffins; coconut crepes; lamb sausage; and homemade Mexican chorizo. The downside to this book: I’d like some more recipes! The upside to this book: excellent binding allows the book to sort of lie flat, which is useful when checking recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often, there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – BEST RECIPES EVER, v2 (Transcontinental Books, 2013, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-927632-00-0, $26.95 CAN soft covers) is from the CBC and Canadian Living Magazine. The book’s been labeled “more fresh, fun & tasty tested-till-perfect recipes from the hit show.” This daily CBC show, chef-hosted by Christine Tizzard, has been given full access to the Canadian Living recipe library. Two or three preps are done each day. The book is another collection of recipes from the show (seasons 3 and 4), covering a range of preps for all occasions such as breakfasts, weekend dinners, weeknight dinners, “on the go” and more. It is straight forward, with nutritional information and tips/advice. Each prep generally has a plated photo. There are about 100 recipes, with such as salmon fillets with ginger soy, strawberry mascarpone pizza, curried lentil, turkey and rapini fusilli, or rhubarb banana crumble. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements and metric weights, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Check out www.cbc.ca/bestrecipes for more. Quality/price rating: 86. A HISTORY OF FOOD IN 100 RECIPES (Little, Brown, 2013, 360 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-22997-5, $35 US hard covers) is by William Sitwell, UK food writer, editor and TV presenter. An earlier version of the book was published in the UK in 2012 by Collins, but Little Brown took it on for the North American market. It’s an essential book in popular culinary history, for he lays out a path from Ancient Egyptian bread (about 1958 BC) through 100 chapters ending at Meat fruit (foie gras & chicken liver parfait) in 2011. The former is assumed from historical writings while the latter is from Heston Blumenthal. Each chapter gets a prep (they are in chronological order), with a title of a dish sourced from a book somewhere. Chapter 52 is Welsh rarebit, from a recipe of Charles Francatelli (A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes), done in three lines. Sitwell explains who Francatelli was and how he came to write his book, and what the food world was like in 1852. Most chapters also have an illustration or two. Many of the recipes are vague approximations, and you’ll need to know what you are doing for some them. But I think the intent is the story behind the prep and why it was chosen, and not to actually make, say, roly-poly jam pudding (1861). Modern day contributions come from Gourmet magazine, Emeril Lagasse, Thomas Keller (salmon tartare), Nigella Lawson, Ferran Adria, Jamie Oliver, and Mario Batali. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There’s a bibliography for food history books plus some websites. Sitwell has written an informative, enjoyable, easy-to-read book, well worth your attention. Quality/price rating: 91. STREETEATS TORONTO (Whitecap, 2013, 102 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050185-0, $14.95 paper covers) is by Suresh Doss, publisher of SpotlightToronto.com. He helped to launch Food Truck Eats, dedicated to raising the profile of street food. It’s a guidebook, with, unfortunately, no recipes. It is in directory format with a list of some 40 food carts and trucks. Each has a profile of the vendor behind each cart, some top picks (usually three) for the best dishes to order, photos, social media to connect (website/twitter/facebook), and some details about local regional food festivals in this GTA area. This is the first book in the new series StreetEats, which I assume will be rolling out through the year to cover Montreal, Vancouver, etc. We still have a long way to go to catch up with Portland. For the moment, try www.torontofoodtrucks.ca for locations. One piece of advice to Whitecap: put in the occasional recipe – it would be helpful. Quality/price rating: 88. FROSTINGS (Gibbs Smith, 2013, 96 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3195-8, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Courtney Dial Whitmore, founder of pizzazzerie.com which deals with party planning. She’s also a food and recipe developer for large companies such as ConAgra and Pepperidge Farm. And she’s been on TV all over the dial. Here there are 40 recipes for traditional frostings as well as contemporary flavour combos such as salted caramel and chai vanilla bean. You’ll need a mixer and a piping bag (or make your own), plus her tips and comments. These are the finishing touches for cakes, s’more, doughnuts, cookies, and any other platforms. Actually, there are 26 “frostings” plus six ganaches and eight glazes – same type of sugary covering. There’s a resources page for extract purchases, cake stands, and decorations, but unfortunately, NO index. There is an expanded table of contents, but not an ingredients index. Plenty of white space to develop one…Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 82. PALEO COOKBOOK FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley, 2013, 317 pages, ISBN 978-1- 118-61155-5, $22.99 US paper covers) is by Kellyann Petrucci, a chiropractor who has certification in various nutritional areas and who has written many books and blog entries on paleo foods. She also runs a paleo food delivery service and appears on national US TV. Here are 136 simple and tasty paleo recipes for every meal of the day. They have been contributed by other chefs (all sourced) and re-tested along with additional nutrition information. Prep times and cooking times are indicated, as well as yields. Try Czech meatballs, stuffed bell peppers, chocolate chip cookies, coconut shrimp, garlic scampi, Thai rolled omelette, and machacado with eggs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The book goes into good detail with the usual Dummies flair and top-ten lists. Quality/price rating: 88. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re- editions”... EASY EVERYDAY GLUTEN-FREE COOKING (Robert Rose, 2013, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0462-8, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Donna Washburn and Heather Butt. Their previous gluten-free books have 150,000 copies in print. Here there are 250 recipes, most of which appeared in “125 Best Gluten-Free Recipes” (2003) and “The Best Gluten-Free Family Cookbook” (2005). They’ve all been looked at and re-examined, and added to. If you already have those two books, then you might not need this one. There’s good information on the gluten-free pantry and cross- contamination. The chapters follow the day, beginning with breakfast and moving through apps, salads, mains, holiday fare, quick breads and some bread machine recipes. Glossaries cover ingredients, equipment, and techniques. There is also a chart on thickener substitutions. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Nutrition values are included, as are many new preps especially those dealing with quinoa. Some flours are not here, such as teff. Quality/price rating: 88. THE 163 BEST PALEO SLOW COOKER RECIPES; 100% gluten-free (Robert Rose, 2013, 255 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0464-2, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Judith Finlayson, a cookbook author with, according to the publisher, sales of over 1 million cookbooks. Some of the preps in the book come from a variety of her previous six slow cooker books. This one focuses on the aspects of the paleo diet: no grains or legumes, no refined sugars, and no refined oils. Since most of it seems to be meat-based, the diet fits in nicely with slow cookers. Soups are also a specialty here. Typical preps include Swedish meatballs, braised veal with pearl onions, glazed osso buco, braised Belgian endive, double mushroom tomato sauce, braised pork with winter veggies, chile-spiked lamb shanks, Florida fish chowder, and lamb korma with spinach. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. HOW TO MAKE LOVE TO A LOBSTER; an eclectic guide to the buying, cooking, eating and folklore of shellfish (Whitecap Books, 1988, 2003, 2013, 136 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-183-6, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by garden writer Marjorie Harris and author Peter Taylor. It was originally published in 1988 by Macmillan of Canada, and then reissued in 2003 by Fitzhenry and Whiteside. Now that F & W owns Whitecap, it is being re-released. There has been some slight updating to take into account chefs’ movements and restaurant closings. At the end there is a collection of seafood restaurant names and addresses, along with websites, for both Canada and the United States. The recipes remain the same, but the book has been reset and laid out differently. It remains as it was: a seafood book of some 40 recipes, not restricted to lobsters but also covering mussels, shrimp, crabs, oysters among the 13 different kinds here. So expect lobster rolls, shrimp steamed in beer, cioppino from San Francisco, and squid (from Stadtlander when he was on Vancouver Island in the 1980s!). But shame: the listing of recommended wines (mainly just grape varieties) needs to be updated…we’ve all moved on. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois with some metric measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84. CANADA’S COMPLETE DIABETES GUIDE FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES (Robert Rose, 2013, 416 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0469-7, $29.95 US soft covers) is by Karen Graham, an RD and diabetes educator, who has been a nutrition counsellor for the past 30 years. Some of this book was published in 2010 and 2011. In 2008, Graham had written “Canada’s Diabetes Meals for Good Health: Includes Meal Planning Ideas and 100 Recipes”. Here, her book has been extensively peer reviewed as she tries to develop a comprehensive guide to living the lifestyle. She covers the risks and complications, top 10 nutrition topics, food choices, blood sugar, exercises, and more. She has an “EatThis/Not That” section for food recommendations. She also writes on a seven day meal plan with recipes, incorporating fruit crepes, taco soup, luncheon wrap, steak and potato, and seafood chowder among the choices. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. THE DASH DIET ACTION PLAN; proven to lower blood pressure and cholesterol without medication (Grand Central Life & Style, 2007, 2011, 2013, 220 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-1289-9, $16 US paper covers) is by Marla Heller, RD, who also teaches food science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This is Heller’s first DASH book (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). The DASH diet has been proven to lower blood pressure and cholesterol without the need for medication. With a diet of fruits, vegetables, low-fat and nonfat dairy, lean meats, fish and poultry, nuts, beans and seeds, healthy fats, and whole grains, one can drop pounds and get a faster metabolism with lower body fat and improved cardiovascular fitness. Her diet book is the plan, with a few basic recipes. She’s got 28 days of meal plans at different calorie levels, shopping lists, eating-on-the-run tips, plus advice on exercise. This is third time through for this book, it is already a classic. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. THE MIXER BIBLE. 3rd ed. (Robert Rose, 2013, 464 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788- 0466-6, $27.95 CAN paper covers) is by Meredith Deeds and Carla Snyder. It was originally published in 2005 and then again in 2008 (the latter at 384 pages). There have been slight changes over the years, but it’s still a book of some 300 recipes for a stand mixer (not a hand-held) like the ever popular KitchenAid (which the publisher says is not a sponsor of the book). There are now 175 step-by-step photos of use, showing such activity as ice cream making, citrus juicing, milling grains, slicing veggies, pressing pasta, stuffing sausages, and grinding food – 16 attachments in all. All courses are covered, from apps through desserts, so it is a complete book. A good large typeface is complemented by a good index. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Preps are mainly family food such as Thai beef meatballs, roasted veggie soup, summer pasta with tomatoes, focaccia with caramelized onions, and orange shortcakes. Quality/price rating: 87. FLAVOURS OF ALEPPO; celebrating Syrian cuisine. (Whitecap, 2010, 2013, 166 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-178-2, $29.95 CAN paperback) is by Dalal Kade-Badra and Eli Badra, a mother-and-son team who originally published this book in Quebec in 2010 (Les Editions d’ L’Homme) before the Arabian Spring. It has been translated into English and just released this year. The food of Aleppo originates from Persian, European, Asian and Ottoman influences, and emphasizes puff pastry (Persian) and stuffing (Ottoman). The book is arranged by type of food, beginning with appetizers, salads, vegetarian. BBQ, mains, and desserts. There is a primer on ingredients and equipment, including local peppers, cheeses, and cherries. Preps have both English and transliterated titles, and include classics of soujok (spicy sausage), itche (bulgur and pomegranate salad), stuffed miniature eggplant (yolangi halabi), kebobs with bulgur, roast leg of lamb, candied orange peel. About 100 recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. PIE (Mitchell Beazley, 2006, 2013; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-84533-766-7, $24.99 hard covers) is by Angela Boggiano, a UK magazine food writer and author of other cookbooks. It was originally published in 2006 and reissued in this format in 2013 (slightly cheaper in price). Some of the early history of pies is covered, starting with Egypt. Of basic interest is that fact that pastry was originally meant to be discarded – it was just a flour and water type of seal. The idea of stuffed flaky pastry seems to have been recorded at the 9th century French Abbey of Fontenelle, which produced 38 goose and 95 chicken pies for one occasion. Of course, this book covers the basics of making pastry and doing decorating curves and flutings. Pies include portable pasties for work or picnics, Christmas mince pies, little pies, sweet pies, and enormous pies. Chapters cover home pies, hand pies (small pies of sausage rolls, pasties, samosas, and turnovers), pies for special occasions, sweet pies, and Christmas. In the recipes, all the ingredients are scaled, and both avoirdupois and metric measurements are used for each ingredient. Some interesting recipes: braised lamb shank pie; steak and kidney pie; lamb, mint and pumpkin pie (with toasted cumin pastry); mini-pork and pancetta pies; lemon curd and jam pies; treacle pie. The downside to this book continues to be that the list of ingredients in each recipe is expressed in run-on fashion, and the prep is hard to follow – unless you are used to such devices. Whose idea was this?? Quality/Price Rating: 86. A COOK’S INITIATION INTO THE GORGEOUS WORLD OF MUSHROOMS (Chronicle Books, 2011, 2013, 287 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1445-3, $32.50 US soft French covers) is by Philippe Emanuelli, a cofounder of Café des Spores in Brussels (ni Milan and eight other places). It was originally published in France in 2011, and this is the English translation. It is a very pretty book, oversized, and with delicious photography by Frederic Raevens. There are about three recipes per page, which makes the book cumbersome to use, but we can live with it. There are more than 125 preps here, with an index and a bibliography. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements (but were probably in metric in French version), but there is no table of metric equivalents, a bit sloppy in practice. 20 varieties of wild and cultivated mushrooms are covered, distributed amongst such recipes are gratin of ravioli and cauliflower mushrooms, pasta shells with truffled cheese, pig’s ear and porcini salad, St. George’s mushroom tartare, horse mushroom crisps, and yellowfoot chanterelles with tripe (also – separately -- with clams, pig’s feet, scallop coral, lasagna, and bottarga). Quality/price rating: 86. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR JUNE 2013 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. CRAFT BEER WORLD; a guide to over 350 of the finest beers known to man (Dog ‘n’ Bone/Cico/Ryland Peters & Small, 2013, 208 pages, ISBN 978-0-957140-99-8, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Mark Dredge, a beer writer (www.pencilandspoon.com since 2008) and beer worker (Camden Town Brewery in London UK). It is arranged by over 50 beer styles (pilsner, bock, IPA, alt, wit, Belgian, fruit, etc.) with a beginning primer, glossary, and food service. The range, from the first page to the last, is usually by heaviness. Pilsner is up first, last is stout and porter. Concluding chapters deal with the esoterics such as barrel-aged beers, extreme beer, and blockbuster beers. This is a good arrangement, for it gets away from a geographic contents listing. The index covers all the countries, so that is an alternative point of entry. Canada has about eight different styles represented here. It is all illustrated by labels or bottle shots, and there are plenty of tidbits along the way. Each entry has a name, location, ABV, a hopping statement, and some extensive tasting notes. It is fascinating to plow through the Belgian chapters and view the dubbel, tripel and quadrupel beers. In a chapter covering special ingredients, there is Brasseurs San Gluten from Montreal, making four beers from millet, buckwheat, corn and quinoa. At the end, there is a list of resources, both books and websites, for further information. Audience and level of use: beer junkies Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: pairing beer and food is a matter of balance, such as having a chocolatey-milky brew with chili heat. Or boosting flavours. Or with local foods. It takes skill, more than with wine. The downside to this book: I’d like more beers covered, maybe 600? The upside to this book: good descriptions make this book a great companion. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. BAKELESS SWEETS; pudding, panna cotta, fluff, icebox cake, and more no-bake desserts (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2013, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1- 61769-014-3, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Faith Durand, executive editor of a food website, www.thekitchn.com. There’s some log rolling from Jeni Britton Bauer and David Lebowitz. With no baking, there’s a higher percentage of gluten-free preps here, such as Thai sticky rice with mango and sesame seeds, and sour cream panna cotta with clementine curd. The 125 preps are arranged by theme: stirred puddings and custards, panna cotta, fruit jellies, pies and trifles, cookies, rice and tapioca, blender puddings and mousses, whipped cream desserts and fluffs. No-baking also means no heat in the summer and no waiting around time – everything here is quick and easy, suitable for dinner parties or young kids. She concludes with a sources list for ingredients, equipment and further readings (including online). The index has two special areas: an index to sidebars and notes (rarely seen in any cookbook), and an index to toppings and sauces. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners, time-pushed cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: strawberry-rhubarb fool, lemonade jelly with basil, deepest chocolate mousse, creamy lemon- coconut quinoa pudding, pistachio and vermicelli pudding (payasam). The downside to this book: nothing really. The upside to this book: separate indexes. