3. THE WEEKNIGHT COOK; fresh & simple recipes for good food everyday
(Weldon Owen, 2011; dist. Simon & Schuster, 455 pages, ISBN 978-1-
61628-166-9, $ 24.95 US paper covers) is by Brigit Binns, who has
authored other cookbooks for Williams-Sonoma (and also published by
Weldon Owen). Here, she concentrates on general family cooking for the
weeknight, with 300 or so preps emphasizing three steps or less, easy-
to-find ingredients, and meal planning tips. The emphasis is definitely
on "cooking smarter" and "kitchen savvy"; meal planning involves a
pantry and seasonal foods. She's got a month of menus, basic recipes,
checklists, planning for company, and matching food to wine.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and
avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: the home cook.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: artichokes with lemon aioli;
eggplant with spicy chile sauce; vegetable quesadillas; roasted
vegetables with Romesco sauce; miso-marinated salmon; fried catfish and
greens; orange-chipotle chicken with corn.
The downside to this book: it is hard to tell how long the binding will
last.
The upside to this book: photos bleed into the gutters, giving us more
room for the recipe and annotations.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
4. HYPERENSION COOKBOOK FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 362
pages, ISBN 978-1-118-09513-3, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Rosanne
Rust (author of Restaurant Calorie Counter for Dummies) and Cindy
Kleckner. Both are registered dieticians and nutrition consultants.
They tell you how to beat hypertension with about 150 simple recipes.
Along with the food (fresh, low-sodium), the authors say that there
needs to be lifestyle changes. As with all Dummies books, there are
loads of tips. Here, these are for meal planning, eliminating salt,
losing weight, lowering cholesterol, fast and smart grocery shopping,
nutrition labels, and the DASH diet. Preparations have their
ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of
metric equivalents. There are also ten tips to enhance the flavour of
your meal without adding salt, and ten long-term tips to beat
hypertension.
Audience and level of use: those with hypertension.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: baked chicken pesto; glazed
Cornish hens; steak and vegetable kabobs; pulled pork sandwiches; pasta
with zucchini yogurt sauce and walnuts; oven-roasted fish with
vegetables.
The downside to this book: it may not always work, so seek medical
advice.
The upside to this book: should attract a wider-than-normal audience.
Quality/Price Rating: 89
5. MEDITERRANEAN DIET COOKBOOK FOR DUMMIES (John Wiley & Sons, 2012,
364 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-06778-9, $19.99 US paper covers) is by Meri
Raffetto, also author of the Glycemic Index Cookbook for Dummies, and
Wendy Jo Peterson, both registered dieticians. The Mediterranean diet
is a way to improve your health, lose weight, and prevent and fight
disease. It has been proven that Mediterranean people live longer, and
the reason is their diet. Emulation is the best way to go…and besides,
it's flavourful. The 160 recipes here promote the health benefits of a
plant-based cuisine, while switching you away from a sweet tooth. And,
of course, it works – if you stick to it. Preparations have their
ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of
metric equivalents. The principal foods are plants, olive oils, and
wine. The cuisines in the book are Italy, Greece, Morocco and Spain.
There are two chapters for top ten lists: one covers how to get more
plant-based foods into your diet, while the other explores myths of the
Mediterranean diet (so you won't be misled).
Audience and level of use: those looking for some good diet ideas.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: classic meze platter; meat-
filled dolmas; chicken cacciatore; chicken piccata; wild rice pilaf;
lemon pork chops; pork sausages with white beans and tomatoes.
The downside to this book: the photos, while colourful, do not appear
to be inspired.
The upside to this book: there are a lot of tips here, like all the
Dummies books.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
6. EVENTS EXPOSED; managing and designing special events (John Wiley &
Sons, 2012, 237 pages, ISBN 978-0-470-90408-4, $50 US hard covers) is
by Lena Malouf, an award-winning specialist in event management and
design. She's now a consultant, traveling the world, sharing her
expertise. Her book has been gleaned from her more-than-45 years of
experience in the industry. It's in two parts: the first deals with the
business (strategy, getting clients, building the business, what to
look for in venues, money management, proposal presentation, and the
like) and the design (tabletop, ceiling, all décor, themes, and
weddings). There are checklists, case studies, and sections on
behavioural styles and how to work with them.
