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: 85. 5. MELISSA’S 50 BEST PLANTS ON THE PLANET; the most nutrient- dense fruits and vegetables in 150 delicious recipes (Chronicle Books, 2013, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0283-2, $29.95 US paper covers) is by Cathy Thomas, food columnist at the Orange County Register. In 1984, Melissa’s World Variety Produce Inc was formed; it was named after the founders’ daughter. It is a leading distributor of fruits and veggies in the US, primarily to restaurants and other trade places. This is Thomas’ third book for Melissa. I reviewed a previous one from Wiley (Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce, 2010). Here, she gives us overviews of the 50 most nutritionally available fruits and veggies (with variations by variety), about 150 recipes with variations and quick-prep ideas, plus the usual basics of shopping and storage, with serving suggestions and nutritional info. Covered are arugula, asparagus, beet and beet green, blackberry, bok choy through to gai lan, red currants, tangerine, watercress, and watermelon. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: those concerned about food sustainability, organic food eaters, and those with nutritional issues. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: apple and raisin- stuffed pork tenderloin with guava sauce; breakfasts toasts with kale and eggs; skinny cheesecake parfaits; nectarine, mango and black bean salsa; pistou. The downside to this book: I’m uncomfortable with logos and trademarks on my food. The index is extremely tiny and uncomfortable. The upside to this book: photographs show intense colour. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 6. THE ELEMENTS OF DESSERT (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 536 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-89198-8, $65 US hard covers) is by Francisco Migoya, a teacher at the Culinary Institute of America, specializing in Café Operations for baking and dessert classes. Previously, he was executive pastry chef for Thomas Keller (French Laundry, Bouchon). This is a professional book concerned with the scope of dessert, through flavours, ingredients, and techniques. It’s arranged by plated desserts, dessert buffets, passed-around desserts, cakes, and petits fours, with opening chapters on the basic elements, followed by a bibliography and a resources list. Each prep yields many servings, and recipes will need to be modified for the home cook. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois and metric measurements, along with scaled percentages, but there is no table of equivalents. The gateau maillard, for example, yields 4 cakes and is comprised of: body (caramelized white chocolate mousse), inclusions of toasted rye bread cream and brown butter genoise, a base of shortbread toffee, a coating of vegetable ash velvet spray, and a garnish of toasted sourdough sliver (appropriate page references are given for the recipes of these components). Audience and level of use: students, advanced pastry chefs. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: fennel meringue, frozen/distilled granny smith apple juice gelee/apple molasses/crystallized anise hyssop leaf; fig, passion fruit and toffee filling; apricot foam; acacia honey and goat cheese macarons; meyer lemon pate de fruit; black olive chocolate bars; cilantro, tangerine, and litchi filling. The downside to this book: very heavy book, awkward to flip through. The upside to this book: gorgeous photos. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 7. COOKING TO THE IMAGE; a plating handbook (John Wiley & Sons, 2013, 156 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-07597-5, $43.75 US soft covers) is by Elaine Sikorski, with 20 years experience in professional kitchens and 10 years teaching culinary art. Her book is loaded with advice and experiences, plus over 100 photos and illustrations (all black and white except for a few coloured insert pages). She has about 13 themes: the line of vision for each student chef and what it could be, the plate as part of the menu, setting a frame, moving from platter to plate, styles (nouvelle, American, global), and more. As a student textbook, it has summaries, questions for discussion or homework, and citations and reference material in every chapter. No recipes, but lots of menu ideas. Well worth a look…Quality/Price Rating: 89. 8. THE COMPLETE GLUTEN-FREE WHOLE GRAINS COOKBOOK; 125 delicious recipes from amaranth to Quinoa to wild rice. (Robert Rose, 2008, 2013, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0438-3, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Judith Finlayson, along time food writer who has written many cookbooks for Robert Rose. This current book is based on her 2008 The Complete Whole Grains Cookbook, which had 150 recipes over 288 pages. She’s dropped rye, barley and all forms of wheat, and picked up a few other recipes for such as Job’s tears. For her, she had to compensate for her gluten sensitivity which many of us get later in life. Her previous book had many preps for rice, millet, quinoa and buckwheat. She’s augmented these, and retained many favourites. The whole grains here are actually quick cooking, and many have medicinal properties such as Job’s tears. So does chia, but she doesn’t have any recipes for it. Teff is included. She begins with a culinary profile for each grain, with nutritional and storage information, as well as how to buy and how to cook. There are 11 of them here: amaranth, buckwheat, corn, Job’s tears, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, sorghum, teff, and wild rice. Arrangement is by course, with breads and breakfasts first, followed by apps, soups, salads, meats, veggies, sides, and desserts. There is also a listing of diabetes food values. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: celiac sufferers, gluten sensitive people. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cranberry-orange pecan muffins; coconut spike pork with quinoa and peanuts; soba noodles with broccoli sauce (but be sure to get the 100% buckwheat: read the ingredient listing carefully); chewy oatmeal coconut cookies with cranberries and pecans; kasha and beet salad; salmon stew with corn and quinoa. The downside to this book: a few more recipes and some mention of teff, which is actually easier to find than job’s tears and sorghum. The upside to this book: there’s nutritional info for each prep plus some variations. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 9. REAL MEN DRINK PORT…and ladies do too! (Quiller, 2011, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84689-112-0, $24.95 US hard covers) is the latest port book by Ben Howkins, a working port expert and port writer, famed for his “Rich, Rare and Red” book published by the International Wine & Food Society. He’s back, with a more colloquial book, illustrated by the renowned UK cartoonist- drawer, Oliver Preston. It just got distributed in North America this year. The book is a sitdown-and-read collection of various historical facts and contemporary accounts of port. It is more along the lines of “confessions of a port merchant” since it follows along his illustrious career in the port industry. He covers William Pitt the Younger, Lord Nelson, Duke of Wellington, plus other nobles who have stories to tell about their love of port. His characters include the major players in the industry such as Taylor, Symington, Graham. There is the evolution of the styles (ruby, tawny, vintage, late bottled vintage) and the dinner traditions. There is the difference between British lover of ports and Portuguese lover of ports. All tied up with a bibliography and even an index to pull up related references! Quality/Price Rating: 88. 10. BEYOND HUMMUS AND FALAFEL; social and political aspects of Palestinian food in Israel (University of California Press, 2012, 207 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-26232-4, $26.95 US soft covers) is by Liora Gvion, a sociology professor in Tel Aviv and teacher at Hebrew University. It was originally published in Hebrew in 2011, and this is the English translation, number 40 in the California Studies in Food and Culture series. It was quite controversial when it first came out in Israel; there were complaints about a Jewish woman writing on the topic of Palestinian food. This book does need to brought forward in light of the fact the hottest cookbook last year was “Jerusalem: a cookbook” which embraced Jewish, Arabic and Christian influences in the cooking of that city. Indeed, Toronto once supported a restaurant called “Jerusalem” which favoured that style of Middle East cooking. But this book is more sociology – there are no recipes. It is the story of how Palestinians in Israel use food to negotiate life and a shared cultural identity within a tense political context. She’s looked at the shopping, cooking and dining practices of Palestinians in Israel. The bottom line could be: why can’t they break bread – whether pita or matzo – together? As with scholarly works, there are copious end notes, a glossary of culinary terms, an extended bibliography of works cited, and an in-depth index. Fascinating reading. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 11. AMARONE; the making of an Italian wine phenomenon (Wine Appreciation Guild, 2011, 2012, 146 pages, ISBN 978-1-935879-82- 4, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Kate Singleton, author of several books on Italian wines. It was originally published in Italy in 2011, and this is its USA release. It’s mostly about Sandro Boscaini, founder and president of Masi Winery (they own the copyright to the English text). But she also covers the Veneto and the wine industry of the region, principally Valpolicella. The Appasimento method (drying grapes) used in the creation of Amarone has been around since the Roman days, but Boscaini, through Masi, has been a contemporary leader in fashioning the style of wine we have now. There are over 200 Amarone labels on the market, but only about a dozen historically significant houses who are active in maintaining the style. There were basically two types: Recioto (sweet) and Amarone (bitter, astringent). By the early 1980s, Masi had led the charge to change the wine to somewhere in the middle, to lose its astringency but retain its fruitness. The action of using partially dried grapes leads to more body and a higher alcohol content. Many Amarones are 16 per cent alcohol by volume; some have a hot finish. The book deals with the Masi estates, the wineries, the production, the people involved, the various labels (successes and some not-so-successes), and the Boscaini family. There’s even a recipe section of a half-dozen dishes (pasta, lamb and almonds, risotto, beef and mushrooms, duck breast) to go with Amarone in a meal. There are also some appendices on technical matters. Regrettably and unfortunately, there is no index. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 12. PASTA; classic and contemporary pasta, risotto, crespelle, and polenta recipes (John Wiley & Sons, 2013, 266 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-58779-9, $29.99 US hard covers) is from the Culinary Institute of America, more specifically two assistant professors at the CIA – Gianni Scappin and Alberto Vanoli. It is one of a series of CIA books that can be useful to both hospitality students and homemakers. All Italian regions and styles are covered; the book is arranged by season (summer through spring). The usual primer material has been relegated to the back, into a chapter called “Basics”. This covers boxed pasta, fresh pasta, basic pasta preps, gnocchi, crespelles, pesto, tomato sauces, cheese, cod, olive oils, chestnuts and broths. There are about 150 recipes plus photos distributed amongst the seasons. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: homemakers, hospitality students, restaurant owners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cocoa pappardelle with boar sauce; red wine fettuccine with wild game; garganelli with leeks and morels; ricotta and spinach dumplings (gnudi); semolina with radicchio; ravioli with gorgonzola cheese, raisins and lemon zest; chickpea crespelle with bitter greens. The downside to this book: the index has tiny print. The upside to this book: photos are restricted to final plating, including a gorgeous rice salad that is beyond final plating. 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 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 – 13. THE MIGHTY GASTROPOLIS PORTLAND; a journey through the center of America’s new food revolution (Chronicle Books, 2012, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0596-3, $24.95 US soft covers) is by Karen Brooks, with Gideon Bosker and Teri Gelber – all local food writers in Portland Oregon. This is a good guide to the street food capital of the USA, headed by log rolling from five top food writers (including Ruth Reichl). It’s a collection of stories with recipes about some 100 top food emporiums, along with photos. I’ve been to Portland, and I’ve eaten at a few places on the list (Evoe) and off the list (Secret Society, run by my “conflict of interest” nephew). Sadly, I have missed all the food cart pods, but these are included here in the book and I will return to them later in life. Also here are the Portland Farmer’s Market, the People’s Food Farmers Market, and, of course, lots of those food carts for which Portland is renowned. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Try Pok pok’s grilled corn with salty coconut cream and limes, or Da’ Sterling Bombs (espresso ganache stuffed chocolate cookies), or grilled steak with bacon-roasted mushrooms and black trumpet butter. Quality/price rating: 88. 14. CRISTINA’S OF SUN VALLEY CON GUSTO! (Gibbs Smith, 2012, 200 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3189-7, $30 US hard covers) is by Cristina Ceccatelli Cook, who opened her eponymous place in 1993. This is her third cookbook from her restaurant. Originally from Tuscany, she gives us a mostly Italian-inspired cookbook, heavily endorsed by older musical celebrities such as Steve Miller and Carole King. Photos of the establishment have been kept to a minimum, allowing for more expression of the plated dishes. There are chapters for antipasti (liver crostini), salads, soups, stews, panini, pasta, fish (black cod in salsa verde), meat (pork osso buco with porchetta), veggies, desserts (sbrisiolona) and breakfasts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. A great book for her fans. Quality/price rating: 85. 15, RAW FOOD DETOX (Ryland, Peters and Small, 2013, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-265-7, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Anya Ladra, founder of Raw Fairies, a raw food delivery company in the UK. As the publisher notes, “revitalize and rejuvenate with these delicious low-calorie recipes to help you lose weight and improve your energy levels. She uses plant-based organic ingredients and methods such as soaking, sprouting, and dehydrating. A raw food detox is supposed to promote clear glowing skin and give you better energy. It is also touted as painless. She begins with a five-day cleansing detox. Then there are chapters devoted to juices and smoothies, salads and dressings, mains, snacks, sweets and desserts. Carrot and lemon juice with omega-3 oils is a good start to the day, followed by a sprouted buckwheat salad or tomato quiche with almond pastry. For snacks, we could all enjoy spicy almonds or Italian flaxseed crackers. For the meat eaters, there’s a mushroom pate and a range of desserts. The diet is easy; the dishes may take a little insight to prepare. recipes have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois with some metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. There’s a list of suppliers in the UK and the US. 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. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 16. OFF-PREMISE CATERING MANAGEMENT. 3rd ed. (Wiley, 2013, 550 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-88971-8, $70 US hard covers) is by Chris Thomas, a food and drink writer for more than 30 years and now a consultant, and by Bill Hansen, who owns his own catering firm. This is a practical guide, first published in 1995 by Bill Hansen. Thomas has taken over and extensively reviews the off- premise caterer’s job – including menu planning, pricing, food and beverage service, equipment, packing, delivery, and set-ups. Also: legal implications, financial considerations, human resources, marketing, and health/safety regulations. This new edition, last revised in 2005, has stuff on sustainable (“green”) practices, current food trends, recent equipment, website developments, and social media marketing. There’s a brand new chapter on beverage service that includes material on off-premise bar setups (always a sticky point here in Ontario), new cocktails and their ingredients, and guidance on selecting the right beers and wines for events. Along the way there are forms, schedules, and checklists of value, illustrative of actual circumstances in the field. There is also an Instructor’s Manual available. Of course, it is a text book, so each chapter ends with a useful summary and some questions for discussion. Quality/price rating: 88. 17. BREAD. 2d ed. (Wiley, 2013, 478 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-13271- 5, $45 US hard covers) is by Jeffrey Hamelman, bakery director of the King Arthur Flour Company and a Certified Master Baker. He was captain of Baking Team USA, and the first edition of this book won a Beard Award. This second edition includes 140 step- by-step recipes for a range of breads; 40 of them are new to this edition. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, and there are also tables of metric equivalents. There’s a glossary and a bibliography, and as well, there are specialized sections in the appendix for developing and perpetuating a sourdough culture, additives, baker’s percentages (scaling), computing batch coat, and sample proofing skeds. He opens with a primer on baking and hand mixing, and then moves on to types of breads: yeasted pre-ferments, levains, sourdoughs, and regular dough. There are also chapters on braiding techniques and decorative/display projects. Unfortunately, there is nothing on gluten-free breads – which is now a coming food trend. Quality/price rating: 87. 18. GLUTEN-FREE COOKING FOR DUMMIES. 2d ed. (John Wiley & Sons, 2013, 362 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-39644- 5, $19.99 US soft covers) is by Danna Korn and Connie Sarros, both authors of gluten-free cookbooks. The first edition was originally published in 2008, and of course much has happened in the gluten-free world since then, In fact, it is now a highly respected growth industry. The book is a practical guide, with basics of what is and what is not gluten-free, how to set up a pantry and kitchen, the various flours available, about 165quick recipes, comfort foods, and cooking gluten-free with the kids. And of course, there are Rich Tennant’s wonderful drawings. There’s a quick list of some ten top comfort foods such as mac and cheese, clam chowder, puddings, veggie soups, potato salad, meatloaf, and more. Prep times, cooking times, and yields are clearly indicated. For this new edition, there are additional recipes from Cindy Kleck, RD, LD, who is also a cookbook author. These preps are a bit more easy than the 20 or so harder ones in the first edition. There is also anew chapter on meal planning, ethnic foods. It is more a book now on the gluten-free lifestyle. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 19. LAROUSSE ON PASTRY (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 448 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-20882-3, $45 US hard covers) is the English translation of the 2009 French edition, which was published to great acclaim. Here are 200 recipes (each with a photo or more) for “everyone, from beginner to expert”. It has coverage from chocolate, fruit, cookies, summer sweets, and small snacks – in chapter order. All-time favourites include gateau basque, montpensier, kugelhopf, far Breton, crème brulee, sabayon, and blancmange. There are also 30 “cooking classes” (illustrated techniques) for such toughies as lining tartlet molds, blind baking, short crust pastry, and the jam cooking method. At the back of the book, there is an excellent pastry glossary plus two recipe indexes by ingredient and by name. The book should get you through about 95% of all your pastry needs. A great gift idea, too. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 20. TASSAJARA COOKBOOK; lunches, picnics & appetizers (Gibbs Smith, 2007; distr. Raincoast, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3183-5, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Karla Oliveira, a nutritionist and professional chef (over 25 years) with a lot of credits. This is the paperback reprint edition. The Tassajara Zen Mountain Center (Buddhist monastery in California’s Ventana Wilderness) is famous for its healthy vegetarian cuisine, including its bag lunches. This book contains many recipes for savoury breads, pates, sandwich fillings, granolas, salads, chutneys and relishes, sauces and marinades, and baked goods and sweets such as cookies (vegan and dairy). It is fabulous fare for appetizers and small plates, as well as lunches for vegans and vegetarians. You can even use the recipes and ideas to prepare school lunches for your kids; it’ll be a lot healthier than the high-fructose corn syrup stuff in prepared foods. There’s a concluding chapter on prepping the food, such as the composition of a sandwich with all of its accoutrements (such as condiments, pickles, cheese/butter/eggs, vegetables, fruit), what to put spreads on to, lunch bag ideas for carrying the food, and metric conversion charts. Try some basil-lime-pumpkin seed pesto, or roasted eggplant compote, or almond pate, tempeh salad, couscous salad, and cappuccino coins. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 21. FALLING OFF THE BONE (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 2013, 254 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-39354-3, $19.99 US soft covers) is by Jean Anderson, author of more than 20 cookbooks (The Doubleday Cookbook, The Family Circle Cookbook). She’s been a six-time best cookbook award winner (Beard, IACP, and others), founding member of Les Dames d’Escoffier and other groups, and has been a powerhouse in the field of cookery in North America. It was originally published in 2010, and this the 2013 straight paperback reprint. This is a basic meat book collection of stews, soups, pies, ribs and bones, and the like, for beef, veal (shortest chapter), lamb and pork. The emphasis, of course, is on the cheaper cuts, both to save costs and to make flavourful food. The only connection is that there must be meat “falling off the bone”. For each she describes the best way to cook each cut, along with a nutritional profile and advice on shopping, storage and freezing tips. For beef and veal, there is brisket, chuck, flank, oxtail, rump and shanks. For lamb, there is breast, neck, riblets, shanks and shoulders. And for pork, there is fresh ham, pig’s feet, and spareribs. At the back, there are web resources for learning more and buying off-cuts that supermarkets do not have. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Some interesting recipes include Finnish layered pork and apple loaf, lamb neck slices in dill and lemon sauce, Lancashire hot pot, Andalusian shepherd’s stew, Lithuanian veal and cabbage pie, Norwegian skipper’s stew, stufatino, jade soup with pork and veal dumpling balls. I was hoping for more exciting lamb recipes, but most of the preps deal with Mediterranean-style lamb stews made from the shoulder. Lamb necks used in stews seem to be UK in origin. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 22. TECHNIQUES OF HEALTHY COOKING. 4th edition. (John Wiley & Sons, 2013, 560 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-63543-8, $75 US hard covers) is from the Culinary Institute of America. It was first issued as a manual in 1990, and it has evolved somewhat into something bigger. The third edition was in 2008. It presents the dietary guidelines (restrictions, nutrients, labeling), with details for healthier choices on menus. The CIA discuses ingredient options and serving sizes. The book develops recipes for menus; there are 500 preps here, many showing how to cook with less of everything (less fat, salt, sugar, alcohol, and – dare I say it – less food). The 150 colour photos illustrate techniques and plated final dishes, as well as ingredients and equipment. Servings are for 10-15 people, and the ingredients are in both avoirdupois and metric weights and measures. The appendix covers recipe analyses. The resources guide details readings (but just about all of the books are from the last century), tables and a glossary. There are two separate indexes for subject matter and for recipes. Quality/Price rating: 90. 23. NUTRITION FOR FOODSERVICE AND CULINARY PROFESSIONALS. 8th ed. (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 2014 [sic] 454 pages, ISBN 978-1- 118-42973-0, $95 US hard covers) is by Karen Eich Drummond (R.D. and restaurant book author) and Lisa M. Brefere (executive chef- consultant and career book author). It was last out in 2010, and has been revised and extended since that date to include the “2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans” and material from choosemyplate.gov. But somebody does need to look at the copyright date: 2014? I think not. This is a basic reference guide for restaurants and chefs, and includes current data on dietary guidelines and how to evaluate menus and recipes. As a textbook, there are summaries and questions for discussion. It is almost a self-help book for the operators of any dining establishment. Newish topics include information about organics, sustainability, farm-to-table movements, gluten-free dietary needs, allergy diets, and dining programs for multi-generational family dinners. Kitchen preps are essential if food products are to retain their nutritional values. New material here includes a recasting of older recipes into healthier profiles, creating food management programs, special culinary foci for each food group, and more visual impact (photos, colour, charts, etc.). At the end, there are quizzes and a glossary. An extremely useful book. Quality/price rating: 89. 24. CANADIAN LIVING: the affordable feasts collection; budget- friendly family meals. (Transcontinental Books, 2013; distr. Random House Canada, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-9877474-3-3, $26.95 CAN paper covers) is by the Canadian Living Test Kitchen team, headed up by Annabelle Waugh. The preps include their favourite budget-friendly ingredients, such as ground meats, with advice on how to avoid kitchen waste and save money. Ground meats are mostly beef, but there is also lamb (for stuffed eggplants) and pork, although in the end, they are often interchangeable. The five chapters include red meat, white meat (poultry and pork), eggs and beans and tofu (meatless proteins), grains of pasta and noodles and rice, and concludes with hearty veggies. Overall, most of the dishes are one-pot or casseroles. Nutritional data is given for each dish. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements with some metric equivalents, but there is no overall table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 25. SWEDISH DESSERTS; 80 traditional recipes (Skyhorse Publishing, 2010, 2012, 124 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-637-4, $17.95 US hard covers) was originally published in 2010 in Sweden. Its author, Cecilia Vikbladh was a food editor who now runs Cecilia’s Kitchen in southern Sweden. These preps come from her place, and include a wealth of traditions such as Kransekake (almond cake with icing), saffron buns, the impressive jam stars, and ginger thins. The 80 preps here cover a range of holidays, including Christmas, cookies, winter pies, cheesecakes, muffins, breads and buns, and a gingerbread house. It’s a charming little book with natural photography. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 26. CHEESE OBSESSION (Weldon Owen, 2010, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-498-5, $24.95 US soft covers) is by Georgeanne Brennan, who once was a cheesemaker in Provence and has since written many cookbooks. It was originally published in hard covers in 2010 as “Williams-Sonoma Cheese”. The paperback reissue has been re-designed. Here are 100 recipes for cooking with cheese, principally “European” cheeses. There are ways here to cook all types of cheese for every course (creamy, oozy, nutty, firm). The classics include macaroni and cheese, fondues, and enchiladas. There is also fried pecorino (hard sheep cheese) with fruity salsa, squash salad with a runny Teleme, roast chicken stuffed with gruyere, and plum tarts covered with chevre and ginger. There are also descriptions of about 150 cheeses, including some artisanal cheese from the US, which may limit its Canadian applications. Nevertheless, there are universal notes on pairing cheeses with wine and/or beer, and putting together a cheese platter. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois and some metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR JANUARY 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. THE FINEST WINES OF GERMANY; a regional guide to the best producers and their wines (University of California Pr., 2012, 272 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27322-1, $39.95 US paper covers) is by Stephan Reinhardt, former editor of the German-Swiss wine magazine Weinwisser and a regular writer on German wines. The book actually is one of an illustrated series created by The World of Fine Wine magazine. These are guides to the classic regions and their producers, vineyards and vintages. As Hugh Johnson, one of the editorial team, would say “These are the wines most worth talking about”. Thus far, the company Fine Wine Editions has looked at Champagne, Tuscany, California, Rioja, Cote d’Or, and Bordeaux. This book is co-published with Quarto Group in the UK. The format for all the books in the series is pretty straight-forward at this point, with Hugh Johnson giving many of the forewords their lustre. There’s material in about 50 pages on history, culture and geography, along with winemaking, grapes, and viticulture. Next, there is the biggest section: producers and their wines, sub-arranged by region. The 230 pages here cover 10 regions, and include Rheingau, Rheinhessen, Mosel, and Pfalz. Grapes covered include Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir, among others. He profiles 70 producers whose philosophies and winemaking skills represent the contemporary German wine scene. Then, there is a final 10 pages on glossary, bibliography, and indexes. The photography is mainly centred on the producers, so there are lots of portraits and pictures of walls and gates. Overall, it’s an excellent guide to the country, and it is sure to please many lovers of German wines, Audience and level of use: the serious wine lover who also loves to read, reference libraries and wine schools. Some interesting or unusual facts: Schloss Schonborn still seems to dominate the Rheingau, while for Mosel it’s Markus Molitor, Egon Muller, Dr. Loosen, J.J. Prum, Zilliken, and Urbans-Hof. The downside to this book: the binding makes the gutters seem a little pinched. The upside to this book: there is a ribbon bookmark for the craft book lover. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. ENTERTAINING; recipes and inspirations for gathering with family and friends (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 346 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-42132-1, $34.99 US hard covers) is by Abigail Kirsch, a well-known caterer with Culinary Institute of America and Cordon Bleu diplomas. Indeed, the book has been issued under the auspices of the CIA in its far reaching series of cookbooks for consumers. As Kirsch points out, the high point in entertaining at home was from the mid-fifties to the mid-sixties. That ten year period saw many new developments in food production, cookbooks, and the booming upscale standard of living in North America after the war years. It petered out with the disintegration of the family unit as more wives went to work, teenagers rebelled, and young adults simply “hung out” in a different manner. Today’s entertaining is more casual, and there is a lot more of it because of its looseness. Her book has over 200 preps for party food, covering all courses, snacks, desserts, and beverages. Her range is from summer BBQs, to lunch-brunch, family gatherings, tasting parties, picnic and tailgates, all the way to fancy special occasions, upscale cocktail parties, reunions, and the like. She manages to cover all the basics of planning, preparing, and hosting. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home entertainers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: three-grain waffles; cheddar and walnut icebox crackers; frisee salad; toasted haricot verts with walnuts; butternut squash, eggplant, zucchini and fava bean stew; barley and wheat berry pilaf; prosciutto and lobster crostini; tortillas de papas; pork crown roast with rosemary jus lie. The downside to this book: a few more photos would have been useful, especially since it was possible to get two dishes on a page. And there are no gluten-free alternatives. The upside to this book: there’s plenty of leading and judicious use of white space. Quality/Price Rating: 91. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. SAINT-EMILION (Feret, 2011; distr. Wine Appreciation Guild, 192 pages, ISBN 978-2-35156095-1, $65 US hard covers) is by Philippe Dufrenoy, a painter who uses wine in his paintings, and photographer Jean-Marie Laugery. It is an oversized art book, crammed with photographs of the village of Saint-Emilion and the region. The cultural landscape was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The authors begin back in pre-historic times and move through the present day, stopping off to show us the Pierrefitte Menhir monasteries, churches and other buildings, as well as lamprey fishing, private and public collections of art, gastronomy, wine estates, colourful characters, famous people (including artists), and more. Each topic gets a double spread: stonecutters, Chateau de Pressac, the river, church steeple, vineyards, Fongaban Valley, garage wines, wine ladies, vintages. There is a table of contents; no index is needed. Audience and level of use: Saint-Emilion lovers, armchair travelers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Michel Rolland is a key figure in Saint-Emilion, and he uses his experience to create wines with attitude. The downside to this book: it needs more text, if only for more background detail. The upside to this book: the photographs. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 4. FROM A SOUTHERN OVEN; the savories, the sweets (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-06775-8, $32.50 US hard covers) is by Jean Anderson, author of more than 20 cookbooks, and national magazine food writer. She’s also a six-time best cookbook award winner. Still, the publisher felt she needed log-rolling, probably because everybody’s doing it. So she gets endorsed by Sara Moulton and baker-author Nick Malgieri. She does the savouries first, from apps through mains, veggies, breads, and then the sweets (pies, puddings, pastries, cobblers, cakes, cookies). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who love southern food, foodies who want historical detail. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chicken (turkey) and dressing casserole; crab pie; scalloped oysters; cheddar biscuits; chocolate chess pie; blind hare; casserole corn bread. The downside to this book: does she really need logrolling? Also, the index has no direct entry for chess pie. The upside to this book: there’s a huge resources list. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5. IN SEARCH OF PINOT NOIR (Vendange Press, 2011, 424 pages, ISBN 978- 1-9837292-0-4, $45 US hard covers) is by Benjamin Lewin, Master of Wine. As a long-time academic and writer of molecular biology, Lewin is now focusing on wine. In his first book (there are more on the way), he explored an overview of the financial forces making Bordeaux wines so pricey today. His current book shifts the focus to pinot noir around the world. Every winemaker wants to be known as the guy (or girl) who can be successful with pinot noir outside of Burgundy, a sort-of Holy Grail search. He visits all the cool climate places in the world (Europe, West Coast of North America, Australia and New Zealand, with a few paragraphs on South America, but unfortunately nothing on Niagara or British Columbia). He looks at the various styles of pinot noir outside of Burgundy, and describes many vineyards and wineries, with tasting notes. The hunt is on…He examines terroir vs. winemaking (nature vs. nurture) without any conclusions. Many questions are raised, such as the practicality of limestone soils, the ability to consistently make good pinot noir vintage after vintage, and the striving for most wineries to try to emulate high-quality Burgundy. There is a concluding bibliography and endnotes. Audience and level of use: a good grape variety book, useful for pinot noir or Burgundy specialists and wine schools. Some interesting or unusual facts: the guy down the road is just as likely to make good pinot noir as you are, but probably not year in and years out. The downside to this book: physically, the book is hefty to hold – this is because of the coated paper needed for the colour photos. The upside to this book: a must read, gripping in its intensity. Quality/Price Rating: 92. 6. UNBELIEVABLY GLUTEN-FREE! Dinner dishes you never thought you’d be able to eat again (Workman Publishing, 2012, 374 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-7178-3, $18.95 US soft covers) is by Anne Byrn, author of the Cake Mix Doctor series, which have sold over 3.5 million copies. She concentrates on all of the popular foods such as pizzas, pastas, meat loaves, cakes, and brownies. She’s got 125 recipes, replacing wheat-barley-rye with gluten-free ingredients. Everything is accessible and easy. Each prep has a prep time and cooking time, plus a yield, with minimal steps. Good basic comfort foods. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginning cooks, people who need gluten-free foods. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: classics of panzanella salad, French onion soup, spaghetti carbonara, pesto pizza, lemon pudding cake, red velvet cake, orange cupcakes, peach cobbler, and brownies. The downside to this book: it’s a little late in the game to declare “dinner dishes you never thought you’d be able to eat again”. The upside to this book: if anything, it should help popularize the gluten-free approach to life. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 7. ALL YOU KNEAD IS BREAD; over 50 recipes from around the world to bake & share (Ryland Peters and Small, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-257-2 $24.95 US hard covers) is by Jane Mason, a UK bread teacher. Her take on breads includes international coverage such as French brioche, Armenian pizza, Chinese steamed buns, pita bread, soda bread, cinnamon buns, cheese rolls, and corn bread. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginning bakers, those looking for international breads of other cultures. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: pide ekmeghi (Turkey), graubrot (Germany), pane di Genzano (Italy), pan de muerto (Mexico), semlor (Scandinavia), aniseed bread. The downside to this book: a good selection of recipes, but I think another 25 would have been useful. The upside to this book: Strong photographs, always a plus with Ryland Peters & Small. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 8. DIVINE VINTAGE; following the wine trail from Genesis to the Modern Age (Palgrave Macmillan, 2012; distr. Raincoast, ISBN 978-0-230-11243- 8, $27 US hard covers) is by Randall Heskett (biblical scholar, former wine importer, now President of Boulder University) and Joel Butler (president of the Institute of Masters of Wine, North America). Together they trace the development of both grapes and wines from the beginnings in the Fertile Crescent, through the Roman Empire, and into the Modern Era. It takes a close look at wines made with ancient techniques. There is also an interpretation with Biblical texts to references about wine, such as Jesus turning water into wine. There’s also information about kosher wine and how it developed. The last half of the book deals with modern day countries, and presents us with the current situation in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Israel and Greece, along with tasting notes. At the back there are end notes and a fairly comprehensive bibliography for more reading. Extremely readable. Audience and level of use: Biblical scholars, those interested in wines from the Middle East. Some interesting or unusual facts: all cultures and religions had wine gods, and some were better than others – Gestinanna, Osiris, Eshcol, Baal, Dionysus, Bacchus. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 9. THE LITTLE PARIS KITCHEN; 120 simple but classic French recipes (Chronicle Books, 2012; distr. Raincoast) is by Rachel Khoo, whose bio on the inside of the dust jacket is vague and cryptic. She’s earned a degree at Le Cordon Bleu and now apparently “travels the world working on a variety of projects”. The book was originally published in England by Michael Joseph (Penguin Books) by picked up by Chronicle in North America, not Penguin. In addition, the book was manufactured in Germany. Now, I have to say that in a lifetime of dealing with English- language books, it has been decades since I’ve seen one made in Germany. There must be some new Euro legislation…Anyway, the book is basic, and I am not sure if we even need it, given that it seems to be the same classics and variations that existed in other cookbooks for quite some time. While the food shots look appetizing, there are too many photos of Khoo or of stores. Her topics range from everyday cooking to snack time to summer picnics to aperitifs to dinners and sweets. This is French home cooking for a small or galley kitchen. Many items have been miniaturized, such as coq au vin on skewers, croque madames baked in muffin tins, and the like. There’s a listing of her fave foodie places in Paris. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents at the back of the book. Audience and level of use: young people far from home in small quarters. Some interesting or unusual recipes: rabbit liver pate; speedy sauerkraut; cured sausage, pistachio and prune cake; upside-down apple tart; cherry tomato and vanilla compote; smoky fish bake; cassoulet soup with duck. The downside to this book: too many pix of the author. The upside to this book: many of the food pix. Quality/Price Rating: 81. 10. VIRGIN VEGAN; the meatless guide to pleasing your palate (Gibbs Smith, 2012; distr. Raincoast, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-2516-2, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Linda Long, author of Great Chefs Cook Vegan which featured 25 top chefs preparing plant-based foods. She’s also a food stylist and media host, writing for a number of vegetarian publications. Here she opens with material about the vegan lifestyle and what it all means, and then moves on to nutrition and the recipes. She’s got breakfast, some drinks, salads, soups, veggies such as kale and sweet potatoes, squash, grains, beans and lentils, tofu, pasta and pizza, sandwiches, and desserts. There are also some recommended resources with websites. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans or vegetarians. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: edamame combo salad; arugula watermelon salad; sesame soba noodles with peanut dressing; diner egg and olive salad sandwich; chickpea pesto. The downside to this book: teeny tiny print for the index. The upside to this book: good, no-nonsense collection of preps. 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 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 – 11. COOKING ITALIAN WITH THE CAKE BOSS; family favorites as only Buddy can serve them up (Free Press, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 365 pages, ISBN 978-1-4516-7430-9, $30 US hard covers) is by Buddy Valastro, celebrity chef on a TLC TV series. His family owns Carlo’s Bake Shop. These are his family’s fave preps, along with some memoirish material about the food’s history. Here are 100 recipes in the Italian-Americano mode. Valastro is better known for his baking, but at home he works with his family’s recipes. So we have the traditional from his grandmother, such as pasta carbonara and eggplant parmesan, and some modern contemporary dishes. There are indications of prep times and cooking times. All courses are presented, from apps through desserts, with salads, soups, pizzas, pasta, mains and sides. There is even a chapter on Italian pantry basics. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84. 