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. GLUTEN IS MY BITCH; rants, recipes and ridiculousness for the gluten-free (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2013, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1- 61769-030-3, $19.95 US hard covers) is by April Peveteaux, creator of the blog, http://glutenismybitch.wordpress.com/ ...which she writes with good humour. The book pretty well summarizes her approach to gluten, and fills in what you need to know about the blog. If you go there, then you just need to keep up. So this is a guide to the gluten- free life, with recipes and how to live with celiac and relatives with celiac. There are resources lists, with her recommendations. She has material about restaurants and how to handle them; in fact, the book is loaded with tips and advice. Good hand holding here. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: celiacs and those who wish to be gluten- free. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: coconut macaroons, coffee shake, Devil’s food cake, beef brisket chili pie, coconut oil roasted chicken and spring veggies. The downside to this book: needs more recipes, but go to the blog for these. The upside to this book: recipes are on blue-tinged papers. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 4. 200 EASY MEXICAN RECIPES; authentic recipes from burritos to enchiladas (Robert Rose, 2013, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0436-9, $24.95 CAN/US soft covers) is by Kelley Cleary Coffeen, a cookbook author in New Mexico who frequently writes about Mexican-style foods. This is her fifth cookbook. This is a good collection of basics, beginning with the Mexican Cuisine Essentials chapter. It lists all the data you would need for ingredients, toppings, sauces, and definitions. It is arranged by course, from apps to desserts, with stops along the way for tacos/burritos/tamales and the Mexican grill. There’s even a chapter on beverages and cocktails. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: Mexican food enthusiasts, beginners at spicy cuisine. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: enchilada casserole, beef fajitas, chicken and lime soup, chopped Mexican salad, margarita pie, grilled shrimp with avocado butter. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 5. THE NEW TRAILSIDE COOKBOOK; 100 delicious recipes for the camp chef (Firefly Books, 2013, 191 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-189-4, $19.95 CAN/US soft covers) is by Kevin Callan and Margaret Howard. He has written several books on camping, while she has written books on outdoor grilling and preserving. The 100 preps here are easy, nutritious, and full of energy. They range from “gorp” (which we make with bitter chocolate, raisins and almonds, but here -- in this book – references “good old raisins and peanuts”) to gourmet (which needs a bit more time). Chapters cover all courses, plus dehydrating food, shopping/packing, camp stoves, cold weather camping, weekend gourmet and living off the land. There’s also a planner for all the work to be done at home and at camp. There is even a seven day menu plan. Tips and advice in the form of sidebars provide references to handling bears (!!), cooking at high altitudes, smoking, storage, ax handling, and one litre boxed wines. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: campers, beginner cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: grilled banana oatmeal pancakes, herb and garlic pasta, peanut butter banana muffins, pesto avocado dip, polenta appetizer pie, tuna quesadilla, baked veggie loaf. The downside to this book: the book is portable, but not lightweight; its pictures needed heavier paper. The upside to this book: good basic preps. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 6. I SCREAM SANDWICH! Inspired recipes for the ultimate frozen treat (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2013, 178 pages, ISBN 978-1-61769-036-5, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Jennie Schacht, a California culinary writer specializing in desserts. Here she produces a specific ingredient cookbook for 40 sandwich recipes, many gluten-free such as almond tea cakes, cinnamon macaroons, oatmeal cookies, five-spice cookies, Vietnamese breakfast sandwiches, et al. The arrangement is by type, beginning with the classics (key lime ice cream on sugar cookies) and moving on to fruited dishes (peaches and cream ice cream on oatmeal cookies), global dishes (dulce de leche ice cream on brown butter blondies), and holidays and special occasions. There is also a chapter on swirls, mix-ins, roll-‘ems, and coatings. Lots of good ideas here, including a resources list for equipment and websites of relevant ice cream blogs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both avoirdupois and metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: summer cooks, beginners Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cherry cheesecake ice cream on shortcrust cookies; Caribbean banana ice cream on peanut butter cookies; rosewater ice cream on pistachio-cardamom sandies; jasmine ice cream on almond tea cakes; Champagne-caramel swirl ice cream on vanilla cookies in a black-and-white tuxedo. The downside to this book: the gluten-free aspect could have been better highlighted. The upside to this book: there is a series of tables to create your own sandwiches. Choose an ice cream (or yogurt or sorbet), pick a holder, and use some optional embellishments. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 7. CAKE; 100 essential recipes (Spruce, 2013; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84601-420-8, $14.99 US hard covers) and 8. CHOCOLATE; 100 essential recipes (Spruce, 2013; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84601-422-2, $14.99 US hard covers) are members of another uniform cookbook series presenting essential preps. These are the classic cakes (fruity, nutty, coffee, small cakes, icings) and the classic chocolate (cakes, cookies, bars, puddings). Something for everyone, hot and cold. Good layout. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chocolate and chestnut roulade, chocolate gingersnap mousse, triple choc brulee, rocky roads; chili and pineapple torte, pear, cardamom an raisin cake; Swiss roll; truffle cake; lemon drizzle cake. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 9. PANCAKES; 72 sweet and savory recipes for the perfect stack (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2013; distr. Raincoast, 162 pages, ISBN 978-1-250- 01249-4, $21.99 US paper covers) is by Adrianna Adarme, a food blogger since 2009 (www.acozykitchen.com). It is a nice collection that meets her high standards of what a pancake should be – not just a flat oval or circle. I think the savory ones work very well. She could also have added more gluten-free incentives. Arrangement is by “breakfast” and “dinner”, with the savories in the latter. There are the basics, with a generic vegan and gluten-free prep, and a selection of eight toppings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The index needs to be fuller: there are few entries under gluten-free, and nothing under quinoa. There are some good ideas here, as well as excellent food plating photography. Audience and level of use: pancake lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sour cream and chive potato latkes, German apple popovers, strawberries and cream crepe cake, goat cheese quinoa cakes. The downside to this book: there are only two gluten-free recipes, a generic buttermilk one with rice flour, and an arepa prep using cornmeal. The upside to this book: good photos. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 10. THE FRENCH COOK: sauces (Gibbs Smith, 2013, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1- 4236-3238-2, $21.99 US hard covers) is by Holly Herrick, who is a Cordon Bleu grad and restaurant critic, living in Charleston, SC. She has also written a few cookbooks for Gibbs Smith. This is going to be the first in a new series on French cuisine. And, of course, what better place to start than with sauces, especially since stocks can be covered as well. There are photos and step-by-step techniques. The basic sauces are here (béchamel, veloute, emulsions, brown sauces, tomato sauces) plus more, and some variations are noted. The book is set up as a primer for beginners. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sauce cremeuse au poisson; croquettes de crabe; sauce crème fouettee et mayonnaise au raifort; poulet roti a la sauce poulette. The downside to this book: nothing really. The upside to this book: there are preps for dishes involving some of the sauces. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 11. THE NO RECIPE COOKBOOK; a beginner’s guide to the art of cooking (Skyhorse Publishing, 2013, 196 pages, ISBN 978-1-62087-616-9, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Susan Crowther, a CIA grad who did catering before becoming a nutritionist-academic in Vermont. This is a worthwhile instructional guide on how to cook, without any recipes. It is all commonsense, focusing on principles, intuition, local ingredients and safe cooking. There are sections on basics: simple salad dressings, soup stocks, bread making. You just need to understand proportions. The best cooks simply have a list of ingredients, and there are many handbooks (Heering, Saulniere Reperoire) that have been published for scores of years which only list ingredients. The proportions must be learned, but you quickly get the hang of it – but only if you cook a lot. Recipes are useful as aide memoires and for the quantities. Procedures and processes come with time and experience. Crowther has a handful of easy cooking time charts and shopping lists, along with good humourous hand holding. It is, of course, written from a nutritionist’s perspective. Ingredients are listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginning cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: the section on cooking grains emphasizes ratios, usually one part grain to two parts water for cooking (but pasta has a higher ratio since water is needed for a rolling boil and is surplus at the end). The downside to this book: it could use a sharper editorial focus from time to time. The upside to this book: it should give beginners some confidences. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 12. MARITIME FRESH; delectable recipes for preparing preserving and celebrating local produce. (Nimbus Publishing, 2013, 234 pages, ISBN 978-1-77108-008-8, $27.95 CAN soft covers) is by food critic Elizabeth Bailey, author of “Maritime Fresh”. It’s a bit of a misnomer in that just about everything in the book can be found throughout North America: it is arranged by produce that is not unique to the Maritimes. There are no fiddlehead recipes here (or at least, fiddleheads are not indexed.). There is a halibut recipe, but “halibut” is not indexed. There’s a rumtopf recipe, but neither “rumtopf” nor “rum” is indexed. What is indexed can be strange: there are 50 or so references to “herb salt” and almost as many for “vegetable stock”. But no rum, no halibut. There is a listing of seasonal availability and places in the Maritimes to find produce. Produce includes apples, asparagus, beans, beets, through carrots, eggplants, mushrooms, down to plums, potatoes, rhubarb, and winter squash – 33 veggies and fruits in all. There is some meat (chickens, pork, fish, beef) but otherwise it is mostly vegetarian. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: garlic cauliflower pasta, maple apple pork, asparagus tofu curry, green bean casserole, stuffed squash, sun-dried tomato pesto. The downside to this book: the index is variable. The upside to this book: there are a few meat dishes. Quality/Price Rating: 83. 13. BACON NATION; 125 irresistible recipes (Workman Publishing, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 310 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-6582-8, $14.95 US paper covers) is by Peter Kaminsky and Marie Rama. It is this year’s bacon book (there is usually one every year). Kaminsky has written other pork books, and Rama has written s few Dummies books (e.g. Grilling). Here the emphasis is on the smoke flavours of bacon, so the material covers soups, soufflés, braises, and bread puddings. Americans seem to eat about $2 billion worth of bacon a year. The chapters are arranged by course, starters to sweets, complete with a resources listing of places to buy really good bacon in the US. Each source (and bacon) is different, so you’ll need a variety of meats to absolutely perfect the recipe used. The apps section here is particularly good. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: bacon lovers and others. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: spiced nuts with bacon, bacon swizzle stick, bacon cheese straws, crispy polenta bites, bacon jam, caponata, chipotle meatballs. The downside to this book: not enough recipes for me, but OK in terms of the price. The upside to this book: good tips and sidebars. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 14. SOUTH AMERICAN GRILL (Hardie Grant Books, 2012; distr. Random House of Canada, 207 pages, ISBN 978-1-74270-300-8, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Rachel Lane, an Australian cook book and travel writer. Here are more than 80 recipes concentrating on Latin American grillwork, particularly the asados and churrascos of Argentina and Brazil. The book is arranged by course, from apps to mains to sides to desserts and drinks. Typical dishes also include Peruvian ceviche, Argentine baked empanadas, arepas de queso, grilled haloumi skewers, Brazilian fish skewers, and humitas. There are activity menus (lazy summer afternoons, family gatherings, Friday nights with your mates, etc.) where details and planning are laid out in a time line. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: intermediate cooks, grillers and BBQ fans. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cancha, grilled kidney skewers, grilled chicken hearts, Brazilian coconut baked custard cake, roasted cinnamon bananas with mango sorbet, pisco sours, Uruguayan white wine sangria. The downside to this book: nothing really. The upside to this book: Spanish and Portuguese names for all dishes. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 15. THE FORAGER’S KITCHEN; over 100 easy recipes from savory to sweet (Cico Books, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-908862-61-7, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Fiona Bird, a BBC Masterchef finalist. She had previously published a collection of recipe cards in 2009 (Kids Kitchen). Here she eats off the land, working with the seasons in a largely vegetarian environment. There is much advice on how and when and where to forage. It’s a British book, so it has that kind of orientation, and they seem to forage more than we would. The 100 preps here cover the range: flowers and blossoms, woodlands, fruits and berries, herbs, sea shores. There’s a legal section, covering the UK, US and Canada, with internet resources highlighted. You just cannot pick things from protected parklands or private property, so be aware of your rights. Typical dishes here include salted caramel wild hazelnut shortbread, quince cordial/paste, sweet cicely and rhubarb sorbet, wild garlic bread, dandelion sauce, asparagus and sea lettuce salmon, and damson tart tatin. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 16. NO BAKE MAKERY; more than 80 two-bite treats made with lovin’, not an oven (Grand Central Life & Style, 2013; distr. Hachette, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-2513-3, $20 US hard covers) is by Cristina Suarez Krumsick, chef and owner of the No Bake Makery based in Brooklyn. Visit nobakemakery.com for more details. She specializes in small two-biters, nothing from the oven, but fully cooked and ready to roll – also for shipping around the country. The dishes here include pink velvet cheesecake, strawberry nutella icebox cake, “sweechies”, birds’ nests, key lime pie, and more. It is all arranged by product, such as truffles, clusters and barks, fudge and bars, mini-pies and cakes, puddings, and candy and cookies. There are party menus for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas and kids’ events. The last chapter is on breakfasts which can also be turned into desserts with bite-sized pancakes, crepes and French toast. Well worth a look, although eventually I was turned off by the coloured inks. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 17. FARM-FRESH RECIPES FROM THE MISSING GOAT FARM (Cico Books, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-908862-60-0, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Heather Cameron, who bought an organic blueberry farm outside Vancouver, BC renaming it, Missing Goat. She now has her own line of organic jams which she sells to 50 or so shops, and in her spare time she is also a food writer. Here are over 100 recipes for a range including pies, snacks, soups, breads, and preserves. These farm faves are arranged by season beginning with Spring, and sub-arranged by time of day (breakfast, snack, main, dessert). As such it is also part memoir. She details the trials and tribulations of a newbie running a farm, emphasizing the field to table aspect. It is an all-occasion book, with such recipes as baked beans with salsa, blueberry pie, salmon with blueberry chutney, chicken kale soup, zucchini cakes with apple sauce, mini jam pies, perogies, chicken and veggie wrap with quinoa, and gingerbread cookies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 18. A PERFECT DAY FOR A PICNIC (Ryland Peters & Small, 2013, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-353-1, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Tori Finch, once a UK restaurant owner but now a full-time food and lifestyle writer. I can tell when summer is upon us: that’s when the cookbook mailbox is full of picnic and BBQ books. This is one of the first of the season, and it is a fine one with over 80 family recipes. She has 10 themed picnic ideas, each complete with recipes for portable savoury and sweet dishes as well as beverage recommendations. Ideas are included for the themes, but they can easily be disregarded if all you are interested in is the food. I find it hard enough as it is to clean up after a picnic (nobody wants to do it) let alone do decorations which need their own special cleanup. Nevertheless, if you have a dedicated family/friends connections, then you may invited them to participate in striking the set a la Tom Sawyer. Themes here include a vintage garden party, a bike ride picnic, a Teddy Bears’ picnic with the wee ones, a beach BBQ, a Provencal picnic, a woodland walk picnic, and more. The Indochine picnic covers Vietnamese summer rolls, wheatberries and soy salad, lemongrass chicken brochettes, sweet chili noodles, caramelized pork ban mi baguettes, fruit salad with fresh coconut, mango syllabub and a watermelon cooler. Invite me, please. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 19. MY BEEF WITH MEAT; the healthiest argument for eating a plant- strong diet (Grand Central Life & Style, 2013, 280 pages, ISBN 978-1- 4555-0936-2, $25 US hard covers) is by Rip Esselstyn, a professional triathlete-now-firefighter who has developed the Engine 2 diet. He has appeared on hundreds of US radio and TV shows, and also works with Whole Foods Market. In 2005, he persuaded his entire firehouse to convert to a plant-based diet. He created “The Engine 2 Diet” and has now produced another book, a sort-of sequel, with 140 new recipes. Plus 36 dramatic reasons to switch to a plant-based diet. Most of the recipes have been contributed by friends and family. