AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR NOVEMBER 2011 ====================================== 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: 2011 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. TEA; history, terroirs, varieties (Firefly Books, 2011, 270 pages, ISBN 978-1-55407-937-7, $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 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 15 recipes by Quebecois chefs). 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 metric equivalents. Throughout the book, there are profiles of tea growers. Audience and level of use: travelers, tea lovers, food reference book collectors. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: 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 imparts unique character to a tea. The downside to this book: nothing, really – it is a very comprehensive book. The upside to this book: great pictures and layout. Quality/Price Rating: 92. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. FLAVOURS OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND; a culinary journey (Whitecap, 2010, 260 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-009-9, $39.95 CAD soft covers) is by the culinary team of Jeff McCourt, Allan Williams, and Austin Clement, all chefs associated with either the Culinary Institute of Canada or the PEI Association of Chefs and Cooks (or even both). It is a tribute to the food of PEI, and won the major Gold award at the Cuisine Canada Culinary Book Awards 2011 in the English Canadian Culinary Culture category. Recipes come from all over the island, and photography is by James Ingram. Chapters are arranged by ingredient. Clement, for example, takes on clams, beef, pork, potatoes and cheese, while the others handle mussels, oysters, lobsters, tuna, apples, blueberries, cranberries, and mushrooms. There is even a chapter on wine and spirits; Rossignol Winery is well-known for its fruit wines. Each chapter tells you what and when to buy or how to forage. You can recreate a typical PEI meal at home. The book is oversized, which makes it terrific for leading and spaces. The large fonts are easy on the eyes, and the paperback make it easy for a table layout. Usually, though, with a posh “coffee table” type book like this, I make photocopies of the recipes I’d be trying out. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: armchair travelers, PEI Canadian cuisine lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: haddock seafood chowder; grilled halibut with summer salsa; ham rapure; herb and potato-crusted oysters; hearty braised pork; maple and cider-glazed braised pork belly. The downside to this book: it is such a lovely book, I wish it could have been done up as a hard case-bound book. The upside to this book: Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. RUHLMAN’S TWENTY; 20 techniques, 100 recipes, a cook’s manifesto (Chronicle Books, 2011, 368 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7643-8, $40 US hard covers) is by Michael Ruhlman, who has been associated with Thomas Keller (French Laundry) as a co-author of many food books. Indeed, there is also advanced log rolling here with such as Keller, Alton Brown (Iron Chef), and Dorie Greenspan. Not that there is anything wrong with that; the original subtitle was “the ideas and techniques that will make you a better cook”. It is also festooned with over 250 photographs, mainly for techniques to illustrate the twenty topics. The book is arranged by technique, and includes salt, water, onion, acid, egg, butter, dough, batter, sugar, sauce, braise, poach, grill, fry, etc. There are no surprises here which make the book good for a basic drill beginner. But there is also an amazing amount of depth, which makes the book useful for intermediate learners. Ruhlman explains the hows and whys of each technique and then gives recipes to illustrate his points. All courses are covered, from soups to desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric (mostly) and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There’s a primer on equipment and planning, as well as sources for more information or products. You could also check www.ruhlman.com for kinds of additional material and for updates. Audience and level of use: intermediate cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: fish tacos with guacamole; grilled spring veggies; grilled pear salad; braised lamb shanks with lemon confit; cold snap pea soup; Dutch oven bread; savory bread pudding; pastrami short ribs. The downside to this book: I just wish it wasn’t so heavy, almost 4 pounds of clay-based paper. The upside to this book: there is a handy ribbon book marker. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 4. THE INTOLERANT GOURMET; glorious food without gluten & lactose (Artisan, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-579765-1, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Barbara Kafka, an award-winning cookbook author and free-lance writer who was a recipient of the James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. She has a collection of some 300 preps here, with sections on breakfast, hors d’oeuvre, apps, pastas, risottos, soups, salads – right through to desserts. Quinoa gets enough space for 10 recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who need to be free of gluten and lactose. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: although they are unrelated genetically, lactose intolerance and gluten intolerance often occur in the same person. They can vary in evidencing their presence or intensity over time, but they do not disappear. Gluten intolerance has increased ten fold over the past decade; 60% of the North American population cannot fully digest dairy. The downside to this book: the closing chapter on starches might have been more useful at the front of the book. The upside to this book: there’s a good section on polenta. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5. COOK WITHOUT A BOOK; meatless meals (Rodale, 2011, 276 pages, ISBN 978-1-60529-176-5, $32.50 US hard covers) is by Pam Anderson, a bestselling author of a half-dozen award winning (or nominated) cookbooks, including “How to Cook Without a Book”, one of my faves. Here she tackles vegetarian and vegan foods in about 250 basic meal templates, styled as her earlier book. She opens with breakfast foods (she has a liberal definition for the first meal of the day): oats, grits, wraps, pizzas, potatoes and eggs, chipped veggies on toast, pancakes, and sweet scones and bran muffins. This is the first quarters of the book. Then begins, “fun food the rest of the day”, with chapters on salads, soups, stews, sandwiches, afternoon eggs and potatoes, and some quick idea on fast food (Italian, Asian, Mexican). But of course, her use of cheese and eggs does limit its usefulness for vegans. In fact, if there is an overarching philosophy here, it is that we should all eat less meat, and here are some nifty preps for us. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegetarians, and to a lesser extent, vegans. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: a master formula for skillet potatoes and eggs (which also calls for varying amounts of feta or goat cheese, or swiss and cheddar, plus accompanying spices and herbs for variations); savoury scones with variations on cheeses and flavourings; grain and legume salads which are dairy-free. The downside to this book: there may not be enough here to interest vegans, yet the book’s PR info on the dust jacket is directed to vegans. The upside to this book: variety is supposed to be the spice of life, and it certainly is with food. She advocates being a part-time vegan or vegetarian if you do not want the commitment. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 6. POULET; more than 50 remarkable meals that exalt the honest chicken (Chronicle Books, 2011, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-8116-7969-9, $27.50 US hard covers) is by Cree LeFavour, cookbook author (The Steak Book, 2008). Overall, there are 150 preps here for the 50 meals, which are categorized by flavour profiles or regions. First up is the American chicken meal, followed by the “Bistro” chicken (mostly French, mainly European), Latin chicken, East Asian, South Asian, and Africa (including the Middle East). It is an interesting concept, and it works. Each meal, such as the Sorrel Chicken Troisgros, serves 4, and usually calls for a 1 to 2 kilo chicken, the appropriate seasoning, and some veggie or salad or bread accompaniment (no dessert). Here, the veggie is pea puree. This chicken prep has been adapted from Troisgros’ signature salmon plate. Many recipes in the book only call for thighs, which are actually the most flavourful part of the chicken. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. All the classics appear to be here, including Sengalese chicken, saffron chicken, chicken in parchment, and chicken pot pie. She even has some wine, cocktail and beer suggestions. Audience and level of use: home cooks looking for a routine but with different ingredients. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: roadside chicken tacos; chankonabe; grilled thighs with BBQ; chicken-fennel meatballs; truffled roast chicken; chicken-vegetable kadhi. The downside to this book: I could not find a prep for chicken cacciatore. Was this an oversight? The upside to this book: a chicken for every week of the year, with a turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas? Quality/Price Rating: 87. 7. THE BIG HANDOUT (Rodale, 2011, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-60961-113-2, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Thomas M. Kostigen, a co-author of The Green Book. The subtitle says it all: “how government subsidies and corporate welfare corrupt the world we live in and wreak havoc on our food bills.” He tries to give us an expose of how subsidies pervert our North American way of living, making us fatter, poorer and unhealthy. There are a couple of references to Canada (none to the European Union) which show us in a more favourable light, but just barely. And of course it is all about Big Ag and protectionism. There’s a lot here to digest, but none of it is new. Government subsidies seem to have been around forever (think sugar and corn lobbies). Currently, the most heavily subsidized commodities are cotton, wheat, corn, soy, and oil: over $200 billion per year. We end us spending good money for bad business practices. He ends the book with chapters suggesting what we can do to make change, and what the world would look like without subsidies. At the back, there’s a sources list and an index. Audience and level of use: conspiracy theory readers, those with low blood pressure. Some interesting or unusual facts: subsidies are government grants to private businesses if it is advantageous to the public. Subsidies enable businesses to actually charge MORE than a free market system, and can create goods that aren’t even produced for sale (kept off the market). It is all artificial pricing. The downside to this book: he doesn’t cover the EU, where the situations can be even worse. The upside to this book: good writing style that convinces. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 8. THE GOLDEN-BRISTLED BOAR; last ferocious beast of the forest (University of Virginia Press, 2011; distr. by Scholarly Book Services, 183 pages, ISBN 978-0-8139-3103-6, $22.95 US hard covers) is by Jeffrey Greene, an award-winning poet who has written books about living in Burgundy and the Bamberger Texas restoration project. Here, he returns to Burgundy. He bought a place in northern Burgundy that was one of the most densely populated boar areas in Europe. Following the gift of a side of boar from a neighbor and meeting a boar-hunting party, he began to collect information about boars. Boars seem to have no natural enemies, except for man. They are regarded as pests in many cultures, and throughout history have been thusly portrayed. They cause over 14,000 car accidents a year in France alone. I used to know a chef in Menton who loved hunting boars but always dreaded having to carry one down a mountainous ravine. Greene delves into boar lore, and travels to Sardinia, Corsica, Tuscany, and the US South in pursuit of stories. He interviews museum curators, scientists, hunters, chefs, chateau owners, and others. He’s even got some wide-ranging recipes such as roast loin, jabali (Spanish adobo), Inoshishi botan nabe hot pot, Wildschweinschnitzel from German immigrants in Texas, Cinghiale (Italian boar ragu), and Burgundian sanglier. These preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Unfortunately for us in Ontario, all wild boar sold here is farmed, so the flavour has been muted. Audience and level of use: wild animal lovers, culinary historians. Some interesting or unusual facts: In England, indigenous boars were rendered extinct in the thirteenth century, but many escapees from boar-breeding farms have brought them back. Natural England, an advisory board, recognizes the boar as indigenous and wishes to manage the population. The downside to this book: there is the occasional illustration, but the book could use more. The upside to this book: a good, solid, single ingredient/product book Quality/Price Rating: 89. 9. CRAZY ABOUT CAKES; more than 150 delectable recipes for every occasion (Sterling, 2011, 370 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-6914-6, $17.95 US paper covers) is by Krystina Castella, who has also written a whole crazy series: “Crazy About Cupcakes”, “Crazy About Cookies” – and now “Cakes”. It is a useful book if you like to bake AND decorate. Many people do. There is something every occasion here (birthdays, brunches, holidays, weddings, and the like), plus everyday cakes. There are also some modern interpretations of classics that contain less fat, fewer calories, and more natural ingredients. There are also some savoury cakes and some fusion cakes too. She has plenty of variations too. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who like to bake and decorate. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: peanut sesame raspberry roll; banana agave cakes; chocolate fried twinkies; cream-filled cupcakes; chocolate chip cranberry roll; butterscotch and sea salt bundts; meringue layers with marshmallow filling; jalapeno cake with molasses. The downside to this book: volume measures are used, but I prefer scaling by weight. It is more exact. The upside to this book: good looking photos of decorations. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 10. THE BONNE FEMME COOK BOOK; simple, splendid food that French women cook every day (Harvard Common Press, 2011, 420 pages, ISBN 978-1- 55832-749-8, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Wini Moranville, who writes a monthly wine column and reviews restaurants in and around Des Moines, IA. She’s also a free lance writer. Log rolling comes from Dorie Greenspan and Amanda Hesser. Here she deconstructs French cooking for North American kitchens by presenting what she has learned after twenty years of summering in France. It’s the bonne femme housewife style, which she extols at www.chezbonnefemme.com. This current book is a collection of some 250 preps, done up in the French family style of dining (a style, I might add, that seems to be disappearing). Her book ranges from appetizers (amuse-bouches of hard sausages, olives, nuts and cheese) and cocktails to salads, soups, the concept of saute and deglaze (a meal in 30 minutes or less), braises-stews-roasts, casseroles and pasta, side dishes, savouries, eggs and cheese, and desserts. Still, she mentions that she cannot recall ever being served home-baked desserts in French homes. “That’s not to say that French women don’t bake, it’s just that they don’t have to.” – there are many pastry shops in France. She uses three cheeses in cooking: goat, sheep, and French Gruyere (Comte); the latter tastes better than Swiss Gruyere. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois volume measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: the harried North American home cook Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: In her book, she mostly offers the kinds of desserts that French women would bake at home: crêpes, upside-down cakes, a pear tart tatin, a fruit crumble, crème brulee, clafouti, Alsatian apple tart, and chocolate pound cake. Vermouth-Braised Chicken with Black Olives and Prosciutto; Moroccan- Spiced Chicken Braise Ce Soir; Poulet Bijoutière (chicken–braised with garlic, wine, pomegranate juice and a touch of currant jelly); Choucroute Garnie; Normandy Pork Chops; Tuna Steaks Braised with Tomatoes, Olives, and Fennel. The downside to this book: call me a snob, but I’d still like to read French recipe titles in addition to English language ones. The upside to this book: a good idea for a book – fast food French style. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 11. ECO-INNOVATORS; sustainability in Atlantic Canada (Nimbus Publishing, 2011, 199 pages, ISBN 978-1-55109-863-0, $22.95 CAD paper covers) is by Chris Benjamin, currently the “Sustainable City” columnist for The Coast, a Halifax newspaper. He is also an awards- nominated novelist. Here he profiles some of Atlantic Canada’s innovative sustainability leaders: entrepreneurs, educators, activists, farmers, and fishermen – about three dozen in all. As Benjamin says, each person featured in this book has a different idea about what it means to be green. But they all have respect for natural resources and they all want to work communally. Chapters are by themes, with recycling, reusing, choosing a home, using household cleaners, lawns, transportation, and the work place. For us in the food and wine area, there are interesting profiles on green gourmets choosing sustainable foods, such as David and Edith Ling of Fair Acres Farms, Richard Wetmore of Speerville Flour Mill, Sean Gallagher of Terroir-Local Source Catering, Steve Law and Evelyn Jones of Sunroot Farm, and Chris Hudson of Off the Hook fishery. There’s a bibliography for further reading, but no index. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 12. WHOLE BEAST BUTCHERY; the complete visual guide to beef, lamb, and pork (Chronicle Books, 2011, 239 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0059-3, $40 US hard covers) is by Ryan Farr, chef and butcher. He and his wife founded 4505 Meats in San Francisco in 2009, an artisanal meat company, where he also teaches butchery and charcuterie. Birgit Binns assisted him; she’s an author or co-author of about two dozen cookbooks. As we all know, meat has been back for some time, but it takes awhile for publishers to get manuscripts/ideas and then produce a book – about two years. This is a basic nose-to-tail book, with all the basics in techniques and more than 500 photos. It’s a bones and muscle book, with lots of white fat in each picture. There’s a primer on tools and techniques, meat storage and handling, plus some 14 master recipes scaled from 2 to 20 people. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks who want DIY butchery, and others who want to know about the process. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: beef tongue pastrami; onion- braised beef neck; merguez sausage; charred scallion pork sausage; pork jowl and clams; pork belly and garbanzo soup. The downside to this book: the beef section is admirable, but I’m not so sure how to tackle a cow in my house. Maybe veal. Lamb and pigs can be done at home. The upside to this book: good reference material. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 13. THE GOOD HOUSEKEEPING TEST KITCHEN COOKBOOK; essential recipes for every home cook (Hearst Books, 2011, 690 pages, ISBN 978-1-58816-905-1, $29.95 US ring binder) has been coordinated by Susan Westmoreland from the Test Kitchen. The group performs 1700 taste tests every year, from preps that have been triple-tested to make sure the recipe works. This is GH’s first ring-binder book. Fourteen chapters include breakfast, brunch, stews, soups, meats, pasta, casseroles, meatless, salads, and desserts, 375 recipes in all. There are tips and advice, photos, techniques, and nutritional analyses. Preps are coded with icons for lo-cal, heart-healthy, 30-minute meals, make aheads, or slow-cooker recipes. There are even smartphone tags that link to 35 GH cooking videos on the web. Audience and level of use: general home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: the turkey with roasted apples and pan gravy recipe has a link to a video for “Best Do-Ahead Gravy”, as well as an explanation of wild turkey, thawing instructions, and shopping tips. The downside to this book: the ring binder is useful for detaching the recipe from the book, but there may be a pilferage problem in stores and libraries. The upside to this book: there’s other material here, such as setting a table, food and wine matches, an entertaining guide, ingredient substitutions, freezer guidelines, and handy charts. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 14. A TASTE BOF THE MARITIMES; local, seasonal recipes the whole year round (Nimbus Publishing, 2011, 150 pages, ISBN 978-1-55109-869-2, $22.95 CAD soft covers) is by Elizabeth Bailey, a food and gardening writer with a passion for the Maritimes. She says that over 90 percent of food eaten in the Maritimes today is imported. But there are many local foods in supermarkets, farmers markets, CSAs, co-ops, and natural food stores. And of course, they are seasonally available. Most of the preps can be used anywhere in North America, although fiddleheads, Dragon’s Breath cheese, and various seafood might be limited. The arrangement is by season, with two chapters for summer (early and late), about 20 for each. Interspersed are profiles of Speerville Flour Mill, Galloping Cows Fine Foods, Fox Hill Cheese House, Canadian Organic Maple Company, and several others. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: Maritime food lovers, seasonal food lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: scape and ginger bisque; fiddleheads and bacon; inside-out Dragon burgers; heritage bean chili; late summer rum and fruit salad. The downside to this book: while a nifty basic book, it covers a larger range than merely local Maritime foods. The upside to this book: the profiles illuminate the foods of the Maritimes. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 15. HANDHELD PIES; dozens of pint-size sweets & savories (Chronicle Books, 2011, 143 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0214-6, $19.95 US hardbound) is by Sarah Billingsley, a cookbook editor, and Rachel Wharton, a Beard Award-winning food writer and editor. These are all small treats, eaten with one hand, often also called “two biters” – a tart that can be consumed in two bites, and perfect (for the most part) at cocktail parties or other social, walkabout events. Or, take some to lunch. There are about 40 preps here, plus variations, arranged by format, such as free-form pies, structured pies, and jar pies. At the end there is a section on pie crusts, which are referred to in the recipe (cream, cheese crust, butter crust, chocolate crumb, lard crust, and more. There is also a run down on the more common fruit fillings. Many chapters have the occasional profile on pie businesses, such as The Original Fried Pie Shop. It’s a great idea, and the only thing lacking is the use of any gluten-free adaptations. It isn’t even mentioned, although they have almost a page on using locally milled grains. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The weight measurements are scaled in the metric, but not in the avoirdupois. Audience and level of use: home cooks who entertain. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: bacon, egg and cheese breakfast pie; orange marmalade-mascarpone pop tarts; mozzarella, tomato and prosciutto pie; chicken chile relleno pie. The downside to this book: the lack of gluten-free crusts. The upside to this book: a nifty idea. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 16. RUSTIC ITALIAN; simple, authentic recipes for everyday cooking (Weldon Owen, 2011, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-165-6, $29.95 US hard covers) is from Williams-Sonoma, authored by Domenica Marchetti, a food writer specializing in casual Italian fare. This is her fourth such cookbook. She’s got about 100 simple preps, arranged by course from antipasti, to soups and salads through to dolci. There’s also a short wine guide, a guide to salumi and cheeses, and an inventory of Italian pantry staples. It’s a classy book with first rate photography. But while the recipe titles are in both Italian and English, only the English titles are indexed, which is annoying. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Recipes all come with Italian wine suggestions. Audience and level of use: Italian food lovers, basic home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: roasted delicate squash with sage; tomato tart with goat cheese; cavatelli with zucchini blossoms; Tuscan-style steak with crispy potatoes; spicy sauteed kale and chickpeas; ricotta and bittersweet chocolate crostata. The downside to this book: there are many other books with the classics. The upside to this book: the photos are very appealing. 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 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 – 17. CAKE COUTURE; modern sugar-craft for the stylish baker (Firefly, 2011, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-55407-949-0, $19.95 CAD paper covers) is by Annie Dam, who owns and operates “Cake Couture” cake boutique in Edmonton. It is also published by Quintet Publishing in the UK. She’s written about decorative techniques for publications, and has appeared on Breakfast TV and other place. Here she has written a book about the art of decorating, principally wedding cakes, celebrations and cupcakes. It’s Spanish- and French-influenced (Dam herself comes from Vietnam). The basics are covered in a primer, with over 120 pages devoted to decorating techniques (with photos). In addition, she also covers transporting, displaying and storing. There’s a thumbnail index to such decorations as violet scrolls, cube, black and white ribbons, ribbon roses, ruffled brooch, mardi gras and 14 more. Each recipe has a similar layout. For example, to make a “lustrous peacock”, she outlines tools required (over 30), materials (16), and a timeline beginning one week ahead. There are 17 photos showing techniques and assembling requirements. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 18. THE ROSIE’S BAKERY ALL-BUTTER, CREAM-FILLED, SUGAR-PACKED BAKING BOOK (Workman Publishing, 2011, 418 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-5407-5, $15.95 US paper covers) is by Judy Rosenberg, owner of the Rosie’s Bakery chain in Boston. It was first announced under a different title, with about 300 recipes. Here, that total has dropped to 250. She had written two other baking books (one got an IACP Award) which together sold over 310,000 copies – and this current book combines the “best” of those two books and then adds 40 new ones to the package. The larger arrangement is by category (cakes, cookies, bars, pies and fruit desserts) with smaller groupings for such as layer cakes, bundts, tubes, loaves, rolled cakes, cheesecakes, and cupcakes for the “cakes”. Try truffle soufflé, banana rum bread pudding, peaches and cream custard, stovetop rice pudding, lemon cream cheese squares. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois volume (not weight) measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. You may not need this book if you already have the other two. Quality/price rating: 87. 19. BACK TO BAKING; 200 timeless recipes to bake, share, and enjoy (Whitecap, 2011, 330 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-063-1, $40 CAD hard covers) is by Anna Olson, host of many food shows on Food Network Canada. This is her seventh book with Whitecap, and they honoured her by publishing it in hard covers! It’s a basic book, of course, which she says provides fundamental formulas and guidelines. There is also a higher level of sophistication here for some more complicated preps. So it is a book for both the novice and the adventuresome: muffins, coffee cakes, sticky buns, pies, tarts, cookies, bars, custards, cakes. There’s a whole chapter on gluten-free desserts, with about three dozen preps, plus other chapters on dairy-free desserts, egg-free desserts, and low-fat and/or low-sugar desserts. Try the gluten-free honey almond shortbread, or the pistachio snowball cookies, or the whole wheat carrot sticky buns, or the complicated Hungarian dobos torte. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. And all the ingredients have volumes, and are not scaled. 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”... 20. PRAIRIE HOME COOKING; 400 recipes that celebrate the bountiful harvests, creative cooks, and comforting foods of the American heartland (Harvard Common Press, 1999, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 434 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-145-8, $16.95 US paper covers) is by Judith M. Fertig, who has written extensively about the agriculture and local culinary traditions of the US midwest. It was originally published in 1999 as part of the America Cooks series, and this is a straight reprint (the bibliography has not been updated, which is a shame). It is a worthy collection of preps, with bits of lore accompanying each recipe, and it had been nominated for several awards. It’s arranged in two columns, covering courses from apps to desserts, with extra chapters on breads and breakfasts. Try dilly beer grilled brats, roasted Italian sausage with peppers and potatoes, pan-fried chicken with gravy, and the twice-baked morel-stuffed potatoes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 21. BAKING BY FLAVOUR (John Wiley & Sons, 2002, 2011, 567 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-16967-4, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Lisa Yockelson, a cookbook author and journalist. It was originally published in 2002 and subsequently won an IACP Award. This is the paperback reprint, complete with a ten-year old bibliography. Nevertheless, the return of this book to print is still an occasion. She deals with flavour principles, emphasizing the judicious and selective use of such as coconut, peanuts, rum, ginger, blueberry, banana, almonds, etc. – about 19 in all. There is a chapter for each. For example, under caramel, there is caramel chip cake, butterscotch oatmeal cookies, butterscotch pecan bars, caramel basting sauce, and turtle squares. Volume measurements are used, and as well, preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 22. TEXAS HOME COOKING; 400 terrific and comforting recipes full of big, bright flavors and loads of down-home goodness (Harvard Common Press, 1993, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 584 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-059-8, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Cheryl and Bill Jamison who have written two James Beard Book Award winners. It was originally published in 1993, and here it is back as a straight reissued reprint. Sadly, the bibliography has not been brought up to date, and there’s mostly a 20 year gap between the list and now. However, as part of the America Cooks series, the two-columned book covers all the basics of Texas BBQ, Tex-Mex food, chili, beans and football food. Hearty food indeed. It’s arranged by ingredient, with separate chapters on steak, poultry, game, fish, seafood, breakfasts, desserts, and sides. Try South Texas venison stew, sweet-sour kraut salad, popeye noodles, onion bread pudding, hot kohl, and sausage upside-down cornbread. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 23. MAGICAL MEALS MADE EASY (Gibbs Smith, 2011, 328 pages, ISBN 978-1- 4236-2363-2, $24.99 US hard covers) is a hard bound reprint of four “101 Ways With” cookbooks, written by Stephanie Ashcraft, Donna Kelly, and Toni Patrick who collectively have written dozens of these kinds of books. So this reprint covers 101 Ways With Canned Soup, 101 Ways with Mac ‘n’ Cheese, and Meatballs, and Canned Biscuits. So there are 404 preps here, emphasizing the quick and convenient meals for harried families. You’ll find pork chops and potatoes, slow-cooked potatoes and sausage, macaroni cake, Christmas stew, cheesy triangles, and Caesar meatball kabobs. But only four recipes using Velveeta cheese. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There’s an all-inclusive index as a bonus. Quality/price index: 80. 24. NEW ENGLAND HOME COOKING; 350 recipes from town and country, land and sea, hearth and home (Harvard Common Press, 1999, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 652 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-757-3, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Brooke Dojny, a Beard Award-winning food writer who lives in Maine. She’s authored over a dozen cookbooks, many dealing with New England. It was originally published in 1999 as The New England Cookbook, and here it is back as a straight reissued reprint. Sadly, the bibliography has not been brought up to date, and there’s mostly a 10 year gap between the list and now. However, as part of the America Cooks series, it does celebrate the regional cooking of Down East and the rest of New England. The range (and the arrangement) is from soups to desserts, with chapters on breads and preserves. True Yankee classics include North End clams casino, Wellfleet oysters on the half-shell, Maine- style molasses baked yellow-eyes, New England Cobb salad, Shaker whipped winter squash with Cape Cod cranberries, and Beach House blueberry cobbler. There are also lots of fish and game preps, as well as cider and cheese. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 25. THE APPLE A DAY COOKBOOK (Nimbus Publishing, 1993, 2011, 219 pages, ISBN 978-1-55109-858-6, $16.95 CAD soft covers) is by Janet Reeves, a cookbook author. It was originally published in 1993. There’s no evidence of what’s new, but the layout has changed with a re-setting of the type. It’s been 18 years since the book was published, but apples are a pretty stable commodity, and there was no bibliography or statistical table to update. Recipes are timeless, sourced from all over the world, with many from PEI, Reeves’ home (she says that there are 20 varieties of apples in PEI). The wide range includes all courses. Mains include pork dishes (a natural affinity for apples), plus some apple preps with chicken, curried steak, and an apple-scallop bake. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents, possibly left from the 1993 edition. With one or two recipes on a page, there should be close to 365 preps here. The index is arranged by food category (e.g., muffins) that is bolded. Quality/price rating: 89. 26. KNEADLESSLY SIMPLE; fabulous, fuss-free, no-knead breads (John Wiley & Sons, 2009, 2011, 210 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-16943-8, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Nancy Baggett, a food writer known principally for her dessert cookbooks (one was a Beard winner). It was originally published in 2009, and this is a straight reprint at a $5 reduction. Here she riffs off of Jim Lahey’s successful no-knead slow-rise French bread recipe as captured by Mark Bittman (October, 2006, New York Times) by extending the concept to all kinds of yeast breads. Lahey’s was not the first, but it seemed to be the most popular as evidenced by its spread through the Internet. Baggett has made changes, such as using ice water and refrigeration to slow down the biga. The 75 recipes here are a boon to harried cooks and bakers everywhere. The secret to good bread making, whether you knead or not, is simply a long, slow rise. You’ll only need one bowl, one spoon, some simple steps to follow, and minimal cleanup. What you will get is artisanal bread that is thick, crusty, with moderately sized holes in the crumb. Her details and instructions are precise, with a range of rising times to suit your own schedule. And of course, she has a troubleshooting section. It is worth the effort to read about how to convert your favourite old bread recipe into the newer mode, for then you can convert most anything. There is a 32 page section on “easiest ever yeast breads”, followed by specific chapters on American favourites, Old World classics, multi-grain and gluten-free breads, and sweet breads. She believes that the best yeast for the slow rise is bread machine yeast because it does not need to be re-hydrated; don’t use cake or compressed yeast. The basic technique takes nine steps, and is explained on pages 1 to 3. Each prep here usually has variations: cheddar bread; farmhouse potato bread with dill and olives; English muffin loaves; crusty yeasted cornbread; challah. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The emphasis in the book is on “knowing the rules before breaking them”, which I wholeheartedly agree with, but may rub some people the wrong way in these permissive times. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR OCTOBER 2011 ====================================== 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: 2011 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. UNQUENCHABLE; a tipsy quest for the world’s best bargain wines (Doubleday Canada, 2011, 357 pages, ISBN 978-0-385-66848-4, $29.95 CAD hard covers) is by ubiquitous Natalie MacLean, author of the award- winning bestseller “Red, White and Drunk All Over” and a colleague of mine within the Wine Writers’ Circle of Canada. There’s some log rolling from Kermit Lynch and Francis Mayes. It’s an honest book, seeking honest answers to the best wines in the world at bargain prices. She’s traveled around Niagara, Germany, Australia, Italy, South Africa, Argentina, Portugal and France (eight regions in all) in search of values. In each, she visited 30 to 40 wineries, and tasted a range of wine in all of them. But as she’s said countless times over, the best wine depends on what you are eating, with whom, and what the occasion is. A lot of the book is tied into her website. You can go to www.nataliemaclean.com and do wine-picking with her top-value choices (which include tasting notes, scores, bottle shots, and food matches). There are also website addresses, contact information, pictures, recipes for the dishes she recommends, landscape photos, discussion points for book clubs, and the like. This is good integration with the convergence of static print and electronic websites. So: to cheat a bit, I’ll list her recommendations for Australia – choose from Wolf Blass, Penfolds and Henschke. From Argentina – choose from Catena, Norton, and Zuccardi. You cannot go wrong with any of their wines priced around $15 and up. All of her wine writing is sensible and conversational, so I’m still not sure why the quest has to be “tipsy” or why the illustration on the dust jacket has to be as it is. Audience and level of use: wine drinkers and wine readers, those looking for bargain wines. Some interesting or unusual facts: Most people believe that they can taste the difference between a wine priced at $5 and one at $50….It gets trickier when the difference is between $15 and $30…Rich, layered experiences hold our attention.” The downside to this book: call me old-fashioned, but as I said in my review of Red White and Drunk All Over, I just don’t like the idea of linking wine writing with overindulging. It makes light of a serious subject, for we wine writers all expectorate when tasting. But then, those feelings are just me. I may be wrong. The upside to this book: I like the lists at the end of each chapter, the field notes. Hey, and I just bought some clothes at Guy’s Frenchys in August! Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. APPLE; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2011, 132 pages, ISBN 978- 1-86189-848-7, $17 US hard covers) is by Erika Janik, a freelance writer and producer at Wisconsin Public Radio. BREAD; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2011, 160 pages, ISBN 978- 1-86189-854-8, $18 US hard covers) is by William Rubel, a freelance food historian. CHAMPAGNE; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2011, 136 pages, ISBN 978- 1-86189-857-9, $17 US hard covers) is by Becky Sue Epstein, a journalist writing about food, wine and travel. OLIVE; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2011, 124 pages, ISBN 978-1- 86189-868-5, $17 US hard covers) is by Fabrizia Lanza, a food scholar and owner of a Sicilian cooking school. These books are all part of the Edible Series; they now number some 20 books in a uniform format. Edible is a great series, offering fingernail 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. “Apple” is everywhere in food lore and history, and Janik includes the development of cider in her account. While there are thousands of varieties (and many which are now lost), just 20 types make up 90 per cent of all the apples eaten in the world. “Bread” is 160 pages, but it was announced at 224. I don’t know what was left out, but it appears that one-quarter of it was left on the editor’s desk. It should have been a longer book since bread is a basic, essential food product, a staple of both the rich and the poor. It has been around since before agriculture, may be 25,000 years ago. But not covered is the rise of gluten-free flours. “Champagne” of course emphasizes the wines of one French region, but it does go to pains to distinguish between sparkling wines and Champagnes. Most of the book deals with history and celebratory customs. Reference material here also includes non-Champagne sparklers. “Olive” is a comprehensive book about the Mediterranean, where the olive grove pervades culture, history and food. There are also short sections on the olive outside this region and on the Mediterranean diet. Audience and level of use: culinary historians, food lovers. Some interesting or unusual facts: Apples came from the mountains of Kazakhstan. Sparkling wines have an affinity with monks. Olive paste is a very early use of olives as food. 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. MAKE THE BREAD, BUY THE BUTTER (Free Press, 2011; distr. Simon and Schuster, 296 pages, ISBN 978-1-4516-0587-7, $27.99 US hard covers) is by Jennifer Reese, a former book critic for Entertainment Weekly and now teaches cooking classes. She deals with the issues of food processing, natural foods, and agricultural processing – all important topics. She makes the case that you don’t have to make everything from scratch, but you do need to be careful about what you buy. You should be able to make your own pancakes, chocolate cake, guacamole, eggs benedict, hummus, cured meats, braised beef, and bagels. It is always cheaper, you spend less money, to make your own. You could also, with a bit more time, make your own pasta, chocolates, graham crackers, applesauce, mayonnaise, tortillas, and roasted chicken. But it pays (at least in time) to buy baguettes, sashimi, burritos, English muffins, and other items. Read the book to find out why. Certainly, you’ll need to make your own croissants! Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Each of the 120 recipes gets a slight cost-benefit analysis. Audience and level of use: home cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: everyday bread; rye bread; yogurt; croissants; duck egg ravioli; orange-apricot preserve. The downside to this book: with just a little more effort and appreciation from the home front, home cooks could be making more recipes than Reese proposes. The upside to this book: nice idea. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 4. HOW TO MAKE BREAD; step-by-step recipes for yeasted breads, sourdoughs, soda breads and pastries (Ryland, Peters & Paul, 2011, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-140-7, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Emmanuel Hadjiandreou, who learned his craft in a German bakery and then went to work for Gordon Ramsay. He’s an award-winner, currently teaching bread- making in the UK. It’s a typical technique book, outlining more than 60 varieties of artisanal bread. Wheat-free and gluten-free preps are also included in their own chapter. Recipes scaled, for weight: preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The photos are stunning – all breads look so natural and rustic, chewable. Audience and level of use: breadmakers looking for new breads. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: wholegrain fruit soda bread; multi-grain seeded bread; ciabatta; pecan raisin bread; tsoureki; Armenian flatbreads; polenta sourdough. The downside to this book: not only is the typeface for the index small, but the print is on grey-brown paper stock, making it exceedingly difficult to read. The upside to this book: there’s a gluten-free bread prep with two variations and a gluten-free corn bread. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5. SEE MIX DRINK; a refreshingly simple guide to crafting the world’s most popular cocktails (Little, Brown and Company, 2011, 232 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-17671-2, $14.99 US hard covers) is by Brian D. Murphy, a designer and banker. It’s an introductory look, with large illustrations and drawings. For example, the Negroni has a layered glass with vermouth, Campari and gin colours and signs. There is a calorie counter (189) to go along with proportions. There’s a short history on the name, plus a photo of the finished drink. It is really quite simple, and works well, especially if you cannot read (or have had too much to drink). At two pages for every drink, there’s only enough room for the basic 100 classics. Audience and level of use: those who only want to learn the basics. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: the index has a sort by name and by calories per drink. The lowest is Black Velvet at 96, the highest is Long Island Iced Tea at 446 calories. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 6. 365 WAYS TO COOK (Firefly, 2011, 255 pages, ISBN 978-1-55407-916-2, $19.95 CAD soft covers) is by Eleanor Maxfield, who also was the general editor for “1000 Recipes for Simple Family Food”. Here she turns her attention to dinners, with delicious foods that can be customized. As the books says, choose a basic ingredient and follow symbols throughout to find a recipe that works for you. Some of the symbols indicate budget, stuff that kids like, entertaining friends at dinner, weight loss, inspiration, leftovers for lunch the next day, time saving, spicing up, and others – about 10 in all. The seven chapters cover poultry, meat, fish, vegetables, pizza and noodles, rice and grains, and desserts. There is an illustrated table of contents to make it easy to select a dish. 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 cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: there is a basic lemongrass shrimp skewers, followed by a spiced up noodles with shrimp and bok choy, followed by a time saving shrimp and zucchini linguine, a budget shrimp and pea risotto, a kids special of shrimp and mango kebabs, a left over soup with shrimp, shrimp and coconut rice for entertaining, and more. The downside to this book: I wish there were more preps because… The upside to this book: …this is a pretty good idea for a book. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 7. HOME CANNING AND PRESERVING; putting up small batch jams, jellies, pickles, chutneys, relishes and more (SkyHorse Publishing, 2011, 202 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-355-7, $19.95 US spiral bound book) is by Janet Cooper, who has taught home canning. It’s a basic book for making preserves all year round. The emphasis is on “small batch”, which is a bit more labour intensive but produces more variety. There are over 100 preps here. She also has a number of herb and spice blends, plus honeys and tea blends. Certainly, there is something here for everybody. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home canners Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: fig jam, six-fruit chutney, green tomato relish, fruited mincemeat. The downside to this book: spiral-bound, which while useful is also subject to vandalism in libraries and book stores. The upside to this book: the spiral-binding makes the book lie flat. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 8. CULINARY CAREERS FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 368 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-07774-0, $22.99 US paper covers) is by the team of Michele Thomas (International Culinary Institute), Annette Tomaei (food and wine consultant), and Tracey Vasil Biscontini (head of Northeast Editing Inc.). It’s another in the career sub-series of the Dummy guides. Its cast is American, but there is a fair bit of similarity between the two countries so far as the hospitality trade goes, with some variances in legislation and regulation. Preliminary pages work on the differences between culinary schools and on-the-job training; the better schools offer apprenticeships, as most do in Canada. There are sections on working environments: hotels, restaurants, resorts, spas, catering firms. There is also the specialized approach (poissonnier, pastry chefs, personal chefs, recipe developers, scientists, sommeliers) and non-cooking careers such as PR work and marketing. Audience and level of use: career changers, new students in the hospitality trade. The downside to this book: needs more attention to Canada. The upside to this book: top ten reasons to work in the culinary industry, and top ten tips on gaining employment. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 9. COOKIES at Home with the Culinary Institute of America (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 218 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-41227-5, $34.99 US hard covers) is by Todd Knaster, who developed all the recipes in this book for the CIA. It’s one of the new series for the CIA: some “at home” books for the home chef which are not as detailed or as large in quantities as for professional kitchens. So there is primer data on basic baking equipment, ingredients, methods, décor and packaging. This is followed by specific chapters on drop cookies, bars, rolled and sliced cookies, molded and shaped cookies, piped, twice-baked, and savoury cookies. There’s a glossary and a resources list, and a template for a gingerbread house. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Good pictures for techniques. Audience and level of use: home bakers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: black and white cookies; milk chocolate – peanut butter s’mores bars; hamantaschen; French macaroons; Italian taralles; butterscotch cookies. The downside to this book: no gluten-free preps. The upside to this book: good looking photos. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 10. THE FARMER’S COOKBOOK; a back to basics guide to making cheese, curing meat, preserving produce, baking bread, fermenting, and more (SkyHorse Publishing, 2011, 445 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-9, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Marie W. Lawrence, a third generation Vermonter with strong New England roots. Her book is about farmhouse cooking, showing how the urban settler can do his own food instead of buying it processed. There have been several similar books of late, and I can only applaud them all. If you cannot grow it, try a local farmer’s market to get fresh food. This current book is organized by month to correspond with a farmer’s calendar in New England, and it covers the gamut of food choices and availability. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There are two pages of “weights and measures” but these are all insularly American – we need some metric help for sales of the book outside of the USA. A substitutions chart here is very useful. Audience and level of use: home cooks who need help beyond store processing. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: roast duck with autumn berry sauce; veggie tempura; sopapillas with strawberry apple dipping sauce; Scandinavian mushroom turnovers; Vermont cheddar onion bread. The downside to this book: while the food is hearty and substantial, it would have been useful to have some spicy food now and again. Herbs and black pepper are widely used, but not international spices. The upside to this book: there’s a recipe index by month in addition to a general recipe index. Quality/Price Rating: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * 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. TRULY MEXICAN (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 264 pages, ISBN 978-0-470- 49955-9, $35 US hard covers) is by Roberto Santibanez, a well-known Mexican chef-owner of many restaurants. He was culinary director of Rosa Mexicano restaurants, and of Fonda San Miguel. Currently, he runs a consultant firm, Truly Mexican. Here, in this book, he is assisted by J.J. Goode, with Shelley Wiseman as the recipe developer. He is concentrating on salsas, guacamoles, adobos, moles and pipanes. All these sauces and their types can be applied to most foods; hence, you can some up with a great Mexican meal by profiling the sauce. At the end, there is a small section on foods to round out the meal, such as some bean preps, Mexican white or red or green rice, mushrooms and zucchini. Try pasilla and apple mole, lamb shanks braised in parchment, adobo ribs, seafood guacamole, or grilled adobo-marinated skirt steak. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 13. DOS CAMINOS MEXICAN STREET FOOD; 120 authentic recipes to make at home (SkyHorse Publishing, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 282 pages, ISBN 978- 1-61608-279-6, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Ivy Stark, chef at New York’s Dos Caminos. Joanna Pruess is the focusing food writer. There is also some log rolling on the back cover. Street food needs sauces, so Stark opens with a chapter on 12 of them. This is followed by some breakfast food, such as egg dishes, pancakes, biscuits and the like. Vegetables and fruits include street salads as well as pickled red cabbage. There is an assortment of fish, shellfish, beef, pork, and game. Desserts and beverages are also included. This is much more than just street food; it can be family or peasant food as well. Still, preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 14.SPILLING THE BEANS; cooking and baking with beans and grains everyday (Whitecap, 2011, 268 pages, ISBN 9789-1-77050-041-9, $29.95 CAD paper covers) is by Julie Van Rosendaal, a CBC radio host and co- host of TV’s “It’s Just Food”. As well, she edits “Parents Canada” magazine, and runs a food blog dinnerwithjulie.com. Her co-author is Sue Duncan. The book is about beans, legumes, and whole grains, emphasizing their low-fat, high-protein, cholesterol-free, and high- fibre nature. They begin with “Beans for Breakfast” (such as buttermilk waffles with bean puree), apps, salads, sandwiches, soups and stews, one pots, pasta, sides, and desserts (pumpkin chocolate chip loaf cake). It’s not a meatless book, which means that there is room for a lamb shank or two as well as sliders. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 15. FRESH; new vegetarian and vegan recipes from Fresh restaurants (Wiley Publications, 2011, 198 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-67796-4, $29.95 CAD soft covers) is by Jennifer Houston and Ruth Tal, co-owners of Fresh restaurants. Here are 200 preps, most drawn from three previous books (Refresh in 2007, Fresh at Home in 2004, and Juice for Life in 2000) with new material added and updated thoughts on nutrition. The 2007 book was vegan; the current book is both vegetarian and vegan. Most of the preps are off their menus, so there is some familiarity here for their fans and regulars. There are apps, soups, salads, sandwiches and wraps, some entrees (mainly rice bowls), sauces and dressings, sweets, juices, smoothies and the like (about 50 pages for these drinks). The recipes here are what are currently being served at the restaurant; hence, the mushroom pizza is gone (it used to be one of my faves and the fave of my server). Typical dishes include a detox cocktail, grounding greens bowl, kale and oyster mushroom salad, and Portobello pesto sandwich. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 16. PAULA DEEN’S SOUTHERN COOKING BIBLE; the classic guide to delicious dishes, with more than 300 recipes (Simon & Schuster, 2011, 455 pages, ISBN 978-1-4165-6407-2, $29.99 US hard covers) is a very convenient book. It encapsulates all the basic and classic southern US food lore, and makes it easy to prep at any home in North America. Deen, a best- selling cookbook author, Food Network personality, caterer and restaurant owner, magazine publisher (Cooking with Paula Deen), is the one to summarize such US cooking. Here she is assisted by Melissa Clark, a magazine food writer who has also written about three dozen cookbooks. You can call the book a summation. The Low Country of the Carolinas gets prominence, but there’s also room for Cajun, lots of corn, Afro-American foods: biscuits and gravy, she-crab soup, jambalaya, chicken with drop dumplings. And you can’t get more southern than boiled dressing. Arrangement is by course, from apps to sweets. Tips and advice abound. 80% of the 325 recipes are new to this book. There are some illustrations of techniques. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 17. EVERYDAY EXOTIC; the cookbook (Whitecap, 2011, 184 pages, ISBN 978- 1-77050-064-8, $29.95 CAD soft covers) is by Roger Mooking and Allan Magee. It is named after the Food Network TV show of the same title. The preps are collected from the show’s 52 episodes, about one per show. The secret, of course, is to punch up the herbs and spices (not the heat). So the lamb burgers have five spices, as does the mayo. The meatloaf has coriander, and the pesto has cilantro. The mac and cheese has curry. Even the macaroons had added pistachios. The show is interesting and it works with the multiplicity of fusion flavours. Just make sure that you have a good pantry and the spices/herbs are fresh. Arrangement of the book is by ingredient and/or course. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 18. THE BEEKMAN 1802 HEIRLOOM COOKBOOK (Sterling Epicure, 2011, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-8709-6, $25 US hard covers) is by Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, founders of Beekman 1802, a major lifestyle brand in the US. They’ve written books about early farm life and have appeared on Planet Green TV and other places. Here, they are assisted by Sandy Gluck, a cookbook author and also host of a Sirius Satellite food show. From their historic farm in upper New York state, the authors do their natural goat milk soaps and Blaak cheese. The book has been collated from preps of their farm, family, and friends. It is not necessarily about 1802 food. It is tied into the seasons, and there is room for your own recipes via blank note space for personal annotation. There are also many variations. It’s pretty simple but nouirish food, such as winter vegetable soup, mini ham and cheese biscuits, sweet potato pie, spinach salad, stewed green beans, and the like. But there are too many gratuitous pictures of the boys and the farm. This space could have been devoted to more preps. There are about 100 recipes plus variations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 82, 19. SALSAS OF THE WORLD (Gibbs Smith, 2011, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236- 2208-6, $19.99 US paper covers) is by celebrity chef Mark Miller of the Coyote Café in Santa Fe. He’s also written nine other cookbooks which have soled about one million copies. Here he is assisted by Robert Quintana, a food consultant-caterer also living in Santa Fe. These are sauces from a dozen countries, including (of course) Mexico. There are 100 recipes here, ranging from quick to challenging, mild to hot, and plain to smoky. It’s all arranged by type, from easy to classic chili, tropical, smoky, fresh salsas, hot, fruity salsa, and sour. Every single one is delicious, beginning with artichoke fennel provencal right through to the salsa de bruja. China, France, Peru, Morocco, Italy – they all have some action here. Heat levels are indicated. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 20. CAKE LADIES; celebrating a Southern tradition (Lark, 2011, 143 pages, ISBN 978-1-60059-789-3, $19.95 US paper) is by Jodi Rhoden, who owns Short Sweet Cakes bakery, is a cookbook author, and is a member of The Southern Foodways Alliance. Here she has a project similar to “Where Women Cook Celebrate”, reviewed below. She’s written profiles of some 17 diverse southern US women, delving into their cake food lives. Every town has some kind of a cake lady, a go-to person for community celebration. There are 21 recipes too, such as a ten-layer chocolate cake, a lemon cheese layer cake or applesauce spice cake. There are even vegan red velvet cupcakes and a dirty cake. There are a lot of tips, stories and kitchen wisdom here. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 21. HOME COOKING WITH JEAN-GEORGES (Clarkson Potter, 2011, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-71795-5, $40 US hard covers) is the fourth book by Jean- Georges Vongerichten; he’s the chef-owner of dozens of restaurants in 14 cities around the world. He’s assisted by Genevieve Ko, a cookbook author and senior food editor at Good Housekeeping. This is French- style cooking with Asian accents. There are 100 preps here, all fully plated and photographed. This is the stuff he cooks at home. Even so, it needs a pantry for basic items. The arrangement is by course (apps, salad, lunch, brunch, desserts) and by major ingredient (fish, poultry, meat, sides). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try candied paprika pecans, quinoa with spinach and goat cheese, sausage and kale pizza, pork chops with cherry mustard, braised endive with ham and gruyere, or honeyed pear clafoutis tart. Quality/price rating: 88. 22. ROBIN TAKES 5 (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011; distr. Simon & Schuster, 402 pages, ISBN 978-1-4494-0845-9, $29.99 US soft covers) is by Robin Miller, author of nine cookbooks and host of “Quick Fox Meals” on the Food Network and blogger for the FN. There’s some good log rolling endorsements. The “5” comes as part of every prep: each recipe has 5 ingredients of less, 500 calories or less per serving, good for 5 nights a week at 5PM for early family dining. Oh, yes, there are also 500 recipes here. This is top-notch family dining for the harried home cook, arranged by course or main ingredient. So for chicken, there is a separate chapter sub-divided into regional styles. You can have chicken southwest US, Asian, French, Italian, Mediterranean, tropical, or basic American, even with eight turkey recipes (tenderloin or breast or burgers). There’s also nutritional data for each serving. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a 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. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 23. THE SOTHEBY’S WINE ENCYCLOPEDIA; the classic reference to the wines of the world, 5th edition rev. (DK, 2011, 736 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566- 8684-0, $50 US hard covers) is by prolific wine writer Tom Stevenson. The first edition was in 1988, and Stevenson has done a remarkable job in chronicling the changes over the years. The last edition was in 2007, with the same US price, but only 664 pages. Here there are 72 more pages, needed for entirely new content such as the ABC of Grape Varieties and A Chronology of Wine. Also inn this new edition, he has reworked all the maps, with major changes to Greece, Romania, Israel, South Africa, North Africa and Asia. He also claims that the new Italian and United States’ maps have every single DOC and AVA listed. Other updating deal with wine producers, new appellations, and recent vintage assessments. His book is arranged geographically, covering all the wine-growing areas, history and reputation. There are new useful photos. There are sections on all the factors affecting taste and quality. Stevenson authors many profiles of important producers, giving assessments of individual wines. He also has a section on enjoying wines, including wine tasting; wine and food, star ratings, taste charts to profile flavours, flaws in wines, and vintage charts back to 1976 in general, with earlier mentions for key years. He even has some detail about regional oak varieties with illustrated close-ups of the grain. The book concludes with a glossary (Micropedia) and an extensive index. Many changes are devoted to New World wines (California, New Zealand, Australia, India, Asia). Stevenson gives detailed coverage of the whole world and 6000 wineries are recommended; he is also a good writer. Canada gets six pages, covering 25 Ontario wineries and 23 in BC, plus Nova Scotia and Quebec, with up-to-date notes. There is an “author’s choice” section which lists the best wines, with a lengthy description and aging ability. With over 1000 photos and maps (plus scores of Top Ten lists), it’s hard to get more comprehensive, fresh and up-to-date than this book right now. Quality/Price Rating: 92. 24. THE RESTAURANT; from concept to operation. Sixth edition. (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 557 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-62643-6, $82.59 US hard covers) is by John R. Walker, a hospitality professor at the University of South Florida. This book has always been a one-stop guide to the resto biz, and is well-read in hospitality schools. New to this edition is greater emphasis on business leadership and management, sustainability, business plans and the independent operator, cultural history of eating out in America, purchasing meat, cocktails, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages, and the influences of Native Peoples and African American food on the industry. Although heavily pitched to the US scene, there is enough of value here to us in Canada. Quality/price rating: 89. 25. ARTISAN BREADS; practical recipes and detailed instructions for baking the world’s finest loaves (Skyhorse Publishing, 2004, 2011, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-487-5, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Jan Hedh, a Swedish bread maker. The book was originally published in 2004 in Swedish, and here it has been translated and released into North America. He’s got 110 recipes that are internationally based, and are quite suitable for home cooking. There are lots of primer-type information and photos of techniques and finished breads. There’s nothing gluten-free here, and most of the preps are European influenced. There are sandwich breads, sweet breads, dark breads, savoury bread, brioches, Christmas breads, and the like. Preparations have their ingredients listed in only avoirdupois volume measurements, with no scaling, and there is no table of metric equivalents. A concession to the American market? Quality/price rating: 82. 26. THE COMPASSIONATE COOK; or, “Please don’t eat the animals!” a vegan cookbook (Grand Central Publishing, 1993, 2011, 24 pages, ISBN 978-0- 446-39492-5, $13.99 US paper covers) is by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Ingrid Newkirk, president of PETA. It was originally published in July 1993, and here it has been reprinted in 2011. It’s a guide to low-fat, cholesterol-free and animal-friendly eating, with over 225 basic vegetarian/vegan dishes covering all courses and meal patterns. There are the usual substitution tips, listing of healthy ingredients, and some advice on how to eat out. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Well-worth an affordable look. Quality/price rating: 85. 27. THE BOOK OF YIELDS; accuracy in food costing and purchasing. Eighth edition. (John Wiley, 2012, 298 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-19749-3, $37.50 US spiral comb) is available separately from the hard cover book done by Francis Lynch. I had reviewed the book previously as: “a basic work for students and chefs, and it comes with a workbook. It tells you what you need to know for how much food to buy”. It is a collection of accurate food measurements for over 1,350 or so raw food ingredients (200 new foods since the 2008 edition). Measurements are given in weight-to-volume equivalents, trim yields, and cooking yields. Part One of the contents covers herbs and spices, produce, starchy foods, baking, fats and oils, dairy, beverages, meats, seafood, and poultry. Part Two is the workbook of costing sheets and conversion tables. Here, recipe cost and yield are most important. Spreadsheets, though, should be able to handle all of this. There’s also a new chapter on standard portion sizes to assist in menu planning, recipe development and costing. For the most part, only US measurements are given, so you will need to convert to metric or imperial. That is why a spreadsheet works better than paper and pen. But there are conversion charts inside the book. Quality-to-Price Ratio: 90. 28. FOOD AND BEVERAGE COST CONTROL. 5th ed. (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 544 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-25138-6, $97.95 CAD hard covers) last came out in 2008. The authors are academics and consultants Lea Dopson and David Hayes. We all know that there are razor-thin profits in the food hospitality industry. Such outlets embrace all types of restaurants, bars, sports complexes, grocery stores, room service, country clubs, banquet halls, etc. This book emphasizes the need for control, in order to maximize profits and minimize shrinkage. Its contents cover managing as a Food and Beverage Manager (basic accounting, forecasting, predicting sales), the cost of food, storage, and inventory – with plenty of forms to view. More chapters cover the cost of beverages, labour, and “administration”. Another part of the book deals with pricing, analyzing charts, and verifying data. There is information on security, such as dishonest employees, false invoices, scams, skips, and the like. For example, chapter four is on beverage control (45 pages). This is mainly booze control for all of the industry as noted above. There is how to forecast sales of beer, wine (wine by the glass, too), spirits, cocktails and their mixes. All of it applies to standardized drinks and portions, markups, constructing a wine list, storage and inventory, and to the ubiquitous forms. Forms are available for finding how to compare the costs of beverages. I’m not sure how much of the record keeping applies to Canada, since there are provincial regulations on what has to be recorded for government inspectors and revenue filing. Anyway, the appendices have all of the useful formulae. As a textbook for the hospitality schools, it fulfills its functions: there are questions and answers for students to discuss and then to apply. Each chapter has lists of key terms and concepts, plus selected tests for you to try out. Additional readings are also suggested. New to this edition are sections on sustainability and environmental responsibility, and more on international foodservice operations. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 29. EASY PARTY FOOD; simply delicious recipes for your perfect party (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2011, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-162-9, $19.95 US hard covers) has over 100 recipes taken from the publishers’ books of cookery authors Fiona Beckett, Susannah Blake, Maxine Clark, Ross Dobson, Lydia France, Fran Warde, Jennifer Joyce, and others. Everything is easy to prepare, and broken down into categories such as “light bites and dips”, tartlets and toasts, canapes, sticks and skewers, breads and crackers, buffet dishes, sweet treats, and drinks (which include crowd faves such as mulled wine, sangria, mulled cider, and punches). It’s one of two dozen books in the “Easy” series. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 30. WHERE WOMEN COOK CELEBRATE! Extraordinary women & their signature recipes (Lark, 2011, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-60059-898-2, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Jo Packham, editor of “Where Women Cook” magazine. The book profiles 28 women who share their passion for cooking and entertaining, and there are about 50 preps. Most of the women are food bloggers and/or authors/writers for magazines or newspapers. Here they all write about festivities or large dinners. There’s food for every course, such as caramelized onion and gruyere tart, lemon pepper tea biscuits, pumpkin donuts, or carrot orange soup. There’s a biography for each and some text on how and why they did the celebration, plus most of the recipes. The rest of the recipes may be found at the magazine’s website www.wherewomencook.com; much of the material here had been published in the magazine. Preparations have their ingredients listed avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 31. SOUP; a kosher collection (Whitecap, 2004, 2011, 210 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-062-4, $24.95 CAD paper covers) is by Pam Reiss, who joined the family business in Winnipeg (Desserts Plus, a kosher catering company). There’s 150 kosher soup preps here, and for the 2011 revision she has added 20 new soups, full-colour photos, and nutritional information for every recipe. There’s a full-range here, from Passover to parve, dairy, fish, meat, fruit and dessert soups. As one reviewer of the first edition said, everything here is both creative and easy. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 32. EASY COCKTAILS; over 200 classic and contemporary recipes (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2011, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-164-3, $19.95 US hard covers) has enough preps to get your home bar started. Most of the recipes come from Ben Reed, but Louise Pickford and Tonia George also contribute. There’s the basic primer on home bars, followed by separate chapters on martinis, sparkling cocktails, smashes, sours, manhattans, rum-based, highballs, shooters, and creamy cocktails. There’s even a short chapter on hangovers and mocktails. It’s one of two dozen books in the “Easy” series. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 33. PURCHASING; selection and procurement for the hospitality industry. Eighth edition. (John Wiley, 2012, 688 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-29046-0, $111.65 US hard covers) is by Andrew Hale Feinstein and John Stefanelli, both academics teaching in American hospitality programs. It was last published in 2008. It is a basic book, used as a text, and on the desks of current Food and Beverage Managers. New to this edition are the latest thoughts on green practices, sustainability, socially responsible suppliers, buying locally, new technology, new products, novel approaches to procurement, and new techniques for costing. There are interviews which show the daily lives of workers doing typical purchase decisions. There are exercises for students and practitioners alike. Bibliographic references include websites and newer periodical articles. Key words and concepts have been increased and revised. And there are scores of new illustrations and photos. Quality/price rating: 91. 34. THE CALIFORNIA SEAFOOD COOKBOOK; a cook’s guide to the fish and shellfish of California, the Pacific coast and beyond (Skyhorse Publishing, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-344-1, $24.95 hard cover) is by the team of Isaac Cronin (a PR director), Paul Johnson (owner of a fish company and chef), and Jay Harlow. All three are also cookbook authors. It was first published in 1983, and sold over 125,000 copies. It’s encyclopedic in scope, covering some 75 species with about two recipes apiece on average (150 in all). About half of the species are also in the Atlantic and Gulf waters, and each recipe suggests alternative fish and shellfish from other regions, so it is wider in scope than just “California”. The titling was just an unfortunate marketing practice. There’s primer data on cooking methods such as cleaning and shucking oysters, crabs, and the like. and some wine notes. There’s a colour illustration for each fish, and a concluding bibliography. Print size is nicely large for these tired eyes of mine. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 35. COOKING VEGETARIAN; healthy, delicious, and easy vegetarian cuisine (Wiley Publishing, 1998, 2011, 274 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-00762-4, $26.95 soft covers) is by Chef Joseph Forest and Vesanto Melina, a nutritionist who writes books. It was originally published with 40 fewer pages in 1998. It is an easy book to get into. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There are updated reference charts and guides to food, as well as and all-new book list and added resources. The first 70 pages concern health benefits and cooking techniques. The recipes cover all courses, and include their take on ice cream (Vegan Dasz). Lots of menus and good sense here, although it is actually a vegan book (no fish, eggs, dairy, honey). Quality/price rating: 88. 36. 300 BEST POTATO RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2011, 448 pages, ISBN 978-0- 7788-0278-5, $24.95 CAD soft covers) is by Kathleen Sloan-McIntosh, a well-known Canadian cookbook and food freelance writer, now based in Bayfield, off Georgian Bay. It’s a vastly updated and expanded version of a 2002 book she did for Penguin, which had only 150 recipes for the same price. She’s said the Canadian-originated Yukon Gold potato was the impetus for that book. A member of the belladonna family (tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplant, tobacco), the potato is a good source for niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, essential minerals, and complex carbohydrates. One 150 gram potato can supply half the RDA of Vitamin C. It is probably everybody's favourite vegetable. Over 400 species of white potatoes are in production (about 4000 have been catalogued). And there are plenty of yellow, red, purple varieties, in all shapes and sizes, all year long. And they are used in every conceivable way: boiling, baking, roasting, steaming, frying, and mashing. The only difference between most potatoes which appear at the market: some are floury (best for baking and mashing) and some are waxy (best for salads). She’s got many sidebars of tips and advice. Her chapters are arranged beginning with "classic" recipes (roast, mash, fried, scalloped), and moving on to appetizers (potato focaccia, potato bread, brandade), French potato galette, oyster pie, potato soup and pesto, salads, grilled, souffles, stews, noodles, and a concluding section on sweet potatoes which is mostly desserts but with some interesting concoctions involving dry mashed white potatoes. But "classic salade nicoise" has no place here: a classic nicoise uses only raw veggies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/Price rating: 90. 37. THE GOOD COOKIE; over 250 delicious recipes, from simple to sublime (John Wiley & Sons, 2002, 2011, 390 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-16954-4, $22.99 US soft covers) is by Tish Boyle, cookbook author and food editor at Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines. It was originally published in 2002; here is the paperback reprint. There’s the usual primer on cookie dough and equipment. At the back, there is an updated source list, with websites. Of particular value is the series of “Cookies for Every Occasion”, a listing by categories (unfortunately without any page references, so you will have to look them up yourself). So under the “Coffee Hour” there are almond anise biscotti, almond java rounds, chocolate almond biscotti, chocolate walnut bars, cinnamon dough nut holes, hazelnut biscotti, and toasted almond crunch cookies. Other categories are “for kids”, “picnic fare”, “ship well”, “nuts about nuts”, “holidays”, “over-the-top chocolate” and six more—for a total of thirteen. A good wide-ranging assortment of cookies here. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 38. HOME-GROWN HARVEST; delicious ways to enjoy your seasonal fruit and vegetables (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2011, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975- 149-0, $27.95 US) is a collection of some 150 recipes concentrating on the bounty of any home-grown fruit or veggies that you may have. Recipes come from the stable of the publisher’s cookery writers such as Fiona Beckett, Maxine Clark, Ross Dobson, Tonia George, and 19 others. The arrangement is two or four to ma page, categorized by type: root veggies, bulbs and stems, fruiting veggies, podding veggies, salad greens, squash, mushrooms, tree fruits, and soft fruits. The organization makes it a nice concept. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Try flamiche (leeks), belladonna tart, pea and parma ham crostini, squash and eggplant chutney, or summer crumble. Quality/price rating: 87. 39. BREWED AWAKENING; behind the beers and brewers leading the world’s craft brewing revolution (Sterling Epicures, 2011, 292 pages, ISBN 978- 1-4027-7864-3, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Joshua M. Bernstein, a free lance writer who writes beer articles for Imbibe magazine. Most of this book comes from articles he had written for Imbibe, Others come from his writings for the New York Press. It is loaded with stories about craft beer makers, illustrated with a variety of pubs and labels. There is also a number of different typefaces for the reader to enjoy, plus material on food and beer pairings. He manages to cover super-bitters, cask-conditioning, organic beers, gluten-free beers, high alcohol beers, and the like. He also manages to cover limited production beers, usually in lots of 800 or so bottles which sell out in an hour. There are stories about lost recipes, back-to-the-land beers, and extreme beers. But there is not a lot here on draught beers. Throughout the book there are 150 craft beer reviews. At the back there’s material on craft beer weeks around the US, with three listed for Canada. There is also a glossary and an index. Canada gets a few pages, principally about Dieu du Ciel in Montreal. Quality/price rating: 85. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR SEPTEMBER 2011 ====================================== 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: 2011 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. AUTHENTIC WINE; toward natural and sustainable winemaking (University of California Press, 2011, 260 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-26563- 9, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Jamie Goode (wine writer for the Sunday Express and owner of www.wineanorak.com) and Sam Harrop, MW, with log rolling by Tim Atkin MW and the eclectic Randall Grahm (Bonny Doon wines). The biggest trend in wines today is the concept of “naturalness” and “sustainability”, plus the use of organic or biodynamic grapes. Other issues involve “green” production such as lighter bottles, screw caps, lower or greener transportation costs, and other factors. The industry (both Old World and New World) is keen on wineries that are locally owned and operated, using grapes from family farms which employ sustainable agriculture to protect the environment. The packaging should be “earth-friendly”, exhibit carbon neutrality, and use solar power wherever possible. All of this is possible at no or modest increase in prices. Goode and Harrop explore all the parameters, including proper terroir and grafted vines, chemical and physical manipulation when necessary, wild yeasts and cultured yeasts, and other matters. There is an interesting chapter on wine faults, and how natural wines can be prey to reduction, oxidation, brett, and volatile acidity. The usual reaction has been to add sulphur, but you cannot do that to natural or organic wines. The authors propose some solutions, but also suggest that more work needs to be done here. The book is illustrated with black and white photos, and some graphs and charts. Some of the material had been previously published as periodical articles. Audience and level of use: wine readers, hospitality programs, winemaker schools, wineries. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: “People have a hunger for the authentic.” The downside to this book: it has a fair number of anecdotal sources, and lacks footnote/bibliography/glossary material. The upside to this book: this is probably the first of many such books. Quality/Price Rating: 91. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. PIG (Reaktion Books, 2011; distr. Univ. of Chicago Press, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-86189-805-0, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Brett Mizelle, an academic in California. His 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 and Duck, plus farmed animals such as Salmon and Moose. This is the popular culture story of the Pig: dealing with historical and literary items such as Three Little Pigs or Miss Piggy, food rules. Relationship with humans are also covered, breeds, wild boars, and the like. There is separate chapter on meat, including SPAM. And it has been richly illustrated with both colour and black and white historical photos and drawings, older advertisements, and just plain whimsy. There is even detail on the use of pigs as subjects in medical research. At the end, Mizelle has an illustrated timeline of the pig, 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 recipes/facts: “In preparations for the 2007-8 Year of the Pig in China, images of pigs were banned from appearing on state-run Chinese television ‘to avoid conflicts with ethnic minorities’”. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. SMALL SWEET TREATS (Gibbs Smith, 2011, 168 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236- 0694-9, $19.99 US soft covers) is by Marguerite Marceau Henderson, food writer and cookbook author (Small Plates, Small Parties). Apparently, she is specializing in “small” foods! The overriding factor here is the nature of small: cookies, frozen desserts, breakfast goodies, pies, tarts, the cobbler family, cakes, and other baked goods, etc. You’ll need a lot of temptation resistance here, for one bite will lead to another. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: family bakers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chocolate zucchini cake; apricot fool; lemon cream stop fruit-filled crepes; sesame anise bites; strawberry panna cotta with strawberry-basil balsamic compote. The downside to this book: I could use more preps. The upside to this book: but there are some nifty treats here. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 4. THE FINEST WINES OF CALIFORNIA; a regional guide to the best producers and their wines (University of California Pr., 2011, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-26658-2, $34.95 US soft covers) is by Stephen Brook, who has written for Hugh Johnson and has also authored “Wines of California” as a Mitchell Beazley Wine Guide in 2006. The book, co- published with Quarto Group in the UK, 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, Rioja, and Bordeaux. The format is pretty straight-forward at this point, with Hugh Johnson giving many of the series’ forewords their lustre. There’s material in about 50 pages or so on history, culture and geography, along with winemaking, grapes, and viticulture. Then comes the biggest section: producers and their wines, sub-arranged by region. The 250 pages here cover Napa, Sonoma and the important regions to the south. Then there is a final 25 pages on wine appreciation, vintages, top-ten tables, glossary, bibliography, and how (and where) to buy California wines. The photography is mainly centered on the producers. Overall, this is an excellent guide to the region. Audience and level of use: the serious wine lover who also loves to read, reference libraries and wine schools. Some interesting or unusual facts: for whatever reason, Screaming Eagle and The Bryant Family are not included. I’d have thought that “these are the wines most worth talking about”. They’re good albeit overpriced, but that gets people talking about them!! By the same token, Gallo IS included, and “these are the wines most worth talking about”. The downside to this book: California is too diffused to cover in just one book. The upside to this book: there’s a ribbon bookmark. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 5. TART LOVE; sassy, savory, and sweet (Gibbs Smith, 2011, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-1894-1, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Holly Herrick, former restaurant critic for the Charleston SC newspaper. She now writes cookbooks (this is her second). Tarts are open-faced (no double crust) thin pies. She covers savoury tartlets, tarts, pot pies (with the single crust on top), quiches, sweet custards, cream pies, and fruit tarts. She begins with a primer on pastry making: but she doesn’t like lard in her dough, nor does she have any gluten-free alternative. Main course and dessert preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: pie makers, home cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: winesap apple and walnut tart; eggplant and cream cheese tapenade tartlets; salade nicoise tart; panna cotta tart with roasted fresh figs; creamy blue crab and salmon quiche; raspberry crème brulee tartlets; drunken pumpkin-bourbon tart. The downside to this book: no gluten-free pie crust preps. The upside to this book: good large print size Quality/Price Rating: 85. 6 AUTHENTIC NORWEGIAN COOKING (Skyhorse Publishing, 2011, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-217-8, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Astrid Karlsen Scott, who has written many books about Norwegian food and customs. Here she presents an all-purpose book of more than 300 traditional Norwegian recipes. The foods come from every region, and are useful for every occasion. There’s a small culinary history with background for most dishes. As well, there are full colour photos and line drawings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are also tables of metric equivalents. The book also includes a sources list, material on parties, napkin folding, spice charts, glossary and pantry of common Norwegian foods. Of course, three are lutefisk, farikal, and rakorret recipes here. Audience and level of use: Scandinavian food lovers, home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: open face sandwich tidbits; gravlaks; baked trout; New Year’s Eve game; stuffed cabbage leaves; yogurt mousse; Daim cake; crisp waffles with cream; Birthday kringle. Smoked eel; mackerel fillets. The downside to this book: she makes it look easier than it is. The upside to this book: there are two indexes, one in English and one in Norwegian. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 7. FRUGAVORE; how to grow organic, buy local, waste nothing, and eat well (Skyhorse Publishing, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 336 pages, ISBN 978- 1-61608-408-0, $16.95 US soft covers) is by Arabella Forge, an Australian nutritionist. She offers us her advice on how to live and eat well using local food. She shows us how to access quality produce from local farmers, use older cooking techniques, create compost for our own garden, stock our pantry well, shop for economic cuts of meat, and use co-ops. She has about b100 recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Specific chapters deal with minimizing waste at home, grassroots movements, making your own food, team efforts, working a vegetable garden, and then chapters on food such as meat, fish, whole grains, and more. WARNING: Most of the indexed recipes are off by two pages, that is, an oatmeal pastry is referred to on page 252, but it should really be page 250. You’ll need to add a note to the index yourself in order to remember this detail. Audience and level of use: concerned home cooks, frugal eaters. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: “Fermented milk products such as yogurt and kefir are traditional staples in all milk-drinking societies…creates healthy lactic-acid bacteria and makes other nutrients in milk easier for the human body to use.” The downside to this book: most of us don’t have all the time required to do this work. I’m retired from a day job but I still cannot keep up with the demands of frugavores. The upside to this book: there are nice preps for homemade condiments, but she does use too much sugar in the ketchup. Quality/Price Rating: 80. 8. QUICK-FIX VEGAN; healthy, homestyle meals in 30 minutes or less (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011, 212 pages, ISBN 978-1-4494-0785-8, $16.99 US paper covers) is by Robin Robertson, author of Quick-Fix Vegetarian. She’s a major food writer with about two dozen vegetarian and vegan books to her credit, as well as articles in a number of periodicals and newspapers. So here are 150 or so recipes, covering the gamut from apps to desserts. The overriding rule is that they must be prepared in 30 minutes or less. But there are make ahead meals that can be baked at the last minute, again less than 30 minutes. The preps call for an organized pantry and a good setup (mise en place). There are many simple ethnic foods here, especially from those places with a dairy-free culture. Both ends of the Mediterranean, Mexican, Asian, and even Cajun foods are here. As with her other quick-fix book, Robertson gives some basic primer material on how to cook smarter and organize yourself. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are three pages of tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans, vegetarians Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: spicy smoked Portobello tacos; creamy balsamic dressing with tahini; farfalle with sesame cabbage; Moroccan pumpkin hummus; apple pie parfaits; Korean hot pot; Tuscan kale lasagna; zucchini frittata; tzatziki sauce. The downside to this book: gluten-free only comes up with reference to pasta dishes, using purchased versions. The upside to this book: good idea, save a lot of time. Quality/Price Rating: 9. THE VENISON COOKBOOK; venison dishes from fast to fancy (Skyhorse Publishing, 2011, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-456-1, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Kate Fiduccia, who has hunted and cooked venison, plus prepared many game cookbooks. Just about any kind of “venison” (a generic term which also includes moose, elk and caribou as well as deer) is a great low-fat alternative to beef. Unless you shoot it yourself, what you get in Canada comes from a game farm, which is “next best”. Here are 150 preps, ranging from easy to hard, simple to gourmet, fast to complex. Many are adapted from beef preps. There are photos, anecdotes and advice. Arrangement is by course, with apps, mains, breakfast dishes, pies and casseroles, soups and stews, marinades and rubs, and some accompaniments. There’s material on game care tips and butchering. Nutritional information has its own separate pages. And there are US mail order sources; the only source from Canada in BC is for wholesale distributors only. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: extremely useful for hunters and game lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: venison and vegetable kabobs; venison stew with barley; chicken-fried venison; Sicilian venison burgers; venison tamale pie; Salisbury moose steak. The downside to this book: I wish the nutritional data had been with the recipe, saving the extra step of looking it up. The upside to this book: good material on gaming. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 10. THE CHEESEMONGER’S KITCHEN; celebrating cheese in 90 recipes (Chronicle Books, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118- 7766-4, $35 US hard covers) is by Chester Hastings, a cheesemonger at Joan’s on Third in Los Angeles. He’s also a writer and chef. It’s actually more of a cookbook, with 90 preps. It’s not a reference book on cheese, but a cookbook that uses cheeses through the spectrum of apps to desserts, including of course the cheese board. There are some wine pairing notes of a general sort for cow, sheep and goat milk, and then recommendations for each recipe. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: cheese lovers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Flamiche (Belgian tart with bacon, beer and munster); burrata with asparagus, pine nuts, and golden raisins; taleggio fried in cornmeal and grappa batter; robiola verde; zucchini and goat gouda fritters; handmade garganelli with gorgonzola and walnuts. The downside to this book: it might have been interesting to have beer recommendations as accompaniment as well as wine pairings. The upside to this book: good idea, recipes really knit well together. Quality/Price Rating: 89 11. VEGETARIAN ENTREES THAT WON’T LEAVE YOU HUNGRY (The Experiment, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 244 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-033-1, $17.95 US soft covers) is by Lukas Volger, a chef who is now a cookbook author (he wrote Veggie Burgers Every Which Way). Here are 70 mains that promise to be “nourishing, flavorful main courses that fill the center of the plate”. It comes with log rolling from Martha Rose Shulman and Deborah Madison. Volger’s mission is to get the cook away from using burgers, pastas, and stir-frees as a constant stream of main dishes at home. So there is good variation here, from hearty salads and soups through dumplings, curries, oven-baked dishes, savoury cakes, eggs, and pizzas and tarts. There is also a primer on vegetarian pantries, emphasizing the need for staples of sauces and condiments (toasted bread crumbs, roasted veggies such as tomatoes and Bells and garlic, caramelized onions, pestos, tapenades, bean dips, peanut sauce, and more). And a short resources list. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try saag paneer, cashew and cauliflower curry, spiced lentil soup, delicate squash soup, pumpkin risotto, pad Thai (with variations), or vegetarian banh mi. 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. EVERYDAY RAW EXPRESS; recipes in 30 minutes or less (Gibbs Smith, 20ll; distr. Raincoast, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-1891-1, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Matthew Kenney, chef-partner in numerous restaurants, with a Beard nomination. He’s also a TV food personality and a cookbook author (he’s got the “Everyday Raw” series). In this third book, he works on moving the raw food within 30 minutes. Actually, that’s not too hard since the food needs no cooking. He has a variety of smoothies, soups, salads, wraps, rolls, pasta (veggie ribbons) and entrees such as squash blossom tamales, spring vegetable couscous, Portobello steak, vegetable napoleon and wild mushroom lasagna. Desserts include blueberry sherbet, spiced pineapple with rose water and pistachios, and chocolate hemp milk custard which is nut free. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Good large print face, which is a boon to my tired eyes. Quality/price rating: 88. 13. COMPLETE CHINESE COOKBOOK (Firefly Books, 2011, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-55407-943-8, $35 CAD hard covers) is by prolific chef-cookbook author Ken Hom. He’s sold over 2 million cookbooks over the past 30 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. 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. 14. DESSERTS FROM THE FAMOUS LOVELESS CAFÉ; simple southern pies, puddings, cakes and cobblers from Nashville’s landmark restaurant (Artisan, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 220 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-434-4, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Alisa Huntsman, pastry chef at the Loveless Café. She’s also written a cook book about triple-layer cakes. Paula Deen provides the inevitable log rolling. The resto has been in business since 1951; it serves some of the best cobblers and pies around. Huntsman was hired in 2004 to enlarge their dessert offerings. Here are more than 100 preps of mostly southern dishes. It all starts with a chapter on blue-ribbon pies, followed by country cakes, crisps, cobblers, shortcakes, coffee cakes, tea cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, bars, and cupcakes. And then concludes with puddings. There’s also a list of US sources, a short bibliography of southern cooking, and lots of photos of the café (plus some memories of the place). It just oozes southern hospitality, but do watch the fat and calories. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 15. CUTIE PIES; 40 sweet, savory and adorable recipes (Andrews, McMeel, 2011; distr. Simon & Schuster, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-4494-0305-8, $16.99 US hard covers) is by Dani Cone, owner of Seattle’s High 5 Pie and Fuel Coffee. Of course, she sells her pies there for takeout. And in this book, there are lots of gluten-free pie dough recipes as a crust option. All of these pies are made from scratch, and they can be used for several shapes including full-sized pies. For example, “cutie pie” is a single-serving baked in a standard muffin pan. “Petit-5s” are even smaller, baked in a mini-muffin pan, “piejars” are baked in a wide-mouth Mason jar, “flipsides” are turnovers, and “piepops” are pie lollipops, meant mostly for entertaining. You can mix and match them: just choose the pie shape you want and the crust you want (there’s all- butter, graham cracker, vegan, and gluten-free). There’s peach-ricotta- honey pies, curry veggies, cran-apple, strawberry-rhubarb-ginger, potato-dill-cheese-veggie, and caramel-pecan. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents spread over four pages. Quality/price rating: 87. 16. TEA WITH BEA (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-143-8, $24.95 US hard covers) is from Bea’s of Bloomsbury, in London UK. Bea Vo is the owner. She’s American, but opened the teashop in 2008. She emphasizes easy to follow recipes which deal with cookies, cakes, tarts and cheesecakes. There’s some general information on making tea and coffee, but the book mainly deal with the pastry elements, such as the ones you’d find on a tier. There are over 70 preps here, such as snicker doodles, lemon verbena semolina cookies, nutty lemon biscotti, almond cherry muffins, poached pear and frangipane tart, or vegan chocolate cake. There are also six ideas for tea parties, with page references (7 to 9 preps each), such as baby shower or Mother’s day. Ingredients are listed as scaled or volume (your choice). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 17. SPAGHETTI SAUCES; authentic Italian recipes (Gibbs Smith, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-0688-8, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Biba Caggiano, chef-owner of BIBA Restaurant, TV chef, and award-winning author of eight successful cookbooks on Italian food. Here she goes after sauces which are appropriate for long, stringy pasta. It was at the request of her grandchildren. It’s arranged by main ingredient, such as cheese, pesto, quick tomato, vegetable, seafood, and ragu. The preps are simple and coherent, even teenagers can handle them. Some wine is called for in the cooking (mostly white wine). Anchovies also appear in 11 recipes, but artichokes are in only one. Typical preps include butter, cream, Parmigiano and nutmeg; fresh tomato sauce with ricotta cheese and basil; mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and basil Capri style; spring veggies, smoked ham, and egg sauce; and sautéed mixed mushrooms with parsley and sage. Very useful. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. The index is to ingredients only, and not to names or titles of sauces. 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”... 18. APPLE PIE; 100 delicious and decidedly different recipes for America’s favorite pie. (Harvard Common Press, 2002, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 250 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-742-9, $14.95 US paper covers) is by Ken Haedrich, a food and travel writer and the author of at least eight cookbooks. This book, devoted to Apple Pie, was first published in 2002 as “Apple Pie Perfect”. Here, it is in paperback reprint form, with new endorsements and log rolling. And I suppose you could use pears in a pinch. He opens with a primer on types of apples and types of pastries (double crusts, cream cheese, wheat oil, graham cracker, etc.). Then there are pies broken down by seasons, applesauce pies, special occasion pies, cream pies, plus some for kids to work on and some quick and easy. Theirs is something here for everyone, and if you love apples, this is the book for you. Try southern apple pie with pecan syrup, honeyed apple pear pie in a rosemary semolina crust, sugarless apple pie, sour cream supple crumb pie, or apple pie frangipane. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Good layout, large print. Quality/price rating: 89. 19. GREAT CHEFS COOK VEGAN (Gibbs Smith, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-2327-4, $24.99 US paper covers) has been pulled together by Linda Long, who has been a vegan for the past 30 years. She writes on food and nutritional topics. Log rolling comes from Charlie Trotter, which is surprising since he is also one of the contributing chefs. This is a collection of recipes from 25 chefs, who also include Cat Cora (Iron Chef), Daniel Boulud, Marcus Samuelsson, Thomas Keller, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The book is a straight paperback reprint of the 2008 edition. Vegan food, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans, are low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are rich in fibre and nutrients. Here, each chef has contributed a menu of three or four courses. The book is arranged by chef’s first name, which is standard in many restos: you have Chef Alex, Chef Floyd, Chef Suzanne, etc. Just about all of these chefs are NOT totally vegan; they also cook meats and dairy. But the conception is useful for selling the book, and the preps are indeed tasty. Each chef gets about 10 pages. There is a pix, a textual description of the chef’s life, and then the recipes. For Chef Anne (Quatrano), we learn that she is at a top Atlanta resto, Baccanalia. She contributes a bruschetta with avocado and tomato, crispy fried okra and chiles, summer vegetable pilaf, and cantaloupe truffle bar. This book can also be used by non-vegans looking for something that is light and delicious. Avoirdupois measurements are listed, but there are also conversion tables. Quality/Price rating: 87. 20. TOMATOES & MOZZARELLA; 100 ways to enjoy this tantalizing twosome all year long (Harvard Common Press, 2006, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-740-5, $14.95 US paper covers) is by Hallie Harron, a professional chef, and Shelley Sikora, co-owner of the Bobby McGee restaurant chain in Phoenix. It’s a paperback reprint of the 2006 book, and it comes with new endorsements. The book is a narrow construction of single ingredient food, here tomatoes and mozzarella. After a primer on tomatoes and mozzarella (including how to make your own mozzarella [you will need some mozzarella curd]}, the arrangement proceeds by course, beginning with breakfast, brunch, finger foods and first clou8rses, salads, soups, sandwiches, tea-times, pasta pomodori, and some mains. There’s savory roasted tomato crumble, corn waffles with mozzarella and summer salsa, grilled bruschetta, fennel salad with mozzarella and tomatoes, tian of eggplant and tomatoes, slow-roasted smoked mozzarella and vegetable casserole, and stuffed porchetta with chunky olive and tomato relish. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 21. THE AMERICAN COCKTAIL; 50 recipes that celebrate the craft of missing drinks from coast to coast (Chronicle Books, 2011, 144 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7799-2, $19.95 US hard covers) is from Imbibe magazine, an award-winning magazine based in Portland, Oregon. These recipes appeared in roughly the same form on their pages. The arrangement is by locale, and includes the South, the Northeast, Midwest, West, and West Coast. These are preps that have some regional meaning, such as Big Bay Storm (Campari and rum) from North Carolina. There are standards such as Tom and Jerry from a Milwaukee bar. Each prep has an explanation for its name, a recipe, a source, a list of equipment, including glass required and garnish. Extremely useful for Americana. Quality/price rating: 90. 22. AROUND THE TABLE; easy menus for cozy entertaining at home (Harvard Common Press, 2003, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 222 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832- 741-2, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Ellen Wright, a writer and interior designer. It’s a paperback reprint of the 2003 book, with fresh log rolling. Menu book are always useful for ideas, even if you are locked in to certain functions. Her book is divided into cold weather menus and warm weather menus, with several on the cusp. There’s one for watching TV, another for a birthday, cooking gifts, New Year’s Eve, Super Bowl (can this be transferred to the Grey Cup?), fireside, last-minute dinners with friends, weekend guests, and many more – two dozen in all. It is also a personal book since menus have stories and memoirs behind them. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86. 23. THE MODERN BAKER; time-saving techniques for breads, tarts, pies, cakes and cookies (DK Publishing, 2008, 2011, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0- 7566-8914-8, $22.95 US, paper covers) is by Nick Malgieri, an award- winning cookbook author whose recipes have also been widely published in the USA. The book is oversized and overweight, which makes it awkward in the kitchen. There are 150 recipes with about 200 full- colour photos, which is a DK specialty. Most recipes require less than an hour; they are all classic or contemporary, and include the usual of breads, tarts (sweet and savoury), cakes, cookies, biscotti, and puff pastries. Most of the recipes have some sort of variation indicated. And most have avoirdupois volume measurements, with very little scaling indicated. There is a bibliography, but the entire food resources list is US. Try some smoked salmon mill-feuilles; fennel, fig and almond bread; whole wheat currant bread; jalapeno cornbread; pecorino and pepper biscuits; corn pudding tart. But the list of ingredients is in tiny type, hard to read. I had to use an enlargement from my photocopier. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 24. THE ART OF EATING COOKBOOK; essential recipes from the first 25 years (University of California Pr., 2011, 279 pages, ISBN 978-0-520- 27029-9, $39.95 US hard covers) has been compiled by Edward Behr, publisher and chief writer of The Art of Eating, a magazine devoted to fine foods. Notable log rollers include Judy Rodgers (Zuni), Paul Bertolli (once of Chez Panisse), Wolfgang Puck, and three others. It`s a collection of some 150 recipes plus variations, covering the whole range of apps to desserts. Apps include breads, dips and charcuterie. Along the way there are cheese and egg dishes, pasta and polenta, snail and rabbit, as well as the usual meat, poultry, veggies, and salads. Each prep has been meticulously researched and commented upon, and just about all of them come from the magazine. They are mostly traditional dishes, centering on classical French and Italian dishes. Some of the preps come from James MacGuire, a writer-chef now living in Montreal. Each recipe has extensive cooks’ notes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There’s cervelle de canut, oeufs en meurette, salade frisee, insalata di arance, pesto trapanese, lapin a la Kriek, pigeonneaux aux olives, and cherries in Barolo. Quality/price rating: 89. 25. PIE; 300 tried-and-true recipes for delicious homemade pie (Harvard Common Press, 2004, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 639 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832- 254-7, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Ken Haedrich, a food and travel writer and the author of at least eight cookbooks. This book, devoted to Pie, was first published in 2004. Here, it is in paperback reprint form, with new endorsements and log rolling. His earlier book (see above) on Apple Pie contained 100 apple recipes; this one has 34, but with minimal duplication. There’s an extensive primer on how to do the perfect pie, with plenty of cook’s notes for individual preps. There’s a chapter on summer pies for fruits and berries, another on fall pies with apple, cranberry, pear, pumpkin and others, and a third chapter on nut pies. There’s a section on sweet and rich (custards and chess pies), another on icebox pies and freezer pies, plus one on “personal pies” and turnovers. Something for everybody, with lots of ideas. There are also large typefaces and plenty of leading. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 26. THE ITALIAN COUNTRY TABLE; simple recipes for trattoria classics (Ryland Peters and Small, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1- 84975-157-5, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Maxine Clark, a long-time UK cookbook author for this publisher, She specializes in Italian cuisine, and has written many articles for the UK press. This is a collection of preps from two of her previous books, Trattoria and Flavours of Tuscany. There are some 66 recipes, all sorted by course (apps, soups, pasta, risotto, pizza, etc.). It is all basic and simple an easy enough to do, enlivened by the really good photography by Martin Brigdale. Try Venetian fresh pea and rice soup, white pizza, baked mussels, gnocchi with arugula pesto, or hunter’s style chicken. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric weight and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85. 27. SOUP (DK Books, 2009, 2011, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-55363-167-5, $19.95 Canadian softcovers) is a book package assembled by four food editors and four recipe testers. This compendium of 200 basic soups preps, from appetizers to hearty and full meals, was originally published in hard back in 2009; this is the 2011 paperback reprint. It has been organized by food ingredient, such as summer vegetables, winter vegetables, legumes and nuts, fish and shellfish, poultry game and meat. Each prep has the usual cook’s notes and advice. There are separate technique and recipe planning chapters – these also have plenty of photos. The planners have pix and page references to recipes for topical soups such as vegetarian, chilled, hearty, healthy, spicy, quick, and “main meals”. Each recipe has a service level, prep and cook times, and storage possibilities. The last chapter has some ten bread recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, and there is no table of equivalents. Try mussels in a ginger and chile brother; red pepper soup; fish soup with fennel; chicory gazpacho; smoked tomato soup; curried broth with peppers. There are nice large print fonts, clear and easy to use layout. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR AUGUST 2011 ====================================== 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: 2011 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 FINEST WINES OF RIOJA AND NORTHWEST SPAIN; a regional guide to the best producers and their wines (University of California Pr., 2011, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-26921-7, $34.95 paper covers) is by Jesus Barquin, Luis Gutierrez and Victor de la Serna, all wine writers and Spanish wine experts living in Spain. The book 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, and Bordeaux. This book is “The World’s Finest Wines, 5” in the series, co-published with Quarto Group in the UK. The format 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. Then comes the biggest section: producers and their wines, sub-arranged by region. The 250 pages here cover Rioja, Navarra, Bierzo, Rias Baixas, and the Basque country. Then there is a final 25 pages on wine appreciation, vintages, top-ten tables, glossary, bibliography, and how (and where) to buy well-matured Riojas. The glossary defines “gran reserva”, but only the modern new term. The older usage, pre-EU, applies to many of the more mature vintages that the authors so strongly exhort. This needed a clearer explanation, for these older wines were in barrel more than the 24 months now specified. It’s a bit misleading. The photography is mainly centred on the producers. Overall, an excellent guide to the region. 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 Riojas include Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco 1964, Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco 1946, Torre Muga 1994, Monte Real 1964, and the Marques de Riscal Cuvee Medoc 1945 (the latter is at the top of the list). The downside to this book: I think I may have liked just a book on Rioja without the other regions. The upside to this book: there’s a ribbon bookmark. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. CUCINA POVERA; Tuscan peasant cooking (Andrews McMeel, 2011; distr. Simon & Schuster, 185 pages, ISBN 978-1-4494-0238-9, $21.99 US hard covers) is by Pamela Sheldon Johns, cooking instructor and author of sixteen cookbooks (many dealing with Italian food). She also hosts culinary workshops throughout Italy. Log rollers include Lorenza de’ Medici and Nancy Harmon Jenkins. This is a “meager and mean” cookbook dealing with life’s hardships around the time of World War II. “We had nothing to eat” was a familiar refrain. Scattered throughout are these memories as Johns dies a great job of presenting both cultural traditions and peasant food preps. Of course, nothing is wasted in this “economia rurale”. The arrangement is by course: appetizers to desserts. All of the classics are here, such as ribollita (vegetable- bread soup), corn polenta, and cantucci (almond biscotti). There’s polenta made with the original chestnut flour, and as well, castgnaccio (chestnut cake). At the end, there’s a page of mail-order and internet resources. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are two pages of tables of metric conversions and equivalents. Audience and level of use: Italian food lovers, Tuscan especially. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: farmyard crostini; fried anchovies; eggs with wild greens; spring vegetable soup; farro soup; braised pork shanks; rabbit and mushrooms; salted cod with greens. The downside to this book: physically, there’s a light beige frame around each page, suggestive of antiquing and aging. The upside to this book: a great introduction to peasant food. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. ARTISANAL GLUTEN-FREE CUPCAKES (The Experiment, 2011; dist. T. Allen, 264 pages, ISBN 978-161519-036-2, $16.95 US paper covers) is by Kelli and Peter Bronski, who have also written Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking. Log rolling is by four leaders in the gluten-free cooking world. Here are 50 recipes, some of which are also dairy-free, egg-free and vegan alternatives (they have a whole series of tips and charts for advice on how to do this). Primer information includes equipment and tools plus techniques, the piping bag, and photographs, along with detailed instructions. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who need to eat gluten-free products. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting; cookies and cream cupcakes; strawberry cupcakes; French toast cupcakes; dulce de leche cupcakes. The downside to this book: there is nothing spectacular about a picture of a basic cupcake, so all the photos are of fanciful decorations. The upside to this book: good fun in decorating for eye appeal. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 4. QUICK AND EASY VEGAN BAKE SALE; more than 150 delicious sweet and savory vegan treats perfect for sharing (The Experiment, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-026-3, $17.95 US paper covers) is by Carla Kelly, a home cook from British Columbia with a popular blog, The Year of the Vegan. This book is meant for those who want to create a vegan bake sale, so there are plenty of items that will last a bit of time. These are easy to store, to transport, and to share. There’s also a section on wheat-free, nut-free, and soy-free options with references to the needed recipe. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Material is generous: the 150 recipes (plus tips and variations) are spread over double columns, and there are no photos that take up room. Audience and level of use: families and bake sales that need vegan options. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lemon bars; Earl Grey tea muffins; pecan and date cookies; oatmeal raisin cookies; zebra cakes; black olive and zucchini focaccia. The downside to this book: not enough material on gluten-free flours and usage. The upside to this book: good textual data. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 5. WE SURE CAN! How jams and pickles are reviving the lure and lore of local food (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2011, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-402- 3, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Sarah B. Hood, who is a freelance food writer and blogger. Her preserves have won prizes at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and the Culinary Historians of Canada (“Mad About Marmalade”). Here Hood explores the continuing can revolution amongst urban foodies: passionate canners are preserving all manner of fruit and veggies, and combining them with exotic spices and ingredients. There are 100 international preps here, arranged by season. Primer material includes safety tips for home canning, basics of hot water baths, pectin, sugars, pickle jars, choosing and picking over the fruit/veggies for preserving, jar management (stori9ng, displaying, styling, gifting), plus meal and party planning tips, us of the Internet sources, and a huge listing of books and articles to read. There are also many mini-profiles (some with photos) of canners and what they do. Some have contributed prize-winning recipes; these are clearly marked. Preparations have their ingredients listed in occasionally both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home canners, those who want to become home canners, reference libraries. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: pickled shallots with tarragon; star anise plum preserves; easy Victorian-style strawberry jam and raspberry jam; chili sauce; mint jelly; watermelon jelly with Thai sweet basil ribbons; vanilla pear preserves; Persian quince butter. The downside to this book: the book weighs a lot, which makes it heavy to open and deal with. The upside to this book: great reference value, and a superb reading list for those who want more, more and more… Quality/Price Rating: 89. 6. WINE BITES; simple morsels that pair perfectly with wine (Chronicle Books, 2011, 160 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7630-8, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Barbara Scott-Goodman, a cookbook author with Chronicle Books. Here she presents 75 easy but elegant two-biters that pair well with a variety of wines. There’s primer stuff on creating a cheese plate, gathering an antipasti platter, and making pantry staples into appetizers. Arrangement is by type of food: snacks, dips and spreads, cheese, pizza and frittatas, bruschetta and sandwiches, fried bites, seafood, meats, and sweet treats. The typeface is large and generous. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements (with some metric for weights only), but there is no table of metric equivalents. There are some wine notes for each prep. Audience and level of use: those who like to entertain. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: warm citrus and fennel olives; lentil and goat cheese spread; shiitake mushroom tart; chorizo frittata; smoked salmon and lemon crème fraiche finger sandwiches; chicken satay; mini apple-walnut pies. The downside to this book: I would have liked more details on wine notes. Just to say “Merlot” is not enough. The upside to this book: good instructions, with notes. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 7. LOG CABIN GRUB (Log Cabin Grub Cookbooks, 2010; distr. Raincoast, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-2265-9, $9.99 US spiral bound) is by Colleen Sloan who promises over 200 old Pioneer recipes, for your oven or a Dutch oven. She covers wild meats (e.g., rattlesnake, raccoon, beaver, ground hog, et al) and fish, breads, desserts, vegetables, candy, plus the usual assortment of household hints, remedies and cures. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those cooks looking for old-timey food preps, outdoor campers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cattail flapjacks, oatmeal drop cookies, fried woodchuck, apple dressing for birds, sheepherder leftover pie, mincemeat, chili from way back, Indian fry bread. The downside to this book: because the format of the pages is landscape and the book is spiral bound, there is a temptation to stand it up, but in most of my experiences, the book falls down again. The upside to this book: she says “satisfaction guaranteed”. Quality/Price Rating: 83. 8. QUICK-FIX GLUTEN FREE (Andrews McMeel, 2011, 204 pages, ISBN 978-1- 4494-0293-8, $16.99 US soft covers) is by chef Robert Landolphi who had previously authored Gluten Free Everyday Cookbook. When his wife was diagnosed with celiac disease, he dedicated his culinary career to developing GF dishes. Here he has contributed some 150 or so recipes that should take less than 30 minutes to prep (cooking time is extra). There’s a good explanation of the gluten-free pantry (mainly flours) and how doughs, batters, and risings work. There are a lot of non- gluten flours out there, and they can be categorized into bean flours, nut flours and gluten-free grain flours. There’s a list of substitutions and some techniques for adding flavours. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are three pages of tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those who need gluten-free preps or who cook for GF people. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Caesar salad, blueberry and cream cheese French toast strata, walnut-baked stuffed shrimp, broccoli and chicken alfredo, monkey bread. The downside to this book: since this is an “upscale” book, I would have liked to have seen some menus and wine recommendations. The upside to this book: larger typeface and good spacing and layout. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 9. BIG VEGAN; more than 350 recipes no meat/no dairy all delicious (Chronicle Books, 2011; distr. Raincoast) 544 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118- 7467-0, $29.95 US paper covers) is by Robin Asbell, food book writer and cooking teacher specializing in natural foods. Veganism is at a new all-time high, and this book does fill a need for more vegan books. There are a lot of international preps here since many parts of the world are vegan in eating style, not by choice but by poverty. Arrangement is by course: apps to dessert. Other chapters deal with breakfast, breads and sauces. Throughout there are knockoffs of non- vegan foods such as mock duck, mac and “cheese”, and tempeh sausage. I was disappointed that there were no gluten-free baked goods here, particularly since vegan and gluten-free are on a convergence. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. A resources page and a glossary completes the package. Audience and level of use: vegans Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: coconut-mango popsicles; banana-bran pancakes; apple gratin with sweet potatoes, beets and walnuts; chocolate-chip oat cookies; edamame and spring veggies in raspberry vinaigrette; African red lentil-yucca soup. The downside to this book: bulky in its paperback format. You’ll need to be careful spreading the gutters. The upside to this book: layout looks good, with lists of ingredients highlighted. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 10. SUNDAY ROASTS (Chronicle Books, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 180 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7968-2, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Betty Rosbottom, a cookbook author for Chronicle Books. It’s a basic book, with a year’s worth of roasts from pot roasts to turkeys and legs of lamb. Actually, there’s only 50 roasts, divided at ten apiece for beef, pork, lamb and veal, poultry, and seafood. There’s a roasted cod prep, but most of the other seafood are done by skewers or steaks. Additional preps concern a range of sides (potato gratin, sauteed spinach with blue cheese, spring veggies, corn bread, corn, wild rice, et al) and sauces/butters/chutneys. There is also a handy section that lists roasts that need less than 30 minutes in the oven, roasts that need a long time, roasts that can be served at room temperature, holiday roasts, and calorie-reduced roasts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Each prep comes with service numbers, cost range, prep time, and start-to-finish time, plus some suggestions for sides. Audience and level of use: home cooks, families. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: pork loin with blue cheese and roasted pears; cumin pork tenderloins with fresh peach salsa; rolled flank steak with corn bread and chorizo stuffing; lamb shanks with dates and olives; tuna steaks with sesame coating; chipotle-rubbed turkey breast with fresh corn salsa. The downside to this book: nothing, really, except more “real” roasts could have been mentioned. The upside to this book: some leftover tips. 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 – 11. PLUM GORGEOUS; recipes and memories from the orchard (Andrews McMeel, 2011, 178 pages, ISBN 978-1-4494-0240-2, $25 US hard covers) is by Romney Steele, a granddaughter of the founders of Nepenthe Restaurant in Big Sur and cousin to my former son-in-law. She also opened Café Kevah; this is her second cookbook (My Nepenthe was the first). Here are 60 recipes, all of which deal with fruit. One section covers citrus, another does berries, a third chapter is on stone fruit, while the fourth promotes “fall fruits” (figs, pears, apples, quince, pomegranate, persimmon, grapes). And it is quite a stylish cookbook with excellent photography (perhaps too many shots of non-plated fruit dishes). Try plum soup with basil ice cream, buttermilk panna cotta with apricots, honey-baked figs with lavender, and tomato, grape and ricotta flatbread. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 12. THE SUPPER CLUB; kid-friendly meals the whole family will love (Weldon Owen, 2011; distr. Simon & Schuster, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1- 61628-115-1, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Susie Cover, who runs a prepared food delivery service that specializes in kid-friendly dishes made with local and organically grown ingredients in the New York city area. Here are 100 family-friendly preps, with advice for busy parents on getting dinner to the table. There’s a full range of food here that is designed for picky eaters. She has a week’s worth of dinner menus (with page references), and more menus might have been useful, but it is a start. The emphasis, of course, is on supper, so this is hearty fare. Arrangement is by service: soups and salads, sandwiches, mains, sides, desserts, and basic preps. Try Mediterranean chopped salad, chicken tikka, flank steak with chimichurri sauce, Asian fish cakes, baby candied carrots, lemon mousse. Good, basic classics. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality price/rating: 87. 13. THE CAKEBREAD CELLARS AMERICAN HARVEST COOKBOOK; celebrating wine, food and friends in the Napa Valley (10 Speed Press, 2011; distr. Random House, 203 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-013-1, $35 US hard covers) is by the Cakebreads and Brian Streeter (Culinary Director at Cakebread Cellars). These three also earlier wrote “The Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cookbook”. Multiple Beard Award winner Janet Fletcher is the focusing food writer. For the past quarter century, the Cakebreads have been hosting an annual American Harvest Workshop: they invite five up- and-coming chefs and some local farmers to their winery form a weekend of tasting and cooking. The chefs plan and execute two multi-course dinners each evening, using the local produce. This book collates 100 preps and wine pairings over the past 25 years, ranging from apps to desserts. There’s a primer on food and wine matching, and profiles of local artisan farmers. There is also a fair bit of history/memoir about the winery and the people who work there. The recipes are arranged by course, with sub-sections in each for the four seasons. I’m not sure how this all plays out at the winery, since the workshop is always in mid-September, and we would be well-past spring at that point. Nevertheless, there is an engaging “spring herb pesto” and a goat cheese with new potatoes. Try also squash blossom soup with poblanos, pizza with caramelized onions and gorgonzola, or braised chicken with cipolline onions. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Wine recommendations are, of course, from Cakebread Cellars, but there is also some mention of a similar style (e.g., “crisp white” or “medium-bodied red”) as an alternate. An eclectic cookbook. Quality/price rating: 88. 14. KOKKARI; contemporary Greek flavors (Chronicle Books, 2011, pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7574-5, $40 US hard covers) is by Erik Cosselmon who owns the San Francisco restaurant of the same name as the book’s title. Janet Fletcher, his co-author, is a Napa Valley based food writer with many articles and books to her credit. Kokkari has always been amongst the best restaurants in the Bay Area. Cosselmon has produced a taverna cookbook, with all the basic elements of Greek cooking. Plus it has some sharp photography by Sara Remington. Although its Foreword mentions that the authors want the book to be used and “stained with olive oil and splashed with wine”, it should be noted that the book weighs about three pounds, and the splashes will ruin the photography. Nevertheless, a good mission to replicate Greek cooking at home. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 15. THE WHOLE FOODS KOSHER KITCHEN; glorious meals pure and simple (Skyhorse Publishing, 2011, 314 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-292-5, $14.95 US paper covers) is by Levana Kirschenbaum, who was co-owner of Levana Restaurant on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and a pioneer in kosher upscale dining, with Lisa R. Young, an RD cookbook author. Levana has already authored three other cookbooks. Check out www.levanacooks.com. Here, at a bargain US price further reduced by Amazon, are 350 kosher recipes with two special indexes: there’s a gluten-free index and a Passover index, as well as a general index. Abbreviations are also used for the preps, such as GF for gluten-free, GFA for gluten-free adaptable, and P for Passover. She’s also got 22 suggested menus (without page references to the preps, unfortunately) for a Seder, a Latin dinner, an Italian dinner, a budget dinner for a crowd, a dairy- free all-dessert party, and more. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. After the primer on healthy eating, the preps are arranged by course: soups, salads, fish, poultry and meat, veggies, grains, breakfast, breads, desserts. Typical are hot and sweet parsnips, Moroccan lentil soup, vegetarian chopped liver, shakshuka, hummus, braised red cabbage and apples, and barley-lentil-kale pilaf. Quality/price rating: 89. 16. GIRL IN THE KITCHEN; how a Top Chef cooks, thinks, shops, eats and drinks (Chronicle Books, 2011, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7447-2, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Stephanie Izard with focusing food writer Heather Shouse. Izard was named Top Chef in season four of the reality series, and she is now chef/owner of the Chicago restaurant Girl & The Goat. Log rollers include Daniel Boulud. Up till the fourth season, there had been no woman as Top Chef. After her victory, she took some time off to tour other countries collecting material for her new restaurant. Here are 100 preps, with many wine and beer pairings. The arrangement is standard, beginning with starters, moving through soups, salads, pastas, mains, and sides – but no desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. The listing of ingredients is in pastel blue ink, a bitch to photocopy AND to read. Try sautéed shrimp with butternut puree and cider, grilled oysters with horseradish aioli and pancetta, linguine in celery root cream with apples and pancetta, seared halibut with peanut-pork ragu, or braised lamb shanks with curried cauliflower and grape gremolata. There’s also a larger typeface for the index. Apart from too many pix of Izard at the beginning, this is a nifty book. 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. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 17. TOP 100 PASTA DISHES; easy everyday recipes that children will love (Atria Books, 2011; distr. Simon & Schuster, 142 pages, ISBN 978-1- 4516-0791-8, $18 US hard covers) is by Annabel Karmel. It was previously published in the UK by Ebury Press in 2010. Karmel is a UK child nutrition specialist who has also written more than 20 books on cooking for children and families. Once you go beyond the element of “picky eater”, pasta is a kid’s delight (tasty, easy, quick, economical, and nutritious). Here are some good basic recipes with guidance for older kids to help out in the cooking process. The instructions are simple and clear. There are symbols throughout to show which recipes are suitable for freezing. Other symbols also show prep times, portion controls, and cooking times. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try vegetarian pasta bake with a crunchy topping, pasta salad with chicken and roasted sweet peppers, or pasta with tomato and pesto sauce. No coverage of gluten-free pasta. Quality/price rating: 86. 18. MIX & MATCH MEALS (DK Books, 2009, 2011, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0- 7566-8236-1, $22 US spiral bound hard covers) is a collection of preps from The Illustrated Quick Cook, published by DK Books in 2009. Here, the publisher deals with menu planning, and the book has been arranged by horizontal sections. The top section is starters, the middle one is mains, and the bottom section is desserts. You can flip these pages back and forth, so you can end up with a menu comprised of, for example, a starter on page 64 (chili beef and bean soup), a main from page 22 (chicken with Belgian endives and bacon), and a dessert from page 34 (marinated prunes and apricots). It all seems to work, although both book stores and libraries need to be cautious about consumers ripping out pages – it is so easy to do. In fact, the family can make a game of it by having each member choose a dish, or (equally fascinating) picking a number from 1 to 187 and letting the dish described on that page be cooked that night as a sort of “pin the tail”. Thousands of combinations are possible. But there are no wine notes amongst the split pages. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 19. THE ULTIMATE STUDENT COOKBOOK (Firefly, 2010, 160 pages, ISBN 978- 1-55407-602-4, $14.95 CAD paper covers) is by Tiffany Goodall, a personality-celebrity chef in the UK (where the book was first published by Quadrille in 2009). This is a nifty book about basics and budget. The author had lived away from home on a limited budget while she was a culinary arts student, so she shows college students how to get by with fresh and healthy food every day. Of course, she had a leg up since she was actually studying cooking. There are 100 preps here, requiring only 20 kitchen items, fewer than 20 on-hand staples, plus regularly available ingredients from the grocery store. There’s some health information, hygiene, storage, and use of leftovers. Substitutions and adaptations are also included. What I really like about the book are the step-by-step photos with captions and balloons that show the prep and presentation of each dish. But on the other hand, some recipes need refiguring: the saltiness of soy sauce will NOT disappear with evaporation, and baking 2 inch potatoes for 1.5 to 2 hours at 400 degrees will get you blackened (not crisp) potatoes. So: what do students like? How about mac and cheese, pizza, roast chicken, fajitas, stir fries, sandwiches? Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/Price rating: 87. 20. LONG NIGHTS AND LOG FIRES (Ryland, Peters and Small, 2009, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-154-4, $19.95 US soft covers) is a book package with most of the Ryland Peters and Small cookbook authors, including Louise Pickford, Fran Warde, Fiona Beckett, and Ross Dobson. I’m not sure whether there are original recipes or just reprints from previously published cookbooks, since the copyright dates are all 2009. Nevertheless, there are more than 200 decent recipes and ideas for dining in a warm and cozy setting. The subtitle says “warming comfort food for family and friends”. The range is from fireplaces, one-pot wonders, roasts, lunches, drinks, and dinners. There is some advice on planning but not much on cleanup. Drinks are heavy, as befits the season. And most of the food is roasted or smoked, adding to the welcomed heat of the house. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. It’s a companion to the earlier 2009 book for the summer, entitled “Lazy Days and Beach Blankets”. A nice book for the cautious beginning entertainer. Try potato and parsnip croquettes; pan-fried tuna steaks with lentils; beef en croute; winter veggie gratin; pork loin roasted with rosemary and garlic; or lamb tagines. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 21. CULINARY MEXICO; authentic recipes and traditions (Gibbs Smith, 2005, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-0960-5, $24.95 soft covers) is by Daniel Hoyer, once a sous-chef for Mark Miller’s Coyote Café, and now a restaurant consultant and cooking-school instructor. The book was originally published in 2005; this is a paperback 2011 reprint. At the time of its initial release, I said: “These are recipes from six diverse regions, along with cultural and historical notes. La Frontera (the north) has 13 preps. La Costa Oro (Pacific coast) has 10. El Istmo has 19. La Encrucijada (15), El centro Colonial (12), and Yucatan (18) are the others. Everything is well- spiced. Chef’s notes, US volume measurements, US sources list, and technique photos complete the package. There is good layout, larger type and spacing.” Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try Baja fish tacos; shrimp tamales; chicken steamed in banana leaves; chile-spiced roast pork leg; cheese pie with pineapples; sieved-black beans. Quality/Price Rating: 86 (book is half the original price). 22. RUSTICA; a return to Spanish home cooking (Chronicle Books, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 368 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0243-6, $35 US hard covers) is by Frank Camorra, a Spanish chef-owner of MoVida in Melbourne, and Richard Cornish, a food writer. The book was originally published in Australia by Murdoch Books in 2009. The emphasis is on home-style flavours, peasant food, spicy, rustic-rural culinary influences, complete with a lot of photographs about Spain. This is popular food, well-researched. The 120 dishes have their Spanish and English names, and are sourced in cook’s notes. The chapters are self- contained. The first deals with the tapas of Madrid. This is followed by a variety of kitchen gardens. Then there is sherry and fish, ham (jamon), “red” food, food preservation, traditions of Catalan, Basque, and Andalusia, plus a glossary. There’s not much on wine here. There is good layout, larger type and spacing. Charcoal-fired meats win out. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try almond meringues, pan- fried tuna with paprika, goat hot-pot, salt cod with ratatouille, Galician pastries filled with orujo cream. Quality/price rating: 86. 23. A VINEYARD IN MY GLASS (University of California Pr., 2011, 280 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27033-6, $29.95 US hard 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 essays published mainly in Gourmet but some from other sources as well (e.g., The World of Fine Wine magazine). The essays here reflect wine regions: he has 13 for France, 9 for California, and 5 for other European countries. 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 Fronsac, Vouvray, the Cote Chalonnaise, and Muscadet. There is also Soave and Rias Baixas Albarino, and for California, Anderson Valley and Lodi, amongst others. Well-worth a read or as a gift. Quality/price rating: 90. 24. THE INTERNATIONAL COLLECTION; home-cooked meals from around the world (Transcontinental Books, 2011; distr. Random House of Canada, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-9813938-5-8, $27.95 Canadian paper covers) is from the test kitchen of Canadian Living magazine. It is a compilation of favourite ethnic dishes created for the magazine over the years. This selection of preps is based on familiar ingredients, easy substitutes, and home cooking methods. It is meant for family enjoyment. Preps can be halved or doubled in most cases. Menus and side dishes are suggested, but no wine recommendations (although wine is used in 11 recipes). Nutritional data is also provided. The main food influences here come from the Caribbean, South East Asia, Mediterranean countries, and Latin America. Arrangement is from apps to dessert, with mains divided into “everyday” and “entertaining”. Typical preps involve leg of lamb with apricots and pine nuts, stuffed vine leaves, grilled fish with olive oil, cassoulet, tarte tatin, bok choy soup, Tuscan bean soup, empanadas, and more. Preparations have their ingredients listed by weight in both metric and avoirdupois measurements (and by volume in avoirdupois only), but there is no table of metric equivalents. There’s something here for everyone. Quality/price rating: 87. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR SUMMER 2011 ====================================== 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: 2011 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. UNDERSTANDING WINE TECHNOLOGY; the science of wine explained. 3rd ed. (Wine Appreciation Guild-DBQA Publishing, 2011; distr. McArthur, 307 pages, ISBN 978-1-934259-60-3, $44.95 US paper covers) is by David Bird, MW. Previous editions have been praised by a wide range of wine writers and industry personnel. His book is virtually essential reading for students of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma and Institute of Master of Wine examinations. It was first published in 2000, with a second edition in 2005. Currently, then, it appears to be on a five- year cycle. It is five dollars more retail, but has 50 more pages. Updated sections include HACCP (hazard analysis and control) for wineries, more detail on the making of red, pink, white sweet, sparkling and fortified wines, and new information on histamine, flash détente, maceration, whole bunch and whole berry fermentation. It’s a very clear book written for the non-scientist and wine student. Chapters deal with grapes, vineyards, the must, fermentations, types of wine, wood, filtration, additives, bottling lines, quality assurances, legislation and regulations. There are also expanded chapters on wine faults and wine tasting. A bibliography and glossary complete the package. Lots of photos, diagrams, and tables when and where needed. But there could also have been a discussion on LEED certification for wineries, and more details on organic, biodynamic, and sustainable viticulture. Still, a book for all wine lovers who want to know more about what they are drinking. A must purchase. Quality/price rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. MODERNIST CUISINE; the Art and Science of Cooking (The Cooking Lab, 2011, 2438 pages in six volumes, ISBN 978-0-98276100-7, retails for $700 CAD, but is $529 at Amazon.Ca, hardcover) is by Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young, and Maxime Bilet. The latter two are associated with The Fat Duck restaurant (Blumenthal’s place, but see log rolling below) and The Cooking Lab. Myhrvold was with Microsoft but left to become a stagier and then a chef. There’s some heavy log rolling here, principally from Harold McGee who has been over this same territory many times himself, Ferran Adria (ditto for the molecular gastronomy), Tim Zagat, and Heston Blumenthal. Where do begin? Some of the facts: 2438 pages over six volumes, 1.1 million words, 3,216 photographs, 1522 recipes, 72 chefs worldwide who advised, and five years to produce. The US price is $625 retail, and is sold on Amazon for $461.32, with free shipping for the 50 pounds or so of weight in the box. The book is a mixture of physics and biology and cooking processes. Ecco (HarperCollins) published a similar book in 2005 – El Bulli: 1998-2002 -- but it retailed for $490 for only 496 pages plus a CD-ROM. Combine that book with any McGee, and you’ve got virtually the same material, albeit a bit pricey. The six volumes here introduce “parametric” recipes which allow for dozens of variations by changing the ingredients and quantities. The third volume is on meats, seafood and plant matter. The fourth volume concerns thickeners, gels, emulsions, and foams. The fifth has plated dish recipes. And the sixth is a kitchen manual. There are many gadgets which will also need to be acquired if you are to do a lot of these recipes. Audience and level of use: those who are truly interested in cooking, and wish to spend a lot of money on the books. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: There are 300 pages of new recipes for plated dishes, many of them contributed by the log rollers. The downside to this book: it all weighs 21 kilos, and the recipes can be challenging. Also, the special purpose equipment can be expensive for home use, but (of course) written off and used many times in a professional setting. The upside to this book: depth of detail. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. HOMEMADE SODA (Storey Publishing, 2011, 329 pages, ISBN 978-1-60342- 796-8, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Andrew Schloss, author or co- author of 15 cookbooks, and an IACP Cookbook Award winner (The Science of Good Food). It is one of the few unique foodbooks published in 2011: here are 200 recipes for making and using fruit sods and fizzy juices, root beers, colas, herbal waters, shrubs, cream sodas and floats. Everything here is carbonated. Says Schloss, “Making sodas at home is an excellent way to reduce tour consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, and to moderate your sugar intake in general: you brew only what you’ll drink, and you can adjust the sweetness of the brew to your own taste.” There’s a brief history of sparkling waters and concoctions, various timelines for commercial [products, ingredient lists, equipment needed, and storage issues. There are three ways to make soda – mix seltzer water, use a soda siphon, or brew root beers and colas. This is followed by the recipe and a few “soda food” preps, e.g. lemonade shrimp cocktail, sweet heat mahogany chicken wings, cola chili, baked root beer ham, and other foods which strike me as very meaty and very male-appealing. There are also some desserts and a resources page. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: sparkling water fans, summer eaters. Some interesting or unusual recipe: balsamic date soda; ginseng soda; applale (apple cider); vanilla pear sparkler; iced café brulot; chocolate raspberry cream pop. The downside to this book: although not advertised as such, this is really a guy foodbook. The upside to this book: many recipes are adaptable to alcoholic beverages, such as sparkling lemon Campari. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4. TOMATOLAND; how modern industrial agriculture destroyed our most alluring fruit (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011; distr. Simon & Schuster, 220 pages, ISBN 978-1-4494-0109-2, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Barry Estabrook, a James Beard Award-winning food investigative journalist who wrote for Eating Well, Gourmet, The Atlantic, and others. Log rollers include Ruth Reichl, Jacques Pepin, and Corby Kummer. Portions of this book have appeared in different form in Gourmet, Gastronomica, Saveur, and the Washington Post. His book grew out of some investigative articles published in those sources (including his Beard Award winning “Politics of the Plate: the price of a tomato” in Gourmet of March 2009), whereby Estabrook looked at human and environmental costs of the $10 billion US fresh tomato industry. For example, fields can be sprayed with 130 different herbicides and pesticides. Tomatoes are picked hard and green and gassed until their skins begin to turn red. While modern plant breeding may have tripled yields, the fruits produced contained a much smaller amount of calcium and vitamin A and C. At the same time, the plants now have three times as much sodium as before. So “Tomatoland” is principally about supermarket tomatoes and how they impact our lives. He begins with the first tomatoes (Peruvian deserts) up through the tomato capital of the US (Immokalee, Florida). He covers labs striving to produce great tomatoes for agribusiness, how hydroponic growers function, and the secrets of organic farming. Audience and level of use: conspiracy lovers; agribusiness antagonists; food lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: 90% of US home gardeners grow tomatoes, and his article in Gourmet garnered the most reader response of any of the magazine’s articles in the previous decade. The downside to this book: there are a lot of interviews rather than hard core studies. The upside to this book: there’s an index, end notes and a bibliography for further reading. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5. THE RIPPLE EFFECT; the fate of freshwater in the twenty-first century (Scribner, 2011; distr. Simon and Schuster, 435 pages, ISBN 978-1-4165-3545-4, $27 US hard covers) is by Alex Prud’homme, an investigative writer for a variety of magazines. His books have been about the ImClone scandal and terrorism/security. He had also collaborated with his great-aunt Julia Child on her “My Life in France”. And there is a connection: Child made a comment about bottled water that stuck with him and sent him on his way to look into the whole matter of freshwater. Here he tackles freshwater (drinking, agriculture). It’s a story about the use and abuse of water. He explores what’s dangerous in our water supply, the security of our supply system (terrorism, natural disasters), and then potential for water wars. Water rights have been a contention for centuries. There were the water wars in Los Angeles, the diversion to the Colorado River, polluted shores and lakes (mostly from sewage being mixed with water), drug disposal and waste in the water supply, acid rain, global climate change, overpopulation, drought, flood, underground pipes and levees, and more. All we need was the Milagro Beanfield war to make it complete. But there are some stories here, mostly American, that involve microcosms (that can add up) – alleged murders in New Jersey, salmon fishermen in Alaska, poisoned wells in Wisconsin, intersex fish in Chesapeake Bay. Audience and level of use: the concerned environmentalist Some interesting or unusual facts: In USA, regulatory approval for a new water pipeline is the key to promoting real estate development. The downside to this book: I wished he had some ideas on how to correct things, The upside to this book: copious end notes. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 6. LOBSTER (Reaktion Books, 2011, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-86189-795-4, $19.95 US soft covers) is by Richard J. King, who teaches in Literature of the Sea at the Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport, Connecticut. It is part of the “Animal” series from Reaktion Books in the UK. At the same time, the publisher put out one of the “Edible” series, LOBSTER; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2011, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-86189-794-7, $15.95 US hard covers), which is by Elisabeth Townsend, a Massachusetts-based food and wine writer. “Lobster” had long been thought of as peasant food. Those living by the ocean had to eat it, to the shame and mortification of those poorer students who were forced to eat lobster sandwiches for lunch in the school cafeteria. They were laughed at. Now lobsters are big ticket items, although coast dwellers still remember their penurious beginnings. The Townsend book, which deals with lobster-as-food, is a good account of the social history of global lobster eating. The King book is an equally fascinating coconut of lobster-as-animal. He does have a number of references to lobster-as-food, usually within the context of culture or lobster festivals, but there is only one actual recipe with ingredients and instructions (for lobster stew). There are biological details, economic and environmental status reports, ethic issues revolving around boiling them alive, cultural notes on aphrodisiacs, plus lobsters in the arts. The two books form a useful duo of reads, with little duplication. Audience and level of use: lobster lovers, culinary historians. Some interesting or unusual facts: the American lobster is the best- tasting lobster, and most come from the Maritimes and Maine. Quality/Price Rating: 90. 7. DISHING IT OUT; in search of the restaurant experience (Reaktion Books, 2011; distr. U of Chicago Pr, 285 pages, ISBN 978-1-86189-807-4, $35 US hard covers) is by Robert Applebaum, a lecturer in Renaissance studies who specializes in the relationship of literature, culture and food. He argues that restaurants promote the interests of cultural democracy. He searches for such social values by sampling the fare at Catalonian bistros, Italian-American chophouses, global fast-food joints, and Michelin-starred restos of haute cuisine. Along the way, Applebaum examines cultural history and the origins of the modern restaurant in pre-revolutionary France. He covers writers who do food (Sartre and Dinesen) and food writers (Grimod de la Reyniere and M.F.K. Fisher). He is constantly asking : what is a restaurant? Audience and level of use: foodies, gastronomic historians. Some interesting or unusual facts: a restaurant is a public, commercial eating house offering individualized service. People are both part of a crowd and personally singled out. The downside to this book: while an important contribution to gastronomic history, the book was slow reading at many points. The upside to this book: there are end notes and an extensive bibliography for further readings. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 8. JAMS & JELLIES IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES (Gibbs Smith, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-1871-3, $16.99 US hard covers) is by Pamela Bennett, who has been making and selling jams, etc. for the past 25 years. She also owned Dallas’ Black Sheep Baskets which sold her jams. The emphasis here, of course, is speed: these are small-batch refrigerator jams that will last 3 – 4 weeks in the fridge. The 55 preps can also be turned into meat marinades, sauces, and sundae toppings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents on the last page. They are listed by category, such as berry jams, fruit preserves, tropical preps, herb and savoury spreads (onion jam, jalapeno jelly, lavender jam, beet jelly), and jellies from juice and wine (ginger jelly, lime jelly, champagne jelly). Quality/price rating: 88. Audience and level of use: home preservers, the harried cook. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Always make jelly on a clear day rather than a cloudy or stormy day – weather affects the appearance. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 9. THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO GRILLING; how to grill just about anything (Skyhorse Publishing, 2011, 250 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-067-9, $14.95 US paper covers) is by Rick Browne, a food writer specializing in BBQ (The Ultimate Guide to Frying, The Big Book of Barbecue Sides). It’s an all-purpose BBQ book, with a healthy dose of macho attitude. It seems like a safe purchase for that male in your life. There’s a section on lamb, which is offered without comments. Yet there are anecdotes and stories for the other meats such as lobster and pork. I understand that Western Kentucky specializes in lamb BBQ, so there is a market for such a book or section. Chapters cover appetizers, beef, fish, shellfish, lamb, pork, poultry, side dishes, sauces, marinades, veggies, game, desserts and rubs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: the male BBQer, such as my son. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: bourbon salmon, grilled lemon-lime tempeh, Thai lamb kebobs, Assyrian grilled leg of lamb with pomegranate sauce. The downside to this book: the typeface is slim, making it hard to read. The upside to this book: another basic book directed to males. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 10. BREAKFAST COMFORTS (Weldon Owen, 2010; distr. Simon & Schuster, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-070-3, $34.95 US hard covers) is by Rick Rodgers, a food writer who has also authored or co-authored at least 10 other books for Williams-Sonoma. This book is one of a large series of books published by Williams-Sonoma. It is a combo book, with preps from Rodgers and others from breakfast-brunch restaurants around the USA. There’s about 16 of these listed. Café Pasqual’s in Santa Fe would be my favourite (hey – I’ve been there). There are pix of some of the places, as well as a short text outlining their history and philosophy. Rodger’s has about 100 recipes of his own plus nostalgic preps from these other restaurants (showcasing regional cuisine). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Just about all the classics are here. Audience and level of use: brunch lovers Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lemon-ricotta pancakes; banana-chocolate crepes; Philly cheesecake omelet; cream-currant scones; cheese soufflé; pork and sage sausage patties. The downside to this book: the book weighs a lot. The upside to this book: the index is extensive. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 11. FRENCH FRIES (Gibbs Smith, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-0744-1, $16.99 US hard covers) is by Zac Williams, a food photographer who has also written “Little Monsters Cookbook”. Unfortunately, the book seems to have been released just at the time that scientific reports were filed alluding to French fries and potato chips being the number one causes of weight gain over 20 years of a person’s life. Nevertheless, if you can tolerate high fat and carbs, this is the book for you. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Williams uses the “two-fry” method, to ensure crispness on the outside and fluffiness on the inside. There are some preps here for oven baking and the like. There are also 25 pages of dips and sauces. While there are two oven recipes indexed, the main prep for oven fries is not indexed. Audience and level of use: those who enjoy French fries Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sweet potato fries, Cajun fries, Philly cheese fries. The downside to this book: there’s not much to say about French fries. The upside to this book: a single-product book. What makes the book are the sauces and technique. Quality/Price Rating: 83. 12. BACKCOUNTRY COOKING; the ultimate guide to planning, preparing, and packing great outdoor meals (Skyhorse Publishing, 2011, 238 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-312-0, $14.95 US paper covers) is by Sierra Adare, a how-to outdoors specialist who writes for Mother Earth News and several newspapers. This is a comprehensive package, which ends with a bibliography for further reading. The original subtitle was announced as “feats for hikers, hoofers, and floaters”, but the current one is more descriptive and accurate. About 100 recipes are scattered throughout, keyed into menu patterns for each day of a trip. For example, Day Nine Menus includes a breakfast of shorts (dehydrated ground beef), coffee, with a Trail Lunch of cheese, assorted crackers, apricots, cashews and M & Ms. Dinner is Tent Stake Turkey and Snow Drifts (dried raisins). All food is prepared in advance and bagged. There are five trips here, with marching orders for all: a 10 day trip, a 7 day, a 5 day, a car-camping for a week, and a river-running for a week. Everything has been organized for the reader, right down to the tiniest detail. There are lists of grocery items you buy beforehand, instructions on how to dehydrate your own food, how to avoid sickness, etc. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: the not-so-experienced hiker. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: re-hydrate food early in the day, in order to prepare for the reconstitution process. Re-hydrated food will cook faster and use less boiled water. The downside to this book: only time will tell if the sturdy binding will indeed t=stand up to multiple usage. The upside to this book: very nicely crafted with lots of notes, tips, and advice. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 13. THE ART OF BREAKFAST; how to bring B & B entertaining home (Down East Books, 2011; distr. Nimbus, 159 pages, ISBN 978-0-89272-940-1, $28.95 hard covers) is by Dana Moos, a former innkeeper who is now a Maine realtor selling B & Bs. Here is a collection of some 100 Maine- inspired preps, suitable for “entertaining” guests or clients. There is a collection of sweet entrees, savoury entrees, baked goods, side dishes, plus the usual sauces-syrups-butters. Some emphasis is given to seasonal and local Maine food products. At the end, there are ideas for guest gifts and eight menus (both sections with page references). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: b & b owners and brunch lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: rum raisin pears; cantaloupe with green tea-infused minted syrup; blueberry apricot cheese crepes; Maine blueberry malted Belgian waffles; fried eggs on wild mushroom hash; cinnamon buns. The downside to this book: some of the preps seem too complicated or involved for a b & b operation. The upside to this book: page references are given for menus and gifts. 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 – 14. VEGAN FAMILY MEALS; real food for everyone (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2011; distr. Simon & Schuster, 258 pages, ISBN 978-1-4494- 0237-2, $25 US hard covers) is by Ann Gentry who owns Real Food Daily in Los Angeles. She’s written other vegan cookbooks, she’s the executive chef to Vegetarian Times magazine, and she has her own cooking show on the Dish Network. Even so, the publisher thought it best to have some log rolling from Deepak Chopra himself. Her current book adds to the repertoire of vegan cookery by also making it more accessible to regular people who are looking for a healthier lifestyle. Healthwise, a vegan diet reduces mortality. Meatless diets promote lower levels of cholesterol, lower blood pressure, reduced chances of type 2 diabetes and renal disease and dementia. Here are about 100 preps for the whole family to enjoy, for breakfasts, snacks, sandwiches, family-style simple meals, and the like. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Try some non-dairy milkshakes, potato- salad with tarragon-mustard dressing, nishime-style root veggies, South American meatless stew stuffed in a kabocha squash, baked kale chips (crumbly), or edamame and spinach hummus with endive spears. Quality/price rating: 88. 15. MY FATHER’S DAUGHTER; delicious easy recipes celebrating family and togetherness (Grand Central Life & Style, 2011; distr. Hachette, 272 pages, ISBN 978-0-446-55731-3, $30 US hard covers) is by noted actress Gwyneth Paltrow, daughter of writer-producer-director Bruce Paltrow, who died in 2002. There’s some log rolling by Mario Batali, who is also a co-author with Gwyneth of “Spain, A Culinary Road Trip”. She’s also host of a PBS series on Spain. The Spanish themes continue as Paltrow was an exchange student, and there are many Spanish recipes in this book among the 150 or so listed. The book is part memoir, so this tome will also appeal to her fans, and doubly so for those who care to cook. It is a tribute to her father who inspired in her a love of cooking. The book is NOT to be dismissed as a celebrity fluff piece (who would expect to find a recipe here for sriracha Thai hot sauce?). It is actually quite good, with reliable family-style preps such as tuna and ginger burgers, white bean soup, fish stew, spaghetti alla vongole, broiled salmon with teriyaki, and others. Each recipe has some memory piece, ingredients are listed in boldface, there’s service numbers, and preparation times. There are icons to represent a make-ahead, a quick prep, a vegetarian dish, a one-pot meal, and a dress-up meal for sophisticated diners. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The photos of plated dishes look pretty good. There are some notes on vegan recipes and kid-friendly recipes. At the end, there’s a list of “reliable online resources”. Quality/price rating: 89. 16. FEARLESS BAKER; scrumptious cakes, pies, cobblers, cookies and quick breads that you can make to impress your friends and yourself (Little, Brown and Co.,; distr. Hachette, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-316- 07428-5, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Emily Luchetti (executive pastry chef at Farallon and Waterbar in San Francisco, plus a 2004 Beard Award) and Lisa Weiss (food author of several cookbooks). Log rolling comes from Mireille Guiliano (French Women Don’t Get Fat) and David Lebovitz. There’s a full range here, including bars, tarts, fruit, sauces, and breakfast. The colourful illustrations are retro, and they look terrific. The 175 preps all come with overall caveats: read the prep first, measure everything, never improvise the first time, preheat the oven, use a timer. Each prep comes with a chart between the two authors; this replaces the general paragraph on tips and advice. Equipment lists are noted in red; ingredient lists are noted in boldface albeit in smaller typeface size. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Try almond-chocolate chip cookies, blondies, lemon angel food cake, macaroon cake, dried cherry and apricot bread pudding, lemon Prosecco sabayon with raspberry and blackberries, and apple turnovers. There is also a sources list. Quality/price rating: 87. 17. LIVE RAW; raw food recipes for good health and timeless beauty (Skyhorse Publishing, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 226 pages, ISBN 978=1- 61608-274-1, $16.95 US paper covers) is by Mimi Kirk, a television host and writer. There are more than 120 recipes here, and the appeal is wide. Nothing really strange. Her advice and tips include a detoxification program for cleansing, what foods you need to eat every day, and some beauty tips. There’s material on maintaining memory and mobility, the evils of eating animals, and how to stay young at all ages. One major advantage of raw food is that no cooking required: an excellent plan for hot summers or for those short on time. But still, many foods need a dehydrator, sometimes for 10 hours or so at 105-110 degrees (pizza takes 19 hours). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Typical recipes are given for smoothies and juices, breakfast breads and crackers, soups, salads or course, wraps and rolls, veggie side dishes, mains, and sweets. Quality/price rating: 86. 18. THE EAT LOCAL COOKBOOK; seasonal recipes from a Maine farm (Down East Books, 2011; distr. Nimbus, 173 pages, ISBN 978-0-89272-923-4, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Lisa Turner, a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) farmer in Maine (Laughing Stock Farm, Freeport ME). She’s collected about 125 recipes from state chefs, farmers, and home cooks, fleshed out with a few of her own. Her CSA helps stock many Maine restaurants, and she also has about 80 families enrolled. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There are no illustrations or photos, but then that keeps the price down. There are two recipe indexes, one by course, and another alphabetically-arranged. The preps are arranged by season and sourced as to provenance. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 19. JENI’S SPLENDID ICE CREAMS AT HOME (Artisan, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 218 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-436-8, $23.95 US hard covers) is by Jeni Britton Bauer, who owns Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams with eight stores in Ohio and nation-wide shipping to other restaurants and stores. There are about 100 recipes here, all arranged by season beginning with Spring. Her primer has the basics on equipment, ingredients, and how her ice cream shop began. There are lists of sources for spices and extracts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. It’s a colourful book, with different inks for the recipes, but the sans serif font (a lot like Century Gothic) is very thin and the listing of ingredients is in small typeface: all of which is hard to read for these older eyes (and I just had them checked, so I am OK). Lots of illustrations, so this must be a book to be more read than used. Her fans and patrons will enjoy it. Try farmers’ market sundae, olive oil ice cream, riesling poached pear sorbet, salty caramel (which apparently sells over 200 gallons a week) or coriander ice cream. Quality/price rating: 81. * 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. START YOUR OWN EVENT PLANNING BUSINESS. 3rd edition. (Entrepreneur Press, 2011; distr. McGraw-Hill, 172 pages, ISBN 978-1-599184-159, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Cheryl Kimball. The book is one of a “Start Up” series from the publisher: there are over 60 of these books, including such hospitality related themes as bar and club, bed and breakfast, gift baskets, and restaurants. They are nicely uniform in setup. It was first published in 2004, with the second edition coming along in 2007. This book opens with a survey of the industry, describing what event planning is, marketing, formulating a business plan, research, choosing a name, and the like. There are chapters on hiring, financing, website creation, profiling, and the like. New to this edition is a lot of material on social media (blogs, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter). The invaluable appendix has sections on associations, books, applicable software, experts, magazines, websites, plus names/websites of successful event planners and a glossary. Quality/price rating: 88. 21. AGE GETS BETTER WITH WINE; new science for a healthier, better & longer life. 2nd ed. (Wine Appreciation Guild, 2009; distr. McArthur, 210 pages, ISBN 978-1-934259-24-5, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Richard Baxter, MD, Medical Director for Healthy Aging magazine and an original researcher on resveratrol. As he notes, a lot has happened since the first edition of his book in 2007, and lots more research is on the way: it seems that wine research is a booming industry. Resveratrol (found in red wine) has proven to extend life dramatically in experimental animals. If you are a white wine drinker, then you are SOL. Indeed, the whole class of polyphenols may be effective in preventing Alzeimer’s, heart disease, cancer and the common cold. The big question for most doctors is whether the health benefits of resveratrol can be encapsulated, so people don’t have to drink at all. Baxter explores all these options, beginning with an historical framework of wine and health through the ages. He moves through phenolics, resveratrol, how wine fights cancer and protects the brain. He has all his end notes, glossary, and notes for his blog www.healthandwine.blogspot.com. A well-informed read for the layman. Quality/price rating: 89. 22. COOKING DOWN EAST; favorite Main recipes (Down East Books, 2010; distr. Nimbus, 254 pages, ISBN 978-0-89272913-5, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Marjorie Standish, who wrote the “Cooking Down East” column for the Maine Sunday Telegram for 25 years. Over 100,000 copies have been sold since the first edition in 1969. So I don’t mess around with a classic: here there are 350 preps, many using Maine ingredients (mushrooms, game, lobster, Maine shrimp), with 15 more being added by Melissa Kelly, the Beard Award chef of Primo in Rockland, Maine (that’s the first one: the other two are in Tucson and Orlando). Standish offers helpful tips, as does Kelly (usually with a modern twist such as recommending panko crumbs and butter instead of bread crumbs and margarine). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Kelly’s recipes emphasize seasonal and local ingredients, and include crab cakes, pickled fiddleheads, lobster sauce, saffron-tomato mussels, and chilled Maine shrimp salad. Quality/price rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR MAY 2011 ====================================== 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: 2011 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. WINE; a cultural history (Reaktion Books, 2010, 2011, 280 pages, ISBN 978-1-86189-790-9, $29 US soft covers) is by John Varriano, a published art history professor, now emeritus from Mount Holyoke College. It is actually a catalogue/guide to the exhibition “Wine and Spirit: Rituals, Remedies, and Revelry” which was organized by Mount Holyoke. The exhibition began in Massachusetts and moved to Rochester New York. This is a celebratory book as told in reproductions of works of art. Wine has a rich history: it has been found everywhere, used in all circumstances from healing to religious ceremonies to dinner parties to drunken bacchanalia. Varriano emphasizes the polarizing effect wine has had on society and culture through the ages in this richly illustrative book. He covers art, literature, science, technology of wine making, and the like, in a witty, informative and informal style. There are about 105 illustrations (88 in colour). As such, it’s more accessible than Younger’s “Gods, Men and Wine” (1966). There are extensive end notes and a long bibliography for further reading. Audience and level of use: the casual art or wine lover, those interested in the cultural history of wine. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOKS OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. DATES; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2011, 136 pages, ISBN 978- 1-86189-796-1, $15.95 US hard covers) is by Nawal Nasrallah, a researcher and food writer specializing in Middle East cuisine. ICE CREAM; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2011, 176 pages, ISBN 978- 1-86189-792-3, $15.95 US hard covers) is by Laura B. Weiss, a New York City journalist who specializes in lifestyle writing. LOBSTER; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2011, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1- 86189-794-7, $15.95 US hard covers) is by Elisabeth Townsend, a Massachusetts-based food and wine writer. POTATO; a global history (Reaktion Books, 2011, 142 pages, ISBN 978-1- 86189-799-2, $15.95 US hard covers) is by Andrew F. Smith, who teaches culinary history at the New School in NYC. His previous books have been about junk food and “Hamburger”, the latter for this current series, The Edible Series. He’s also the editor of the series which now numbers some 20 books in a uniform format. Edible is a great series, offering fingernail profiles and engaging memoirs of foods. You don’t need to collect them all: if you hate lobsters, then just avoid that book. Each book 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. “Dates” is a straight-forward history, beginning with Mesopotamia and moving forward with the role that the date palm has played in the Middle East economy. A lot of the book has anecdotes, etymology, culture, legends and religious attitudes about dates. “Ice Cream” is the longest book in the series, but it is also the food probably most worked over in the foodbook/cookbook genre. It is good, though, to have some global history of the product before segueing into American territory. Weiss says that ice cream, began in ancient China and ends in modern Tokyo. Italian immigrant ice cream vendors played a big role in North America. “Lobster” has long been peasant food. Those living by the ocean had to eat it, to the shame and mortification of those poorer students who were forced to eat lobster sandwiches for lunch in the school cafeteria. They were laughed at. Now lobsters are big ticket items, although coast dwellers still remember their penurious beginnings. This is a good account of the social history of global lobster eating. “Potato” is a Western Hemisphere product, rising from the Pre-Columbian period in the Andes to its role as a staple today. Of course, there’s a fair bit of material about Ireland and the blight/famine. There’s even a mention of poutine. It’s easy to grow and is a good choice for carbohydrates. Audience and level of use: culinary historians, food lovers. Some interesting or unusual facts: Popular ice cream flavours in Japan include green tea, crab, sea urchin, wasabi, beef tongue, eel, and garlic. The biggest date celebration in the world is the National Date Festival (Indio, California). Indonesians eat their French fries with sate sauce, Belgians with mayonnaise, Bulgarians with grated white cheese, and Vietnamese with sugar and butter. Spiny lobsters adorn an Egyptian temple from the fifteenth century BC. 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. MODERN BUFFETS; blueprint for success (John Wiley, 2012 [sic], 208 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-48466-1, $82.95 CAN hard covers) is by Edward G. Leonard, a much-awarded chef who is currently VP of Le Cordon Bleu North America. He is also one of 66 worldwide Certified Master Chefs. In this book, he presents the case for matching flavours and foods with ease of service and visual appeal. Along the way, he delves into history, logistics, and setup. The menu planning includes blueprint drawing for layout. The 92 recipes cover breakfasts (spring rolls, Florentines, waffles), lunches (lobster claws, sandwiches, salads), dinners (baked fishes, pan-seared salmon, tomato tatin, skate wing), finger foods, shooters, a variety of tapas, and desserts. Service is for 6 to 8, and can be multiplied. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. A good book for the professional who can write off the cost of the book. Audience and level of use: restaurants or caterers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: tomato tatin, pan-roasted veal loin, fried veal cheeks, savory bread pudding, sous vide salmon, morel potato cake, potato and lentil salad with roasted duck breast. The downside to this book: a brutal price ($82.95; $66.36 at Amazon.ca) for such a slim book. The upside to this book: some flair. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 4. THE FIRST REAL KITCHEN COOKBOOK; recipes and tips for new cooks (Chronicle Books, 2011, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7810-4, $22.95 US soft covers) is by Megan an Jill Carle, who are not chefs. Megan is a vegetarian, while Jill is an omnivore. It’s a basic book, sure to appeal to young readers and cooks, with a lot of concentration on pasta, rice and grains. There’s a section on vegetables, another on pasta, a third on seafood, followed by chicken beef, pork, and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners, college students. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: oven-baked fish and chips, green chile-cheese meatloaf, white bean soup, Dublin coddle. The downside to this book: there are lots of other junior books out there, and this is just the latest. The upside to this book: good tips. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 5. THE GLORIOUS PASTA OF ITALY (Chronicle Books, 2011, 280 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7259-1, $30 US hard covers) is by Dominica Marchetti, a food writer and cooking school instructor who specializes in Italian cookery. She has written two other Italian books for Chronicle, so I guess it is pasta’s turn. There’s log rolling from such as Michael Chiarello and Giuliano Hazan, but I’m still not sure the world needs another pasta book. They’ve been around for decades, especially at the lower price range of Sunset or Betty Crocker. And here, there are very few photos of pasta dishes and some of fresh shapes.. Most would have a red or green sauce, and to see page after page would be disheartening. Nevertheless I love the empty dish frontispiece…There’s the usual primer material and the collection of classic and contemporary preps. These are her fave dishes, but still thirty dollars is a lot of money for a pasta book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The arrangement is by course, so there is a chapter on pasta in soup, baked pasta, stuffed pasta, and “showstoppers” (a bit more complicated, and my favourite chapter). Audience and level of use: pasta lovers, those new to Italian cooking. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: duck egg fettuccine with pickled ramps, poached chicken thighs, and pesto; anellini alla pecorara; miller’s wife pasta; spinach codetta with sausage and peas; baked zucchini and mushroom agnolotti with pesto béchamel. And a “Big Night” timballo. The downside to this book: pricey for a pasta book The upside to this book: some unusual preps. Quality/Price Rating: 81. 6. CHAR-BROIL CANADA GRILLS! (Creative Homeowner, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 303 pages, ISBN 978-1-58011-525-4, $26.95 CAN paper covers) is a collection of some 222 recipes for grill work. Of course, they want you to use a Char-Broil (Char-Broil is America’s largest grill brand; it was founded in 1948). I’m not sure what the point is in having it be “Canada Grills” since the publisher and the product are US corporations. In fact, there is virtually the same book is the US called “America Grills!” with the same introduction, recipes, photos, etc. The only variance between the two is the chapter on resources: there are more Canadian web resources in the Canada book than are in the America book. Nevertheless, this is a solid introduction to grill work, with a primer, apps, beef, pork, poultry, lamb, seafood, sides, marinades and rubs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners or Char-Broil purchasers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: yogurt-mint chicken; grilled oysters; sliders; cowboy-style beef ribs; lamb kabobs; grilled tuna; stuffed squid with sausage. The downside to this book: with all the photos and magazine weight paper, the book is very heavy. The upside to this book: price is ok, $21 at Amazon.ca Quality/Price Rating: 84. 7. JOHN SCHREINER’S BC COASTAL WINE TOUR GUIDE; the wineries of the Fraser Valley, Vancouver, Vancouver Island, and the Gulf Islands (Whitecap, 2011, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-042, 224 pages, $19.95 CAN paper covers) has been derived from a series of BC wine books by Schreiner. It is a companion to his Okanagan Wine Tour Guide, and thus set up the same way. Here is a listing of some 65 wineries, along with maps on the inside front cover. In common with his Okanagan book, Schreiner gives us the directory-type data of address, phone number, when opened, web site, best times to visit, and the like. There are some small black and white photos of the winery and/or the owners, plus accompanying detail on winery life. He lists the wines and wine styles of each place, and then gives his “picks”. Audience and level of use: winery visitors to BC, armchair travelers. Some interesting facts: “The coastal wineries, being younger than Okanagan wineries, have yet to promote themselves aggressively beyond their local markets” The downside to this book: a bit more restrictive than the Okanagan book. The upside to this book: good details on an emerging Canadian wine region. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 8. QUICK AND EASY MEXICAN COOKING (Chronicle Books, 2011, 168 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7232-4, $22.95 US soft covers) is by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee, a food writer who has also written “Quick and Easy Korean Cooking”. That book should have more appeal than this current one, for there is a veritable flood of Mexican food books on the market today, many priced well-under this effort. Nevertheless, there are some 80 or so preps here that are straightforward for breakfast, lunch, snacks, grilling, dinner and desserts. There’s a section on salsas, another on salads, a third on soups, and then the mains. There are a few mail order sources and a bibliography for books on the foods and culture of Mexico. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: Mexican food lovers or those looking for “quick and easy” Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: churros, breaded steak, baked tortilla chips, fried squash, lime and chicken soup, Baja-style fish tacos, chicken taquitos. The downside to this book: there’s a lot of competition out there. The upside to this book: there’s a listing of nine menus, all with page references, embracing fancy dinners, BBQ, street food, vegetarian, and kids food. Quality/Price Rating: 82. 9. THE BOOK OF FUNGI; a life-size guide to six hundred species from around the world (University of Chicago Press, 2011, 656 pages, ISBN 978-0-226-72117-0, $55 US hard covers) is by Peter Roberts (former mycologist at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) and Shelley Evans (former conservation officer for the British Mycological Society). Both have published widely and both have been extensively involved with mycological field trips. It is a heavily illustrated book, with about 2000 colour pix. Each of the 600 or so species is colourfully reproduced at its actual size, along with an explanation of its distribution, habitat, association, abundance, growth form, spore colour, and edibility. There are location maps for global distribution. Occasionally, the strange habits of some of these fungi will be noted. Covered, of course, are chanterelles, mushrooms, morels, puffballs, toadstools, and truffles. Audience and level of use: libraries, mycology students. Some interesting or unusual facts: a 1.5 pound white truffle sold for $150,000 at a charity auction in 2009. The downside to this book: with all the pix, this is a very physically heavy book. The upside to this book: great illustrations. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 10. START YOUR OWN FOOD TRUCK BUSINESS (Entrepreneur Press, 2011, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-59918-414-1, $19.95 US paper covers) is a perfect food business niche book. Here you will find just about all you’ll need to know to begin an operation in the US for a cart, a trailer, a kiosk, gourmet truck, mobile catering, and a “bustaurant” (diner on wheels). The book is one of a “Start Up” series from the publisher: there are over 60 of them, including such hospitality related themes as bar and club, bed and breakfast, gift baskets, and restaurants. The book opens with a history of the mobile food business before moving on to the types of customers being catered to. There are business plans to consider. There’s the menu and suppliers to deal with, as well as parking, licenses, work environment, cleaning and personal health, and staffing. At the end, there are notes on how to franchise and how to sell your business. The appendix details food truck resources such as business associations, credit bureaus, small business software, recipe websites, and the like. Audience and level of use: anybody wanting to start a mobile food business, or just the curious. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: there’s a good number of checklists that are really useful. The downside to this book: US-based material. The upside to this book: there is an informative glossary. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 11. A GREEN GUIDE TO TRADITIONAL COUNTRY FOODS; discover traditional ways to cure and smoke, pickle and preserve, make cheese, bake and more (Cico Books, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 192 pages, $24.95 US hard covers) has been assembled by Henrietta Green (no relation to the title); it is one of the “Green Guides” (housekeeping, backyard farm, organic pot crops, fruits) put out by Cico. This is a book about making things from scratch, so be prepared to work. You must love cooking, as I am sure we all do. The six chapters each cover a different theme: there’s dairy (making cheese, yogurt, butter, buttermilk, cream cheese); bakery (making granary bread, sourdough starter, focaccia, piecrust); candy (making chocolate truffles, fudge, marshmallows); pantry (making vinegars, chutneys, jams, syrups); butcher (making sausages, terrine, bresaola, potted ham); and smoking (making salmon, bacon). Along the way there are techniques to learn, such as brining, cold smoking, hot smoking, and sourdoughs. At the end, there are some useful addresses, mainly American, but there are at least nine from Canada and a few more from the UK and France. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: those cooks who feel inspired enough to begin cooking from scratch. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: beef in buttermilk; beet, goat cheese, and pine nut salad with Melba toast; wild mushroom and garlic pizza; beet chutney; onion marmalade; chorizo sausages. The downside to this book: there was no room for alternatives such as low-fat or low-sugar or gluten-free preps. The upside to this book: a good inspirational resource tool for cooks who want to move up. 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 – 12. GRILLING WITH SALMING (HarperCollins, 2011, 136 pages, ISBN 978-1- 44340-487-7, $24.99 CAN paper covers) is by Borje Salming, the first European to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1996), for his work with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has returned to Sweden, and a few years ago he was persuaded to write a grill and BBQ book for a Swedish publisher. This is the 2011 reprint of that 2010 book. At first, I thought it was “Grilling with Salmon”, which is one of my fave foods. There are, though, two salmon recipes here: kebab skewers and a whole side. It’s is useful book and it should trade in very well with its celebrity name. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. There are quite a few pix of Salming (he is, after all, the celebrity of record here) and some memoir-ish material. Otherwise, it seems to be a pretty standard grill book (see other reviews on this page): grilled corn, bacon-wrapped chicken drumsticks, balsamic- marinated lamb chops with roasted garlic, chorizo-stuffed chicken breast, plus veggies and skewers and marinades. There are four grilled desserts: pineapple, fruit salad, peaches, apples. Quality/price rating: 84. 13. WELL DRESSED; salad dressings (Gibbs Smith, 2011, 96 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-1766-2, $16.99 US hard covers) is by Jeff Keys, owner of Vintage Restaurant in Sun Valley, Idaho. He has also authored a cookbook featuring his restaurant. Here’s a variety of quality salad dressings, some of them complex. He’s arranged them all (about 70) by type: vinaigrettes, claw/creamy dressings, and mix-in dressings. There is even an “international” chapter which are all vinaigrettes such as Asian golden dragon beet vinaigrette, Spanish sherry vinaigrette, chili-lime vinaigrette, and wasabi vinaigrette. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. For the cooking completist and salad lover. Quality/price rating: 88. 14. MIETTE; recipes from San Francisco’s most charming pastry shop (Chronicle Books, 2011, 223 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7504-2 $27.50 US hard covers) is by Meg Ray, chef and owner of Miette. The clever package includes scalloped book pages, which take some getting used to when flipping. Miette only does spectacular cakes, tarts, pastries, candies and creams. There are 100 recipes plus variations here, accompanied by 50 dramatic photos. There’s a sources list (mainly US west coast) and a tools list. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try coconut mousse cake, bittersweet ganache cake, lemon tea cake, princess cake, and other flights of fancy. A nice book for inspiration, but of course it should be useful for Miette’s fans in the Bay Area. Quality/price rating: 84. 15. SOUTHERN BISCUITS (Gibbs Smith, 2011, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236- 2176-8, $21.99 US hard covers) is by cookbook author and cooking TV host (over 300 shows) Nathalie Dupree. She lives in Charleston, South Carolina, and specializes in southern cooking. Her co-author is fellow cookbook writer and cooking TV producer, Cynthia Graubart. This single ingredient cookbook is a boon to biscuit lovers everywhere. There are “easy” biscuits, traditional biscuits such as beaten biscuits, embellished biscuits, and some dessert biscuits. The flesh out the book, there are some others: cheese straws, blue cornmeal biscuits, sausage pinwheels, pancakes and waffles. But no gluten-free preps. Leftovers are dealt with by breaded tomatoes, biscuit panzanella salads, sausage stuffing, casseroles, etc. There are also 16 preps for sauces, gravies, jams and jellies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89. 16. HEALTHY STARTS HERE! 140 recipes that will make you fell great (Whitecap, 2011, 348 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-039-6, $29.95 soft covers) is by Mairlyn Smith, who has been a cooking TV host and celebrity (such as Harrowsmith Country Life TV). She’s authored two other cookbooks. The book should sell well in the Canadian comedy community since Smith is an alumna of Second City. She has log rolling from other comedians (Eastwood, James, McGrath, Mochrie). Indeed, she does write with a comedic style. Anyway, this lifestyle guide focuses on busy families with classic and contemporary takes on healthy food such as grilled garlic shrimp. It is arranged by ingredient, from apples, through beans, berries, greens, nuts, chocolate, and yogurt. There’s also advice on throwing parties and how to give up junk foods. The four menus (with recipes) are one per season, taking advantage of the local foods available. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The bibliography gives us an opportunity to read about the healthy benefits of foods. Try quinoa tabbouleh, January salad, Asian chicken and watercress soup, chicken-coconut soup, or broccoli with peanut sauce. 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”... 17. FOOD FROM MANY GREEK KITCHENS (Whitecap Books, 2011, 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-060-0, $40 CAN hard covers) is by Tessa Kiros, a chef who has cooked in London, Sydney, Mexico, and Athens. It was originally published in Australia last year by Murdoch Books. Kiros has also authored “Twelve” (Tuscany), “Postcards from Portugal”, and “Venezia”. She’s working her way through Europe, and continues now with Greece. She uses her family and support system to locate preps for fasting, festivals and feast days such as Easter. This is also a bit of a coffee table book, since there are also elegant landscape scenes in addition to plated dishes. There’s vassilopitta (New Year wish cake), yamopilafo (wedding rice, fry breads, tarama balls, red eggs, lentil soup, and many lamb dishes. Culinary traditions and cultures are carefully explained. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There’s good large typeface for the methodology, but a dramatically smaller typeface for the list of ingredients. Quality/price rating: 84. 18. FAVOURITE RECIPES FROM OLD NEW BRUNSWICK KITCHENS (Nimbus, 1994, 2011, 172 pages, ISBN 978-1-55109-850-0, $15.95 soft covers) is by Mildred and Stuart Trueman. Stuart passed away shortly after the book was first published in 1994; he contributed instructions for old cures and medications. Mildred has updated her book to also include traditional Acadian dishes and classic New Brunswick lumber camp recipes. These are given their own chapter. All courses are covered, from soups and chowders through to desserts, jams and jellies. It is a major contribution to Canadian culinary history, and so it is good to have it back in circulation once again. Try rapee pie, puttins, rabbit stew, chicken fricot, vinegar pie, Miramichi baked beans, and hot biscuits. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 19. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND TASTES; recipes from PEI’s best restaurants (Nimbus Publishing, 2011, 82 pages, ISBN 1-55109-827-2, $22.95 paper covers) is edited by Andrew Sprague, a free lance food writer living on the Island. This is a cook’s tour through P.E.I., with 28 recipes. It was originally published in 2006; nine recipes are new, as are the restaurants. Both Imperial and metric weights and measures are used for each ingredient listed in the recipe, which is a good thing. There are many photos, but mostly of the tourist-type. Some plated dishes are photographed nicely. PEI lovers will adore this book, as will armchair travelers and tourists. Some interesting or unusual recipes include lobster-stuffed chicken (from the Pilot House), potato pie with maple bacon sauce (PEI Preserve Company Restaurant), savoury meat pie (Clow’s Red and White), bisque mussel (Flex Mussels), and grilled mackerel (Lot 30. But there is still no index (although there is a directory of the restaurants with recipes noted and page numbers), and far too many non- food pictures. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 20. FRENCH CLASSICS MADE EASY (Workman, 2011, 392 pages, ISBN 978-0- 7611-5854-7, $16.95 US paper covers) is by Richard Grausman, a professional cooking teacher. The publisher’s blurb says that this is the book his students have asked him to write. But the question is: when? It was originally published in 1988. “The recipes in this book are my interpretations and updates of French classics....My goal is to provide clear, easy instructions, free of some of the restraints of the classic French kitchen.” Since 1990, the book has been used as a text by many of his students. 250 “classic” recipes have had shortcuts applied, non-crucial steps eliminated, advanced prep work done, and the fat-sugar-salt cut back. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents as well as a discussion on the use of metric weights and measures. The index is bilingual. It’s a useful book, with the typical preps of soufflé, bouillabaisse, cassoulet (light), boeuf bourguignon, soupe de poisson, pate, terrine, and others. Useful as a tried and true book. Quality/price ratio: 86. 21. MY GRILL; outdoor cooking Australian style (Weldon Owen, 2011, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-116-8, $30 US hard covers) is by Peter Evans, a TV chef, restaurateur, and grill expert in Australia. It was originally published in 2009 by Murdoch Books in Australia. This is al fresco dining and entertaining, man-style. Each chapter also includes a variety of cocktails. There are also a lot of camping tips and preps here as well, such as eggs with chorizo or French toast with figs, ricotta pancakes – all morning food. Overall, too, there are a fair number of non-food touristy pictures as well. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There’s indigenous food, such as grilled hamachi or barramundi, and basic BBQ such as maple syrup and tamarind-glazed pork ribs. Desserts are mainly grilled fruit, which is good for you. Just over 100 recipes. Quality/pri9ce rating: 85. 22. EASY GRILLING; simple recipes for outdoor grills (Ryland Peters and Small, 2011, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-111-7, $19.99 US hard covers) is a collection of 100 recipes from the Ryland stable of cookbook authors, such as Louise Pickford and Ghillie Basan who have the majority of the preps. Other contributors include Fiona Beckett, Maxine Clark, Ross Dobson, Jane Noraika, Elsa Petersen-Schepelern, Fiona Smith, and Lindy Wildsmith. It is one of the “Easy” series, now up to a dozen or so in number and covering a variety of themes. This series is a very useful compilation series, from a variety of sources. There’s the usual primer, the sauces and marinades (plus dips), followed by sections on meats, poultry, fish and seafood, veggies, salads, and sides. Even desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Typical preps include swordfish kabobs, peppered tuna steaks, charred- grilled chicken breast, BBQ spareribs Mexican style, and the like. Quality/price rating: 87. 23. MARK BITTMAN’S KITCHEN EXPRESS; 404 inspired seasonal dishes you can make in 20 minutes or less (Simon & Schuster, 2009, 2011, 233 pages, ISBN 978-1-4165-7567-2, $15 US soft covers) is by the ubiquitous and eponymous Mark Bittman. It was originally to be titled “404 Express”, but I guess they shied away from its Internet connotation, “404 Error”. It was originally published in 2009; this is the 2011 paperback reprint, with no changes except for the cover which dropped the log rolling. He promised 101 quick and easy recipes for each of the four seasons. He’s done cooking shows, and 2 million readers look at his weekly New York Times column (paper and internet versions). In this book, he claims dishes can be ready in 20 minutes or less. There have been many books on the theme of “20-minutes-or-less”, and this one is not any different – just the latest, with the added cachet of Bittman’s name. He had a similar book from 2007, a paperback titled “Mark Bittman’s Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times” which you can still get on Amazon for $13 US ($9.99 US for Kindle). There were 350 recipes in that book, and not all of them were quick (a few demanded unattended times such as baking in the oven). Here he has rearranged some and added many more, laying them out by season. So he can catch the “seasonal” element too. The trick to the timing is to have your mise en place plus be able to multitask. He says, “These recipes were developed for the type of cook who gets the oil hot while chopping an onion, cooks the onion while peeling and chopping the carrot, adds the carrot and goes on to dice the meat, and so on.” This is fast, steady, sequential cooking. You’ll also need a pantry, which he specifies, so you can grab an essential ingredient that will always be in stock. Oh, yes … you’ll need to do regular shopping too. All of these can be mastered. He has a section that lists (with page references) dishes that can double as appetizers, brown-bag lunches, meals and desserts to eat year long, finger food, “easiest of the easiest”, do-aheads and reheatables, and picnic foods. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents (except for oven temperatures) – not even in the reprint. Recipes are given in narrative prose, the way Gourmet magazine used to do them. This forces you to read the whole description before attempting to cook. He has a list of some substitutions and a collection of menus for putting a meal together in some order. Try taco slaw; peanut soup; banderilla pasta; zuppa di pane; mussels in white wine and garlic; or warm milk toast. The downside to this book is that you’ve got to know what you are doing at all times. Menus and categories of dishes for picnics, potlucks, etc. are included. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR APRIL 2011 ============================================ 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: 2011 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!! * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. SEAFOOD; how to buy, prepare, and cook the best sustainable fish and seafood from around the world (DK Publishing, 2011, 400 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-7554-7, $35 US hard covers) has been edited by C. J. Jackson, now Director of the Billingsgate Seafood Training School in the UK. She’s assembled data, photography and recipes for the most popular species. Here are over 300 classic and contemporary recipes, along with notes and photos of 200 fish and shellfish. There is also a large section on techniques, illustrated by photos. Indeed, there are 600 photos in all in the book. There is also the usual primer material on how to buy and how to store. The recipes include prep and cook times, make ahead ideas, and variations. She opens with the recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The sub-categories for the recipes are by equipment, such as one pots, pan- fired, deep-fried, baked, roasted, poached, broiled, and courses such as soups and curries. There are even some food-wine pairings, such as anchovies with sherry vinegar or sea bass with Pernod. Then she has a section on techniques (cutting, portioning, sushi techniques, flat fish, round fish, etc.) followed by a gallery of fish with details on their appearance and flavours. Audience and level of use: beginners, although experienced hands could learn some new things. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sesame prawn toasts; crab croustades; salmon in puff pastry; sea bream en papillote; roast hake with remoulade; grilled shrimp satay; shallow-fried red mullet. The downside to this book: the book weighs a lot, heavy to lug about. The upside to this book: The book identifies threatened species of fish and recommends alternatives. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. JEKKA’S HERB COOKBOOK (Firefly, 2011, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-55407- 814-1, $29.95 CAD) is by Jekka McVicar, who sells herbs through her a award winning Jekka’s Herb Farm in the UK. It has been published in the UK by Ebury Press. Here are 250 recipes using her top 50 garden herbs (out of 650 different varieties that she has grown for over 20 years. Although she has published several books on herbs, this is her first cookbook. The value of herbs, of course, is that they enhance flavours. And, of course, there are some medicinal properties as well for many of them. The range covers the popular parsley to the exotic curry leaf. The 50 chapters are arranged alphabetically by common name, and discuss how the herb is grown, its varieties (with botanical features and Latin names) and benefits, growing and harvesting. as well as an average of five preps each. Non-culinary uses are mentioned, and there are suggestions for using the excess harvest. The preps cover all courses and global cuisines. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There’s more at www.jekkasherbfarm.com. Audience and level of use: cooks and gardeners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Good King Henry croquettes; lemon balm salsa; beef stew with myrtle and cinnamon; rosemary lamb hotchpotch; asparagus and chervil soup; stevia carrot cake; sea bass with fennel and olives; purslane and flageolet salad; braised red cabbage with winter savory. The downside to this book: some of the colours have a lighter typeface which makes it difficult to read sometimes. The upside to this book: there are botanical and medicinal glossaries at the back. Quality/Price Rating: 89. FARM TOGETHER NOW; a portrait of people, places, and ideas for a new food movement (Chronicle Books, 2010, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-6711- 5, $27.50 US hard covers) is by Amy Franceschini and Daniel Tucker. There’s log rolling from five prominent writers in the shrinking global food supply area. And a foreword by Mark Bittman (copyright 2011, while the rest of the book is copyright 2010). Bittman concentrates on why farms matter. There are 20 projects in the book from across the USA. They chose to seek out and interview farmers and groups who are changing the way that the US food system works: philosophies, public policy, history, soil and distribution channels. All interviews reflect various approaches and opposing philosophies: food justice, sustainable agriculture, locavore movement, and the like. There’s the Knopik Family Farm in Nebraska (1000 grazing acres, 400 crop acres; 200 cows) believers in environmental activism, as does Greeno Acres in Wisconsin (producing raw milk from 160 acres). There’s Tryon Life Community Farm (15 adults and 3 children on seven acres), the Angelics Organics Learning Center in Illinois (12 staff, 220 acres), and the Acequiahood of the San Luis People’s Ditch (16 water users, 2100 acres of crops). There’s a glossary of terms (e.g., bioregion, GMOs, co-ops, CSA) and an index. And some wonderful colour photos of the profilees. Audience and level of use: the concerned or committed global food person. Some interesting or unusual facts: “food justice” focuses on the belief that global hunger is not the result of a lack of food but the lack of political will to ensure fair distribution. The downside to this book: lack of a discussion about “organic” and “fair trade”. The upside to this book: this is important reading matter. Quality/Price Rating: 91. 400 BEST SANDWICH RECIPES; from classics & burgers to wraps & condiments (Robert Rose, 2011, 360 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0265-6, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Alison Lewis, a recipe developer and food writer in Alabama. She specializes in healthy, food-friendly recipes that are easy to prepare. THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SANDWICHES; recipes, history and trivia for everything between sliced bread (Quirk Books, 2010, 300 pages, ISBN 978-1-59474-438-9, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Susan Russo, a food writer (NPR) and blogger. Both books are being reviewed here because I got them at the same time. In Lewis’ book, the preps are arranged by format – breakfast and brunch sandwiches, lunch box, classics, grilled cheese, burgers, wraps, international, light and healthy, condiments, and dessert sandwiches. Russo’s book is arranged by title, in true “encyclopedia” fashion. It begins and ends with indexes to ingredients and to sandwiches. It also has more photographs than the Lewis book, despite there being only half as many preps (about 200). Many preps are duplicated, after a fashion, with variations. Russo has a curried chicken salad sandwich on bread (a wide choice), while Lewis has a curried chicken wrap. Russo differs by using carrots and cashews, with some yogurt, while Lewis has chutney, pecans, and cranberries. Most of the rest is in common, and you can certainly wrap Russo up and make Lewis a sandwich. So it is really six of one and half a dozen of another. Other preps have these same similarities. Both authors are American, but Rose is a Canadian publisher, so there is both avoirdupois and metric in the listing of ingredients, while Russo has a table of metric equivalents. Both books have interesting photos, but you can have too many shots of sandwiches, and they all get routine after awhile. There’s a bit more culinary history and trivia in Russo, but there is no denying the quantity in Lewis’s book. If you are looking for materials to place in or around some slices of carbohydrates, then remember that almost any sandwich can be a wrap and vice versa. I like the arrangement of the Lewis book better, for ideas of a certain pattern are grouped together there, such as school lunches. Audience and level of use: anyone who needs a sandwich. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Lewis – grilled apricot blue cheese, quinoa tabbouleh, veggie enchiladas, stuffed pizza burgers. Russo – frittata sandwich, various panini, walleye sandwich, doughnut sandwich. The downside to this book: not as many recipes in the Russo book. The upside to this book: Lewis book has more variations and substitutions. Quality/Price Rating: Lewis – 89; Russo – 83. SALAD AS A MEAL; healthy main-dish salads for every season (William Morrow, 2011, 360 pages, ISBN 978-0-06-123883-3, $34.99 US hard covers) is by Patricia Wells, multiple food award winner (many Beards). This is her twelfth book; she was also restaurant critic for the IHT for a quarter-century. Most of her books show a strong French-influence, and this one is no exception, with veggies from her Provencal garden. Here are 150 recipes, almost 40 apiece for each season. Arrangement, though, is by major ingredient, so there are salads which use grains, eggs, cheese, fish, shellfish, meats, and poultry. She has separate chapters on “classic salads”, appetizers, breads, dressings, and sauces. All the salads are light and healthy, and the photos are nicely framed by her gardens and outdoor settings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Good layout with sufficient white space and dark type. And of course there are nine recipes with her signature potato food. Audience and level of use: beginner to intermediate levels. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: penne salad with tuna and spicy mustard; Caesar salad with polenta croutons; frisee aux lardons; salade nicoise with grilled tuna; halibut cheeks with polenta and parmesan crust; mussel tartines with chorizo; smoked duck breast with mushrooms and cracklings. The downside to this book: she has a pantry and equipment section, but it is full of items for purchase through her commercial website. The upside to this book: there is an alternate list of Internet food sources that covers the USA. Quality/Price Rating: 89. EVERYDAY FLEXITARIAN; recipes for vegetarians & meat lovers alike (Whitecap, 2011, 276 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-021-1, $29.95 Canadian soft covers) is by Nettie Cronish (multiple vegetarian cookbook author and chair of the Women’s Culinary Network) and Pat Crocker (food writer and vegan cookbook author). “Flexitarian” is the latest jump word for food lovers who eat a little meat with their meals (“pescetarian” is supposed to be the term for vegetarians who eat fish). The idea of cutting back on meat makes sense, particularly since so much of it has been medically-enhanced one way or another. It’s also a valid approach to eating organic meat: one has a meat budget, and if one is to eat less meat, then one should eat better – and more expensive – organic meat. Or vice versa. So what we have here is a tasty vegetarian book that has been tailored for meat. The cook can either integrate or segregate; it is a good beginning. Traditionally arranged from apps to desserts and beverages, the book also has separate sections on pantries, kids and Canadian Organic Food Standards. Unless one has strong feelings against meat, the flexitarian approach will work. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Usually, Cronish gives the vegetarian recipe, and Crocker adds the meat interpretation. Audience and level of use: intermediate cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: shrimp (or tempeh) curry with lime and nut butter; chicken mole; broccoli rabe crepes (with and without Italian sausages; lentil mushroom moussaka (with or without baked salmon); vegetable shepherd’s pie (with or without lamb kabobs); roasted cashew curry with cauliflower and peas (with and without chicken). The downside to this book: it is a very heavy book (weight wise) and seems to make cooking life a bit more complicated that it could be. The upside to this book: a good idea to adapt vegetarian dishes. Quality/Price Rating: 88. SUPER NATURAL EVERY DAY; well-loved recipes from my natural foods kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2011, 250 pages, ISBN 9788-1-58008-277-8, $23 US paper covers) is by Heidi Swanson, creator of www.101cookbooks.com, food writer and multiple cookbook author. This latest book advances her Super Natural Cooking book (2007). “Natural Cooking” occurs five ways: eat from a colourful plate; use all kinds of whole grains; use organic natural sweeteners; consume healthy oils (mostly organic); and eat phytonutrient-packed ingredients and foods. She has 100 recipes here, plus details for beginning a pantry. These are everyday recipes, very good for work nights during the week. You can see www.101cookbooks.com for more recipes and other techniques. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. It does do an excellent job of concentrating on grains, oils and sweets – which many people forget about. Audience and level of use: those concerned about their food. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: farro soup; rye soda bread; white beans and cabbage; pan-fired mung beans with tempeh; harissa ravioli; stuffed medjool dates; membrillo cake. The downside to this book: there is no mention of stevia The upside to this book: thick, sturdy pages. Quality/Price Rating: 87. EVERYDAY TO ENTERTAINING (Robert Rose, 2011, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0- 7788-0271-6, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Meredith Deeds (US cookbook author and food writer) and Carla Snyder (baker, caterer, cooking school teacher and cookbook author). The premise is to present some 200 recipes that can transform from “casual” to “elegant”. All the preps here come in pairs: there is a basic everyday version (say, macaroni and cheese) and an entertaining version (say, quattro fromaggio baked penne with wild mushroom and pancetta). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. It has been typically arranged from apps to desserts, with a section on the pantry. And it is very colourfully arranged, with contents pages indicating what the casual (highlighted in green tabs) becomes when it is elegant (blue tab highlights). There’s also an alphabetical index at the back should you lose your way. All courses and types of plates are covered. Audience and level of use: beginners who aspire Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: beef kabobs with ras al hanout can also be Middle Eastern beef kabobs with garlic hummus sauce; mustard and garlic-roasted pork loin can be glazed pork loin stuffed with apricots and figs; corn spoonbread can be cheese-chile-cilantro corn spoonbread; sugar snap peas and sesame can be sugar snap peas with carrots-edamame-mint; chocolate mousse can become chocolate mousse- filled profiteroles. The downside to this book: elegant presentations could have been emphasized more – they can add something to “casual” food, even mac and cheese or burgers. The upside to this book: strewn along the way on the recipe pages are tips and technique advice. Quality/Price Rating: 88. THE COMPLETE HOMEBREW BEER BOOK; 200 easy recipes from ales & lagers to extreme beers & international favorites (Robert Rose, 2011, 456 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0268-6, $24.95 US paper covers) is by George Hummel, an award-winning homebrewer and homebrew shop owner in Philadelphia. He has brewed beer with Michael Jackson, the Nodding Head Brewery, and Dogfish Head. Solid credentials…This is a fairly comprehensive book, ranging from can kits to malt extract to actual grain. The level of difficulty or time involved is directly proportional to the amount of processing that has already occurred in the ingredients. I started with a kit, and it was easy as falling off a log. Within a few years, I was working with grains – and found it hard work. But it paid off. Indeed, homebrewed beer is just as good (if not better) than any craft beer. I wish the same was true of homewinemaking. I have not made beer for awhile since it went straight to my gut. But don’t let that discourage you. Hummel talks here about the hops, the malts, the different styles throughout the world, and how to duplicate them all at home. You can have fun for the next decade doing all of these. There is even a section on meads and one on ciders (including cider with brettanomyces for that Norman complexity, and perry), plus recipes for root beer, birch beer, and other sodas. There’s a glossary at the end. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table equivalents. Throughout there are brewer tips and trivia items, which make great reading. Audience and level of use: for homebrewers and a good reference book as well. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: The Pilgrims stopped at Plymouth Rock so that they could homebrew. The downside to this book: I did not see anything in the index about skunkiness. The upside to this book: good collection of recipes. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 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. BREAD MAKING; a home course (Storey Publishing, 2011, 296 pages, ISBN 978-1-60342-791-3, $16.95 US soft covers) is by Lauren Chatman, an IACP award winner who has written 10 books. Her book deals with core bread- making techniques for the novice. There’s the first section primer on flour types, ingredients, techniques and equipment, knives, mixers and processors. The second section has the recipes, from basics to artisanal. There’s even some material on lower-gluten bread, but not on gluten-free breads. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Recipe ingredients are scaled, of course. Bread machines, instant yeast and kneading techniques are amply covered, and each chapter has a trouble-shooting section. Good bold black typefaces and white space in the layout. Audience and level of use: just about every skill level is used here. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: ciabatta; grilled whole wheat naan; overnight English muffins; rustic flax seed rolls; spelt batardes; The downside to this book: only US websites and resources are quoted at the back. The upside to this book: it is chock full of technique tips and advice. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 300 BEST TACO RECIPES; from tantalizing tacos to authentic tortillas, sauces, cocktails & salsas (Robert Rose, 2011, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0- 7788-0267-9, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Kelley Cleary Coffeen, a New Mexico-based food writer whose specialty is Mexican-style foods and beverages. The publisher promotes this book as a taco a day for all family members. Everything culinary about the American Southwest can be displayed between folds of fried (or baked) tortillas. Her book opens with a review of taco history, the basic sauces and toppings, and the use of flour tortillas. She encourages home cooks to make their own tortillas. Certainly, if you are going to eat a lot of them, it would be worth your while. Most tacos are made with poultry, and she has 80 pages worth of preps here. Beef is next with sixty pages, followed by pork and lamb (40), fish and seafood (35), and vegetarian (55). There are even some Asian, Italian, German and French variations on the taco theme. Food can be prepared in minutes, and if you make them yourselves (with control over them), then you can control levels of fat and salt. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: taco lovers, Mexican food lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: tri-tip tacos with fresh roasted green chiles; grilled ranch chicken tacos; roasted garlic, chicken and mushroom tacos; roasted chicken, cheddar and bacon tacos; spicy crab tacos; coconut shrimp tacos with orange salsa; sundae tacos with Mexican chocolate sauce; pecan crunch tacos. The downside to this book: I am not sure why there are cocktail recipes here. The upside to this book: good database collection of tacos at a reasonable price, with metric measurements. Quality/Price Rating: 87. CHICKEN AND EGG; a memoir of suburban homesteading with 125 recipes (Chronicle Books, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118- 7045-0, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Janice Cole, a former chef and restaurant owner who is now a food writer and blogger. Five years ago, she started raising chickens in her suburban backyard. This book is about her exploits (and those of the chickens). She started with three chicks in St. Paul’s, Minnesota. She takes us through the first year of her challenges, beginning with early spring. The preps are also arranged in this fashion, with memoir material strewn about. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: for chicken and egg lovers, and food memoirists. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: smoked wings with cilantro dip; sage frittata with charred tomatoes and curly parmesan; morning eggs on mushroom-bacon hash; Burmese fried rice with eggs; cranberry- pear bread pudding with bourbon sauce; tossed greens with strawberries, avocado and eggs. The downside to this book: I kept wanting it to go on, but to read more, you’ll have to go to http://janicecole.net/blog The upside to this book: good quality writing. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 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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 – -BABYCAKES COVERS THE CLASSICS; gluten-free vegan recipes from donuts to snickerdoodles (Clarkson Potter, 2011, 144 pages, ISBN 978-0-307- 71830-3, $25 US hard covers) is by Erin McKenna, chef and owner of BabyCakes NYC (also in Los Angeles). Despite being featured in “hundreds of print and online media outlets” and being a featured guest on many TV shows (including some food shows), she has log rolling from Mark Bittman and two others. This is her second book, with 50 preps of more of the same favourites – all created without gluten, dairy, eggs or refined sugar. There’s a primer on key ingredients and tools, followed by some rules of substitutions, such as converting gluten-free recipes to spelt recipes, converting vegan sugar-based recipes to agave-sweetened recipes, and substituting for bean flour. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Typical are pancakes, gingerbread pancakes, honey buns, granola, vegetable tart, sugar cookies, and the like. The book is a boon for those who crave gluten-free sweets. Quality/price rating: 89. -YOU CAN TRUST A SKINNY COOK (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 272 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-87635-0, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Allison Fishman, food writer and cooking school owner, plus hostess of two TV food shows (“Cook Yourself Thin” and “Home Made Simple”). Here she continues on the themes of real food for real diets. The first step is to cook for yourself: save money and save preservatives. And you have portion control. Among the 140 preps here are dishes for all courses and times of the day, from breakfast to late night snacks. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. For example, there’s breakfast bread pudding with peaches and blueberries. She indicates prep time (30 minutes), total time (2 hours), servings and sizes, along with tips to reduce the calorie count even further, plus nutrition information per serving (listed in metric, while the ingredients are listed in avoirdupois). I had trouble reading the list of ingredients because the typeface was average size but in soft, screened blue ink. It doesn’t photocopy, and is that what the publisher wanted? Major ingredients are highlighted in the index. The layout may need a re-think. Try also seared duck breast with ginger bok choy, pot of mussels, slow cooker pulled pork, Mediterranean tuna salad. Quality/price rating: 84. -NOW EAT THIS! DIET (Grand Central Life & Style, 2011; distr. Hachette, 300 pages, ISBN 978-0-446-58449-4, $22.99 US soft covers) is by Rocco DiSpirito, who previously wrote NOW EAT THIS! last year. He’s a Beard winner who had what was probably the best ever “reality” restaurant show, “The Restaurant” on NBC. This is his seventh book, and most of the recipes in all of his books have some sort of Italian theme. This cookbook is one of the few being published without any log rolling: could it be that nobody wants to roll with Rocco? Here’s the shtick: take some existing foods that North Americans all like to eat, such as brownies or fried chicken, and replicate the recipe with zero bad carbs, zero bad fats, zero sugar, and maximum flavour. He cuts a portion of lemon pepper shrimp from 593 calories to 283 calories. Mushroom lasagna is reduced from 850 calories to 388. The book is in two parts: the first is the diet primer, the second is the recipes. The prep arrangement is by course, from appetizer to dessert. His larder is revealing; these products are the keys to reduction. He calls for a pantry with cauliflower, corn starch, Dijon mustard, egg whites or egg substitutes, fresh squeezed lemons, Greek yoghurt, low-sodium and low- fat chicken broth, non-stick cooking spray, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, reduced-fat blue cheese, salsa, whole wheat panko bread crumbs, whole wheat pasta, and more. Each recipe has a nutritional table, including calories before and calories after the changeover. I am sorry to report that, and needless to say, many items tried did not have the flavours expected – because they had reduced fat and sugars. But others may disagree, and prefer this book. It is worth a try. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Quality/Price rating: 82. -CRISTINA FERRARE’S BIG BOWL OF LOVE (Sterling Epicure, 2011, 302 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-8644-0, $30 US hard covers) accompanies the Oprah Winfrey Network’s TV food show of the same name. There are 150 preps here, with an emphasis on family food and good use of leftovers. It’s a book for her fans, arranged by course from apps to sweets with ideas for pantry-larder-staple items. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Good layout, with a pix of the finished plate, bold face for the ingredients listing, and a range of sevings normally from 4 to 6. Classic family fare includes roast beef, pan-seared salmon, grilled veggies, roasted chicken wraps, and Tuscan bread soup. Quality/price rating: 85. -JUST GRILL THIS (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-470- 46793-0, $19.95 US soft covers) is by TV chef, Sam the Cooking Guy (Sam Zien, a twelve-time Emmy Award winner). These are basic grill works, simply done, and great for the novice. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There’s the usual primer on equipment, larder, techniques, rubs and sauces. Preps cover apps, “things not normally grilled” (e.g. grilled baguette French toast, chicken on a beer can, grilled hearts of romaine, sesame grilled meatballs), sandwiches, veggies, meats, burgers and dogs, and grilling inside the house. There a fair amount of sass here, and way too many pictures of Zien himself. But it is a useful book for the beginner. Quality/Price rating: 84. -EVA’S KITCHEN (Clarkson Potter, 2011, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-71933- 1, $29.99 US hard covers) is by Eva Longoria (with Marah Stets), the actress (not the baseball player) who also co-owns two steakhouses with a Latin flair. Despite all this, she still needed six log rollers (Bobby Flay, Mario “Ubiquitous” Batali, Giada de Laurentiis, her resto partner Todd English, and Rick Bayless). The book will sell anyway, based on her name, the use of “cooking with love for family and friends”, and the US Southwest themes. The range is from apps to desserts and drinks. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Try Crock-pot Cuban ropa vieja, parmesan summer squash, chili con carne, and grilled shrimp. And there are plenty of pictures of Eva…Quality/price rating: 83. NORDIC BAKERY COOKBOOK (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-096-7, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Miisa Mink, a partner in the bakery. The Nordic Bakery opened in Soho, London in 2007, and should open in New York City in 2011. The emphasis from the resto is an offering of dark rye bread, cinnamon buns, and coffees. Scandinavian cookery has been touted as wholesome and comforting, with its emphasis on rye flour, oats and barley. So first up, then, is a whole section on breads, followed by savory pastries, cakes, sweet pastries, tarts and cookies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. The book is further distinguished by the usual high photographic standards of the finished plates. Typical preps include rye bread, gravad lax, rye baguettes, open faced sandwiches of many kinds, carrot and oat rolls, karelian pies from Finland, and anchovy twists. Quality/price rating: 86. SNOG HEALTHY TREATS COOKBOOK (Ryland Peters and Small, 2011, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-080-6, $24.95 US hard covers) is from a healthy food store, Snog Pure Frozen Yogurt, which started in London UK in 2008, and has since spread. The more than 50 recipes here are for foods served at Snog, and embrace frozen yogurts, smoothies, gluten-free baked goods, and raw foods. Snog uses organic no-fat yogurt and agave nectar (low-GI sweetener). They have the basic prep for home use (natural, chocolate, and yummy green tea) followed by the various permutations such as pomegranate and vanilla pod frozen yogurt and apricot cardamom frozen yogurt. The gluten-free section includes brownies, hazelnut cake, avocado cream pie, peach tartlets, and apricot macaroons. For drinks, try orange agua fresca with beet swirl or passion fruit mango kombucha. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Great pictures too. Quality/price rating: 89. MASTERCLASS; make your home cooking easier (Collins, 2011, 224 pages, ISBN 9789-0-00-729472-5, $39.99 Canadian hard covers) is by James Martin who has a success television cooking show in the UK called “Saturday Kitchen”. These are the essential preps for classic dishes: beef bourguignon, chicken curry, shepherd’s pie (with lamb), pistou soup, fish and chips, sponge cake, lemon curd tart, potato gnocchi, leg of lamb steaks, etc. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. This is an engaging, personable book, with some nifty spicing and flavour ideas. With its solid techniques and recipe descriptions, it is useful as a first book for beginning cooks who wish to “master” the classics. 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”... CUISINE AND CULTURE; a history of food and people. 3rd edition(John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 436 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-40371-5, $40 US paper covers) is by Linda Civitello, M.A (History) who teaches food history. This is the third edition (the second was in 2008); the first won a 2003 Gourmand World Cookbook Award. The basic theme is how history shapes our current diet. The scope is universal, from pre-history to modern times, the grand sweep being a good overview. For the most part, each chapter is an anecdotal survey of a time period and/or region. Later, closer to our new millennium, the focus becomes Western, and then in the 20th century, it is mostly North American. This is a useful textbook for culinary arts courses, to give some sense of history to the preparation of food. Accompanying the narration are some historical drawings and reproductions. There are plenty of sidebars for historical tidbits, as well as pronunciation guides to French and Italian words. The appendix has a cookbook chronology, from Apicius (1st century AD) through La Varenne, Beeton, Escoffier, Davidson), plus notes on why these books are important. There are sample menus and historical recipes, and the writing style is lively. The book concludes with an extensive bibliography, footnotes, and index. New to this edition (25 more pages) are materials on Norwegian, Ethiopian, Canadian and Mayan foods. Detail has been expanded for Japanese, Ancient Greek and Roman, and regional Indian and African customs. Foods and food media coverage of modern times have been updated. And the price has increased by a US nickel. Quality/Price rating: 90. RISOTTO; delicious recipes for Italy’s classic rice dish (Ryland Peters & Small, 2011; distr. T.Allen, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-097-4, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Maxine Clark, a cooking teacher and writer who specializes in Italian food. She has also written other such books for Ryland in the past. It was originally published in 2005, as “Risotto with vegetables, seafood, meat and more”. Beginning with the basics (white risotto step-by-step, broths), she continues with sections on food by ingredients: there is a vegetarian section, but of course risottos deal mostly with cheese, egg, poultry, meats, and seafood. There are 50 recipes here, including a few desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. And there is a listing of useful UK and US websites for mail orders. Good for home cooks, or for those who only want the basics. Try fennel and black olive risotto, pesto risotto, chicken liver risotto, or beetroot risotto. Each recipe is illustrated with a lush presentation photo. Quality/Price Ratio: 87. FOOD FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS; simply delicious recipes for stylish entertaining at home (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2011, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-123-0, $27.95 US hard covers) has about 130 recipes plus a wealth of ideas for home entertaining. The text and preps come from six Ryland writers in the stable: mostly Ross Dobson (75 preps), Tonia George and Fiona Beckett (about 20 recipes apiece). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There’s material in “setting the scene”, how to prepare and serve drinks and wine, how to feed a crowd and be effortless, plus brunch dishes, nibbles and small plates, desserts and cheeses. Good advice, nicely laid out, excellent photography, and good leading. Try some smoked trout fatoush, mushroom risotto, truffled egg linguine, tomato-bell pepper-mozzarella tart, or white chocolate pots. Quality/Price rating: 86. -MARTHA STEWART’S NEW PIES AND TARTS (Clarkson Potter, 2011, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-40509-8, $24.99 US paper covers) is from the editors of Martha Stewart Living. It was first published in 1995, so this is its major revision after 16 years. There are 150 preps here for classic and modern faves. Some are savoury and some are sweet, some are complex and some are simple, some are family-oriented while others are useful for entertaining. The book was an instant “classic” in 1995, and remains so today, with its chapters on the classic pies (pecan, tare tatin, apple, lemon meringue), the free-form (pear tart, red-wine poached prune tart, apple butter hand pies), sleek (sour cherry clafoutis), dreamy (banana cream, key lime), rustic (rhubarb crumble), layered (chocolate pear tart), dainty, artful, holiday, and savoury (14 winners here). And of course there is a section on the basics. Excellent photography, layout and instructions. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. But I do love a book with French leaves. Quality/price rating: 89. -EASY SMOOTHIES & JUICES; simply delicious recipes for goodness in a glass (Ryland Peters & Small, 2011, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-109-4, $19.95 US hard covers) is a publisher’s book package written by eight food writers, although something like 45% came from Elsa Petersen- Schepelern and 45% from Louise Pickford. The 150 preps are arranged in loose order, such as fruit smoothies, juices and coolers, dairy shakes, veggie juice, and a section on “fruit with a kick” which uses alcohol. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. The photography is first- rate, but I do think that they went overboard with it: these are just drinks, not complicated dishes for presentation. Nevertheless, a useful collection for summertime: roasted peaches & cream, watermelon gin, cider apple slushie, peach and strawberry sangria, almond lassi, and chai vanilla milkshake. Quality/price rating: 85. -BUNGALOW KITCHENS (Gibbs-Smith, 2000, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-0753-3, $19.99 US paper covers) was written by Jane Powell for publication in 2000. It is a great book for those interested in the history of American kitchens. Bungalow here means mainly Arts and Crafts movement homes. Powell has also written splendidly on Bungalow Bathrooms, Bungalow: Details (Interior and Exterior), Arts & Crafts Home, and Linoleum. The bibliography stops at 1999, but the 11 page resources list has many websites listed (so presumably it is more up-to-date). This section has names and addresses for appliance, flooring, windows, ventilation, walls, lighting, hardware, plus museums and restoration consultants. The photographs (by Linda Svendsen) are stunning: many remind me of my own bungalow upbringing. A good book for the culinary history buff. Quality/price rating: 92. -CANADIAN LIVING BEST RECIPES EVER; fresh, fun and tasty tested-till- perfect recipes from the hit show. (Transcontinental Books, 2011; distr. Random House Canada, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-9813938-4-1, $25.95 US paper covers) is from the CBC TV show “Best Recipes Ever”. Host Kary Osmond presents three daily recipes from the database files of Canadian Living magazine. This book gathers up some of the best 300 or so preps from the first two seasons of the show. They’ve been grouped together by category, but most are meant to be quick and easy and low budget cookery. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The book opens with “beat the clock” fast prepared food, followed by “meat- lover” mains, international cuisine, some lighter fare, some party fare, eggs and brunch, and then some family food. For example, roasted salmon with prosciutto has its ingredients in bold-face, with explicit instructions, a nutritional analysis, and some tips on technique or substituting. I think that I would also like prep and cooking times to be indicated. Certainly, there is enough room on the page for these. Not every dish has a photo, and sometimes there are two preps on a page. This is worth your consideration as a goof-proof quick and easy cookbook for the harried. Quality/price rating: 88. AN ADDED VALUE FOR MY SUBSCRIBERS --- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR MARCH 2011 ============================================ 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: 2011 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. WHAT’S A WINE LOVER TO DO? (Artisan, 2010; distr. T. Allen, 372 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-370-5, $17.95 US paper covers) is by Wes Marshall, wine columnist for many newspapers and magazines in the US. He also authored and produced “The Wine Roads of Texas” for a publisher and PBS. It’s another primer in Artisan’s “What to do?” series, a sort- of upscale dummy guide or self-help series. It is billed as an illustrated guide with 334 essential oenophile pointers and tips. It’s a classy inexpensive introduction, with colour pix, presented in Q and A style with plenty of lists. So there is the ground work of wine regions, wine grapes, wine types, wine and food matching, wine tasting, wine shopping (for US), and so forth. He also tackles how to find Cabernet bargains, how to “talk chardonnay”, speak with a sommelier, predict the taste of a wine from the label, and other matters including how to wash glasses. There’s even a section on vegan wines. Audience and level of use: beginner Some interesting or unusual facts: He has a table of wine defects for returning wines (corked, cooked, oxidized, volatile acidity, brett, and sulphur, although the latter can disperse when poured). The downside to this book: do we need another wine primer, even if it is classy? The upside to this book: it doesn’t use the word “demystify”, preferring to use “mystify”. Quality/Price Rating: 89. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. FIFTY PLANTS THAT CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY (Firefly, 2010, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-55407-798-4, $29.95 Canadian hard covers) is by Bill Laws, social historian and book author. It is a very useful guide to the basic fifty plants that humans had cultivated from the beginning of agriculture. For each, there is a description of the plant, the botanical name, its native range, and its primary function (e.g., edible or medicinal or commercial or all of these). There is also a lot of cultural and social history for each plant: Laws explains why it is in the Top Fifty (many plants get two pages here; corn gets six pages). This text is complemented by botanical drawings, paintings and photographs, and quotes from deep thinkers. The common food plants are here (rice, wheat, corn, sugarcane, wine grapes) as well as tea, cotton, rubber and tobacco. Not so common are pineapple (greenhouses and conservatories), coconut (coir fibre, margarine, cream, coagulant), eucalyptus (diuretics, mouthwash, vitamins, honey), white mulberry (silk), and English oak (dyes, leather tanning, charcoal, casks, ships). There’s a bibliography for further reading, although there are no citations to materials dealing with the Columbus Exchange. Audience and level of use: the historically curious, foodies, reference libraries, school of hospitality and cooking. Some interesting or unusual facts: These are just the top 50 of the quarter million or so plants which inhabit the earth. The downside to this book: I’m not sure I’d use the phrase “changed the course”. Sure, these plants are important, but “change the course”? This statement needs more enlightenment. The upside to this book: well-priced, and it comes with a ribbon bookmark. Quality/Price Rating: 89. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. BEER; a genuine collection of cans (Chronicle Books, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7541-7, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Dan Becker and Lance Wilson. There are 480 beer cans here, all with photos and short commentaries. They range from the earliest Budweiser and Coors up through Pabst Big Cat Malt Liquor and St. Pauli Girl. The cans come from collector Josh Russo; they are pictured alphabetically by brand. The range is 80 years and 30 countries. Some from the 1930s have rust spots, but no matter. You can still see the label. The older cans had necks so the drinker could suck the beer back as if from a bottle. My fave kinds for the cheap beers are listed under “Generic”: the no-name house brands for Price Chopper in the 1970s, or “Beer” by Falstaff in the 1980s, and the lovely “Beer” from Pearl Brewing in Texas (on the label its says, “Flavor and smoothness are comparable to other beers. Advertising and packaging costs have been minimized.”). My favourite US beer was the no-name “Near Beer”, lager about 2.5% ABV, regularly selling at $1 a six-pack in the 1980s. In the heat, you could drink it all day long with only a buzz. Audience and level of use: beer can collectors. The downside to this book: a little sparse on details on the history of beer cans in general. The upside to this book: nice photos. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 4. ITALIAN COOKING AT HOME, with the Culinary Institute of America (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 328 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-18258-1, $34.95US hard covers) has been written by Gianni Scappin, Alberto Vanoli, and Steven Kolpan. All three teach at the CIA. Kolpan was responsible for the wine notes. Every region is covered here in this book which straddles – comfortably – Italian restos and home cooking. Both the classics and regional specialties are here, such as tiramisu, erbazzone (pancetta and Swiss chard), or pizzoccheri (buckwheat pasta and cabbage) from Valtellina. After general notes on Italian food and wine, it is arranged by type of dish or ingredient. There’s spuntini (little bites), conserve (preserves), crudi (raw), brodi (broths), minestre (soups), pasta (both fresh and dry), gnocchi, risi (rice), pesci (fish), carni (meats, only 30 pages), dolci (sweets). Most cheese and wine notes are covered in the preliminary pages, but each dish gets a set of wine notes from Kolpan (who has written many wines books). Preparations have their ingredients listed only in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. At this price level (it is currently on Amazon at $20.16US), and with the definitive-type recipes from the CIA, it becomes a pretty nifty book, with explicit and relatively easy-to-follow instructions. Try maccu (fava been soup), ravioli di ricotta, sardine in casseruola, or pollo al diavolo. Quality/price rating: 89. 5. MODERN BATCH COOKERY (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 436 pages, ISBN 978- 0-470-29048-4, $65 US hard covers) is by Victor Gielisse and Ron DeSantis, both of the Culinary Institute of America. It serves a need for elegant, refined volume cooking at food service operations such as restaurants, hotels, or catering firms. There’s a lot of fusion- international cuisine food here as well as nutritious-healthy food. Just about everything is for fifty portions, and the home cook can certainly take advantage of the book if he or she does a lot of entertaining. Many items can be frozen or prepared in advance. Certainly, the average restaurant can probably count on selling most of 50 portions of a dish if it is labeled “special of the day”. Contents include cooking techniques, stocks and sauces, preps for breakfast and brunch, salads and sandwiches, entrees, side dishes, and desserts. There is also a separate chapter for reception foods. There’s also primer material on creating a variety of flavours, labour intensity and strategies, and costing. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric avoirdupois measurements, but there are no tables of equivalents. A dish such as chicken and shrimp gumbo, very popular these days, calls for a half pound of andouille sausage, one pound of chicken breasts, but 2 and a half pounds of shrimp. The trick would be to make sure that each of 50 people gets some dices of sausage, chicken, and shrimp. Also, the prep calls for both okra and file powder, a distinct “no – no” in Cajun country (traditionally, you use one or the other, but not both). Considering that it is for 50 people, the photo of the plated product seems overly generous – 9.5 litres total in the recipe, divided by 50 means 190 grams, just less than 7 ounces each. Better is the baby spinach, avocado and grapefruit salad. There are a lot of sauce recipes here, good for flavouring. The book ends with a glossary and a series of nutritional analyses for each dish (why couldn’t this be added to each prep in the main book?). Caveats aside, it is useful for cooking for large crowds. Over 200 recipes, many with photos. Quality/price rating: 86. 6. AROUND MY FRENCH TABLE; more than 300 recipes from my home to yours (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010, 530 pages, ISBN 978-0-618-87553-5, $40 US hard covers) is by Dorie Greenspan, a food writer, cookbook author, and winner of a Beard (for “Baking: from my home to yours”). In spite of these creds, the publisher still has four powerful log rollers on the back cover – Ina “Barefoot Contessa” Garten, Patricia Wells, David Lebovitz, and Adam Gopnik. The book’s about a new generation of French cooks and cookery, specifically women. The cuisine has been re- invented and re-interpreted by Greenspan for our faster North American lifestyle (there’s a simple and easy roast chicken dinner for “lazy people”). She’s also got some memoirish-type stories. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Most prep titles are in English only; this alone would get rid of a lot of pretensions. There’s a list of websites as sources, but it seems most items (including this book at $31.31 Canadian, with free shipping) can be bought at www.amazon.com. It’s all a fresh look for the uncomplicated lifestyle. Audience and level of use: French-inspired cooks and chefs. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: salmon rilettes; tartine de viande des grisons; pissaladiere; provencal olive fougasse; socca; gougeres; leek and potato soup, smooth or chunky, hot or cold; couscous salad; basque potato tortilla; chicken liver gateaux; crab-avocado ravioli. The downside to this book: Ironic claims -- The publisher says, “a book that does for a new generation what Mastering the Art of French Cooking did for its time”. Houghton Mifflin is famous for passing up Julia’s book when it was first offered in 1961. NOW it wants to trade in on Julia’s success with another publisher. Also, “hors d’oeuvre” should never be plural. The upside to this book: I like the attempt, but there is a “tough sell” feel about the book. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 7. FIRE IT UP; more than 400 recipes for grilling everything (Chronicle Books, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 416 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-6505-0, $24.95 US soft covers) is by cookbook authors and food writers, Andrew Schloss and David Joachim. There’s the usual primer-type material on equipment and methods and techniques, plus how to build flavour into anything grilled. The book is arranged by ingredient: beef, veal, pork, lamb, game, poultry, fish and seafood, veggies, fruit, and other foodstuffs. At the beginning of each section, there’s a meat chart plus advice on how to handle that particular animal (with tips and techniques). There’s a sources list with websites and phone numbers, all American. There’s a separate index to techniques, such as filleting a monkfish tail or spatchcocking a chicken or making lamb steaks. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: BBQ fanatics. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: T-Bone of veal au poivre; pig candy; grilled coriander chicken with margarita butter; sage-brined roast turkey; alder-planked Pacific salmon fillet; grilled oysters; grilled coleslaw. The downside to this book: considering the white space available, I think there could have been a larger font size – it looks just a tad small to me, certainly no larger than the index font! The upside to this book: a good database of preps and meat charts, perhaps not as spicy as Raichlen’s book (see below). Quality/Price Rating: 87. 8. HOME HERBAL; cook, brew and blend your own herbs (DK Publishing, 2011, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-7183-9, $22.95 US soft covers) is a book package produced by the publisher on the theme of making your own health-enhancing herbal remedies with preps developed by professional herbalists plus over 70 recipes for herbal teas, tinctures, smoothies, salads and soups. Most of the material has been assembled by Neal’s Yard Remedies of the UK, but there is also a credit given to Christy Lusiak as an “Americanizer” to make the book more North American. It is in directory format, with 100 key medicinal herbs: what each herb can treat, how to grow it, how to harvest it, and how to apply it (with detailed dosage advice). There are photographic demos for making creams, bath soaks, toners, balms, face masks, soaps, and other concoctions in a kitchen. There’s a primer on herb basics, a glossary, and some useful websites for North America. This is a nice package, with good photos and indexing, with cross-references. Quality/price rating: 88. 9. DIETICIANS OF CANADA COOK! (Robert Rose, 2011, 384 pages, ISBN 978- 0-7788-0261-7, $29.95 CAN paper covers) is by Mary Sue Waisman, RD, cookbook author, and the Dieticians of Canada. Here are 275 recipes that celebrate food from field to table. It is based on SLOFE principles (seasonal, local, organic, fast, and easy) wherever possible, and it is out just in time for Nutrition March 2011, celebrating healthy eating. The book opens with a lot of information about Canadian food and types of food preps designed to retain nutrition. There’s also a nutrient analysis for each recipe. All courses (breakfast, lunch, brunch, snacks, dinner) are covered, and the book is primarily arranged by major ingredient of poultry, beef, pork, lamb, game, fish and seafood, along with veggies, breads, desserts, soups and salads. In common with all Robert Rose books, preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Recipes have been contributed and all are attributed to the developer, usually an RD. Audience and level of use: beginning cooks, families. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Asian chicken soup bowl; bulgur salad with broccoli and radishes; scrambled egg pizza; veggie bow tie pasta; mushroom and cheese risotto; pasta e fagioli; quinoa- stuffed peppers; BBQ tarragon mustard turkey; orange nut bread; gluten- free potato kugel. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 10. THE KITCHEN GARDEN COOKBOOK (DK Publishing, 2011, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-7188-4, $22.95 US soft covers) has been put together by Caroline Bretherton, described as “editor-in-chief”. I’m not sure what this means. I assume that the preps come from a wide variety of sources. There are 200 seasonal recipes here, about 50 for each season. The book is arranged from spring through winter, and within each, there are sections dealing with specific ingredients. In spring, there are asparagus, peas, fava beans, Swiss chard, spinach, rhubarb and others. Each is given several pages. At the beginning of each, there is a sidebar with “when to pick”, “use fresh”, “how to preserve” and “freezing options”. The preps are detailed as to service (normally for 4), prep time, and cooking time. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There are photos of the main ingredient plus plated finished products. Good strong typeface and well-indexed. Techniques for preserving are explained, and include drying veggies, making cold pickles, storing under soil, freezing fruit, making chutney: about 20 in all. All courses are covered, from soups to desserts. Audience and level of use: home cooks, reference tool usage. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: curried parsnip and apple soup; rosemary jelly; caramelized pork with pecans and apricots; Belgian endive gazpacho; French cabbage soup; roasted celery and Stilton soup; piccalilli. The downside to this book: I’m not sure about the provenance of these recipes. The upside to this book: gorgeous DK photographs. 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 – 11. PUTTING UP MORE; a guide to canning jams, relishes, chutneys, pickles, sauces and salsas. (Gibbs Smith, 2011, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1- 4236-0739-7, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Stephen Palmer Dowdney, previously owner of Rockland Plantation Products which specialized in small batch processing in South Carolina. He claims his recipes for the company taste exactly like the best of a grandmother’s home put-up stores. He had previously authored “Putting Up” (2008) which concentrated mainly on Southern food. Here, in the new book, the scope has widened to include the rest of the US and beyond. Here are 68 recipes from which you can certainly save a lot of money, at least half the cost of buying commercially canned food. The book is also part memoir, with anecdotes and stories. The preps are arranged by type (as indicated in the subtitle above). In addition, there are resources listed for buying canning supplies. And a long list (with explanations) of safety precautions on home canning. I avoid the whole issue by storing my canned foods in the fridge (if jams) and in the freezer (if raw or low-acid). But then that’s me. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Audience and level of use: home canners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Ethiopian/Eritrean berbere sauce; Jamaican jerk rub; balsamic vinegar tomato salsa; achar; mango chutney; eggplant chutney; sweet-onion jam. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 12. EXPRESS HOUSEKEEPING (DK Publishing, 2011, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0- 7566-7177-8, $15.95 US soft covers) is by Anna Shepard. It’s a basic guide to quickly cleaning up in housekeeping chores. For the home cook, the kitchen section is particularly useful. For the small dining establishment, the whole book is extremely useful since many small place do their own linens and must cope with kiddie spills and other stains. Plus, of course, cleaning floors and furniture. Topics include speed cleaning, doing dishes, clothes and laundry, removing stains, coping with children and pets, and decluttering. Here are the expert tips, tricks, and time-saving strategies that would allow you to maximize your time, speed and efficiency. The overriding strategy is twofold: clean a little at a time, and clean often. It is such a pain to have to clean it all at once. Here are excellent tips and advice for that small business restaurant. Quality/price rating: 89. 13. GLUTTON FOR PLEASURE; signature recipes, epic stories, and surreal etiquette (Whitecap Books, 2010, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-015-0, $29.95 CAN hard covers) is by the talented and irrepressible Bob Blumer (Food Network’s “Surreal Gourmet” and “Glutton for Punishment”). He’s been doing this for nine seasons, and this is his fifth cookbook. Most of the material has been drawn from previous books and magazine articles, although all of them have been recast or reworked or re- titled. There is even a prep he did for the back of a Starbucks coffee carton. These are the signature recipes (many lollipops) and epic stories of a master craftsman. His basic belief is in common ingredients with fresh herbs and spices. But to all of this he adds his own sense of quirkiness, delving into wine pairing, pantry stocking, music accompaniment – all based on 20 years of travel and experience. Typical is the lamb cupcake, made with cooked lamb shank meat and mashed potatoes coloured with beet. Since I had a lot of ground lamb on hand, I used that instead and also used sweet potato, avoiding the need for colouring. I saved a lot of time and steps, but never asked permission from Blumer. I have my own quirks. Every food prep has a Blumer photograph of the final plating (food styled by Blumer himself), and the artwork too has been created by Blumer. As he says, no food was harmed by the process, and he ate it after finishing the detail work. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90. 14. PLANET BARBECUE! (Workman Publishing, 2010; distr. by T. Allen, 638 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-4801-2, $22.95US paper covers) is by Steve Raichlen, who has written a lot of books about food as well as being host of BBQ television cooking shows on PBS. His grilling books have sold over 4 million copies (say the publishers). And here is a lot of value from this engaging chef-author. 309 recipes from 60 countries, plus techniques, tips and comparable photos—all for about $6.40 Canadian plus shipping (used copy through Amazon marketplace), or $18 Canadian new at Amazon. From Malaysia there are ginger-turmeric prawns, roasted fish from Spain, grilled crostini from Tuscany, spit-roasted pineapple caramelized with spiced sugar from Brazil, spicy grilled pork from Korea, piri-piri chicken wings, jerk chicken, harissa lamb chops, and Keith Allen’s North Carolina pork shoulder for pulled pork sandwiches. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. Good dark bold print for the listing of ingredients. Quality/price rating: 90. 15. MILK & COOKIES (Chronicle Books, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 176 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7254-6, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Tina Casaceli, chef-owner of Milk & Cookies Bakery in Greenwich Village. Judie Choate is the focusing food writer. The bakery specializes in, well, sweet cookies. Some of the preps are derived from Casaceli’s extended family, but all of them evoke childhood memories of sweet smells and sugar tastes. Here she tells a bit about the business and her life in cooking, and then goes on to describe how to make lots of cookies at home. There are 80 recipes here, most built around one of five easy bases (vanilla, double chocolate, oatmeal, peanut butter, and sugar). There are also the classics: snickerdoodles, s’mores, gingersnaps, ice- cream sandwiches, brownies, bars, and biscotti. Her section on “family favorites” is definitely Italian with ciambelli, pinulata, viscotti, biscotti, and others. As a true baker, preparations have their ingredients listed in both weight and volume (albeit avoirdupois measurements). But there is a metric table of equivalents. A nicely organized book, well-put together, with good spacing in the index. And the cookies leap off the photographed page. Quality/price rating: 89. 16. BAL’S QUICK & HEALTHY INDIAN (Whitecap, 2011, 198 pages, ISBN 978- 1-77050-023-5, $29.95 CAD paper covers) is by Bal Arneson, author of “Everyday Indian” (2009). Since then she’s been the host of Spice Goddess, a TV series on the Food Network, and a cooking school teacher. This book is a continuation of her first one, once again concentrating on quick and healthy food. All the preps here should be ready in 25 minutes, according to the author. That presupposes, of course, that all the ingredients are to hand. Global cooking demands a diverse larder/pantry to be maintained. And she has a primer on Indian spicing and how to make your own fresh spice blends. The basis of her cooking is Punjabi. Grape seed oil is the oil of choice. Flaxseed oil in salads, ginger, and turmeric all have health benefits. There are cooks notes, backgrounders, and tips. There are seven menus, ranging from everyday to fancy entertaining, and all dishes listed have page references to the recipes. The typeface is large, just right for the kitchen. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Some of the photos are more pretty than useful. 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”... 17. BEST SUMMER WEEKENDS COOKBOOK (Cottage Life Books, 2004, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-9696922-4-9, $39.95 CAN hard covers) is by Jane Rodmell, who had a food column for Cottage Life. Currently, she’s the proprietor of All the Best Fine Foods. This edition combines the best of her earlier “Summer Weekend Cookbook” and “More Summer Weekends Cookbook”, but with 75 new recipes. All of this totals about 300 preps designed for entertaining at a cottage. The range is complete, from apps to BBQ, salads, make-aheads, light snacks, brunches, and sweets. Each prep includes variations and substitutions and some quick tricks; all variations are indexed, which is a boon. So actually, it can be a weekend cookbook for city use as well, or for making dishes in the city for transport to the cottage. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. There are some good notes on larder/pantry maintenance, but I also wish there had been some menus listed. Quality/price rating: 86. 18. THE NEWLYWEDS’ VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK (Ryland, Peters and Small, 2011, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-849975-115-5, $27.95 US hard covers) is a house production using recipes credited to their stable of cookbook authors: Ross Dobson (40 preps), Fiona Beckett, Maxine Clark, Tonia George, and many others. Subtitled by an enthusiastic publisher as “every recipe you’ll ever need for your life together”. There is a credit list with the recipe titles, but no page references. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. It seems to be a good basic book for new cooks (the original The Newlyweds’ Cookbook sold 70,000 copies) who want to get more veggies into their lives. Basics are covered, as well as pantry stocking. There are 117 recipes, sorted as to brunch, quick meals, special occasions, family gatherings, and easy entertaining. Plus, of course, appetizers and snacks, desserts, baking, and drinks. Well worth a look for morning muffins, cinnamon porridge, peach, mozzarella and frisee salad, Spanish-style panzanella, feta and chick pea parcels, pumpkin and gorgonzola risotto, and rose petal tart. Quality/price rating: 88. 19. THE LAURA SECORD CANADIAN COOK BOOK (Whitecap, 2011, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-55285-260-6, $16.95 CAN paperback) is a perennially useful cookbook now in it second printing. It was prepared by the Canadian Home Economics Association and vended by McClelland & Stewart through Laura Secord stores in 1966 as a sort-of Centennial Project. Since then over 200,000 copies have been sold. It was one of the first books to rely on a “Canadian cuisine” with preps for tourtiere (including a chicken one from Gaspe), fricandeau (veal and pork meatloaf), glazed back bacon, shoofly pie, and sugar pie from Quebec. The recipes are presented “as is” in 1966, consistent with existing ingredients and techniques and equipment. No microwaves or food processors here. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. A great, reliable book, value priced for over 300 recipes. Menus are for regions (East Coast, BC, Quebec, etc.) and Canadian holidays (e.g., “Dominion Day”). Quality/price rating: 89. 20. LOCAVORE; from farmers’ fields to rooftop gardens – how Canadians are changing the way we eat (Harper Perennial, 2010, 241 pages, ISBN 978-1-55468-419-9, $17.99 CAD paper covers) is by Sarah Elton, food commentator for CBNC Radio and a free-lance writer for other publications. It is a 2011 paperback reprint of the successful 2010 best seller. She follows along Margaret Webb’s previous journey through various farms (Apples to Oysters, 2008) by also expanding to what is happening in the cities. But I am surprised that Webb’s book is not cited in an otherwise very decent and relevant bibliography. Elton has stories from most of the provinces, including farm life in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Ontario. This is followed by urban patterns in British Columbia, cheese in Quebec, and urban homesteading in Toronto. Well-worth catching if you don’t already have it. Quality/price rating: 89. 21. ESQUIRE – EAT LIKE A MAN; the only cookbook a man will ever need (Chronicle Books, 2011, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7741-1, $30 US hard covers) is based on Esquire’s food coverage over the years. There is material from chefs Mario Batali, Daniel Boulud, David Chang, Tom Colicchio, Thomas Keller, Michael Symon, Michael White, Scott Conant – and more (including several women chefs). They are all listed and sourced as to restaurant and recipe. There’s a listing of preps by skill level, in order of difficulty, from Banana bread French toast through porchetta and bourbon salmon (all easy) to beef stew with ale and truffled mac and cheese (reasonable). There are only six preps that would be rated difficult or worth the effort: Sunday gravy (really? It is just a stew), Coca-Cola brined fried chicken (you’ve got to be kidding), red beans and rice grits, seafood hot pot, bone-in top loin, grits with fried farm eggs and ham scraps. Some asparagus and spinach appear to be the only veggies. If you ate like this all the time, you’d die – guaranteed. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. In fact, to reinforce the doubt I have that men had ever heard of metric stuff, there is a table of “common conversions”, such as 2 pints = 1 quart. Not for the faint of heart (it is enough to terrify any vegan), but exceedingly useful for the carnivore in the family. Quality/price rating: 85. 