Audience and level of use: event planners, hospitality schools.
Some interesting or unusual facts: Chinese lanterns are suspended from
a timber grid. This is a great decorating idea for events that are
themed: all you need to do is suspend the appropriate props in place of
the lanterns.
The downside to this book: a bit brisk, but it covers all the important
elements.
The upside to this book: a good book, full of psychological insights.
Quality/Price Rating: 86.
7. WEIGHTWATCHERS ONE POT COOKBOOK; the ultimate kitchen companion with
over 300 recipes (John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 374 pages, ISBN 978-1-118-
03812-3, $29.99 US hard covers) promises a great dinner from using just
one appliance (a liberal definition of "one pot", which also includes
panini press, waffle iron, fondue pot, BBQ grill). The title might be
misleading if you were expecting something like 300 casserole preps.
Chapters are arranged by the type of pots, so there are "bowls",
skillets, woks, saucepan, Dutch oven, roasting pan, casserole dish,
slow cooker, pressure cooker and "baking pan" for desserts. But it is
still a pretty nifty book for using just the one appliance. Recipes
have all the usual health data "per serving", plus key WeightWatchers
elements of points. Preparations have their ingredients listed in
avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
There's an index by PointsPlus, and an alphabetical index.
Unfortunately, both indexes have a very faint typeface and can be hard
to read.
Audience and level of use: WeightWatchers
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: rabbit in sour cream sauce
with cherry tomatoes and noodles; cheese, beef and noodle casserole;
rustic beef short ribs with mustard sauce; Korean-style soft tacos;
chicken gumbo; tortilla casserole with tomatillo salsa.
The downside to this book: misleading title?
The upside to this book: Recipes include WeightWatchers PointsPlus
values.
Quality/Price Rating: 82.
8. THE NEWLYWED COOKBOOK; fresh ideas and modern recipes for cooking
with and for each other (Chronicle Books, 2012, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-
8118-7683-4, $35 US hard covers) is by Sarah Copeland, a New York based
recipe developer for the Food Network. The shtick here is that modern
couples need to be spending more time TOGETHER in the kitchen, which is
not such a bad idea. Here are more than 130 recipes for both classic
and contemporary meals that are both perfect for two people and require
two people to participate. Many can be expanded to four or more, and
are thus great for entertaining or parties. Copeland believes that true
happiness comes from sourcing, cooking and sharing food together. I'll
vote for that: it worked for me…in all of my marriages! Topics include
stocking the pantry, visiting the farmers' markets, brunch, little
meals, supper, comfort food, romantic meals, embellishments,
indulgences, and alfresco such as campfires, picnics, and portable
parties. Everything seems to be easy to make, and there is a lot of
detail about kitchen life in the first fifty or so pages of this book.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and
avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Next
question: who does the cleaning up?
Audience and level of use: newlyweds.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lazy chef's fruit torte;
Venezuelan chocolate shake; iron skillet steak with thyme butter; pan-
fried pork chops; lobster rolls; open-face soft-boiled egg sandwiches;
oatmeal scones; ricotta silver dollars.
The downside to this book: I guess it has a built-in audience, but does
anyone ever admit to being newlyweds anymore? It is so middle-class…
The upside to this book: a no-brainer for showers.
Quality/Price Rating: 85.
9. A TOAST TO BARGAIN WINES; how innovators, iconoclasts, and
winemaking revolutionaries are changing the way the world drinks.