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. All courses are covered, and most food is quick and easy (pasta, tacos, burritos, pizzas, flatbreads “burgers”, dressings, spreads). Typical are spicy spinach and black bean burgers, lentil balls, eggplant fries, polenta strips. There is a definite guy feel to the food, which is not a bad thing if you want to convince a guy to switch to plant-based foods. Quality/price rating: 86. 20. HALIFAX TASTES; recipes from the region’s best restaurants (Nimbus Publishing, 2013, 74 pages, ISBN 978-1-77108-006-4, $22.95 paper covers) has been compiled by Liz Feltham, a restaurant critic in the region and cookbook author. It is the newest book in the “Tastes” series from Nimbus. Feltham has chosen 25 restaurants from Halifax and Dartmouth, for 8 appetizers, 13 mains, and 4 desserts, including one of my faves, The Five Fishermen (blackened haddock). There is a directory and a map. The eating establishments have been well-chosen, reflective of seafood, Asiatic and Mediterranean influences. Many local and fresh ingredients are to be found at the farmer’s market, and are reflected at the restaurants. As with any book of this sort, there are lots of pix of the plates and surroundings, by Scott Munn. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 21. SEAFOOD; spectacular recipes for every season (Skyhorse Publishing, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-62087-733-3, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Par-Anders Bergqvist and Anders Engvall, who run Hav, a fish shop and catering service in Stockholm. Previously, they had chefed around Sweden. The book was originally published in Sweden last year as “Hav”. There are about 52 preps here, one for every week of the year. Thus, it is a seasonal approach., with drink suggestions (although specific brand names may be hard to find). The choices are mainly white wines, but there are also beers and sherries to enjoy with seafood. Typical preps include smoked perch with pickled veggies, oven- baked cod, grilled halibut, brandade with peperonata and roasted garlic, and fried salmon with apple. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and (mostly) avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. While the book is lavish in its photography, the recipes sit on top of the pictures, in either white or black print. This is distracting, and after awhile annoying. It is virtually impossible to photocopy and recipes – I photocopy so I can work on the dish without destroying the book with my spills. Quality/price rating: 80. 22. THE BIG BOOK OF DESSERTS AND PASTRIES; dozens of recipes for gourmet sweets and sauces (Skyhorse Publishing, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 157 pages, ISBN 978-1-62087-050-1, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Claes Karlsson, pastry chef and cookbook author. Previously, he was head pastry chef at Stockholm’s The Grand Hotel. His book was originally published in Sweden in 2011, and this is its first appearance in the North American market. It is an all-purpose affordable dessert book, with about 70 recipes and techniques for a variety of sweets including candy and accompaniments. There are peppermint sprinkles, almond and fig tart, vanilla cake with lemon curd, panna cottas, mousses, cheesecakes, and the like. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Superb photography. Quality/price rating: 85, 23. SMOKE; new firewood cooking (Rizzoli, 2013, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0- 8478-3979-7, $40 US hard covers) is by Tim Byres, chef-owner of Smoke and of Chicken Scratch in Dallas. He’s been named a couple of times as best new chef in 2011 and 2012. This book, with log rolling by the Lee Brothers, Stephen Pyles, and Steven Raichlen, covers just about all you would need to know about building flavour with fire on the grill and in the kitchen. It is based on wood fires, which can be successfully employed in hot smoking, cold smoking, and campfires. Byres advocates using wood chips on the stovetop, grilling with wood planks, and (for serious cooks) how to build a fire pit and smokehouse and spit roasters at home. Then, there are preps for pulling together relishes and salsa made with smoked veggies, and using smoke-cured meats to add flavours to plates. There’s a primer on larders, rubs, jams and pickles. The main section tackles the flesh and veggies, sweets and breads, and some drinks. Typical preps include pork jowl bacon with half sour cucumbers, gumbo, smoked cabrito meatpies, coffee-cured brisket, turnip greens salad, and oxtail marmalade. As the book says, everything is made from scratch. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 24. LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN COOKBOOK; delicious recipes from Le Pain Quotidien (Mitchell Beazley, 2013, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-84533-748-3, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Alain Coumont and Jean-Pierre Gabriel. Coumont is the founder and chief bread maker for the Belgian bakery- restaurant. A lot of the book is about bread making, but there are also sections dealing with breakfasts, soups, salads, tartines, desserts, and so forth – over 100 preps. The key, of course, is the sourdough starter that is given here. You use it in the world famous five-grain fruit bread and the nut & raisin flutes. There are also some seeded rolls and fougasse. The tartines chapter is one of the best. As he does, just use slices. Or, as some restaurants do, just use flatbreads. They are both platforms for the inventive toppings (fruit, cheese, nuts, veggies, herbs). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re- editions”... 25. GREENS! Tips and techniques for growing your own vegetables (Skyhorse Publishing, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 194 pages, ISBN 978-1- 62087-729-6, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Karin Eliasson, a Swedish writer-gardener. It was originally published in Swedish in 2012; this is its North American debut. It is a comprehensive enough book, with photos of techniques, plants, and maintenance. No index, but veggies are listed in the table of contents, beginning with leaves, stalks, belladonnas, squashes, beans and peas, lily family, root veggies, and cabbage family. There is a primer on growing and how to handle problems that may arise when cultivating. There’s also a recommended reading section plus magazines and internet resources. Quality/price rating: 85. 26. UNCORKED; the science of champagne. Rev. ed. (Princeton University Press, 2004, 2013, 194 pages, ISBN 978-0-691-15872-3, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Gerard Liger-Belair, a physics professor at the University of Reims. It is not so much revised as added to, with a new foreword by Herve This and a 40 page “Afterword” by Liger-Belair. I couldn’t compare the original text with the current reissue, but I suspect that the original still stands and the afterword updates it with the latest research and experimental techniques, plus glassware and enjoyment. The verso actually says “second printing, with a new foreword by…and a new afterword by…”, and without a 2013 copyright. The original bibliography still stands, but has been updated through the “Afterword”. I have no problem with all of this, but it should be made clear that this is not normally a “revised” book, but rather a supplemented book, perhaps made awkward by a certain amount of checking the original and the update to make sure of the text. Could it not have been easier to just re-do the text? The publisher did redo the index to a comprehensive whole. Nevertheless, a classic book that I enjoyed on first reading years ago, explaining the science of champagne – and of course the longest entry in the index is to “bubbles”. Quality/price rating: 86. 27. VIETNAMESE STREET FOOD (Hardie Grant, 2011, 2013; distr. Random House of Canada, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-74270489-0, $29.95 US soft covers) is by Tracy Lister and Andreas Pohl. Lister spent 15 years in Melbourne restaurants before moving to Vietnam; she now runs a cooking school in Hanoi. Her book was originally published in 2011, and this is the 2013 reprint for the North American market. This is street food at its finest: Lister provides us with more than 60 authentic tasty preps, representing all the best elements of Vietnam food wagons. The food is fast, fresh, and fragrant. And if you do it yourself at home, then there is no worry over the food. Cooking methods include rolling, grilling, roasting, boiling, steaming, and frying – and the book’s arrangement is by method. There are separate chapters for sweets, sauces and condiments, banh mi and salads. There’s a glossary at the back. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric weight and avoirdupois volume measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Expect such dishes as shrimp and rice paper rolls, chicken noodle soup, salt and pepper calamari, various banh mi sandwiches, pork skewers, and fried spring rolls. Quality/price rating: 87. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR MAY 2013 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. THE WORLD OF SICILIAN WINE (University of California Press, 2013, 307 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-26618-6, $34.95 US hard covers) is by Bill Nesto, MW, and Frances Di Savino. Nesto is a founder of the Wine Studies Program at Boston University, and has written for many food and beverage magazines. This is a basic – but comprehensive – dive into a regional wine, from ancient times through modern changes. It’s a guide with 5 small sketch maps that are more illustrative than useful. Nevertheless, there is plenty of textual material covering origins, varieties, geography, viticulture and winemaking, plus an exploration of the three valleys (Mazara, Noto, and Demone). The island is important because it was an early Mediterranean cross-roads, with impact from Greek and Phoenician traders and settlers beginning in the eighth century BCE. Many conquests happened over the years, but the indigenous grape varieties continued to flourish (Nero d’avola, Nerllo mascalese, Frappato, Grillo, and others). With the internationalization of the wine business, international grape varieties sprung up along with modern wine methods. Over the years, wines were blended, but lately there have been more exports of indigenous varieties braced up by small amounts of global grapes. There are descriptions of the leading wineries and the DOC areas, as well as tasting notes. The book concludes with end notes and bibliographic references for further reading. This is a major contribution to knowledge about Italian viticultural history. Audience and level of use: lovers of Italian wines, libraries, wine book collectors. Some interesting or unusual facts: Grillo vineyards occupy about 6000 hectares (5.2 per cent of total vineyards in Sicily), and DNA shows Zibibbo and Catarratto as parents. The downside to this book: some detailed (not outlined) maps would have been useful. The upside to this book: a nicely written specialized regional wine book. Quality/Price Rating: 88. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. PEPPER; a history of the world’s most influential spice (St. Martin’s Press, 2013, 302 pages, ISBN 978-0-312-56989-1, $26.99 US hard covers) is by Marjorie Shaffer, a business and science writer currently at New York University School of Medicine. She’s crafted details about what is arguably the most important of the taste spices: black pepper. It’s not a thorough history of European pepper trading in Asia, but it does examine why – and how – our forebears wanted a single product. As such, it is also the business history of the trading routes and regions. And there are also some pages on the US pepper fortunes. The colour section is loaded with visuals of plants, plantations, older woodcuts, and early drawings. She’s got maps of the Indian Ocean, India, Malaysia and Indonesia so that readers can track the trade routes. There are copious end notes, a well-researched bibliography, and a workable index. But no recipes. Audience and level of use: culinary historians, collectors of food history books, libraries. Some interesting or unusual facts: pepper routes were full of misery and death for Europeans: traveling thousands of miles in unsafe ships, too light anchors, many sinkings, and disease. The downside to this book: I would have liked a few more coloured pages. The upside to this book: a good popular read on a valuable subject. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. DUTCH OVEN BAKING (Gibbs-Smith, 2013; distr. Raincoast, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-2562-9, $15.99 US spiral bound) is by Bruce Tracy, a 2004 winner of the World Championship Cook-offs held by the International Dutch Oven Society. He has been cooking and competing in such events for over 20 years. His Dutch Oven is meant to be on a bed of coals; thus, for every recipe, he lists how many hot coals will be needed. This may limit its usage in many places. For example, the pita bread requires 36 or so hot coals, including 12 under the oven and 24 on the top. In general, each coal will raise the temperature about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a basic baking book, with adaptations for banana upside-down cake, Kaiser rolls, muffin apple cake, bacon cheese onion rolls, and similar baked goodies. Gibbs Smith produced a similar book, DUTCH OVEN COOKING, in 2011 which concentrated on apps and main dishes. This one is all about baked goods. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. The basic arrangement is by Type: crusts, crisps, tarts, pies, cakes, cobblers, quick breads and rolls. It all appears to be finger-lickin’ good and authentic. Audience and level of use: Dutch oven users Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: about 60 recipes, including the above and apple walnut crisp, Hawaiian tart, chocolate zucchini cake with banana chutney, and sausage with cheese and onion loaf. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 4. THE DIABETES PREVENTION & MANAGEMENT COOKBOOK; your 10-step plan for nutrition & lifestyle (Robert Rose, 2013, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788- 0452-9, $24.95 CAN and US paper covers) is by Johanna Burkhard, a food writer and PR consultant for the culinary, wine and tourism sector, and by Barbara Allan, an RD and a Certified Diabetes Educator. It has been published in cooperation with the Canadian Diabetes Association. It’s actually a useful book for the pre-diabetic stage, where blood glucose is elevated but not high enough to be considered diabetes -- yet -– that is, by the medical profession which managed to lower the hypertension levels a decade ago and created HBP scares in North America. A change in lifestyle is needed to ensure pre-diabetes does not become the real thing. That is an absolute given. The authors provide a strategy of ten steps, including nutritious diets, exercise, and stress management. The 150 preps here, designed to manage pre- diabetic conditions, blood pressure and cholesterol, are extremely useful when displayed in a 28-day menu program. You don’t need to give up red meats: just use moderation and eliminate meat fats. There are bibliographic references, appendices with forms for recording diet information, a resources list, and more. A nice modestly priced book for the curious. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both avoirdupois and metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5. HEALING FATTY LIVER DISEASE; a complete health & diet guide including 100 recipes (Robert Rose, 2013, 285 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788- 0437-6, $24.95 US and CAN soft covers) is by Dr. Maitreyi Raman, a gastroenterologist, and by Angela Sirounis, RD and Jennifer Shrubsole, both RDs at Foothills Medical Centre. There different kinds of fatty liver: one is caused by moderate alcohol (and can be cured by simply stop drinking), there is NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatisis, which can lead to permanent damage), and there is cirrhosis (mostly from excessive alcohol drinking). About 20 per cent of adults have fatty livers, and many children do too. The most common causes of fatty liver disease are obesity and diabetes mellitus. This is a lifestyle management book, with guidance for exercise, weight loss, and dietary fats in the first half. The 100 recipes are in the second half, and of course it is all sensible food such as local veggie scrambled eggs, tandoori haddock, Thai turkey stir fry, mango mousse, orange-cranberry flax muffins, sweet and sour pork, and eggplant lasagna – many with variations. It’s not meatless, and there is plenty of choice. The key apparently is high fibre, healthy fats and Vitamin D. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 6. THE VEGETARIAN PANTRY; fresh and modern recipes for meals without meat (Ryland Peters and Small, 2013, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-344-9, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Chloe Coker and Jane Montgomery. Both had professional careers and then moved on to Leiths School of Food and Wine for cheffing classes. Here they detail the use of seasonal veggies with a pantry for condiments and the like. The whole range is here: breakfast, brunch, small bites, dips, salsas, sauces, salads, soups, mains and sweets. It has a slightly British orientation, in spelling and words, but that’s not a problem. A solid introduction: potato and celeriac rosti with spinach and mushrooms and a poached egg; saffron and pepper frittata with roasted garlic aioli; lemon and mushroom risotto balls; roasted vegetable salad with grilled halloumi, arugula and basil oil. About 65 recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric weight and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/Price rating: 85. 7. THE VEGAN BAKER; more than 50 delicious recipes for vegan-friendly cakes, cookies, bars and other baked treats (Ryland Peters and Small, 2013, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-351-7, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Dunja Gulin, a cooking teacher and chef in Zagreb, who has also written “Raw Food Kitchen” for the same publisher. She shows how to bake without eggs, butter and milk (and without refined sugar too). Just about every ingredient can be purchased now at larger supermarkets. Chapters cover cakes and muffins, slices and bars, cookies and biscuits, pies and tarts, breads and savoury baking. Special treats include baked pancakes, pockets with sweet fillings, sugar-free Italian Easter buns, crescent rolls, and plum dumplings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. And there is the bonus of the usual great RPS photography. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 8. PINOT ENVY; murder, mayhem, and mystery in Napa (Bancroft Press, 2013, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-61088-089-3 $21.95 US hardbound) is by Edward Finstein, my long-time colleague in the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada. He’s at www.winedoctor.ca where he dispenses wine knowledge. Here, in his first novel, he is applying some of that skill in tracking down, by investigatory work, rare artifacts in the wine business through his op, Woody Robins, who practices in the Napa. In the plot, Woody’s been hired by a wealthy collector to track down a stolen double-magnum red Burgundy that once belonged to Napoleon. He works with a girlfriend and his Aunt Sadie, as well as a friend within the ‘Frisco police department. There are the usual scandals and murders along the way. It is well-plotted and moves from page-to-page. It should certainly appeal to those mysteries’ fans who are tired of twee mysteries dealing with cooking subplots: here’s a hard-driven, hard- bitten story in the roman noir style, so much so, that it should actually be called PINOT NOIR (but I guess that name has already been taken). Quality/Price Rating: 87. 