12. COOKING WITH LOVE; comfort food that hugs you (Free Press, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 311 pages, ISBN 978- 1-4516-6219-1, $30 US hard covers) is by Carla Hall, a co- host on ABC and Bravo’s cooking shows. She also runs an artisanal cookie company in Washington, D.C. Here she is assisted by Genevieve Ko a food writer and food editor. This book has 100 preps in the comfort food mode, and ranges from apps to desserts. Typical dishes are chicken pot pie (with crust on the bottom), creamed chicken with broccoli and mushrooms, southern fried catfish, beer- braised pulled barbecue brisket, smashed herbed potatoes, creamy mac and cheese – all the foods we grew up with. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84. 13. SECRETS OF THE BEST CHEFS; recipes, techniques, and tricks from America’s greatest cooks (Artisan,2012; distr. T. Allen,386 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-439-9, $27.95 US hard covers) has been assembled by food blogger Adam Roberts who also has hosted several shows for the Food Network plus writing articles for online magazines. It comes with heavy logrolling (Chang, Lee Brothers, Hesser, Lebovitz, Andrews). It is a collection of preps from some US chefs (the book was originally called “Great Chefs” but got changed to “Best Chefs”…subtle). There are about three recipes from each of 50: Alice Waters, Lidia Bastianich, Sara Moulton, and Michael White – just to name a few. He’s got some basic stories about each of them, along with a photo or two plus, of course, three recipes which he fine- tuned for home kitchens. There’s crostini with sugar snap peas and radishes and anchovies, spinach calzone with cheeses, scallop chowder, beet salad with pecans, chicken liver mousse, and lentil soup with sausage. Eclectic, but then that’s what sells cookbooks. There’s a resources list, but do also look at his blog amateurgourmet.com. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 14. MY YEAR IN MEALS (Atria Books, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 310 pages, ISBN 978-1-4516-5972-6, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Rachel Ray, TV celebrity chef and hostess. She has more than 500 recipes for a year of cooking. It is also a flip book with a smaller section by John Cusimano, a musician and a producer with a flair for mixing drinks. His part of the book (on the reverse) is only 57 pages long, but covers 100 cocktail preps. The Gunga Din and Quince Sling have been augmented by the Morning Glory Fizz, Whiskey Rickey, and the Purple Plum. Ray’s book is the more compelling since many of her recipes are quite good and unusual. There are ten smart tags to access digital information such as videos on choosing seasonal ingredients, Italy, holiday traditions, entertaining tips, and some bonus recipes. The book itself is arranged by month, from April to March (the fiscal year???). Dinners, lunches, and breakfasts are laid out in a monthly calendar, although there usually is only one or two meals a day listed. The recipes have the ingredients highlighted in a colour, which usually works as a standout until you get to the pastel colours. Then it becomes hard to read. Try dandelion greens with eggs and potatoes, mixed herb pesto penne, chapata with manchego potatoes eggs and Serrano ham, buffalo chicken meatballs, and lots of comfort food. But will somebody please kill the references to EVOO? It’s evil. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 15. TACOS, TORTAS, AND TAMALES; flavors from the griddles, pots and streetside kitchens of Mexico (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 220 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-19020-3, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Roberto Santibanez with J.J. Goode. The former has written three Mexican food books, and currently is the chef-owner of Fonda in New York City; the latter is a professional writer and co-author of six cookbooks. They show the variety of tacos in Mexico: fish tacos in Baja, slow-cooked pork tacos in Yucatan, poblanos pepper tacos in Mexico City. There are also Mexican sandwiches (torta) and tamales. In addition, there are recipes for a variety of mostly fresh salsas, fresh juices (aguas), margaritas and desserts. The tortas chapter is really interesting: not many Mexican cookbooks deal with tortas, but certainly they are a viable street food component. Just not as exotic as tacos or tamales. And of course, there are cold and hot tortas, each with pronounced Mexican seasoning of some kind. There are also many descriptions of food stands, with photos, a glossary, and a list of websites to buy food not locally available. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 16. THE BROWN BETTY COOKBOOK; modern vintage desserts and stories from Philadelphia’s best bakery (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-14435-0, $22.99 US hardbound) is by Linda Hinton Brown and Norrinda Brown Hayat. Linda grew up in a home where her mother, Betty, regularly baked a collection of pies, cakes, and biscuits before church on Sundays. Norrinda is Linda’s daughter, and together they opened Brown Betty Dessert Boutique in Philadelphia. There are only three chapters here: pies, cakes and cookies. But liberally scattered throughout are stories of home, making this a sort-of memoir cookbook about home and the bakery. There are macadamia cookies, red velvet, sour cream pound layer cake, sweet potato cake, rice pudding and s strawberry letter. 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. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 17. EVERYONE CAN COOK EVERYTHING (Whitecap, 2012, 434 pages, ISBN 978- 1-77050-109-6, $35 CDN hard covers) is by Eric Akis, a food writer in Victoria, BC. He’s a former chef and the bestselling author of the “Everyone Can Cook” series (covering basics, seafood, appetizers, celebrations, slow cookers, and midweek meals). There are six in this series, and I guess you could call him Canada’s answer to Mark Bittman. These are simple dishes, suitable to a wide range of “satisfying” meals. But their usefulness lies in the creative planning of meals. There are 240 recipes here in this “best of” collection. Each recipe has detail on prep time and finishing time, as well as some options and variations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. There are plenty of cook’s notes and options for variations here. The instructions are clear and useful, as well as his details on how to plan. The quantities for each ingredient are set in pastel colours on the page, which makes for squinty reading and poor photocopying. I advocate photocopying recipes for actual kitchen preparation (saves wear and tear on the book, and you can clip the recipe to a shelf or cupboard). Quality/Price Rating: 86. 18. UNION DES GRANDS CRUS DE BORDEAUX, 2011-2012 Edition (Feret, 2011; distr. Wine Appreciation Guild, 180 pages, ISBN 978-2-35156071-6 $29.95 US paper covers) is the group’s annual directory of members. From the book: Founded in 1973, the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux is a partnership of 132 grand crus estates constituted under a shared standard of high quality. This Guide, available publicly for the first time since the Union’s founding, is a summary of the producers from the more important appellations of Bordeaux: Médoc, Haut-Médoc, St. Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien, Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, Graves, Pessac-Leognan, Sauternes, Barsac, St. Emilion and Pomerol. Included in estate profiles are: property history and description, officers, production quantities, terrain and soil makeup, grapes under harvest, degree of barrel ageing, name of second wines, contact information, website, and GPS locations. But of course, there are no tasting notes, which would pit one member against another. You can get more data at www.ugcb.net. Quality/Price rating: 85. 19. TOP 100 SOUTH AFRICAN WINES, 2012/13 (Wine Appreciation Guild, 2012, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-620-52990-7 $24.95 US hard covers) has been pulled together by Robin von Holdt, an expert in South African wine. “The Top 100 South African Wine Challenge” is the premier fine-wine competition in South Africa. As the official guide of this annual event, Top 100 South African Wines, 2012/13 (a second edition) provides a relatively objective, independent and professional rating of some of South Africa’s finest wines. This is a survey of the top 100 wines entered, but not necessarily the top 100 wines in the current marketplace. The book includes all WO wine producing areas, detailed colour maps, special notes on new wines, wine buying tips, advice on proper cellaring of wine, and the current South African wine industry information. There is also material on grape cultivars, a glossary of wine terms, bottle label images for easy recognition, and tasting notes from the judges. The judging methodology and scoring are laid out, with some winemaker tasting notes. And there are plenty of South African industry statistics. With retail prices in Rand added to the directory- listings (there’s about two pages for each wine with full tech data), this is a great shopping list. There are more details at www.top100sawines.com. Quality/Price rating: 87. 20. SUPERFOOD KITCHEN; cooking with nature’s most amazing foods (Sterling Epicure, 2011, 2012; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 238 pages, ISBN 978-1-4549-0352-9, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Julie Morris. It was originally published in 2011 as “Superfood Cuisine” (why the change?). It come endorsed by someone called a “celebrity nutritionist”. Really? Morris worked in the natural foods industry as a recipe developer, writer, and TV host. The emphasis here is on dishes that are plant-based, nutrient-dense, whole- foods, rich in antioxidants, with essential fatty acids, minerals and vitamins. Of yes, they are also supposed to be delicious. She’s also got a lot of extras: a substitution cheat sheet, conversion charts, making nut milks, a guide to ingredient resources, bibliography (including websites), and other references. The arrangement of the book is by course: breakfasts, soups, salads, through to sweets and drinks. She has extensive notes on the various types of superfoods, in a pantry chapter. Try arugula and Asian pear salad, kabocha-quinoa risotto, loaded collard wraps, garden lasagna, and chocolate hemp & oat bars. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 21. BETTY CROCKER INDIAN HOME COOKING (John Wiley & Sons, 2001, 2012, 336 pages, ISBN 9788-1-118-39746-6, $19.99 US soft covers) has recipes by Raghavan Iyer. Yes, the Betty Crocker Indian Home Cooking was “outsourced” more than a decade ago, and has been reissued for the modern market and adjusted for American tastes. There are 180 recipes and more than 85 almost full page photos in colour. There are traditional faves such as samosas, butter chicken, and almond-lamb curry. There are also regional specialties (grilled fish with garlic, pork in cashew-pepper curry, rice-lentil pancakes) and many vegetarian options such as mixed vegetable stew with coconut or North Indian chili. There’s a primer on Indian cooking, huge chapters on lentils (with beans and peas) and on condiments, plus a selection of Indian menus. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 22. THE GLORY OF SOUTHERN COOKING (John Wiley, 2007, 2012, 432 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-38358-2, $22.99 US paper covers) is by Southern food expert writer James Villas, author of about 20 cookbooks (including a Beard Award for “Pig” in 2011). It was originally published in hardback in 2007; this is the paperback reprint. As the subtitle says: “recipes for the best beer-battered fried chicken, cracklin’ biscuits, Carolina pulled pork, fried okra, Kentucky cheese pudding, hummingbird cake…” Here are 388 preps for every meal and every occasion, from the basics of BBQ and greens to regional specialties. Throughout there is memoir material about the South, some cooking tips, and colour photos. The back cover has some heavy duty log rolling from Wolfert, Kafka, Mariani and the Sterns. While “chess pie” is not indexed, there is a “lemon- buttermilk chess pie” under the word lemon. I also looked under the term “jes’ pie”, but it was not there. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 23. CATERING MANAGEMENT. 4th ed. (Wiley, 2013, 262 pages, ISBN 978-1- 118-09149-4, $70 US hard covers) is by Nancy Loman Scanlon, currently a professor at Florida International University in the hospitality school. She’s written other restaurant managing books. This one was first published in 2000, and gets revised on a regular basis. It’s a basic guide to the business side of catering (cost control, marketing, budgeting, day-to-day operations). The primer includes the various styles of catering operations, business development, marketing and digital support, the menu program, both food and beverage controls, menu design, menu pricing, beverage management, and training. There is a glossary, some endnotes, and an updated bibliography. It is loaded with illustrations of menus, event skeds, purchasing requirements, photos of event locations, and more. Of course, it is a text book, so each chapter ends with a useful summary and some questions for discussion. The biggest changes in the book occur in the digital chapter, with looks at menu creation, social networking, online promotions, proposal development, and new software. There is also some new material on sustainable practices. Well-worth a look by existing catering companies looking to improve their bottom line. Quality/price rating: 88. 24. MASTERCHEF COOKBOOK. (Rodale, 2010, 260 pages, ISBN 978-1-60529- 123-9, $24.99 US paper covers) has been compiled by JoAnn Cianciulli, supervising producer of MasterChef. She’s had more than a decade’s worth of culinary TV production experience. This is the paperback reissue of the 2010 hardcover. Here are 80 recipes created by the cast and the judges. Basic techniques include searing, frying, baking broiling and blanching. Some typical preps include blackened catfish tacos, handmade pasta forms, brandied chocolate mousse, and other show pieces. Lots of photos of people, but at the expense of fewer technique photos. But there is good food styling in the illustrations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 25. CONCEPTS IN WINE TECHNOLOGY; small winery operations. Third ed. (Wine Appreciation Guild, 2012, 296 pages, ISBN 978-1-935879-80-0, $40 US hard covers) is by Yair Margalit, a physical chemist who also runs a small family vineyard and winery, and teaches winemaking. It updates his earlier Winery Technology and Operation (1990) and the first edition of the current title (2004). His topics cover grape ripening (determining sugar and acid levels) and pre-harvest conditions, a sort of basic condensed viticulture in the first 20 pages. Then come sections on the harvest and the crush, the fermentation (including malo-lactic but not barrel fermentation, which is in the chapter on barrel aging). He covers the operations of the cellar: racking, stabilization, fining, filtration, blending, and maintenance. This is followed by barrel aging and bottling. The wine evaluation appendix is extremely useful for its good discussion based on aromas, bouquets, tastes, flavours, body, and astringency. In fact, Margalit could have expanded this chapter and expounded further. There is an expanded bibliography of books as well as bibliographic footnotes in each chapter, and there is a concluding index. This is a good basic primer, based on years of personal experience, easy enough to understand, and useful for anyone who wants to get under the hood, sommeliers, winemaking students, or even hospitality trade students. Some interesting or unusual facts: Margalit calls for a new system of ratings based on nose, mouthfeel, harmony, and negative attributes. What I don’t like about this book: a glossary could have been very helpful, as well as a listing of technical websites for further knowledge. Also, he has no discussion on icewine production. What I do like about this book: lots of graphs, charts and illustrations. As well, he has an excellent wine evaluation chapter. Quality/Price Ratio: 94. 26. CONCEPTS IN WINE CHEMISTRY. Third ed. (Wine Appreciation Guild, 2012, 543 pages, ISBN 978-1-935879-81-7 $89.95 US hard covers) is by Yair Margalit, a physical chemist who also runs a small family vineyard and winery, and teaches winemaking. It updates his earlier Wine Chemistry (1997) and the second edition of the current title (2004). The last decade has seen great strides in understanding of the biochemistry involved in vinification. Margalit gives a current snapshot of the basic and advanced science behind the wine processes. It is also meant for the larger winery, and has more depth than his Wine Technology book (see above). Organized by the winemaking process, topics cover must, fermentation, phenolics, aromas and bouquets, oxidation, oak and corks, sulphuring, what goes on in the cellar, wine defects, and health aspects of wine. There are also chapters detailing the regulations and legal requirements in the production of wine, and the history of wine chemistry and winemaking practices from the past. Quite an impressive array of coverage, finished off by an index. Audience and level of use: students, winemakers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: The Kaiser Permanente health organization in California correlated mortality from heart disease to alcohol consumption, leading to the definition of the one-drink unit equal to 17.5 ml of absolute ethanol (about 5 ounces of wine). What I don’t like about this book: a glossary could have been very helpful, as well as a listing of technical websites for further knowledge. Also, he has no discussion on icewine production. What I do like about this book: lots of graphs, charts and illustrations. Quality/Price Ratio: 92. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR OCTOBER 2012 ====================================== 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: 2012 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. A VINEYARD IN NAPA (University of California Press, 2012, 264 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27236-1, $29.95 US hardcovers) is by Doug Shafer, head of Shafer Vineyards who, along with his father, John, were winners of the 2010 James beard Foundation Award for “Outstanding Wine and Spirit Professional”. It’s a memoir, aided by writer Andy Demsky, about John Schafer’s midlife career change in 1973. He moved from Chicago’s publishing arena to Napa, with no knowledge of winemaking. Thirty years later, Robert M. Parker, Jr. called Shafer Vineyards, “one of the world’s greatest wineries”. Doug narrates the story of ups and downs, from a rural Napa to the tech wonder it is today. We learn about bugs, cellar disasters, local politics, natural causes, and changing consumer values. There is also material on sustainability, AVA creation, custom crushing, and hobbyist investors. There are some 50 different topics in shorter chapters, as well as an index to ties it all together. Audience and level of use: wine lovers, wine historians Some interesting or unusual facts: The 1980 Chardonnay was the first Shafer wine served at the White House while Reagan hosted PM Indira Ghandi from India. The downside to this book: it is episodic, although that has its moments in trying to read a few elements here and there. The upside to this book: a good memoir about Napa life in the 1970-2010 period. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. BURMA; rivers of flavor (Random House Canada, 2012, 372 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-36216-2, $39.95 CAN hard covers) is by Naomi Duguid, the well-known Canadian author of many other Asian cookbooks for Random House Canada. Here she travels to Burma, a neglected culinary charm: Toronto, with some relatively rare cuisines, only has one Burmese restaurant, and that one, with a steam table, caters mostly to students as a takeout place. Burmese (Myanmar) cooking is similar to India, China and Thailand, but the spicing is different. For one thing, the Burmese use lots of different varieties of coriander; for another, there are lots of fresh herbs. Duguid has a primer on the basics of Burma (she’s been going there for about 25 years), followed by chapters on courses or ingredients. There are salads, soups, veggies, fish and seafood, chicken, beef, pork, rice, noodles, sweets and sauces/condiments. There is also a chapter on drinks in Burma (tea and tea-shops), as well as beer and liquor (mostly rice liquor or arrack). She writes two sentences on wines – “Burma is starting to produce wine at several vineyards in the Inle Lake area. The industry is young but European winemakers are working to bottle light, drinkable reds and whites.” She’s also got some brief historical notes, some travel notes (hardly any credit cards are accepted, there were no ATMs by spring of 2012, tourist money is only in un-creased US dollars), an expanded glossary of food terms, and an annotated bibliography. Preparations, usually one to a page with accompanying food studio photo on the opposite page, have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents on the last page. And, of course, there is a major upside to this book: excellent location photography by Duguid. This is a first-rate effort, adding to our knowledge of the Asiatic culinary world. Audience and level of use: Duguid fans, Asian food lovers, those desiring information about obscure cuisines. Let’s be apolitical about the country’s administrative function, for here, only food matters. Some interesting or unusual recipes that we tried: curried chicken livers; intensely green spinach and tomato salad with peanuts; Mandalay noodles with chicken curry; fried sesame-seed bananas; crispy shallot and dried shrimp relish; deep-fried chayote fingers; new potatoes with spiced shallot oil; rice-batter crepes; shan tofu salad; tart-sweet chile-garlic sauce (hot stuff!); fish cakes and fish balls. Quality/Price Rating: 92. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. POWER ENTERTAINING (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 220 pages, ISBN 978-1- 118- 26902-2, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Eddie Osterland, MS, America’s first Master Sommelier (1973). He has worked at top places in France, and for the past 25 years, he has been conducting workshops on “power entertaining” for corporate global businesses. The subtitle to this book says it all: “secrets to building lasting relationships, hosting unforgettable events, and closing big deals from America’s 1st Master Sommelier”. With log rolling from a few wine experts, corporate biggies, and authors of other “success” books, Osterland presents some breezy and chatty but informative information on how to succeed in business with wine knowledge. Chapter 3 is the kernel: top twenty secrets of successful power entertaining. I’m not going to divulge them all, but I’ll relate two: top tip is to think of entertaining as a business development strategy; another is to open the event with champagne. Most of the book is about finding choosing and serving wines in a variety of strategies, with expert pairing of food with wine. There is also some good material on tasting wine like a sommelier. There’s a concluding chapter on power entertaining at home, to impress family and friends and even close business associates (“you live like this all the time?”). There are a few appendices, such as one on the major grape varieties commonly found on restaurant wine lists, with pronunciation (but no viognier is listed). He also has some blank tasting note sheets which can be downloaded from his website. Apparently, there is also a collaborator, communications consultant Richard Koonce, who is acknowledged at the very end of the acknowledgements and has a separate page at the back of the book. It is an interesting book, but it might also have been better suited for the Dummies series, which Wiley also publishes and which also has business oriented materials. Audience and level of use: businessmen wishing to make an impression with their social wine and food skills. Some interesting or unusual facts: Caesar salad is too common to serve with power entertaining; avoid boilerplate menus; offer a smashing, unforgettable first course or appetizer. The downside to this book: many wine and food matches, and most of the tasting notes can be found in other wine books. The upside to this book: a good assemblage for the busy executive who wants a no-nonsense approach. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 4. THE GLUTEN-FREE TABLE; the Lagasse girls share their favorite meals (Grand Central Life & Style, 2012, 230 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-1688- 9,$25.99 US hard covers) is by Jilly Lagasse and Jessie Lagasse Swanson, siblings and daughters of Emeril Lagasse. 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. Audience and level of use: those seeking gluten-free recipes. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: 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. The downside to this book: it could use a few more recipes The upside to this book: some great Southern foods redefined. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5. THE VEGETARIAN’S COMPLETE QUINOA COOKBOOK (Whitecap, 2012, 196 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-097-6, $29.95 US, soft covers) is from the Ontario Home Economics Association, and has been edited by Mairlyn Smith, a professional home economist who has appeared on TV and has authored many other cookbooks. Here, she’s got the definitive quinoa book for vegetarians (most of the preps are vegan friendly as well). It comes with some heavy duty log rolling from Cronish, Lindsay, and DeMontis, all cookbook authors and speakers on food. Quinoa is a complete food product, with all the essential amino acids and proteins needed for a diet. It is now the most popular superfood around, with about a dozen cookbooks published or announced. Here are 120 vegetarian recipes, all less that 500 calories. There are details on what makes quinoa so good and easy to prepare. Recipes have icons to indicate which recipes are completely gluten-free, or use a microwave, slow cooker or bread machine. There are sections from apps to desserts, plus baked goodies, breads, and breakfasts. The mains cover stir-fries, stews, Mediterranean tones, and egg dishes. Each prep has nutritional information listed. About 58 identified members of the OHEA contributed preps. At the end there is a list of online resources. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who enjoy quinoa or would like to start eating it. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: power granola; gluten-free ancient grains bread; quinoa and edamame salad with Asian flavours; Moroccan vegetable stew; savoury and sweet pilaf; orange-scented quinoa with blueberries. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 6. BEER, FOOD, AND FLAVOR; a guide to tasting, pairing, and the culture of craft beer (Skyhorse Publishing,2012, 290 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608- 679-4, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Schuyler Schulz, a chef and sommelier who also specializes in craft beers. He has a strong chapter on tasting beer, followed by another on pairing beer with fine food and creating menus. There’s a 20 page chapter on matching beer with cheese. This is followed by his choices for the best craft brewers in America (all US) and details about the beer “community”, such as RateBeer and BeerAdvocate. There’s also a nice bibliography and glossary. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: American beer lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: English toffee pudding cake made with beer; braised Niman Ranch pork shoulder; spiced cashews; and a recipe for Russian Imperial Stout homebrew. The downside to this book: it is American in its coverage of brewers. The upside to this book: great reproductions of labels. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 7. THE EVERYDAY WOK COOK BOOK; simple and satisfying recipes for the most versatile pan in your kitchen (Sasquatch Books, 2012; distr. Random House, 145 pages, $21.95 US paper covers) is by Lorna Yee, a food writer and presenter in the Pacific Northwest, and co-author of The Newlywed Kitchen. Here she advises that the wok is the only pan you’ll really need in the kitchen. To most Orientals, that is a given, standard basic fact. One can braise, steam, stew, deep-fry, and smoke with woks. And a good wok gets better with usage and seasoning. There are about 55 preps here, devoted to American comfort food and some classic Asian dishes as well. The arrangement is by course, with breakfast and brunch upfront, followed by mains, sides and desserts. The list of ingredients is in bold faced caps, which I like. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: non-Asiatic wok owners Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chicken-fried steak with pan gravy; red sauce spaghetti with bison meatballs; tailgate chili; chorizo, harissa, and potato hash; chicken sausage and goat cheese scramble; Asian-style BBQ pork scramble with coriander. The downside to this book: only55 preps – I’d like a few more. The upside to this book: a single purpose kitchen equipment book to show the versatility of the wok. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 8. THE DIABETES-FRIENDLY KITCHEN; 125 recipes for creating healthy meals (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 226 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-58778-2, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Jennifer Stack, a chef that is a certified Diabetes Educator and RD. She’s a professor at the Culinary Institute of America, teaching nutrition and food safety. She also writes for magazines and appears on TV. It’s a CIA book, with a primer on a diabetic kitchen, glossary, bibliography, and nutritional information/data for each recipe. Arrangement of the food is by course: apps, soups, mains, sides and salads, desserts. She says: “This is not another diabetic cookbook. It is a book with recipes and cooking tips to improve your blood glucose control and reduce your risk for heart disease while still honoring your love for food”. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: mostly pre-diabetic eaters. Some interesting or unusual facts: diabetes-friendly meals provide a consistent and controlled amount of calories and carbohydrates. Flavour enhancement by searing, reducing, infusing and marinating provides the maximum amount of flavour from the food. The downside to this book: I think the preps really need metric measurements or at least tables of conversion – for use in the rest of the world. The upside to this book: it is good that the CIA has weighed in on this matter. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 9. PIES, GLORIOUS PIES; brilliant recipes for mouth-wateringly tasty pies (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 143 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-261-9, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Maxine Clark, prolific cookbook author for this publisher. The British love their pies, and Clark, who lives in Scotland, details a useful primer on how to construct different pie dough and roll them out. She gives us separate chapters based on purpose: there are everyday pies, posh pies, portable pies, and sweet pies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: pie lovers and novice cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: steak and kidney pie; lamb shank shepherd’s pie; ham and apple pie; simple sausage lattice slice; ricotta and green herb torta; pasta, parmesan, and cherry tomato pies; golden fish pie. The downside to this book: I suppose for balance there could have been a few more sweet pies. The upside to this book: there are more savoury pies than sweet pies here. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 10. SKIRT STEAK; women chefs on standing the heat and staying in the kitchen (Chronicle books, 2012, 320 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0709-7, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Charlotte Bruckman, a food writer who has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Bon Appetit. Here she interviews and talks with 73 American women chefs about life in the restaurant’s kitchen. It is arranged in 12 chapters, by theme, with many glosses and quotes from the chefs. Her first topic is “what is a chef?”, and from there moves on to what it takes, education, the “man cave”, owning a resto, awards, competition, discrimination, glass ceiling, media, salary, sexual harassment, and more. But nothing on wine knowledge (or sommeliers/food and beverage managers), drugs or alcoholism – that I could find. No recipes, except for how to succeed. Audience and level of use: those who want to know about women chefs and how hard it is to survive. Some interesting or unusual facts: “The career opportunities available to those interested in food-related exploits have opened up. This translates to a wider client base for schools to tap.” The downside to this book: I’d like more space on food and beverage managers, or sommeliers. The upside to this book: a good issue to tackle. 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 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 – 11. TART IT UP! Sweet & savory tarts & pies (Mitchell Beazley, 2012; dist. By Canadian Manda Group, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84533-719-3, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Eric Lanlard, a Master Patissier who ran the patisserie business for the Roux brothers in London for five years. He has since launched his own business Cake Boy (a café, cake emporium, and cooking school). He’s also appeared on British television and has written three books, mostly on cakes. Here he tackles tarts and pies, opening with a primer on pastry. The first section has about 40 savouries, plus some quick bakes for apps and some accompaniments such as condiments. There’s an equal number of sweets, plus the bakes and accompaniments. The photos are very good. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try Britanny seafood tart, Zucchini ribbon and roasted pepper tart, Iberian chicken pie, treacle tart, apple and almond nougat tart, or hazelnut bread and butter pudding pie. Toulouse sausage and root vegetable pies were also good. I think the savouries work better than the sweets. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 12. GLUTEN-FREE & VEGAN BREAD; artisanal recipes to make at home (Sasquatch Books, 2012, 168 pages, ISNM 978-1-57061-780-5, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Jennifer Katzinger, former owner of the Flying Apron (Seattle), a gluten-free and vegan bakery. She’s written two other cookbooks on these theses, but this one deals exclusively with bread. Here are 65 basic and simple preps based on the home equivalent of what the bakery produced. Each of the breads is made without dairy, eggs, gluten or soy. The range is from yeasted breads through wild starter breads, flatbreads, batter breads, and quick breads. Quite delicious: Iranian barbari flatbreads, Indian roti, raspberry-rooibos tea bread, matzo, and an orange chocolate bread. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 13. RIDE OR FRY; the Dante Fried Chicken experience (Sterling Epicure, 2012, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-9429-2, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Dante Gonzales, owner of the Ride or Fry food truck in Los Angeles. He works with pop-up stands, music, and underground parties. His shadowy lifestyle comes to ground in his hard printed cookbook, meant for home use. Here are 100 eco-conscious recipes (with many vegetarian and vegan options), some heirloom dishes from his grandmother, and other preps from his music friends. It’s an eclectic mix, based on mainly New Orleans and Caribbean foods. Try baked pistachio wings, cook-up gumbo, banana-date short ribs, veggie gumbo, creamed spinach and asparagus, low country special overrice, okra and sardines, mofongo tamales, and DFC succotash – or anything with his sauces. Nifty illustrations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 14. ONE DISH AT A TIME; delicious recipes and stories from my Italian- American childhood and beyond (Rodale, 2012, 242 pages, ISBN 978-1- 60961-460-7, $30 US hard covers) is by Valerie Bertinelli (One Day at a Time, Hot in Cleveland), also author of a couple of diet-memoir weight loss books. She is also the face of the Jenny Craig weight loss program. Portion control is her key to success, and she gives us about 100 recipes here from diverse sources (Italian dishes from her family, Indonesian dishes from her former mother-in-law, quick meals for working women, at-home restaurant meals, and some Jenny Craig faves. It’s all arranged by course (breakfast, apps, soups, salads, mains, sides, desserts), with stories behind each one. Each prep has some memoir background and nutritional data, as well as portion control notes. Try ribollita, beet-onion and feta salad, pasta alle vongole, herbed mashed cauliflower, or gooey brownies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. N interesting book for her fans. Quality/price rating: 83. * 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”... 15. THE COMPLETE BORDEAUX: the wines, the chateaux, the people. Rev. ed. (Mitchell Beazley, 2007, 2012; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 720 pages, ISBN 978-1-84533-707-0, $0 US hard covers) is by Stephen Brook. Most of the text was released in 2006 in the “Classic Wine Library” series, at $46, and with no pictures, in 528 pages. This library series is quite well-known by now: a basic layout of serviceable sketch-maps, no pictures, and lots of capsule histories and tasting notes for each property described. But the publisher has seen fit to reissue that text on Medoc and Graves, added material on the Right Bank (Pomerol and St.Emilion, more material on Sauternes, and even more material on the satellite areas around (the various Cotes, Entre deux Mers, etc.). Plus, of course, some plates of coloured photographs. Here is insider information on Bordeaux, The introductory material includes chapters on the land (terroir), grapes, and wine styles. The main arrangement is by region. The directory data includes names and numbers, websites, owners, size, production and grape varieties. Then, the narrative style embraces a mini-history with tasting notes. There is an appendix with comments on the various vintages, 1961-2011, a glossary, and an outdated bibliography. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 16. BETTY CROCKER WHOLE GRAINS (John Wiley & Sons, 2007, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-31300-8, $19.99 US soft covers) last came out in 2007. Now it has been revised and reissued, but not nearly fast enough to catch the quinoa wave. Quinoa is now the hottest grain around, and while this book has six quinoa preps listed in the index, somebody at the publisher said that that was not enough. So they came up with ten more recipes and stuck them at the very front of the book, using Roman numerals for pagination, and calling it “Bonus Quinoa Chapter”. Consequently, they are not indexed nor joined with the original 6. It’s OK, but it just looks funny and is not retrievable. The book has 150 recipes for using whole grains (barley, oats, quinoa, rye, etc.) in a variety of ways through slow-cookers, sides, 30-minute meals, desserts, salads, snacks. Each recipe has prep times, total times, servings, nutritional information, and exchanges. There is a nice photo of many dishes, and the typeface is really big for older people like myself. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Try Italian broccoli and quinoa pilaf, tripe-berry oatmeal muesli, Italian frittata, tabbuleh with garbanzo beans, maple corn pudding, and rush-hour tuna melts. Quality/price rating: 86. 17. FARMSTAND FAVORITES COOKBOOK (Hatherleigh Press, 2012, 221 pages, ISBN 978-1-57826-420-9, $16.50 US soft covers) is a collection of over 300 preps, probably assembled from the Farmstand Favorites series which covers apples, berries, canning, cheese, garlic, honey, maple syrup, pumpkins ands tomatoes. It’s a series devoted to farm fresh foods. The emphasis is on buying local and supporting the local farmer and farmers markets. Many preps come from food associations such as the New York State Maple Producers Association, or the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association, or Toronto Garlic Festival. Everything is easy in a no- fuss, no-muss mode. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Here’s a resources list and some generic produce photos, and the typeface is reasonably large (with the index’s typeface being even larger still). Quality/price rating: 82. 18. EASY ROASTING; simply delicious recipes for your perfect roast (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2012, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-284-8, $19.95 US hard covers) is part of the “Easy” series. There now 16 of these, covering drinks, desserts, courses, and kitchen implements. Contributions come from 13 cookbook authors, such as Sonia Stevenson with 58 plus the opening primer on roasting styles, Maxine Clark (9) and Ross Dobson (10). Try Italian roast leg of lamb with lemon and anchovy sauce, brined roast chicken with a ham and fresh sage stuffing, spatchcocked poussins (use Cornish hens or large quail) with rosemary and lemon glaze, tuna with paprika crumbs and Romesco sauce, and whole roast monkfish. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of equivalents. Some preps for trimmings such sides, stuffings, gravies, and relishes are also included. Quality/price rating: 87. 19. CHOCOLATE PASSION; recipes and inspiration from the kitchens of Chocolatier magazine (John Wiley & Sons, 1999, 2012, 320 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-43109-2, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Tish Boyle, former editor of Chocolatier, and Timothy Moriarty, former features editor of Chocolatier. It is a reprint of the 1999 hardback, from a time when both authors were still working for the magazine. As such, the resource list is out-of-date (but I also have no time to track down who is still in business and at what address/phone number) simply because there are no websites listed. The back cover takes advantage of the reprinting to update the author bios and give us some logrolling. Here are 54 recipes, tested at the magazine, with material on white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate. Unfortunately for the publisher, most of the chocolate-mad world has moved on to simply dark chocolate at 70% or 85%, which has 24 preps in its section. Nevertheless, the price of the book has come down, the photos are still gorgeous, the techniques exemplary, and the instructions still valid. A good book for the gifted amateur home cook. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 82. 20. 300 SENSATIONAL SOUPS (Robert Rose, 2008, 2012, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0196-2, $27.95 CAN paper covers) is by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds, both food writers living in the US Midwest. It was originally published in 2008, but has not been reprinted as a bestseller. This is a nice database of classics and contemporary soups, along with 50 international preps such as pho, harira, minestrone, or African peanut soup. It is arranged by major ingredient. There are separate chapters for meat, veggies, beans, cheese, poultry, fish, and styles such as chowders, cold soups, and dessert soups. At the beginning there are notes on soup stocks, and at the end, there are notes on garnishes and toppings. As is standard with any Rose cookbook, the ingredients are expressed in both avoirdupois and metric measurements, the typeface is clean and lean and large, and there is plenty of white space for adding your own notes. Some interesting recipes include veal burgoo, chilled curried pear soup, chicken-squash- sausage soup, lasagna soup, arugula soup with salmon and roasted grape tomatoes, and guacamole soup. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 21. CHOCOLATES & CONFECTIONS: formula, theory, and technique for the artisan confectioner. Second edition. (John Wiley & Sons, 2007, 2012, 534 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-42441-4, $65 US hard covers) is by Peter Greweling of the Culinary Institute of America. It was originally published in 2007 but with only 388 pages and the same price. So there are 150 pages more at a better exchange rate! It also won an IACP Award in 2008. Greweling concentrates on artisanal confectionary production techniques, such as tempering chocolate and candying fruit. Behind it all is the theory and science of candy and chocolate processing. Styles are covered as well. About 200 formulas and variations are presented, including dairy based centers of butter and cream ganache. Crystalline and non-crystalline structures are covered, as well as jellies, nut centers, and aerated confections. All of these include marzipan, nougat, truffles, fondants, fudges, brittles, toffee, and taffy. There are more than 250 photos and line drawings of processes and finished products. The book is loaded with charts and there are lots of standard recipes. The book is a boon for hospitality schools and restaurants, as well as serious home cooks. There is a glossary, a bibliography, and a listing of websites. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 22. SIMPLY SATISFYING; over 200 vegetarian recipes you’ll want to make again and again (The Experiment, 2012; distr. by T. Allen, 346 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-062-1, $21.95 US paper covers) is by Jeanne Lemlin, a vegetarian cookbook author of five books plus a Beard winner. It was originally published in 1986 under a different name and with a different publisher “in significantly different form” (whatever that means). She continues to write for magazines. Her 1986 book was a menu book, with 250 preps in 74 menus. The current arrangement is by course or ingredient, beginning with breakfast and ending with dessert. The menus have been collated to the back, with page references to the suggested dishes. There are now just 54 of these. Of course, the book has been completely revised, reorganized, and updated with logrolling from Madison, Roden, and Moulton. It looks like 50 preps have been dropped, but maybe more have been cut if there are newer recipes added. Still, there is no mention in the index to quinoa or chia, the hot new grains of today. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR SEPTEMBER 2012 ====================================== 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: 2012 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. THE WORLD ATLAS OF BEER; the essential guide to the beers of the world (Sterling Epicure, 2012, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-8961-8, $30 US hard covers) is by Tim Webb and Stephen Beaumont, both internationally recognized beer writers. Beaumont is actually a Torontonian, who has been writing about beer for decades. This guide, originally published in the UK by Mitchell Beazley earlier this year, covers about 35 countries, with tasting notes for over 500 beers, some of them honest and brutal (e.g. Duvel). It opens with basic primer data plus pictures of the process, matching beer with food, and differences between craft beers and mass-produced beers (really?). There are lagers, pilsner, Trappist and Abbey Ales, stouts and porters, IPAs, dark beers and bock, and “extreme beers”. Now I know the selection of beer is limited because of the pages available (256 pages make for 16 signatures here), but there is a lot of white space and more beers could have been commented on. No space for Innis & Gunn? Shurely not…Nevertheless, it is colourful, it does have label reproductions, it is fastidious in its comments, there’s a lot of good stuff here, and the price is dirt cheap. You can get it from the Book Depository (Guernsey) for $22.22 CAD with free shipping and no taxes, which beats Amazon.Ca. So all in all, it is a useful book, complementary to The Oxford Companion to Beer (published earlier in the year at $65US but with no colour), and a bargain price for what it is. And it will be extremely useful for the average beer drinker who wants to know a little bit about a lot of things, as Peggy Lee used to sing. Audience and level of use: beer lovers everywhere, libraries. Some interesting or unusual facts: It’s somewhat strange that an acknowledged international expert such as Beaumont was not a contributor to The Oxford Companion to Beer, while Tim Webb was. The Consultant Editor here, Joanna Copestick, also a well known beer writer, was not a contributor to the Oxford. Maybe that explains why The Oxford Companion to Beer was not listed in the atlas’s bibliography. I’m just sayin’. The downside to this book: there’s not much of an Atlas- feel. The maps are flat and variable. Some locate the brewery (Netherlands), others do just craft breweries (Ireland), and others do “breweries per 500,000 people 2011” (Germany), while others do tradition influences (Canada). The upside to this book: great looking pictures of people, places and things, as well as beer labels and adverts. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. ROOTS; the definitive compendium with more than 225 recipes (Chronicle Books, 2012, 431 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118- 7837-1, $40US hard covers) is by Diane Morgan, award- winning author of 17 other cookbooks and www.dianemorgancooks.com. It comes with log rolling from Elizabeth Andoh, Colman Andrews, and Deborah Madison. It’s encyclopedic and arranged by major tuber, from “Andean tubers” to Yuca, with a sort chapter on other roots such as arrowroot, chicory, coriander root, ginseng, kudzu, groundnut, licorice, and turnip-rooted chervil. She tells us where they developed and how they came to be first eaten, varieties, nutrition, selection, storage, and what best to do with them. This is followed by a variety of recipes. The emphasis in the preps is international, and all are flavourful and even exciting. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. There’s even a bibliography for further reading. This book adds to the public’s knowledge of foods. Audience and level of use: serious cooks, libraries. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: under “arrowhead”, there is persimmon and arrowhead; arrowhead leak soup; roasted lemongrass chicken with arrowhead; and clay pot-caramelized pork belly and arrowhead stew. The downside to this book: too many potato and carrot recipes? These could have been downplayed more, since most other cookbooks include them. The upside to this book: the typeface is above normal and there is sufficient white space for adding notes. Quality/Price Rating: 92. ----------------------------------------------------------- ------------ * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. EASY TAGINE; delicious recipes for Moroccan one-pot cooking (Ryland, Peters and Small, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-283-1, $19.95 US hard covers) is mostly by Ghillie Basan, cookery writer specializing in Middle East cookbooks and articles. Some of the preps here are from six other writers. It’s a timely book, one of the “Easy” series from this publisher and it fits in the “one- pot” mode of ease, although there are other recipes here for traditional or classic accompaniments. Of course, there’s a primer on tagines. Lamb tagine is traditional, but she also has peps for beef, kefta, sausage, chicken, duck, vegetable, fish and seafood tagines. That’s half the book. There are also a range of couscous, skewers, roasts, pan fries, sides, salads, soups, sweets, and drinks. So it is almost all a Moroccan cookbook. And you can always use a heavy-based casserole dish instead of a tagine. Preparations have their ingredients listed in partial metric and full avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: Middle East food lovers, tagine owners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: kefta tagine with eggs and roasted cumin; oven-baked tagine of red mullet, tomatoes and lime; tagine of beans, cherry tomatoes and black olives; chorizo tagine with lentils and fenugreek; tagine of lamb with veggies and mint; fluffy pistachio nougat. The downside to this book: I wanted more tagine recipes, or variations. The upside to this book: good looking photographs. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4. MY COOKING CLASS: Seafood Basics: 86 recipes (Firefly Books, 2012, [256 pages], ISBN 978-1-55407-941-4 $24.95 Canadian soft covers) is a series of cook books meant for beginner home cooks or for those who want a refresher on certain elements or themes. Here Abi Fawcett, a free lance food stylist, is the author. The preps are presented in visual sequences, step-by-step. Every piece of equipment is photographed from above in colour, and every ingredient is shown in the correct quantity and in the order that it will be used. The publisher claims that it is as true to reality as possible. The written part is at the bottom of each page, listing the ingredients and the sequence. Cooks notes (variations, techniques, service) are presented. There is a glossary of terms, a listing of the preps in content order, and a subject index by type of food. There are no page numbers, just a recipe number. So a prep such as “moules mariniere” is number 77 and continues for four pages with “77” at the top of those four pages. 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, possibly hospitality students. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: goujons of sole with aioli; Hake en papillore; Maryland crab cakes; Herb- crusted cod; risotto nero; beer-battered oysters; pan-fried herring roes. The downside to this book: I so enjoyed the pictures that I actually did not want to cook, but just look at them. The upside to this book: one of a practical series, extremely useful. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 5. 150 BEST DONUT RECIPES; fried or baked (Robert Rose, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0411-6, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by George Geary, a former pastry chef for the Walt Disney Company. Here he has emphasized the range of donuts – yeast style (raised), cake version, baked donuts, holiday donuts, and one-biters, along with dozens of toppings, glazes and fillings. It’s all in the Rose format, with finishing suggestions for each donut and a good display of ingredients and procedures. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: donut lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: coffee bites; pistachio bites; fresh vanilla bean donuts; red Valentine heart donuts; green tea donuts; Christmas swirl donuts; lemon crème bars; blueberry donuts The downside to this book: there are no gluten-free recipes or even alternate suggestions. The upside to this book: a good database. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 6. 200 BEST CANNED FISH & SEAFOOD RECIPES, for tuna, salmon, shrimp, crab, clams, oysters, lobsters, & more. (Robert Rose, 2012, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0415-4, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Susan Sampson, former food editor at the Toronto Star. She now blogs at www.thefarelady.com. You might need a trip to Costco to get all the cans for this book, or at least the convenience of getting them all in one trip. I know that there’s an entire row devoted to different types of canned seafood, and certainly, they are most affordable at that warehouse store. I’m usually restricted to sandwiches and salads, but there’s lots more variety here in this book. The top 15 classics include lobster rolls, salade nicoise, clam chowder, crab dip, tuna tetrazzini, and spaghetti with white clam sauce. Because she uses tinned food, there’s a lot here that’s useful for budget-minded students or feeding kids quickly or quick entertaining. Indeed, the emphasis is on fast and quick with ease. Many preps are also useful for leftover fish (tacos) or leftover seafood (rolls or salads). This is a reminder that there are other fish in the sea, such as mackerel, cod, sardines, sprats, kippers, anchovies, roe, squid and octopus. Anything you don’t want to eat such as the liquid, bones (which are good for you because of the calcium) or skin (also good because of omega-3s) can be used to create fish soup. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: students, kids, quick meal specialists. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: fish tacos; pizza with crab and roasted garlic; ham and clam jambalaya; salmon-spinach-sweet potato frittata; lemon pepper shrimp pasta; Basque-style shrimp-ham salad; shrimp and shiitake risotto. The downside to this book: I think some more emphasis might have been made on reducing sodium levels. The upside to this book: there’s a god primer on using canned fish and seafood, as well as a history of such processing. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 7. BEAM, STRAIGHT UP; the bold story of the first family of bourbon (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 206 pages, ISBN 978-1- 118-37836-6, $22.95 US hard covers) is by Fred Noe, a great-grandson of Jim Beam. He’s the Master Distiller for the company. Here he is assisted by Jim Kokoris, a novelist who is also a publicist for the Beams. Fred tells us what it is like to grow up as a Beam in Bardstown, Kentucky, the “Bourbon Capitol of the World”. It is his story, from bottling line clerk to global ambassador. It is also a compelling look at the bourbon industry by a master story teller. So it serves as a bit of business history too. There’s basic primer data on making bourbon, the American white oak barrel, and the sweet limestone Kentucky water. But it is also a short, succinct book, only seven by five inches in dimensions with large typeface and many archival photos. Audience and level of use: business historians, liquor readers, libraries. Some interesting or unusual recipes: there are some preps for cocktails, and some food recipes such as BBQ drumsticks, bourbon baked beans, pork loins, ribs, and the like, all using bourbon. The downside to this book: a bit too short. The upside to this book: great archival photos. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 8. LA COCINA MEXICANA; many cultures, one cuisine (University of California Pr., 2012, 310 pages, ISBN 978-0- 520-26111-2, $39.95 US hard covers) is by Marilyn Tausend, author of the Beard Award-winning Cocina de la Familia book, plus others focusing on Mexican food. Here, she tackles foods from different regions, with the assistance of Ricardo Muniz Zurita, a Mexican cookbook author and author of “Diccionario Enciclopedico de Gastronomia Mexicana”, soon to be published in English. Notable log rollers include Rick Bayless, Alice Waters, and Betty Fussell – they all attest to the well-researched nature of Tausend’s book. There’s a mix of colour photos, in one section, on people, food and some plated dishes (with page references to the recipe). The emphasis here, of course, is on regional food and the European-African influences on a particular region where colonials and workers settled. Both home and celebratory food is covered, drawing attention to cultural variations such as using peccary (a pig-like Central American mammal) instead of pig in Yucatan’s “cochinita de pibil”, “chile poblano” in Mexico City can be wrapped in puff-paste, and local seafood everywhere is prepared differently. The foundations of all foods here, though, are still the range of corn, beans, tomatoes, and chiles. Areas include Oaxaca, Mayan, Veracruz, Tlaxcala, Michoacan, Costa Chica, and even some sub-regions (usually rural vs. urban dishes). There’s a primer on Mexican food with some preps for “edible plates” and salsas/condiments. This is followed by quick bites, soups, casual meals, mains, sides, desserts, and drinks. Everything is nicely sourced for credit, and there is a list of resources and websites at the end. The index has both Mexican and English names of dishes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: Mexican cooks, food scholars, libraries. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: salsa de tres chiles (Veracruz); beans with chile-seasoned pork (Sinaloa); rabbit in red chile sauce (Hidalgo); mole (Xico); yucca frita (Tabasco and Veracruz). The downside to this book: No metric equivalencies, which is a shame from a scholarly publisher. The upside to this book: good cultural notes. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 9. THE HAKKA COOKBOOK; Chinese soul food from around the world (University of California Press, 2012, 293 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27328-3, $39.95 US hard covers) is by Linda Lau Anusasananann, a recipe editor and food writer for Sunset Magazine – for 34 years. She also was involved with many of their cookbooks, and was president of the Association of Chinese Cooking Teachers. It has been heavily endorsed by other Asiatic cookbook writers (five are listed on the back, and a sixth wrote the introduction). Hakka Han come from Central China; there are now some 80 million of them in Asia, plus others around the world. It’s an older cuisine, being greatly concerned with texture of preserved meats, roasts, braises and stews. It is rustic and it is tasty; as North Americans, we can also call it comfort food. One writer put it: “The skill in Hakka cuisine lies in the ability to cook meat thoroughly without hardening it, and to naturally bring out the flavour (umami taste) of meat.” Depending on local conditions, Hakka cuisine was modified by geography: there was seafood by the coast, vegetables in poorer times, and much use was made of offal. Ms. Lau’s book is the story of her rediscovery of her Hakka roots and her learning how to cook the cuisine. She begins with her grandmother’s kitchen in California, moves to the family home in China, and then travels through Hong King, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, Peru and more. Over 30 home cooks were involved in the sharing of diaspora experiences and the 140 recipes, many reflective of regional variations. There’s a discussion on the Hakka pantry, a bibliography of resources, and a listing of recipes at the front (and an index by ingredient at the back). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: Chinese food lovers, libraries. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Hakka classics include braised chicken stuffed with preserved mustard greens, pork belly with preserved mustard greens, pounded tea with sweets, salt-baked chicken, stuffed tofu, taro abacus beads, and wine chicken. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 10. THE COMPLETE ARTHRITIS HEALTH, DIET GUIDE & COOKBOOK (Robert Rose, 2012, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0419-2 $24.95 paper covers) is by Kim Arrey, RD, with Mr. Michael R. Starr of McGill University, a specialist in arthritis. First off, I am not qualified to comment on most of this book – just the recipes. The first part covers symptoms, causes, diagnoses, and inflammations, including both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. There are also medication, surgery, and lifestyle modifications. The second half is a guide to foods that help reduce inflammation. It has 125 or so recipes and menus for a diet program. The preps come from 20 or so contributors, and are actually taken from other Robert Rose books (and some may have been slightly modified). There is certainly enough choice here (vegetarian, meats, fish, desserts, vegan), as well as lots of tips and nutrient tables. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: arthritis sufferers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: crab and smoked salmon tea sandwiches; maple ginger salmon; curried root vegetables masala; poached pears with lavender custard. The downside to this book: there’s a lot of medical material that may appear to be overwhelming. I would have liked more recipes. The upside to this book: a good idea for a book. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 11. THE GUILT-FREE GOURMET; indulgent recipes without sugar, wheat or dairy (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2012, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-259-6, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Jordan and Jessica Bourke, an Irish brother and sister. He’s a chef specializing in nutrition; she's a nutritional therapist. None of the recipes here use wheat or dairy, or "processed sugar" (but date syrup and agave syrup is used, so it is not entirely sugar free). There is also use of xylitol, a natural sweetener. But stevia, though, is strangely not mentioned. The book is arranged by mood, so there is a chapter on brunch, another on comfort food, another on foods from afar, home baking, sweet treats, light and fresh, and sharing plates. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: those with diet concerns or those trying to lose weight. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: apple, raisins and cinnamon muffins; chicken and chorizo withy mashed squash and romesco; sweet potato hummus; borlotti bean puree; globe artichoke and fennel; chicken tagine; chocolate panna cotta. The downside to this book: not enough recipes. The upside to this book: excellent photography. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 12. THE JAM AND MARMALADE BIBLE; a complete guide to preserving (Skyhorse Publishing, 2012, 240 pages, ISBN 978- 1-61608-606-0, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Jan Hedh, a Swedish baker who has also written books on Swedish breads and pastries and an international gelato and ice cream book. This book was originally published in Swedish, and this is the North American release in English. It's also an oversized book that is fairly comprehensive in its coverage of techniques and the like. The recipes are gathered by fruit type (just about everything here is sweet), with chapters on fruit and berries, citric fruits, exotic fruits (peaches?), vegetables (rhubarb, fennel, pumpkin, tomato, carrot, beet, sweet potato, etc.), and then some on nuts such as chestnut or walnuts. There are food-pairing chapters dealing with some pastries that go that go well with preserves, and some that are matched with cheeses. There are also pastes that can be sliced, and preserves with flowers. Christmas ideas are also presented. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home canners Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chestnut jam with rum; coconut marmalade; papaya jam with tequila; pineapple and orange jam with cointreau; black olive marmalade with pear and thyme. The downside to this book: there can be a lot of work involved by the home cook. The upside to this book: excellent photography and instructions. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 13. MODERN SAUCES; more than 150 recipes for every cook, every day (Chronicle Books, 2012; distr. Raincoast, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7838-8, $35 US hard covers) is by Marha Holmberg, once publisher and editor of “Fine Cooking” magazine but now food editor of the Oregonian newspaper. Here she concentrates on sauces for the modern kitchen, beginning with vinaigrettes and then moving on to herb sauces, tomato sauces, other veggie sauces, butter sauces, cream, mayonnaise, hollandaise, gravies, sabayon, custard, fruit, caramel and chocolate. For each she gives the essentials, plus volumes expected, and some substitutions (here called “quick change”). There are also some tips on storage length so that one can make ahead. It is a useful reference book for a saucier and a home cook. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both avoirdupois and partial metric measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks, sauciers. Some interesting or unusual facts: a sauce is usually poured, ladled, dollopped, drizzled or otherwise added to the ingredients of a dish. To some people, the sauce may be the whole point. The downside to this book: more photos are needed The upside to this book: a good collection. 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 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. LEON NATURALLY FAST FOOD BOOK 2 (Conran Octopus, 2010, 2012; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 308 pages, ISBN 978-1- 84091-612-6, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, co-owners of Leon in London (2004). Over the years, the group has expanded to now feature nine restaurants, serving some 50,000 people a week. This is their second book, and contains hundreds more preps for bold dishes that can be prepared quickly at home. It was originally published in the UK in 2010, and this is its North American debut. Gordon Ramsay is one of the logrollers. Like the first book, this is arranged in two major sections: first, “Fast Food” has recipes for just about every occasion, taking about n20 minutes if the mise en place is used. Typical dishes are for breakfasts, party food, kids’ meals, simple dinners. The second half is “Slow Fast Food”: preps that can be made in advance when you have time. 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 cardamom tart (which is, in the book, upside down, complete with rotated pictures), slow-cooked lamb, chicken with green olives and preserved lemons, and Spanish pot roast. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 15. KEYS TO THE KITCHEN; the essential reference for becoming a more accomplished, adventurous cook (Chronicle Books, 2012; distr. Raincoast, 448 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521- 0129-3, $35 US hard covers) is by Aida Mollenkamp, a TV host (Food Network, Cooking Channel), recipe developer, and food writer, with new recipes appearing on her blog aidamollenkamp.com. Her reference book, originally titled “Aida’s Modern Kitchen Manual” with 130 recipes, now has 305 recipes, 40 fundamental techniques (including how to caramelize onions), and 300 photos and illustrations. Her basic premise is that we eat out more than we should, not many of us know how to cook, and entertaining can be daunting. So she wants to outfit our kitchen, give us some basic primer information, and to work on the classic recipes. It’s a good introduction to cooking, suitable even for college students or other young people moving away from home. Each prep has a difficulty rating, a yield, total time, and “hands-on” time. There are sidebar tips for each recipe, including what can be made ahead or assembled ahead, and the like. Try pea and asparagus pasta, tomato- orange soup with grilled cheese croutons, Swiss chard- mushroom-ricotta frittata, triple-mushroom stroganoff, eggplant casserole with pine-nut yogurt sauce, and chocolate chip-ground coffee bean cookies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 16. NOW EAT THIS! ITALIAN; favorite dishes from the real mamas of Italy (Grand Central Publishing Hachette Book Group , 368 pages, ISBN 978-0-446-58451-2, $26.99 US hard covers) is by Rocco DiSpirito, a celebrity chef (Union Pacific and TV shows) who has authored similar books about low-cal Italian food. Beginning in September 2012 he appears nationally on US TV with a syndicated show. Here he has recreated 90 classic Italian recipes for a healthy lifestyle: they are low in calories and in fat but still maintain great flavour, principally due to the seasonings of herbs. It’s a book designed for those who want to lose weight. Classic dishes include tuna crudo, clams oreganata, eggplant rollatini, Italian wedding soup, pasta e fagioli, panzanella, butternut squash risotto, lasagna Bolognese, and torta di noci. Each dish is under 350 calories, so a whole three-course meal should be under 1000 calories. There are perhaps too many gratuitous photos of family and friends, but there certainly are enough illustrations of foods. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Additional material includes two meal plans for two weeks each, a staples-larder list, lots of shopping lists, and some online internet resources. The index, while in tiny type, has the major ingredient and indexed entries in bold faced caps. Quality/price rating: 86. 17. REAL MEXICAN FOOD; authentic recipes for burritos, tacos, salsas and more (Ryland, Peters and Small, 2012, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-342-5, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Felipe Fuentes Cruz and Ben Fordham. Together they run Benito’s Hat in London England, now in four locations. Ben runs it and Felipe devises all the dishes. Check out www.benitos-hat.com. These are largely family-style recipes, with an emphasis on home. There’s a chapter on starters (antojitos), sopas and ensaladas, mains, sides, salsas, desserts and drinks. There’s roasted pumpkin with chard and mushrooms, baked sea bream with garlic butter, corn tortillas dipped in black bean sauce with queso fresco, coriander-lime rice, salsa brava, and shrimp tacos. The photography, like most Ryland books, is gorgeous and appetite-provoking. Certainly this is a sure winner book for fans of the restaurant and for those who like to cook uncomplicated Mexican food at home. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 18. TRUE FOOD; season, sustainable, simple, pure (Little, Brown, 2012, 255 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-12941-1, $29.99 US hard 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. 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. * 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”... 19. WINE FOR DUMMIES. 5th edition (Wiley Publishing, 2012, 410 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-28872-6, $22.99 US paper covers) is by Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, wine educators in New York City. The first edition was published almost two decades ago, and this book gets revised about every five years (it has already sold almost a million copies). It has been widely endorsed by the industry, and has served as a popular textbook for many beginning wine courses. It even won a Georges Duboeuf Wine Book of the Year award. This edition presents a general updating, with mention and notes about new appellations and new rules, plus of course, new wines that have come onto the market. There is more material on newer emerging regions such as Argentina, Greece and Chile, but it seems like Canada has been dropped (it used to have two pages): no Ontario, no BC, no Niagara, no Okanagan, and, significantly, no icewine. What a shame, points off! Vintage charts have been updated. The thorough text contains basic information on storing, tasting and serving wine, along with material on grape varietals and how to buy wine (in the store, in the restaurant). But the bulk of the book is a region-by-region account of winegrowing areas. An index and glossary completes the package. Quality/Price rating: 85. 20. THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO HOMEMADE ICE CREAM (Skyhorse Publishing, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1- 61608-604-6, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Jan Hedh, a Swedish pastry chef specializing in ice creams. His book was originally published in Sweden in 2008, and here it has been translated and made available to the North American market. This is an amazing upscale collection of over 300 gelatos, sorbets, ice cream cakes, and other fancies. He has material on wine pairing, using sorbets as appetizers, and using veggies. There’s a primer on history and making ice creams, followed by preps in categories (ice cream, sorbets, parfaits, semifreddo, bombs, stuff for kids, sides, meringues, and both sugar and chocolate techniques. How about lobster ice cream with herbs? Or white asparagus ice cream? Cauliflower ice cream? Melon granite with Serrano chips? There’s a lot more, all with skillfully crafted presentation food styling photos by Klas Andersson. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 21. CLEAN FOOD; a seasonal guide to eating close to the source (Sterling Epicure, 2012, 355 pages, ISBN 978-1-4549-0010-8 $30 US hard covers) is by Terry Walters. It was originally published in 2007 ad then re-done in 2010 as “Clean Start”. Log rolling comes from Charlie Trotter, Mario Batali, and Alice Waters. It’s another book dealing with SLOFE principles (seasonal, local, organic, fast, and easy). There are now more than 250 recipes here for making healthy choices. There are the usual tips and advice plus ideas for leftovers and how to protect nutrient-rich foods. Recipes are vegan and gluten-free, and arranged by season beginning with spring. So that means whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, sea vegetables, nuts and seeds. The photos looked especially enticing. A good solid typeface is large enough for most to read, and the layout is useful. The index is by major ingredient only, not by name or title of the recipe. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Some interesting or unusual recipes include roasted cauliflower and garlic soup, cinnamon whole oats with toasted almonds, festive quinoa with apricots and orange zest, and polenta pizzas. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 22. COOKING WITH WHOLEFOODS; healthy and wholesome recipes for grains, pulses, legumes and beans (Ryland, Peters, and Small, 2012, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-334-0, $24.95US hard covers) is by Ross Dobson, an Australian chef, caterer, and food writer with several cookbooks to his credit from Ryland Peters & Small. It was originally released in 2010 as “Wholesome Kitchen” but has here been reissued with newer material but kept to the same pagination. These are mainly preps for pulses and grains, sorted by course (apps, soups, salads, sides, mains, and baking). The thrust is ethnic, the excitement is spicy. All the recipes are useful, especially for vegetarians. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate metric table of equivalence. Some interesting or unusual recipes include ful medames; Moroccan bean and cumin dip; Mexican taco salad with pinto beans and avocado; chickpea and fresh spinach curry; chocolate and aduki bean paste fingers; and semolina crumpets. Some recipes include meat and fish, but Dobson does give vegetarian variations. There’s some slight shading on the pages with the recipes, and thus some of them are hard to read without contrast. Quality/Price Rating: 83. 23. GLUTEN-FREE GIRL AND THE CHEF (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 2012, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-38357, $19.99 US soft covers) is by Shauna James Ahern, blogger at glutenfreegirl.com and author of the memoir Gluten- Free Girl, and Daniel Ahern, a chef in Washington state. Notable log-rollers Molly Wizenberg. The book was originally published in 2010 as a hard cover edition, and this is the 2012 soft cover reprint. There’s 100 recipes here, strewn amongst a memoir of a love story between the “GF girl” and the “chef”. The book also follows a day in the life of the working chef. So there is material about life at home and life at the restaurant. Lots of teff and millet and quinoa are used. There’s an index to the recipes, as well as a resources list (all U.S., mostly west coast). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Some interesting recipes: millet tabouleh; gluten-free fresh pasta; gluten-free crackers; gluten-free polenta with goat cheese; and chocolate-peanut butter brownies. There is also a separate list of recipes that is easy to scan over. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 24. BETTY CROCKER’S QUICK & EASY; 30 minutes or less to dinner (John Wiley & Sons, 2009, 2012, 336 pages, ISBN 978- 1-118-23069-5, $19.99 US soft covers) is now in at least its third edition. The second was published in 2009, at 276 pages and with only 120 recipes. The book now has 150 preps, including their version of Mexican pasta skillet or chicken and smoked provolone pizza or orange and dill pan- seared tuna. There’s a colour photo of each dish, many dinner ideas using eight or fewer popular ingredients, icons indicating “20 minutes or less” for extra-quick dishes, plus some menu ideas for side dishes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. As a useful book for beginners, it is arranged by main ingredient. Quality/price rating: 86. 25. FIRESIDE FEASTS & SNOW DAY TREATS; indulgent comfort food for winter eating and entertaining (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2012, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-260-2, $29.95 US hard covers) is a project from the publisher. More than 150 recipes and ideas for eating during the colder months have been assembled from a dozen or so cookbook authors who regular write books for Ryland. The largest collection of recipes comes from Laura Washburn with 41. It is all arranged by snacks, comfort homey food, feasts, some indulgences, and cheery drinks for a cold night. It’s a good book to take to your ski chalet. Typical preps include chicken liver parfait, cheese and basil soufflés, spicy pork satay, salt cod, meat balls, Vietnamese beef pho, seafood and yellow split pea curry. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85 26. HORS D’OEUVRES [sic]. New edition (DK Books, 2007, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-9836-2, $24 CAN hard covers) is by caterer Victoria Blashford-Snell and cooking school owner Eric Treuille. It was originally published in 2007 at 168 pages, in paperback format. It has been rearranged and resorted with new recipes. There are now more than 200 preps, with a series of step-by-step sequences. Included are the major groups of crostini, tartlets, skewers, and wraps. Also puffs, meringues, and other finger-foods that can be assembled at home. Over 100 colour photos help with the techniques. Much of the food here seems to be derived from Spanish tapas and Middle East mezze. Each chapter has a special section on a “6 ways” option. Under Little Nibbles, there are “6 ways with oatcakes” and “6 ways with spoons”. These all present variations on the theme, a great idea. Sweets are rarely thought of as hors d’oeuvres, but can be useful for a dessert selection where people can make choices or birthday celebrations or even a sweet wine and food party. The authors have a primer, useful for doing this kind of work, plus a menu planner. Look for 6 skewers: medjool dates, shrimp, lamb loin, bocconcini and cherry tomatoes, Thai chicken, and bresaola with figs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in partial metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 27. HUNT, GATHER, COOK; finding the forgotten feats (Rodale, 2011, 2012, 324 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-890-2. $14.99 US soft covers) is by Hank Shaw, a free-lance food writer and winner of two IACP Awards for best blog. It was originally published in 2011, and this is the paperback reprint. It has been well-received with reviews in the New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle. It is an essential foraging book (and includes hunting and fishing). It’s a good how-to book, with a bibliography for further reading, a resources list, and, of course, an index. But there is no separate index to the 50 recipes here. Typical are shad or herring roe with bacon, boneless tempura shad, Sardinian hare stew, mazzafegati (Umbrian fresh sausage), and seared duck or goose breast (best recipe here: well-expressed and written). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR AUGUST 2012 ====================================== 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: 2012 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. THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF WINE (Sterling Epicure, 2012, 692 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-8184-1, $24.95 US hard covers) has been edited by Howard G. Goldberg. The essays come from 29 different contributors -- 156 articles from the pages of the New York Times. Authors include Eric Asimov, Frank J. Prial, Florence Fabricant, Terry Robards, Frank Bruni, William Grimes, Howard McGee, R.W. Apple Jr., Goldberg himself, and others. It is a good gift book, covering the previous three decades of New York Times wine coverage back to 1980 when wine knowledge really began to blossom in North America. Topics are vast and tiny: food pairing, corkscrews, major wines, minor wines, restaurant experiences, newly emerging wine regions, and the like. Goldberg was a NYT editor from 1970, and wrote about wines until 2004. Asimov took over then, and continues to do so. Good bedtime reading. Quality/Price rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. MERINGUE (Gibbs Smith, 2012; distr. Raincoast, 224 pages, ISBN 978- 1-4236-2581-0, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Linda K. Jackson (a food and beverage marketing executive) and Jennifer Evans Gardner (cookbook author and lifestyle writer). Together they came up with a single ingredient cookbook for the masses: you cannot have too much meringue and sugar for dessert! There’s an extensive section on the history and development of meringues, a primer on how to do it (ingredients, tools techniques), followed by a selection of preps dealing with cookies, pavlovas, bars, tarts, pies, cakes, tortes, vacherins, dacquoises, meringue frostings, and more. There are three stages of meringue (foamy, soft peaks, stiff peaks) and three types (French, Italian, and Swiss). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those looking for a meringue fix – what to do with all those egg whites after you’ve made crème brulee and crème caramel! Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: death by milk chocolate; snowballs; s’moringues; meringue pizza; ile flottante with salted caramel and toasted hazelnuts; vanilla swiss meringue buttercream; raspberry white chocolate vacherin; southern black bottom pie; golden apricot bars. The downside to this book: no mention of nun’s farts (pet de nonne, pet des soeur), but there is a chapter on “little clouds”. The upside to this book: great single ingredient cookbook. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. SERIOUSLY SIMPLE PARTIES; recipes, menus and advice for effortless entertaining (Chronicle Books, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7257-7, $24.95 US soft covers) is by Diane Rossen Worthington. She’s a Beard Award-winning radio show host, and the author of over 20 cookbooks, including the Seriously Simple series. As her notes say, there is material here for a Sunday football lunch for 10, a cocktail party for 20, and a holiday feast for smaller numbers. The trick is to use tested techniques and simple shortcuts. There are 15 pages of menus, all with page references for the recipes (which are arranged by separate chapter courses). The Fall Harvest Party embraces 8 to 12 people, the Indian Summer dinner party is for 6, and so on – it’s all arranged by season, about 4 – 8 each, 31 menus in all. There is the occasional drink recommendation, and many tips on how to handle crowds and prepare in advance. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those looking for entertainment ideas and food. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: for an autumn paella party, there are prosciutto-wrapped figs with burrata and port, a tapas platter, a white gazpacho, an arugula salad, paella, and a limoncello zabaglione. The downside to this book: I’d like some material on cleaning up, that might be useful. Also, more menus, maybe up to 52? The upside to this book: good sampling of crudities, cheese platters, drinks, and doubling recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 3. 500 BEST QUINOA RECIPES; 100% gluten-free super-easy superfood (Robert Rose, 2012, 528 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0414-7, $27.95 CAN paper covers) is by Camilla V. Saulsbury, a food writer and recipe developer. Here she comes up with the usual variety of preps for Robert Rose dealing with a single product: breakfasts, apps, snacks, mains, desserts, and more. We’ve been cooking quinoa for over two years (one of the first such books came from Whitecap), and it is always a delight to come across another quinoa book. My only complaint is that cooked quinoa – by itself - tastes too delicate, very close to millet. So it needs a booster of sweetness or acid or salt via a sauce or added ingredients. But quinoa has the highest amount of protein of any grain, and it is complete protein with all the essential amino acids, plus mineral. The fact that it is gluten-free is appealing to IBS sufferers. As a cook, you can use the seeds, flakes or make flour in your cooking patterns. The easiest way to treat quinoa is to prepare it like rice. Saulsbury uses the simmer method, the pasta method, the rice cooker method, and the thermos method. She also adds it to baked goods, toasts it, sprouts it, and makes flour. Each prep here comes with some advice and comments. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: single ingredient cookbook for those interested in quinoa. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: pancakes with yogurt and jam; steak with horseradish and tomato quinoa salad; broccoli and chicken and quinoa stir-fry; quinoa almond butter blondies; bulgogi pork with quinoa kimichi slaw; seared salmon with pineapple mint quinoa. The downside to this book: nothing really The upside to this book: good colour photo section. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4. THE BIG BOOK OF BABYCAKES CUPCAKE MAKER RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2012, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0417-8, $24.95 CN paper covers) is by Kathy Moore and Roxanne Wyes, food consultants who also develop recipes and standards for small appliances. They wrote the booklet that accompanies the Babycakes cupcake maker. So if you own one, then this book expands the available recipe selections. It also includes uses far beyond cupcakes: mini-pies, cake bites, cheesecakes, scones, assorted savoury cups, tortillas, and more. Everything takes about 10 minutes baking time, and this is great for parties, bake sales or mass pigouts, community socials, and the like. Even your kids can help out. There are even about nine gluten-free preps, but you can easily adapt others through trial-and-error. There also lots of tips and sidebars. Of course, it is possible to make small bite-sized desserts apart from a cupcake maker, but why bother? This book is extremely useful because the cupcake maker can do so much more than just cupcakes. All the 200 or so preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginning cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: pecan mini pies; pina colada cheesecakes; mud pies; candy cane cupcakes; root beer float cupcakes; Linzer hand pies. The downside to this book: no general notes on adapting the recipes to an oven. The upside to this book: there’s a list of Internet and mail order sources. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 5. EVERYDAY KITCHEN FOR KIDS; 100 amazing savory and sweet recipes children can really make (Whitecap, 2012, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050- 066-2, $29.95 CAN paper covers) is by Jennifer Low, food editor, cookbook author (“Kitchen for Kids”) and beverage company operator. She appears frequently on TV as an expert on cooking with kids. The important thing to remember about this book is that there are no knives, no stove-top cooking and no motorized appliances. The recipes also do not call for gluten-rich ingredients such as wheat flour or breadcrumbs (or they have a gluten-free option). There are long notes explaining this and other maters affected by allergies and similar medical problems. Indeed, everything is so easy and simple; it’s an ideal book for students away from home for the first time. The book begins with meal foods for lunches or dinners, moving to special event foods, then to baked goods, cookies, and sweets. About half the book is desserts or sweets. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: kids and their parents, even the grandparents. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: pink cherry cake; hocus pocus pizza; ciabatta; sponge toffee lollipops; parmesan puffs; beef stew; banana bread. The downside to this book: it might actually help to have a few photos of kids getting down-and-dirty with the food and the equipment, adding a bit of a sparkle to the affair. The upside to this book: there is a glossary of methods and ingredients. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 6. GRAIN MAINS; 101 surprising and satisfying whole grain recipes for every meal of the day (Rodale, 2012, 232 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-306-8, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarborough, award-winning authors of more than 20 cookbooks. These preps here cover the gamut, from the well-known (wheat berries) to the obscure (teff). There’s a primer of sorts on what whole grains are all about and cooking whole grains. The rest of the book is balanced between breakfast/brunch dishes, cold dishes, and warm dishes. Most of the cold dishes are salads. A lot of the warm dishes are soups, stews, and casseroles, with a few burgers. The gluten question is easily addressed: barley, rye and wheat (in all their forms, including triticale, kamut, spelt, farro) have gluten. All the rest are gluten- free, but you must check with the grain processing facilities for cross-contamination. Usually, only organic non-gluten grains will be free of gluten. The book will also appeal to vegans and vegetarians (and preps are labeled such). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: cooks looking for healthy foods in one book. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: quinoa crepes with corn and avocado; Turkish red lentil and bulgur soup; kamut burgers with shallots and pecans; tabbouleh with chicken and pineapple; spelt berry salad with white beans and ham. The downside to this book: a few more recipes would have been useful. The upside to this book: a good book to extend your repertoire. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 7. DUTCH OVEN CAJUN AND CREOLE (Gibbs Smith, 2012, 128 pages, ISBN 978- 1-4236-2525-4, $15.99 US spiral bound) is by Bill Ryan, founder of the Louisiana Dutch Oven Society. This is the full-blown Dutch oven, made of cast iron, ranging from 2 quarts to 12 quarts (8 inches to 16 inches in diameter). It’s an important kitchen implement, and there is a primer on how to season it, clean it and look after it, as well as control the heat. Then he gets down to the food, which of course is that Louisiana “yum-yum” factor. There are a lot of notes about seasoning, and then we begin with breakfast, followed by mains, sides, breads and desserts. The resources lists tell you where to buy Dutch ovens and supplies, as well as how to locate the other societies with all their recipes. There is even an International society, at www.idos.org Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Just under 100 recipes. Audience and level of use: Dutch oven users (or any large pot). Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chocolate pecan pie; crawfish pie; baked cod Cajun style; Cajun breakfast casserole; lobster Creole; BBQ pork medallions; loaded baked beans; New Orleans red beans; scalloped corn casserole. The downside to this book: spiral binding makes it easier for library users to rip out recipes. This also happens in book stores, where you should only buy shrink wrapped versions – or use online ordering. The upside to this book: HOWEVER, spiral binding makes it easier to use the preps since the book lies flat. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 8. GLUTEN-FREE BAKING FOR THE HOLIDAYS; 60 recipes for traditional festive treats (Chronicle Books, 2012, 167 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0701- 1, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Jeanne Sauvage who since 2006 has maintained a blog at www.artofglutenfreebaking.com. She maintains that it is not enough to bake gluten-free, the recipe needs to be delicious, or why bother? I’m with her on this. She opens with the primer on gluten-free flours, and adds sources for ingredients and equipment. She opens the recipes with cookies, and then follows with cakes, pies and tarts, breads and crackers, and ends with deep fried treats (cannoli, bunuelos, rosettes, pizzelles, krumkake, doughnuts). There is even a gingerbread house, with templates for the walls and roof. Nothing is really labeled as a festivity, except maybe Buche de Noel and Mexican Wedding Cookies – these can be good for year round holidays. All of the preps are well-detailed, with boldface for the ingredients and a larger face for the technique. Preparations have their ingredients listed (for the most part) in metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: gluten-free food eaters. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: The downside to this book: not enough recipes – I want more (I’ll pay more too). The upside to this book: I had to fight off my wife who wanted the book before I reviewed it. Patience. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 9. 101 RECIPES YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT; a Prevention cookbook (Rodale, 2012, 244 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-942-8, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Lori Powell, food director of Prevention magazine, published since 1950. The premise is that these are the top 101 dishes that we should all be eating since each prep contains the maximum impact of good nutrients. For example, the dark chocolate pudding with whipped ricotta satiates the chocolate need and provides all the benefits of chocolate, is low in calories, and delivers a quarter of one’s daily calcium needs. Linguine with kale, olives and currants provides fiber and nutrition. The book focuses on 13 essentials: calcium, fibre, folate, iron, magnesium, omega-3, potassium, others plus four vitamins. This should provide the maximum impact for your diet if you eat some of all 13 each day. Sounds reasonable to me, and with 101 easy type recipes, it should be a no-brainer. The only caveat would be if you do not actually like the food, such as (in my case) beets. That knocks out three recipes for me. It could be a simple matter of just leaving out that food, but then the balance is gone. The arrangement is by course. Each prep has nutritional information, and there is a week’s worth of menus at the back to get you started. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents (even though the nutritional data is in metric). Audience and level of use: those cooks interested in good health, but harried for time. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: grilled eggplant, tomato and fresh mozzarella sandwiches; pearl couscous with roasted beets, lima beans, and feta; chopped vegetable salad with sardines and toasted pita croutons; Swiss chard and white bean soup; curried red lentil and carrot soup; roasted chicken breasts with sauteed cabbage and apples. The downside to this book: not enough recipes, could we have more please? The upside to this book: enticing photos. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 10. WHOLE GRAINS FOR A NEW GENERATION; light dishes, hearty meals, sweet treats, and sundry snacks for the everyday cook (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2012; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1- 61769-001-3, $23.95 US paper covers) is by Liana Krissoff, a cookbook author who had previously dealt with caning, hot drinks, and slow cooking. The preps here are arranged by course, beginning with breakfast ands brunch, progressing through apps and salads, mains and sides, sweets and snacks, and ending with “homemade condiments to have on hand”. Most grains are gluten-free; the ones to avoid are the wheat and rye family, barley, and possibly oats from a bulk bin. The 150 or so preparations have their ingredients listed mostly in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of equivalents. Each prep has an indication of whether it is gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian. At the end, there is a cheat sheet of cooking times, arranged by grain, and a list of sources with addresses and websites. Audience and level of use: home cooks looking for healthy and new dishes. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: teff upma (spicy Indian mush); kinche (Ethiopian cracked wheat) with spiced butter and tomatoes; batido de trigo (puffed-wheat drink); smoked fish and kasha cakes; oven-baked brown rice balls; spicy soba noodle salad; porcini and barley risotto. The downside to this book: I’d like a little more discussion on gluten. The upside to this book: just about everything is tasty, with added spicing (not necessarily heat). Quality/Price Rating: 88. 11. A YEAR OF PIES; a seasonal tour of home baked pies (Lark Crafts, 2012; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4547-0286-3, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Ashley English, author of the Homemade Living series (canning, chickens, bees, home dairy). The basics primer has six essential pie crust recipes, some troubleshooting tips, instructions for creating decorative pie crusts, and how to select seasonal ingredients. Each season, beginning with winter, includes some guest recipes from bloggers. Winter has such delights as pies made with beets, cabbage, celeriac, collards, kale, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, potatoes, rutabagas and turnips. Fruit is represented by citrus varieties. Spring has more fruit, summer is almost totally fruit, and autumn coasts with a good mixture of apples, cranberries, fennel, figs, pears, pecans, pomegranates, pumpkins, quinces, and winter squashes. While she herself doesn’t have any gluten-free recipes, three bloggers do: apple pie, pear tart, and smoked salmon tart. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: pie lovers (who isn’t?) Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: fiadone; spiced meat pie; galumkis pie; roasted corn and pepper pie; lemon-lime chess pie; honey pie; roasted butternut squash, cheddar, and sage galette. The downside to this book: there’s about 60 preps here, I wish there were more, say 104, for pie twice a week. The upside to this book: great idea, plus all the savoury pies as well. 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 – 12. CURING & SMOKING: made at home (Firefly Books, 2012, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-077-4, $19.95 CAD soft covers) and 13. EGGS & POULTRY: made at home (Firefly Books, 2012, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-078-1, $19.95 CAD soft covers) and 14. PRESERVING: made at home (Firefly Books, 2012, 176 pages, ISBN 978- 1-77085-079-8, $19.95 CAD soft covers)… …are by Dick and James Strawbridge, both featured in a BBC documentary series detailing shifting from urban to rural life, from city to farm. They have written books about how it is not easy being green. Dick had also been in masterchef competitions. These three books have been co- published with Octopus in the UK – they are part of a series detailing putting food by and using the farm. Organic plants are juiced, fermented and/or preserved. Pigs are smoked/cured for hams, sausages, and bacon. Birds are also used for eggs, and bees are used for honey. These books are account of the authors’ lives and how thy cope. As well, there are recipes and preps for enjoying the food. The Curing book includes pantry and prep work, as well as details on bringing, dry curing, and both hot and cold smoking. Good illustrations of techniques, and the layouts are very clear. This appears to be a male- directed series of books for stuff that men can do on their own. There’s roast monkfish with air dried ham, planked salmon, salamis, and, to keep it British, even air dried mutton. Eggs and poultry include chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, with potted turkey, curried fowl, duck confit and the like (27 recipes in all). The preserving book (with 63 preps) covers plants: drying, storing, jars, bottles, and freezing, with nice chapters on fruit curds and fruit cheeses as ell as candied peel. It is actually useful to acquire all three books. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88 apiece. 15. HOME MADE WINTER (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2012, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-61769-004-4, $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 second volume, expressly put together for the colder climate time of year. Next year (2013) she’ll come out with Home Made Summer. 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 hearty foods. There’s quince jam with star anise and cardamom, farls with smoked trout (part of her Irish roots), quinoa apple cake, sauerkraut salad with hazelnuts, winter pudding, and more. The picture accompanying the Dublin lawyer is terrific. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 16. SALTIE; a cookbook (Chronicle Books, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1- 4521-0302-0, $25 US hard covers) is by Caroline Fidanza (chef), with Anna Dunn, Rebecca Collerton (chef), and Elizabeth Schula (pastry chef). Saltie is a sandwich shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Three women run the place, and this is their book of 90 recipes. It’s a bit of a memoir too. Sandwiches are trendy these days, and this book caters to that trend. Here you will find such items as “scuttlebutt” (hard-boiled egg, aioli, feta, olives, capers, herbs and pickled beets on focaccia) or “Spanish armada” (potato-onion tortilla, pimenton aioli, and focaccia) or “clean slate” (hummus, quinoa, yogurt sauce, sauerkraut, sesame seeds). There’s also curried rabbit, “longshoreman” (Israeli meatballs, yoghurt sauce, pickled veggies, herbs), and a variety of other dishes (soups and salads, some sides, some mains). Worth looking at for that individualistic expression. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 17. ROB FEENIE’S CASUAL CLASSICS; everyday recipes for family and friends (Douglas & McIntyre, 2012, 170 pages, ISBN 978-1-55365-873-3, $29.95 CAD soft covers) is by the only Canadian chef who has ever won the Food Network’s Iron Chef competition. He’s a powerhouse in the west, now running 22 Cactus Club Cafes in BC and Alberta. Many of these preps come from his chain’s family dining experiences. He’s got the fundamentals and the add-ons, with many fusion dishes and modern-day classics such as osso buco, quinoa jambalaya. Every recipe has been prepared in his home and served to his family (3 kids, ages 3, 6, and 7) and friends. There’s endorsements from Mario Batali and Mark McEwan. There are even engaging chef notes for each dish, a sort of mini- memoir. Arrangement is by course. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. There’s BC food here, such as west coast seafood chowder (indexed only as seafood chowder) and spot prawn and avocado BLT sandwich. But nothing specifically from the east coast. There’s eggplant lasagna and fava bean farfalle, wild rice pilaf and a quail egg recipe, poached halibut, seared salmon, and meat dishes. Quality/price rating: 87. 18. BAKED ELEMENTS; our ten favorite ingredients (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-58479-985-6, $32.50 US hard covers) is by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, co-owners of the Brooklyn bakery, Baked. There is also another one in Charleston SC and soon there will be a Manhattan location. They appear quite regularly on TV shows. This is their third book from the bakery, which also has national US distribution. The idea here was to create ten separate chapters with desserts built around 10 different ingredients, such as peanut butter, lemon & lime, caramel, pumpkin, cinnamon, chocolate, banana and others. There are six or seven preps for each, about 70 recipes in all in the book. Expect orange almond ricotta cheesecake, lemon pecorino pepper icebox cookies, toast pumpkin seed brittle, triple rum black pepper cake, candy bar tart, and banana in a blanket. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables 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. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 20. 150 BEST GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES (Robert Rose, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0412-3, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Alison Lewis, a recipe developer who also created 400 Best Sandwich Recipes. Some of her 150 preps here are taken from that book, but this is largely a new and expanded cookbook. Grilled cheese sandwiches have been making a comeback, especially in Canada with the support of the Dairy Farmers of Canada. Two years ago, there was a competition at the CNE, which my son-in-law (a chef) won. He’s back this year to defend his crown, but in the intervening years he’s done promotional work throughout Canada. The publisher says that grilled cheese was on 2012 trend lists (blogs, TV, newspapers), and it does harken back to simpler, nostalgic times. Lewis makes a valiant attempt to mention (p.14, not p13 as the index says) gluten-free breads, but these are limited to general substitutions and do not have a chew factor. The two preps she does have which specifically mention using GF bread (one as a variation, another as an alternative) seem to be no different from the other preps – the book has a blanket statement about using GF bread as a general substitute anyway. There is material on matching the right bread to the chosen cheese. This is a thorough book catching all the major food groups, and it is arranged by course or major ingredient (breakfast, apps, meatless, beef, poultry, pork, seafood, desserts). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 21. CHATELAINE MODERN CLASSICS; 250 fast, fresh recipes from The Chatelaine Kitchen (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 2012, 391 pages, ISBN 978- 1- 118-21800-6, $24.95 CAD soft covers) has been compiled and edited by Victoria Walsh, associate food editor of Chatelaine. It’s a general, basic book, with the recipes coming out of the pages of the magazine over the years. This paperback edition came out in 2010 in a hard cover priced at $39.95; now is a softback at a reduced price. It is hard to believe that three Canadian log rollers (including Michael Smith and Anna Olson) were needed for pre-publication blurbs since Chatelaine is extremely well-known within Canada. Still, it is a useful book, meant for those homes with larger pantries and larders, and with a shortage of time. The classics here have some short cuts (e.g., easy eggs benedict) and some variations. Each prep has timing, ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements (but there is no table of equivalents), cook’s notes and tips, and a nutritional analysis. All courses are covered, as well as breakfast and brunch. There is a short chapter on entertaining ideas, with sections such as drinks and menus (1l of them, but nothing specific to Canada – even the Christmas Dinner for 12 can be used for Canadian Thanksgiving). Try linguine with spicy gremolata shrimp; spicy sausage with dilled orzo; mushroom-stuffed sirloin steak rolls; Singapore noodles; Asian burgers; California sushi-roll salad; or cedar-planked salmon. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 22. WINDOWS ON THE WORLD COMPLETE WINE COURSE (Sterling Epicure, 2011; distr. Canadian Manda Group, 324 pages, ISBN 978-1-4549-0018-4, $19.95 US soft covers) is by Kevin Zraly, an award winning wine expert and long-time sommelier of that late, lamented restaurant atop the World Trade Center. This has been newly revised and expanded, with pages of new material on how to taste wine. It has frequently been revised since its first edition in 1985. Now it has been redesigned in layout, and with more recommendations in his tour of the latest vintages. Over 20,000 students have taken Zraly's courses and workshops. And more than 3 million copies of this book have been sold. This is the text that comes with the courses, and as such, it serves as a suitable book for almost any introductory wine course. It certainly does address the needs of students and beginners: the style-format is "question and answer", on what wine is, tasting wine (how to taste wine over sixty seconds), wine service at home and in restaurants, storage and cellaring. He avoids the markup controversies in restaurants; however, one can compare a number of different sections and conclude that he favours 3 to 4 times the wholesale price. The bulk of the arrangement is by "classes", with ones for white wine, red wines, champagne, fortified, and wines from outside France and the United States -- still in the Q & A format, augmented by a continuous stream of sidebars and tidbits which extend the answers. Throughout, too, there are full-colour reproductions of wine labels. The book concludes with a glossary and a pronunciation key, as well as bibliographic notes for further reference reading. New in this edition is the use of smart tags, to direct you to class notes, videos, and more than 1300 audio pronunciations of key words and wine terms. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 23. BEST OF BRIDGE SLOW COOKER COOKBOOK; 200 delicious recipes (Robert Rose, 2012, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0413-0, $29.95 CAN spiral binding) is by Sally Vaughan-Johnston who has linked up with the Best of Bridge ladies to update and modernize their original preps. This is her third such book (others were Bravo! and Fan Fare!). Here she has created some new recipes but has also adapted many of the preps to use slow cookers using BOB recipes for baked pasta, quick breads, puddings, fruit desserts, side dishes, roasted garlic – even Christmas Morning Wife Saver (p.24). Just to keep the familiarity rolling, the recipes have been retained in the BOB hand lettering style. Spiral binding and the photo close-ups are very useful bonuses. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Also, everything has been approved and re-tested by the BOB original ladies. Quality/price rating: 84. 24. BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS NEW COOKBOOK. GIFTS FROM THE KITCHEN, plus Food Gift Chapter. 15th edition. (Wiley, 2010, 2012, 672 loose leaf pages, ISBN 978-0-470-56080-8, $29.99 US ring binder) is from the magazine of the same name. In fact, with each book US residents can get a free subscription for one year (value: $6.13 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 14th edition was published in 2007 and the 15th in 2010. But there is 2012 added value here in the gift chapter (for a price increase of only four cents US). It is important to remember: this is a classic that keeps getting better, for the basic home cook. New to this edition of more than 1400 preps are 1000 recipes with 1000 photos (800 new) and 400 photos of techniques. New features include a chapter on “Cook Once, Eat Twice”, creating two meals out of one, and an exploration of new flavours to perk up basic foods. There is also new stuff on breakfast, brunch, casseroles, sandwiches and pizzas, as well as convenience cooking. New to this “special edition” is a 64-page chapter of food gifts, along with 50 recipes paired with 30 or so packaging ideas for gifting all year-round (along with step-by=step photos). 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 no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 25. COMPLETE CAKE MIX MAGIC; 300 easy desserts good as homemade (Robert Rose, 2005, 2012, ISBN 978-0-7788-0422-2 $24.95 CAD soft covers) is by Jill Snider, a Test Kitchen Manager for over a quarter of a decade, and a food stylist/recipe developer. She has written other books on cake mixes. Here, Duncan Hines is featured as the cake mix of choice, as the back cover states, although I am sure that just about any cake mix can be used. It was published in 2005, with a revision or rebirth in 2012. The preps cover single- and multi-layer cakes, tube and bundt cakes, angel food, cheesecakes, coffee cakes, loves, muffins, cookies, bars, and squares plus “special-occasion” desserts. Plus there is primer information on baking. You can have fun with this one, especially if you enjoy sweets. It comes with about 40 preps for frostings and glazes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Sinfully rich photos. Quality/price rating: 83. 26. PRIMAL CUTS; cooking with America’s best butchers (Welcome Books; distr. Random House of Canada, 2010, 2012, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-59962- 115-9, $40 CAN hard covers) is by Marissa Guggiana, co-founder of The Butcher’s Guild, which supports artisanal butchers n North America. She also writes a lot about meats. It was originally published in 2010, and now has been updated. She covers about 52 butchers, with photos and profiles for each, along with a record of their fave dishes (with recipes), anecdotes, and techniques. Along the way there are separate sections for sausage basics, making stock, hamburger basics, raising your own chickens, primal cuts of meats, dry curing, how to cut a steak, deboning a chicken, fave sauces, making bacon, and leftovers. As well, there are discussions on how to find a farmer, sharing a cow, factory vs. sustainable meats, and cooking methods. There’s a directory of names and addresses, websites, etc. for all of the chefs, and a page of resources listings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents, although there is a separate table of suggested cooking temperatures. Quality/price rating: 89. 27. TOP 100 STEP-BY-STEP NAPKIN FOLDS (Robert Rose, 2012, 226 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0423-9, $29.95 CAN spiral bound) is by Denise Vivaldo, who has specialized in catering, recipe-development for a crowd, and food-styling. Her two previous Rose books were The Entertaining Encyclopedia and Perfect Table Settings. For her current book, the material came from Perfect Table Settings (2010). There’s an average of 10 or so photos for each of the napkin folds, 1000 pix in all. Napkin folding may be an art, but now it is also a great technique for elegance or whimsy, maybe even some retro fashion. There is a primer on how to select the best napkins and fabrics, napkin rings, and the differences between cocktail napkins, luncheon napkins, dinner napkins, and paper napkins. So there are details on how to make a vase, a sailboat, an airplane, a bow, even a stairway. My fave is the pointed pocket because it is so practical. Napkin folding is also greatly creative, and a book useful for parent and child to play together. If you don’t already have her earlier book, then you’ll need this one. Quality/price rating: 88. 28. 250 BEST BEANS, LENTILS & TOFU RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2012, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0416-1, $24.95 CAN paper covers) has been edited by Judith Finlayson. Much of it comes from an earlier book, The Beans, Lentils & Tofu Gourmet (Robert Rose, 2000). It’s a good selection with plenty of vegetarian and vegan preps. The range is old and new, classic and modern, old world and new world. There’s a smattering of meat: chicken, veal, pork, beef, plus fish. Contributions come from 22 cookbook authors; there’s a list at the back, with provenance for the recipes. Arrangement is by course, with chapters on wraps and rolls, chilies, curry and dal. No desserts. Some colour photos. Typical dishes include cider baked beans (vegan), refried nachos (vegetarian), beer- braised chili, southwestern shepherd’s pie, and cajun-style tofu with tomatoes and okra (vegan). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and 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 SUMMER 2012 *** SPECIAL SCHOLARLY, ACADEMIC, AND CULTURAL FOOD BOOKS ISSUE *** 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: 2012 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. WHISKEY OPUS; the world’s greatest distilleries and their whiskeys (DK Books, 2012, 300 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-9833-1, $40 US hard covers) is by Gavin D. Smith and Dominic Roskrow, with contributions by Davin De Kergommeaux and Jurgen Deibel (Davin is a Canadian writer, author of whisky articles for magazines and author of Canadian Whisky. This is an incredibly informative book about the brown spirit of whiskey and whisky. Every single style is noted, from single-malts to poteen, with info on how to appreciate each one. The emphasis is global: so while Scotland has the lion’s share of 130 pages, there are about 125 for the ROW. The US and Canada are separate, but all whiskey-producing countries are included, along with a glossary and intro primer. It is a huge book, measuring 11 by 9 inches, lots of photos (a DK Books specialty). Regions are described, e.g., Speyside, Islay, Highlands, Lowlands, and there are tasting notes for selected distilleries. It’s not comprehensive: only the best are included. Still, there is enough here to keep even the most fervid fan happy. As I write this review, you can get the book from Amazon.Com for $27.33 (or $27.59 in Canada, with free shipping). Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. THE MAN WHO CHANGED THE WAY WE EAT; Craig Claiborne and the American food renaissance (Free Press, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 339 pages, ISBN 978-1-4391-9150-7, $27 US hard covers) is by Thomas McNamee, who also wrote “Alice Waters and Chez Panisse”. Claiborne was a remarkable food editor at the powerful New York Times (from 1957) and over time he managed to change North American attitudes to food, from falsely-made foreign food and overdone meats to an ethnic European culture that embraced crème fraiche, arugula, pesto, cilantro, balsamic, and equipment for the home kitchen such as the Cuisinart, chef’s knives, and salad spinners. He gave Julia Child her first major review, introduced Bocuse, Troigros, Prudhomme, Edna Lewis, Puck, and Pepin to the US, and created a demand for Hazan, Jaffrey, Kennedy, and other writers. He was probably the first “critical” restaurant reviewer in the US, and was son emulated by hundreds of others. He promoted dinner parties at home with fine food and wines, great conversation, and social ease. There’s also a good deal of material about his private life and his gayness, but it is the food stories that are mainly relevant here. There are end notes and a bibliography (listing all of Claiborne’s books). His first (a large booklet) was for Bloomingdale’s in 1957, followed by the New York Times Cookbook in 1961. Audience and level of use: gastronomes, food readers. Some interesting or unusual facts: On page one of the New York Times, Nov 14, 1975 – “Just a quiet dinner for 2 in Paris: 31 dishes, 9 wines, a $4000 check” – the famous dinner paid for by AmEx after Claiborne bid $300 at a charity silent auction. The full account is here. The downside to this book: lacks a favourite recipe or two. Also, I wonder what that $4000 dinner would cost today. The upside to this book: great detail on the ins and outs of the NYC food scene, well-worth reading. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. WHY CALORIES COUNT; from science to politics (University of California Press, 2012, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-26288-1, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Marion Nestle, an academic at New York University, and Malden Nesheim, a professor emeritus from Cornell University. They had collaborated on an earlier work about pet food, while Nestle is well-known for such political books as Food Politics, Safe Food, and Pet Food Politics. This book is one of the California Studies in Food and Culture series, but of course, its scope is not limited to California. It’s a look at underlying issues related to diet, food, weight loss, weight gain, and obesity around the globe. The authors constantly have rough edges when they look at food manufacturers and diet promoters. Politics comes in because there is a food industry, it employs people, it has lobby groups, it is profit-making, and it wants to make more money. In some respects, it’s a lot like Big Pharma, but while the prices are lower, the stakes are higher. Nestle (no relation, of course) and Nesheim give plenty of facts to support their cases, and there is much detail here for readers to do their own interpretation of food labeling, diet claims, weighing the evidence, and the like. The book concludes with a FAQ that should be of interest to book clubs or promotional tours. And copious end notes with bibliographic notes for further reading. Audience and level of use: those who ant to know more about the politics of food, food activists, libraries. Some interesting or unusual facts: 2% of the calories from ingested alcohol were lost from the lungs, skin and kidneys. 98% of the calories obtained from alcohol are processed by the body, and they are “empty” calories. The downside to this book: people who hear about this book are bound to be one of the congregation anyway – there still needs to be a more “popular” shoutout or Internet meme series. The upside to this book: they give a mantra for all of us – GET ORGANIZED. EAT LESS, EAT BETTER. MOVE MORE. GET POLITICAL. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 4. HERBS; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2012; distr. University of Chicago Press, 166 pages, ISBN 978-1-86189-925-5, $17 US hard covers) is by Gary Allen, author of The Herbalist in the Kitchen (2007), amongst other books. 5. GIN; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2012, 167 pages, ISBN 978- 1-86189-924-8, $17 US hard covers) is by Lesley Jacobs Solmonson, a print food writer and a blogger (www.12bottlebar.com). 6. RUM; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2012, 141 pages, ISBN 978- 1-86189-926-2, $17 US hard covers) is by Richard Foss, a food historian and journalist. 7. VODKA; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2012, 165 pages, ISBN 978- 1-86189-929-3, $17 US hard covers) is by Patricia Herlihy, who once taught at Brown and is now Professor at Emmanuel College in Boston. These books are all part of the Edible Series; they now number some 30 books in a uniform format. Edible is a great series, offering thumbnail profiles and engaging memoirs of foods. You don’t need to collect them all: if you hate olives (as does a friend of mine), then just avoid that book. They’ve all got some traditional history, cultural history, food history, and some travel/geography notes. Each volume has a selection of recipes (with both metric and avoirdupois measurements), end notes, bibliography, and a listing of websites and associations. There are also terrific full-colour photos and an index. “Herbs” are often considered weeds, but there are hundreds of uses for them, from medicinal to savoury dishes – and throughout history. “Gin” is a brief history, from Dutch origins to British misery to its current global status. It uses “herbs” in its blending, and there are secretive formulas of botanicals. Gin was probably more responsible for cocktails than any other distilled spirit. “Rum” is a colourful book, in that it documents elements of the slave trade and highlights rum’s early base character as a raw spirit derived from molasses. It has had an impact on punches, the British Navy, as well as the islands of the Caribbean, of course, and popular music. “Vodka” is basically a non-descript spirit (it is, after all, just alcohol) which can be flavoured thousands of different ways. This history begins with Slavic origins from the 14th century, and moves through the tumultuous war periods. Again, like Gin, Vodka is a source of misery for certain cultures, like Russia. Still, a fascinating book on how life got that way. Audience and level of use: culinary historians, food lovers, spirits lovers. Some interesting or unusual facts: The Poles prefer to believe that vodka originated with them in the 11th century. In 1710, rum rations to the British Navy were set at half a pint a day (10 ounces). Rip Van Winkle blames “genever” for his twenty-year sleep. Japanese nori seaweed is also in the west of England and Wales where it is known as laver. The downside to this book: as with any profile, occasionally one may wish for more detail about certain points. The upside to this book: good, nifty self-contained books. Quality/Price Rating: 90 each. 8. THE TRUCK FOOD COOKBOOK; 150 recipes and ramblings from America’s best restaurants on wheels. (Workman Publishing, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 294 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-5616-1, $18.95 US soft covers) is by John Edge, director of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi and free-lance food writer (he’s been nominated five times for a Beard Award). Here he explores the culture of street food, with preps adapted for home cooking. They come from restaurants on wheels in New York and Los Angeles, plus food carts and wagons in Portland, Austin, and Minneapolis (among others). The arrangement is by food: fries and pies, waffles, brunches, sandwiches, hot dogs, tacos, and sweets. Within each category there’s a couple of pages devoted to a place, such as Jamerica Restaurant in Madison Wisconsin, with detail about the establishment and a rundown on the special food, in this case, Jamaican meat patties. This is followed by a home cook style recipe (hey folks, do try this at home!!) You can adapt your own seasoning level. Now you will miss chatting with the vendor and getting all the latest scoops and anecdotes, but you’ll be well-fed. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: armchair travelers, food culturalists. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: toritos; elotes; tamarind- glazed fried chicken drumettes; falafel and egg hoagies; Korean short ribs; Taiwanese fried chicken; garlic beef sauerkraut; adzuki chili; kalbi beef sliders. The downside to this book: it’s over too soon. The upside to this book: colourful, nicely adapted food, great for home use. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 9.SHORT COURSE IN BEER; in introduction to tasting and talking about the world’s most civilized beverage (Skyhorse Publishing, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-633-6, $14.95 US hard covers) is by Lynn Hoffman, who remains unidentified in the book. It’s a basic affair, originally published in 2009, and comes without an index (points off). Yet it is an interesting read since it covers the major ground in a good writing style. There’s the flavour of beer, food and beer pairing, primer on brewing, a dictionary and glossary, beer tourism, and some recommended reading. A solid basic book at an affordable price. Quality/price rating: 84. 10. TASTES MATTERS; why we like the foods we do (Reaktion Books 2012, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-86189-914-9, $30 US hard covers) is by John Prescott, an Australian food scientist and editor of “Food Quality & Preference” journal. It is a good explanation of why some of us enjoy some foods while others don’t. We all crave sweet tastes at birth (energy, growth). Salt levels will vary from person to person and region to region (I have a very low tolerance for salt and must remember to drink liquids). Both sourness and bitterness are acquired tastes; both are indicative of “bad” food, in varying degrees, and again reflect personal choices (I don’t like sour but I enjoy bitter such as caffeine or herbs). Genes play a strong role: about a quarter of the world are “supertasters” (such as myself). Each of those people can have sixteen times more taste buds than the other three-quarters of the world. His book is loaded with details of food cultures. Try also www.taste-matters.org for more material. Audience and level of use: parents with fussy or picky eaters. Some interesting or unusual facts: Regular people seem to prefer fatty foods, and hence can be more obese than supertasters. The latter, though, are reluctant to consume “bitter greens”. The downside to this book: The upside to this book: written for the common man. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 11. TASTE WHAT YOU’RE MISSING; the passionate eater’s guide to getting more from every bite (Free Press, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 416 pages, ISBN 978-1-439190-73-9, $26 US hard covers) is by Barb Stuckey, a food developer researcher at Mattson, North America’s largest independent developer of new foods and beverages. It’s a semi-technical look at our taste buds and how and why we taste the way we do. Later, she expounds on “how to get more from every bite”. Her primer covers the five basic tastes (bitter, sweet, sour, salt, and umami). But she also explores other factors here such as “carbonation” and “fat”, more mouth-feels than tastes. There is also the major importance of the olfactory portion of enjoying our food, and, to a lesser extent, touch, hearing and sight. Much of what she says is complemented by witty humour and anecdotes. She provides “exercises” that we can perform to learn about our basic preferences in tastes. There are web resources listed for taste and smell centres around the world, a checklist of 15 ways to get more out of every bite (e.g., chew well), many taste exercises, and some serious footnoting references. The half-dozen preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: curious people who wan to know about tasting. Some interesting or unusual facts: Smoking impairs your ability to smell. Don’t smoke for two hours before and after a meal – you’ll enjoy the food more. The downside to this book: there’s a lot of tech talk, useful for the committed foodie. The upside to this book: good humour, Quality/Price Rating: 90. 12. COFFEE LIFE IN JAPAN (University of California Press, 2012, 222 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27115-9, $24.95 US soft covers) is by Merry White, an anthropology professor at Boston University, and the author of other books about Japanese culture. It is number 36 in a series, “California Studies in Food and Culture”. It traces Japan’s café society over 130 years. According to the publisher’s succinct notes, she “explores how coffee and coffee spaces have been central to the formulation of Japanese notions about the uses of public space, social change, modernity, and pleasure.” One of the specific highlights is that this is where women became free. The book is more on cafés than on coffees, and it is more about urban spaces than a Japanese tea ceremony. The café is the space in Japan’s cities, not the teahouse. There are extensive end notes and bibliographies, plus, of course, a topical index. Black and white photos are scattered throughout. There is also a listing (with notes) of important cafes in Japan. Audience and level of use: coffee lovers, followers of Japanese culture and history. Some interesting or unusual facts: Café Paulista, founded in 1908 in Ginza, is the oldest remaining coffeehouse. It was named after the city of San Paulo because the Brazilian government furnished 100 free bags of coffee each year, for promotional considerations. The downside to this book: scholarly, detailed reading at times. The upside to this book: a good slice of a mini-culture. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 13. FORKS OVER KNIVES: the cookbook (The Experiment, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 320 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-061-4, $18.95 US soft covers) has been assembled by Del Sroufe, and is based on the documentary “Forks Over Knives” (2011) which examined the impact of animal/dairy foods on the causes of degenerative diseases in humans. Apparently, a plant- based diet decreases cancer growth and heart disease. There is a compelling argument for this, in both the book and the movie. The book is meant to accompany the movie since it provides 300 recipes. Actually, there was an earlier book from last year that provided more text but fewer recipes (125 or so from about two dozen people who contributed the recipes, maybe five apiece). Here, there’s a broader range, but a good introduction for those who are used to eating few veggies. The food is both hearty and substantial, relying on legumes, grains, fruits, roots and salads. There are a few of the really best green plants here, but only 5 Swiss chard preps and 7 kale recipes. The veggies with lower appeal seem to be missing (no Brussels sprouts) although there are a dozen broccoli, eleven for cabbage. Still, it is a good beginner book, driving home the philosophy of Michael Pollan and the film. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84. 