21. THE BAR & BEVERAGE BOOK. Fifth Edition. (John Wiley & Sons, 2012 [sic], 722 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-24845-4, $82.95 Canadian hard covers) is by Costas Katsigris, now Director Emeritus of the Food and Hospitality Service Program at El Centro Community College in Dallas. His co-author is Chris Thomas, a professional food and wine writer. It began life in 1983 with Katsigris, and was last revised in 2007. The publisher summary says that the book explains how to manage the beverage option of a restaurant, bar, hotel, and country club. There’s a chapter on the history of the beverage industry (mostly American), an appreciation of wines-beers-spirits. Information on equipping, staffing managing and marketing a bar, and how to purchase. New to this edition are updated changes to US regulations on service of alcohol, sanitation guidelines, labour laws, and how to be more profitable. New trends are also covered. There are summaries, discussion points, and terms used by the trade in each chapter. Canada gets mentioned only with Canadian whisky and Canadian beer. “Canadian whiskey” [with an “e”] is mentioned at one point in the glossary. Useful for all schools of hospitality, libraries, and working establishments in the US. Quality/price rating: 87. 23. THE NEW FOOD PROCESSOR BIBLE. Rev. and updated 4th edition. 30th anniversary edition. (Whitecap, 2011, 552 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-028- 0, $29.95 CAD soft covers) is by Norene Gilletz, IACP member and food writer-consultant-teacher. She first published this book in 1979/80 as “The Pleasures of Your Processor”, later re-titled as “The Pleasures of Your Food Processor”. I think all of those recipes are here, plus 65 new ones. And of course, since there are many brands of food processors in the market, it does not matter which one you use in order to employ these recipes. There are now over 600 recipes here, plus the useful practical tips, a quick reference “Smart Chart” and nutritional analysis with every recipe. There are low-carb and low-fat options and gluten-free baking. The baby-food section is new. Even a slow cooker is involved. Still, I am not sure why the publisher felt that there should have been major log rolling from five writers, a cookbook store owner, and a marketing director. Because Gilletz is a leading author of kosher cookbooks in Canada, there is a section on Passover recipes. There are also no pork or related seafood preps. Two recipes a page makes it a little crowded, and some preps carry over to the verso side of the leaf. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements (with some metric added for the weights), but there are metric table of equivalents on p.44-46. Tabs are used to locate relevant sections. Food processors, like any piece of kitchen equipment, are not the final answer to all the prep work. But they do go a long way to making life easier. Quality/price rating: 85. 24. BEAT THIS! COOKBOOK (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-547-43700-2, $14.95 US paper covers) is by Ann Hodgman. It was last published as a 208 page paperback in 1999. A mention on NPR stirred a response by the publisher to reissue the book with 50 more preps. This is that book. Here are 150 recipes that Hodgman guarantees to be better than anyone else's. Recipes include: Apple Crisp, Baking Powder Biscuits, Beef Stew, Blueberry Muffins, Caramels, Chicken Salad, Clam Chowder, Deviled Eggs, Fudge, Fried Mushrooms, Gingersnaps, Guacamole, Lemon Squares, Lime Sorbet, Molasses Cookies, Onion Soup, Pesto Torta, Plum Pudding, Potato Salad, Shrimp Salad, Spaghetti Sauce, Sugar Cookies, Tomato Soup, and White-Chocolate Raspberry Tart. It is all presented with a sense of humour. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. There is a concluding chapter on leftovers. I did get tired of the red print on white background, but that may be just me. Quality/Price rating: 89. 25. HOW BAD ARE BANANAS? The carbon footprint of everything (Greystone Books, 2011, 232 pages, ISBN 978-1-55365-831-3, $19.95 CAD paper covers) is by Mike Berners-Lee, founder of Small World Consulting, a company specializing in climate change. His research has included the development of leading footprint tools based on environmental input- output analysis and life-cycle analysis. It was originally published in the UK in 2010 as a paperback, but at 304 pages. So perhaps some arcane material was excised? Anyway, it is a lifestyle-green guide, especially useful for vegans. It is also a demanding book about climate change, with references to choices to be made in order to reduce carbon footprints. He believes that everything can be costed out in carbon credits and debits, even the big things like the Iraqi war or volcanic eruptions. The small things, also here, include a glass of beer or wine, ironing, even email. According to his studies, a plastic bag has the smallest carbon footprint of anything listed. A kilo of cheese uses about 12 kilos of CO2 emission; a leg of lamb emits about 17 kilos of CO2 for each kilo of lamb. Most of these values are for local items, as in the UK. If we were to import British cheese to Canada, the CO2 emission would climb for the transport. There are lots of graphs and charts and scientific reasoning here. Well worth a read. Quality/price rating: 89. 26. SAVEUR -- THE NEW COMFORT FOOD; home cooking from around the world (Chronicle Books, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118- 7801-2 $35 US hard covers) comes from the pages of Saveur magazine. There are a lot of familiar dishes here, although some ethnic foods may not be everyone’s idea of “comfort food”. Saveur is a top-down magazine, emphasizing the origins of a dish with great photography and extraordinary writing by culinary authors. After a string of books on international themes, this one (edited by James Oseland, editor-in- chief of the magazine) promotes solid home cooking as the building blocks of great meals. Here are more than 100 classic home-style dishes, ranging from a lot of American (Texas BBQ, New Orleans shrimp, southern catfish) to some exotic (Thai hot and sour soup, Tuscan kale soup, Italian meatballs). There’s also a lot of Mexican food here, reflecting the US southwest. All the recipes are richly illustrated. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87. 27. PLENTY; vibrant vegetable recipes from London’s Ottolenghi (Chronicle Books, 2011, ISBN 978-1-4521-0124-8, $35 US hard covers) is by Yotam Ottolenghi, co-owner of four eponymous “haute-couture to-go food shops” in London UK. He also writes a weekly vegetarian column for The Guardian newspaper. Here, he has 120 recipes from that column. Organized by ingredient, from roots to fruit, the material is nicely framed by the photography. The book was originally published in 2010 by Ebury Press; this is its North American debut. Onions have their own separate section, with leeks, garlic, and onions together. There’s mushrooms, squashes, peppers, brassicas, eggplant, tomato, leaves (raw and cooked), green beans, pulses, grains, pasta-polenta-couscous, and then fruit with cheese. ---------------------------------------------------- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2011 ======================================================== 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: 2011 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. HOME WINEMAKING FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley & Sons, 201ll, 364 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-67895-4, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Tim Patterson, who writes for the industry trade, Wines & Vines. He has won many Gold medals in amateur winemaking competitions in California. I must say that I was very surprised that this is the first such book in the Dummies series. The lack of a book has got to be a factor derived from the availability of cheap plonk. In England and Canada, where wine prices are dear, such books have been around for forty or more years. Is it a sign of austerity in the US that many people now want to start making their own wine? Anyway, all the basics are covered. I’ve been making wine at home since 1981, using mainly concentrates. Here, the book delves more into using fresh grapes, which requires more operations and steps. Indeed, you can use this book to start your own small scale winery. It’s very comprehensive, covering equipment, sorting, crushing, pressing, yeast, aging, blending, finishing, racking, bottling, plus the trouble-shooting advice. There may be sections here that one will never use, such as sparkling wine, dessert or fortified wines, even rose. No matter how hard I tried in the past, I could never make more than plonk white wine. After awhile I gave up, and just did reds because they were always more complex. So I would use this book for the red wines alone. There are the usual Dummy lists and appendices, covering conversion charts, glossaries, and resources. Audience and level of use: budding home winemakers; hospitality school programs. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: you’ll need sanitary conditions and lots of testing to ensure that everything is going smoothly. This includes proper labeling The downside to this book: nothing really. The upside to this book: good cartoons and a discussion on sulphur. Quality/Price Rating: 90. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. THE ART OF CHARCUTERIE (John Wiley and Sons, 2011, 388 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-19741-7, $65 US hard covers) is by the Culinary Institute of America and John Kowalski, a professor at the CIA. Charcuterie has moved out from its rare artisanal practices to the mainstream. It is one of the hottest new items in North American restaurants, and, of course, the CIA with its more than 40,000 alumni wants to be there with it. So here is the book, covering pates, terrines, cured meats, and sausages. Kowalski and his team detail ingredients, equipment, sanitation, techniques and processes (brining, curing, smoking et al). There’s a separate chapter on spices, herbs and seasonings. And there’s also an interesting section on preservatives and how to substitute, plus alternative ways to preserve that are virtually chemical-free. There’s a concluding chapter with preps and ideas for complementary condiments such as a variety of cold sauces, gelatins, oils, relish, chutney, pickles, and compote: orange marmalade and jalapeno sauce; fresh plum and horseradish coulis; cinnamon-rum applesauce; Cajun-style lime and mustard-seed dressing; pickled lady apples. The layout is first-rate, with larger typefaces (especially good in the index). Photos are informative. There are charts 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, restaurant chefs, schools of hospitality libraries. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: dry-rub barbecued bacon; dry-cured pancetta; beef jerky; campagne forcemeat; chicken galantine; tete pressee; buffalo wing-style sausages; weisswurst; duck sausage. The downside to this book: it lacks excitement and a “wow” factor since it is a text. The upside to this book: quantities are reasonable; you should make at least 11 pounds of sausages at one go just to be efficient. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS THE ULTIMATE APPETIZERS BOOK (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 480 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-63414-1, $19.95 US soft covers) is a bargain of a book, with 450 quick and easy nibble and drinks, along with the usual party-planning advice. It’s all done in typical BH&G fashion, playing to the harried homemaker. Chapters cover dips, meatballs and sliders, wings, seafood, pastries, cheeses, breads, stuffed morsels, one and two-biters, small bowls, veggies, crunchies, and desserts. Plus drinks, of course. There’s a wealth of information here, plus a minimal amount of bought processed ingredients such as pita chips, puff pastry, BBQ sauce, at al. Many items can be expanded into most of a meal, say for four people, or family time. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. There is also a listing of emergency substitutions. Audience and level of use: homemakers, Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: leek and olive tart with brie; California sushi rolls; nutty pork sliders; pepperoni biscotti; Jamaican jerk chicken wings; beer and cheddar fondue. The downside to this book: just speculative – will the binding hold up? The book is squat and heavy. The upside to this book: useful, especially if you don’t want to buy or use pre-made canapés from a supermarket. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 4. THE CITY COOK; big city, small kitchen, limitless ingredients, no time (Simon & Schuster, 2010, 277 pages, ISBN 978-1-4391-7199-8, $20 US hard covers) is by Kaye McDonough who launched thecitycook.com in 2007. This is a practical guide to fitting in cooking with a busy life and a small kitchen (e.g., condo or apartment). There’s also log rolling by Barbara Kafka and Molly O’Neill. Her first point is, of course, to stop ordering takeout. And use SLOFE principles (seasonal, local, organic, fast, and easy). There’s lots of advice here, and the book does read like a primer for beginners. (She says you’ll only need three different knives). As well, you’ll need a commitment to food. She goes on to sort out the various greengrocers, farmers, butchers, wine merchants, cheese mongers, fishmongers, bakers, spice merchants, Community-Supported Agriculture, urban gardeners, farmer market organizers, and many more. There’s also planning for pantry and larder, with advice on what needs to be on the shelf, on the counter, in the fridge, and in the freezer. This is from what you cook. There’s a listing of larger urban markets in the USA, web merchants, other helpful web sites such as Slow Food, Seafood Watch, USDA, and Sustainable Table. The ninety reparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are metric tables of equivalents. Large typeface helps a lot. Audience and level of use: beginning cooks, apartment dwellers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: poached pears with parmesan; winter greens with butternut squash croutons; composed salads (variety); lamb shanks with tomato sauce. The downside to this book: nothing really The upside to this book: strategies for buying from specialists. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 5. GLYCEMIC INDEX COOKBOOK FOR DUMMIES (Wiley Publishing, 2011, 360 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-87566-7, $19.99 US soft covers) is by Meri Raffetto and Rosanne Rust, both registered dietitians and food writers. Raffetto had previously writer The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies; both had written The Calorie Counter For Dummies. The GI is now a mature and proven industry with many books behind it. It had initially begun with a series of numbers to determine high or low glycemic qualities. The index is a way of determining how different carbohydrates in foods affect blood glucose levels. The lower the number, the slower (and more sustained) the absorption of carbs into the body. This is useful information for those with health issues (diabetes, heart problems, et al) or those trying to lose weight. So there is a good summary here in 50 pages, and then the creation of menus and recipes. All courses are covered, from apps to desserts. 150 or so recipes are listed in an index at the back and in a separate table of contents near the front. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are metric tables of equivalents. It is all safe and effective and healthy. If you stick with low GIs, then you’ll probably lose weight and be healthy. Check out the authors’ website www.reallivingnutrition.com. Audience and level of use: dieters, those with health issues. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: understand the differences between types of carbohydrates. The downside to this book: much has been simplified, but then that is the Dummies style. The upside to this book: major foods are identified by “high” or “low” or “medium”, which is better than a number out of 100. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 6. KEYS TO GOOD COOKING; a guide to making the best of foods and recipes (Doubleday Canada, 2010, 553 pages, ISBN 978-0-385-66645-9, $42 US hard covers) is by Harold McGee, author of “On Food and Cooking”. Indeed, it has all the appearance of a slimmed down version of that 1984/2004 tome, minus much of the science behind the food. But it has also been updated beyond 2004: much of the bibliography is new, new foods have been brought in, and there has been a general updating throughout. For example, the section on sprouts in the 2004 book did not mention microgreens (which is in the 2010 book). On the other hand, much of the science behind sprouts has been left behind, and instead, the safety factor has been highlighted (sprouts promote bacterial growth). So it is a bit of a tradeoff. In length, this book is about one-quarter the size of “On Food and Cooking”. The 2004 book had a smaller typeface over two columns, with smaller leading and tables. The current book has an extremely large typeface and lots of blank space. Its emphasis is on cooking food, and not the science behind it. The mix of chemistry, history, folklore, literary anecdotes, kitchen tips, recipes, and explaining the science behind the cooking techniques are all gone. Still, it is extremely useful for strategies such as shopping, safety, storing, and preparations for cooking. The few tables that exist are inside the covers, and detail mostly metric equivalencies. Audience and level of use: cooks, libraries, cooking schools. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: the 2004 book said that flipping meat on the grill every minute creates moistness. The 2010 books just says “to speed the cooking”, with no mention of moistness. The downside to this book: excessive log rolling (did we actually need Thomas Keller, Ruth Reichl, Rose Beranbaum, and even Shirley Corriher [who had McGee log roll her own book] doing endorsements? It’s like getting the Pope to give advance praise to a new edition of the Catholic Bible). Also, there is more on food and the kitchen and so little on human use of food (nutrition and digestion) and taste buds. The upside to this book: there is a newer audience out there for the science behind cooking. The updated bibliography. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 7. VEGAN COOKING FOR DUMMIES (Wiley Publishing, 2011, 364 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-64840-7, $19.99 US soft covers) is by Alexandra Jamieson, a certified holistic health counselor and a vegan chef (featured in the documentary “Super Size Me”). Vegans avoid all animal products, both in diet (flesh, eggs, dairy, honey) and in lifestyle (fur coats, shoe leather, furniture). She has about 160 vegan preps. All courses are covered, from apps to desserts. The recipes are listed in an index at the back and in a separate table of contents near the front. And she does make it all sound easy and fun. There’s party food here as well as menus for entertaining. A highlight is a listing of 11 emergency snacks such as pretzels, hummus and pita, salsa and tortilla chips, olive paste and rice crackers, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and the like. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are metric tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegetarians, vegans, those seeking a different lifestyle. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Occasionally, some vegans will recycle “used” animal products to avoid an environmental conflict. The downside to this book: much has been simplified, but then that is the Dummies style. The upside to this book: cheerful and upbeat, a good intro to vegans. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 8. VEGETARIAN TIMES EVERYTHING VEGAN (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-54788-5, $29.95 US hard covers) is edited by Mary Margaret Chappell. It’s a collection of some 250 recipes with SLOFE principles (seasonal, local, organic, fast, and easy). It’s billed by the publisher as “the something-for-everyone vegan cookbook”, drawn from the pages and kitchens of Vegetarian Times. Vegan cookery usually means “vegetarian without eggs and dairy”. And this can limit some choices of food preps since eggs and dairy are extensively used as binders in the plated product, holding a casserole or a cake together. Vegan meals can help reduce cholesterol, certain kinds of cancer, diabetes, and weight. These have been proven. This is a basic book, beginning with a kitchen primer and menu ideas. There are about 30 important and suggested menus, ranging from Thanksgiving, Christmas (all the usual holidays) to a Sunday Breakfast or Weekday Dinner. The preps begin with starters, drinks, burgers and sandwiches, salads, and then move on to pasta, noodles, rice, whole grains, soy products, “vegetables”, and beans. There are also soups, baked goods, sweets, and a variety of sauces and jams. There are informative sidebars, such as “Guidelines for Choosing Rice”. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Each prep also has nutritional data. Audience and level of use: vegans, vegetarians, natural health lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: barley risotto with spinach and tofu; polenta wedges with black-eyed pea salsa; forbidden rice bibimbap; radicchio, radish and fennel salad; morning glory loaf. The upside to this book: a good selection of vegan recipes from a vegetarian magazine. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 9. FOODISTA; 100 great recipes, photographs and voices (Andrews McMeel, 2010; distr. Simon and Schuster, 204 pages, ISBN 978-0-7407-9767-5, $19.99 US paper covers) has been edited by Sheri L. Wetherell, Barnaby Dorfman, and Colin M. Saunders. All three are founders of www.foodista.com, a Seattle-based collaborative project to build a large online food encyclopedia along the lines of Wikipedia, with material that can be edited by members and cross-checked, etc., as Wikipedia is supposed to be. It’s another free resource social media site, allowing free information for anyone who wants to cook and to share recipes. The members chose the 100 best recipes from the thousands on the site, and here they are. It’s arranged by course, from appetizers to desserts. Each prep is sourced, with a picture of the plated dish, and some biographical information (a picture of each cook is at the back of the book). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents at the back. Recipes come from around the world, mostly from young people (mainly women), and appear to be derived from their extended families. So there are a fair bit of ethnic dishes here, which is a good thing. Audience and level of use: new cooks, bloggers, foodies. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: paneer kofta; cranberry crumb bars; spicy pumpkin soup; buckwheat galettes with an egg; Asian meat loaf. The downside to this book: the typeface for the list of ingredients is a light orange, hard on the eyes after awhile. The upside to this book: the recipe line spacing is good with plenty of leading. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 10. THE ART OF THE CHOCOLATIER; from classic confections to sensational showpieces (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 408 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-39884-5, $65 US hard covers) is by Ewald Notter, an award-winning pastry chef and chocolatier. He has been working for over 35 years, and a teacher for a quarter century. Currently, he is also pastry adviser to the Culinary Team USA. It becomes at once THE book on chocolate for pastry chefs, students, and chocolate stores. Part One gives the basic overview (equipment, ingredients, techniques), while Part Two covers all manner of small chocolates (gianduja, marzipan, ganache, chocolate pralines). Part Three is the heavy gun – creating chocolate showpieces (not for the faint of heart), dealing with flowers, painting, piping, creating 3-D models, etc.). The work is complemented by absolutely stunning photography and numerous charts, diagrams and templates. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric, US and volume measurements, but otherwise there are no tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: professionals in the chocolate business, students, libraries, reference collections. Some interesting or unusual facts: for a unique look, chocolate candy molds can be smeared or finger-painted with coloured cocoa butter using colours that correspond to the flavours inside. Splattering is also useful. The downside to this book: it weighs 2 kilos (4.4 pounds)! The upside to this book: good, detailed index. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 11. HEALING SPICES; how to use 50 everyday and exotic spices to boost health and beat disease (Sterling Publishing, 2011, 322 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-7663-2, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Bharat B. Aggarwal (a Ph.D. cancer researcher with over 500 scientific papers and articles), with Debora Yost (a health book editor and writer). First off, I’m not sure why the title says just “spices” when the book also includes herbs and nuts. Notable herbs here include basil, bay leaf, mint, parsley, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Nuts include almonds. Even veggies are here (sun-dried tomatoes, onions, garlic). Let’s just say that the foods he recommends are “flavourful foods”, usually consumed in small quantities because they are intense. Several pages are devoted to each “spice”. The entry for turmeric, for example, is about a dozen pages long, subtitled “leading crusader against disease”. There’s an explanation about what it does, suggesting that it is the anti-cancer spice. There’s a list of what it may help prevent or treat (about 30 illnesses), a statement about how much is needed to promote good health, what other spices it pairs well with, and a recipe (here, turmeric with potato cauliflower soup). There is also a list of other recipes in the book (with page references) that call for turmeric, and a statement of non-recommended partnering with food (here, dairy dishes will mask turmeric’s delicate flavour). There are sidebars scattered throughout, such as the one on how to make your own vanilla extract, what is Mexican oregano, how to mask garlic breath, and using elephant garlic like a leek). The last part of the book covers about two dozen special spice combos, such as masala, which you can do yourself, and substitutions. There’s also the use of spices as natural medicines, ranging from something as simple as bad breath to the more complicated varieties of arthritis or asthma. Indeed, the book has linked spices to the prevention and treatment of more than 150 health problems, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. It concludes with a listing of US sources for spices, many of them online. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Colour photos of the spices are collated into one section at the middle of the book. Audience and level of use: alternative medicine fans, reference libraries, natural health lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: turmeric had a secondary use as a fabric dye, so be careful about spills; it can be difficult to get turmeric out of fabric. The downside to this book: more recipes would have been useful, say, at least two per entry. The upside to this book: a good collection of materials, nicely laid out. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 12. HEALTHY COOKING (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 314 pages, ISBN 978-0- 470-05233-4, $34.95 US hard covers) is from the Culinary Institute of America, and is another addition to its consumer-styled “At Home” series. This series is meant for home cooks: the recipes have normal quantities of about 4 to 6, the ingredients can be reasonably found, and equipment is home-sized. Kudos to the CIA for this series, but I still wonder why a “Healthy Cooking” at home is needed. There are many other books out on the market dealing with this matter; the CIA in establishing some turf is a “Johnny-come-lately” entrant. Nevertheless, the CIA would probably like you to buy all the books in this series. The basic premise here is to replace unhealthy fats/oils and sugar and carbs with flavour from herbs and spices, and using better, more appropriate cooking techniques for different foods in different circumstances. Recipes are based on the latest USDA nutrition guidelines and food safety techniques, along with portion control. Strategies are important, to develop healthy menus for meal planning. Accompaniments must be balanced, and the whole day’s nutrition cast amongst the three meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner. The 235 recipes here provide for variations and other options. And, in essence, the book tries to practice SLOFE principles (seasonal, local, organic, fast, and easy) as much as it can. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois volume measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks, new cooks, students. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: curried apple-squash soup; artichoke seviche in Belgian endive; medallions of lobster with shaved vegetable salad; Vietnamese summer rolls; lentil ragout; thyme-scented trout; cocoa-rubbed pork tenderloin; pumpkin, zucchini, and chickpea tagine. The downside to this book: heavy book, could have been lighter. Also, there is lots of competition out there. The upside to this book: recipes are pretty basic and simple to do. 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 – 13. 3 CHEFS; the kitchen men (Whitecap, 2010, 287 pages, ISBN 978-1- 77050-034-1, $26.95 CAD hard covers) is by the renowned trio of chefs: Michael Bonacini, Massimo Capra, and Jason Parsons. They all appear on local TV’s “CityLine” in Toronto, and have cooked on the show and in their published writings for newspapers and magazines. Bonacini is partner in the Oliver & Bonacini restaurant group, Capra has cooked at Prego della Piazza and currently co-owns Mistura, and Parsons heads up Peller Estates Winery Restaurant. All courses are covered, all 126 preps are sourced as to chef, and all recipes have an immense amount of savour-flavour. Their book uses SLOFE principles (seasonal, local, organic, fast, and easy) and the food is mainly Mediterranean styled. Try Capra’s roasted vegetables and butter leaf lettuce salad or his chick pea, black olive and pecorino crostini. Try Bonacini’s mulligatawny soup or his Portobello mushroom chip and dip. Try Parson’s homemade honey, sage and sea salt doughnuts or his chardonnay-braised lamb shank. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Two drawbacks: there are no wine recommendations, and there are too many pictures of the chefs standing about. The publisher’s resources could have been better spent elsewhere (e.g. wine recommendations?). Quality/price rating: 90. 14. MR. SUNDAY’S SOUPS (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0- 470-64022-7, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Lorraine Wallace with Brigit Binns. Wallace is married to Chris Wallace, a Fox News Anchor. Because of his Sunday schedule and a quantity of teenagers roaming around the house, Lorraine decided to feed her family soup with salad as the main meal. Most soups can be turned into main courses anyway, and Wallace was proficient at this. The book may have more meaning for Americans, but apart from family pictures and political endorsements, it is a nifty soup book. Organic food is used wherever possible, and seasonal too. The arrangement is starts with Fall and moves through the year. There are 78 preps plus four stock recipes. The usual and familiar chowders and soups are augmented by a sprinkling of international ethnic goodies such as Sengalese soup or Italian wedding soup. A good section, to wean the guys away from fatty foods, is “Game Day Favorites” with four chili preps, a baked potato soup, and cheeseburger soup. Nice large print and easy to follow instructions. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84. 15. FABULOUS FAIRHOLME; breakfasts & brunches (Whitecap, 2010, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-55285-932-2, $29.95 CDN hard covers) is by Sylvia Main, owner of the award-winning Fairholme Manor Inn in Victoria, BC. It’s right next to the Government House and Gardens, and has been open since 1999. And it has a local reputation for fabulous breakfasts and brunches. The 65 preps come from a number of cooks who have worked there over the years. I especially enjoyed the lemon scones, the egg blossoms, the toasted pecan, orange and brown sugar butter, and the lemon lavender blueberry muffins (with the sugar called for, more akin to cupcakes). A good idea book, with lovely refreshing photography. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of 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. Here are some recent “re-editions”... 16. SPECIAL EVENTS; a new generation and the next frontier. Sixth ed. (John Wiley & Sons, 2011, 550 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-44987-5, $55.55 US hard covers) is by Joe Goldblatt, currently Executive Director of the International Centre for the Study of Planned Events in Edinburgh. He has established many, many programs through the United States, and is thought to be the leader in the field of Event Management. The first edition of this book was published in 1990 by Van Nostrand, and then Wiley took over. Lately, it has been updated every three years. So this becomes a gold standard text in the area. Besides coverage of what event management is, discussion questions (this is a text, after all), and career management and advancement, there has been a general updating plus new material. There are new chapters on greener events, corporate social responsibility, international best practices, and expanding event fields. More than 200 new web resources are indicated, as well as constructive uses of social media. There are also more interviews with event leaders and newer case studies. The updated bibliography contains quite a few relevant sources. Quality/Price rating: 89. 17. THE NEW SONOMA DIET; trimmer waist, more energy in just 10 days. (Sterling Publishing, 2011, 383 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-8118=6, $22.95 US hard covers) is by Connie Guttersen, R.D., Ph.D., currently a nutrition instructor at the CIA in California. The first edition of her book was in 2005, selling a lot of copies. There is a subscription website, www.newsonomadiet.com which has much more additional information. The main thrust of the diet is quality food, flavours, and a healthy exercise regimen. The updating is for more coverage of the so-called SuperFoods, here labeled Power Foods, and the evolving glycemic index. New material covers omega 3 fatty acids, pro-biotics, dark chocolate, Vitamin D, gluten free recipes, and wine. Lots has happened in the past 5 – 6 years. The basic 10 power foods have been added to, with beans and citrus. There are 21 days of menus and recipes with all sorts of combinations. My basic go-to food has been dark chocolate and almonds, and they are here. Guttersen promotes the three wave theory: the first wave (10 days) is the approach to the diet, the clearing of the path. The second wave is the continuation of the diet for weight loss. The third wave (after reaching target weight) is changing the diet into a lifestyle. The older book would still be useful, so don’t pitch it. This book is meant for new readers. Quality/price rating: 88. 18. COOKING BASICS FOR DUMMIES. 4th ed. (Wiley Publishing Inc., 2011, 436 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-91388-8, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Bryan Miller (once a restaurant reviewer for the New York Times and now a food writer covering dining trends), Marie Rama (food consultant), and Eve Adamson (cookbook author). The last edition was in 2004. So here we are with newer material on trendier dining (BBQ and grilling) and newer equipment. As a basic book for under twenty bucks, it is pretty good. And the fact that it appears to be revised when needed is also pretty good. And yes there are even metric conversion tables. One of the keys is at the back: a glossary of top 100 common cooking terms, plus notes on common substitutions, abbreviations and equivalents. There’s also enough stuff here to make you a short order cook. Each prep has a clear explanation of technique, with ingredients listed in boldface and nutritional data at the bottom. There’s an indication of prep times, cook times, and yields. All courses and meals are covered, with a lot of variety – about 100 starter preps in all, with variations as needed. Quality/Price rating: 90. 19. WEIGHT WATCHERS NEW COMPLETE COOKBOOK, 4th ed. (J Wiley, 2011, 416 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-61451-8, $29.95 US loose leaf edition) is an update of the 2007 edition, which was released in a plastic comb binding. It 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. 20. AT HOME WITH MADHUR JAFFRY; simple, delectable dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka (Knopf, 2010, 301 pages, ISBN 978- 0-307-26824-2, $35 US hard covers) was originally published as “Curry Easy” in different form by Ebury Press in London. Six of her previous books have won Beard Awards – she’s the go-to person for Indian food. It’s a summative book of some 190 recipes, for this is what she does at home. It follows the SLOFE principles (seasonal, local, organic, fast, and easy). As she says, “to make a proper curry generally calls for the browning of wet seasonings such as onion, garlic and ginger, the browning of dry spices like cumin, chilies, and coriander, and the browning of the meat itself. Now I find that if I just marinate the meat with all the spices and seasonings and then bake it, both covered and uncovered, all the browning happens on its own; the curry absorbs the spices and is delicious.” So the emphasis is on simpler methods and fewer steps. But she does change the order of the food: like many cultures, all the food comes out at once, with fresh fruit for dessert. Here, she has a Western culture order to the dishes, with appetizers, mains, sides, and desserts. I should think at this time of her life that the publisher would need no log rolling, but Deborah Madison and Betty Fussell do appear on the back cover. Try eggplants in a North- South sauce, gujarati-style okra, roasted moong dal with mustard greens, or Pakistani goat curry with potatoes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. ---------------------------------------------------- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR NOVEMBER 2010 ====================================== 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: 2010 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 ART AND DESIGN OF CONTEMPORARY WINE LABELS (Santa Monica Press, 2010, 287 pages, ISBN 978-1-59580-046-6, $50 CAD hard covers) is by Tanya Scholes, a Toronto-based graphic designer and packager. Michael Mondavi contributes an enlightening foreword which is more an essay on both wine label design and how Robert Mondavi came to design his iconic arch and tower label in 1966. Scholes has a couple of essays on the history of wine design. Other than that, it is s straight ahead but eclectic collection of some 213 wineries from both the Old and the New World, although there are more from the latter. Each is given a page or two, and some of the larger or more innovative wineries are given a spread to cover more than one label. There is enough text to describe the run-up to the label design (remember: the labels speak for themselves, since each is worth 1,000 words). Wherever she can, Scholes uses the designer or owner’s own words to describe the label. She needed here, and elsewhere, to expound more on the artistic influences behind the selection and why she picked “it” and not another. At the bottom of each description, there is a box with the salient details of region, country or origin, type of wine, website, designer name, and designer’s website. The icons are here, such as Rothschild (both Mouton and Opus One), but there are also labels from Bouza Bodega in Uruguay and Barkan in Israel. I was not attracted to M by Mondavi, but it helped that he wrote the book’s foreword. I am not quite sure why Dr. Loosen is here, since it is “old style” and only serves to reinforce the notion that German wine labels never change. There are so many good wine labels out there: I could pick my own 213 wineries, Tony Aspler could pick his own 213, and you could pick your own 213. And we’d probably have no duplicates. But it is great that SHE did it, for now we have something to work with. If there is one theme running through here, then it is the theme of whimsy. Whimsy sells things, no matter what the product. Making fun of the industry and yourself sells things. For Ontario, for once -– beyond icewines -- there seems to be popular acclaim. We have a disproportionate number of wineries covered, such as Sibling Rivalry, Megalomaniac, Malivoire, Southbrook, Foreign Affair, Five Rows Craft Wine, and Truffle Pig. For BC, there is Ex Nihilo, Dirty Laundry, Therapy (with its Rorschach inkblots), Mission Hill, Artisan, and Blasted Church. That’s 13! The old paper label that floated off when the bottle is chilled in ice, the one with the gothic typeface and mismatched colours (a lot like the Loosen label here), is soon to disappear. Even the cheapest Montepulciano d’Abruzzo in Ontario has a spiffy new, compelling and eye-appealing name and label. If I had one major criticism of the book, it is that there is no index. Some of the wineries have several lines of wines, and these need to be cross-referenced. For example, Sibling Rivalry comes from Henry of Pelham (no entry), StraightJacket Winery has a line called Strait Jacket (close, but no cigar: speaking of which, where is the label for Le Cigare Volant??), Layer Cake (no entry) come from Pure Love Wine, and Poetica (no entry) is from Southbrook. It would also be useful in this index to have all the names of the winery owners and the designers in one placed. Page [288] is blank, and the index could have been done there. Just a thought. Audience and level of use: for the inveterate wine collector, and the graphic designer’s library. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Mondavi reports that there are 127,000 approved labels in the US alone. The downside to this book: I wish Scholes had devoted more space to wine label design competitions, which I think is a fascinating area. Some websites could have been useful, or lists of winners and medals. The upside to this book: a perfect gift for the wine lover. Quality/Price Rating: 91. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. FROM THE OLIVE GROVE; Mediterranean cooking with olive oil (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2010, 199 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-367-5, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Helen Koutalianos and Anastasia Koutalianos, a mother- and-daughter team. Helen was a food columnist and Greek cooking instructor who now runs www.basiloliveoil.com importing olive oil from her husband’s family in Greece. Anastasia has worked in publishing (book and magazine). The emphasis, of course, is on the healthy character of olive oil, and this includes its use in desserts such as the apple cake prep here. Some preps have been sourced from 13 west coast chefs. But otherwise, it is arranged by course (appetizers, soups, stews, salads, mains, desserts). There’s primer material on olive oil (history, grading, cooking principles, health aspects). The 150 recipes are mainly Greek or Eastern Mediterranean, but no matter. They are all healthy. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric (mainly) and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents which would have been useful for volume measurements. Audience and level of use: home cooks; olive oil lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lamb (chop) fricassee with artichokes; keftedes (meatballs); sablefish with preserved lemons; imam bayildi (stuffed baby eggplants); melitzana ksipoliti (eggplant quiche); loukoumades (Greek doughnuts); whole chicken baked in a pumpkin; kebabs. The downside to this book: There is no metric table of equivalents which would have been useful for the volume measurements. The upside to this book: there’s a recipe for olive oil energy drink. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. MY COOKING CLASS: series (Firefly Books, 2010, unpaged, ISBN varies, $24.95 Canadian soft covers) is a new series of cook books meant for beginner home cooks or those who want a refresher on certain elements or themes. Each has an individual author (usually a professional with several cookbooks under his/her belt) but they are all set up the same way. 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 “pinwheel cookies” is number 43 in the chocolate book, and continues for four pages with “43” at the top of those four pages. All of the books conform to this arrangement. They’ve all got between 70 and 97 recipes in each one. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. CHOCOLATE BASICS, ISBN 978-1-55407-758-8, by Orathay Guillaumont and Vania Nikolcic. MIDDLE EASTER BASICS, ISBN 978-1-55407-759-5, by Marianne Magnier- Moreno. PASTA BASICS, ISBN 978-1-55407-756-4, by Laura Zavan. SAUCE BASICS, ISBN 978-1-55407-761-8, by Keda Black. STEAMING BASICS, ISBN 978-1-55407-757-1, by Orathay Guillaumont. VEGETABLE BASICS, ISBN 978-1-55407-760-4, by Jody Vassallo. Audience and level of use: home cooks, possibly hospitality students. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: cappuccino pie; monkfish tagine; clams with herb butter; salmon bundles; mouhalabieh; tagliatelle with duck; conchiglioni with caponata; wild mushroom risotto; cauliflower with cheese. The downside to this book: a big investment if you buy them all. They’re at Amazon.Ca for $15.64 each, which is a help. The upside to this book: practical series. Quality/Price Rating: 88. 4. CLEAN START; inspiring you to eat clean and live well (Sterling Epicure, 2010, 166 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-7905-3 $25 US hard covers) is by Terry Walters, author of “Clean Food”. It’s another book dealing with SLOFE principles (seasonal, local, organic, fast, and easy), following up on her initial work. There are 100 additional 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. There are about 25 preps per season. The photos looked especially enticing. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: vegans or those interested in becoming vegans. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: roasted cauliflower and garlic soup; cinnamon whole oats with toasted almonds; festive quinoa with apricots and orange zest; polenta pizzas; The downside to this book: for some reason the first book’s log rolling from Mario Batali and Alice Waters also appears on the back cover of this book. The upside to this book: the physical book has been published with recycled products and agri-based inks. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 5. PANINI; gourmet recipes to help you get the most from your panini press (Whitecap, 2010, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-030-3) is by Dominique and Cindy Duby – it is one of a series of small books by this team of pastry chefs who have now branched out to a complete line of food styling through DC DUBY Hospitality Services Inc. Other such books have included Chocolate and Crème Brulee. It seems to me, though, that this is their first savoury book in their Definitive Kitchen Classics series, and it uses the panini press. You can use a non-electric panini pan and press, but why bother? If you have room and inclination for a single use equipment for panini, then you might as well get an electric one: it can also double as an electric frying pan of sorts. The 40 preps here are mainly Mediterranean (mostly Italian)-inspired. There’s basic grilled bread and cheese, seafood and shellfish, meaty and poultry, charcuteries and cured meats, eggs and veggies, and sweets. The team also has notes on pairing wine and beer with panini. I agree with the Dubys: beer seems to work better than wine. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Ciabatta is the basic bread recommended, but of course you can use baguettes or country breads. There are plenty of variations, beginning with the type of bread, or cheese, or meats, or garnishes. So the basic 40 here can become greater, almost a different one every day for a year. Audience and level of use: beginners, home cooks, sandwich lovers. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: ham & cheese croque monsieur panini; gruyere, ciabatta, and onion jam panini; prosciuto, fig and provolone panini; balsamic Neufchatel cream and strawberry panini; honey, pecan, pear, blue cheese cream and brioche panini. The downside to this book: tasty sandwiches, but difficult to do without a press. The upside to this book: variety of sandwiches. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 6. GRANDI VINI; an opinionated tour of Italy’s 89 finest wines (Clarkson Potter, 2010, 292 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-46303-6, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Joseph Bastianich, who owns four Italian wine estates, a wine store, plus many restaurants in New York City. Shamelessly, he has four log rollers including his business partner (Chef Mario Batali) and his own mother (Lidia Bastianich, cookbook author and co-owner of multiple restaurants, celebrity TV chef on PBS, etc.). Oh yes, if that wasn’t enough: he also got an endorsement from Robert (“Himself”) Parker Jr. But seriously, while this is a serious book, I have no idea why he needs such log rolling. He takes us through the process of why these wines were chosen by him (but why 89? Why not 90? Or 100?). Twenty-one wines are from nebbiolo grapes in Piedmont, while 11 are from sangiovese grapes in Tuscany. 18 are IGT wines (mostly supertuscans); 17 are white wines (mostly Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia). There’s a marsala, a vin santo, and a passito di pantelleria. The well-known (and expensive) names include Il Greppo, Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, Tignanello, Sassicaia, Cervaro della Sala, and Ben Rye. There are also several organic wines. Some memoir and travel materials, as well as histories of the estates and, of course, tasting notes are spread among the entries. At the back, there are summaries of the wines, with information on grape varieties, production, website, first vintage made, aging, and production methods. Every region is covered, but not every province. It must have been politically difficult to come up with a wide dispersion of choices. Audience and level of use: Italian wine lovers. Some interesting or unusual facts: Some of the wines produced are biodynamic. Others are “natural” or “sustainable” or organic. The downside to this book: the nature of differences among natural, sustainable, organic and biodynamic terms is not clearly stated. The upside to this book: a good reckoning for the 89 wines. Quality/Price Rating: 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 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 – 7. MY SWEET MEXICO; recipes for authentic pastries, breads, candies, beverages, and frozen treats (Ten Speed Press, 2010, 217 pages, ISBN 978-1-58008-994-4, $30 US hard covers) is by pastry chef Fany Gerson, a CIA grad who has worked in many Spanish and Mexican restos. She now splits her time between NYC and Mexico; she also runs www.mysweetmexico.com. This cookbook, with log rolling from Bayless and others, does give us a unique contribution in that it is solely devoted to the desserts side of Mexican cuisine. It is part memoir as well as culinary cultural history. She begins with bebidas (beverages), moving on to sweets put together by nuns, and then to corn, heirloom sweets, morning sweet breads, fruit, desserts, and frozen foods. There is also a section on modern Mexico, with piloncillo-roasted pears with cheese pastry, a passion fruit mexcal trifle, mango bread puddings with tamarind sauce, an upside-down plantain cake, and a cheesecake with spiced quince. Many indigenous ingredients are used, such as sweet maguey plants, mesquite, honeys, and cacao. There’s an all-US sources list plus a bibliography. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are metrics table of equivalents. A very prominent contribution to culinary literature. Quality/Price rating: 90. 8. THE OCEAN WISE COOKBOOK; seafood recipes that are good for the planet (Whitecap, 2010, 322 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-016-7, $34.95 Canadian paper covers) is a collection of preps from chefs and restaurants from across Canada, although most of them are from the West Coast. It’s an accessible guide to sustainable seafood and freshwater fish, which the index indicates ranges from abalone to yellow perch. Some rarities include jellyfish, geoduck, and sea urchin. 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. 139 recipes 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, but there is no table of equivalents. After a discussion on sustainability, farmed versus wild, fresh versus frozen, and storage for fish, the preps are listed in course order from apps to mains, with chapters on “one-pots” and canned foods. But this is not all fin; some fur is involved with an octopus and sausage prep, and a mussels and sausage recipe. Try fish cakes with wasabi pea puree and wilted pea shoot salad, or sake-marinated barramundi with ginger, or prosciutto and rosemary-wrapped halibut, or coconut scallop bisque with prawns. A very worthwhile book. Quality/price rating: 89. 9. THE GEOMETRY OF PASTA (Quirk Books, 2010; distr. Raincoast, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-59474-495-2, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Jacob Kenedy, co-owner of Bocca di Lupo in London, voted a best restaurant by Time Out and the Evening Standard. Caz Hildebrand is well known as the designer of best-selling cookbooks. Log rolling includes Nigella Lawson. Their book pairs over 100 recipes from Kenedy with Hildebrand’s black-and-white designs. Kenedy describes each pasta shape (wheels, tubes, fantasy, twists, folds, grooves) and then prepares some sauces for them. He begins with agnolotti, which are raviolis made from one piece of pasta folded in half. There’s a dimensions panel, a list of synonyms, and how the pasta was used historically. Then he tells how to make it, and gives recipes for sauces. Here, he has a walnut sauce, but one can also use a butter and sage sauce, do an “in brodo” or go with a tomato sauce. And, of course, there’s a nice silhouette pattern by Hildebrand, which I assume some enterprising business will turn into a patterned fabric. He ends with ziti, also known as candele, which can be used in a timballo and in ziti lardati (both recipes given). Other variations would include using ziti with ricotta and tomato, with a Napoli ragu, with lentils, al forno, or even a arrabbiata sauce. There’s an index of sauces, in both Italian and English. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. This is a very useful reference book, to both cooks and chefs alike. Quality/price rating: 89. 10. BAREFOOT CONTESSA, how easy is that (Clarkson Potter, 2010, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-23876-4, $35 US hard covers) is by Ina Garten, who has written six other cookbooks and hosts “Barefoot Contessa” on Food Network plus writes a monthly column. It neatly continues the parade of easy cooking books that promise quick and flavourful meals at a low cost. This particular book is being promoted as “her easiest recipes ever”. It helps to have a mise en place, sharp knives, proper equipment, and a cocktail before starting. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. The arrangement is by course, beginning with starters, lunch, dinner, veggies, and dessert. There’s about 100 recipes here, with variations. Simple preps include roasted figs and prosciutto, chipotle and rosemary roasted nuts, beef barley soup, herbed ricotta bruschettas, Greek panzanella, tuna and hummus sandwiches, bangers and mustard mash. Nice large type with plenty of leading so there are no excuses for home cook errors. Quality/price rating: 84. 11. IN A PINCH; effortless cooking for today’s gourmet (Whitecap, 2010, 204 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-026-6, $29.95 paper covers) is by Caren McSherry, owner of Vancouver’s Gourmet Warehouse. She also appears on Global TV every Saturday. The book promises that she “will show you how to make a five-star meal in no time flat”, which is an honourable intention but only if you follow through on it. Log rolling comes from fellow west-coasters such as John Bishop and Vikram Vij. So this collection of gourmet secrets and shortcuts relies on planning, a mise en place, and a pantry. Not to mention a cool demeanor. There’s also the matter of proper equipment and proper plates. The arrangement is by course, apps to desserts, with a collection of resources from around the world. Her pantry has 10 “must-have” ingredients; he kitchen has 11 utensils “I can’t live without”. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Typical recipes include fresh fig and chevre rolls, quick bouillabaisse [west coast], Reggiano cheese sticks, zabaglione, BBQ duck pizza, chocolate coconut cups. Quality/price rating: 85. 12. THE FOOD NETWORK SOUTH BEACH WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL COOKBOOK; recipes and behind-the-scenes stories from America’s hottest chefs (Clarkson Potter, 2010, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-46016-5, $35 US hard covers) has been collated by Lee Brian Schrager (founder of the festival) with food writer and editor Julie Mautner. For one long weekend each year, hot chefs drop in on South Beach to work one of the world’s largest kitchens. This cookbook features 100 recipes and stories about celebrity chefs such as Bobby Flay, Paula Deen (double chocolate gooey butter cake), Mario Batali, Rachael Ray (Cubano burger with mango salsa), Martha Stewart (lobster roll), Alice Waters (grapefruit and avocado salad), Rick Bayless (brava steak), Nigella Lawson (caramel croissant pudding), and others. It’s been a leading “meet and greet” fundraiser function for a decade, and this book celebrates ten years worth of preps (about ten recipes per year). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. And with an easy to read layout. Quality/Price rating: 84. 13. THE VEGAN GIRL’S GUIDE TO LIFE; cruelty-free crafts, recipes, beauty secrets and more (Skyhorse Publishing, 2010; distr. T. Allen, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-61608-092-1 $21.50 CAD soft covers) is by Melisser Elliott, founder of Sugar Beat Sweets Bakery, San Francisco’s first vegan bakery. She has also been featured in just about every vegan lifestyle publication, as well as television. Here she gives us the basics of vegan lifestyle, which includes clothes and cosmetics. There are also recipes for foods as well as instructions for making your own clothes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Try banana bread French toast, two-bean confetti hash, apple sage rice stuffed acorn squash, almond-lime cake, purple cow cupcakes. The book lacks an index, which I calculate to be a serious defect in the retrieval of information. Otherwise, it is pretty nifty, with an excellent chapter on transitioning to vegan. Quality/price rating: 80. 14. NEW ORLEANS KITCHENS; recipes from the Big Easy’s best restaurants (Gibbs Smith, 2010, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-1001-4, $30 US hard covers) has been pulled together by Stacey Meyer (CIA grad now working with Emeril Lagasse) and Troy Gilbert (free lance writer). It’s a basic New Orleans cookbook augmented not by photos of plated dishes but by photos of themed Louisiana work from local artists. It’s a lot like an earlier series showcasing Santa Fe art and food. There are a few short notes on New Orleans galleries and New Orleans food and chefs. Each prep comes with a source, such as the white truffle bean dip from Tom Wolfe of Peristyle, or smoked duck breast pain perdu with Fontina cheese and cane syrup from Greg Poole of The Bistro at the Maison de Ville, or shrimp remoulade from Brian Landry, executive chef of Galatoire’s. Another 25 recipes come from Stacey and/or her mother, Mary Ann Meyer. Chefs, restaurants, museums, galleries, and artists are also cited in the resources section, with addresses and websites and phone numbers. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. Great photos of local art and a well-designed large typeface layout completes the picture. Oh, yes: the recipes also include the basic po’ boys, jambalaya, gumbo, etouffee, and oysters. Quality/price rating: 89. 15. SWALLOW THIS; the progressive approach to wine (20 Sips LLC, 2009; distr. McArthur, 2010, 342 pages, ISBN 978-0-615-30209-6 $24.95 CAD soft covers) is by celebrity television star wine taster Mark Phillips, who had a PBS show (now on DVD) about wine tasting. In addition to this book, he also has audio books and DVDs on how to taste. The Progressive Approach is entertaining, although some wine people cringe. Yes, he says that there is a time to microwave wine. Yes, he tells you which wine is best for wild sex (but because he didn’t do an index, you cannot find out which wine goes with pussy unless you read it from cover to cover). Yes, there is a time to freeze wine. No, don’t buy any expensive wines. But you can tell what wine tastes like before opening it. No, different shapes of glasses will alter wines but one shape seems to be best above all (he has done the research and sells the glasses). So: No, you don’t need a collection of different shapes (waste of money). Wine ratings are silly. Describing wine is for geeks. And on and on. As he pointedly says, “Wine just adds an emotional component, a pure sensual aspect to whatever you’re doing. It is a bonding beverage.” Just don’t overdo it, for alcohol kills. This is a good bedtime read, to relax. BUT IT DOES NEED AN INDEX. Quality/price rating: 82, probably up to 88 with an index. 16. FLOUR; spectacular recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Café (Chronicle Books, 2010, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-6944-7, $35 US hard covers) is by owner Joanne Chang. She’s also a food writer. Christie Matheson is the focusing food editor. It’s a basic book that can be scooped up by her fans in the Boston area, or tourists who have visited her place and want to replicate her foods in their own homes. There are breakfast treats, cookies, cakes, pies, tarts, and breads – each with its own chapter. The book opens with basic primer material plus her top 12 baking tips. These are so self-evident that they bear repeating until they are drummed into everybody’s head: preheat the oven, “mise” everything, read the recipe, weigh your ingredients, toast your nuts, roll out properly, make ahead, bake dough all the way through, and others. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is also a table of equivalents. One discouraging note: I found the typeface too faint. Try buttermilk biscuits, berry bread pudding, plum clafoutis, hazelnut-vanilla ice milk, or the dacquoise. Quality/Price rating: 87. 17. THE FRANKIES SPUNTINO KITCHEN COMPANION & COOKING MANUAL (Artisan Books, 2010; distr. T. Allen, 234 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-415-3, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Frankie Falcinelli, Frank Castronovo and Peter Meehan. The two Franks are co-chefs at Frankies Spuntino in New York since it opened in 2004; spuntino means a casual Italian eatery. Log rolling comes from Mario Batali, Paul Bocuse, and director Spike Jonze. It is a good time, good feel book, with plenty of mozzarella and tomato sauce. Italian cooking as we all used to know it. And there is lots of memoir-type material here, with stories and photos of their lives and the resto. It actually seems perfect as a guy’s book since most of the recipes are uncomplicated and reflective of grandmothers. Arrangement is by course (antipasto to dolce). The appendices feature menus for entertaining, pairing wines, cheeses, and how to fillet a sardine (always useful). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Try puntarelle with lemons, capers, anchovies, and pecorino romano. Or, a sardine and blood orange salad, gnocchi marinara with fresh ricotta, or linguine cacao e pepe. 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”... 18. A FEAST FOR ALL SEASONS; traditional native peoples’ cuisine (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2010, 151 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-368-2, $24.95 CAD soft covers) is by Andrew George Jr. and Robert Gairns. George was most 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 instructs at the Kla-how-eya cooking school. Gairns is a writer-playwright. The book was earlier published as “Feast!” by Doubleday Canada in 1997. It’s part memoir (updated, of course) and part cookbook, with 120 recipes that feature foods from native areas of Canada, such as salmon and fiddleheads, wild duck, oysters, beaver, and bear. It is a unique book: the original was well-worn and tattered- splattered through many kitchens over the past 13 years. 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, with specific material about the salmon harvest, bannock, and wild rice. Half of the recipes are in the seasonal menus beginning with autumn; the other half are from the waters, the earth, land and the skies. The eight menus have page references to the recipes used. You’ll need access to a lot of wild food in order to do these recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Try moose chili or moose cutlets, wild goose stuffed with apples, smoked salmon on bannock fingers, seafood chowder, spirit braid seafood platter, and any of the delicious soups. Quality/price rating: 89. 19. WHY ITALIANS LOVE TO TALK ABOUT FOOD (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006, 2010, 449 pages, ISBN 978-0-374-53253-6 $18 US soft covers) is by Elena Kostioukovitch, a translator (Umberto Eco) and essayist. It was originally published in Italian in 2006, and then in English in 2009. This is its paperback reprint edition, with log rolling by Jacques Pepin and Tom Colicchio. It is billed as “a journey through Italy’s regional cuisines”. Each region is discussed with its history, geography and culture as it all pertains to food. Wine is not covered, although Campari is mentioned. Each area has a set of sidebars which lists dishes, food ingredients and drinks. It’s an academic book, with an extensive 23 page bibliography, end notes, and two food sections: cooking methods in English for an Italian phrase, and pairings of pasta shapes with sauces. It’s a good book, long on culture and Mediterranean Diet and Slow Food (as well as pilgrims and Jews), but I still don’t see WHY Italians love to talk about food. Quality/price rating: 90. 20. HOW BAKING WORKS. 3rd edition (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 516 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-39267-6, $45 US soft covers) is by Paula Figoni, a professor at the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhone Island. She had earlier worked for the Pillsbury Company. The first edition was created for students in 2003. This latest version incorporates changes on health and wellness in baking (special diets, food sensitivities, food allergies), changes due to the switch away from trans fats, changes in the student exercises and experiments, more questions, drawing and charts, and some simplified explanations for the chemistry behind such functions as emulsification. A useful book for both students and short-order cooks. Quality/price rating: 86. 21. ANJUM’S NEW INDIAN (Alhambra Editions, 2010, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1- 84400-954-1, $14.95 CAD soft covers) is by Anjum Anand, who hosts the TV show “Indian Food Made Easy” in the UK. Here, she collates many recipes from her best-selling book based on the TV show which has the same title, along with some fave regional Indian dishes. The emphasis is on light, modern, and simple Indian food. There are over 100 dishes here, arranged by ingredient (fish, meat, beans, etc.) with separate chapters for snacks, light meals, desserts, drinks and chutneys. There is also a short discourse on regional foods, common ingredients, and basic recipes for masala, yogurt, and paneer. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Because of the “perfect” binding, the book is awkward when open, so be careful. What works well in this basic book? Tomato-poached eggs, quick brad and veggie stir-fry, chicken dhansak, Bengali fish stew, mung lentil curry, Punjabi lamb chops. Quality/price rating: 86. 22. MAKING SENSE OF WINE TASTING; your essential guide to enjoying wine. 5th ed. (Wine Appreciation Guild, 2010; distr. by McArthur & Co., 174 pages, ISBN 978-1-891267-03-1, $34.95 CAD soft covers) is by Alan Young, founder of the International Wine Academy, based in San Francisco. This is his 19th book; it was first published in London England in 1986 and has been revised and updated several times. Paul Rigby contributes some engaging and hilarious cartoons, while Robert (“Himself”) Parker Jr. gives some log rolling. The emphasis is on sight, touch, smell and taste (but can’t you also hear the bubbles in crackling wine? Just wondering…). New this edition is the concept of umami. There are photos, cartoons, charts, and highlighted passages (for the kernel material). Plus there are plenty of exercises for self- study pr as part of a class experience. In addition, there’s ancillary material on glassware, wine judging, setups, and bibliographies for further reading. This is a must read. Quality/price rating: 92. FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR OCTOBER 2010 ================================================ 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: 2010 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. TASTE BUDS AND MOLECULES; the art and science of food with wine (McClelland & Stewart, 2010, 223 pages, ISBN 978-0-7710-2253-1, $39.99 Canadian, hard covers) is an English translation of the 2009 French- Canadian book by Francois Chartier, a leading sommelier in Quebec and author of the annual La Selection Chartier, a wine-buying guide now in its 15th edition. He is currently researching more on molecular harmonies and wine stewardship. Certainly, one cannot beat the endorsement of Ferra Adria and Juli Soler of elBulli restaurant in Spain. He begins by identifying the aromatic compounds responsible for fragrances, and finding which ones are in common with wine and food. He takes the gustatory experience right down to the molecular level in both wine and food, and then makes suggested pairings based on the relationships. This is only the first of a series of books, as he works his way through the aromas of foods and wines. Obviously, he owes a debt to elBulli, but he takes the molecular experience steps further. There’s a chapter on sauvignon blanc and anise-flavoured foods and wines; there’s a chapter on gewurztraminer and ginger and lychee; strawberries and pineapples also have a connection. Rosemary seems to go well with Alsatian wines. There are chapters on sherries (all things to all people), maple syrup, oak and barrels, cloves, saffron, cinnamon, and capsaicin. He ends up with a molecular tasting meal with two master chefs. There are a few recipes and some menu ideas. There’s a graphic display and a white-on-black layout that could be hard (or fatiguing) for some to read. Maybe it was an attempt to get younger readers? I think that I would really like to read this book as a text, maybe an e-text, without the pictures and graphic charts and arrows. It’s really busy, and it does cause enough stress that I’d like a drink of wine after I read each chapter!! Audience and level of use: the serious food and wine lover. Some interesting or unusual facts: Eugenol is the dominant volatile compound in cloves and is one of the principal aromatics generated by charred oak barrels. Cloves also contain vanillin and other aromatics that are found in oak barrels. The connection is that an oak-aged wine goes perfectly well with clove-inflected foods. The downside to this book: my eyes hurt from reading all the graphical- layout of the text with its many colours and arrows. The upside to this book: the same layout may just appeal to younger wine lovers and attract them to reading about the quality of wine and food pairing. Quality/Price Rating: 91. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. ZWILLING J.A. HENCKELS COMPLETE BOOK OF KNIFE SKILLS; the essential guide to use, techniques & care (Robert Rose, 2010, 400 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0256-3, $34.95 Canadian spiral bound) is by Jeffrey Elliot, a Henckels executive chef and Director of Culinary Relations for the firm. His co-author is James P. Dewan, a food writer for the Chicago Tribune and a culinary instructor. Although it is a “product” book with endorsements for Henckel knives, any knife can be used. Chefs have to use knives for every aspect of cooking. Learning how to hold and use a knife correctly will help the home cook work more safely and effectively, efficiently, and faster. Knives also promote uniform cooking by proper sizing, and presentation. This book has 1200 photographs, mostly in a series of techniques. The only thing better may be a video presentation – you can find several out there on YouTube or DVD. The opening chapter is the primer: all you need to know about knives, including a useful history, techniques of forging, knife styles, parts of the knife, blade styles, and more. Henckels makes a Japanese line, and these too are included (the Gyutoh, the Santoku, the Usuba, Kamagata, Nakiri, and others). Knife care is important, and how to maintain an edge is discussed. All of this takes the first 90 pages. Basic fruit and vegetable cuts (including how to pit an avocado or breaking up a garlic head) is followed by cutting poultry, cutting meat, cutting fish and shellfish, and carving cooked meats. For those with flair, the last chapter covers tomato roses, radish flowers, carrot flowers, and eight more garnishes. No recipes. Audience and level of use: home cooks, culinary students. Some interesting or unusual facts: bias-cut slices of meat are typically fanned out when they’re plated for a nice look. The downside to this book: I am always leery of spiral binding because it is easier to rip out the pages. The upside to this book: the photographs. Quality/Price Rating: 91. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. 1000 RECIPES FOR SIMPLE FAMILY FOOD (Firefly, 2010, 400 pages, ISBN 978-1-55407-733-5, $29.95 CAD, hard covers) has been edited by Eleanor Maxfield. It’s a book packager’s opus, from Octopus Publishing in the U.K. And as such, it is pretty basic. If you count the spin-off recipes, then you’ll get 1000. Otherwise, it is one recipe to a page plus photo. For example, under Budget Meals, there is jerk chicken wings. The spin-off, in a lighter (and thus harder to read) typeface is here jerk lamb kebabs. For the duck breast with a plum and mango salsa, there is an apricot and lime salsa. These are variations. The arrangement follows style, such as simple snacks, midweek meals, family faves, one pot, vegetarian, kids, baked items, and desserts. There is something here for everyone, but it is all basic at an affordable price. Many dishes can be created in 30-minutes or so, and everything is easy to follow, although the typeface could have been a bit larger. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: general home cooks, beginners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: eggplant, tomato and feta rolls; lima bean and bacon soup; goat’s cheese and tomato tarts; feta cheese and pepper tarts; sesame greens with black bean sauce; Mexican pie; creamy blue cheese pasta; chocolate soufflés. The downside to this book: the lighter typeface for the spin-off recipes. The upside to this book: a nice basic collection. Quality/Price Rating: 81. 4. WHOLESOME KITCHEN; delicious recipes with beans, lentils, grains and other natural foods (Ryland, Peters, and Small, 2010, 160 pages, $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. These are mainly preps for pulses and grains, sorted by course (appetizers, soups, salads, side, main dishes, and baking). The thrust is ethnic, the excitement is spicy. All the recipes are useful, especially for vegetarians. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: ful medames; Moroccan fava bean and cumin dip; Mexican taco salad with pinot beans and avocado; chickpea and fresh spinach curry; chocolate and aduki bean paste phyllo fingers; homemade semolina crumpets. The downside to this book: there’s shading on the pages with the recipes, and thus some of them are hard to read. The upside to this book: a useful bean cookbook. Quality/Price Rating: 82. 5. THE DIABETES COOKBOOK (DK, 2010, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-5139-8, $25 US hard covers) is from the editorial team at DK Books, along with editorial consultant Amy Campbell, MS, RD, LDN, CDE. Who has written other books about food and diabetes. There are 220 sensible recipes here, with nutritional analysis for each. Preps have an indication of service, preparation time, cooking time and freezing time. Much space is also devoted to daily meal planning. Useful websites are noted, such as for the DASH diet, the food pyramid, the glycemic index. Recipes are sorted by meals – breakfasts, snacks, lunches, simple dinners (vegetarian, fish, meat, poultry), sides, and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are no tables of equivalents. Audience and level of use: diabetics, beginner cooks, even those looking for a healthy lifestyle. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: curried salmon kebabs; spiced bulgar wheat with feta and salsa; yellow split peas with peppers and pea shoots; Spanish eggs; pan fried shrimp; eggplant and zucchini tagine with couscous; pork tenderloin stuffed with chiles and tomatoes. The downside to this book: the typeface seems a bit light even for the thin font. The upside to this book: good database of preps. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 6. MICROGREENS; how to grow nature’s own superfood (Firefly, 2010, 107 pages, ISBN 978-1-55407-769-4, $19.95 Canadian paper covers) is by Fionna Hill, a gardener-floral designer who also writes books and magazine articles. It’s a wonder that this is one of the first books about microgreens, the tiny seedlings of herbs and veggies, since they have been on cooks’ radar for over five years. Anyway, the volume definition is that they are larger than sprouts but smaller than baby salad greens. They are useful to grow in a limited amount of space such as an apartment balcony or a window sill. Most varieties are ready in a week, and they contain a large amount of nutritional material. Hill gives us data on 20 popular varieties (arugula, beet, kale, peas, broccoli, basil, et al), as well as a dozen recipes. Flavours range from mild to hot, nutty or spicy, but microgreens are also interchangeable to some extent. A recipe may call for only as handful of microgreens: what they are will be up to what you grow. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of equivalents. There’s a glossary and some international websites, but nothing specific to Canada. Audience and level of use: adventurous cooks Some interesting or unusual facts: “Flavours change as the plant grows. As the leaves open, they begin to manufacture energy from light. That gives them a change in flavour. The most intense flavour comes when that first leaf opens.” The downside to this book: a bit short at only 107 pages, large type. More could have been said. The upside to this book: a useful single-product book. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 7. PERFECT ONE-DISH DINNERS; all you need for easy get-togethers (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010, 266 pages, ISBN 978-0-547-19595-7 $32 US hard covers) is by Pam Anderson, former executive editor for Cook’s Illustrated and a prolific cookbook author (The Perfect Recipe series), winning an IACP Award for best cookbook. Her book is neatly divided into stews, casseroles, roasting pans, and summer salads with grilled platters. It is a nice concept, and gets away from just a slow-cooker or a casserole. These then are easy make-aheads, suitable for potlucks or for entertaining with unique dishes. There are some menu suggestions for quick apps, sides and desserts, plus a dinner drink or wine. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Some dishes use prepared foods. Audience and level of use: harried home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: one- pot penne with turkey- feta meatballs; grilled antipasto platter; roast chicken with sausage and vegetable stuffing; chicken potpie with green apples and cheddar biscuits. The downside to this book: tough competition with other one-pot books out there in these tough times. The upside to this book: good layout and enthusiasm. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 8. PRESERVE IT! (DK Books, 2010, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-6208-0, $25 US hard covers) has been edited by Lynda Brown, with Carolyn Humphries and Heather Whinney. Recipes come from a variety of sources, including the Soil Association. This is another “times are tough” book, joining a parade of preservation books this year. DK does it up with a certain commercial slickness that I enjoyable to read and see. They always have great visuals in the photography. The main theme here is using surplus foods: fruit, vegetables, meats, fish, dairy. There are the usual step- by-step fully illustrated instructions. The book covers jams, syrups, sausages, cheese, butters, ciders and wines – all in 180 recipes and with over 600 photos. The arrangement is by type of preservation, beginning with natural storage. This is followed by drying, freezing, sweet preserves, savoury preserves, bottled and canned foods, preserving in oil, salting and curing charcuterie, smoking, and brewing/vinting wines and beers and ciders. At the beginning of the book, there is a heavy emphasis on equipment and on safety. 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. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: beet wine; pea pod wine; cranberry jelly; green bean and zucchini chutney; mushrooms in oil; wet-cured ham; salted turkey. The downside to this book: nothing really. The upside to this book: covers more than it says it does. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 9. FAST BREADS; 50 recipes for easy, delicious bread (Chronicle Books, 2010, 144 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-6570-8, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Elinor Klivans, a magazine food writer who also has written cookbooks on aspects of baking. Here she covers breads, buns and biscuits, both sweet and savoury. It’s arranged by topic, so there is a nice chapter on quick breads (no yeast), corn breads, and another on refrigerator breads, as well as bread dishes or bread toppings. The yeasted breads use the popular quick-rise no-knead technique. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: savoury lemon-leek loaf; cinnamon-caramel pinwheels; multigrain crusty bread; Gruyere and black pepper gougeres; Sally Lunn bread. The downside to this book: I wish there were more recipes, say 75. The upside to this book: a nice collection of classic preps. Quality/Price Rating: 84. 10. PARTY VEGAN; fabulous fun food for every occasion (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 278 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-47223-1, $17.95 US paper covers) is by Robin Robertson, author of Vegan Planet and 1000 Vegan Recipes. She writes regularly for magazines on all aspects of vegans. Here she promotes some 25 or so menus with animal-free recipes for all occasions, from holiday meals and birthday parties to a tapas table or Mother’s Day brunch. The 140 dishes are extremely useful for parties of any kind; each has an indication of whether it is a “make ahead” or “Quick & easy”. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. There is also a separate listing of recipes by course, with an indication of their status as a make ahead or as a quick prep. Audience and level of use: vegans and vegetarians. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: two-potato shepherd’s pie; fava bean hummus; olive-and-caper stuffed cherry tomatoes; collard and red bean fritters; baked enchiladas with mole poblano; quinoa-stuffed Portobello mushrooms with wine-braised shallots. The downside to this book: the purple ink can be fatiguing. The upside to this book: you can still be a party animal who doesn’t serve animals at parties. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 11. SUPERFOODS; the healthiest foods on the planet (Firefly, 2010, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-55407-684-0, m$24.95 Canadian 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 two years; indeed, it has even reached down to “Superfoods for Dummies”. This one is arranged by food type: vegetables, mushrooms, legumes, fruits, nuts and oils, herbs and spices, grains, meats, dairy food, and beverages. She gives data on new research between each food and health, and how effective that food is. For each, 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. Audience and level of use: for the nutritionally alert Some interesting or unusual facts: The downside to this book: just the latest in a stream of similar books, and it may be superseded at some point. The upside to this book: there are nutritional tables and a glossary. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 12. INTENSELY CHOCOLATE; 100 scrumptious recipes for true chocolate lovers (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 218 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-55101-1, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Carole Bloom, a pastry chef and author of ten other cookbooks on desserts (including “Chocolate Lover’s Cookbook for Dummies”). Chocolate is on a roll again--I’m surprised the price hasn’t climbed--and this is the latest book. For some people, you cannot have too many chocolate books. This is a basic set of 100 preps, covering cakes and cupcakes, brownies, muffins, tarts, cookies, custards and puddings, mousses, truffles, candies, and frozen desserts. There is a glossary of terms, a list of US sources for ingredients and equipment, and even a table of weight and measure equivalents (all the preps use avoirdupois). She itemizes the different percentage values of cacao components, noting that recipes have to be adapted if you use, say, a 85% chocolate in a prep calling for, say, 62%. Or vice versa. There are lots of cook’s notes and cooking instructions. Audience and level of use: chocolate lovers, culinary students. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: bittersweet chocolate caramel swirl brownies; bittersweet chocolate tart with candied orange peel and almonds; cocoa gingersnaps; milk chocolate chunk-pecan biscotti; white chocolate crème caramel; hot malted milk chocolate. The downside to this book: there is heavy competition amongst chocolate books at this level. The upside to this book: good photos. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 13. FALLING OFF THE BONE (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 254 pages, ISBN 978- 0-470-46713-8, $29.95 US hard 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. Impressive credentials -- so why then the log rolling from Sara Moulton, Paula Wolfert, and James Villas? 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 more 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. Audience and level of use: home cooks Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: 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. The downside to this book: 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. The upside to this book: a nice book for meat eaters. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 14. 7-DAY MENU PLANNER FOR DUMMIES (Wiley Publishing, 2010, 342 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-87857-6, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Susan Nicholson, RD/LD (registered and licensed dietitian). She has been writing a syndicated newspaper column (“7-Day Menu Planner”) since 1995, and her book is based on that series. It manages to combine a number of features that are trending in cookbooks these days: quick and easy under 30 minutes, nutrition with low-fat and low-sugar, small budget, seasonal, menus, and family meals. The book covers 52 weeks, beginning with January. So if you buy the book in December, remember to start with the appropriate week, such as week 48 or 49. Otherwise, you will lose the seasonality. There’s lots of primer type material on cooking and nutrition, balance, and creating menus. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are metric tables of equivalents. Each recipe is laid out one to a page, good type face and leading, with an indication of prep times, cook times, yields, and nutritional analysis. The menus are categorized, so that every week you can get something that matches “family”, “heat and eat”, “budget”, “kids”, “express”, “meatless” and “easy entertaining”. And of course, you don’t have to follow the scheme, nor the seasonality. In effect, this is a book of some 364 menus, a boon to the harried home cook for the dinner meal. Breakfasts and lunches are on your own. Audience and level of use: home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: week six provides a Mexicali Round steak, rice, grapefruit salad, corn tortillas, flan, steak tortillas, salsa, chopped lettuce and tomato salad, tropical fruits, fettuccine, garlic breads, lettuce wedge, kiwifruit, sloppy joes, baked chips, stuffed celery sticks, black bean soup, brown rice, banana pudding, green salad, bow-tie pasta, winter squash and walnuts, spinach salad, peaches, baked scallops, angel hair pasta, snow peas, Bibb lettuce, sourdough bread, fruit tarts. The downside to this book: the preps are basic, and can involve some short cuts and prepared purchases. The upside to this book: while I may not cook from this book’s recipes, I intend to use it for ideas and assessment, perhaps taking comparable recipes from elsewhere. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 15. BON APPETIT DESSERTS (Andrews McMeel, 2010; distr. Simon & Schuster, 689 pages, ISBN 978-0-7407-9352-3, $40 US hard covers) is by Barbara Fairchild (editor-in-chief of Bon Appetit) and her staff, with contribution from a wide-ranging collection of contributors (some from Europe, others from the Caribbean). It’s a basic book, with all of the classics – totaling some 600 recipes, most from the magazine but also a few that have not been published before. And it is an important book. Yet it still has logrolling, such as by Molly Wizenberg and David Lebovitz – logrolling has now become standard. If a book doesn’t have any, then the book may not be worthwhile – at least that’s how the thinking goes in marketing divisions. The range here is complete: cakes, cheesecakes, pies and pastries, custards and puddings, fruit desserts, frozen desserts, cookies, and candy. In addition to basic primer material on equipment, pantry, and techniques, there is a breakdown by degree of difficulty. Each prep gets rated: one “whisk” is the easiest, four “whisks” are for the expert baker. So at the back of the book there is a listing of preps by degree of difficulty, with each prep being given a page reference and falling within one of the categories such as cakes or cookies. The recipes are nicely laid out, one or two to a page, with judicious use of bold face to indicate important items (ingredients, quantities made, etc.). There’s also a list of online and mail-order sources (all US). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are metric tables of equivalents. There’s an index, of course, and it is quite detailed, and presented in a larger font; this is a boon for tired eyes. Audience and level of use: home cooks or even small restaurants attempting their own desserts, cooking schools. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Valentine cake; baklava cheesecake; chocolate truffle croquembouche; profiteroles with caramel sauce; frozen white chocolate and hazelnut dacquoise; tiered almond cake; chocolate, orange, and macadamia buche de noel. The downside to this book: given that there are few photos – only 50 for the plated product -- (this is the first Bon Appetit cookbook with full-colour throughout, even though most of that colour is just different ink for text), there is no need for every single page to be clay-coated heavy. The book weighs an astounding 6.25 pounds and is thus maddening to use. The gutters do not spread, so photocopying recipes for in-kitchen use can be a trial. The upside to this book: it needed to be done, especially since there are others in the Bon Appetit series. 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”... 16. WILD GARLIC, GOOSEBERRIES…AND ME; a chef’s stories and recipes from the land (Collins, 2007, 2010, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-00-736406-0, $28.99 Canadian soft covers) is by Denis Cotter, Irish author of the Café Paradiso Cookbook and chef-operator of that place in Cork. It is a reprint of the 2007 hardback book. It’s a vegetarian book, and the main premise is foraging for food in the wild. It has good application to the local veggie fare of the UK. He tells us what’s available and when, and how to use it. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. He has quite extensive notes for most plants, and of course there is also some memoir material. Try chard, new potato, and chickpea soup with lemon and roast garlic, or sea spinach with oyster mushrooms and soba noodles, or even bok choy and rice vermicelli salad with egg, apple, and a peanut dressing. English cognates are used throughout, such as aubergine (for eggplant) and courgette (for zucchini). Quality/price rating: 84. 17. THE ILLUSTRATED STEP-BY-STEP COOK; more than 300 updated recipes from DK’s classic Look & Cook series (DK, 2010, 544 pages, ISBN 978-0- 7566-6753-5, $35 US hard covers) is based on material from Anne Willan originally published in 1992 through 1995. This is virtually a brand new book since all the preps have been modernized. The whole range is covered: starters, salads, vegetarian, one-pots, comfort food, bread, pies, cakes, desserts, and midweek cooking. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, and there are tables of equivalents on the inside covers, a boon. All recipes have been photographed to illustrate techniques (each prep gets a two page spread), and there are symbols to indicate service, prep time, cooking time, and the like. A good book of basic foods, such as onion and Roquefort quiche, Asian noodle salad, tuna Nicoise salad, Nori-maki sushi, cod and mussel chowder, blackberry and apple pie. Quality/price rating: 85. 18. THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK. Updated and revised (Grand Central Publishing, 2010, 208 pages, ISBN 978-0-446-54592-1, $22.99 UD hard covers) is the 50th Anniversary Edition of an American classic. It was originally written by Peg Bracken in 1960. Here, it has been updated and tweaked, with new material by Jo Bracken, her daughter. The original had 200 recipes and many “hints” and “tips”; it sold some three million copies. Indeed, I had just read that this Anniversary Edition had already sold 24,000 copies by August. Classics shouldn’t be reviewed: they get annotated gracefully. Bracken and her friends wanted to shave a few minutes off the cooking chores, and to some extent, they succeeded. The emphasis was on quick and tasty. There was no concern for preservatives or for dairy fats. As her daughter says, you can now use fresh food or yogurt as appropriate, relevant substitutes. And everything works well. It’s all pretty basic, and Bracken continued with eight other books and many articles. So: the steak is made with an onion-soup mix, the stew with the peas and carrot plus a can of thinned down soup, and the stroganoff with a cream of chicken soup can. Some of the others are quite tasty, such as a basic lamb shank recipe with no additions or a meatloaf with swiss cheese. The book has some menus (a boon for any home cook) and some last-minute suppers. Quality/price rating: 85. 19. BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS NEW COOKBOOK. 15th edition. (Wiley, 2010, 608 loose leaf pages, ISBN 978-0-470-55686-3, $29.95 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. The important thing is that this is a classic that keeps getting better for the basic home cook. New to this edition of 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. Recipes have been laid out in a more eye appealing fashion, and there is advice on how to customize basic recipes. Ingredients are listed in US weights and measures. Quality/price ratio: 85. 20, THE GREAT DOMAINES OF BURGUNDY; a guide to the finest wine producers of the Cote d’Or. 3rd ed. (Sterling, 2010, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-7882-7, $35 US hard covers) is by Remington Norman and Charles Taylor. It was originally published in 1992, with a revised edition in 1996 at the same number of pages as now: 288. There are 140 or so Domaines (up from 130), the best of the properties in Burgundy, with an assessment of the vintages 1971 through 2009 (all the data here was collected May through November 2009). 39 entries are new, so 29 Cote D’Or Domaines from the earlier book have been dropped. Norman was a Master of Wine for 20 years, while Taylor was the youngest ever member of that august society. I gather that Taylor did much of the spade work here, with interviews of the owners and winemakers, plus an update on the 25 important communes. There’s a page or two for each, with a table of vineyard holdings (with the average age of the vines) and some photographs. Viticulture, viniculture and wine style are discussed. There’s a lot of primer, basic information to complete the book (about 40 pages), material on microclimates, grape varieties and clones, oaking, biodynamics, tasting, and a glossary. Frankly, I would have appreciated more Domaines being listed since the primer can be found elsewhere in Coates or in Hanson. Anybody who buys this book will probably know most of the primer anyway. The non-Burgundian specialist will find the Domaine data arcane. For the Burgundy wine lover, this is a terrific book. Quality/price rating: 91. 21. THE VEGETARIAN COLLECTION; creative meat-free dishes that nourish & inspire (Transcontinental Books, 2010, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-9813938-0- 3, $22.95 Canadian paper covers) has been pulled together by Alison Kent and the Canadian Living Test Kitchen (with its team of seven chefs and stylists). The preps come mainly from the pages of the magazine, and have been grouped around an ingredient category such as pulses and beans, grains, tofu, seeds and nuts, eggs and cheese, and then forty pages devoted to “vegetables”. Recipes are one to a page, and there are just over 200 of them. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Nutritional information is listed, as well as some helpful hints from page to page. Expect a savour-flavour with double mushroom hot and sour soup, crunchy almond noodle salad, wild rice with pepitas, or vegetarian ceviche. Another good book for the home cook. Quality/price rating: 89. 22. BARTENDING FOR DUMMIES. 4th edition. (John Wiley Publishing, 2010, 366 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-63312-0, $16.99 US paper covers) has been revised to include more hip and trendy drinks. Ray Foley, the publisher of "Bartender" magazine, is the author. Preliminary matter deals with home bar setups and the base drinks. The A - Z alphabetical format has been retained, for about 1000 recipes with illustrations of what stemware to use for each drink. There are lots of charts, websites for producers and suppliers and information, a recipe index, and a topical index. This is a value-driven book in a respected off-handed series. Quality/price rating: 89. 23. MATT KRAMER ON WINE; a matchless collection of columns, essays, and observations by America’s most original and lucid wine writer (Sterling Epicure, 2010, 334 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-7164-4, $19.95 US hard covers) is by the well-known author of the “Making Sense” wine series who is also a columnist for the Wine Spectator. This latest book is a collection of his shorter works, a sort of retrospective, all noted as to original publication source and date. Most are, of course, from the Wine Spectator, but there are also some from the New York Sun and from his books. They cover the gamut of wine knowledge, and his own interest in wines (how to taste, California, older wines, Burgundy, and Italy). He’s also an easy reader, with a breezy but literate style. You can always learn something from him. Topics also include Gaja, wine and women, and Bordeaux. There is even a Devil’s Dictionary on wine terms from 1995, although some of it can be termed “libelous”. As a writer on food and wine, Kramer has been at the top of his game for over 34 years. And the best value of this collection is that, unlike just about all the other anthologies, there is an index! Use it to track down such elusive topics as why wine isn’t art, cloning cabernet to meaninglessness, why there is no wine writing in the New Yorker, how Kramer got a $15,000 kill fee (for a Gaja article, included in this book), and much more. Fascinating. Quality/price rating: 91. 24. THE FRENCH COUNTRY TABLE; simple recipes for bistro classics (Ryland, Peters & Small, 2010; distr. T. Allen, 159 pages, ISBN 978-1- 84975-023-3, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Laura Washburn, who currently translates French cookbooks into English and tests recipes. It was originally published in hard covers in 2003 (as Bistro) and in 2005 (as French Desserts). Here are the classic recipes for French onion soup, tians from Provence, soupe au pistou, goat cheese tart, Belgian endive salad, pork in cider, cassoulet, and the like. For desserts, there are tarte tatin, soufflé, clafouti, tarte au citron, napoleons, oeufs a la neige, mousse, and parfaits. Everything is relatively easy to make if you apply yourself. Good sharp photography, as always from Ryland. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. Quality/Price rating: 87. 25. THE FOOD SUBSTITUTIONS BIBLE; more than 6,500 substitutions for ingredients, equipment & techniques. 2nd ed. (Robert Rose, 2010, 695 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0245-7, $27.95 Canadian paper covers) has been compiled by David Joachim who has authored, edited or collaborated on more than 30 cookbooks. It was originally published in 2005, with 1,500 fewer substitutions. The new edition also has five new ingredient guides and measuring tables, plus 50 new recipes. It’s also physically larger, with about 70 more pages. This is a solid reference book emphasizing, through over 1500 complete entries, more than 6500 reasonably approximate substitutions – all of it cross-referenced and arranged alphabetically. The ingredients are listed with both avoirdupois and metric measurements. There are 175 recipes for larder type items (sauces, stocks, spice mixes, herb blends, syrups, flavoured butters, cheese, dips, spreads, relishes, and beverages). There are handy reference charts for metric equivalents, high altitude cooking, stages of cooked sugar, pan sizes. There are ingredient tables for edible flowers, types of salts and vinegars, oil substitutions, picking apples and pears, dried beans and lentils, olives, mushrooms, potatoes, chilies, flours, and rice. He has useful website listings and a bibliography. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 26. THE BARTENDER’S BEST FRIEND. Updated and revised. (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 392 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-44718-5, $19.95 US soft covers) is by Mardee Haidin Regan, an American wine and spirits consultant with a Julia Child Cookbook Award nomination. It’s a basic book, originally published in 2002, with over 850 recipes (including new ones such as the whole slew of what are now “new martini”). There’s about three to a page, with bold face for the ingredients, making it easier to use in a setting of a dim barlight. It is an all-in-one alphabetical listing of cocktails. There are tabs for easier retrieval, plus an index for retrieval by spirit or form of drink, and a waterproof, wipe-dry cover with a book ribbon for bookmarking. There’s also a bibliography but with bad indentations. It is all kept up to date at www.ardentspirits.com. No pictures, which is nice since it keeps the weight and the price of the book down. Quality/Priced rating: 88. 27. SEASONS; the best of Donna Hay Magazine (HarperCollins, 2010, 324 pages, ISBN 978-1-55468-906-4, $39.99 Canadian soft covers) is by Donna Hay, the foodie Martha Stewart of Australia, with a string of successful cookbooks (17), newspaper articles, and her own self-named magazine. These preps in this book, originally published last year by Murdoch Books in Australia, come from her magazine. And her Canadian fans will lap it up, because the magazine is not that widely available here. It is all arranged by season, with coverage of “savoury” and “sweet” for each. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of equivalents. It is pretty basic, marred slightly by many overly touristy or non-food pictures (some double-spreaded over the book. But the oversized book does give us four or so recipes per page. There’s red mullet with cherry tomatoes and garlic crumbs, spinach and feta pies, blistered plums and vanilla mascarpone tart, mixed berry clafouti, cauliflower soup with porcini oil, roasted pumpkin and garlic soup, and three pepper pork stir-fry. Quality/Price rating: 84. 28. EVERYDAY EASY CAKES & CUPCAKES; cheesecakes, muffins, brownies, sponge cakes (DK 2010, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-6731-3 $20 US hard covers) is a collection of 85 dessert preps from the previously published DK books, The Illustrated Kitchen Bible (2008) and The Illustrated Quick Cook (2009). There’s a lot of useful information here, specifically on these types of desserts. As well, the DK photography is pretty good too. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are metric table of equivalents on both the inside covers. The large print is useful, as well as a variety of icons used to show how long to freeze a dish, its prep time, and what kind of equipment is needed. Quality/Price rating: 84. 29. EXPLORING WINE. Completely revised third edition (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 792 pages, ISBN 978-0-471-77063-3, $65 US hard covers) is by Steven Kolpan, Brian Smith and Michael Weiss – all professors of wine at the Culinary Institute of America. 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 has a fairly complicated past. The second edition was in 2004 at 1070 pages (now out of print). The first edition was in 1996 from Van Nostrand Reinhold. Meanwhile, in 2008, Wiley published “WINEWISE; your complete guide to understanding, selecting, and enjoying wine” (360 pages) by these same three authors. So the best way to describe the current book is to say that it is a book that has doubled in size from 2008, borrowing elements from the second edition and with new material by two new authors. It is a fairly complete basic guide within two covers at a decent price. There are over 600 colour photos and over 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 given the usual three pages. Ok, I can handle that. But (shamefully) there is still nothing on Prince Edward County. 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.” With a straight face, I can say that for Ontario, the wine should ALWAYS cost quadruple its retail price. An $8 bottle from the consignment warehouse is regularly priced in the $30 to $40 range. I wished they had some more details on some of the minor grapes. We do not really know which will be the next “star”. Quality/Price Rating: for this price, try 90. 30. EVERYDAY EASY FREE-AHEAD MEALS; casseroles, hearty soups, pizzas, one-pots, oven bakes (DK 2010, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-6732-0 $20 US hard covers) is a collection of 85 preps from the previously published DK books, The Illustrated Kitchen Bible (2008) and The Illustrated Quick Cook (2009). There’s a lot of useful information here, specifically on these types of vehicles listed in the sub-title. As well, the DK photography is pretty good too. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are metric table of equivalents on both the inside covers. The large print is useful, as well as a variety of icons used to show how long to freeze a dish, its prep time, and what kind of equipment is needed. Try stuffed eggplants (imam bayildi) or fish and lee pie or salmon fish cakes. Quality/Price rating: 84. ---------------------------------------------------- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR SEPTEMBER 2010 ================================================= 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: 2010 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. VINO ARGENTINO; an insider’s guide to the wines and wine country of Argentina (Chronicle Books, 2010; distr. Raincoast, 238 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7330-7, $27.50 US hard covers) is by Laura Catena, daughter of Nicolas Catena, the winery owner. She’s also a medical doctor in San Francisco, has her own line of Argentine wine (Luca), and serves as a spokesperson for her father’s winery in North America (she came to Toronto last spring). As she says, the book “is an insider’s travelogue to the Argentine wine country. It is part viticulture primer, part cultural exploration, part introduction to the Argentine lifestyle.” It is also the story of the Malbec grape. The book concentrates on the Mendoza and its regions, but there is also material on Patagonia and Salta. There are wine and food glossaries, and nine recipes for typical foods: empanadas, carbonada, milaneseas, dulce de leche, and meat dishes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. The book concludes with some material on resources and bibliographies, plus contact information, as well as a handy chapter on touring Buenos Aires and the Argentine wine country. Audience and level of use: those who wish to know more about Argentine wines. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: about 35% of the Argentine wine production is exported to the U.S. The downside to this book: there are three sketch maps for the regions, but no overall map placing these regions. The upside to this book: entertaining history of wine development in Argentina, nicely accessible. Quality/Price Rating: 89. * FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * ++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. THE FOOD MATTERS COOK BOOK; 500 revolutionary recipes for better living (Simon & Schuster, 2010, 645 pages, ISBN 978-1-4391-2023-1, $35 US hard covers) is by Mark Bittman, well-known award-winning author and New York Times columnist. His own health prompted Bittman to change his diet, and so he has become more conscious of losing weight with healthy foods that take little out of the environment. If you have read (and enjoyed) Food Matters, then this is the book for you. It’s a guide to responsible eating: more plants, fewer animals, and less processed foods. The emphasis here is on “taste” and that involves a more judicious use of herbs and spices, and cutting back on sugars and salts. There is a full range here, from apps to desserts, with cook’s notes for each prep, an indication of ease or make-ahead, time involved, but no nutritional information at the end of the recipe which many other similar books have. There’s a page index to fast recipes, one for make-aheads, and one for pantry staples. He also has a bibliography of source materials on food and the planet. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: beginners, concerned eaters, Bittman fans. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: crisp rice cakes with stir- fried veggies and chicken; faro with grapes and rosemary; pasta with fennel and chicken risotto, bowties with arugula, olives, bulgur and fresh tomatoes; black kale and black olive salad; creamy navy bean and squash gratin with bits of sausage. The downside to this book: the easy-going non-doctrinaire tone doesn’t give any sense of urgency. The upside to this book: a good beginning for the unconverted. Quality/Price Rating: 90. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3. BREW NORTH; how Canadians made beer and beer made Canada (Greystone Books, 2020, 175 pages, ISBN 978-1-55365-467-4, $24.95 Canadian paper covers) is by Ian Coutts, who is a book author and magazine writer of diverse topics. Here he handles a popular history of beer in Canada. It’s also an industry thing, with stories of brewers and businessmen, starting from New France days through to modern microbreweries. It is also lavishly illustrated with ads and labels from the past, with a great deal of colour. Topics include prohibition, the rise of national brands, advertising, and, of course, India Pal Ale. While the illustrations make it a fun book, there is a serious bibliography for further reading and a useful index. Audience and level of use: beer drinkers who read. Some interesting or unusual facts: Bans on liquor advertising continued in Saskatchewan until 1987 and in PEI until 1997. The downside to this book: no real tasting notes The upside to this book: nice illustrations of the microbrews. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 4. D.I.Y. DELCIOUS; recipes and ideas for simple food from scratch (Chronicle Books, 2010, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7346-8, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Vanessa Barrington, author of Heirloom Beans. This is a slow food book, with preps made from “scratch”. Scratch includes making your own staples such as peanut butter, crackers and yogurt. Here she explains how to culture fresh cheeses and brew root beer. Indeed, she introduces many readers to the processes of fermentation, pickling, and culturing. Topics include preserving (condiments, jams, spreads), salads and sauces, dairy products, breads, pickles, and beverages. She suggests several sources of supplies, and has an interesting bibliography which includes useful websites. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents – and indeed, this is even mentioned on the contents page. Audience and level of use: home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: plum-verbena jam; avocado- tomatillo salsa; marinated fresh cheese; hal-wheat sourdough bread; fresh pasta with cabbage and bacon; sarma; Italian table pickles. The downside to this book: it’s a heavy book, and weighs more than it needs to The upside to this book: there are section on making baby food and pet foods. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 5. CHATELAINE MODERN CLASSICS; 250 fast, fresh recipes from the Chatelaine kitchens (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 391 pages, ISBN 978-0- 470-73982-2, $39.95 Canadian hard 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. It is hard to believe that four log rollers (including Michael Smith and Anna Olson) were needed for pre-publication blurbs. 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). Audience and level of use: home cooks, Chatelaine magazine fans. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: linguine with spicy gremolata shrimp; spicy sausage with dilled orzo; mushroom-stuffed sirloin steak rolls; Singapore noodles; Asian burgers; California sushi-roll salad; cedar-planked salmon. The downside to this book: nothing specifically Canadian The upside to this book: the index has a larger than normal typeface. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 6. THE ILLUSTRATED COOK’S BOOK OF INGREDIENTS; 2,500 of the world’s best with classic recipes (DK, 2010, 544 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-6730-6, $40 Canadian hard covers) is a nice book package from DK. 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. 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. Audience and level of use: those in need of an identifier. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: “Slinzega: made in Valtellina using smaller strips than bresaola, traditionally horse, but increasingly venison or pork.” The downside to this book: it’s a heavy book. The upside to this book: it’s pretty graphic – p.154 has some nifty pix of offal, including tongue and a pig’s head. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 7. ENCYCLOPEDIA OF JEWISH FOOD (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 656 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-39130-3, $40 US hard covers) is by Gil Marks, a chef and rabbi with five books (including a Beard winner). This is a comprehensive international book on Jewish foods, recipes and culinary traditions. There’s an interesting section on wine and winemaking, but not so much on yayin mevushal wines (the term is not indexed), nor on the distinction between kosher wines and passover wines. Otherwise, there’s a fair bit of cultural history and food traditions here. The book is alphabetically arranged, with a time line of Jewish history and (at the end) a bibliography, mostly in English, with a separate breakout for cookbooks (but he left out some of his own books!). There are internal cross-references plus recipes strewn about. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Each page has a double-column, so material is well-packed in. There is the occasional black and white photo, along with some sketch maps. Audience and level of use: food scholars, lovers of Jewish food. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: the original bagel had more hole and less bread; potato latkes derive from Italian cheese pancakes; and other “did you know that?” The downside to this book: the lack of wine information. The upside to this book: good reference tool. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 8. SOUTHERN PIES; a gracious plenty of pie recipes from lemon chess to chocolate pecan (Chronicle Books, 2010, 168 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118- 6992-8, $22.95 US paper covers) is by Nancie McDermott, a North Carolina food writer with ten cookbooks to her credit. The publisher tries to describe these 60 plus recipes as “heavenly”, and that may well be, but they are not “light”. It’s arranged by season, with other chapters on old-school custard pies, heirloom pies from the past, a selection of chess pies, chocolate pies, and regional favourites. About a third of the recipes are sourced as to a particular person who developed the recipe (such as Nathalie Dupree or Leah Chase among many others). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. My wife’s former father-in-law was a Southern gentleman who came home every day from work for lunch: he always insisted on a fresh pie with lunch (he didn’t eat it all). There are mail order sources, and even a three-page bibliography for further recipe gathering. Audience and level of use: home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Cajun tarte a la bouillie; mountain home soup bean pie; old-school North Carolina rhubarb pie; buttermilk chess pie; almond custard pie; banana-peanut butter cream pie with fudge sauce. The downside to this book: nothing really. The upside to this book: good cook’s notes and memoir material Quality/Price Rating: 88. 9. GLUTEN-FREE GIRL AND THE CHEF (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-41971-7, $29.95 US hard 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 (there are five of them) include Michael Ruhlman and Molly Wizenberg. 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. Audience and level of use: those needing a gluten-free diet, those who’d like a good read. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: millet tabouleh; gluten-free fresh pasta; gluten-free crackers; gluten-free polenta with goat cheese; chocolate-peanut butter brownies; The downside to this book: it needs more gluten-free recipe adaptations for foods that actually contain gluten. The upside to this book: there is separate list of recipes that is easy to scan. Quality/Price Rating: 87. 10. EVERYONE CAN COOK SLOW COOKER MEALS; recipes for satisfying mains and delicious sides (Whitecap, 2010, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-027-3, $24.95 CDN paper 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, 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. He has the primer of how to select and buy a slow-cooker. Each recipe has detail on prep time, slow cooker time, and finishing time, as well as some options and variations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, and there is no table of equivalents. There are plenty of cook’s notes and options for variations here. Audience and level of use: beginner or home cooks. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: veal stroganoff; sake soy braised beef short ribs; chicken wings with bourbon, maple and citrus; The downside to this book: 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). The upside to this book: a good clean look. 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. TASTE BROADWAY; restaurant recipes from NYC’s theater district (Gibbs Smith, 2010; distr. Raincoast, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-0486- 0, $19.99 US soft covers) has been assembled by Carliss Retif Pond, z food writer living in New York city. These are signature dishes from 30 restaurants in the district, arranged by course from appetizers to desserts (plus drinks). There are photos and engaging anecdotes from the establishments. Preps have all been sourced as to name of chef and resto. And there is a directory at the back with contact data and page references to their recipes in this book. Leading the way with contributions is the Russian Tea Room, Sardi’s, and the Algonquin Hotel. P.J. Clarke’s has just one prep given (bubble and squeak). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. The print is a nice size, and there is plenty of white space for eye ease and to write your own notes. The book is more of a souvenir than anything else, as are the best Broadway programs. Dishes include such as pasta e fagioli from La Rivista, zuppa di broccoli from Lattanzi, and venison hash from Lucille’s Grill. Quality/price rating: 86. 12. THE HARROW FAIR COOKBOOK; prize-winning recipes inspired by Canada’s favourite country fair (Whitecap, 2010, 238 pages, ISBN 978-1- 77050-020-4, $29.95 paper covers) is by sisters Moira Sanders and Lori Elstone, both culinary school graduates who worked in restaurants. Moira has a food blog, while Lori writes locally about food and wine. They have been assisted by Beth Maloney, a first cousin. You can check them all out at www.theharrowfaircookbook.com. The Colchester South and Harrow Agricultural Society Fair was founded in 1854; it is held every Labour Day weekend with a turnout of some 70,000. The 150 preps here use local produce to make plates from scratch. There are preserves for summer produce, pie bakes, and drinks. All of the recipes were inspired by the fair and the surrounding area. Some are first prize winners, such as buttermilk biscuits and rhubarb custard pie. Others are family favourites passed on from generation to generation. All of them are delicious and tasty. A full range is presented: breakfast, starters, soups, sides, mains, desserts, plus primer data on preserving veggies and fruit (sauces, jams, freezing, condiments, pickles). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Try the seven- strata salad, the Great Lakes chowder, or any of the prize-winning pies and cakes. A yummy book with nifty photography. Quality/price rating: 86. 13. THE SEVEN STARS COOKBOOK; recipes from world-class casino restaurants (Chronicle Books, 2010,; distr. Raincoast, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7475-5, $45 US hard covers) has been pulled together by John Schlimm, better known for his books on beer. The book is sponsored by Harrah’s Entertainment, the world’s largest provider of branded casino entertainment, operating on four continents under such names as Caesars, Horseshoe, and World Series of Poker. It also has a majority interest in the London Clubs International series of casinos. Despite this provenance, there is still some heavy log rolling from Paul Prudhomme and Rocco DiSpirito – and even novelist Jackie Collins(!). The book features recipes from Bobby Flay and Paula Deen and other executive chefs from casinos, including some from Canada. There’s a history of the company plus lots of photos of their casino operations. Apart from that, it seems to be a coffee table book with oversized photos on platings of dishes, and fare that fits into categories of appetizers, salads, soups, sides, meat mains, pasta, fish and seafood, desserts, and cocktails. There’s a breakfast buffet-brunch and a VIP luncheon menu. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. Recipes are sourced by casino and chef name. Prudhomme contributes a leek and sun-dried tomato mushroom and champagne soup and a bronzed fish, Paula Deen has her hoecakes and gooey butter cake, and Flay has his blue corn-crusted red snapper. The book will undoubtedly sell well at all their casino properties. Oh, and did I say that the book weighs 2.2 kilos? It’s pretty heavy to lug around the kitchen when doing a prep. Quality/price rating: 82. 14. EVERYDAY RAW DESSERTS (Gibbs Smith, 2010; distr. Raincoast, 143 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-0599-7, $19.99 paper covers) is by Matthew Kenney, founder and chef at 105degrees Restaurant, and a TV personality. He has also authored some books dealing with raw foods, so he is a go-to person in the raw food front. He has 75 preps here. He begins with a staples list, to establish a foundation. So he has recipes for coconut milk, coconut powder, sucanat, nut flour, cashew flour, Irish moss paste, date paste, candied nuts, toffee and caramel, plus raw chocolate. The secret to raw cooking is the dehydrator – and you cannot over-dehydrate. The drier the finished product, the longer it can last. Desserts here include cookies and candy, brownies, fudge, puddings, pies and tarts, custards, cakes and cheesecakes, plus frozen treats. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. Try dulce de leche flan, candied carrot-ginger cake, or cacao cake with lavender. Quality/price rating: 87. 15. FRESH FROM THE MARKET; seasonal cooking (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, 328 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-40242-9, $35 US hard covers) is by Laurent Tourondel and Charlotte March. He’s the founder of the BLT chain, Bistro Laurent Tourondel Restaurants. Log rolling comes from Rachel Ray. He stresses the local and wild foods found at farmers’ markets, mostly from the Northeast US. There’s about 167 recipes here, plus menus for a variety of occasions. He also offers cocktails and wine pairings. The arrangement is, of course, seasonal, from Spring through Winter. Typical menus cover Easter Sunday brunch buffet, Mother’s Day brunch, BBQ and Picnic, wine harvest, US Thanksgiving, plus Christmas and New Year Eves. Braised rabbit legs in Chablis with tarragon tagliatelle and mushrooms grabbed my attention. So did spiced grilled duck with plum mostarda and foie gras. Or how about the aromatic stuffed suckling pig? Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Sources are all American; indeed, suppliers are mainly situated in New York state. Useful for those living in NE US. Quality/price rating: 86. 16. BOURKE STREET BAKERY; the ultimate baking companion (HarperCollins, 2010, 370 pages, ISBN 978-1-55468-881-4, $39.99 Canadian soft covers) was originally published by Murdoch Books in Australia in 2009. Authors Paul Allam and David McGuinness are chefs and co-owners of the eponymous bakery in Sydney, Australia. They specialize in rustic breads, gourmet pies, and sweets, and there are several other branches of the operation. So this book concentrates on those three forms of baked goods; it also gets an endorsement from Joanne Yolles, acclaimed pastry chef at Scaramouche in Toronto. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents or conversion charts. There’s some text about the bakery and some memoir-ish notes as well. Some interesting items include spiced fruit sourdough, light rye bread, chicken pies with eggplant and mushroom, ratatouille pie, chickpea and goat’s curd and eggplant empanadas, and chocolate mousse tarts. Quality/Price rating: 87. 17.TARTINE BREAD (Chronicle Books, 2010; distr. Raincoast, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7041-2, $40 US hard covers) is by Chad Robertson. With his pastry chef wife Elizabeth, he had written Tartine in 2006, eventually picking up a Beard Award. Here he concentrates on just bread, and bread made just by natural leavening. His take on this sourdough is a younger version with little acidity, making it a sweet- smelling yeastier relative. He must be doing something right for his bread sells out in an hour after leaving the ovens at 5 PM. In form, the bread would be baked dark, with a substantial blistered crust. The crumb would have a sweet character with holes. There’s a lot of material here about his bakery (history, business, memoirs) as well as the usual pictures. We get to the basic bread at page 45, with black and white photos for techniques. Start with a starter, move on to the leavening, and mixing the dough. Everything is scaled for only weights are true measures. Preps are detailed and based on one kilogram of flour. The recipe ends on page 79, 35 pages later. Then begin all the variations. This is a terrific book for would-be beakers, and it is not for the faint of heart. He concludes with some 30 recipes for making a meal from the bread: panzanella, escalivada, bagnet vert, aioli, bruschetta, sandwiches, fritatine, and summer pudding. Bread preparations have their ingredients listed in metric measurements, meal preps have avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Quality/Price rating: 89. 18. BLACKBIRD BAKERY GLUTEN-FREE; 75 recipes for irresistible desserts and pastries (Chronicle Books, 2010, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-7331-4, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Karen Morgan, proprietor of the Blackbird Bakery in Austin, Texas. Here she uses a variety of wheatless flours (rice, tapioca, sorghum, almond) to create cookies, cakes, biscuits, and pies. There’s a primer on cooking without flour and a resources list where gluten-free ingredients may be purchased. The preps include popovers, pancakes, scones, muffins, banana bread, gingerbread, pound cake, ladyfingers, shortbreads, crepes, apple pies, and more. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. A useful book. Quality/Price rating: 86. 19. MICHAEL CHIARELLO’S BOTTEGA; bold Italian flavors from the heart of California’s wine country (Chronicle Books, 2010, 223 pages, ISBN 978- 0-8118-7539-4, $40 US hard covers) is also authored “with Ann Krueger Spivack and Claudia Sansone”. The former is a cookbook author with a Beard Award; the latter is a culinary set designer with an Emmy. The team has garnered log rolling from Rick Bayless, Tom Colicchio, and Hubert Keller (plus others from west coast restaurants). Chiarello runs Bottega in Napa, just one of his many food accomplishments (his resume is a yard/metre long) which includes Emmy-winning food television. He opened Bottegs in late 2008; all of the preps here come from that resto. There’s a lot of restaurant memoir-history here, scattered amongst the recipes. He begins, sensibly, with the CalItal pantry. This is followed by the Italian meal pacing of stuzzichini (snacks), antipasti, minestre e insalate, paste e risotto, pesce ed I molluschi, carne e pollame, contorni (sides), and dolci. There’s not much on wine, just a minimal recommendation for most presps such as “champagne” or “pinot noir”. But there is a section on libations and cocktails. This is followed by a list of US resources. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. Typical items include his grandmother’s old hen tomato sauce, chicken wings agrodolce (yum yum), cauliflower fritto, grilled radicchio salad with tuna, garganelli with rabbit sugo and mushroom, and, of course, a killer porchetta using a suckling pig stuffed with a boneless pork shoulder. But the book weighs a lot, and the pages are 9 x 12 inches. Quality/Price rating: 88. 20. VIJ’S AT HOME; relax, honey – the warmth and ease of Indian cooking (Douglas & McIntyre, 2010, 230 pages, ISBN 978-1-55365-572-5, $40 CDN paper covers) is by Meeru Dhalwala and Vikram Vij. Vij is owner-chef of Vij in Vancouver since 1994; Dhalwala and Vij together also run Rangoli in Vancouver. Vij has appeared on many television shows. It’s a useful quick and easy guide to inspired Indian food: all preps can be done in less than 20 minutes plus cooking times. There’s a full-range of vegetarian, seafood, poultry, meats and desserts. There’s an opening primer on Indian foods at home (spices, oils, staples) which includes some guidelines for easier cooking, such as sizzling seeds or using a lot of tomatoes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. There is also the occasional memoir material on Indian family life. And some really sharp notes on wine pairings with Indian food (Vij is a certified sommelier). The advice, though, is general, for there are no specific wine recommendations for the recipes. Recipes also list three different other food to have with the prep. Try green beans and potatoes and spinach in coconut curry, steamed marinated halibut in black chickpea and potato curry, marinated duck breast with mung bean and sesame see rice pilaf, spinach and split pea mash, and brown basmati with Portobello mushroom pilaf. Quality/Price rating: 88. ---------------------------------------------------- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR JULY 2010 =============================================== 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: 2010 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. PUNCHED DRUNK; alcohol, surveillance and the LCBO, 1927- 1975 (Fernwood Publishing, 2009, 222 pages, ISBN 978-1-5526-6319-6, $19.95 Canadian paper covers) is by academics Scott Thompson and Gary Genosko. It was published in late 2009, and to my knowledge, it has been ignored by the popular press, especially in Ontario. Indeed, it was not even published in Ontario. Conspiracy theories, anyone? Sure, it’s an academic book, but really, how many times do books about the LCBO get published, especially one that slags the bureaucracy that is behind its “moral” and “regulatory” nature. It’s also a book about early computer technology, to wit, the punched (or IBM Hollerith) card, which arose out of the necessity of tabulating the US Census of 1890. In 1944, punched cards were used to track Permit holders and purchases, among other things. The LCBO was established in 1927 to regulate the sales of alcohol after prohibition ended. But “if the government was expected to be returned at the next and succeeding elections they had to make their law effective”. The government of the day could not permit “it to be shown that revenue was being generated from the ruination of families or creating drunkards.” Thus was born the Interdiction List, from 1927 to its official end in 1990. 79,000 names were on this list. These people had all been sent a letter from the LCBO: their privilege to purchase liquor had been revoked. Any purchase or possession of alcohol on their part would be considered a criminal act. These people now had a new status: known drunkard. However, they did NOT know that copies of these letters were going out to every police station, bar, beer store and LCBO in their region! And their names and descriptions were being added to a province-wide circulated “drunk list”. It was a secret list, and once you were on it, you couldn’t get off unless you died. It’s an early example of citizen surveillance by the state. By 1944, the list had moved over to the punched card. They were indeed punched drunk. In 1927, the LCBO also established the green Permit book to track individual bottle purchases. My father had one: hey, it proves that he was NOT a drunk! By 1962, the Permits were gone, and by 1975, nobody was being added to the List anymore (although the frozen List was still around in 1990). Ontario was not alone here: there were similar laws and regulations clear across Canada, in parts of the US, and in other countries. Thompson and Genosko also wrote a couple of interesting sections here detailing treatment of women and First Nations drinking. It’s an academic book with some arcane scholarly references, graphs, and charts, appendix (Interdiction records regression analysis, 1953-1975), end notes, and the like. The book can be tough slogging if you are not an academic, but an index could help pull out all kinds of references for easier retrieval and reading. What a shame that there is no index, it would have been extremely useful. But there is also much more material at their website www.puncheddrunk.ca and here you can do a word search to pull out all kinds of interesting facts and documents. Audience and level of use: historians of bureaucracy, consumer profilers, First Nations, those who enjoy histories of alcohol, libraries. Some interesting or unusual facts: From the LCBO Annual Report 1928-29: “Strict sobriety and clean living is not only essential to business success, but also worthwhile citizenship”. The downside to this book: there is no index, which is a shame. The upside to this book: there is a wealth of information about interdiction and attitudes. Also, the book serves as a partial history of the LCBO and its bureaucracy Quality/Price Rating: 95. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- * OTHER FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2. THE HISTORY OF MICHIGAN WINES; 150 years of winemaking along the Great Lakes (History Press, 2010, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-59629-947-4, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Lorri Hathaway and Sharon Kegerreis, authors of 2007’s From the Vine: exploring Michigan wineries. This book is kind of a pre-quel in that it covers the beginnings of the wine industry in Michigan, from about the mid-1800s to today. The authors look at a basic history of the region’s early settlers, some terroir, and vitis labrusca. Disaster struck early: rot came in 1883, temperance came along a few years later, and then Michigan was one of the earliest states to impose prohibition. So essentially the book covers 1930s to 2010. What’s interesting to us in Ontario is the fact that there were several wineries operating in the Windsor border area after 1927, producing wine for Michigan consumption. These were bootleg operations across the Detroit River. Some of them moved over to Michigan after 1932 to establish the first real modern Michigan wineries. Hathaway and Kegerreis have taken plenty of colour and black/white photos of people, labels, and vineyards. Like many local histories, the account is somewhat episodic – which may be useful since there is no index. If you know the time period of key actions or names, then you can safely dip into a relevant chapter. Still, an index is always to be preferred The book concludes with a long bibliography and a listing of 73 current wineries (with their websites) sorted by the four AVAs and other regions. There are no tasting notes or other points of evaluation. Audience and level of use: for the wine history buff or Michigan local history reader. Some interesting or unusual facts: the first vineyard for commercial winemaking was planted in 1863 in the Monroe region The downside to this book: there is no index, which is a shame since it can be difficult to retrieve information and names of people. The upside to this book: a good contribution to information about the wines of North America. Quality/Price Rating: 86. 3. EVERYDAY FRESH FLAVOR FAST; 250 easy, delicious recipes for any time of day (Clarkson Potter, 2010, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-40510-4, $24.99 US paper covers) is from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. It has been drawn from the pages of “Everyday Food” magazine which supplements the PBS television cooking series. The previous book in this series was “Everyday Great Food Fast”. There’s a lot in here since the coverage extends to breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, apps, salads, soups, stews, pasta, mains, sides and desserts. At the end, there’s a primer section based on technique and tips, basic recipes, nutritional data, and a guide to measuring. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Every recipe has a total feeding, a prep time (most are under half-an-hour), total timings, and specific cook notes. Audience and level of use: beginners. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: brown-rice bowl with shrimp, snow peas, and avocados; grilled eggplant with yogurt sauce; chicken with tomatoes, olives, and cilantro; Napa cabbage salad; artichoke and salami sandwich; grilled Greek chicken kebabs. The downside to this book: as a book that could be used a lot I’m not sure if the binding is up to it. Only time will tell. The upside to this book: it is all pretty basic, but there are lots of helpful hints. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 4. NUTS IN THE KITCHEN; more than 100 recipes for every taste and occasion (William Morrow, 2010, 247 pages, ISBN 978-0-06-123501-6, $21.99 US paper covers) is by Susan Herrmann Loomis, author of six other cookbooks, countless magazine articles, and owner of a cooking school in Normandy France. Her book covers both nuts (almonds, Brazils, hazel, macadamia, pecan, pine, pistachio, and walnuts) and seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, flax, and poppy). Peanuts are legumes, but they are also included in this book. Both nuts and seeds are extremely useful to the human body, for a range of tune-ups from cardio to joints to bone health, and more. Edible skins add fibre. And of course, she cautions against nut allergies. This is a basic book with breakfast (probably the best time to have seeds and nuts), small plates, salads, mains, sides, and desserts. I generally only use peanuts or pecans in my own cooking. I toast other nuts and eat out-of-hand or in salads and breakfasts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. More details are at www.onruetatin.com, her cooking school site. Audience and level of use: those who love nuts or wish to incorporate more of them into their diet. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: apricot pistachio compote; nutty pancakes; almond and olive sandwich; millet with saffron and walnuts; Brazil nut fish; parsnip and walnut fricassee; spiced walnut and almond cookies. The downside to this book: nothing really. The upside to this book: straightforward book, useful to have. Quality/Price Rating: 85. 5. COOK UP A FEAST (DK, 2010, 336 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-6206-6, $30 US hard covers) is by Mary Berry, a UK cookbook author with more than 70 books to her credit. Lucy Young is the co-author; she’s been Berry’s assistant for more than 20 years and has helped to develop the recipes for all of Berry’s books. This is a cookbook for entertaining the larger crowd, usually to serve six or to serve 12. Their book tries to answer stressful questions such as “what can I make for so many people?”, or “How can I keep the food hot?” and “Will there be enough?” They begin with the primer material, followed by specific topics such as “party bites”, starters, special mans, potluck parties, Italian feasts, buffets, backyards, snacks, desserts. The setting is important, so you’ll need to concentrate on lighting, flowers, music, themes, and the like. Still, it is hard to think about making party finger food when there are many, many frozen versions at the supermarket. Asparagus, goat cheese and Parma ham filo rolls do stand out, but just about everything else mentioned here can be purchased. You might be better off spending your time slicing and chopping fresh foods and then rely on the purchased goods. Party foods are just too exhausting (been there, done that myself). Everything else is a different story, but it still takes a lot of work. Preps are listed as service for six or for 12, with two columns of ingredients, a good idea. Most everything can be made in advance by several hours, with a minimum amount of finishing. At the back, there are 24 menus (with page references) and a time line for early prep work. Themes include an Asiatic event, Mediterranean one, Italian, Sunday Roast, Vegetarian, Cold, Lunch, and more – these are all divided by the seasons, and by whether cocktail, lunch, or dinner. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is also a metric table of equivalents. Audience and level of use: party givers or those who like to entertain largely. Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Puy lentil and pearl barley soup; fennel and smoked salmon tartlets; baked trout with tomato and basil salsa; smokey sausage cassoulet; eggplant baked with feta and chickpeas; roasted veggie risotto; toffee pudding with warm toffee sauce; summer berry tart. The downside to this book: it may be useful to borrow equipment from friends and neighbours, especially for the larger crowd of 12 or more. Often I’ll place food at my neighbours until the time comes. The upside to this book: good layout and well-considered good advice. 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 ore 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 – 6. BBQ 25 (HarperStudio, 2010, 65 pages, ISBN 978-0-06-199023-6, $19.99 US, paperboards) is by Adam Perry Lang, founder and co-owner of Daisy May’s BBQ Restaurant in the US. This book simplifies the whole process of the BBQ: these are 25 recipes that we cook 95 percent of the time, using accessible food. For example, number 15 is Spareribs (side ribs and back ribs, often called, respectively, “St. Louis-cut ribs” and “baby back ribs”). There are line drawings for the tools required, the techniques needed (already explained at the front), the ingredients for the food and the ingredients for the spice. The cooking method is for indirect grilling with heavy foil wrapping. This is the basics. What you can do to change it is to vary the spicing as to one of the several hundred that seem to be on the Internet, do some smoking, or, if your teeth are weak, parboil the ribs to get that sickening “fall-off-the- bones” status. “Pulled pork” is covered as Pork Butt and/or Picnic Ham. And there is Brisket and Beef Ribs, as well as fish, poultry, lamb, hot dogs and veggies. Nothing fancy, but you can always get a better level of spicing as you wish. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. I like the idea of paperboards, as in children’s books. They’re flat and washable. A great book for that BBQ guy who is confused. Quality/price rating: 87. 7. FARM TO FORK; cooking local, cooking fresh (HarperStudio, 2010, 312 pages, ISBN 978-0-06-174295-8, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Emeril Lagasse, who owns 13 restaurants and has published a dozen best-selling cookbooks. His main claim to fame has been via the Food Network television shows. Through 15 chapters he explores the use of simple and local ingredients, a sort-of a local-slow-organic or sustainable-simple food plan. Because of logistics, it won’t apply to everybody, but it is a useful campaign. The book’s division is by product: herb garden, dairy and eggs, green leaves, corn-beans-squash, nightshades, orchard fruit, berries, kale-cole family, thistle, roots, fish-seafood, and meats. It’s an engaging book, with some memoir-like material and framed nicely by photos. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Large typeface and some white space is a plus here. Try bacon-wrapped quail with sausage and chestnut dressing, pan-roasted striped bass with fava-chorizo ragu, mashed rutabaga, fried okra with buttermilk dip, herbed quiche with blue cheese. Quality/price rating: 87. 8. BURGER PARTIES (Ten Speed Press, 2010, 170 pages, ISBN 978-1-580008- 110-8, $19.99 US paper covers) has been pulled together by James McNair (head judge of the Sutter Home Winery’s Build a Better Burger Contest) and Jeffrey Starr (culinary director of the Contest). It’s a collection of winning recipes. Every year 10 home cooks are flown to Sutter Home for a BBB coo-off, often shown on the Food Network. The book marks the 20th anniversary of the event; it features 16 menus with recipes for winning burgers, appetizers, sides and desserts. In fact, 19 burgers in all are covered: Albuquerque chicken burgers with jicama slaw to sweet- hot Thai burgers with cilantro mayo. Each menu has a culinary theme, such as Greek, Italian, Jamaica, Morocco, Southeast Asia, Southwest USA, or theme such as Game Night, Blues Brunch, and BBQ. Two of my faves are the “sip and slide” (a wine and slider tasting) and “Place in the Sun” (wine country–style outdoor lunch). Wine pairings are suggested, but, of course, they are all Sutter Home products. You can use the grape varietal suggested to buy other producers. I like the layout and spacing. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 9. THE SONO BAKING COMPANY COOKBOOK; the best sweet and savory recipes for every occasion (Clarkson Potter, 2010, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-307- 44945-0, $35 US hard covers) is by John Barricelli, a chef who also hosted TV cooking and baking shows. He currently owns SoNo Baking Company in Connecticut. It’s a basic book for novices and experienced home bakers as well. The recipes cover the usual: breads, cookies, pies, cakes, cobblers, crisps, and buckles. Trifles, mousses, puddings, focaccia, quiches, muffins, pastries, scones, brownies, and bars are also here. Savouries are quickly covered in 22 pages; I thought more recipes could be here, but some savouries are distributed throughout the book, such as under focaccia. You’ll need to use the index to dig these out. There are glossaries for ingredients and equipment, as well as a US resources list. The typeface is large and appealing. Indeed the index is almost as large in font size, a welcome boon to my tired eyes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. And the preps have only volumes indicated: I personally believe that baked goods need to be scaled. There are 150 recipes here, mostly the classics. Quality/price rating: 84. 10. ENTERTAINING WITH THE SEASONS (Free Press, 2010, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-4391-8686-2, $32.50 US spiral bound) is from the Williams-Sonoma company, a book package put together by Weldon Owen, Inc. Its content was adapted from original recipes by Georgeanne Brennan, George Dolese, and Lou Seibert Pappas. It’s a basic book on entertaining, with notes on how to entertain. Spring pops up first, with a collection of some eight drinks, ten starters, five soups and salads, seven mains and sides, and six desserts. There are ample photos to show what the plated dish should look like, and pix for ideas of layout and essential dining room decorations. The idea of spiral binding is terrific for home purchases since the book will always be flat when it is opened. But I know that such binding is a pain for both booksellers and libraries. People tend to easily rip out the pages needed. From Summer, you can try corn fritters with Romesco sauce, caprese salad, lamb brochettes with mint gremolata, and an apricot pistachio tart. It’s simply a matter of mixing and matching. If parties are larger, then cook more dishes from the selection. It’s all a matter of timing. Or, nip to the back at page 296 where you can find pre-made menus (about six per season). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88. 11. THE HOMESTEADER’S KITCHEN; recipes from farm to table (Gibbs Smith, 2010; distr. Raincoast, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-0058-9, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Robin Burnside, a co-owner and chef at Carmel Café and Nepenthe in Big Sur. For five years, she managed the kitchen at Esalen Institute. This is another “eating healthy and living well” book. Everything here is nourishing and healthy, based on her years of experience. In common with many such books, she advocates farmers’ markets, local foods of fruits and veggies, organic, and the like. Knowledge is important: you must know where the food comes from and its impact on your body. Not only are you what you eat, but you are responsible for what you eat. It’s also a basic book, with material on larders and equipment. The range of preps covers beverages, breakfast, soups, salads, vegetables, meats, breads and desserts. Most of the meats are fish dishes. There are two chicken and two turkey recipes, plus one grass-fed beef and one leg of lamb. No pork. The preps are laid out nicely with plenty of cook notes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. Unlike many such books, there are no pix of the author, although I may have spotted an unnamed picture of her at a market. And it has gotta be nice living with year round fresh local produce. Quality/Price rating: 87. 12. ATLANTA KITCHENS; recipes from Atlanta’s best restaurants (Gibbs Smith, 2010; distr. Raincoast, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-0546-1, $30 US hard covers) has been put together by Krista Reeves, a restaurant critic in Georgia. She’s been at it for 20 years. It’s a good assortment, beginning with notes on Atlanta’s culinary heritage. Each prep is about a page, usually with a photo. So that gets us over 100 recipes. Each has been sourced, such as the chicken from Scott Peacock’s Watershed Restaurant or the turnip greens and cornbread muffins from Mary Mac’s Tea Room. Still, I find the mundane recipes here to be out of place. Do we need another croque monsieur or mac and cheese, or French fries and gravy, or piemento cheese, or chicken noodle soup? Better it be the pan-fried chicken from Peacock or the beef and mushroom tarts from the Four Seasons, or the 39 hour short ribs from Pano’s & Paul’s. There are others here, mainly Southern delights. Lots of rich desserts and rich drinks at the end of the book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a metric table of equivalents. At the very end there is an index to restaurants and owners. 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”... 13. THE G.I. DIET; the green-light way to permanent weight loss. Second revised edition. (Random House Canada, 2010, 191 pages, ISBN 978-0-307- 35832-5, $24.95 Canadian paper covers) is by Rick Gallop, who was the CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation for 15 years. This was his first book, originally published in 2002, and a New York Times bestseller with 2 million sales worldwide. It was first revised in 2005, and here is its third incarnation. Gallop addresses a very vital question: how to prepare and maintain food and diet for people when everybody has different chemistry, nutritional needs and eating habits (overweight kids, aging seniors, mothers-to-be, etc.). These are meal preps that everyone can eat, without customizing and “short-order” cookery. His book tries to improve kids’ eating habits; indeed, the book promotes good eating for every age group, including seniors. He divides food into three ranges: low G.I. foods are green, yellow (midway) foods mean go slow, and red foods (high G.I.) are a no-no. Just eat the “green light” foods, and you’ll be okay, says Gallop. He provides about 50 recipes, as well as tips on shopping, meal planning, and lunch packing. Some of his advice: vegetables should not be overcooked, for then their G.I. climbs; slow-release food satisfies your hunger and is great for diabetics. Exercise is covered in a few pages, but one cannot lose weight and keep it off without exercising. There are lots of charts, maybe too many, but there is a good section on Body Mass Index. More material is available at the website www.gidiet.com. Quality/Price rating: 90. 14. THE G.I. DIET GUIDE TO SHOPPING AND EATING OUT. Second revised edition. (Random House Canada, 2010, 101 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-35833-2, $9.99 Canadian, paper covers) is by Rick Gallop (see above). It was first published in 2002, and was revised in 2005 and 2010. It’s a pocket-sized companion to the above book, “The G.I. Diet”, and it is meant for portability whenever one goes shopping or eating out. Most of this book has been expanded from the relevant chapters in the G.I. Diet book, so if you have that book then you might not need this one – except to carry around with you. The restos are all chains, from fast food to family or casual dining. But there is general advice on what to buy and what not to buy in the grocery store and restaurant. The typeface is larger too, so it makes it easier to read by candlelight. Quality/Price rating: 85 for portability. 15. THE FLEXITARIAN DIET; the mostly vegetarian way to lose weight, be healthier, prevent disease, and add years to your life (McGraw Hill, 2009, 285 pages, ISBN 978-0-07-174579-6, $16.95 US paper covers) is by Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, LDN (licensed dietician). She’s heavily involved in the online and TV nutrition world, as well as print and cooking schools. It was originally published in 2009 in hard covers; this is the 2010 reprint in paper covers. Her main thrust here is simply to cut down on red meat. “Flexitarian” means the same as omnivore: you’ll eat everything. But in moderation and balance. There are a range of options here, such as flexible meal plans, meat- substitute recipes, and time of day. No need to completely give up meat, dairy or fat. Typical one day programs include vanilla spice French toast with berry syrup, arugula salad with figs and goat cheese, grilled primavera on rigatoni, and peach raspberry crepe. The trick is not to overdo it. Recent studies show that flexitarians weigh 15 percent less, have a lower rate of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, and live about four nears longer than carnivores. This diet book should appeal to men. Quality/Price rating: 85. 16. GREAT BEERS; 700 of the best from around the world (DK, 2008, 2010, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-5798-7, $15 US paper covers) has been pulled together by Editor-in-Chief Tim Hampson. It has been drawn from DK’s “The Beer Book”, published in 2008, and covers all of the important 700 beers. There are 14 contributors but no signed reviews. Most of the beers are bottled, but there are some from microbrew pubs. There is a pix of a beer bottle 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. There are more maps of “Beer Trails” in Oregon, Bamberg, Cotswolds, Brussels, and Prague. There is an index to beers. Quality/Price Rating: 89. 17. BACON; a love story (Harper, 2009, 2010, 210 pages, ISBN 978-0-06- 197126-6, $13.99 paper covers) is by Heather Lauer, a bacon freak who blogs at baconunwrapped.com. It was published in 2009, and this is the paperback reprint. This is part memoir, part cookbook. There is an index to all the recipes. There are anecdotes about the bacon lifestyle, so the book has landed in a humourous vein. She has a tour of bacon producers, with details about their curing techniques, mini- profiles of chefs who use bacon extensively, and then a resource list to all things bacon. The 26 preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. There’s a bacon, grilled cheese and apple sandwich, jalapeno-bacon pizza, and Hungarian rice. Or try the Internet for more recipes. There are no pictures in the book, which is fine with me: how many pix of bacon, lard and pigs can you really take? Quality/price rating: 87. 18. NEVEN’S FOOD FROM THE SUN (Collins, 2008, 2010, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-00-734815-2, $32.95 Canadian, paper covers) is by Neven Maguire, a TV chef in England. Here, he has 120 recipes; the book was published in 2008 and this is the 2010 reprint. It’s a British book, so we have aubergines and courgettes without any special translation. The theme is international, but the countries seem to be mostly Mediterranean (hence the subtitle), with some preps such as Huevos Rancheros and Monkfish with Thai Yellow Curry added to the book’s pot. So it’s a basic book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The ink used in the listing of ingredients varies in colour but always seems pale so as to fool photocopiers. Quality/price rating: 82. 19. THE ALICE B. TOKLAS COOK BOOK (Harper Perennial, 1954, 1984, 2010, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-06-199536-1, $14.99 US paper covers) is by the secretary-companion to Gertrude Stein. They lived together for many years in France, with Toklas doing the cooking. The book was originally published in 1954 and reprinted in 1984. This is a 2010 paperback reprint from Harper. It is one of the best-selling cookbooks of all time, which may be because of the infamous “haschich fudge” recipe (“which anyone could whip up on a rainy day”). This prep became the basis for the marijuana brownies of the 1960s. I don’t have the original book to hand; I do know that the recipe was left out of the original American edition but made the paperback reprint in 1960. Hemp was called for by the recipe’s original creator (who was not Toklas). Toklas said that if you could not find hemp (a weed) then use its cousin. By the way, the index entry for “haschich fudge” is in a lighter typeface that the rest of the index, indicating that it was added later, at some point. Toklas’ memoirs cover almost half of the book, and of course, they are relevant, pertinent, and exciting to read. The preps themselves are French-based, and are home-style, such as stewed mackerel with paprika, or devilled smelts, veal meatloaf, and the like. Recipes are presented in narrative style (no separate listing of ingredients or step instructions). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. A great read. Quality/Price rating: 90. 20.READY FOR DESSERT; my best recipes (Ten Speed Press, 2010, 280 pages, ISBN 978-1-58008-138-2, $35 US hard covers) is by David Lebovitz, pastry chef and author who worked at Chez Panisse for a dozen years. He now blogs at www.davidlebovitz.com and leads culinary tours from his home in Paris. The recipes in this book are mostly from “Room for Dessert” (1999) and “Ripe for Dessert” (2003), both out-of-print. He has re-jigged with second thoughts wherever necessary, and has also added a dozen new preps. The range includes cakes, pies, tarts, fruit desserts, custards, soufflés, puddings, frozen treats, cookies, candies, and accompaniments. Despite his credentials, the publisher still thought fit to get four log rollers (including Deborah Madison) onto the back cover – where review glosses from his earlier acclaimed books should have been. There’s primer material on techniques, ingredients, and equipment, plus notes on caramelizing and a US resources list. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. And it is nice to see that recipes can be scaled. Try spiced plum streusel cake with toffee glaze, coconut and tropical fruit trifle, pear tart with brown butter and pecans, or lemon-ginger crème brulee. This is one classy book. Quality/price rating: 89. ---------------------------------------------------- FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW FOR SUMMER 2010 ============================================== 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: 2010 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. GRAPES & WINES; a comprehensive guide to varieties and flavours (Sterling Epicure, 2010, 320 pages, ISBN 978-1-4027-7730-1, $31.95 Canadian, paper covers) is yet another accessible wine book by Oz Clarke. It first came out in 2001, with a revised edition in 2003. The paperback appearance, revised yet again, this time for 2010, has been an annual since 2007. It has had a minor title change (dropping the words “Oz Clarke’s” from the title, as well the entire former subtitle, “the definitive guide to the world’s great grapes and the wines they make”). Seventeen “Classic” grapes are covered in depth, with material on tradition, innovation, viticulture and vinification methods, plus contrasting wine styles in a global context. Actually, he should also add Pinot Gris to this basic list, to make it an even 18. He’s too tied into the UK: pinot gris (or pinot grigio) has swept North America for a few years now. Clarke also has details about 15 more “major” grapes, a sort of a second tier, which does include Pinot Gris. The dictionary arrangement covers 300 grapes over 260 pages. The basics of grape growing and wines are in the first 32 pages. The classic grape book is of course Jancis Robinson’s “Guide to Wine Grapes” published in 1996 by Oxford University Press and now out-of-print (some of it has been absorbed into her Oxford Companion). Clarke’s book is an adequate replacement, but strangely, he doesn’t even mention Robinson’s book in his bibliography. Not only that but also the bibliography is out-of-date, with the latest entry being 2000 – it has not been updated since the book was first produced in 2001. Not everything is perfect here. He has no entry for the white varietal “Auxerrois” (which should be news to Ontario’s Chateau des Charmes winery). It is widely planted in Alsace and other places in north-east France. The red varietal of the same name is mentioned, but not the white strain. Yet it is the white varietal which is referred to in other parts of the book (I looked them up). The distinction between “Shiraz” and “Syrah” needs closer definition. On the label, the former term