9. VEGETABLE OF THE DAY; 365 recipes for every day of the year (Weldon Owen, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-495-1, $34.95 US hard covers) is by Kate Macmillan, who runs a catering company and teaches at Tante Marie’s in San Francisco. She has also authored a similar book on 365 days of soups for W-S. It is one of the Williams-Sonoma cookbook series, so it would be prominently featured in its stores. There’s a veggie recipe for each day of the year, with lots of plated photos. Arrangement is by month, and then by day, with a calendar. Of course, you don’t have to follow the dates. But it is a chance to view seasonal foods and to choose for a weeknight supper or a weekend dinner party. There are notes regarding leftovers, ingredient substitutions, and garnishes. Other variations include type of crockery use, upscaling or downscaling the dish, and types of herbs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Not completely meat-free since pancetta is called for in at least one recipe. There are two indexes: one by alphabetical name of ingredient, the other by type (Asian-style dishes, egg dishes, grain-based, gratins, grilled, pickles, salads, stews, stir-fries, etc.) Audience and level of use: vegetarians and those looking for new ideas. Some interesting or unusual recipes: as I write this review, I should be consuming (May 14) roasted broccolini with garlic and lemon, spring veggie tart (May 15), or Sauteed fresh peas with shredded romaine. On Friday, I get fava beans with pecorino. The downside to this book: the actual listing of a recipe per a certain day may seem a bit to confining to some. At least one prep uses meat. The upside to this book: it encourages SLOFE principles (seasonal, local, organic, fast, and easy). Quality/Price Rating: 87. 10. SMOKE & SPICE; recipes for seasonings, rubs, marinades, brines, glazes & butters (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2013, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1- 84975-350-0, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Valerie Aikman-Smith, a food stylist (film, TV, books) and writer (magazines, books). The 90 preps here emphasize the flavours to be added to the BBQ grill. For example, for pork, try the smoky chili BBQ sauce or the bourbon glazed pork chops or the szechuan rub (also the Cajun crispy pork belly). Pork also needs an apple cider brine. Moving to lamb, there’s lavender salt crusted leg of lamb, mint and lemon kebabs, pomegranate rack of lamb with harissa sauce, or date lamb tagine. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The book is completed by a list of online resources and some sharp photography. Audience and level of use: the adventuresome BBQ fancier. Some interesting or unusual recipes: in addition to the above, try cherry-glazed duck skewers, Jamaican jerk chicken, spiced red snapper, caramelized beet tatin with marinated goat cheese, or matahambre beef marinade. The downside to this book: I wanted more, especially in veggies and fish. The upside to this book: good idea for a book. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work at home, but how could that be? They all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 11. A TIME TO COOK; dishes from my southern sideboard (Gibbs Smith, 2013, 184 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3114-9, $35 US hard covers) is by James T. Farmer III, currently an editor-at-large with Southern Living Magazine. He’s a landscape designer with several books to his credit. He’s also appeared many times on national and regional television. Here he gives us his family recipes for southern food. But also he gives us stories and photos of his plates, silvers and linens which have been passed down. Much of the book is decorative with these heirlooms, emphasizing arrangements, but there are also memoirish episodes dealing with menus and southern life. He’s got a Sunday dinner (country fried steak, butterbeans, buttermilk whipped potatoes, yeast rolls, tomatoes) and a New Year’s Day menu (pork loin, collards, hoppin’ john, cornbread, black-eyed peas, pecan pie). There’s a summer garden dinner, a fish fry, a “breakfast for supper”, classics, and a low-cal/low-fat menu. There’s a huge section on salads and apps, followed by veggies and soups, meats, eggs, breads, desserts, pickles and preserves. A virtually complete book, down to resources for shopping online for plants, antiques, farms, and markets. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 12. PATISSERIE AT HOME; step-by-step recipes to help you master the art of French pastry (Ryland Peters & Small, 2013, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1- 84975-354-8, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Will Torrent, and award- winning chef who has worked with Blumenthal and Oliver, and at Claridges, The Dorchester and The Fat Duck, while appearing on UK television. He gives us recipes for feather-light chocolate and coffee éclairs filled with pastry cream, classic lemon tart, buttery croissants, and more: 80 French pastries in all. There are step-by-step photos and careful techniques. Chapters cover patisserie, tarts, petits fours, gateaux and desserts, and viennoiserie, beginning with an extensive chapter on basic techniques. Superb layout, but no gluten- free flours are used. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, with no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 13. SAVORY BITES; meals you can make in your cupcake pan (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2013, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-61769-019-8, $27.50 US hard covers) is by Hollis Wilder, a two-time “Cupcake Wars” champion and the owner of SweetbyHolly, a small chain in Florida. She’s also been on the Food Network and the Cooking Channel. The preps call for a 12-well classic cupcake pan, but you can also use a larger muffin tin. Here is a variety of small bites, most of which will not dribble down your chin if properly made. She’s got them for breakfast, with eggs and cheese, pasta and rice, veggies, seafood, poultry and meats. It is all good stuff, particularly since you do it yourself for a meal or a party. The preps are quick to cook, the instructions are detailed, and there is a certain panache when served. Try welsh rarebits with apple ketchup, eggplant pasta timbales with beef ragu, risottos with green veggies, lamb tagine hand pies, turkey-apple-sweet potato pies, or avocado mousses with shrimp and mango. Egg roll wrappers or purchased pie dough are used, for simplicity sake. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 14. PLUM; gratifying vegan dishes from Seattle’s Plum Bistro (Sasquatch Books, 2013; distr. by Random House Canada, 142 pages, ISBN 978-1- 57061-791-1, $29.95 US and CAN hard covers) is by Makini Howell, a lifelong vegan who has created a group of restaurants, Plum Restaurants. The group is focused on organically-grown seasonal vegetables, non-GMO soy, and organic and local fruits and herbs from family-owned farms. The preps in this book are derived from these Seattle-based restaurants (www.plumbistro.com). It’s arranged by course: apps, salads, soups, small plates, tofu-tempeh-seitan, raw, pasta, grains and desserts. Most preps make four servings, and there are stories behind the recipes. Try savoury French toast, lemon dill aioli, raw kale and seaweed salad with fresh tofu, cauliflower bisque with fresh fennel, and habanero yam soup. Gluten-free recipes are indicated with a (GF) icon. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 15. VEGAN SECRET SUPPER; bold & elegant menus from a rogue kitchen (Arsenal Press, 2013, 220 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-496-2, $26.95 US and CAN soft covers) is by Merida Anderson, hostess and chef for VSS pop-up supper clubs for diners in Montreal, Vancouver and New York (for five years now). The food is “modern”, “sophisticated”, multi-course, and plant-based; the blend is with community eating and social dining. A large part of her repertoire is haute cuisine, but she deals nicely with home cooked food too, also with flavour pairings, menu planning, and plating tips for entertaining. There are 150 preps here for soups, salads, mains, breads, grain dishes, desserts, brunch ideas, and beverages. There is also a very useful vegan pantry with some 32 items, including roasted garlic, smoky balsamic marinade, miso sesame shiitakes, miso cashew cheese, apple tamarind chutney, gomashio, rosemary olive oil, anise-toasted sunflower seeds, and quick pickled beets. This is a treasure trove, but with only a handful of gluten-free alternatives. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric volumes and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 16. ULTIMATE NACHOS; from nachos and guacamole to salsas and cocktails (St. Marin’s Griffin, 2013; distr. Raincoast, 134 pages, ISBN 978-1- 250-01654-6, $19.99 US soft covers) is from the founders of NACHOS NY and GUACACULAR, Lee Frank and Rachel Anderson. Frank is also the managing editor of Nachos NY, while Anderson is also a working chef de cuisine in Brooklyn at Robicelli’s Bakery. Together, they have crafted something of a guy book for male cooks. There are more than 80 preps for any time of day, and all feature gooey toppings and treats, the sort of thing males like to put in their mouths. Nothing wrong with that: but the book is a pleasant change from the BBQ manuals that pour into my home office. It’s party food, along with great beers and other sparklers. There’s some advance log rolling from Rick Rodgers, Roberto Santibanez, and Adriana Adarme. The chapters cover salsa, guacamole, queso, small bite nachos, breakfast, mains, and desserts, finishing with drinks. Typical are Buffalo chicken nachos, bacon-apple guacamole, asparagus in nachos with hollandaise sauce, black and blue burger nachos, fried calamari nachos, and nacho dumplings with ginger-sesame salsa and avocado-horseradish crema. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 17. SMOKE AND PICKLES; recipes and stories from a new Southern kitchen (Artisan, 2013, 292 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-492-4, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Edward Lee, chef/owner of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Kentucky. He’s been a two-time Beard finalist for Best Chef, he’s spent 14 weeks on Top Chef, and he also writes about food (Organic Gardening, Gastronomica). There’s some heavy duty log rolling here from David Chang (Momofuku) and Anthony Bourdain. This is Southern food with an Asian twist, a sort of Southern fusion food. Part of the book (pigs) had earlier been published in Gastronomica. It is an interesting book in that he manages to combine the takes of Korean pickling with Southern pickling (hence the title). As he says, “what I cook is who I am”. There’s material on lamb, beef, birds, pigs, seafood, pickles, veggies, bourbon and buttermilk. Preps include rice bowl with lamb and aromatic tomato-yogurt gravy, lime beef salad, Kentucky fried quail, panfried catfish in bacon vinaigrette, kabocha squash mac ‘n’ cheese, and fried green tomato-cilantro relish. Good index. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 18. HOW TO ROAST A PIG; from oven-roasted tenderloin to slow-roasted pulled pork shoulder to the sit-roasted whole hog (Quarry Books, 2013, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-59253-787-7, $24.99 US soft covers) is by Tom Rea, who started his career in a gastro-pub and worked through southern England and France in pubs and bistros. Currently, he teaches cooking and catering. This book is a very worthwhile introduction to the pig: where to buy, what to look for, cooking equipment needed, roasting styles, how to handle leftovers, and how to deal with a whole pig (snout to tail). I checked the index for “squeal”, but alas, nothing…It’s a comprehensive book, with a good index to the recipes. The pig is broken down cut-by-cut with step-by-step details for working with each cut. Side dishes are also covered, but there are other books that can handled this matter. What he does excel in are all the sauces, smoking, and glazes. Try pork and caramelized apple terrine, Cajun pork, Chinese-glazed pork belly, Jamaican jerk pork chops, and smoked ham. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 19. RECIPES FROM MY HOME KITCHEN; Asian and American comfort food (Rodale, 2013, 206 pages, ISBN 978-1-62336-094-8, $23.99 US hard covers) is by Christine Ha, the winner of Season 3 of MasterChef. She’s also legally blind. There is little more I can say than to quote Gordon Ramsay, a MasterChef judge: “The lady has an extraordinary palate. She picks up hot ingredients, touches them, and thinks about this image on the plate. She has the most disciplined execution on a plate that we’ve ever seen.” The ability to cook by sense shines through in this book. Here are more than 75 recipes of American and Asiatic food. It is a good basic book, with such as seaweed rice rolls, sweetbread nuggets with bok choy, kale and mushroom chips, pulled pork, Bombay flatbread, and more. There’s a glossary, but not much on cooking by sense beyond her Introduction. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 20. FABIO’S ITALIAN KITCHEN; over 100 delicious family recipes (Hyperion Press, 2013, 296 pages, ISBN 978-1-4013-1277-0, $24.99 US soft covers) is by Fabio Viviani. He is now an owner of three Italian- style restaurants in California and Chicago. He’s been on Top Chef and spinoffs, and also has a weekly Yahoo cooking channel, Chow Ciao! Here, with log rolling from Batali, is a good introduction to traditional Italian dishes, with some twists. His family’s dishes range from apps to desserts, and cover potato-ricotta gnocchi, meatballs, risotto with pumpkin and walnuts, braised veal shanks, and gremolata. Other treats include a bored lamb in Chianti and a 12-hour slow cooked pork butt. Easy, not too complicated, but while I like octopus, it’s too far out on the fringe for this kind of book. Here’s another good-looking chef with a week’s stubble…Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 21. FLOUR, TOO; indispensable recipes for the café’s most loved sweets & savories (Chronicle Books, 2013, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-45210614, $35 US hard covers) is by Joanne Chang, owner and pastry chef at Flour Bakery + Café in Massachusetts, and co-owner of Myers + Chang. There is some heavy-duty logrolling from five players, including David Lebovitz, Amanda Hesser, and Dorie Greenspan. These are preps from the establishments, cut down and reworked for the family kitchen. But if there is anything here that uses gluten-free flour, then it is not indexed. Lots of photos about the restaurant and staff, plus some memoirish material on how the places run. The major arrangement is by course, beginning with breakfast and ending with party time. The sub- arrangement is by sweets and savouries. Breakfast seems to have typical “brunch” preps; lunch has sandwiches, soups, salads, stews. Dinner is salads and mains; party time is snacks and desserts. Nicely put together and photographed. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly metric and avoirdupois measurements, with some just in avoirdupois, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 86. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an “easy” format. Here are some recent “re- editions”... 22. FEAR OF FOOD; a history of why we worry about what we eat (University of Chicago Press, 2012, 2013, 218 pages, ISBN 978-0-226- 05490-2, $15 US soft covers) is by Harvey Levenstein, a professor emeritus of history at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He has published a number of books about American social food history, such as “Revolution at the Table” and “Paradox of Plenty”. This time out he describes the US as a “nation gripped by gustatory paranoia”: problems with eggs (raw? cholesterol? allergies?), wine (good? bad?), death by pesticides and/or additives and/or processed foods? Read all about it here, with a spillover to fears in Canada. A lot of the book deals with single products, such as eggs and milk, red meat, bacteria, and more. Early scientists warned about deadly microbes, followed by later researchers who say that processing food to get rid of microbes robs the food of vitamins and minerals. It is a see-saw battle, antagonized by Big Foody who prey on people’s fears by marketing their “food” to play into the fear of the day. There are also details on eating disorders, , diet, food preferences, and food phobias. It is a great history (loaded with end note references), well worth a read! Quality/price rating: 91. 23. THE APPETIZER COLLECTION (Transcontinental Books, 2013; distr. Random House Canada, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-9877474-4-0, $26.95 CAN soft covers) is by the Canadian Living Test Kitchen. The kitchen has been working its way through the family meal course by course over the years, and this time “appetizers” come up. Actually, the book is being pitched as party food preps, presumably because many family dinners are really just a main course with sides and desserts. But apps make the perfect upscale family dinner, entertainment for guests at a formal dinner, and are magnificent when folded over into lunches (either cooked as original or used as leftovers). The seven chapters here deal with appetizer party planning, dips and spreads, hot apps, cold apps, savoury pastries, tiny sandwiches, and snacks that go with drinks. As the book says, there is something for everyone here: the mix-and-match aspect gives you plenty of cooking/entertaining options. But watch out for the lamb lollipop prep: the meat will cost you an arm and a leg. About 200 recipes with variations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements (with some metric weights), but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 24. EASY ITALIAN; 30 classic recipes (Weldon Owen, 2013; distr. Simon & Schuster, 116 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-496-1, $16.95 US soft covers) and 25. EASY MEXICAN; 37 classic recipes (Weldon Owen, 2013; distr. Simon & Schuster, 116 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-497-8, $16.95 US soft covers) are both from Saveur magazine. They are classy presentations, with many photos, and suitable as affordable hostess gifts. Each has the basic food (pesto focaccia, minestrone, linguine with clams, eggplant parmesan, shrimp ceviche, tomatillo salsa, Mexican scrambled eggs, chicken and chile enchiladas, Mexican rice) with photos. There are also guide to Mexican dried chiles in the one book, Italian/Mexican pantries, Italian wines, and Mexican wines (and mezcal but no beers). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 26. VEGETABLES; a biography (University of Chicago Press, 2012, 112 pages, ISBN 978-0-226-05995-2, $15 US soft covers) is by Evelyne Bloch- Dano, who has written many diverse books. It was originally published in France in 2008. The book is slim, and marred even further by the lack of an index (although it does have a bibliography and enough blank pages [for an index] at the end). It’s sort of a condensed version of the Reaktion series of food books, covering 11 veggies (including parsnips, beans, cabbage, peas, pumpkins, and even tomatoes which are botanically “fruits”) with a handful of short preps such as a Sicilian tomato sauce (strattu), a vegetable tagine, a puree of root vegetables, and Alexandre Dumas’ asperges en petit pois. An engaging little book, but at this price, maybe one to borrow from the public library. Quality/price rating: 85. 27. EASY INDIAN COOKING. 