14. CURRIED CULTURES; globalization, food and South Asia (University of California Press, 2012, 316 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27012-1, $27.95 US paper covers) is a collection of articles edited by Krishnendu Ray and Tulasi Srinivas. It’s number 34 in the California Studies in Food and Culture [California refers to the Press not the region being studied]. Both editors are academics and they deal with the manner in which the urban middle class of India is driving the country, both within India and abroad (the globalization). That’s the simplistic annotation. Of course, to academics, it is much m=re complex. These twelve essays (three of which are basically reprinted from earlier times) cover the range of historical pastas through colonial India, colonial Bengal, hotels, foodways in Mumbai, South Asian restaurants in Britain, the Pakistani grill in Manhattan, curry mahals, and female food entrepreneurs. Many locations around the world have been impacted by South Asian food, and this book explores just a few of them, through the people, practices, culture and eating habits. Next up in the near future: Indian agribusinesses expanding to Africa, buying up land. Ell worth a read. Murky black and white photos, essay end notes, an extensive bibliography for further reading, and an equally-extensive index. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 15. TURKEY (Chronicle Books, 2012; distr. Raincoast, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0770-7, $35 US hard covers) is by Leanne Kitchen, an Australian chef who travels around Asia and the Middle East. The location photos in this book are from her camera. Her book was originally published in 2011 in Australia by Murdoch Books. The 100 preps cover the range from regional cooking to the Ottoman Empire palaces. It is a combo travel and food book, oversized, useful as a gift too. The cuisine was shaped by three cultures: Mediterranean, Middle East, and Slavic, with a healthy mix of Islamic and Orthodox religious foods. Short travelogue pieces set the tone for the regional specialities, artisans, culinary techniques and restaurants. Each of the seven geographic regions provides their own unique food cultures. The book, though, is arranged by course: meze, soups, breads/pasta, veggies and salads, rice/bulgur, seafood, poultry and meat, and desserts, about 12 preps each. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: armchair travelers, culture food lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lahmacun; beet green, ricotta and hazelnut gozleme; turluturlu; kisir; baked fish with dill butter and raki, roasted tomatoes and pine nuts; octopus stew with wine, spices and caperberries. The downside to this book: I wish there were more preps. The upside to this book: great photographs. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 16. THE COOKBOOK LIBRARY; four centuries of the cooks, writers, and recipes that made the modern cookbook (University of California Press, 2012, 330 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-24400-9, $50 US hard covers) is by Ann Willan, founder of La Varenne Cooking School, and a Beard Award winner (Country Cooking of France). She’s been assisted by her husband Mark Cherniavsky and Kyri Claflin, both food researchers. It is number 35 in the respected California Studies in Food and Culture. The book began as notes on the 400-volume personal collection of Anne and Mark’s cookbooks, dating back to 1491 and centering on European and American sources. They chronicle the life of cooks and writers who produced these books, with 120 rich black and white illustrations of historical title pages and other illustrations from these books. The range is from “upstairs” to “downstairs”, from the banquet halls of royalty to communal tables of the poor. They explore the foods that these people ate, and the religious and political effects on their meals. There are also 40 recipes from the 15th to the 19th century books, updated for today. Essentially, it is a history of the cookbook, tracing the development of the recipe, explaining the forms of measurement, looking at the medieval kitchen, exploring the role of women in the kitchen, and the impact of ingredients from the New World (the Columbian Exchange). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There are end notes and a copious bibliography for further reading. As well, there is a recipe index separate from the general index. A great read. Audience and level of use: food researchers, cookbook collectors. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cailles au laurier; soufflés parisiens aux pommes de reinette; ypocras; zu mache ein krapffen teig. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 17. JOEY GREEN’S KITCHEN MAGIC; 1,882 quick cooking tricks, cleaning hints, and kitchen remedies using your favorite brand-name products (Rodale, 2012; distr. Raincoast, 370 pages, ISBN 978-1-60971-703-5, $18.99 US paper covers) is by someone who has quirky yet clever household hints (www.wackyuses.com). Perfect reading for summer. Bake moist brownies with cola, rescue burnt gravy with peanut butter, make creamier mashed potatoes with canned whipped cream, flavour a roasted chicken with beer, keep milk fresh longer with baking soda, soften stale marshmallows with white bread, and 1875 more…Not for the faint of heart. Many items can be processed or attended to by generic or other brand names, so I’m not giving any of them a free plug. Or, maybe if I did, you might avoid them, and the companies will come after me, claiming loss of sales….LOL. As I said, a good read, especially in the bathroom. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements in the handful of recipes, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 80. 18. THE FISH THAT ATE THE WHALE; the life and times of America’s banana king (Farrar, Straus Giroux, 2012; distr. D & M Publishers, 270 pages, ISBN 978-0-374-29927-9, $27 US hard covers) is by Rich Cohen, a free- lance magazine writer and book author. It is a light hearted but well- researched business and personal biography of Sam Zemurray, a peddler of bananas who eventually created the United Fruit Company that we have all grown to love and hate. It’s also an exploration of the diplomatic and military moves in Central America, to corner the banana market (“banana republics” and “Yankee go home”). This is good story telling, so I won’t reveal the “plot”. He arrived in America in 1891 and died 69 years later in grandest house of New Orleans. There are copious end notes and a good bibliography, but sadly, no illustrations beyond a basic map, and NO INDEX, which makes the material difficult to retrieve, and gives it points off in my rating. Quality/price rating: 81. 19. SWEET TOOTH; the bittersweet history of candy (St. Martin’s Press, 2012; distr. Raincoast, 312 pages, ISBN 978-0-31-66810-5, $25.99 USW hard covers) is by Kate Hopkins, a book author and food blogger in Seattle. It comes with praise from Elizabeth Abbott, the author of the sterling “Sugar; a bittersweet history”. Hopkins takes the action one processed step further: sugar candy. Hopkins desired candy as a child, and believed that when she was an adult, she could have all she wanted. But as she approached middle age, she realized that being an adult means having the means to buy all the candy you want but no longer wanting to. Hey, that was like ice cream and me!! I loved Baskin Robbins but when I could afford it and when the franchise came to town, I stayed away. Hopkins decided to at least visit stores and explore the history of candy. Along the way, she came across the same factors that Abbott did in her researches: the darker side of the commercial ventures of sugar and candy. So the book is partly memoir (Hopkins’ addiction to candy) and partly a look at its positives and negatives in its history. So there is a big dose of unhealthiness here in the addiction, the cutthroat business competition, and the slave trade. It’s an enjoyable read and ride through history, with a smattering of asides, a bibliography, and (thank heavens) an index. 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. Here are some recent “re-editions” of scholarly and/or historical cook books... 20. THE ASIAN GRANDMOTHERS COOKBOOK; home cooking from Asian American kitchens (Sasquatch Books, 2009, 2012; distr. Random House of Canada, 348 pages, ISBN 978-1-57061-752-2, $25.95 US soft covers) is by Patricia Tanumihardja, a free-lance food writer. It was originally published in 2009 as a hardbound book, and here it returns as a paperback with perfect binding. The Asian grandmother in the US is the glue that keeps the family together. Here are about 120 preps for old- school dishes from Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Thai, Indian and Korean sources. Recipes have their variations noted, and the author contributes her notes and some from a relevant “grandmother”. Typical dishes include chicken adobo, steamed meatballs with tangerine peel, beef stir fry, black bean steamed fish, watercress and pork rib soup, pork and shrimp cups, and mochiko fried chicken. There are also a fair bit of cultural notes here detailing the impact of elder Asian immigrants in American life. Most of these notes come from the ten profiles of “grandmas”. There’s a resources list and a bibliography, with some chosen websites. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are conversion tables of metric equivalents. A good entry level book for the newly inspired lover of Asiatic food. Quality/price rating: 87. 21. AGUECHEEK’S BEEF, BELCH’S HICCUP, AND OTHER GASTRONOMIC INTERJECTIONS; literature, culture, and food among the early moderns (University of Chicago Press, 2006, 2012, 375 pages, ISBN 978-0-26- 02127-0, $22.50 US soft covers) is by Robert Appelbaum, professor of English literature at Uppsala University in Sweden. It was originally published in 2006 (winning the Roland H. Bainton Prize in 2007), and here receives a trade paperback reprint. It’s an interesting idea: the telling of how post-Renaissance Europeans put food into words and words into food. Appelbaum looks at cookbooks, great literature, comic novels, and colonial expansion, which brought in new foods to wonderment and delight. The illustrations are well-chosen. There are about a dozen preparations, for such tasty items as calves head, chicken hunter style, hemp seed porridge, and capon broth for the ill. This is a major contribution to European food cultural history. There are extensive end notes and a long select bibliography. Quality/price rating: 90. 22. AS ALWAYS, JULIA; the letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Mariner Books, 2012; distr. T. Allen) has been edited by Joan Reardon. It is a reprint of the acclaimed 2010 hardback book; it was an IACP winner. The entire correspondence covers 1952 to 1989 (when Avis died), but Reardon only goes to 1961, the period when Julia Child was developing the first volume of her Mastering the Art of French Cooking. DeVoto was Child’s friend and unofficial literary agent. The initial decade covers the beginnings of a gastronomic awakening in American culinary development, with Child leading the way. The more than 200 letters provide the correspondents’ deepest thoughts and feelings about food, friendship, and the making of the book. This paperback is out just in time for Child’s 100th anniversary of her birth. Scattered throughout are some black and white photos. For those who like a topical approach, there is even a worthwhile index. Quality/price rating: 94. 23. GRANDMA’S GERMAN COOKBOOK (DK Books, 2010, 2012, 195 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-9432-6, $22 US hard covers) is by Birgit Hamm and Linn Schmidt, food authors who live in Hamburg. It was originally published by DK in German in 2010, with 85 classic preps as prepared by the ladies’ grandmothers (actually, there are six grandmothers involved). It is a homey book, with a full range of soups, stews, dinners, sweets, cakes, jams, and so forth. Fried potatoes, cabbage rolls, schnitzel, spaetzle, roast duck, potato pancakes, marzipan, plum tart, Christmas stollen -- mostly comfort food for a colder climate. There’s a German recipe index as well as a regular index. Cultural notes abound but there is nothing on wines. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 24. FANNIE FARMER 1896 COOK BOOK THE BOSTON COOKING SCHOOL (Skyhorse Publishing, 1896, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 567 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608- 543-8, $12.95 US hard covers) is an open-and-shut photographic reprint of the 1896 edition, with nothing added or taken away. This includes the index and the two dozen or so pages of adverts from that time period. There are 1380 recipes here, from boiling an egg to preparing a calf’s head. Her book is widely known for standardizing measurements in recipes (the Boston Cooking School first developed this). So these are the classic recipes, with ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements. But of course, there is no table of metric equivalents. A useful book for the culinary historian at a bargain price. Quality/price rating: 86. 25. NORWEGIAN CAKES AND COOKIES (Skyhorse Publishing, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 158 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-56-8, $19.5 US hard covers) is by Sverre Saetre, who owns a patisserie in Oslo. It was originally published in Norwegian in 2009, and this is its North American debut in English. These are traditional Norwegian desserts with some modern re- inventions. Saetre has been a member of the Norwegian National Culinary Team since 2003; they were world champs in 2006 and Olympians in 2008. There’s a wide range here, more than enough to satisfy every taste: the fyrstekake (butter pastry and marzipan), kokosholler (chocolate truffles, tilslorte bondepiker (fruit compote). There’s a primer chapter on the basics, with tips and advice. As well, most ingredients are scaled by metric and avoirdupois measurements. Here’s about 60 recipes plus variations, but no index. The table of contents has been expanded to include the names of the preps. The major arrangement is by category: fruit, berries, dairy, nuts and spices, and chocolate. Quality/price rating: 86. 26. KNIFE SKILLS: how to carve/chop/slice/fillet (DK Books, 2008, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-9831-7, $11.95 US paper covers) is by Marcus Wareing, Shaun Hill, Charlie Trotter and Lyn Hall – all are chefs except Hall who is a food writer. Here are clear, step-by-step photographs as only DK books can do. There is material on how to choose knives, how to sharpen, and how to master techniques. This is the paperback reprint to the 2008 hardback – with more than 400 photos and a section on safety and First Aid. Great price. Quality/price rating: 90. AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR JUNE 2012 ====================================== 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: 2012 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. 1001 WHISKIES YOU MUST TASTE BEFORE YOU DIE (Universe Publishing, 2012; distr. Random House of Canada, 960 pages, ISBN 978-0-7893-2487-0, $36.95 US hard covers) has been edited by Dominic Roskrow, an award- winning drinks writer (Whiskey Magazine, Harper’s) and book author who also edits Whiskeria. It is one of a series of “bucket list” books, such as 1001 Beers You Must Taste Before You Die, 1001 Foods …, 1001 Wines… The Whiskies and Foods books work best because the initial database is much smaller. Here is a team of 23 writers who have analyzed the best of whiskies, beginning with Scotland and moving on through Ireland, US, Canada, Japan, Europe, and the Rest Of the World (ROW). There are several indexes, principally to whiskies by name and whiskies by country. So single malts, blends, bourbons, and ryes are also covered. Most of them are small-batch producers. Each entry contains critical tasting notes, a history of the distillery, temperature recommendations, ABVs, and initials to indicate who the writer is. There’s a whack of Canadian companies here, beginning with Alberta Premium, Black Velvet, Forty Creek, Canadian Club, Glen Breton and Wiser’s – 44 in all. There’s about a page per entry, and there are pictures of bottles for just about all of them. Quality/Price Rating: 91. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. HERBIVORACIOUS; a flavor revolution, with 150 vibrant and original vegetarian recipes (Harvard Common Press, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 367 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-745-0, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Michael Natkin, a food blogger and writer recommended on several print publications. He’s also a food photographer. With log rolling from other chefs, Natkin gives us 150 well-chosen flavourful vegetarian dishes. The index points to both vegan and gluten-free choices. His blog Herbivoracious.com claims 92,000 monthly readers. His preps are derived form his blog, and about a third of them here in the book are main courses. Soups, salads, sides, apps, desserts and more complete the picture. There’s a pantry list and equipment section, both with detail. The book reads like a song, right from the first prep “tea- smoked lychees”. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents at the back. The index has large typeface. He believes in organization: good food takes time, but the best way to save time is through organizing, and a mise en place. Audience and level of use: vegetarians looking for new recipes Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: paella cakes with mangoes and marmalade; blue-potato tarts; quinoa cakes; panish lentil and mushroom stew; chili borracho; chickpea and green olive tagine; raspberry-blueberry buckle. The downside to this book: nothing really, although some experienced cooks may not like the detail. The upside to this book: the photography is his own, warts and all. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. CHOWDERS AND SOUPS; 50 recipes for the home chef (Nimbus Publishing, 2012, 82 pages, ISBN 978-1-55109-905-7, $18.85 CAN soft covers) is by Halifax food critic Liz Feltham. It’s a modest book, but it’s full of local Maritime seafoods such as lobster, shrimp, crab, clam, and local fishes. Here are some classics, plus some modifications and re-doings. There are a few changes to the traditional recipes, such as with the smoked haddock chowder (also known as cullen skink). She uses sweet potato instead of mashed potato, and herbes de Provence is the major seasoning. There’s an appendix on stocks and a glossary. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The index is by recipe name, not by major ingredient. Audience and level of use: home cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lobster and asparagus chowder; maple parsnip soup; monkfish chowder; zuppa de pesce; smoked mackerel chowder. The downside to this book: I would have liked more recipes. The upside to this book: two recipes for local fruit (chilled strawberry and chilled blueberry soups). Quality/Price Rating: 84. 4. CREPES; 50 savory and sweet recipes (Chronicle Books, 2012, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0534-5, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Martha Holmberg, former publisher and editor and Fine Cooking magazine. It’s an interesting book, with some invaluable tips and procedure notes. She tries to come to grips with gluten-free choices, and proposes a 100% white rice flour crepe recipe. But she also covers both gluten-free buckwheat and chick pea crepes, both a bit stronger in flavours. In Brittany, the all-buckwheat crepes are called “galettes de sarrasin”. India uses a lot of chick pea flour in its preps, here represented by spiced Indian potato and chickpea crepes (unfortunately, not indexed under chickpea). The broad range of dishes should be enough to keep any crepe lover happy. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: pesto and crème fraiche crepes with arugula salad; swiss chard and goat cheese crepes with walnut crumb topping; coconut cream crepes with mango sauce; Meyer lemon and whipped cream crepe cake. The downside to this book: the chickpea flour crepe recipe uses wheat flour, when it could have used white rice flour, making it 100% gluten- free. The upside to this book: a good collection. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 5. CLASSIC ARTISAN BAKING; recipes for cakes, cookies, muffins and more (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1- 84975-225-1, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Julian Day, who runs a mail- order artisanal cake business in the UK. These are some of his preps, developed for home use. There are sections on family cakes, small cakes, brownies and bars, biscuits and cookies, breads, and tarts. The range is extensive and useful. Traditional cakes include Dundee cake, St. Clement’s cake, lemon polenta cake, Bakewell slices, and lavender loaves. The Fig and Marsala Crostata was a standout. But some details on gluten-free alternatives might have been useful. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks with expertise. The downside to this book: it is mainly a British book, but was not promoted that way. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 6. THE QUINTESSENTIAL QUINOA COOKBOOK; eat great, lose weight, feel healthy (SkyHorse Publishing, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 215 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-535-3, $17.95 U hard covers) is by Wendy Polisi, who runs cookingquinoa.net, and claims more than 200,000 monthly readers. This cookbook is mostly derived from that website. It’s the second such quinoa book lately, and more are on the way as quinoa becomes the latest superfood. The bets news about it is that it is gluten-free, so this opens up a huge new audience. You can find quinoa at bulk stores, and even Costco has mounds of the organic variety, selling at a fairly decent price. Important stuff in this particular book is that there are alternative ingredients and prep methods for many recipes (vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, fast and easy). The arrangement is by course, beginning with breakfast, followed by apps, soups, salads, entrees, pasta-polenta-pizza, breads, muffins, and desserts. There is even a section devoted to quinoa for kids, a nifty idea. She’s got a basic primer on what quinoa is all about, and some no-nonsense advice. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: health fans, gluten-free eaters Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: almond fudge quinoa brownies; raspberry crumb cake; quinoa grissini; polenta lasagna; quinoa falafel; eggplant parmesan. The downside to this book: the book is very tightly bound, making it difficult to prop it open. Recipes are on the recto page, so it is possible to position the book and snap the spine if need be. Photocopying is a pain, and maybe the publishers wanted it that way. The upside to this book: it is good to have a quinoa book with photos. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 7. THE ROMANTIC PRAIRIE COOKBOOK; field-fresh recipes and homespun settings (CICO Books, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1- 908170-17-0, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Fifi O’Neill, who grew up in France but then moved to Manitoba for 15 years. She later re-located to the US prairies but now lives in Florida. She fell in love with “the prairies” and founded “Romantic Prairie” magazine. This is her second book (first cookbook) about that style. The preps here reflect the style of the prairies, so expect lots of harvested surplus foods, artisanal baking, cheese making, preserving, pickling and so forth. The 100 recipes here, along with photographic essays, show a field to table sensibility. It is arranged by course, apps to desserts, with a special chapter on celebrations such as a harvest supper and Christmas. Recipes are normally sourced from a farm in the US Great Plains area. 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 love farm food Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Dutch apple pie; zucchini and cheese tarts; tourtiere; venison stroganoff; roast buffalo; pickled cauliflower; braised fennel. The downside to this book: too many gratuitous general farm pictures, which have been set in California, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and Virginia, hardly the “Great Plains”. The upside to this book: good choice of recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 8. THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANC GARDEN-FRESH COOKBOOK (Yankee Publishing, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-57198-541-5, $19.95 US hard covers) is a good-value cookbook from the OF Almanac people. It’s even got Deborah Madison on board for some log-rolling. It boasts more than 325 preps plus over 100 tips for growing and harvesting your own vegetables, fruits, and herbs. There are recommendations on ripeness levels, plus handy charts on storing foods, cooked vs. raw measurements, substitutions, weights and measures, equipment to use, and sources. There are also four special sections on a kitchen herb gardens, a beginner veggie garden, an edible flower garden, and a berry garden. There are recipes for meat, poultry, and seafood, so this is not a strictly “vegetarian” book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: anybody desiring fresh food. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cantaloupe and peach conserve; vegetable hash; sweet and sour wax beans; rosemary chicken with spinach; sweet potato casserole with sausage; watermelon BBQ marinade; fresh raspberry muffins. The downside to this book: this is a very heavy book because of the paper used for the photographs. The upside to this book: good choice of preps Quality/Price Rating: 85. 9. THE RED HOT CHILE COOKBOK; fabulously fiery recipes for chile fans (Ryland, Peters and Small, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 160 pages, ISBN 978- 1-84975-224-4, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Dan May, who began growing chiles in the North Pennines in 2005. He now has the world’s most northerly chile farm, called Trees Can’t Dance. He began producing chile sauces. Here he has about 70 preps loaded with heat at various levels. There’s primer stuff on history, how to grow at home, how to identify the varieties, and their strength levels. It’s all arranged by course, from apps to desserts (chile jam ice cream, chile pecan brownies) and drinks. Each prep has a chile meter to indicate heat levels. At the back, there’s a listing of both US and UK chile suppliers. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: chile pepper lovers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: tropical fruit salad with chile and lime syrup; green chile bhajis; fruity African bean stew; roast pork chops with spicy lentils; Moroccan-spiced lamb burgers. The downside to this book: nothing much on sweet peppers or paprika. The upside to this book: smoked peppers are included such as chipotle, in five recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 10. SINFULLY EASY DELICIOUS DESSERTS; quicker smarter recipes (Artisan, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-398-9, $25.95 US soft covers) is by Alice Medrich. This is her eighth cookbook – the others have all involved chocolate and/or cookies. She had previously owned a dessert shop, called Chocolat. Here she branches out to stylish but easy preps. There are also over 100 ideas for spontaneous desserts that don’t involve baking, such as dressing up humdrum fruits. There’s a section on the pantry, over 30 pages on ideas with ice cream, more on fruits, followed by puddings, pies, tarts, meringues and cakes. She also notes plenty of variations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, and they are scaled so you have both volume and weight. There are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: dessert lovers, cookbook collectors. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: fragrant oranges with ice cream, almonds and dates; apples in cardamom lime syrup; lemon-scented apple upside-down cake; vanilla tart with winter cherry compote; spiced and candied nuts; house truffles; coconut layer cake; bittersweet chocolate cake. The downside to this book: the typeface is a bit on the light side, fatiguing to read after awhile. The upside to this book: great photography. 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 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 – 11. FORKS OVER KNIVES; the plant-based way to health (The Experiment, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 214 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-045-4, $13.95 US soft covers) has been assembled by Gene Stone, and is based on the documentary “Forks Over Knives” (2011) which examined the impact of animal/dairy foods on the causes of degenerative diseases in humans. Apparently, a plant-based diet decreases cancer growth and heart disease. There is a compelling argument for this, in both the book and the movie. The book is meant to accompany the movie since it provides 125 recipes. There’s a broad range, but a good introduction for those who are used to eating few veggies. The food is both hearty and substantial, relying on legumes, grains, fruits, roots and salads. There are few of the really best green plants here (no Swiss chard), but I did note seven kale recipes. The veggies with lower appeal seem to be missing, although there is one token prep for Brussels sprouts and one for broccoli, one for cabbage. Still, it is a good beginner book, driving home the Michael Pollan philosophy and the film’s. About two dozen people contributed the recipes, maybe five apiece. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84. 12. THE FARM; rustic recipes for a year of incredible food (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012, 233 pages, ISBN 978-0-547-51691-2, $30 US hard covers) is by Ian Knauer, who develops recipes for the Food Network and is host of his own TV shows. During the week he is a New York food writer, but weekends he goes to his Pennsylvania farm that his family has owned for generations. There are 150 preps here, emphasizing market, garden or CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) foods. And it is pretty hard to beat the log rollers here: Ruth Reichl, Deborah Madison, and John Willoughby. It is, of course, arranged by season, from spring through winter, so there is a progression from asparagus to garlic. There is a category list of recipes, a contents guide to starters, soups, salads, breakfast, sandwiches, pizzas, breads, pasta, meats, sides, preserves, and desserts. Try herb-roasted lamb shanks, buttermilk ricotta, peaches in honey syrup, beer and garlic roast pork, duck breasts with chanterelles, or dried-fruit-braised short ribs. Good large print throughout. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 13. THE BACK IN THE DAY BAKERY COOKBOOK; more than 100 recipes from the best little bakery in the south (Artisan, 2012; distr. T. Allen, ISBN 978-1-57965-458-0, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Cheryl and Griffith Day, who founded “Back in the Day Bakery” in Savannah, Georgia in 2002. This is a collection of preps from that bakery (done in time for their tenth anniversary), adapted for home cooks, with an emphasis on rustic breads and decadent treats. The 100 recipes are arranged by form, such as coffee cakes, quick breads, sweet yeast breads, cupcakes, cakes, pies, cobblers, crisps, tarts, puddings, custards, cookies, brownies, bars – and even savories. Included is the trendy bacon jam recipe. This book is not for the faint-of-heart, and I dearly wish I could eat my calories this way, but alas… Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 14. CHARRED & SCRUFFED; bold new techniques for explosive flavor on and off the grill (Artisan, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 266 pages, ISBN 978-1- 57965-465-8, $24.95 US soft covers) is by restaurateur Adam Perry Lang with places in Las Vegas and London. He has won top honours on the national US BBQ circuit. His book has already won acclaim in the US, with backing from Jamie Oliver, David Chang and Mario Batali. This time out he has different techniques: scruffing meat and vegetables (roughing them up) and cooking directly on hot coals, constantly turning and moving the meat while cooking – this is the showman aspect, bound to appeal to those male backyard BBQ. This produces a crust and additional flavours; I did not see any mention of added carcinogens. He’s also got quite a collection of finishing salts and dressings, as well as side dishes (smoked garlic confit, scruffed carbonara potatoes, charred radicchio). Typical dishes include smoked pork shoulder, planked lobster tails, roasted rib stack, “man” steak, lamb in ash salt crust with charcoal salt. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a separate table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 15. GELATO; simple recipes for authentic Italian gelato to make at home (Ryland, Peters and Small, 2012, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-208-4, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Adriano di Petrillo, owner of Dri Dri, a London UK gelateria. Gelato is made with milk (not cream) and is made by mantecazione (frozen and churned very slowly). It is very easy to make, especially with an ice cream maker. With low fat (but more sugar), gelatos are popular in the summer. There are three types here: gelato, sorbetto, and granita (no dairy). There is also a concluding section on serving gelato, such as blending flavours from different scoops, making drinks, sandwiches with Florentines or brownies or brioche. Try mango sorbet, espresso coffee gelato, lemon gelato, licorice gelato, or strawberry sorbet. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 16. THE SKILLET COOKBOOK; a street food manifesto (Sasquatch Books, 2012; distr. Random House of Canada, 148 pages, ISBN 978-1-57061-732-4, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Josh Henderson, who attended the CIA and began working in the restaurant trade. In 2007, he founded Skillet Street Food in Seattle, using a vintage Airstream trailer for lunch menu making. In 2011 it also became a brick-and-mortar restaurant. The preps here are al street food, arranged by breakfast, lunch, diner, and dessert. The 100 recipes include nutella crostini, skillet granola, kale Caesar salad, poutine gravy, farro burger, and shortbread and lemon curd. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 17. MADE IN ITALY (HarperCollins, 2011, 389 pages, ISBN 978-1-44340- 686-4, $39.99 CAN hard covers) is by David Rocco, This is his second book of Italian adventures derived form his Food Network show, David Rocco’s Dolce Vita (now broadcast in 150 countries). To matrch that, he’s got about 150 preps here covering the gamut of Italian food: pizzas, pastas (but no panini), risotto, and dolci. Along the way there are a lot of photos and text about his travels in Italy, to match the TV series. There are also a lot of drink recipes but few wine notes. Try his fried fennel, his espressos, chestnut fritters, rabbit with rosemary, lamb in cherry tomato and red wine, or mascarpone and nutella calzone. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 18. GARDE-MANGER (HarperCollins, 2010, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1- 44341-326-8, $34.99 CAN hard covers) is by Chuck Hughes, who opened Garde-Manger restaurant in Montreal. He has also had two TV series, “Chuck’s Day Off” and “Chuck’s Week Off”. This current book, his first, was published in French in Quebec in 2010, and it is now available in English. It is a “best of” collection, says the Introduction, with classics, standards, and contemporary spins. So it reflects the restaurant, and begins with cocktails. There are also lots of oversized pix of the restaurant and staff. It’s mainly a seafood place, with crab legs, calamari, octopus, sardines, but it did broaden to include steaks (pork, lamb, beef) and chicken. There’s also some good-looking close-up photography here. Try pan-cooked smoked salmon, salt cod fritters, lobster mushrooms and fingerling potatoes, pan-roasted halibut, or shrimp with puttanesca sauce. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and 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. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 19. PRESERVING MADE EASY; small batches & simple techniques (Firefly, 2012, 286 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-094-1, $9.99 CA paperback is by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard. It’s based on THE COMPLETE BOOK OF SMALL- BATCH PRESERVING; over 300 delicious recipes to use year-round. 2d edition, The authors are professional home economists and food consultants. Both have authored and co-authored cookbooks before. Lots of simple techniques are carefully explained here, so that food should not spoil. Variations are suggested. The shtick is to do your own processing and save over supermarket prices; hence, there are fairly decent store knockoffs here. Covered are jams, jellies, pickles, chutneys, sauces, salsas, conserves, low-sugar spreads, flavoured oils and vinegars. This paperback has 200 of the larger book’s 300 preps, some reworked for simplicity. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 20. EASY CAKES & COOKIES; cupcakes, brownies, muffins, loaves a& more (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2012, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-212-1, $19.95 US hard covers) and 21. EASY 30-MINUTE MEALS; quick and easy recipes for busy people (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2012, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-210-7, $19.95 US hard covers) are the latest books in this publisher’s “Easy” series (over half-a-million books sold), bringing the total up to 18 thus far. The premise is a selection of easy preps from the stable of writers at Ryland. All recipes are credited to such as Louise Pickford, Maxine Clark, Ross Dobson, Sarah Rendell, Tonia George, and many others. There are about 100 preps in each of the “Easy” books; all have been previously published by Ryland. Try sweet potato and coconut soup, porcini frittata, Thai chicken curry, mocha swirl loaf, lime drizzle cake, or toffee pear muffins. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is a separate table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84. 22. FISH & SHELLFISH; grilled & smoked (Harvard Common Press, 2002, 2012, 408 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-181-6, $18.95 US soft covers) is by Karen Adler, author of a dozen cookbooks, and Judith Fertig, also author of a dozen cookbooks. Here they combine to give us 300 preps plus sauces, marinades, rubs, and sides for seafood. The book was originally published in 2002, and this is a paperback reissue. There’s a primer on grilling and smoking, with fish substitution guidelines. Then the recipes are divided on fish or shellfish, smoked or grilled in four chapters. There’s fresh herbed-crusted mullet, grilled ocean perch, grilled squid, smoked catfish salad, stir-grilled scallops, oak- planked salmon, and more. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 23. SUMMER DAYS & BALMY NIGHTS (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2012, 276 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-207-7, $27.95 US hard covers) has more than 160 recipes and ideas for summer entertaining Mediterranean-style. It’s a book package pulled together from the stable of food writers at Ryland, There was an earlier book entitled “Lazy Days and Beach Blankets”, and this current effort extends that one. Major recipe contributions came from Louise Pickford, Fiona Beckett, Maxine Clark, Ross Dobson, and Clair Ferguson. Preps include lemon drop, peaches and sauternes ice cream, chicken avgolemono, soupe verdon, watermelon and ricotta salata salad, and spiced muscat figs. Arrangement is by course, with grazing apps, salads, soups, grill work, alfresco desserts and drinks. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of metric equivalents. Excellent photography. Quality/price rating: 84. 24. ARTISANAL GLUTEN-FREE COOKING; 275 great-tasting, from-scratch recipes from around the world, perfect for every meal and for anyone on a gluten-free diet, and even those who aren’t. 2d ed. Rev. (The Experiment, 2009, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519- 050-8, $18.95 US paper covers) is by the husband-and-wife team of Kelli Bronski, Cornell hotel school graduate, and writer Peter Bronski (who has celiac disease since before 2007). Everything, of course, is gluten-free in this book. There are 70 GF flour preps for breads, pastas, and pizzas, as well as 20 for GF flour desserts. They have developed their own mix ratios for gluten-free flours (as has almost every other gluten-free writer): if you need it, you’ll have to experiment to see what works best. This one is principally brown rice, sorghum, and corn starch. But it is their default GF flour mix. There’s a primer plus a range of recipes without gluten. Many preps never had gluten to begin with, such as bacon-wrapped shrimp. To my mind, a better book would have been based solely on replacing gluten in recipes. Only about 100 of the 275 preps do that. The new edition has 50 more colour photos, 25 more recipes, and some appeal to vegetarians and vegans. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 25. TEN-MINUTE BENTO (Vertical Inc., 2007, 2012; dist. Random House of Canada, 80 pages, ISBN 978-1-935654-41-4, $14.95 US soft covers) is by Megumi Fuji. It was published by Kodansha in Japan in 2007, and this is the North American reissue. And it is a terrific idea. Tired of all those 30-minute or less easy meals? Try the ten-minute bento. These are easy, creative bento box meals, classic preps and some with modern ideas. “Just cook up some rice and add a topping” – or two. Here are sliced beef bento, omelet and wakame rice bento, sesame chicken and veggie with salsify rice bento, or ramen salad bento. There are 27 bento boxes, plus some sides and desserts. Of course, it helps to have a good pantry. Excellent photos. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 26. THE PERFECT START TO YOUR DAY; delicious recipes for breakfast and brunch (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2009, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-219-0, $19.95 U hard covers) is by food writer-stylist Tonia George who has written for Ryland before. This is a revised edition of “Breakfast & Brunch” published in 2009. There are abut 100 preps here that cover the usual terrain of drinks, fruit, grains, eggs, pastries, pancakes, waffles, mains, sandwiches, salads, sides and preserves. But it is all well-framed, with convincing arguments that this style of food is appropriate all day long. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try lemon and sage tisane, smoked haddock and avocado omelette wraps, potato and rosemary pancakes with bacon and honey, or English breakfast quiche. Quality/price rating: 85, 27. MAKE IT TONIGHT; delicious no-fuss dinner solutions for every cook. Updated edition (Transcontinental Books, 2007, 2012; distr. Random House of Canada, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-9813938-6-5, $27.95 CAN paper covers) is from the test kitchens at Canadian Living. It was first published in 2007 under the guidance of Elizabeth Baird and her team. This time it has been redesigned and redone by the Test Kitchen, with 55 new recipes and photos. The meals remain fast (15 to 30 minutes), convenient (pantry or specialized equipment such as slow cooker), and with few ingredients (usually 5 or fewer). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no separate table of equivalents. Nutritional information is provided, and usually there is a sidebar with each prep indicating some technique or tip or advice. It is basic stuff, but it is organized well and there is a large typeface and plenty of white space. Quality/price rating: 85. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR MAY 2012 ====================================== 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: 2012 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. THE MAKERS OF AMERICAN WINE; a record of two hundred years (University of California Press, 2012, 318 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-26953- 8, $34.95 US hard covers) is by Thomas Pinney, an academic who had written the earlier two-volume “A History of Wine in America” (the second volume won a IACP Award for best book on wine, beer or spirits). This book allows him to add more flesh to his previous work, and to make certain second thoughts. Pinney tells the story through the lives of 13 people who played important roles in building the industry. Names we all know (the Gallos, Schoonmaker, Amerine, K Frank, Mondavi) are augmented by Cathy Corlson (important winemaker), Husmann who pushed for the Norton grape and provided rootstock to the French after phylloxera invaded that country), and Longworth (producer of the really first popular wines in America, still and sparkling Catawba). Lots of end notes, references to oral histories, and a bibliography for further reading. Audience and level of use: wine historians, lovers of US wines, libraries. Some interesting or unusual facts: “Ann Noble, the first woman in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at Davis was hired in 1974 to replace the distinguished Maynard Amerine, a striking development in what had been an all-male preserve.” The downside to this book: it was difficult to single out just 13 names, so there are some holes, especially with women in the industry. The upside to this book: a good, solid biographical history. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. WILD ABOUT GREENS; 125 delectable vegan recipes for kale, collards, arugula, bok choy, and other leafy veggies everyone loves (Sterling Publishing, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-8588-7, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Nava Atlas, author of many vegetarian and vegan cookbooks – www.vegkitchen.com. This book is more about techniques such as sautés, braises, and stir-fries for the leafy greens. At times, they can be interchangeable. There are also Asian greens, beet greens, broccoli rabe, chard, dandelion greens, escarole, mizuna, mustard greens, napa cabbage, spinach, tatsoi, turnip greens and watercress. With grains and beans, pasta and roots, you could do very nicely with soups, stews, salads, and even smoothies. Good layout and line drawings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Great fun. Audience and level of use: vegans and others searching for cooked greens, especially bitter greens. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: white beans and greens burgers; Indian style mustard greens with spinach; stir-fried bok choy with snow peas and shitake mushrooms; curried sweet potatoes with chard and chickpeas; southwestern-style greens with pinto beans. Quality/Price Rating: 91. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. GRILL THIS, NOT THAT! (Rodale, 2012, 362 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961- 822-3, $19.99 US paper covers) is a cheeky book from David Zinczenko, editor worker at Men’s Health, Women’s Health, and Prevention magazines. It’s a spin-off from the successful “Eat This, Not That!” series of books (going back to 2008), concentrating this time on grilled foods. The basic premise in these books is the creation of home-cooked knockoffs of popular restaurant foods. For example, Red Lobster’s Cedar Plank Salmon is about $20, with 1050 calories. The book’s comparable salmon recipe costs $2.91 with 240 calories. You can do the math. Unfortunately, the recipe is indexed under “Fish”, and not under “cedar” or “salmon”. This makes it hard to find -- at least the first time. So there are the basics here on grilling, plus coverage of all the fast food and restaurant meals type of foods such as burgers, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, poultry, meat, fish, seafood – and more. Each prep has a calorie count and a cost per person. So you can save money and calories at the same time. There are tables and guides to meats and their cuts, veggies, and sugars. It’s a colourful book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Nutritional data is, of course, stated in metric alone. Audience and level of use: grillmasters, dieters. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: western bacon cheeseburger; sausage and pepper pizzas; prosciutto pesto chicken; balsamic lamb chops; steak and potato skewers; mahi-mahi with fennel-orange salsa. The downside to this book: the index could use an expansion. The upside to this book: lots of colour and vivid writing. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 4. GLUTEN-FREE SLOW COOKING; over 250 recipes of wheat-free wonders for the electric slow cooker (Cider Mill Press, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-60433263-6, $18.5 US paper covers) is by Ellen Brown, who has written more than 30 cookbooks (mostly on gluten-free and slow cookers). Here, she promotes gluten-free foods, arranged from soups through desserts. You can, of course, not use a slow cooker; preps can be easily modified since they are for braising. Some preps, such as Moussaka, have been modified to use gluten-free ingredients. These re-formulations can be transferred from the book to all of GF cooking. While wheat, barley and rye are missing from the preps, there are plenty of ethnic meals to satiate, using rice and other grains. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: gluten-free users and slow-cooker fans. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chao; kasha; Greek fish stew; feijoada; fontina polenta; vegetarian hoppin’ john; salmon with salsa; potage saint-germain. The downside to this book: the index could use an expansion. The upside to this book: a single implement cookbook. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 5. CHIA; the complete guide to the ultimate superfood (Sterling Publishing, 2012, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-9943-3, $14.95 US paper covers) is by Wayne Coates, an agricultural engineer who developed the system currently used to harvest and clean chia seed. He’s been assisted by Stephanie Pedersen, a health writer and counselor who concentrates on “wellness”. It is, of course, another superfoods book, along the lines of quinoa, amaranth, teff and various berries (cranberries, wolfberries). About half the book is about chia; the other half has the 75 recipes. Chia has omega-3, antioxidants, calcium, protein, and fiber. It is also consumed for boosting endurance and losing weight. I already eat (every morning) a small bowl of hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and ground flax seeds – so I can easily add some chia seeds to get extra taste and endurance. There is a FAQ section and a resources listing with websites. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. The author is to be commended for his enthusiastic writing. Audience and level of use: runners, health lovers, dieters Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Chia seed is the highest known plant source of omega-3 fatty acids – 2 tablespoons gives 5 grams of acid. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 6. COUNTRY COMFORT: CASSEROLE COOKING; over 100 easy and delicious one- dish recipes (Hatherleigh Press, 2012; distr. Random House of Canada, 178 pages, ISBN 978-1-57826-404-9, $12.50 US soft covers) is by Monica Musetti-Carlin, a food writer doing a “Country Comfort” series of cookbooks. These are collections of recipes garnered by the author, and sourced from friends, restaurants, farmers’ markets, chefs, and more – with a credit line for each. It’s a basic book with basic preps, plus a section on pantries and biscuits, and meal/menu planners (with page references for the dishes). No illustrations, but good large type and easy-to-follow instructions. 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: spaghetti pie; pork loin with raisin sauce; Penn Dutch chicken and dumplings; bread pudding and whiskey sauce; hot fudge cake. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 7. FOOD BLOGGING FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 308 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-15769-5, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Kelly Senyei, a food journalist (Columbia MA), stylist, photographer, and chef. She blogs at www.justataste.com. This is one of the first books to explicitly guide a writer through the food blogging process, although it is relatively easy to pick up through reading a lot of food blogs. However, if you are a Dummy, then this is the book for you. Most people do it because they want to share their passion for food. Some want to preserve their family’s dishes. Others have a specialty not addressed elsewhere, such as blogging only about teff. This basic guide is also in colour, since design, layout and colour is included in food blogging. It more than quadruples the weight of the book. Material covers choosing a name, claiming a domain, getting a platform, design, food-styling tricks, and how to market the blog. Other material includes editing guidance, ideas and inspirations, avoiding obsessions, comments and responses, and the ten hardest foods to photograph (meatloaf, poached or fried eggs, oatmeal, etc.) with her ideas. Here’s another winner in the Dummies series, especially for food bloggers wishing to learn something new. Audience and level of use: food bloggers new and old. Some interesting or unusual facts: chocolate pudding and melted cheese are very hard to photograph. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 8. FOOD STYLING & PHOTOGRAPHY FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 312 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-09719-9, $29.99 US paper covers) is by Alison Parks-Whitfield, a technical writer and food photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s useful for books, articles, and of course blogging (see above); it can form a subscript to the above book. It does cost five dollars more because there is more photography in this book. This Dummies book will appeal to both amateurs and professionals because it concerns the passion of food photography. Basically, she tells you how to make food look more attractive, to sell the product. Topics include equipment, toolkits, dealing with sets and employers, preparing the shoot, composition, tilts and angles, focus, and how to start your own business. Along the way you’ll get a good list of indispensable items for a food photo shoot and some notes on terrific garnishes to photograph (sesame seeds, microgreens, etc.) Audience and level of use: photographers, food lovers Some interesting or unusual facts: meat proteins dry out very quickly, especially under hot lights. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 9. CHEESE FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 382 pages, ISBN 978-1- 118-09939-1, $19.99 US paper covers) is from culture magazine www.culturecheesemag.com which covers everything about cheese including travel, pairings, recipes, and DIY cheese. It was co-founded in 2008 by Thalassa Skinner, co-author here with Laurel Miller, a writer at culture, and owner of a food store. What’s amazing to me is why it took Dummies so long to put out a book on cheese. Other similarly titled books have been available for years. So here are the basics: what it is (types, regions), how to serve, how to cook with cheese, pairing cheese with wines and other foods, 39 recipes, DIY cheese, cheese festivals, some US artisanal cheese-makers, bizarre cheeses (e.g., stinking bishop which is a smelly cow cheese from England, camelbert from camel milk in Jordan), and more. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There are colour photos of cheeses in the middle of the book. Audience and level of use: cheese lovers who need a primer. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: gougeres; bistro salad with poached egg and Parmigiano Reggiano; sopa de quinoa; pan-roasted wild mushrooms over cheddar polenta with pumpkinseed oil. The downside to this book: I’m curious why it took so long to be published. Also, it needs more recipes. The upside to this book: a good entry in the Dummies category. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 10. PURE VEGAN; 70 recipes for beautiful meals and clean living (Chronicle Books, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7863-0, $29.95 US paper covers) is by Joseph Shuldiner, a designer and writer. It comes with log-rolling by Deborah Madison and the Lee Brothers. The book is oversized, to allow for large close-ups of gastric delights, some of which were shot by the author (who also designed the book). He’s also got a great recipe for a No Cheese Plate – with all the elements usually found on a cheese platter minus the cheeses! (Figs, nuts, dried pears and apricots, fig paste, quince paste). Just add bread, crackers, fresh fruit…The book is arranged by time of day, with chapters for morning, afternoon, evening, late night, and very late night (although I’m not sure I’d like a lot of chocolate late at night: caffeine and sugar? But that’s just me). There is also a resources list for obtaining upscale or hand-to-find items. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans and others. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: potato torte; nutty mushroom risotto; ginger pound cake; pistachio olive oil cake; garbanzo bean and tomato soup; vegan tapas plate; savory breakfast tarts. The downside to this book: it could use more than 70 recipes, I’d guess 100 is a good minimum. The upside to this book: superb photography and boldface for listing the ingredients. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 11. UNCORKED; my journey through the crazy world of wine (Clarkson Potter, 2012, 214 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-71984-3, $28) is by Marco Pasanella, who has owned a wine shop in Manhattan since 2005. Before that he was a designer, a teacher of design, and a columnist. The book comes with log rolling by Martha Stewart (who employed his wife) and Steven Dublanica (Waiter Rant). He wanted a career change – and he got it. So just about all of the book is based on the past half-decade of his life. According to the Library of Congress, it’s a collection of anecdotes; it’s not even a memoir. He’s divided his stories up into eight regions: plow, prune, harvest, crush, ferment, bottle, age, and drink. The appendix lists material that could form a sort-of primer to the world of tasting wine, including a list of 27 toasts in 27 languages, such as salut, prost, but no chimo (Inuit). It’s a hodge- podge of material about wine, eclectic enough that an indexer would have trouble. So there is no index. There are a couple of recipes for such as roasted parsnips, fish linguini, and fried sage leaves. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. This sort of thing works well is you are a wine writer, as in Natalie MacLean’s two books, but there is no coherence here. It’s like a series of short newspaper stories, about 800 words apiece. Given that, then it is a good book for light and enjoyable reading. You’ll learn a bit about renovating a five story house at the Manhattan waterfront, traveling in Italy, and the uniqueness of the New York wine industry. But in summary, it is mainly about the struggles of a small business. Given the price, you might want to wait for the paperback or borrow it from the library. Currently, it is $16 at Amazon. Audience and level of use: the compleat wine reader Some interesting or unusual facts: He “unloaded 660 cases by hand(no forklift) of his house red, Pasanella & Figlio Rosso. Quality/Price Rating: 82. 12. MOROCCO; a culinary journey with recipes (Chronicle Books, 2012, 223 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7738-1, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Jeff Koehler, a writer-photographer specializing in food. He’s written for many papers and magazines, and has authored several Mediterranean food books from the same publisher. He has just about the highest degree of log rolling I have even seen, with accolades from Naomi Duguid, Colman Andrews and Clifford Wright – other well-known and good Mediterranean food writers. The subtitle says he goes from the spice-scented markets of Marrakech to the date-filled oasis of Zagora, photographing along the way. There are 70 recipes here, complemented by a brief culinary history, a cook’s tour of the land, and a discussion on the Moroccan pantry (all in the first 50 pages). Arrangement is by course, with digressions for street food, savoury pastries, tagines, couscous, and drinks (authentically non-alcoholic, featuring mint tea, almond milk, spiced coffee). There’s a useful bibliography, and a ton of people are cited in the acknowledgments, forming a useful source list (if you can read the small typeface used). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: international food lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cucumbers in sweet marinade with oregano; berber omelet tagine; calamari with tomato dipping sauce; fish brochettes; kefta lamb brochettes; seafood pastille; lamb tagine with oranges, saffron, and candied orange peel. The downside to this book: I would have liked more than 70 recipes. The upside to this book: dishes are indexed under both indigenous name and English. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 13. SMOKING MEAT; the essential guide to real barbecue (Whitecap, 2012, 222 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-038-9, $29.95 CAN paper covers) is by Jeff Phillips, creator www.smoking-meat.com which has 34,000 forum members and 140,000 subscribers to his monthly e-newsletter. Currently, he lives in Oklahoma. The publisher claims that this book is “the ultimate how-to guide for smoking all kinds of meat and fish”. Certainly, it is an authentic book with Phillips’ takes on smokers (charcoal, gas, electric), woods, tools, and pantry-stocking. His main “secret” is “low and slow”. It is a good, basic book, arranged by the major elements of poultry, pork, beef, fish, and seafood, along with sides and desserts plus cheese for smoking. There’s good detail here, such as the bacon- wrapped stuffed sausage patty with its interlacing bacon and 16 photos to show the techniques. There is also a source list on where to purchase smoking equipment and supplies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Nothing beats smoked BBQ. Nothing. Audience and level of use: BBQers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: smoked duck with wine butter sauce; smoked hot wings; smoked pork spare ribs; pulled pork burritos; Cajun smoked frog legs. The downside to this book: it would not open flat; I had to prop it open. The upside to this book: larger than normal type, which is a boon. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 14. SLOW FIRE; the beginner’s guide to barbecue (Chronicle Books, 2012, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0303-7, $22.95 US hard covers) is by Ray Lampe, a multiple cook-off champion and BBQ food writer with other meat books. Look at www.drbbq.com. It is another basic BBQ book, pitched at the entry level. There’s a primer on tools and equipment, charcoals, spices and rubs, and then individual chapters on types of meat: ribs (back, spare, tips and short), pork, beef, poultry, and a catch-all chapter for lamb, kielbasa, bologna, salmon, and tilapia. Plus side dishes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: BB lovers, novices Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Memphis-style wet or dry ribs; Memphis-style pulled pork; bacon-wrapped pig wings; homemade pastrami; Texas-style beef brisket; planked salmon. The downside to this book: only two wine preps (chicken and turkey) The upside to this book: easy to use and convenient to store. Large typeface. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 15. THE FIRE ISLAND COOKBOOK (Atria, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 180 pages, ISBN978-1-4516-3293-4, $30 US hard covers) is by Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, both lifestyle writers (Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, Saveur). They’re at www.worldwineguys.com. There’s some log rolling, but Daisy Marinez cookbook author) says it best: “Easy, effortless entertaining with delicious, user-friendly recipes”. This is seasonal produce to create a meal for each weekend from US Memorial Day through Labour Day. Ach of the 14 menus is global in scope, with food and wine pairings. So there is Spain, France, a Pool Party, Greece, Mexico, Mediterranean, Tuscany, the Caribbean and others. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. An interesting collection of recipes, with wines being named by label – no alternatives proposed. Audience and level of use: beginners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Tuscan dinner – penne with prosciutto and peas; bistecca alla fiorentina; shaved fennel salad; cinnamon caramelized gnocchi. The downside to this book: no generic wines expressed. The upside to this book: it is hard to believe but the index is in a larger typeface than the recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 83. 16. THE GLUTEN-FREE COOKBOOK (DK, 2012, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566- 8216-3, $25 US hard covers) is by Fiona Hunter, Heather Whinny, and Jane Lawrie, all experienced food writers and stylists. But only Fiona Hunter (also a nutritionist) gets a credit on the front cover. It’s another book in the gluten-free sweepstakes, part of the vegan- vegetarian category of books now being published throughout North America. 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 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. Audience and level of use: those needing a gluten-free diet. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lavosh with eggplant dip; tuna and vegetable pasta salad; fattoush with corn tortillas; crispy fish; beef burgers; smoked salmon and cream cheese picnic pies. The downside to this book: the typeface is a shade of gray, lighter than the usual darker black, The upside to this book: good indexing plus highlighted heads. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 17. THE FRESH & GREEN TABLE; delicious ideas for bringing vegetables into every meal (Chronicle Books, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521- 0265-8, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Susie Middleton, who also wrote “Fast, Fresh & Green”. She’s a former editor of Fine Cooking magazine, now writing about vegetables for that magazine. She concentrates here on quick methods, such as pre- or quick-braising, short sautéing, stir- frying, and quick roasting. Some preps have meat in them such as pancetta. She encourages substitution of vegetables, as she did in her first book. But here her preps are more substantial, being a good collection of mains. The book’s arranged by nine cooking techniques, such as main-dish salads, hearty soups, veggie pasta sauces, and including gratins and tarts and pizza. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are no tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: roasted eggplant galette with mint and honey; spicy garlicky corkscrew pasta with broccoli; bread stuffing with asparagus and peas; pasta frittata with leeks, goat cheese and arugula; brussels sprouts and carrot ragout with peas, cipollini onions and citrus butter. The downside to this book: these are not all veggie preps, which could be confusing to some readers. The upside to this book: yummy looking photos. 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 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 – 18. RAO’S ON THE GRILL; perfectly simple Italian recipes from my family to yours (St. Martin’s Press, 2012; distr. Raincoast, 158 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-00627-1, $35 US hard covers is by Frank Pellegrino, Jr., a fourth-generation scion of the family that founded and still runs 115- year old Rao’s restaurant in East Harlem. There are also other cookbooks from Rao’s (and a line of homemade sauces and pastas), but this book concentrates on Italian grill cooking. It’s arranged by course, from apps to desserts, with digressions for beef, pork, veal, chicken, seafood, pasta, and pizza. There’s a primer on grilling, plus details on how to make those impressive grill marks on such as polenta or peaches. Ingredient listings are in bold, and there is plenty of room for each recipe. And there are wider indentations in the index, a boon. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try grilled chicken with tomato and basil salad, grilled salmon with asparagus and almonds, sausage and pepper stomboli, or grilled shrimp oreganato – all of it truly al fresco. Quality/price rating: 86. 19. PIKE PLACE MARKET RECIPES; 130 delicious ways to bring home Seattle’s famous market. (Sasquatch Books, 2012; distr. Random House of Canada, 206 pages, ISBN 978-1-57061-742-3, $23.95 US soft covers) is by Jess Thomson, a Seattle-based free-lance writer and cookbook author. Here she delves into the stories behind the world-famous Pike Place Market in Seattle. It’s more than 100 years old and has some 55 produce and specialty stores, plus 18 restaurants. This is both a cookbook for the local food of Washington, plus a tour guide to the market. There are back-stories to most of the businesses, plus contributed recipes (all sourced). It is conveniently arranged by product -- seafood, foraging, garden, meats, and so forth – with a listing of preps by course, 15 menu suggestions (with page references) and a resource directory list to all the businesses at the market. Try whole-wheat pull-apart cinnamon bread, smoky bacon and kale gratin, devilled duck eggs, or mussels with Pernod cream. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 20. ESPANA; exploring the flavours of Spain (Gibbs Smith, 2012, 232 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-2423-3, $40 US hard covers) is by Chef James Caruso, who came to New Mexico in 1989 and later opened La Boca in Santa Fe, specializing in tapas and other Spanish foods. Some of his preps have been tempered by Mexican influences as well. Spanish condiments such as saffron and honey, olives, peppers and chorizos can define the flavours. This is upscale food, largely based on La Boca’s menus and tapas. The range is from salads through soups and stews, veggie tapas, seafood tapas, meat tapas, mains, and desserts. Just about any main can become a tapa (re-size it), and just about any tapa can become a main. Try chorizo toasts with fried quail eggs, shrimp pancakes, rice with squid, roasted harissa chicken with couscous, blood sausage with apples, or salt cod puree with egg and toast. There’s a fair bit of detail about the restaurant, the elements of Spanish food in general, and exceptional close-up photography. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 21. 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- 60941-242-5, $29.99 US hard 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. This book 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. 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: 86. 22. BEERLICIOUS; the art of grillin’ & chillin’ (Fenn/McClelland & Stewart, 2012; distr. Random House Canada, 308 pages, ISBN 978-0-7710- 7367-0, $29.99 CAN paper covers) is by Ted Reader, food entertainer via TV and radio. The emphasis is on a good time, as noted by the log rollers (Brauch, Rainford, and others). Preps come from his family, fiends and fans, each made with a different beer that he chose for unique reasons and flavours (with pairing and tasting notes). It’s a good idea (and you can still have wine with the food). There’s the BBQ primer, the sauces and rubs (made with beer), and then the recipes arranged by course or product: appetizers, steer, pig, lamb-veal-game, birds, seafood/fish, sandwiches, sides and desserts. There is no index, which is a real shame since it would have been a good place to list all the different beers. The table of contents is fine since that’s all the guys would use anyway! But there is no beer list. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. For the adventuresome, try the “General Hand Grenade Steaks with Kaboom Butter” or the appetizer, “First-Date Explosions with Laquintas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ Ale” (dates, bacon, cheese, and spiced heat) Quality/price rating: 83. * 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”... 23. THE BARBECUE COLLECTION; Canadian Living (Transcontinental Books, 2010, 2012, 552 pages, ISBN 978-0-9877474-0-2, $$32.95 Canadian, soft covers) is from the Canadian Living Test Kitchen, and promises “the best barbecue recipes from our kitchen to your backyard”. It was originally released in 2010 for three dollars less. Of course, the basics are covered, along with brochettes, kabobs, burgers, sausages, patties, steaks, chops, ribs, roasts, poultry, fish, seafood, and grilled pizza. There is also room in this book for vegetables and cheese, salads and sides, sauces, marinades and rubs. Something for everyone, beginning with a discussion on gas or charcoal and all tools needed. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Many of the recipes come from Andrew Chase and Camilo Costales, plus Canadian Living and Homemakers magazines. There are 400 recipes here, which include more than 100 new ones. Try garlic & anchovy stuffed pork tenderloins, Thai grilled chicken, Hoisin chicken burnished, BBQ rabbit, Portuguese grilled sardines with potatoes and peppers, Texas BBQ brisket, or Mexican pork shoulder. The layout is pretty good, with plenty of white space and leading. The ingredients are listed in bold, and the font is very readable and big. There is nutritional data for each prep. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 24. JOHN SCHREINER’S OKANAGAN WINE TOUR GUIDE. Revised and updated fourth edition (Whitecap, 2012, 368 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-096-9, $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 third edition, yet the price has remained the same – and 50 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 178 (up from 146 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. Schreiner concludes with a vineyard census, general production figures, and a glossary of heavy- duty words such as “micro-oxygenation”. The most popular grape in BC is still Merlot (16.23%), followed by Pinot Gris (10.80%), Pinot Noir (9.62%), Chardonnay (9.29%), Cabernet Sauvignon (7.65%), and Gewurztraminer (7.16%). The black and white photos are still on the dark side. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 25. CALIFORNIA HOME COOKING; 400 recipes that celebrate the abundance of farm and garden, orchard and vineyard, land and sea (Harvard Common Press, 1997, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 502 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-119-9, $17.95 US paper covers) is by Michele Anna Jordan, who has written over 16 books. She’s a food columnist and broadcaster, a beard winner and often nominated. This one of the previously lauded “America Cooks: celebrating regional cooking” series. Her book was published in 1997, and this is the paperback reissue. Consequently, the bibliography is dated as could be the California resources pages (no websites mentioned). The material is arranged by course, from appetizers through desserts and beverages. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Typical foods include smoky corn salsa, olive risotto with basil, strawberry soup, shellfish stew with sausages, and ratatouille. Quality/price rating: 85. 26 .COMPLETE BOOK OF HOME PRESERVING; 400 delicious and creative recipes for today (Robert Rose, 2006, 448 pages, ISBN 0-7788-0137-3, $27.95 CAN paper covers) has been edited by Judi Kingry (at Bernardin) and Lauren Devine (at Jarden Home Brands) – Jarden has a license on both Bernardin and Ball names. This reissue is essentially the same as the 2006 edition (which sold about 750,000 copies), but there are 16 additional colour photos. It is a basic book, easy to understand. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. There’s an FAQ about canning, a produce purchase guide, plus an extensive glossary covering ingredients and equipment and techniques. Chapters progress form soft spreads through fruits, salsas, relishes, chutneys, condiments, pickles, tomatoes, and pressure canning. You won’t see it on the title page nor in the catalogue, but the cover says “Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving” while the American edition with the same material is called “Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving”. Quality/price rating: 87 ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR APRIL 2012 ====================================== 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: 2012 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. BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO; understanding and appreciating one of Italy’s greatest wines (University of California Pr., 2012, 300 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-6564-6, $39.5 US hard covers) is by Kerin O’Keefe who writes about Italian wine for Decanter and The World of Fine Wine. Previously, she had written “Franco Biondi Santi; the gentleman of Brunello”. It’s in two large parts – the basics of the region and the grape, the birth (1865 at Greppo by Santi), and how the control came about, the scandal of 2008 regarding over-cropping and blending, the development of Rosso as a quicker maturing wine. The second part concentrates on the 60 or so leading producers by the six subzones, with names and addresses, websites, phone numbers, etc. A third, smaller, part features other wines of the region and local cuisine (with a description of typical dishes). There is also a vintage guide, some fact sheets (“Brunello at a glance”), glossary, and a bibliography. Audience and level of use: wine lovers, especially Brunello fans. Some interesting or unusual facts: Brunello estates are tiny – 22% have less than 1 hectare of vines, 29% have between 1 and 3 hectares. The downside to this book: Rosso di Montalcino (scattered through the book) was not indexed. The upside to this book: a good example of a single (and singular) region book. Quality/Price Rating: 91. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. EAST MEETS WEST; traditional and contemporary Asian dishes from acclaimed Vancouver restaurants (Douglas & McIntyre, 2012, 218 pages, ISBN 978-1-55365-863-4, $29.95 CDN soft covers) has been pulled together by Stephanie Yuen, a food journalist (CBC, Edible Canada, etc.) and Asian food blogger (beyondchopsticks.com). In February 2010, Conde Nast Traveler magazine said that Vancouver was home to the best Chinese food in the world. Hmmmm, that sounds like a book to me!! And here it is, part of what is now an annual restaurant recipe cookbook from D & M Publishing. Here are over 400 Chinese restaurants in Metro Vancouver, plus more “Asian” places with cuisines from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and India. This book is a compilation of these distinctive dishes made from Pacific Northwest local ingredients framed on Asian influences and techniques. There are 88 signature recipes here, all sourced by chef and restaurant, uniformly described and home-tested. The arrangement is from soup to desserts. There is also an extensive resources food and equipment list, but it is all local to the Vancouver area. Preps include tilapia and daikon and pepper soup (from Allen Liu of Kirin Restaurant), warm jellyfish and chicken salad (Michael Zhou of Terracotta Restaurant), mung bean pancakes (Bob Chung of Buk Jang Do Ga), and lemon gras lamb chops (Kim Thai of Coast Plaza Hotel). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. But a really nifty book. Quality/price rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. THE CULINARIAN; a kitchen desk reference (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 66 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-5542-1, $19.99 US paper covers) is y Barbara Ann Kipfer, a professional lexicographer. She’s created many reference books dealing with words. Here she takes on food. According to the Introduction, “The book has one main alphabetical section peppered with informational lists and sidebars, as well as factual matter in the front and indexes in the back.” It opens with measurements, conversions, food grades and classes. Each entry on food has some explication of varieties, selection, purchase storage, basic preps, seasoning, cooking problems and solutions. It is a fairly complete book in its 600 or so pages. Audience and level of use: curious food lovers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: pears ripen better in the presence of apples. The downside to this book: it will be well-used, so don’t break the spine. The upside to this book: there is more here than just food words – there are also food histories, lists, trivia, and little known facts. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4. LA TARTINE GOURMANDE; recipes for an inspired life. (Roost Books, 2011; distr. Random House of Canada, 314 pages, ISBN 978-1-59030-762-5, $35US hard 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, Clotilde Dusoulier, and Dorie Greenspan. 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. Audience and level of use: casual cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: 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; lavender ile flottantes. The downside to this book: with a personal 100 recipes, it might be best to view the book before buying. Check out her website first. The upside to this book: gluten-free recipes, plus excellent photography. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 5. A COUNTRY COOK’S KITCHEN; time-tested kitchen skills (Rizzoli, 2012; distr. Random House of Canada, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-8478-3839-4, $35 US hard covers) is by Alison Walker, food and drink editor of Country Living magazine in the UK. It’s being co-published in the UK by Aurum Press. The publisher says that it has “simple recipes for making breads, cheese, jams, preserves, cured meats, and more.” The book certainly seems to touch all the farmhouse basics for using and preserving the bounty of summer. It’s a lot of work though, doing things such as churning your own butter, making cheese, baking during the summer, salting and smoking meats, and filling a pantry with little jars of condiments. After all, it was once a full-time job to be a farmwife. But, you do not have to do it all. There’s a stronger tradition in the UK about curing and potting meats, and even making your own liqueurs and infusions (alcohol was higher taxes in the UK). For every major technique, such as cold smoking, she’ll lay out a description, cover the ingredients and equipment, and then give a bit of technique – all illustrated, of course. There are also some useful addresses, albeit American. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: flowerpot rolls; gingerbread loaf; red onion marmalade; pear and pumpkin chutney; lemon barley water; dry-cured smoked organic bacon. The downside to this book: slight British orientation The upside to this book: good techniques and photos, wide-range of products covered. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 6. HOW TO GROW FOOD; a step-by-step guide to growing all kinds of fruits, vegetables, herbs, salads and more (Firefly, 2011, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-55407-806-6, $28.95 CAD hard 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 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. Audience and level of use: home gardeners who want to grow their own food. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: before you go on vacation, make sure you pick off every bean you can find – the plant will carry on producing beans while you are gone. The downside to this book: most of the typeface was a shade too small. The upside to this book: there is a good explanation on how to use the book, at the front. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 7. 5 EASY STEPS TO HEALTHY COOKING; 500 recipes for lifelong wellness (Robert Rose, 2012, 544 pages, IBN 978-0-7788-0296-9, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Camilla V. Saulsbury, a recipe developer who has won several cooking competitions and has appeared in the media. Here she takes a holistic and flexible approach. Her five steps are to eat: fresh foods; mostly veggies and fruits; healthy fats and proteins; superfoods (nutrient-dense foods); and whole grains. And this is all easy enough to do, guaranteed to promote a healthier lifestyle. And maybe lose weight and effect a few cures along the way (but no promises with these). Along the way she tells us the most and the least pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables in North America. There’s a nutrient table for each recipe, and plenty of tips and advice. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: flexitarians; cooks looking for a lot of recipes in one book. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: easy raisin rye bread; gluten-free flax muffins; stir-fried pork and peppers with buckwheat noodles; quick quinoa stir-fry with veggies; summer vegetable orzo soup; chicken with cherry tomato and avocado salsa. The downside to this book: some menu ideas would have been appreciated. The upside to this book: there are a few gluten-free recipes, but maybe she needed more. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 8. GROW COOK EAT; a food lover’s guide to vegetable gardening, including 50 recipes, plus harvesting and storage tips (Sasquatch Books, 2012; distr. Random House Canada, 294 pages, ISBN 978-1-57061- 731-7, $29.95 US paper covers) is by Willi Galloway, former editor at Organic Gardening now blogging (www.digginfood.com) and providing radio commentary out of Portland and Seattle. She’s got 50 guides to herbs, greens, legumes, squash, cabbage, roots and bulbs, warm season veggies, and fruit – with one food prep for each. A lot of the book (with exceptions) is based on West Coast gardening. So for each she has descriptive notes on planting, growing, harvesting, storing, and cooking ideas. There are photos of both the plant and the finished food plate. Arugula, for example, has a salad with blue cheese, dates and hot bacon dressing. There’s a resources list, primarily American. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home gardeners and cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: steak sandwiches with gorgonzola chive sauce; pot stickers with Asian greens; mixed melons in lemon verbena syrup. The downside to this book: many preps are just grilled or dried veggies. The upside to this book: a good collection of gardening ideas plus photos. Quality/Price Rating: 83. 9. EAT RAW, EAT WELL; 400 raw, vegan & gluten-free recipes (Robert Rose, 2012, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0295-2, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Douglas McNish, who is now a Certified Red Seal Professional Vegan Chef. He’s also a cooking teacher and raw-food consultant. “A raw food diet contains whole, unprocessed fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds and select legumes and grains that have not been heated past 48 degrees centigrade.” When food is heated past 41 degrees centigrade, enzymes begin to break down. McNish explains the advantages of a raw foods diet, transitioning, organic produce, and various techniques such as sprouting, dehydrating, marinating, and juicing. His arrangement is by course, from breakfast (with smoothies and other juices) to dips and salads and soups, the main, and the side dishes plus desserts. There’s a mound of material here, including tips and advice in every recipe. His online resources list includes US, Canada, UK, and Australia. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: raw food lovers; transitioning eaters. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: morning energy bars; spicy orange and ginger sesame watercress; cake batter smoothie; tomatillo and chia seed salsa; moussaka. The downside to this book: a series of menus might have been useful, just to keep some nutritional balance to the meal. The upside to this book: gluten-free preps. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 10. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SUNDAY DINNER? A year of Italian menus with 250 recipes that celebrate family (Sterling Epicure, 2012, 322 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-8482-8, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Lisa Caponigri, who had her Sicilian nonna guide her through all the Italian preps. Here are 52 menus, with no repeats, for each Sunday of the year. You can either repeat the sequence in a year, or do a mix and match routine. Favourite dishes from all regions are here, although there is no real attempt to keep all the dishes from one region within the same meal. One northern Italian menu has Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardia, Tuscany, and Sicilia at one sitting. There is a combination of family Sicilian recipes intermingled with Italian classics. The menus are in Italian style: antipasto, primo (usually pasta), secondo (main), just one contorni (side), and a dessert. Each menu is numbered, but nothing is tied into seasons or holidays. Menu 51, next to Christmas, has breadsticks with herbs and prosciutto, spinach lasagna, braciole, baked cipolline, and chestnuts with cream. There’s some family memoir material and a scattering of colour photos. Both Italian and English recipe titles are used, although only English titles (with Italian in brackets) are indexed. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: basic home cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: pollo cacciatore; pepperoni ripieni; manzo marinato; carne in sugo di pomodori; spiedino di arista con pane, The downside to this book: no regional character, but there could have been an index to this feature. No seasonal approach either (again, an index here would have been useful). The upside to this book: there is an index to secondo and primo dishes, as well as pasta, antipasti, and contorni. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 11. WASHINGTON FOOD ARTSANS; farm stories and chef recipes (Sasquatch Books, 2012; distr. Random House Canada, 206 pages, ISBN 978-1-57061- 660-0, $35 US hard covers) is by Leora Bloom, once a pastry chef and bakery owner in Washington state, and now a freelance writer. It’s another book in a burgeoning series about local food workers throughout North America, produced by different publishers and writers. There have been many on California and Canada, Maine, the Deep South. In fact, this is a quickly trending food idea for publications. Here Bloom details veggies, animal products, fruit, foraged foods, and wine. There’s a listing of 52 preps by course, sourced by chef (with a restaurant listing at the back). This is followed by details about 17 artisans and recipes. This collection of photo essays works well, and gives enough details and addresses for each food producer. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: Washington state lovers, followers of local food artisans and locavores. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: albacore with lentils and cumin-onion jam; farro risotto with morels; bruschetta of goat brie and tomato jam; blackened oysters with chipotle aioli and pico de gallo. The downside to this book: some people may not like the excessive quantity of photographs, to the detriment of more space for artisans. The upside to this book: a good contribution to locavore artisans. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 12. WILLIAMS-SONOMA SALAD OF THE DAY; 365 recipes for every day of the year (Weldon-Owen, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 304 pages, ISBN 978- 1-61628-212-7, $34.95 US hard covers) is by Georgeanne Brennan, a food author who has written many books for Williams-Sonoma. Here she assembles a large variety of salads, arranged by the calendar. These are light or heavy, main or luncheon meals, depending on what can be added. There are opening pages for each month, with a listing of the salad for each day. Of course, one doesn’t have to follow along completely. January 19 has cannellini bean salad with tuna and grilled radicchio, February 19 has cannellini bean, fennel & shrimp salad, March 19 has chicken & orzo salad, and April 19 has bulgur salad with lemons, peas and mint. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. In addition to the recipe index, there is also an index to salads by type (bean, grain, egg, fruit, greens, meat, poultry, pasta, seafood). Audience and level of use: salad lovers, those looking for variety in their salads. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: see above. The downside to this book: there is plenty of white space, so the font could have had a larger typeface. The upside to this book: each prep has good sidebar advice. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 13. THE PLOUGHMAN’S LUNCH AND THE MISER’S FEAST; authentic pub food, restaurant fare, and home coking from small towns, big cities, and country villages across the British Isles. (Harvard Common Press, 2012, 214 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-413-8, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Brian Yarvin, a food and travel writer-photographer with four previous cookbooks. He has been concentrating on Great Britain’s cooks and food purveyors for about two decades. He has found about 100 straightforward recipes with about 200 of his own photos. Most of these preps are updated classics that you could logically find in North American gastropubs and British-style pubs. It’s arranged by meal or course, beginning with the “full breakfast” and moving on to sandwiches and small plates, soups, mains, curries, side dishes, savoury pies, and sweets. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Here is even a glossary of British food terms. Audience and level of use: travelers to the UK, gastro pub lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chicken and leek casserole; cream of watercress soup; Scotch oatmeal soup; Cornish steak pasty; Welsh rarebit. The downside to this book: there is enough white space that more recipes could have been incorporated. The upside to this book: good leading and typefaces, larger print sizes. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 14. SAUSAGES; a country-by-country photographic guide with recipes (DK Books, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-8983-4, $22 US hard covers) is by Nichola Flecher, with recipes from Caroline Bretherton. It’s a descriptive guide to about 300 sausages from around the world, with a short finishing chapter on how to make your own chorizo, blood sausage, fresh sausage, scalded sausage, and cooked sausage. There’s a brief primer-history, followed by the grand tour through Teutonic Europe (of course), the Mediterranean countries, Africa, the Americas, and Asia (with Australia and New Zealand). For each country, there is a listing of the major sausages, with a photo for each, a textual description, the type of meat used, the type of sausage, its size, and something about the seasoning. One of my faves is the droewors from South Africa, a dry beef or ostrich sausage with little fat. The last quarter of the book has the recipes, almost 50 of them and almost all the “classics”. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There is also a glossary and a source list. Audience and level of use: sausage lovers, food reference libraries. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lamb sausage kebabs with tzatziki dip; pea and sausage soup; game sausages and celery root gratin with braised red cabbage; cocido; choucroute garnie; fabada. The downside to this book: I’d still would have liked more detail and history about some of the more important sausages. The upside to this book: recipes are nicely laid out, with sausage alternatives suggested. 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 – 15. PIZZA; award-winning pies for the home kitchen (Weldon Owens, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 112 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-168-7, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Pete Evans, an award-winning chef-owner of many Australian restaurants. He has also appeared on over 400 episodes of a cooking show. The book has been co-published with Murdoch Books in Australia. He has won the title of World’s Best Pizza in the American Pizza Challenge, and Best Pizza in Australia on several occasions. There’s a primer on how to cook great pizzas, including material on electric pizza ovens and pizza stones. He has about 8 prep recipes, for sauces, balsamic onions, doughs, confits, roasted bell peppers, and the like. This is followed by recipes for the classics, modern pizzas and “special” pizzas. There’s a good selection, including eggplant and smoked mozzarella with caponata, gorgonzola with walnuts and truffle honey and radicchio, a BLT, tuna with green olive salsa, and asparagus with goat cheese and egg and toasted walnuts, about 40 in all. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 16. JON BONNELL’S TEXAS FAVORITES. (Gibbs Smith, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-2259-8, $30 US hard covers) is from the chef who opened Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine in 2001 in Fort Worth. This is his second Bonnell’s cookbook. And you cannot beat Bobby Flay’s log rolling here. These are faves for parties and family gatherings -- larger quantity preps for home entertaining. Tailgate parties are a specialty, and are usually followed by liquor-infused desserts. It’s a Tex-Mex book for those with large appetites. The large typeface also helps in the preparations, and the recipes are written with ease in mind. Try green chile chilaquiles (a pre-nacho dish), crab and red pepper bisque with pecans, venison quesadillas, chipotle mashed potatoes, and dessert tostadas. The 100 or so preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 17. ZUPPE; soups from the kitchen of the American Academy in Rome (The Little Bookroom, 2012; distr. Random House Canada, 177 pages, ISBN 978- 1-892165-97-0, $18.95 US hard covers) is by Mona Talbott, a well- established eco-gastronomic cook involved in many sustainable measures. She’s worked at Chez Panisse, Zabar, E.A.T., and now as Executive Chef of the Rome Sustainable Food Project (since 2006). All proceeds from the sale of this book go to that project. Here are 50 recipes for Italian-style soups, laden with beans, greens, grains and veggies. This is the second in the Rome Food series; the first dealt with Biscotti. It’s arranged by season, beginning with autumn (favata, ribollita) and featuring classics such as pasta e ceci (winter), risi e bisi (spring), and pappa al pomodori (summer). There’s a glossary and a bibliography, plus pictures of the academy and foods. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 18. MOLLY MOON’S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM; sweet seasonal recipes for ice creams, sorbets & toppings made with local ingredients (Sasquatch Books, 2012; distr. Random House Canada, 116 pages, ISBN 978-1-57061- 810-9, $21.95 US hard bound) is by Molly Moon Neitzel, who owns and operates five ice cream parlors in Seattle and environs. She also has an ice cream truck. These are largely sustainable ice cream preps, using local and/or organic foods. Of course, the food chain is complicated by wherever you (the reader trying out a recipe) reside. The arrangement is by season. It is usually too cold in Canada to even think about ice cream, but she does have candied bacon ice cream, olive oil and toasted pine nut ice cream, mulled wine sorbet, and other goodies for the “cold climate” eaters. Her “always” list (eat anytime of year) includes vanilla bean, melted chocolate, cappuccino, and yummy salted caramel. She also has recipes for sauces that you can use in other, non-ice cream desserts, such as homemade marshmallows, lime coconut, port reduction, hot fudge, or balsamic reduction. 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. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 19. VISUALIZING NUTRITION; everyday choices. Second edition. (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 634 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-01380-9, $88.88 US paper covers) is by Mary B. Grosvenor and Lori A. Smolin, both academics. It was originally published in 2005 as “Nutrition: Everyday Choices” and then in 2009 in the new Wiley “Visualizing” series as “Visualizing Nutrition: Everyday Choices”. This 2nd edition of expands upon the central issues of nutritional science in a visual approach. The text includes topics of nutrition, to help readers and students understand the topics through demonstration of their relevance to their personal life. The material provides decision-making skills needed to navigate the choices readers face in promoting good health and preventing disease: such emerging diseases and foods as SARS, biotech foods and gene therapy. As they apply the thought processes and decision-making skills learned throughout the course, they come to understand that there are not "good" foods and "bad" foods, but rather that each choice is only part of an overall healthy diet and that it is the sum of those choices that determines good nutrition. Covered are digestion, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and amino acids, vitamins, water and minerals, weight management, physical activity, and the food supply. There are a lot of appendixes for standards, tables, lists, conversions, plus answers to the self-tests scattered throughout the book. There is a glossary, a list of references for further reading, and a standalone large booklet on the nutrient composition of foods (about 2,000 brand name references, most of which will differ from Canadian content). Quality/price rating: 85. 20. THE OFFICIAL HIGH TIMES CANNABIS COOKBOOK (Chronicle Books, 2012; distr. Raincoast, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0133-0, $18.95 US paper covers) comes from Elise McDonough and the Editors of High Times Magazine. The cover proclaims, “more than 50 irresistible recipes that will get you high”. This is High Times’ first cookbook. All the preps are easy and accessible, or at least they look so: I didn’t try any. I had no access to the prime ingredient. But I’m sure that the book would be useful to those who need to take medical marihuana. Alternatively, the home cook could use hemp: you won’t get the high but you’d get the amino acids and the like, plus keep the ratios in line with the recipe. This is stoner cuisine for the sophisticated, those that are by now tired of ingesting chocolate brownies. Many have been published before in the magazine, but then, how many of us have actually seen the magazine? THC olive oil would be a good start to begin cooking Italianate food. Simple cannabutter works for desserts, and there are all kinds of tinctures to make and to use. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 21. THE VEGETARIAN KITCHEN TABLE COOKBOOK (Robert Rose, 2012, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0293-8, $27.95 CAN paper covers) is by Igor Brotto and Oliver Guiriec, both European-trained teachers at the Institut de tourisme et d’hotellerie du Quebec (ITHQ). It was originally published in Quebec in 2010; this is a translation. It’s a good basic book, with warm, close-up photos of food. There are 275 preps, mostly one to a page, and mostly illustrated. It’s arranged by course, from appetizers to desserts, with salads, soups, mains, and sides. There’s lasagnette all’Ortolana, quinoa simmered with fennel and wild mushrooms, Florentine-style cannelloni, veggie and alfalfa sprout wraps, wheat and fromage frais and wild mushroom soup, and veggie timbales. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 22. THE WORLD’S BEST STREET FOOD; where to find it & how to make it (Lonely Planet, 2012, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-74220-593-9, $19.99 US paper covers) is another off-beat travel guide from the Lonely Planet folks. It is a great guide to some 100 dishes (80 savoury and 20 sweet) from around the world, such as Tunisia’s brik, Vietnam banh mi, South Africa’s walkie-talkies, Maltese pastizzi, Hungarian chimney cake, and Indian jalebi. For example, kushari from Egypt (rice, lentils, pasta, onions, tomatoes and spices) is described as a humdrum base with an exciting sauce. There are notes on its origin, how to find it at its best in Cairo, what you could expect to pay for it, and advice on tasting it plus some variations. There is a picture and more description, PLUS a recipe for home cooks. This has to be the ultimate peasant food book. Each prep is cited for ease and utensils required, as well as authorship. There is a concluding glossary and identification of authors. The contents are listed alphabetically by savory or sweet; there are indexes by country and by ingredient, including veggie options. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 23. HERBS: THE COMPLETE GARDENER’S GUIDE (Firefly Books, 2001, 2012, 222 pages, ISBN 978-1-55209-624-6, $24.95 CAD paper covers) is by Patrick Lima, a gardener from the Bruce Peninsula who has written other gardening books, mainly for Harrowsmith. This is a straight reprint from 2001. It was still in demand. Lima describes each herb in detail, with advice on planting, fertilizing and nurturing. All the major groupings are covered: annuals, perennials, thymes, sages, lily family, salad herbs, tea herbs, colour and decoration, plus medical applications. Each herb comes with a colour photo. The 16 food recipes have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 24. MEALS IN MINUTES: make-ahead dinners quick, easy and delicious (Weldon Owen, 2008, 2011; distr. Simon & Schuster, 112 pages, ISBN 978- 1-61628-257-8, $9.99 US paper covers) AND 25. MEALS IN MINUTES: easy vegetarian quick, easy and delicious (Weldon Owen, 2007, 2011; distr. Simon & Schuster, 112 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628- 256-1, $9.99 US paper covers) are from the Food Made Fast series, and were published as “Make Ahead” in 2007/8. These are the paperback reprint. Everything is supposed to be in three simple steps. Most of the 40 preps take just 15 minutes to assemble or 30 minutes to cook. The practical tips and advice are, of course, useful. Larger batches can be made and leftovers can be frozen. Preparations have most of their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. A very useful beginning book at an affordable price, with enticing photos. Quality/price rating: 85. 26. THE COMPLETE PRESERVING BOOK (Transcontinental Books, 2012, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-9877474-1-9, $34.95 CAN hard covers) is from the Canadian Living Test Kitchen, headed up by food director Annabelle Waugh. The magazine says that it has combed through 35 years of its classic canning recipes to find the best jams, pickles and preserves. Both sweet and savoury are here. There are also modern preserves such as salsas, sauces, syrups, and flavoured vinegars. There’s a basic primer on canning essentials, followed by ingredient chapters such as jams and marmalades, jellies, relishes and pickles, chutney, and even liqueurs and seasonings (flavoured salts and sugars). Each prep has a full nutrient analysis. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements (only weighted items have both metric and avoirdupois), but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 27. ADVENTURES IN GRILLING; coking with fire and smoke (Weldon Owen, 2009, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-217-2, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Willie Cooper, a professional grillmaster ad cooking instructor. It was originally published in 2009, and this is the paperback reprint. It was called ON THE GRILL and packaged for Williams-Sonoma. Jordan Mackay did the drink recipes. Fred Thompson did the text. Here are 130 recipes and eight “grilling adventures” in this guide to outdoor cooking. The adventures include “A day at the lake”, a pig roast, hot-smoking salmon, a beach grilling party, a summer picnic, a backyard BBQ, a tailgate party, and “turkey on the grill”. The first two dozen pages serve as a primer on grilling equipment and techniques, especially getting the fire into the right shape. Then, there is a beer pairing guide (IPA works best with salmon and other meaty or oily fish) and a separate wine pairing guide. Each of the eight adventures describes what you have to do, with a menu that has page references to the actual prep. Separate chapters cover fruits and veggies, meats, poultry, fish and shellfish, sides, drinks, sauces- marinades-rubs, and condiments. Additionally, there some uncategorized recipes for apple puree, couscous, mint raita, and country-style gravy. Ingredients are listed as both avoirdupois and metric, except for the smaller volumes. There are no tables of equivalents. Try antipasto grill; grilled whole fish; grilled oysters with BBQ sauce; grilled fingerling potatoes; spit roasted pig; home-cured smoked salmon; or Korean-style BBQ short ribs. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 28. CANADA’S DIABETES MEALS FOR GOOD HEALTH. 2d ed. (Robert Rose, 2008, 2012, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-788-0402-4, $29.95 CAN paper covers) is by Karen Graham, RD and a Certified Diabetes Educator. Some of the content here had been previously published as “meals For Good Health” in various editions going back to 1998. This current edition features a new 32-page chapter “Food Choices for Good Health” that rates food choices from healthy to unhealthy. There are about 100 new photos and some updated nutritional analyses, as well as colour-coding for ease of use. Graham also includes notes on meal planning for 70 complete meals (both large and small), over 100 snacks, and 100 recipes. Her first edition sold about 100,000 copies. It is pretty good basic stuff from a tried and true producer of cookbooks: liver and onions, pork chop casserole, Chinese stir-fry, French onion soup, and Western sandwich (but usually made with just ham not bacon). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 29. GARDE MANGER; the art and craft of the cold kitchen. 4th edition (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 706 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-58780-5, $75US hard covers) is by the Culinary Institute of America. Garde Manger is the art and technique of preparing a full range of cold dishes for buffet, banquet, and catering events. This includes hors d’oeuvre, appetizers, terrines and pates, and charcuterie. The 600 or so recipes included in this book are revisions and updatings, which take into account the global cuisine of today. There are 40 more preps than in the third edition, published four years ago. The book is meant for both students and practitioners. The opening sections deal with history of banquets, the needed skills, safe food handling techniques, the flavours, colours and textures of food for the table. Cost controls and price establishment are also important here. Recipe sections include cold sauces, soups, salads (flavour balances), sandwiches, curing and preserving meats and fish, cheeses (including presentations). There are also chapters with chaud-froid, aspics, gelees, marinades, condiments, and garnishes. Decorating and plating are also included, especially platter layouts and design. It concludes with a glossary, a bibliography, a resources list, and a separate recipe index. The book is well-stitched, so it will put up with much wear and tear. Quality/Price rating: 88. 30. THE CLUELESS VEGETARIAN; a cookbook for the aspiring vegetarian. 2d edition (Firefly Books, 2012, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-55407-995-7, $14.95 CAD paperback) is by Evelyn Raab. It was originally published in 2008 through Prospero Books. She had also previously written “Clueless in the Kitchen, a cookbook for teens”. Here she presents about 130 preps for vegetarian dishes, with an emphasis on the tentative vegetarian. Every recipe has a code for the lacto-ovo, the lacto, the vegan, the ovo, and the flexitarian. Of value are her guides to the dietary requirements for a single day and her pantry lists. The recipes are easy and the range is wide, with Mexican and Italian influences for casseroles, pastas, snacks, soups, and desserts. A good beginning book, but I could do without the cutesy recipe title fonts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. No gluten-free recipes. Quality/price rating: 88. 31. STEP-BY-STEP BREAD; demonstrates every stage in every key technique (DK, 2012, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-9266-7, $18 US hard covers) AND 32. STEP-BY-STEP CAKES; demonstrates every stage in every key technique (DK, 2012, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-9267-4, $18 US hard covers) are by Caroline Bretherton, who wrote the earlier “Illustrated Step-by- Step Baking” for DK in 2011. The content in both of these spin-off books was previously published in that step-by-step book. So if you have that bigger book, then you won’t need these set. Each has 125 recipes augmented by step-by-step photography with details o key techniques. The bread book includes the classics, artisanal breads, flat breads, crisp breads, quick breads, and sweet breads. The cake book has everyday cakes, celebration cakes, small cakes, and even some cookies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 33. VEGETABLES; a biography (University of Chicago Press, 2012, 112 pages, ISBN 978-0-226-42438-5, $20 US hard covers) is by Evelyne Bloch- Dano, who has written many 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, mabe one to borrow from the public library. Quality/price rating: 84. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR MARCH 2012 ====================================== 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: 2012 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. THE FINEST WINES OF BURGUNDY; a guide to the best producers of the Cote d’Or and their wines (University of California Pr., 2012, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27201-9, $34.95 US paper covers) is by Bill Nanson, a chemist with no connection to the wine trade, but he regularly visits (for more than 15 years) the region and works the harvest. He also publishes the Burgundy-Report (http://www.burgundy- report.com/) a website which, since late 2002, has a slowly expanding library of domaine and village profiles, comments on the market and vintage challenges plus, of-course, discussion of the wines. His site allows you to learn about the region and its wines, peruse notes from many bottles or even discuss with other people. So the current book is like a hard copy of the website. The book actually is one of an illustrated series created by The World of Fine Wine magazine; it is Number 6. These are guides to the classic regions and their producers, vineyards and vintages. As Hugh Johnson, one of the editorial team, would say “These are the wines most worth talking about”. Thus far, the company Fine Wine Editions has looked at Champagne, Tuscany, California, Rioja, and Bordeaux. This book is co-published with Quarto Group in the UK. The format for all the books in the series is pretty straight-forward at this point, with Hugh Johnson giving many of the forewords their lustre. There’s material in about 50 pages on history, culture and geography, along with winemaking, grapes, and viticulture. Next there is the biggest section: producers and their wines, sub- arranged by region. The 250 pages here cover the Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune, leaving aside the Macon, the Beaujolais, and Chablis. Then there is a final 25 pages on wine appreciation, vintages, top-ten tables for the finest 100, glossary, and bibliography. The photography is mainly centred on the producers, so there are lots of portraits and pictures of walls and gates. Overall, it’s an excellent guide to the region, and sure to please many Burgundy lovers, especially since it comes with a red ribbon bookmark. Audience and level of use: the serious wine lover who also loves to read, reference libraries and wine schools. Some interesting or unusual facts: best-ever Domaines in Burgundy include Leroy, Ramonet, Romanee-Conti, Rousseau, and Bruno Clair. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. SALAD FOR DINNER; complete meals for all seasons (Rizzoli, 2012; distr. Random House Canada, 208 pages, ISBN 978-0-8478-3825-7, $35US hard covers) is by Jeanne Kelley, a food writer (principally Bon Appetit) and cookbook author with an urban homestead (bees, chickens, veggies). Here she succeeds in making the salad the centerpiece of every main meal. Here’s a couple of dozen pages devoted to a salad primer, including a pantry for the vinaigrettes and dressings. She’s got a salad code: most of 11 items that you may have in the fridge or pantry that can be added to create a salad – stuff like an egg, avocado, meat, cheese, fruit, nuts, dried fruit, croutons, onion plus of course the dressing/vinaigrette and salad greens. You don’t need them all but you can incorporate what you have beyond the greens and the dressing. The preps have their own contents listings, and run from vegetarian salads through fish, seafood, poultry, and meat. It is a pretty book, specializing in contrasts of colour, flavour and texture. Personally, we eat few salads in winter – their coolness is not appealing except for winter salads of radicchio/cabbage/endive/fennel (not included in this book). But spring/summer/fall is a different story at our home, with salads galore as main courses. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: salad lovers looking for new turn. Some interesting or unusual recipes: roasted acorn squash and brussels sprout salad; brown rice grape leaf salad; fennel with roasted beet and smoked whitefish; seafood-stuffed avocado salad; grilled kale with lamb and garlic. The downside to this book: no chopped winter salads using non-greens, the kind you find in a cooler climate outside of California. The upside to this book: good salad ideas incorporating protein and fats. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. HOT & CHEESY (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 404 pages, ISBN 978-0-470- 61535-5, $22.99 US paper covers) is by Clifford A. Wright, an award- winning author of twelve other cookbooks. He’s a multiple Beard winner. Here he has collected 250 international and global preps covering a full range of fritters, pastries, casseroles, pastas, sandwiches, pizzas, breads – just about all foods one can top, stuff or sprinkle with cheese. In most cases, he tries to match the most appropriate cheese with the requirement, such as Bell pepper or poblano chili strips in cheese (use either a four-cheese blend from the book or fresh cheeses). There’s the usual primer on how to choose and store cheeses, and how to cook with them. Obviously, the cheese must be melt able or grated first, and the flavours appropriate. Arrangement is by course or product, beginning with soups and sauces and progressing through crepes, pies, tarts, Italian and Mexican dishes, eggs, rice, veggies, meat and seafood, concluding with sweets. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks, cheese lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cheese and potato cigars; calzones; brioche pork and cheese sandwich; perciatelli with three cheeses; stuffed veal chops; baked lamb with cheese; haddock and cheddar casserole; crab au gratin; cheese kolache. The downside to this book: it would have been nice to have some non- gluten alternatives. The upside to this book: there is no logrolling on the cover, which is good…Wright can sell himself. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4. THE PHILOSOPHY OF FOOD (University of California Press, 2012, 312 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-26934-7, $27.95 US soft covers) has been edited by David M. Kaplan, a philosophy professor at the University of North Texas. It is a diverse collection of essays ruminating on themes about thinking responsibly about what and how we consume food. The papers reflect the editor’s introduction in which he proposes how “food” fits into s viable study pattern: metaphysics of food, epistemology, aesthetics, ethics, technology, and politics. The first two chapters (of 16) examine the social role of eating. The next three talk about aesthetics, the taste of food, and food as art. The following three comment on ethics, morality and politics of food. After this come three chapters on vegetarianism and ethics of animals used in food production. There are also sections on aquaculture, agriculture and food technologies. There are plenty of end notes and bibliographies, the list of contributors and their stations, and – ta da – an index to the whole collection. This feature rarely happens. Along the way the book covers (spread over a few essays) slow food, sustainability, food safety, table manners, trade, veganism, supermarkets, and other topics (check the index). What can I say? “Something to chew on”? “Food for thought”? Quality/Price Rating: 91. 5. TALES FROM AN OENOPHILE; fables, adventures & misconceptions (Friesen Press, 2011, 156 pages, ISBN 978-1-77067-313-7 $16.95 soft covers, also available as an ebook for $7.99, both versions at http://www.frugal-wine.com/bookstore/booktfao.htm) is by Richard Best, also known as The Frugal Oenophile specializing in modestly-priced wines. He’s a good colleague of mine in the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada (I’m also mentioned in the Acknowledgments) – those are my conflicts of interest here. Borrowing a leaf from George Bernard Shaw, Best has produced a didactic work about wine by using a novel approach: the novel. There is not really much of a plot, but that’s the book’s only weakness. It might have helped to move the story along is there was more tension, such as a wine cellar collapsing on the principals, or a vicious winemaker’s dog attacking somebody, or a corked wine killing off half the townfolks. Possibly even a fight at the cash register over the last bottles of a precious wine. But then, that’s just me. I doubt that they’ll make a movie or Broadway musical out of it, but it might make a good “reality” television show. Essentially, it is the story of a knowledgeable wine writer and his neighbours (a young couple) exploring the world of wine through dialogue. Best covers the basic wine styles, visiting wineries, training a nose and palate for tasting wines, doing a wine show, talking to a winemaker, exploring a seasoned wine cellar, and preparing for a party by matching wines with the foods. Each chapter ends with some wine notes or technical data. There’s an appendix with such items as how to prepare wine aroma samples on your own and how to build a wine knowledge library with reference books and newsletters (but nothing from the Internet). Well- worth a look and read. Audience and level of use: beginning wine lovers Some interesting or unusual facts: Basically comprehensive shopping lists, wine encyclopedias attempt to include every wine imaginable, along with some coverage of region and wineries. The downside to this book: more tension is needed for this “show me” approach. The upside to this book: a nice novel approach by a best writer. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 6. NOTES FROM A MAINE KITCHEN; seasonally inspired recipes (Down East Books, 201; distr. by Nimbus, 196 pages, ISBN 978-0-89272-917-3, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Kathy Gunst who has been nominated for several IACP and Beard Awards. She’s written 14 cookbooks and has contributed to a variety of the top food magazines in the US. Here, she has essays for each month of the year, exploring and explaining the Maine food landscape for that time period. Each is followed by several preps incorporating seasonal ingredients or themes, about a half-dozen or so for each month. She covers farmers’ markets, sugar shacks, lobster trapping, ramp hunting, parsnip harvests, and more. In January, it is smelts, August is for lobsters, September is preserving, and October is mushroom hunting. There is a nifty section on 18 menus, with pag references to the recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: Maine or New England food lovers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: maple cheesecake with maple- ginger crust; ramp puree and ramp butter; sauteed sea scallops with ramp puree; grilled harpooned swordfish with olive-lemon scallion topping; herb and feta corn fritters; roasted wild-mushroom soup. The downside to this book: the Resources section is all New England, but then this is a regional cookbook. The upside to this book: the Menus. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 7. WAFFLES (Weldon Owen, 2011; distr. Simon & Schuster, 96 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-205-3, $19.5 US hard covers) is by Tara Duggan, a Beard Award winning food journalist and cookbook author. Here she covers over 40 sweet and savoury preps. Her emphasis is on versatility of the waffle, which is a good thing since you must invest in some kind of single purpose machine (which she covers, including an egg waffler). It’s an open and shut book with the usual batters and spreads, arranged by course (breakfasts, brunches, lunch, diner, desserts). It’ll make a good gift book. No gluten-free recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners, home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: fresh corn, goat cheese, and roasted pepper waffles; sourdough waffle BLTs; chicken and waffles with pan gravy; three-cheese waffle sticks; potato waffles with applesauce. The downside to this book: no gluten-free recipes The upside to this book: really sharp photography. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 8. 200 SALADS (Gibbs Smith, 2012; distr. Raincoast, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-4536-2468-4, $12.99 US spiral bound) is by Melissa Barlow and Stephanie Ashcraft. It’s a basic book with no illustrations but with a detailed index and useful spiral binding. There are both sweet (fruit, desserts) and savoury (leaves, pasta, BBQ, main courses) with a chapter on dressings. There are service notes, such as serving 6 or more. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents on the inside back cover. Audience and level of use: beginner. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: marinated beef salad; fruit and nut chicken salad; sunshine salad; cashew bow-tie pasta; summer zucchini salad. The downside to this book: nothing, really – there are enough ideas here for a couple of years of no repeats. The upside to this book: spiral-binding makes it a snap to search around or look at recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 9. IN PURSUIT OF GARLIC; an intimate look at the divinely odorous bulb (Greystone Books, 2012, 202 pages, ISBN 978-1-55365-601-2, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Liz Primeau, a well-established gardening writer and the founding editor of Canadian Gardening magazine. It is a good handbook, well-framed with judiciously chosen facts and anecdotes and a smattering of recipes (there’s also a separate recipe index). Log rolling comes from Mark Cullen and John Bishop. She explores garlic through history, art, medicine, science, and food. There is even some contemporary material on the current status of Chinese-imported garlic. There’s a chapter on garlic festivals, and one on a garlic primer (at the back). Sources are also indicated. And while there is a list of recommended reading, she also cites (but does not source) Les Blank’s documentary film “Garlic is As Good as Ten Mothers” which currently only exists as an out-of-print VHS tape – I wish she told me where to find it, for I have not seen it since its release around 1980. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: garlic lovers Some interesting or unusual facts: Roman soldiers were issued several cloves of garlic daily and told to chew on them for resistance to disease. The downside to this book: I would have liked more material, a longer book, The upside to this book: separate recipe index. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 10. FARMSTAND FAVORITES: GARLIC; over 75 farm fresh recipes (Hatherleigh Press, 2012; distr. Random House of Canada, 99 pages, ISBN 978-1-57826-405-6, $9.50 US soft covers) comes from a series created to buying local and fresh. So far the series has dealt with apples, pumpkin, and berries (among other titles). It is a basic collection of preps, covering all courses including breakfast. Some of the recipes come from garlic festivals or organic suppliers: these are all sourced. It’s an ideal accompaniment to Primeau’s book (above) since it only has three pages dealing with garlic primer material. There’s enough to get you started, even a recipe for pickled garlic – to handle any surplus that you might have. Unfortunately, there is no index, the book must be thumbed through. 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: pesto minestrone; lemon bulgur and chickpea pilaf; turkey apple gyros; Moroccan lentil salad; artichoke gondolas. The downside to this book: no index. The upside to this book: pickled garlic and roasted garlic recipes to handle any surplus you might have. 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 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 – 11. FRENCH BISTRO; seasonal recipes (Flammarion 2011, 2012; distr. by Random House of Canada, 216 pages, ISBN 978-2-08-020088-4, $34.95US hard covers) is by Bertrand Auboyneau, owner of Paul Bert in Paris, and Francois Simon, food writer for Le Figaro. The seasonal preps come from the bistro, and Simon explains the ten essentials that make a great bistro (the chalkboard menu is one of them; the bistro chair is another). To those ten, I’d add an eleventh: quality of fat used. The book also includes features on a baker’s dozen of the best French bistros in Paris. There are 56 recipes – try duck foie gras marbled with leeks, organic tomato and anchovy Nicoise-style salad, sauteed sweetbreads with green asparagus, or flattened hen with vin jaune fpllowed by rice pudding with dolce con leche. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 12. THE MANSION ON TURTLE CREEK COOKBOOK. (Rizzoli, 2012; distr. Random House Canada, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-8478-36536, $39.95US hard covers) is from the Mansion, with preps largely by Dean Fearing and editorial assistance from food writer Helen Thompson. Fearing was the author of the same named book published in 1994; he left the Manson in 2007 to open his own resto. Here is the collection of some 100 preps from the past twenty-five years. The Mansion Restaurant was one of the early leaders in the New Southwestern cuisine, bringing forth lobster tacos and tortilla soups (both found here). Contemporary dishes include grilled snapper with a tomatillo-serrano vinaigrette and cornbread oyster or red grapefruit tart with avocado ice cream. There’s a long history of the Mansion as well as a wealth of photos that were not in the previous cookbook since it was, well, mainly a cookbook. The current work is a “presentation” copy for a coffee table, and is quite suitable for fans of the Mansion. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 13. DESSERTED; recipes and tales from an Island Chocolatier (Down East Books, 2011; distr. Nimbus, 128 pages, ISBN 978-0-89272-991-3, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Kate Shaffer who was transplanted to Maine by her husband. An experienced restaurant chef, she began cooking at a lighthouse inn on Isle au Haut, one of the remote islands off Maine. After five years, she also began making gourmet truffles and other chocolates (Black Dinah Chocolatiers). Here are 45 preps, each with stories and anecdotes about island life. It’s been categorized as an armchair cookbook since most people seem to buy chocolates rather than make them. Nevertheless, there’s a lot of fun here. It is arranged by food format, with breakfast, tarts, pies, cakes, cookies, ice creams, puddings, and even a few savouries. Try pumpkin cheesecake with elderberry glaze and chocolate walnut crumb crust, or white-chocolate lavender pound cake, or roast chicken with New England-style mole poblano. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 14. CHLOE’S KITCHEN; 125 easy, delicious recipes for making the food you love the vegan way (Free Press, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-4516-3674-1, $18.99 US paper covers) is by Chloe Coscarelli, winner of the Food Network’s Cupcake Wars. She is the first vegan to win anything on the Food network. She’s had chef training and has worked at a variety of California and New York restos. She’s also accessible at chefchloe.com. While not gluten-free, the book does recommend several commercially available alternatives such as purchased all-purpose non-gluten flours or brown rice pasta. It’s a beginners book but with veganism as the theme. Dishes have been spiced up or sweetened in order to appeal, but all are healthy and delicious. Arrangement is by course. Try avocado pesto pasta, wasabi sesame noodle salad, chocolate walnut fudge, or cheesy broccoli soup in sourdough bread bowls. At the back there are ten menu suggestions, and each dish has a page reference to save you from looking it up in the index. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 20. NOBU’S VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK (Pie Books, 2012; distr. Random House of Canada, 176 pages, ISBN 978-4-89444-905-3, $39.95 US hard covers) is by Nobu Matsuhisa, one of the leading Japanese restaurateurs of this generation. He opened Matsuhisa in Los Angeles in 1987, followed by Nobu in New York City in 1994. Since then he has opened about 30 more restaurants around the world, and produced a half-dozen cookbooks, each one eagerly awaited by his fans and followers of Japanese cooking. And in true style, each book has been a work of art with gorgeous photos of food display by Masashi Kuma, a Beard Award-nominated photographer. There are over 70 recipes here, covering the gamut of fresh salads, party foods, sizzling plates, desserts and cocktails. He emphasizes “umami” found in many veggies (especially sea vegetables) for full flavours, to replace tastes derived from animal flesh. Soy beans, of course, through tofu, yuba and miso, play a prominent role. Professionals will admire this book for Nobu bringing in play all the textures, flavours and colours of veggies. I particularly enjoyed the rice, soba noodles and soup chapter with his take on nigiri sushi, crispy rice cubes with tar and pumpkin mash, and ten-vegetable tomato soup. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements for the most part, but there is no table of equivalents. Here’s also a glossary of Japanese ingredients and a list (with addresses) of all of his restaurants. Quality/price rating: 91. 21. NATURE; simple, healthy, and good (Rizzoli, 2011; distr. Random House of Canada, 361 pages, ISBN 978-0-8478-3840-0, $45 US hard covers) is by Alain Ducasse, the well-known world class restaurateur, with his assistants Paue Neyrat for the recipe finishing and Chistophe Saintagne for the editorial work. Log rolling is by Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud. It was originally published in France in 2009, and then translated and published by Hardie Grant Books in the UK last year. This is the North American publication. It’s a heavy book with a padded cover, but it does lie open relatively flat on your kitchen counter. There are 190 recipes here for simple, healthy and flavourful foods. The preps are written in narrative style with a fainter than usual typeface for the ingredients used; this can be off-putting by many older people. Try vegetables a la barigoule with vanilla, spinach and soft-boiled eggs, chestnut soup with bacon and flaked porcini, soft potato pancakes, sauteed rabbit with apples, or whole poached sea bass with herb cream. First-rate photography. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There is an interesting index by main ingredient. Quality/price rating: 84. * 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”... 22. 150 BEST VEGAN MUFFIN RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2012, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0292-1, $19.95 CAD paper covers) And 23. 150 BEST GLUTEN-FREE MUFFIN RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2012, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0291-4, $19.95 CAD paper covers) are both by Camilla V. Saulsbury, a freelance recipe developer and writer who has won several US cooking competitions and cook-offs. She’s also got about 15 cookbooks under her belt. These two books are complementary; most purchasers, especially those with medical issues, will want both. Many of the preps were previously published in the giant 750 Best Muffin Recipes (also from Robert Rose, in 2010), so you may not need this book if you have that huge compendium. These books are for the secondary market, for the people really need gluten-free or vegan food. Both books are similarly arranged, beginning with equipment and ingredients special to gluten-free and vegan. The arrangement is about the same too: her top muffins (20 vegan, 15 gluten-free), followed by breakfast muffins, coffeehouse muffins, lunch and supper muffins, and “global” muffins – her takes on international specialties such as five-spice Asian pear muffins or sesame ginger muffins. There’s minimal duplication, in that some recipes sound the same but call for different ingredients. For example, there’s a five-spice pear muffin that is either gluten-free or vegan (but not both). Most of the gluten-free recipes have casein-free alternatives, so you can use the book as a “dairy-free” book, but still maintain eggs and honey. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements (always a strong point with Robert Rose), but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 24. A CARAFE OF RED (University of California Pr., 2012, 280 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27032-9, $21.95 US soft covers) is by Gerald Asher, who has written many books about wine. By profession he was an international wine merchant. He also served as Gourmet magazine’s wine editor for 30 years. Here, he has selected some more essays published in Gourmet but with one dealing with cabernet sauvignon from another source as well (The Book of California Wine). He did another one last year (2011), “A Vineyard n My Glass”. The essays (mainly from the 1990s) reflect wine regions: he has 8 for France, 8 for California (plus one on Missouri), 6 for other European countries, and some general ones on food and wine. And, believe it or not, there is actually an index, which rarely happens with anthologies or reprints. His book is definitely terroir-driven as he relates talks with winemakers, wines and the meals he has had, along with growing conditions. And each article is just about perfectly written with his eye for detail. In France, he visits Bordeaux, Cote Rotie, Champagne, Beauolais. There is also Malmsey, Barbaresco, and Sherry, and for California, Santa Cruz and Zinfandel, amongst others. After each essay, he pens a swift update since the original writing. Well-worth a read or as a gift. Keep them coming, Mr. Asher…Quality/price rating: 90. 25. PLATTER’S SOUTH AFRICAN WINES 2012; 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, 618 pages, ISBN 978-0-987-0046-0-4, $30CAD (includes shipping) hard cover) is the recognized authority on South African wines. It has been published for 32 years. For this latest edition, there are now 15 tasters – all identified, and with initials after tasting notes. Some of the tasters have changed over the years. More than 6000 wines are here evaluated (about 800 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: there are chapters on the wine industry, vintages and styles, touring (accommodation and food, all in some 75 pages) followed by some 500 pages of dictionary-arranged wineries, detailing most aspects. 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. 26. 150 BEST INDIAN, THAI, VIETNAMESE & MORE SLOW COOKER RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2012, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-788-0404-8, $27.95 CAN paperback) is by Sunil Vijayakar, a UK food author and stylist. It was originally published in 2010 by Hamlyn as “Slow Cooker Curries”. This is it North American debut. Each recipe has a heat rating, and there is advice on how to lower or increase the spicy heat component. These are mostly curries, with an assortment of 40 pilafs, accompaniments and chutneys. And of course, you don’t actually need a slow cooker to do the dish: they can all be modified for oven use. There is a good range here, with preps from three different regions, foods from meats to seafood to veggies, and all with differing heat levels. Try goat xacuti curry, Cambodian pork and lemongrass curry, or sindhi beef curry. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. And, of course, the large type is extremely useful in the kitchen. Quality/price rating: 89. 27. THE EDIBLE BALCONY; growing fresh produce in small spaces (Rodale, 2011, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-410-2, $21.99 US paperback) is by Alex Mitchell. It was also published in the UK by Kyle Books. She has been writing about small space gardens for many British publications. The attraction here, of course, is the remote possibility for growing your own fresh produce, no mater how limited your space. But there must be some kind of sunlight too, whether it is cast on a fire escape or window box or rooftop or small deck. It’s a good how-to book, with plenty of information and tips on such thing as choice of pot, compost and mixes, seeds and seedlings. There are side bars on the best crops for grow bags, for a window box, and for hanging baskets. There’s a listing of the ten best “easy” crops, and other “top ten” listings for “not-in-the-store” veggies, crops that keep coming by renewal, and fruit trees. There are also a handful of recipes, and a lot of special projects that should keep people busy. Quality/price rating: 88. 28. THE MAPLE SYRUP BOOK (Boston Mills Pr, 2006; distr. Firefly, 2012, 96 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-033-0, $19.95 CAN paper covers) is by Janet Eagleson, a naturalist. It was originally published in 2006, and is now reissued. It is an A – Z primer on the hows and whys (including sugar shacks) of maple syrup, along with eight recipes, including one for maple syrup chicken wings (yummy). Rosemary Hasner contributes a lot of colour photos on nearly every page. There’s an illustrated flavour wheel for maple syrup, but it should have been on a full page by itself: it’s a little hard to read at one one-third of a page. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 29. THE BEST OF THE BEST AND MORE; recipes from The Best of Bridge Cookbooks (Robert Rose, 2012, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0299-0, $29.95 CAN spiral bound) And 30. THE REST OF THE BEST AND MORE; recipes from The Best of Bridge Cookbooks (Robert Rose, 2012, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0400-0, $29.95 CAN spiral bound) are new reprints from 1998 and 2004 respectively. The original collations, of course, are collections of preps from the long series of The Best of Bridge cookbooks. The story began in 1975 when the bridge club of eight decided to produce their own cookbooks. “The Ladies of the Best of Bridge” eventually sold 3.2 million copies of their books over a 30 year period. These two books should be viewed together. The BEST contains about 70 new recipes, while the REST has about 100 new preps. All new recipes are highlighted in the index. The original format of hand lettering has been retained. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. It is all pretty standard reference material, but all of it is useful. There was some light updating when the books were first published (I don’t have the resources to cross- check 1998 edition against the 2012), and certainly the new recipes will have been updated through 2012 – all to reflect current trends in fresh eating. Quality/price rating: 88. 31. THE BEST STEWS IN THE WORLD; 300 satisfying one-dish dinners, from chilis and gumbos to curries and cassoulet (Harvard Common Press, 2002, 2012; distr. T. Allen, 388 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-747-4, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Clifford A. Wright, a cooking teacher and food writer who has authored some nine cookbooks, including the Beard Award winner A Mediterranean feast. It was originally published in hardback a decade ago, and here it is given its paperback reissue. Not much changes in the world of stews, so his 2002 take is still valid today – as written. It’s international in scope, of course, and arranged by major ingredient, leading off with beef. There’s veal, lamb, pork, fowl, small game, seafood, veggies, and “mixed meats”. There are materials for slow cookers, tajines, couscous, chilis, ropa vieja, and more. There’s a duck wing stew from the Languedoc, a Turkish chicken and okra stew, fish dumplings from Morocco, a Lebanese fish stew, Sardinian vegetable stew, and an Andalusian chickpea and veal tripe stew. His last stew (“no-name stew”) has all the leftovers after he finished testing the recipes. Worth a try, but hard to find all the exact ingredients. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 32. WEIGHT WATCHERS NEW COMPLETE COOKBOOK, 4th ed. (J Wiley, 2011,2012, 436 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-11683-8, $21.99 US spiral bound edition) is an update of the 2007 edition, which was also released in a plastic comb binding. The book was originally published in hardback in 1993. The new, fourth edition, has many changes, such as a separate chapter on slow cooker meals and new sidebar advice. The new PointsPlus™ program is explained. Recipes have been labeled for skill level, and there are more preps for grains and veggies. Plus, of course, the new design: loose leaf allow for better recipe display in the kitchen. Once again, the emphasis is on healthy eating for family meals and for entertainment meals. The book has always been 500 recipes in length, but they are always changing. There are some helpful technique photos, as well as the usual technique tricks and tips. Quality/price rating: 87. 33. CANADIAN LIVING. The One Dish Collection (Transcontinental Books, 2012; distr. Random House Canada, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-9813938-9-6, $26.95 CAD paper covers) is by the test kitchen at Canadian Living magazine. It’s in the style of the other books from the kitchen, such as The Vegetarian Collection, The Slow Cooker Collection, The International Collection, and The Barbecue Collection. The arrangement begins with soups, stews and salads, moving on to casseroles, baked items, simmer food, stir-fries, pasta and risotto. As always, it is a basic book with plenty of tips and advice, There’s a black bean and chorizo soup, beer-simmered steaks, vegetable barley soup, mushroom- bacon-swiss chard with gemelli pasta, tex-mex casserole with Monterey jack cheese – about 250 of them. There’s nutritional data for each recipe, as well as some tips and advice. There’s one prep per page, and so the typeface could have been a bit larger since there’s plenty of space. Preparations have their ingredients listed mainly in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 34. HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING: the basics, all you need to cook great food (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 486 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-52806-8, $35US hard covers) is by Mark Bittman. Every book he creates has many things to say about food, and this one is no different. It was originally published in 2003, with 100 basic recipes plus 30 others. Now Bittman has moved on to “hands-on” cooking. This edition of the book has 185 “building-block recipes and 1,000 instructive photographs”. This is great for beginners, but I’m sure that Bittman fans already have his recipes and do not need the pix. Nevertheless, with the 2003 book out of print, this is the basic Bittman that new cooks will want. And it is dirt cheap on Amazon and The Book Depository. There’s a chunk of primer data here, such as stocking the pantry and kitchen, specialized ingredients and equipment, and about 30 different skills for preparing foods. Still, the publisher has added a lot of log rolling from Oliver, Batali, Colicchio, and Chang. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 35. PROFESSIONAL CAKE DECORATING. 2d ed. (Wiley, 2012, 402 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-38009-3, $65US hard covers) is by Toba Garrett, a well-known multiple award winner of cake decorations. She’s at the Institute of Culinary Education in NYC, a nd has also written many other cake and cookie decoration books. It was originally published in 2006 at 368 pages, so this second edition has added some 40 or so more pages. The first edition said: “Professional Cake Decorating is the first guidebook, reference, and at-your-fingertips resource to the special methods and techniques unique to cake decorating.” There’s a comprehensive set of lessons designed to teach the skills needed in cake decorating, including basic, intermediate, and advanced piping skills; hand modeling; and gumpaste flowers. She also deals with the overall look and design of cakes, and it is a useful training handbook and resource for bakers and decorators. The second edition has been revamped, with additional photography and additional techniques and patterns (such as a marzipan bridal coupe, variations on a closed tulip, more variations on writing, more marzipan such as jalapeno peppers, heirloom tomatoes, and mangoes). Also new are floating collars for suspending cakes and a pillow cake. Using hundreds of step-by-step and finished cake color photographs and many illustrations, this highly visual book covers a wealth of techniques for cake borders, piped flowers, cake writing and piping, royal icing designs, marzipan fruits and figurines, rolled icing, floral patterns, petit fours, gumpaste floral art and design, etc. Thorough coverage also includes such foundation skills as making shells, rosettes, reverse shells, zigzags, fleur-de-lis, rope, garlands, scrolls, rosebuds, and other confectionary designs (plus templates). There are also 35 recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. ---------------------------------------------------- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR JANUARY 2012 ====================================== 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: 2012 WARNING – PRICE ALERT: All prices listed below are now in US DOLLARS as printed on the cover. In these times of US-Canadian currency fluctuations AND online discounts, plus the addition of GST or HST, prices will vary upwards or downwards. ALLEZ CUISINE!! * DRINK BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. THE OXFORD COMPANION TO BEER (Oxford University Press, 2012, 920 pages, ISBN 978-0-19-536713-3, $65 US hard covers) has been edited by Garrett Oliver, brew master of The Brooklyn Brewery, and beer book author (The Brewmaster’s Table). He’s also led more than 700 beer tasting events over the past two decades. As with other Oxford Companions, this is an assortment of well-defined articles about the world of beer, gathered for consistency and relevancy, and put into alphabetic order. It makes a great read for beer lovers, either randomly or from the beginning. 165 beer experts from 20 countries contributed material for over 1,100 entries. Topics include: biographies, beer history, the brewing process, tastings and notes, beer styles, profiles of beer-producing regions, varieties of hops (more than 100 entries) and barley, food pairing, glassware, barrel- aging, dry hopping, bottle re-fermentation, and more. Illustrations are derived from advertisements, brochures, postcards, photos, and more. The appendices have lists of beer organizations and clubs, beer festivals, websites, magazines, and beer museums. Articles are signed, and there is a list of contributors with their affiliations. Audience and level of use: reference libraries, intelligent beer lovers. Some interesting or unusual facts: gravity dispense is the original method for drawing beer from a cask, before the invention of draught systems. The downside to this book: Nick Pashley and Stephen Beaumont, both beer experts in Canada, are not listed as contributors. The upside to this book: there are two full pages about Michael Jackson the beer and scotch writer. Quality/Price Rating: 93. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. CHICKEN (Reaktion Books, 2012; distr. Univ. of Chicago Press, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-86189-858-6, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Annie Potts, an academic in New Zealand. Her book is one of the amazing “Animal” series published by Reaktion in the UK. Most of the series deal with animals we do not eat, such as Cat, Dog, Giraffe, Parrot and Whale. Domesticated animals have included Cow, Pig and Duck, plus farmed animals such as Salmon and Moose. This is the popular culture story of the Chicken: dealing with historical and literary items such as fancy breeds from jungle fowl, the religious venerations of chickens and roosters in the past, egg-rolling, cockfighting, wishbone-pulling, and the like. Relationships with humans are also covered. There is a separate chapter on “meat chicks” and “egg machines”. And it has been richly illustrated with colour and black and white historical photos and drawings, older advertisements, and just plain whimsy – 103 in all, 72 in colour. At the end, Potts has an illustrated timeline of the chicken, endnotes, select bibliography, a listing of associations and periodicals, websites, and an index. This is compelling reading. Audience and level of use: those interested in food lore and history. Some interesting or unusual facts: “The Day of the Chicken is the first day of the lunar Chinese New Year, so called because only the Heavenly Chicken knows when the first sunrise of a new year occurs.” Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. THE WEEKNIGHT COOK; fresh & simple recipes for good food everyday (Weldon Owen, 2011; dist. Simon & Schuster, 455 pages, ISBN 978-1- 61628-166-9, $ 24.95 US paper covers) is by Brigit Binns, who has authored other cookbooks for Williams-Sonoma (and also published by Weldon Owen). Here, she concentrates on general family cooking for the weeknight, with 300 or so preps emphasizing three steps or less, easy- to-find ingredients, and meal planning tips. The emphasis is definitely on “cooking smarter” and “kitchen savvy”; meal planning involves a pantry and seasonal foods. She’s got a month of menus, basic recipes, checklists, planning for company, and matching food to wine. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: the home cook. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: artichokes with lemon aioli; eggplant with spicy chile sauce; vegetable quesadillas; roasted vegetables with Romesco sauce; miso-marinated salmon; fried catfish and greens; orange-chipotle chicken with corn. The downside to this book: it is hard to tell how long the binding will last. The upside to this book: photos bleed into the gutters, giving us more room for the recipe and annotations. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4. HYPERTENSION COOKBOOK FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 362 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-09513-3, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Rosanne Rust (author of Restaurant Calorie Counter for Dummies) and Cindy Kleckner. Both are registered dieticians and nutrition consultants. They tell you how to beat hypertension with about 150 simple recipes. Along with the food (fresh, low-sodium), the authors say that there needs to be lifestyle changes. As with all Dummies books, there are loads of tips. Here, these are for meal planning, eliminating salt, losing weight, lowering cholesterol, fast and smart grocery shopping, nutrition labels, and the DASH diet. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. There are also ten tips to enhance the flavour of your meal without adding salt, and ten long-term tips to beat hypertension. Audience and level of use: those with hypertension. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: baked chicken pesto; glazed Cornish hens; steak and vegetable kabobs; pulled pork sandwiches; pasta with zucchini yogurt sauce and walnuts; oven-roasted fish with vegetables. The downside to this book: it may not always work, so seek medical advice. The upside to this book: should attract a wider-than-normal audience. Quality/Price Rating: 89 5. MEDITERRANEAN DIET COOKBOOK FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 364 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-06778-9, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Meri Raffetto, also author of the Glycemic Index Cookbook for Dummies, and Wendy Jo Peterson, both registered dieticians. The Mediterranean diet is a way to improve your health, lose weight, and prevent and fight disease. It has been proven that Mediterranean people live longer, and the reason is their diet. Emulation is the best way to go…and besides, it’s flavourful. The 160 recipes here promote the health benefits of a plant-based cuisine, while switching you away from a sweet tooth. And, of course, it works – if you stick to it. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. The principal foods are plants, olive oils, and wine. The cuisines in the book are Italy, Greece, Morocco and Spain. There are two chapters for top ten lists: one covers how to get more plant-based foods into your diet, while the other explores myths of the Mediterranean diet (so you won’t be misled). Audience and level of use: those looking for some good diet ideas. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: classic meze platter; meat- filled dolmas; chicken cacciatore; chicken piccata; wild rice pilaf; lemon pork chops; pork sausages with white beans and tomatoes. The downside to this book: the photos, while colourful, do not appear to be inspired. The upside to this book: there are a lot of tips here, like all the Dummies books. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 6. EVENTS EXPOSED; managing and designing special events (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 237 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-90408-4, $50 US hard covers) is by Lena Malouf, an award-winning specialist in event management and design. She’s now a consultant, traveling the world, sharing her expertise. Her book has been gleaned from her more-than-45 years of experience in the industry. It’s in two parts: the first deals with the business (strategy, getting clients, building the business, what to look for in venues, money management, proposal presentation, and the like) and the design (tabletop, ceiling, all décor, themes, and weddings). There are checklists, case studies, and sections on behavioural styles and how to work with them. Audience and level of use: event planners, hospitality schools. Some interesting or unusual facts: Chinese lanterns are suspended from a timber grid. This is a great decorating idea for events that are themed: all you need to do is suspend the appropriate props in place of the lanterns. The downside to this book: a bit brisk, but it covers all the important elements. The upside to this book: a good book, full of psychological insights. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 7. WEIGHTWATCHERS ONE POT COOKBOOK; the ultimate kitchen companion with over 300 recipes (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 374 pages, ISBN 978-1-118- 03812-3, $29.99 US hard covers) promises a great dinner from using just one appliance (a liberal definition of “one pot”, which also includes panini press, waffle iron, fondue pot, BBQ grill). The title might be misleading if you were expecting something like 300 casserole preps. Chapters are arranged by the type of pots, so there are “bowls”, skillets, woks, saucepan, Dutch oven, roasting pan, casserole dish, slow cooker, pressure cooker and “baking pan” for desserts. But it is still a pretty nifty book for using just the one appliance. Recipes have all the usual health data “per serving”, plus key WeightWatchers elements of points. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There’s an index by PointsPlus, and an alphabetical index. Unfortunately, both indexes have a very faint typeface and can be hard to read. Audience and level of use: WeightWatchers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: rabbit in sour cream sauce with cherry tomatoes and noodles; cheese, beef and noodle casserole; rustic beef short ribs with mustard sauce; Korean-style soft tacos; chicken gumbo; tortilla casserole with tomatillo salsa. The downside to this book: misleading title? The upside to this book: Recipes include WeightWatchers PointsPlus values. Quality/Price Rating: 82. 8. THE NEWLYWED COOKBOOK; fresh ideas and modern recipes for cooking with and for each other (Chronicle Books, 2012, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0- 8118-7683-4, $35 US hard covers) is by Sarah Copeland, a New York based recipe developer for the Food Network. The shtick here is that modern couples need to be spending more time TOGETHER in the kitchen, which is not such a bad idea. Here are more than 130 recipes for both classic and contemporary meals that are both perfect for two people and require two people to participate. Many can be expanded to four or more, and are thus great for entertaining or parties. Copeland believes that true happiness comes from sourcing, cooking and sharing food together. I‘ll vote for that: it worked for me…in all of my marriages! Topics include stocking the pantry, visiting the farmers’ markets, brunch, little meals, supper, comfort food, romantic meals, embellishments, indulgences, and alfresco such as campfires, picnics, and portable parties. Everything seems to be easy to make, and there is a lot of detail about kitchen life in the first fifty or so pages of this book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Next question: who does the cleaning up? Audience and level of use: newlyweds. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lazy chef’s fruit torte; Venezuelan chocolate shake; iron skillet steak with thyme butter; pan- fried pork chops; lobster rolls; open-face soft-boiled egg sandwiches; oatmeal scones; ricotta silver dollars. The downside to this book: I guess it has a built-in audience, but does anyone ever admit to being newlyweds anymore? It is so middle-class… The upside to this book: a no-brainer for showers. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 9. A TOAST TO BARGAIN WINES; how innovators, iconoclasts, and winemaking revolutionaries are changing the way the world drinks. (Scribner, 2011, 311 pages, ISBN 978-1-4391-9518-5, $15 US paper covers) is by George M. Taber, an award winning wine book author (Judgment of Paris, To Cork or Not to Cork) with multiple nominations for a Beard and a Simon award. If you were to survey ever wine writer in the world, I think that 99.9% would say that the most frequent question asked of them is – can you recommend a good wine that costs less than $10 (in local currency)? The first half of the book is the more enjoyable: how wine culture had evolved and stories about the creators of value wines such as Fred Franzia and Two-Buck Chuck, John Casella and [yellow tail], and the French investors in Chinese wine. The last half is the guide to best buys: he lists 10 wines for 34 of the more popular wine varieties (along with a gratuitous two wines that cost above $10), then 10 value brands from 12 regions around the world, and then his 10 favourite box wines. Many of these wines are available in Canada, save the boxes, but at $12 - $15 or so. Bottom line for this book: the publisher says it includes more than 400 recommended wines under $10 US national retail (and many of those wines are often discounted or on sale most of the time). Ultimately, the list of wines matters. Few people really want to actually read about modestly-priced wine; they just want a checklist to take with them into a liquor store. The same situation works at the high end too, where buyers don’t mind paying $50 or more for a wine, but it had better get 94 points from Parker if they are going to drop that kind of money. So, they make their lists too, cribbed from other wine books. Chacun a son gout. Taber concludes with a bibliography of source readings. Audience and level of use: those interested in wine bargains. Some interesting or unusual facts: he has the important Tim Hanni Taste Sensitivity Assessment test. The downside to this book: it could have been a long article or a shorter, mass market paperback selling for under $10, like the wines. The upside to this book: there are good selections of wines here. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 10. GLUTEN-FREE MADE SIMPLE (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2011, 216 pages, ISBN 978-0-312-55066-0, $24.99 US paper covers) is by the team of Carol Field Dahlstrom, Elizabeth Dahlstrom Burnley, and Marcia Schultz Dahlstrom. It’s an easy book to use, with many photos of techniques and finished plates. There are about 100 preps with nutritional analysis for each, plus icons to indicate high protein, low fat, egg free, casein-free, whole grain or vegetarian. For those with celiac disease, foods must be totally gluten-free. In most cases, a vigilant eye can check on food products. But with breads or any prep requiring flours, extra thought must be made. Thus, I usually head for the bread-dessert section in any of these gluten-free cookbooks. Here, there is a good assortment of recipes, but I do find it strange that several different pre-packaged flour mixes are used. Usually, many books rely on just one named mix, with a reference to “any other similar type mix”. This book refers to at least three pre-packaged mixes for all-purpose gluten-free flours. I would have thought that it might be more economical, and simpler, to just have one brand, and buy several packages at once. Or, if you do a lot of baking, make your own pre-packaged mix. But the Dahlstroms don’t give the reader a recipe for a DIY mix. Perhaps there is one at their website, www.gluten-freemadesimple.com. Arrangement in the book is by course, and there is a glossary and resources list. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The index is followed by a listing of the various recipes by icon (e.g., egg-free, casein-free, etc.). Audience and level of use: those who are gluten intolerant. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: eating out can be a problem. It is best to have a pre-made “Dining Card” which lists gluten products, and to remind servers about cross-contamination (it is not enough to just pick out croutons from a salad). The downside to this book: I’m not sure what the flour matter is about. The upside to this book: there is a chapter on gluten-free lifestyle. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 11. SOUP OF THE DAY; 365 recipes for every day of the year (Weldon Owen, 2011, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-1670, $34.95 US hard covers) is by Kate Macmillan, who runs a catering company and teaches at Tante Marie’s in San Francisco, It is one of the Williams-Sonoma cookbook series, so it would be prominently featured in its stores. There’s a soup 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 soup, and types of herbs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There are to indexes: one by alphabetical name, the other by type (Asia-style soups, chili, chilled, chowder, fruit soups, grain-based, puréed, stews, vegetarian, etc.). Audience and level of use: soup lovers and those looking for new ideas. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: as I write this review, I should be consuming gingery beef broth with soba noodles and bok choy, or broccoli and cheddar soup, or citrusy seafood soup, or roast pork and don noodle soup, or kumquat-carrot puree with toasted fennel seeds (January 18 – 22). The downside to this book: the actual listing of a recipe per a certain day may seem a bit to confining to some. The upside to this book: it encourages SLOFE principles (seasonal, local, organic, fast, and easy). Quality/Price Rating: 87. 12. HOME BAKED COMFORT; featuring mouthwatering recipes and tales of the sweet life with favorites from bakers across the country (Weldon Owen, 2011; distr. Simon & Schuster, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-200-4, $34.95 US hard covers) is from the Williams-Sonoma line of cook books, here authored by Kim Laidlaw, a professional baker and cookbook editor. There are about 100 preps here with the stress on “home” and “comfort” (although tidying up is still required). There are a series of breakfast foods, breads, cookies and bars, cakes and cupcakes, pies and tarts, finishing with custards and soufflés. Virtually a complete range for the home cook. There is the usual primer-type info about baking tools, ingredients, tips and advice, plus maintaining a pantry. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, and there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home bakers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: angel biscuits, lemon- blueberry drizzle bread, chocolate crinkle cookies, orange-whisky cake, apple-cinnamon hand pies, Mexican caramel flan. The downside to this book: I think this needs the Sonoma-Williams cachet to push the book, otherwise it is very competitive out there for the home baked cooking market. There may also be fallout due to Paula Deen. Who knows? The upside to this book: the preps can call for scaling as an alternative to volumes. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 13. BEAN BY BEAN (Workman Publishing, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 370 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-3241-7, $15.95 US paper covers) is by the prolific Crescent Dragonwagon, who has authored seven cookbooks, including the Beard winner “Passionate Vegetarian”. She has grown more than 31 bean varieties. Here are more than 175 recipes for all manner of beans, including lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, cannellini, favas, haricot verts, shell beans, tofu and peanuts. There are the basic primers for the types of beans: selecting, storing, preparing, cooking, and styles (dried, fresh, shell, canned, and dehydrated). She begins with apps, such as peanuts and garbanzos. Then she moves on to soups and salads, followed by chili and stews, baked beans and casseroles, skillet stir fries, and then beans and grains, followed by a few desserts. 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: German-style green bean, potato and bacon salad; Petaluma chili; yellow-eye beans redux; dal; Greek gigantes soup-stew; bhujia; vegetarian cassoulet; red bean ice cream; green gram payasam. The downside to this book: I’d still like to see metric measurements in recipes. The upside to this book: great range of tasty 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 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. MASALA FARM; stories and recipes from an uncommon life in the country (Chronicle Books, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 239 pages, ISBN 978- 0-8118-7233-1, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Suvir Saran, a NYC chef (Devi) who is a city boy from India now running a farm in upstate New York. He splits his time between the farm and Manhattan. It has been written with the assistance of Raquel Pelzel and Charlie Burd, the latter his partner. Log rollers include Marion Nestle, Ted Allen, Gael Greene and Frances Mayes. The 67-acre farm is home to goats, alpacas, ducks, geese, chickens and predators. It’s a memoir collection of food stories, arranged by season, with 80 recipes scattered about. Meal planning is a must. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Recipes are brisk but detailed enough, and cover a range of cuisines, mostly influenced by Indian cooking. This is mainly a cookbook with a few stories. Some preps include chai cider, lamb pastrami, sweet and sour butternut squash, spicy pulled pork, veal chops with mustard-herb sauce, and birbal kee khitcheree tomatoes. 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. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 15. THE FRENCH WOMEN DON’T GET FAT COOKBOOK (Atria Books, 2010, 2012; distr. Simon & Schuster, 298 pages, ISBN 978-1-4391-4897-6, $16 U paper covers) is by Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women Don’t Get Fat. Not only did we all know she would write a cookbook based on that bestselling book, but also we knew that it would be in paperback t some point. Thus, this is the 2012 soft cover re-issue of the hardbound book. She reiterates how to enjoy food and stay slim, with recipes to back it up. Nine of these preps had appeared in two of her previous books. Her organization centres around breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try haricots verts salad with peaches and almonds, apple compote with pistachios, quinoa with almonds and hazelnuts and apricots, spaghetti with lime and arugula, orecchiette with broccoli rabe and sausage, or vegetable curry. There are shopping lists and chapters dealing with health concerns. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 16. FISH FOREVER; the definitive guide to understanding, selecting, and preparing healthy, delicious, and environmentally sustainable seafood (John Wiley & Sons, 2007, 2012, 438 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-16941-4, $21.99 US paper covers) is by Paul Johnson, owner of the Monterey Fish Market and supplier to many top California chefs (Waters, Keller, Bertolli) and serves on the board of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. Some of the royalties are being donated to “Save Our Wild Salmon”. This is the paperback reprint of the 2007 hard cover book. His book tries to show us how to chose seafood that is both sustainable and healthy, despite many ecological and lifesmart issues. He tries to find the least-endangered, least-contaminated, and best- tasting species. There are 70 of these (anchovies, bluefish, squid, tilapia, clams, weakfish, black sea bass, et al) and 96 recipes to use them. Did you know that Alaskan Pollock is 40% of all fish caught in US waters? Just about all of it is frozen and processed to imitation- seafood (e.g., crab). This is FOUR BILLION pounds annually, and is mostly sold to restaurants and supermarkets, packaged for the latter as “breaded fish”. He has an appendix dealing with omega-3s and mercury (called a “balancing act”), raw seafood, a glossary of health concerns, organic pollutants, fishing and aquaculture methods. The bibliography lists Internet sites. You could try catfish tacos, Mediterranean baked cod, minestrone, yellowtail snapper with tomato and tarragon pan sauce, snapper seviche, and slow-roasted salmon salad. There have been the inevitable changes since 2007, such as more Pollock turning up on the shelves and skate is now endangered on the East coast (restos are encouraged to avoid it). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 17. BEER FOR DUMMIES, 2d ed. (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 340 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-12030-9, $22.99 US paper covers) is by Marty Nachel, a certified beer judge, and Steve Ettlinger, an author of food books. The first edition was in 1996, so this is virtually a brand new book since it is now 15 years later. It is billed as “the fun and friendly guide to all things beer”, with an emphasis on how to taste and evaluate beer. There are basics on ingredients like hops, malt, and barley, plus the differences between lagers and ales. Along the way, there are sections on the best beer festivals, tastings, and events around the world as well as tips for pouring, storing, and drinking beer like an expert. New coverage on the various styles of beer found around the world including: real ale, barrel aged/wood aged beer, organic brews, and extreme beer. Nachel has some updated profiles on the flavor and body of each beer, explaining why beers taste the way they do, as well as their strengths and ideal serving temperatures. He also tells how to read a label, beer-and-food pairings, and cooking with beer. Recipes have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Canada and Mexico get one page each, with a sidebar dedicated to the LCBO and The Beer Store. Quality/price rating: 87. 18. MY COOKING CLASS: Indian Basics; 85 recipes illustrated step by step (Firefly, 2011, unpaged, ISBN 978-1-55407-939-1, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Jody Vassallo, an Ayurveda traditional medicine cook. There are no specific page references here, but each prep is numbered and indexed. “The recipes are presented in complete visual sequences, step by step from start to finish.” Every utensil is photographed from above in colour, and the ingredients are shown in the correct quantity and in the order that it will be used. The book was originally published in 2010 in French by Marabout, and then later translated. There are written instructions and tasks are demonstrated. Advice and variations are also given. It is a good format. There is a glossary, eight menus, and some notes on Ayurvedic cooking. Useful recipes include grilled fish in banana leaf, lamb biryani, butter chicken, chewy spiced yogurt cake, and a variety of dals. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 19. MY COOKING CLASS: preserving basics; 77 recipes illustrated step by step (Firefly, 2011, unpaged, ISBN 978-1-55407-942-1, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Jody Vassallo, who has written over two dozen cookbooks. There are no specific page references here, but each prep is numbered and indexed. “The recipes are presented in complete visual sequences, step by step from start to finish.” Every utensil is photographed from above in colour, and the ingredients are shown in the correct quantity and in the order that it will be used. The book was originally published in 2011 in French by Marabout, and then later translated. There are written instructions and tasks are demonstrated. Advice and variations are also given. It is a good format. There are food charts, pectin charts and storage charts. Useful recipes include spreads (curds, butters, chocolate), jellies, marmalades, mustards, chutneys and relishes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 20. PROFESSIONAL EVENT COORDINATION. 2d ed. (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 492 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-56071-6, $70 US hard covers) is by Julia Rutherford Silvers, an academic and industry consultant to the hospitality trade. She’s a multiple award winner who conducts workshops and lectures around the world. The book was first published nine years ago in 2003, and here has been completely overhauled. She covers a range from small parties of ten to large corporate events for 10,000. This includes her takes on design, project management, site selection, site development, safety and security issues, food and beverage management, and entertainment. It is a good reference work for practitioners and students, with case studies, forms and checklists, online resources, and discussion questions. New in the previous decade have been such things as mobile devices, virtual conferencing, social media, and the need for green and sustainable practices, and these are admirably covered here. There are both suggestions for additional reading and a bibliography. Quality/price rating: 87. 21. MEALS IN MINUTES: EASY DESSERTS (Weldon Owens, 2007, 2011, 112 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-215-8, $9.99 US paper covers) comes form the previously published “Desserts” in the Food Made Fast series. Okay, so now everything is both easy and fast. The recipes were developed by Elinor Klivans. Everything is either 15 minutes (hands-on time) or 30 minutes total – the book is arranged that way. There is a buttery cookie dough to freeze and use in many of the dessert recipes found here. And there are nine other preps to make that can be stored. Strewn about are tips, suggestions and ideas on planning. A well-stocked pantry is suggested. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try cherry clafoutis, spicy chocolate truffles, toasted almond gelato, blackberry fool, or hot fudge parfaits. Quality/price rating: 89. 22. PRAIRIE HOME BREADS; 150 splendid recipes from America’s breadbasket (Harvard Common Press, 2001, 2011, 230 pages, ISBN 978-1- 55832-173-1, $14.95 US paper covers) is by Judith M. Fertig, who has had Beard and IACP cookbook nominations. She specializes in Midwestern US regional cuisine. The book was originally published in 2001, and here, a decade later, is the paperback reprint. It is a farmland bread book, full of rusticity. There are whole-grain breads, Sunday dinner breads, breakfast muffins, scones, dessert breads, teatime treats and pastries. Biscuits, crackers, popovers, coffee cakes, rolls and buns complete the picture. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. This is a very interesting collection of recipes, with some historical preps that have been updated. Try Russian Mennonite sour rye bread, herbed polenta bread, pizza pollotate, Amish pinwheel bread, Dakota territory sourdough potato bread, or spoon rolls. Quality/price rating: 88. ----------------------------------------------------