2d ed. (Robert Rose, 2004, 2013, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0450-5, $19.95 CAN and US soft covers) is by Suneeta Vaswani. She has taught Indian cooking in the US and other places for over 30 years, but has just moved back to Mumbai where she was born. This second edition has a new Chaat and Street Foods section. Flavours abound but does ease, which makes the book n=beneficial to the home cook willing to try out Indian cuisine. Many cookbook s don’t make it to another edition, so it says something that this one is not only back in print but there are newer recipes. The total here is 140, and is mostly comprised of the classics from north and south India. There are notes on a pantry and on condiments (sauces and chutneys), as well as sweets and beverages. Many street food items can serve as apps. There’s yellow lentil soup with veggies (toor dal), scrambled eggs (akoori), caramelized carrot pudding (gajar ka halwa), and Indian style ratatouille with five spices (panch phoran tarkari). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 28. GUY GOURMET; great chefs’ amazing meals for a lean & healthy body (Rodale, 2013, 320 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-979-4, $24.99 US hard covers) has been edited by Adina Steiman and Paul Kita, with the editors of Men’s Health magazine. There are about 150 recipes here, from Rick Bayless, Thomas Keller, Anita Lo, Masaharu Morimoto, Marcus Samuelsson, and others. It’s based on the coverage in the magazine, and is directed to males. So there are brunches and breakfasts here, as well as fast weeknight dinners, snacks and big-batch food for crowds. There are also chapters on BBQ and grill, camp cookery, intimate dinners for “date night”, and man-sized celebrations such as trash can turkey, Guinness-braised short ribs, and cheese platters. Drinks are also included, but they are all cocktails and beers. Wine is basically, how to pour champagne. There are “masterclasses” for the standard prep, such as meatballs, kebabs, chili, dips, ice cream sauces, and chicken soup. It is all healthy enough food, but it is still a little light on veggies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 29. WEIGHTWATCHERS 50th ANNIVERSARY COOKBOOK (St. Martins Griffin, 2013, 335 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-03640-7, $29.99 US hard covers) is from WWI and is mainly derived from the magazine, although many of the preps in this book come from “Greatest Hits”, which has been around since 2002 and last appeared as the 40th anniversary cookbook (with 250 recipes). Here, there has been the usual updating with new nutrition values plus another 30 recipes, to be at 280 preps in all. If you have the 40th book, then you may safely pass up this one – unless you want the latest tips and the newest PointsPlus values. All courses are covered, from breakfasts through lunches, entrees, meatless, Italian faves, side dishes, and desserts. Very useful if you don’t have the earlier edition. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR APRIL 2013 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: Most prices listed below are in US currency as printed on the cover. CAN prices are inserted for Canadian produced books. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards every day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. WHY YOU LIKE THE WINES YOU LIKE; changing the way the world thinks about wine (HanniCo New Wine Fundamentals, 2013, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0- 615750-088-0, $ 25 US paper covers) is by Tim Hanni, MW. He proposes to find you “new insights about your personal wine preferences, how to find and enjoy wines on your terms, and how to match wine to the diner, not the dinner” of food. It is just common sense that different people will think about and taste wine differently – that’s why they are different. There is currently a real struggle in the wine writing world to come up with one all-purpose wine glass rather than several different glasses for different wines, as if that is the answer to promoting wine drinking. We’ve already had in the market many all- purpose wines suitable for parties, or for patios, or for dining. We’ve already had many all-purpose rules on what to drink with what food, such as red wines with flesh. But the rules do not take into consideration that very few of us actually merge food and wine in the mouth, and thus there is no modern mouthfeel when it actually comes to pairing wine and food. You need a merger. Tim was called the Wine Antisnob by the Wall Street Journal in January, 2008. He expresses his concept of Vinotypes (wine preferences) early on, from pages 4 to 20. Your Vinotype is the sum of the physiological and psychological factors that determine your unique wine preferences and values. So it is a measure of your sensitivity + your societal background + your wine likes. [If I say anything more, you won’t need to buy the book] He notes a lot of research about palates and consumers. Topics in the book include balance, sweet wines, delicate wines, smooth wines, intense wines – and harken back to earlier writings by Hanni on the weight of wine and how this should be conveyed and listed on the wine card. There’s material about the future of wine and wine production/marketing, and some appendices on umami, wine lists, wine terms, and sensory evaluation. Well-worth a purchase and a read, in small doses at a time. Audience and level of use: curious wine tasters, those wishing to read about controversy in the wine world. Some interesting or unusual facts: Being a supertaster does not really mean that you can taste and enjoy the nuances of wine over and above 75% of the population. It just means “Hypersensitive”, which Hanni wants us all to use as the correct term when describing supertasters as “Vinotypes” The downside to this book: I think a stronger editorial hand might have tightened many areas in the book, but that’s just the copy editor in me. And this is a continuing problem with any self-published book. The upside to this book: “This introductory volume for The New Wine Fundamentals wine education program is based on two decades of research by the author and many research colleagues. Hanni’s wine and food principles were adopted last year and taught as part of the Advanced Diploma curriculum for the Wine & Spirits Educational Trust.” Quality/Price Rating: 92. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. IT’S ALL GOOD: delicious, easy recipes that will make you look good and feel great (Grand Central Life & Style, 2013,;distr. Hachette, 303 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-2271-2, $32 US hard covers) is by Gwyneth Paltrow. The prominent focusing food writer is Julia Turshen. Here, Paltrow emphasizes the foods that promote her “clear eyes, glowing skin, and fit body”. Because she was anemic, deficient in Vitamin D, and her adrenal levels were too high, she began an elimination diet: no coffee, alcohol, dairy, sugar, shellfish, gluten or soy. Only organic food and nothing processed at all. Earlier she had written the well- received “My Father’s Daughter” – a collection about family food. There are some of those recipes here in this current book, along with others from her website, GOOP.com. The preps here are tied into three categories, noted by icons: elimination diet, vegan, and protein- packed. Nearly all diets follow the same rules (eat plant-based whole foods, lean protein, no white flour/sugar/dairy, no caffeine and no alcohol), and so this book is perfectly adaptable to all regimens. There are also 35 menus, sorted by kind and by week. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: dieters and others seeking a clean life. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: tomatillo salsa, sweet leftover quinoa, striped bass grilled with cucumber, Spanish chopped salad, spicy brussels sprouts, “buttermilk” waffles, salmon burgers, fish tacos, chopped salads, many-mushroom soup. The downside to this book: too many pix of Paltrow and friends The upside to this book: good sense. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. THE LIFE OF CHEESE; crafting food and value in America (University of California Press, 2013, 306 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27018-3, $29.95 US paper covers) is by Heather Paxson, an anthropology professor at MIT. It’s number 41 in the well-respected California Studies in Food and Culture series, but still comes with log rolling from five other people. Paxson tells the anthropological story of American artisanal cheese making, and its contribution to American culture. Much of the book is anecdotal in her stories of the cheese community: family members, employees, organizations, customers, other living things – but no scandals. As a relative of a successful US cheese maker, I can relate a few scandals that have been through the courts and banks, but this is a book review, so ‘nuff said. The serious part of the book deals with food politics, the land and terroir, and modern labour practices. There have been books about artisanal bakers and chocolatiers and wineries, but here it is the fromagier’s turn. A first rate read in understanding how and where our food comes from, and the artisanal life. There are also some small black and white photos, extensive endnotes, and a long bibliography. No recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 4. HUNGRY CAMPERS; cooking outdoors for 1 to 100 (Gibbs Smith, 2013, 127 pages, ISBN 978-0-4236-3028-9, $15.99 US spiral bound) is by Zac Williams, who also did the photography. It’s an easy book to have on a backpack trip since it emphasizes the basics: simplicity in flavours, campfire primers, large group cooking, Dutch oven, and more. There’s a three-day backpack menu, with hiker’s cereal, pita sandwiches, avocado bacon wrap, gorp, and some noodle dishes. There’s also an overnight camping menu, a summer camp menu (for six days), a Dutch oven menu (four days), and a gourmet three-day menu for the advanced chef. Good fun for families and youth groups. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 5. PRETZEL MAKING AT HOME (Chronicle Books, 2013; distr. Raincoast, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0964-0, $16.965 US hard covers) is by Andrea Stonecker, a food writer and the executive director of the Portland [OR] Culinary Alliance, as well as a cooking school instructor. It’s an open-and-shut book giving us sections on pretzel making basic, soft pretzels (19 preps), hard pretzels (12 preps), plus some dips and spreads. There’s more to do with soft pretzels, such as the Elvis peanut butter, banana, and bacon pretzelwich, pretzel bread pudding, and even pretzel croissants. Hard pretzels feature taralli, caramel- chocolate-pecan pretzels, and even pretzel ice cream. You can have fun with this book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 6. VEGETABLES PLEASE (DK Books, 2013, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-0202- 8, $25 US hard covers) is by Carolyn Humphries, a food writer and editor for more than three decades (more than 60 books and numerous articles). This DK book has the usual lush and plush photos, about 300 of them in colour. The publisher touts the book as “the more vegetables, less meat cookbook” – and so, that end, there is a section in every recipe called “Optional Meat” or Fish, with information about a non-vegetarian option. This is extremely useful. The book opens with a primer on pantry of veggies plus spices and herbs. This is followed by 200 or so recipes, each with an indication of service and preparation time and cooking time. And then there is a techniques section. The arrangement is by form: soups, salads, pasta and rice, pan-fries and fritters, curries, stews, casseroles, pizzas and wraps, tortillas, tarts, pies, grills and bakes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: the home cook Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: zucchini and pea mini wraps; rainbow pepper Mexican tacos; maki sushi; chile bean and veggie braise with fried eggs; potato and tomato curry; crepes with mushrooms, garlic and cheese. The downside to this book: nothing really, but if pushed I’d say a little bit too basic. The upside to this book: good photos of techniques plus a larger typeface. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 7. COOKING WELL: HEALTHY CHINESE (Hatherleigh, 2013, 236 pages, ISBN 978-1-57826-428-5, $12.50 US soft covers) is by Wang Renxiang, David W. Wang, and Jo Brielyn. The latter is a contributing writer in this book of over 125 easy preps. The book follows the yin and yang concepts of health: the cool yin embraces fruits and veggies, sugar and alcohol, and fresh dairy, while the hot yang is salty foods (aged cheeses), red meat, and poultry. But when you eat Chinese, it is always best to cook it yourself. My problems with Chinese restaurants are too much salt/sugar, and cheap ingredients (in order to be competitive). So this book has healthy food (although you can cut back even more on the salt). There’s an overview of Chinese ingredients and their nutritional benefits, healthy alternatives to oils/salts, and a guide on where to find them. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginner home cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: steamed orange chicken, dry- fried shredded beef, lamb with cumin, steamed eggplant with garlic and sesame paste, and shanghai-style steamed buns. The downside to this book: some salt could still be reduced. The upside to this book: by cooking the healthy food yourself, you’ll save on dubious ingredients. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 8. 150 BEST DESSERTS IN A JAR (Robert Rose, 2013, 221 pages, ISBN 978- 0-7788-0435-2, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by food writer Andrea Jourdan. It’s trendy these days, at least in restaurants, to present desserts in a jar, mainly Mason jars. It is certainly a clever use for jars that have lost lids, or for an antique jar that no longer seals well. You may not have enough of one type for a dinner party, that that is the charm: different shapes. So here is a whole pile of preps – 150 or so – ranging from warm fruit desserts (crumbles, cobblers, etc.), steamed puddings, bread puddings, custards, creams, flans, cakes, and soufflés through colder or room temperature delights of tutti frutti, gelatin, trifles, tisamisu, freezer creams, and so forth. The obvious rule is to use Mason jars or some tempered glass vessel for the hot desserts, and something similar for the frozen ones. Apart from that, you could just pretty well go to it for single-serving treats that are readily available for warming up later or straight from the fridge/freezer. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks, or restaurants looking for ideas. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: peach melba, blackberry mont blanc, burnt orange crème brule, iced mocha syllabub, pear and almond crumble. Quality/Price Rating: 89 9. 150 BEST EBELSKIVER RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2013, 256 pages, ISBN 978- 0-7788-0442-0, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Camilla V. Saulsbury, a food writer and recipe developer. It continues a series from the publisher about small desserts (see above for desserts in a jar, and below for mini pies). Here it is a single-use pan that attracts: ebelskivers, which can produce puffed pancake balls. The original (or variations) has been found in Japan, China, Thailand and India. It turned up in Holland and Denmark as a result of their respective trading with Asia. Here, in this book, they are traditional Danish pancakes served as a special occasion sweet treat. They are about the size of a racquetball, and have the consistency of part doughnut, popover and pancake. They are cooked on top of a stove in a seven-well ebelskiver pan. They are a main treat served stuffed with raspberry jam at Christmas, along with mulled wine glogg. The pans have been a best- selling item at Williams-Sonoma for the past five years; restaurants also are serving the puffs. The book is in four main parts: breakfast and brunch treats, serious desserts, savoury options, and international dishes from Asia, Europe and Africa. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks, or restaurants looking for ideas. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: spiced carrot ebelskivers; blue cheese and pecan ebelskivers with pear compote; green chile and jalapeno ebelskivers; fluffernut puffs; o=pistachio and raisin ebelskivers. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 10. 175 BEST MINI PIE RECIPES: sweet to savory (Robert Rose, 2013, 332 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0439-0, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Julie Anne Hession, a food writer. It is another book – of three – featuring small desserts (see ebelskivers and jars above). It’s another trend in both the restaurant and the home, perfectly adaptable to individual tastes and individual meal times. When you want one (or more) of different kinds, just find it in the fridge and warm them up…any time… They are mostly sweet, covering the whole range of desserts, but there are also 90 pages devoted to savories such as meat, veggies, and seafood. You will find tartlets, strudels, quiches, pot pies, pasties, samosas, and others. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks, or restaurants looking for ideas. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: The top ten classics include mini-apple pies, maple-glazed pumpkin pies, lemon meringue tartlets, cherry and hazelnut strudels, Mississippi mud pies, mini-chicken pot pies, steak and mushroom Guinness stew pasties, spanakopita, baked masala veggie samosas, and ham with cheese quiches. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 11. SLICE & BAKE COOKIES; fast recipes from your refrigerator or freezer. (Chronicle Books, 2013; distr. Raincoast, 120 pages, ISBN 978- 1-4521-0962-6, $18.95 US soft covers) is by Elinor Klivans, a former pastry chef who has written many book on home baking dealing with cookies, cupcakes, and fast breads. Here she creates a database of quick cookie doughs that can be stored in advance of baking, useful for last minute get-togethers or bake sales or assuaging the afternoon pecks. The 45 preps show that Klivans has turned a lot of standard cookies into a “freeze and bake” system. There are four categories: chewy, crisp, savoury, and stuffed/sandwich cookies. There is also the usual primer information on making changes and storing. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home bakers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chive and black pepper logs; bacon and cheddar crisps; wafers stuffed with figs and tapenade; sun- dried tomato and basil strudel; snickerdoodles; sugar cookies; almond macaroons. The downside to this book: no gluten-free advice is offered. The upside to this book: good concept book Quality/Price Rating: 86. 12. CRACKERS & DIPS; more than 50 handmade snacks (Chronicle Books, 2013; distr. Raincoast, 143 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0950-3, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Ivy Manning, a food writer and columnist for the Oregonian in Portland. Here are 52 formulas for crisp snacks and some dips to eat with them. Homemade is always better for crackers because then you get to control the preservatives, additives and salts. Some of the crackers here are vegan, gluten-free and/or whole grain. The crackers are in five sections: light and crunchy, international, healthy, easy, and sweet crackers. This is followed by 18 dips, all of which could replace butter in a restaurant serving bread. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and (mostly) avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home bakers, restaurants. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: smoked almond thins, flax seed pizza crackers, amaranth crackers with cheddar and pepitas, black pepper taralli, Irish blue cheese and walnut shortbread, bacon and caramelized onion jam, albacore tuna tartare with hijiki. The downside to this book: a bit short – I wanted more!! The upside to this book: good single ingredient book. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work, but how could that be? They all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food shots, verging on gastroporn. The endorsements are from other celebrities in a magnificent case of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – MAD HUNGRY CRAVINGS (Artisan, 2013; distr. T. Allen, 306 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-438-2, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Lucinda Scala Quinn, food writer and chef with her own cooking show “Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn”. She’s also the executive food editor of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. These are her versions of dishes that families seem to enjoy: sesame chicken, pulled pork, New York-style cheesecake, pad thai, potato skins, and more – 173 preps in all. Her arrangement is by meal, beginning with brekkies, moving on to lunch (or anytime), ending with dinner mains and then desserts. There are many, many tips along the way, in such categories as “note”, “good to know”, “freezer friend”, and “how to pull it off”. She emphasizes the importance of a larder/pantry and tells us of the four main ones: North American, Mediterranean, Asian, and Latin. With these you can conquer the world. Still, a lot of the food is on the heavy side, and appeals mainly to guys. In that respect it is an extension to her earlier book “Mad Hungry: feeding men and boys”. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. CELEBRITY VINEYARDS; from Napa to Tuscany (Welcome Books, 2013; distr. Random House of Canada, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-59962-116-6, $35 US paper covers) is by Nick Wise, who once was a wine merchant but now is a writer of pop culture. It’s the first of three to be written about the celebrities who own vineyards. This one covers 16 people in California, Canada, Italy, and Spain (volume two will deal with Washington State, France, Australia, New Zealand, more California and Italy with another 15 vineyards). Celebrities include movie stars such as Raymond Burr, Fess Parker, and Dan Aykroyd in North America, plus Antonio Banderas in Spain. There are some race car drivers (Andretti, Lewis, Trulli), film people (Disney, Coppola, Oliveros) and some sports figures – but no golfers (they’ll be in volume two)! The major criteria were that they be actively involved in the winemaking process (not just fronting the operation), and that the wines be generally available for sale. Each chapter gives us some insight into the celebrity’s life and reasons for wanting to make wine, gives us some photos of the people involved and the terroir landscape, and some conclusions (e.g., it takes a lot of money). There are some tasting notes and label shots at the end of each chapter. There is also a glossary and a directory of addresses and websites to the wineries covered. Quality/price rating: 85. WHERE THERE’S SMOKE; simple, sustainable, delicious grilling (Sterling Epicure, 2013, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-9705-7, $30 US hard covers) is by Barton Seaver, a former Washington DC chef and current speaker/National Geographic Fellow working to restore our relationship with the ocean and the land, and with each other through dinner. He’s spoken just about everywhere and has appeared on many US TV networks. His first cookbook (For Cod and Country) was published two years ago. Here he tackles fresh, organic produce, fish, beef and poultry, emphasizing fire cookery. His book has a lot of primer data on grilling and techniques for healthier and greener grilling. He’s also got ideas on adding flavour through smoke, making veggies a main component of grilling, cooking many courses on one flame, and matching wines. Log rolling includes chefs and cookbook authors such as Deborah Madison. If you’d like something different, try grilled tuna spines, smoked lamb shoulder or his version of merguez. There’s a resource list at the back. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. FAMILY TABLE; favorite staff meals from our restaurants to your home (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 336 pages, ISBN 978-0-547-61562-2, $35 US hard covers) has been assembled by Michael Romano (culinary director for Union Square Hospitality Group, a Beard Award winner, and cookbook author) and Karen Stabiner (food writer and cookbook author), with log rolling by Mario Batali and Daniel Boulud. It’s a great idea for a book: every restaurant has some food available for its staff, family style, before the lunch and dinner services. Often it is improvised, or about new experimental dishes, or about tasty leftovers. Romano has sifted through a variety of these staff meals as done at his restaurants (Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Tabla, Blue Smoke, The Modern, Maialino, Untitled, North End Grill, Union Square Café) and regularized them for home cooks. Stabiner writes about the cooks and how the dishes came to be: it is all backstage memoir material, along with photos. Most preps are regional, such as Dominican chicken, fish tacos, and Thai beef. Others are comfort food such as turkey potpie, coffee cake, and corn soup. There’s something here for every family to try. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. LEON FAMILY AND FRIENDS (Conran Octopus, 2012; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 308 pages, ISBN 978-1-84091-619-5, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Kay Plunkett-Hogge (cookbook writer) and John Vincent (co-owner of Leon in London). Over the years, since 2004, the Leon group has expanded to now feature 13 restaurants, serving some 70,000 people a week. This is a fourth book, and contains hundreds more preps for bold dishes that can be prepared quickly at home. It’s arranged in three major sections: first, “Today” has recipes for just about every occasion, taking about 20 minutes if the mise en place is used. Typical dishes are for breakfasts, speedy lunches, afternoon snacks, and simple weekday dinners. The second half is “Tomorrow”: preps that can be made in advance when you have time, for food on the move, kids’ meals, party food. The layout of the book is an ADD sufferer’s delight, especially the acknowledgements pages. This may put some people off, but I know some young people who are delighted with a book that actually seems to have material that leaps off the page, or, as they say, comin’ right at ya! Typical preps include the upside-down apple and cranberry crumble, slow-cooked lamb shepherd’s pie, devilish chicken drumsticks, and potato and leek soup. There are a couple of bookmark ribbons, the ingredients are listed in bold typeface, and there is also an index by type of diet (e.g. gluten-free, low glycemic and low fat). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. THE MEATBALL COOKBOOK (Mitchell Beazley, 2013; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84533-763-6, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Jez Felwick who owns and operates a food truck in the UK: Great Balls of Fire. He provides gourmet meatballs, fish balls, and veggie balls, plus an endless variety of sides, sauces, dips and condiments. For his fans, there is now his book, divided as to meat, fish and veggies. If you like ball culture, then this book is for you: shrimp balls, lamb and rosemary meatballs, green chile chicken balls, brown rice and red lentil balls. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. MODERN MEDITERRANEAN; easy, flavorful home cooking (Stewart Tabori & Chang, 2013, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-61769-018-1, $35 US hard covers) is by Melia Marden, of Greek extraction and now executive chef of The Smile in New York City. The resto serves seasonal food, and that’s what she advocates in her 125 easy preps for the home cook, with log rolling from the Lee Brothers and Joan Didion. There’s a collection of 17 suggested menus at the back; unfortunately, none have page references so you’ll have to look them all up in the index. Topics cover a French country dinner, a Christmas dinner (largely Moroccan), an Easter feats, a BBQ grill, a Taverna offering, a garden party, a cocktail party. There’s a full range of ideas, from apps and drinks to desserts, with basic pantry information for sticking up. The book is also partly memoirish, which photos. Try fava bean crostini, minted snap peas, fennel with cucumber and pomegranate salad, sauteed shaved asparagus, a potato-fontina pizza, spaghetti in lemon cream, or Greek yoghurt panna cotta. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric and (mostly) avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. HAND-CRAFTED CANDY BARS; from-scratch, all-natural, gloriously grown-up confections (Chronicle Books, 2013, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0965-7, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Susie Norris (chocolatiers of Happy Chocolates in Los Angeles) and Susan Heeger (food writer). These bars are thick and layered with nougat or crisp with toffee, and then coated with extra fine chocolate. They’ve taken familiar commercial bars and other faves from the past – and re-created them using freshly wrought ingredients at home. There is a mix and match flavour chart for people to customize their own bars. It’s a delicious book with stunning photography: almond coconut bars, rocky road, coffee crisps, nougat bars, peanut cups, caramel pecan tortoises – and more!! Recipes show quantities and time needed, as well as tips and variations. There is a primer on equipment and pantry holdings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. CHEESECAKE; 60 classic and original recipes for heavenly desserts (Ryland Peters & Small, 2013, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-353-4, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Hannah Miles, an early winner in MasterChef – in 2007 she was one of three finalists. She continues to make TV appearances and has written other cookbooks on popcorn, whoopie pies, and doughnuts. Here she tackles 60 cheesecakes, very easy to make. She begins with a primer. The classics here include chocolate chip and baked vanilla. Then there are the fruity (champagne rhubarb), the candy bar (peanut brittle), the gourmet (salty honey), the party (trifle cheesecake, baked Alaska), and the global (cardamom bun, Japanese cherry blossom). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Here are some recent “re-editions”... CHAMPIONSHIP BBQ SECRETS FOR REAL SMOKED FOOD. 2d ed. (Robert Rose, 2013, 405 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0449-9, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Karen Putman and Judith Fertig. Putman was a BBQ prize-winning chef with a grand championship and several world championships; Fertig is a food writer who has produced eight BBQ books with a co-author. It was originally published in 2006 with Putman, but she has since died and Fertig began work on an update with new preps from the BBQ cooks’ community. So, as the publisher says, there are even more secrets here. Over 300 recipes are provided, arranged by main product such as poultry, pork, lamb, fish, shellfish, and the like. There is, of course, the primer on the art of smoking and BBQ competitions. And the primer on brines, rubs, marinades, bastes and sauces. The source guide at the back is all US except for one in BC, but Canada is included in the North American Regional Barbecue section, itemizing what works best on a provincial basis. For Ontario, my home, there are pork ribs with maple syrup, maple-smoked freshwater fish, and tomato-based maple- sweetened sauces. Quebec isn’t mentioned, but you can figure it out from blending the Maritime Provinces (salt pork, salmon, maple, French- inspired sauces) with Ontario. And of course, out in BC it is fish, oysters, and Asian-styled sauces. Photos illustrate techniques of brining and smoking. This is a nice book for chicken wings, cold smoked veggies, salmon with white wine, stuffed game hens, and rack of lamb. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. RECIPES AND DREAMS; from an Italian life (Appetite by Random House, 2013, 338 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01603-9, $34.95 CAN hard covers) is by Tessa Kiros, author of several food and travel books. She has explored the world since the age of 18, cooking and traveling, and finally settling down in Tuscany with her Italian husband. The book was originally published last year in Australia by Murdoch Books. It’s a tribute to the women in her life: mother, mother-in-law, grandmothers – and to other women. The nine chapters are headed for names of rooms and items in the home: the linen cupboard, the pantry, the bread oven, the snack box, the pasta pot, the dining room, the sugar bin, the ice box, et al. There’s a collection of photos, memoirish sidebars containing tips, and about 100 recipes. Preps include limoncello, salsa verde, quince jelly, pasta al forno Sicilian, rabbit pate, mascarpone and lavender ice cream, and green tagliatelle. It would make a handsome gift book. But the index not only has teeny tiny font size, but also has no contrast between the grey ink and the white paper. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. FOOD; vegetarian home cooking (Sterling Epicure, 2013, 234 pages, ISBN 978-1-4549-0726-8, $29.96 US hard covers) is by Mary McCartney; she has been a consultant to Linda McCartney Foods for over a decade. It is a family book, full of memoir material, photos, observations about food, stories about the recipes, and the like. It was originally published in the UK in 2012 by Chatto and Windus. There’s a primer on veggie cooking, followed by divisions with breakfast, brunch, snacks, sandwiches, soups and starters, salads, mains, sides, and desserts. It’s got more photos than I would have wanted, but the preps are all tasty, such as the shepherd’s pie, the asparagus summer tart, and the spinach-leek-zucchini frittata. The additional interest here is Paul McCartney’s comfort food listings and recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. THE EASY KITCHEN: pizza & focaccia (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2013, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-379-1, $19.95 US hard covers) and THE EASY KITCHEN: salads & dressings (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2013, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-376-0, $19.95 US hard covers) …are two new entries in the series designed to promote “simple recipes for delicious food every day”. The preps have been culled from RP&S writers. In the pizza book, Maxine Clark contributed the bulk, but there were contributions from six other writers. The salads book used mainly recipes from Fiona Smith, but eight other writers were also used. In this standard format, there are about 75 recipes with 80 colour photos. They are all basic, and the books can be host gifts. The salads book is arranged by a section on dressings, followed by “the classics”, grains, meats, pasta, potato, nuts, and cheese. The pizza book is divided into thick, thin, calzones, focaccia, and pizzette. Both books’ preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. HOME MADE SUMMER (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2013, 232 pages, ISBN 978-1-61769-015-0, $35 US hard covers) is by Yvette Van Boven, a freelance food stylist and recipe writer who runs a restaurant and catering business in Amsterdam. It was originally published in 2011, but this is its first North American release. Sometime back she had published Home Made. This is the third volume, expressly put together for the warmer climate time of year. Last year (2012) she’ll come out with Home Made Winter (in English). Meanwhile, here there are 150 colourful and black-and-white illustrations, of food, techniques, finished plates, and some touristy angles. It’s arranged by course, with breakfast, tea time, drinks, apps, mains, and desserts. All of it is geared to tasty foods. There’s peach tart, zucchini cake with lemon glaze, red iced tea, cantaloupe soup with goat cheese and basil oil, white gazpacho, buttery corn risotto, spicy ratatouille, and more. The pictures accompanying the food are generally terrific, but there is not enough of them (but there are quite a few non-food pix). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. THE DUKE’S TABLE; the complete book of vegetarian Italian cooking (Melville House, 1930, 2013; distr. Random House Canada, 333 pages, ISBN 978-1-61219-139-3, $40 US hard covers) is by Enrico Alliata, the Duke of Salaparuta. It was originally published in 1930, at 1000 recipes! Actually, the number was 1009 in categories of appetizers, soups, salads, pasta, timballi, lunch and side dishes, mains, eggs, desserts, drinks, etc. There is a separate list of these at the back, along with a traditional index. Alliata reworked all the classic Italian dishes to be meatless. The book has been modernized to reflect modern oven temperatures and quantities, but otherwise it remains the same. At the front, there is a basic chart of cooking techniques for the most common vegetables and their service size. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR MARCH 2013 ====================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: 2013 WARNING – PRICE ALERT: All prices listed below are in US DOLLARS as printed on the cover. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards each day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. PAIRING FOOD & WINE FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley & Sons, 2013, 382 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-39957-6, $22.99 US soft covers) is by John Szabo, Canada’s first Master Sommelier (2004). He is now a wine consultant to restaurant and a free-lance wine writer (e.g. winealign.com). Here he has done an excellent job of dialing down the process of food and wine pairing, and that is a good thing since many people still to seem to follow the older rigid rules. Knowing the best wines to pair with food (and vice versa) is the height of the modern art of social food graces. Of course, there are many apps for this matching: just key in your wine or your food and back come some choices. But Szabo tries to explain the rationales, and hopefully reduce your dependence on Internet resources. When dining out, you can only go to the bathroom or lobby just so many times when you want to check your apps/email/texts/tweets. He proposes strategies for food low and high (burgers, bbq, Asiatic, fusion, haute cuisines). Along the way he delves into using your own senses and tastes to develop likes and dislikes with your mouthfeel. Styles of wine and food are discussed, restaurant sommelier advice is consumed, and finding a restaurant that knows what it is doing with wines – all are important here. At the end, he goes into how to put on a wine and food party, beyond the cheese and snacks, to figure out which kinds of wine to served, how much wine, and with which foods. Audience and level of use: beginners, those without a phone app. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: his top ten food-friendly wines include unoaked chardonnay, riesling, sauvignon blanc, champagne, pinot noir, gamay, and valpolicella. The downside to this book: wine markups in restaurants are not discussed. The upside to this book: useful enough for both Canada and the US. Quality/Price Rating: 92. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. ONE-POT WONDERS; cooking in one pot, one wok, one casserole, or one skillet with 250 all-in-one recipes (John Wiley & Sons, 2013, 430 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-61536-2, $23.99 US soft covers) is by Clifford Wright, a Beard winning author who writes for magazines and teaches at cooking schools. Most of his books have dealt with the Mediterranean basin. Here he covers the world on one pot meals (which includes woks and grills) with a global slant. He has a description of the types of cooking vessels you can use. He also has an important sidebar on how to convert recipes to slow-cookers. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: cooks who like to braise. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: udon noodles with scallops; salmon with leeks and potatoes; veal-cabbage-pumpkin ragout; pork carnitas tacos; kielbasa and cabbage with horseradish sauce. The downside to this book: no illustrations, but I can live with that; certainly it keeps the weight of the book AND the price down. The upside to this book: there are lots of tips and sidebar advice. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. MASTER CLASS WITH TOBA GARRETT; cake artistry and advanced decorating techniques (Wiley & Sons, 2013, 228 pages, ISBN 978-0-470- 58122-3, $65 US hard covers) is by one of the US leaders in cake decorating and design. She has won many international gold medals for her work, and she teaches at New York’s Institute of Culinary Education. She has written many books, her latest being “Professional Cake Decorating, 2d ed” last year. Her current book has the techniques, and recipes to create showstoppers. There are full-colour photos for techniques and finished plates. After a primer (stringwork, scrollwork, lattices, piping), the chapters cover anniversary cakes, birthday cakes, groom’s cakes, wedding cakes, seasonal cakes, and “small bites” of decorated cookies and cupcakes. There’s a selection of basic recipes covering meringues, ganache, icings, buttercream, pastillage, jams and curds. At the end there are 16 pages of templates for patterns, all sized at 100%. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The photos are gorgeous. Audience and level of use: pastry makers, chefs, hospitality students. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: headdress cake; Australian stringwork cake; Venetian mask cake; antique clock. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4. BETTY GOES VEGAN; 500 classic recipes for the modern family (Grand Central Life & Style, 2013, 480 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-0933-1, $26.99 US hard covers) is by Annie and Dan Shannon, both animal rights activists. With log rolling from other vegan cookbook authors, the Shannons had set out to “veganize” The Betty Crocker Cookbook. So it is a basic vegan cookbook eschewing flesh and animal products such as eggs, milk and honey. There’s a primer on the vegan kitchen, followed by chapters dealing with breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, baked desserts, apps and snacks, and holiday faves for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter and Passover. Dinner entrees cover the range of casseroles, pizzas, melts, pasta, beans, and international flavours. Preparations have their ingredients listed in only avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans, vegetarians, those seeking a more healthy style of eating. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: hot and sour shiitake mushroom miso soup; Mandarin vegan chicken salad; green chili lasagna; baked spinach gnudi; strawberry and rhubarb pie. The downside to this book: you’ll need to eat a lot of tofu and soy- textured products. The upside to this book: good database, and great idea. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 5. GET STARTED BAKING (DK Books, 2013, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-0195- 3, $15 US hard covers) and 6. GROWING VEGETABLES (DK Books, 2013, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-0196- 0, $15 US hard covers) and 7. GET STARTED PRESERVING (DK Books, 2013, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654- 0194-6, $15 US hard covers) and 8. GET STARTED WINE APPRECIATION (DK Books, 2013, 192 pages, ISBN 978- 1-4654-0201-1, $15 US hard covers) These four books are part of a new introductory series from DK Books, aimed at novice cooks or those who just want to learn the basics about a particular part of food preparation. They are uniform in format, same length, same type of close-up photography (about 350 pix in each book), and same editorial control. They have been described as a “visual reference series”. Each title simulates classroom lessons by question- and-answer, step-by-step explanations, and graded projects and assessments. There’s a primer section to identify key techniques, a series of practice projects with sharp photos, and annotated completion pix with troubleshooting advice. For example, baking starts with cupcakes and meringues, and then moves on to moist brownies, wobbling cheesecakes, and ends up with gateaux, piping profiteroles, and baking artisanal bread. The vegetable book, mainly in the garden (no preps), begins with sowing salad greens, growing tomatoes, making a tipi for beans, growing tree fruit, designing an herb garden, and storing the crops for the winter months. Preserving begins with pickles, storing fruit in alcohol, making spicy chutneys, moving on to jams, cordials, and then finishing with fruit curds, making wine, and curing fish and meats. The wine book begins with flavour identifications, distinguishing amongst red, white, rose and sparkling wines, then moves on to grape varieties and New vs. Old World winemaking styles, finishing with oaking, microclimates, and food and wine matching. Recipes, when they exist, have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: The series uses practice project to explore key techniques in-depth so that the reader always learns by doing. The downside to this book: need more titles in the series! The upside to this book: great pictures. Quality/Price Rating: 90 each. 9. AARP NEW AMERICAN DIET: lose weigh, live longer (Wiley & Sons, 2013, 226 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-18511-7, $19.95 US hard covers) is by John Whyte, MD, chief medical expert for the Discovery Channel. It has been drawn principally from the National Institute of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study, yet still needs log rolling from four celebrities, including Dean Ornish, MD. The crux here is three practical weight-loss plans (7, 14, and 30-day plans) with dozens of recipes (apps to side dishes) plus advice on how to prevent/manage heart disease, cancer and diabetes. A good section is on sifting through conflicting data dealing caffeine, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, frozen veggies, salt, fruit juice, and cooking oils. The book has plenty of references and resources, especially on the Internet, which seemed designed for seniors to read, enjoy and learn – with their new time. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: seniors (and others) who are looking for a useful diet. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: there’s a listing of top 25 things NOT to do (skipping breakfast, eating too fast, eating out more than three times a week) and 25 things to emphasize (sharing a dessert, consuming low-fat dairy, eating a handful of nuts every day). The downside to this book: could have been longer and more detailed. The upside to this book: large typeface. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 10. THE MEDITERRANEAN SLOW COOKER (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-547-74445-1, $22 US soft covers) is by Michele Scicolone who has written many cookbooks, mostly about Italian cuisine. This is her third slow cooker book: the first two (Italian, French) were published in 2011 and 2012, so she is on track for an annual slow cooker book. Here she reaches widely through the Mediterranean basin, de-emphasizing Italy and France (she’s done them, as I note above) and moving on to spiced carrot soup from Morocco, red lentil soup from the Middle East, hake in green sauce from Spain, jugged chicken from Portugal, meatballs with feta and tomato sauce from Greece. Chapters are divided into courses, beginning with soups, moving through eggs, seafood, poultry, meats, pasta and grains, beans, veggies and desserts. Non-cooker accompaniments are covered, listed as “out of the pot” for such as pesto and yogurts. And of course, you can use these preps in an “acoustic” casserole cooker – just adjust the instructions. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 11. COUNTRY COOKING MADE EASY; over 1000 delicious recipes for perfect home-cooked meals (Firefly Books, 2013, 496 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085- 095-8, $19.95 CAN paper covers) has been “gleaned from the kitchens of expert country cooks dedicated to the celebration of country food” (back cover) it is a nice omnium gatherum of recipes such as we used to see forty years ago. Here, they are about two to a page, signed by a contributor, and they work. A good compendium of solid country fare, for those that need one, covering in its dozen chapters, breakfasts through snacks, soups, meats, pasta, baking, preserves and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners or those looking for a book with many recipes in it. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: beer-braised rabbit; saddle of elk; Michigan Dutch-styled rabbit; sweet-and-sour ribs; maple custard. There are also two macs and cheese, plus other macaroni dishes. The downside to this book: I would have liked some metric information. The upside to this book: large compendium of basic but hearty preps. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 12. ONE PAN, TWO PLATES; more than 70 complete weeknight meals for two (Chronicle Books, 2013, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0670-0, $24.95 US soft covers) is by Carla Snyder, caterer, cooking school teacher, and food writer. This book is an extension of the one pot book in that just one pan is used but the time element is, of course, quicker. These are fresh, cooked-from-scratch weeknight meals. A typical prep, as she explains, is sauteed pork chops with sweet potato and apple, and a mustard sauce. The first step is to partially sauté the chops, remove, add slices of apples and sweet potato, continue cooking, add back the chops, cover, remove and serve, whisking a mustard sauce with the remaining juices, pouring over the meat. And the prep time can be halved if two participate. No leftovers can be considered another bonus. So this is a main course book, with a primer up front to help you speed up the processes. The first chapter covers pastas, grains and hot sandwiches. Next are meat dinners, followed by poultry dinners and then fish dinners. There are some veggie dishes in the first chapter, suitable as accompaniments or as vegetarian mains. At the back, there are two indexes, one alphabetical by ingredient, the other by them (dinner in 30 minutes or less, spring meals, summer meals, winter meals, and vegetarian meals. Preparations have their ingredients partially listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: intermediate level cooks; harried cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: herbed chicken paillards with zucchini pancakes and cherry tomato pan sauce; veal piccata with brussels sprout hash and apples; lamb kebabs with harissa, chickpeas, and summer squash; Thai red curry chicken with bell peppers and broccoli; poached halibut with chive gremolata, brussels sprouts, and butter bean mash. The downside to this book: you might need to practice in order to get the hang of it. A substitution list might also be useful, in case someone forgot something. The upside to this book: there are indications of hands on time and prep times. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 13. BAKE IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT; gorgeous cakes from inside out (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2012, 252 pages, ISBN 978-1-61769-013-6, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Gesine Bullock-Prado, a baker who has written a memoir and two other cookbooks (one on confections and candies, the other on pies). Here she tackles cakes with great presentations both outside and inside. She shows how to create patterns such as hearts, rainbows, polka dots, checkerboards, and so forth, so that when the cake is cut open, you can see the pattern. Plus of course, there are the fabulous outside garnishes of frostings. She’s got sponge cakes, pound cakes, tortes, cheesecakes, and meringues. As she says, there are “easy peasy” preps and more complex ones to aspire to. There are plenty of tips, some memoirish material, and excellent photography, particularly of the techniques. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no listed table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks, restaurants wishing to make a splash with cake patterns. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: nussbuserln torte; mandelkranzchen; wild blueberry and guanabana Bavarian cream layer cake; Madame Butterfly sponge cake; Gerbeaud slices; lemon-rosemary- blackberry vacherin. The downside to this book: some preps look daunting, but the pix are excellent. The upside to this book: the patterns on the inside. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK... +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they’ve been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I’ll try to point this out. The usual shtick is “favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks”. There is also PR copy on “demystifying ethnic ingredients”. PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase “mouth-watering recipes” as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don’t seem to work, but how could that be? They all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food shots, verging on gastroporn. The endorsements are from other celebrities in a magnificent case of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don’t ignore them altogether. Here’s a rundown on the latest crop of such books – 14. COOKING WITH QUINOA FOR DUMMIES (Wiley & Sons, 2013, 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-44780-2, $19.99 US soft covers) is by Cheryl Forberg, RD, nutritionist for “The Biggest Loser” and a Beard winning chef. Here she has over 140 recipes for quinoa, highly touted (and rightly so) as the world’s greatest gluten-free and most protein-packed grain. It is also high in fiber, contains anti-oxidants, and is rich in the B vitamins, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and iron. For vegetarians and vegans, it is extremely useful since it has complete proteins. Shaped like cous-cous, millet, amaranth, steel-cut oats, even rice, it can be used in any prep calling for these grains/seeds. In other words, it can be used as porridge, muffin, wrap stuffing, veggie salad, vegan burger, and all manner of breads. Try quinoa rotelle with cannellini and wilted arugula, chilied fish tacos with quinoa and fire-roasted salsa, or “ambrosia” with vanilla yogurt cream. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. CHLOE’S VEGAN DESSERTS; more than 100 exciting new recipes for cookies and pies, tarts and cobblers, cupcakes and cakes – and more! (Atria Paperback, 2013, 257 pages, ISBN 978-1-4516-3676-5, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Chloe Coscarelli, author of “Chloe’s Kitchen” and winner of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. Here she gives us 100 preps that are dairy-free and (for the allergy sufferers) convertible to soy-free and gluten-free and “sugar”-free baking. There is a good range here: dessert for breakfast (cakes, doughnuts, French toast, muffins), spoon desserts, plus drinks and whatever was mentioned in the subtitle (see above). There are end chapters on the basics (piecrusts, ice cream, sauces, nuts) and some material on the sweet pantry. There is a good layout and a constant reminder of gluten-free alternatives. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. PIES SWEET AND SAVORY (DK Books, 2013, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-0203- 5, $25 US hard covers) is by Caroline Bretherton, with Jane Bamforth. She’s a caterer, owner of Manna Café in London, TV host, family food writer for British papers, and DK author of other cookbooks. This is a pie reference tool, with over 230 international preps for pies and tarts. There’s a long primer on pie dough, covering sweet dough, lard- based dough, hot-water dough, puff pastry, strudel dough, gluten-free dough, cookie crust, edges, and baking blind. The book has chapters devoted to poultry pies and tarts, meat pies and tarts, fish pies and tarts, vegetarian pies and tarts, fruit pies and tarts, and other sweeties. Try some deep fried mincemeat ravioli, or a spicy butternut squash and feta parcel. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There are also good large typefaces and an excellent index. Quality/price rating: 89. PATI’S MEXICAN TABLE; the secrets of real Mexican home cooking (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-547-63647-4, $30 US hard covers) is by Pati Jinich who hosts a PBS show of the same name as the book’s title. She’s also the official chef of the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington DC, appearing widely as a spokesperson for Mexican culinary culture. It’s an all-purpose Mexican book, meant for families, with toned down heat and spiciness (add your own) and titles such as “chicken a la trash” (pollo a la basura), a one-pot meal. There’s some fancy logrolling from Batali, Rossetto Kasper, and Nathan. The book is arranged by course, beginning with condiments such as salsa and guacamole. So there are salads, soups, vegetarian, seafood, poultry, meat, sides and desserts, as well as drinks. The essential ingredients for the home kitchen appear to be soft corn tortillas, refried beans, different salsas, queso fresco, ripe avocadoes and fresh fruit. There are other items too in the Mexican pantry, but that requires a commitment. Personally, my wife and I also have an Italian pantry, an Oriental pantry, and an Indian pantry. All of this takes up room, but it is necessary. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. She’s also got a good chatty style. You might want to try pescado Rodrigo, corn torte, and guava cheesecake. Quality/price rating: 85. MICHAEL CHIARELLO’S LIVE FIRE; 128 recipes for cooking outdoors (Chronicle Books, 2013, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0181-1, $35 US hard covers) comes with SEVEN log rollers, including Batali (who else?), Lagasse, Bastianich, Michael White, and Mariani. Chiarello runs Bottega restaurant in the Napa, and has authored other cookbooks. Here, he is assisted by Ann Krueger Spivack (tester) and Claudia Sansone (writer). In addition to the grill, the book features six ways to cook with flame and embers, with chapters for each (hearth, plancha, fire pit, hot box, rotisserie, embers). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents at the back of the book. Typical preps include glorified burgers, gourmet pizzas, a dinner by the lake, and a backyard camp-out breakfast. Lots of safety tips too, for this is not just a backyard BBQ book. There are sections on condiments and on resources. Try clams in a cataplana with chicken-apple sausages or leg of lamb on string. Quality/price rating: 85. THE NEW JEWISH TABLE; modern seasonal recipes for traditional dishes (St. Martin’s Press, 2013, 328 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-00445-1, $35 US hard covers) is by five-time Beard Award nominee Todd Gray, who is co- owner and operator of Equinox Restaurant (and others) in Washington, DC. His co-author is Ellen Kassoff Gray, the other co-owner of Equinox and other restaurants. The focusing food writer here is David Hagedorn, and there are some log rollers. This is an update on Jewish cooking, along with some memoir material about the authors’ families. It is all arranged by season, beginning with Fall, and preps are clearly listed as dairy, meat, parve, or mixed. Within each season, there are a selection of brunch items, starters, lunch, dinner, sides and desserts. There are also menus for Rosh Hashanah (curried butternut squash soup, salt-baked red snapper, caramelized cauliflower, roasted potatoes, almond biscotti, and apple strudel), Yom Kippur, Hanukkah, and Passover. Some chef’s notes conclude the book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. * THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS... ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Here are some recent “re-editions”... BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS – the ultimate soups & stews book; more than 400 satisfying meals in a bowl (Wiley & Sons, 2013, 480 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-33561-1, $19.99 US soft covers) is a good source for easy-to- prepare meals. There are the classics, the contemporaries, and the spicy twists. Nothing is actually really new here, but they have been assembled to put the best light on the one course meals in a bowl, good for families and for entertaining. There’s a primer on making stocks, storing leftovers, and some slow-cooker recipe variations. Content sections include hearty, poultry, chili, dumplings, meatless, fish, international, regional US, Sunday specials, and cool summer coups. At the end there is a page on emergency substitutions. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a whole page of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. PROFESSIONAL BAKING; sixth edition (John Wiley & Sons, 2013, 767 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-08374-1, $99.99 hard covers) is by Wayne Gisslen, and features recipes from Le Cordon Bleu (Paris). It comes with a registration number for online retrieval of CulinarE-Companion Recipe Management Software with about 900 recipes (all the preps from the book plus 34 others, with options to modify and resize – and you can also add your own), and a Student Workbook, an Instructor’s Guide and Manual (the latter available separately). There are also method cards with step-by-step directions for common methods of yeast doughs, cakes, muffins. There is material on artisan breads (natural fermentation, hand crafting), and a chapter on baking for special diets, including low-fat, low-sugar, gluten-free, and dairy-free diets. New to this edition are plating techniques in chapter 23 (Dessert Presentation) and expanded information on cakes, with more data on cake planning, icing, filling and decoration. Also new is material on tempering chocolate and mixing speeds and times for breads. There are about 180 new photographs, and a new redesign to enhance the layout. There is a recipe contents page which explores yeast doughs, quick breads, doughnuts and crepes, syrups, pies, tarts, cakes, decorating, cookies, custards, frozen desserts, fruits, chocolate and marzipan. Everything here in this book is clear, precise, no-nonsense, practical and methodical. Both US volume and metric measurements are given in side- by-side columns. Cooking schools, restaurants, hotels, and large hospitality establishments will appreciate the book since it is a major textbook. Quality/Price Ratio: 90. PLATTER’S SOUTH AFRICAN WINES 2013; the guide to cellars, vineyards, winemakers, restaurants and accommodation (John Platter SA Wine Guide Ltd; distr. by Wines of South Africa Canadian Office, keenan@propellerpr.com, 626 pages, ISBN 978-0-987-0046-1-1, $30CAD includes shipping, hard cover) is the recognized authority on South African wines. It has been published for 33 years. For this latest edition, there are now 17 tasters – all identified, and with initials after tasting notes. Some of the tasters have changed over the years. More than 7000 wines are here evaluated (about 900 are new to this edition), along with new wineries. One-quarter of all top ranking 5 star wines are now being made by mom-and-pop operations, a remarkable achievement. Even the large co-ops are making more credible, limited collections of superior wine. The contents of the guide are straightforward: some 500 pages of dictionary-arranged wineries, detailing most aspects are given, followed by chapters on the wine industry, vintages and styles, and touring (accommodation and food, all in some 40 pages). The book is 8 pages longer than last year’s edition. To quote, "Wines are entered under the name of the private producer, estate, co-operative winery or brand name of a merchant, and listed alphabetically. Entries feature some or all of: producer's name, address, phone/fax number, email address, website; wine name, colour and style, grape varieties, vintage, area of origin; selected recent awards and star ratings. Where applicable, other attractions to be enjoyed on the property, such as meals and accommodation, are highlighted." The book also has an indication of organic wines available for sale and sketch maps to show the location of all the wineries. The index at the front is by grape, so you can see at a glance what is the top performing pinotage, or cabernet sauvignon, or sparkler. Quality/price rating: 95. PROFESSIONAL FOOD MANAGER. 3rd ed. (Wiley & Sons, 2013, 139 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-38087-1, $ US soft covers) is from the National Environment Health Association. It has been updated to the 2011 supplement of the 2009 FDA Food Code. The book helps raise the competency level of food managers by preparing them for the certification examination. There is good data here on the key principles of food safety management and how to use these principles effectively, how to identify and avoid many forms of contaminants, how to prevent time-temperature abuse and cross- contamination, the importance of cleaning and sanitizing, pest control, and guidelines to follow during and after an inspection. While American in tone and development for the NEHA certification, the book does have positive benefits for many food managers in other countries. Quality/price rating: 88. 200 STEWS & MOROCCAN DISHES (Hamlyn, 2013, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-600- 62509-4, $7.99US paper covers) is by Ghislaine Benady and Nadjet Sefrioui. It was originally published in French in 2010, and this is the English language release. This nifty collection of 200 recipes is basic, but affordable. The preps are concise and easy to make, ingredients appear to be readily available (at least in cities), and there is a good index. Most are accompanied by a photo and variations. Contents: kemia and small plates, soups, tagines, fish, kebabs, veggies, couscous, pastilles, and other desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. THREE GUYS FROM MIAMI CELEBRATE CUBAN (Gibbs Smith, 2006, 2013; distr. Raincoast, 248 pages, ISBN 1-4236-3330-3, $24.99 soft covers) is the second such book from the team of Glenn Lindgren, Raul Musibay, and Jorge Castillo. Glenn is from Minneapolis; the other two are from Cuba. Together they write and broadcast on all things Cuban. Only Raul is full-time in Miami. The book is a reprint of the 2006 hard back edition. The Three Guys have 100 recipes around an entertaining theme, with more classic dishes simplified into a North American style. Here are ideas for family dishes and parties (Christmas Eve and Day, New Year Eve and Day, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, Valentine Day). There are even Cuban-style parties such as a velorio (wake) and Three Kings Day, with text on the Cuban party style. There is lots of hand holding here with cook’s notes, food glossary, and US mail order sources. Check out www.icuban.com for more. The Three Guys’ index needs work (there is no entry for Cuban Devilled Eggs under C or D). Some interesting or unusual recipes include yuca with grapefruit and orange sauce, fish and pineapple salad, Cuban red beans and rice, shrimp with cheese. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. PASTRIES. Rev. ed. (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2011, 2012, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-61769-027-3, $50 US hard covers) is by Pierre Herme, an Alsatian pastry chef once apprenticed to Lenotre, and then moved on to Fauchon and Ladouree. He now owns pastry shops in Paris and Tokyo, and has authored many cookbooks. This book was originally published in French as “Reves de Patissier”, and presented 50 classics reinvented by Herme. The English translation appeared in 2011, and was republished last year. Actually, the book has 50 of the classics PLUS 50 of the reinventions, so you get 100 preps plus stunning photos of all of them. Included are blancmange, cream puffs, crepes, flan, macarons, lemon tart, linzer torte, tiramisu, black forest cake, rum baba, meringues, trifle, soufflé – and more. Each is given a history and extensive prep notes, with timings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. There is also an index of ingredients, a recipe index, and a bibliography. First rate. Quality/price rating: 91. CREATING YOUR BACKYARD FARM; how to grow fruit and vegetables and raise chickens and bees (CICO Books, 2010, 2013, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1- 908862-93-8, $21.95 US paper covers) is by Nicki Trench, an English crafter and veggie grower. This was one of the first of the “backyard farm” books, and it has been slightly updated for 2013. It is, of course, a how-to book on growing your own fruit and veggies in your backyard, with added information on hens and bees, window-box salads, and herbs. On a size of one tennis court, you can grow a lot in a year, including almost 3,000 pounds of potatoes, a half-ton of strawbs, almost a ton of salad leaves, 330 pounds of sweet corn, 1750 pounds of onions, and have four hens produce 800 eggs a year. Many plants are discussed, along with many good photos. No recipes, but plenty of resources and websites are listed. Quality/price rating: 85. MYCOPHILIA; revelations from the weird world of mushroom (Rodale, 2011, 348 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-987-9, $16.99 US paper covers) is by Eugenia Bone, a food writer for Saveur and Food & Wine, and currently president of the New York Mycological Society. It was originally published in 2011; this is the 2013 paperback reprint. It is a rambling but informative book about the facts and theories behind mushrooms, “as well as a glimpse into the kooky, erudite, and totally obsessed subculture of fungi enthusiasts” (back cover). Weird facts include that fungi are related more closely to us than to plants (to which I would add, related even more closely to actor Kevin Bacon), that the most expensive food in the world is a fungi (white truffle), wild mushroom harvesting is the US is a large cash business, and “magic mushrooms” really do help patients. No recipes, but plenty of anecdotal stories, a lot of end notes, some dark black and white photos, and an index complete the package. Quality/price rating: 86. THE 8-WEEK HEALTHY SKIN DIET (Robert Rose, 2013, 480 pages, ISBN 978-0- 7788-0440-6, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Karen Fischer, a former model and now nutritionist with a passion for health research. She once suffered from skin problems. The book was originally published in Australia and New Zealand in 2008 as “The Health Skin Diet”, winning a major prize. It’s a common sense diet and lifestyle program, with good flexibility. It was originally developed as an anti-inflammatory eating program for eczema sufferers. But it seemed to have application to psoriasis, acne, dandruff, wrinkles, sallow complexion, dermatitis, and hives. Hence this book, which emphasizes getting beautiful skin from the inside out. There are 100 food preps and some menu plans. Associated conditions can also be helped: poor digestion, poor immunity to colds and flu, hypoglycemia, body odor and bad breath. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. THE SALT BOOK; your guide to salting wisely and well, with recipes (Whitecap, 2013, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-176-8, $29.95 CAN paper covers) was originally published last year in Australia by Arbon Publishing. Fritz Gubler has a background in hotel management, David Glynn is a food writer, and Russell Keast lectures in nutrition science at Deakin University. It is a timely book, since it is also a guide with recipes. Salt has been in the news in North America as never before, and before the media coverage on salt blows over, you just might want to read this book. It deals with why salt at all, which salt to use, how to salt, when to salt, trends and facts, plus recipes (almost 200) and techniques. Some of the preps are for making your own salt at home, salt-block cooking, sauces, and salted desserts. 17 major salts are described, along with a bibliography for further reading. Because they know I scream and yell about these things, there are tables of metric conversions. Classic starters include Spanish almonds, melon and prosciutto, salt crackers, soft pretzels, brined trout, gravlax, and tuna carpaccio. Mains include various salt crusts with meats, duck confits, cured beef, slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, and more. Stunning photos. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR FEBRUARY 2013 ============================================== By Dean Tudor, Gothic Epicures Writing, dtudor@ryerson.ca Creator of Canada's leading wine satire site at http://fauxvoixvincuisine.blogspot.com Always available at www.deantudor.com and http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com But first, these words: 2013 WARNING – PRICE ALERT: All prices listed below are in US DOLLARS as printed on the cover. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations about parity AND online bookstore discount (plus the addition of GST or HST) prices will vary upwards or downwards each day. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. AMERICAN WINE; the ultimate companion to the wines and wineries of the United States (University of California Press, 2013, 278 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27321-4, $50US hard covers) is a co-production between Mitchell Beazley-Hachette in the UK and the U of C Press. The authors are the well-known Jancis Robinson, editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine and co-editor of The World Atlas of Wine, and Linda Murphy, a Beard winner and former wine section editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. It is a comprehensive survey of wineries in the US, which rose from 440 producers in 1970 to more than 7,000 today, over 40 years later. The IWSR has predicted that wine consumption between 2012 and 2016 will increase by some 14%, and thus even more wineries will be created. Every state has some wineries. Yet I am amazed that only half the book deals with California. Given how many important wineries that state contains, I would have thought 2/3 of the book would be a good start. There are 54 maps and 200 photos, organized by region or AVA. It is fairly comprehensive in providing thumbnails for each region, with data on grape varieties, acreage, key wineries (subdivided by mere mentions within categories such as “trailblazers”, “steady hands” [i.e. reliable], “superstars”, and “ones to watch” [i.e. innovators]). The book also covers history (Prohibition, evolution of AVAs, celebrities buying wineries, new winemaking techniques such as micro-oxygenation, and a return to old winemaking with sustainable, natural, organic, and biodynamic principles (sometimes referred to as SNOB, but not in this book). The maps are very useful, and are of the same quality found in The World Atlas of Wine. However, the book did not make me thirsty, for there are no tasting notes. Audience and level of use: armchair travelers, those interested in US wines. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: As the publisher notes, “The book takes readers on a journey through fields and cellars, covering the winemaking, history, culture and viticulture of each region.” The downside to this book: not enough details on individual wineries. The upside to this book: good maps and reproductions of labels. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. PLATING FOR GOLD; a decade of desserts from World and National Pastry Championships (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 327 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-05984-5, $50 US hard covers) is by Tish Boyle, author and editor of several books on baking and pastry. She frequently serves as a judge in pastry competitions. Since 1999, world competitions have developed to produce delectable and spectacular desserts, many of them whimsical. But the competitions are serious and focus on flavours and presentation. Here are one-of-a-kind recipes for the hard core pasty chef/lover, ones that can be re-created at home, with proper equipment. There are gorgeous photographs of the plated product and meticulous line drawings on plating. The fifty plated desserts include strawberry soup, vanilla panna cotta napoleon, and almond tartlet; yin-yang flourless chocolate cake; chocolate banana caramel crunch; apple savarin with mascarpone cream and cranberry gelee – and more! Quantities are generally for a dozen platings, not unreasonable given the quality and size of the materials. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. A list of sources is invaluable. Audience and level of use: pastry chefs/lovers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above The downside to this book: it weighs a lot due to its illustrative nature. The upside to this book: great photos, and large type index. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. VIEW FROM THE VINEYARD; a practical guide to sustainable winegrape growing (Wine Appreciation Guild, 2011, 219 pages, ISBN 978-1-935879-90-9, $34.95 US hard covers) is a handbook for the professional winemaker and viticulturist. It’s by Clifford P. Ohmart, an entomologist specializing in sustainable agriculture. He’s co-author of Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Self-Assessment Winebook (2002), speaks at many seminars, and writes a bimonthly column for Wines & Vines magazine on sustainable winegrowing. He opens with a brief history of sustainability and biodynamics, and positions in American agriculture; he closes with the role of certification. In between are the basics at the primer level of achievability: pest management; organic and biodynamic principles for creating plans, thinking and planning holistically, defining winery and vineyard resources, and ecosystems (habitats). There are plenty of references and a bibliography for further reading as well as some websites for more documentation and photos. Audience and level of use: winemakers, winemaking schools. Some interesting or unusual facts: Few growers keep good records of vineyard management practices because there are few software programs available to handle this data. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 4. DUTCH OVEN COOKING (Gibbs-Smith, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-1459-3, $15.99 US spiral bound) is by Terry Lewis, a two-time winner of the World Championship Cook-offs held by the International Dutch Oven Society. He has been cooking and competing in such events for over 20 years. His Dutch Oven is meant to be on a bed of coals; thus, for every recipe, he lists how many hot coals will be needed. This may limit its usage in many places. For example, the omelet requires 31 hot coals, including 9 under the oven and 16 on the top. In general, each coal will raise the temperature about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a basic book, with adaptations for lasagna, pizza, corn bread, baked beans, chicken and rice, and others. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. The basic arrangement is by entry level: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Within each range there are categories for breads, sides, mains and desserts. It all appears to be finger-lickin’ good and authentic. Audience and level of use: Dutch oven users Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: almost 60 recipes, including chicken and cheese chimichangas, maple BBQ ribs with buttered almond rice, and peach-raspberry pie. Quality/Price Rating: 8