(Scribner, 2011, 311 pages, ISBN 978-1-4391-9518-5, $15 US paper
covers) is by George M. Taber, an award winning wine book author
(Judgment of Paris, To Cork or Not to Cork) with multiple nominations
for a Beard and a Simon award. If you were to survey ever wine writer
in the world, I think that 99.9% would say that the most frequent
question asked of them is – can you recommend a good wine that costs
less than $10 (in local currency)? The first half of the book is the
more enjoyable: how wine culture had evolved and stories about the
creators of value wines such as Fred Franzia and Two-Buck Chuck, John
Casella and [yellow tail], and the French investors in Chinese wine.
The last half is the guide to best buys: he lists 10 wines for 34 of
the more popular wine varieties (along with a gratuitous two wines that
cost above $10), then 10 value brands from 12 regions around the world,
and then his 10 favourite box wines. Many of these wines are available
in Canada, save the boxes, but at $12 - $15 or so. Bottom line for this
book: the publisher says it includes more than 400 recommended wines
under $10 US national retail (and many of those wines are often
discounted or on sale most of the time). Ultimately, the list of wines
matters. Few people really want to actually read about modestly-priced
wine; they just want a checklist to take with them into a liquor store.
The same situation works at the high end too, where buyers don't mind
paying $50 or more for a wine, but it had better get 94 points from
Parker if they are going to drop that kind of money. So, they make
their lists too, cribbed from other wine books. Chacun a son gout.
Taber concludes with a bibliography of source readings.
Audience and level of use: those interested in wine bargains.
Some interesting or unusual facts: he has the important Tim Hanni Taste
Sensitivity Assessment test.
The downside to this book: it could have been a long article or a
shorter, mass market paperback selling for under $10, like the wines.
The upside to this book: there are good selections of wines here.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
10. GLUTEN-FREE MADE SIMPLE (St. Martin's Griffin, 2011, 216 pages,
ISBN 978-0-312-55066-0, $24.99 US paper covers) is by the team of Carol
Field Dahlstrom, Elizabeth Dahlstrom Burnley, and Marcia Schultz
Dahlstrom. It's an easy book to use, with many photos of techniques and
finished plates. There are about 100 preps with nutritional analysis
for each, plus icons to indicate high protein, low fat, egg free,
casein-free, whole grain or vegetarian. For those with celiac disease,
foods must be totally gluten-free. In most cases, a vigilant eye can
check on food products. But with breads or any prep requiring flours,
extra thought must be made. Thus, I usually head for the bread-dessert
section in any of these gluten-free cookbooks. Here, there is a good
assortment of recipes, but I do find it strange that several different
pre-packaged flour mixes are used. Usually, many books rely on just one
named mix, with a reference to "any other similar type mix". This book
refers to at least three pre-packaged mixes for all-purpose gluten-free
flours. I would have thought that it might be more economical, and
simpler, to just have one brand, and buy several packages at once. Or,
if you do a lot of baking, make your own pre-packaged mix. But the
Dahlstroms don't give the reader a recipe for a DIY mix. Perhaps there
is one at their website,
www.gluten-freemadesimple.com. Arrangement in
the book is by course, and there is a glossary and resources list.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements,
but there is no table of metric equivalents. The index is followed by a
listing of the various recipes by icon (e.g., egg-free, casein-free,
etc.).
Audience and level of use: those who are gluten intolerant.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: eating out can be a problem.
It is best to have a pre-made "Dining Card" which lists gluten
products, and to remind servers about cross-contamination (it is not
enough to just pick out croutons from a salad).
The downside to this book: I'm not sure what the flour matter is about.
The upside to this book: there is a chapter on gluten-free lifestyle.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
11. SOUP OF THE DAY; 365 recipes for every day of the year (Weldon
Owen, 2011, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-1670, $34.95 US hard covers) is
by Kate Macmillan, who runs a catering company and teaches at Tante
Marie's in San Francisco, It is one of the Williams-Sonoma cookbook
series, so it would be prominently featured in its stores. There's a
soup recipe for each day of the year, with lots of plated photos.
Arrangement is by month, and then by day, with a calendar. Of course,
you don't have to follow the dates. But it is a chance to view seasonal
foods and to choose for a weeknight supper or a weekend dinner party.
There are notes regarding leftovers, ingredient substitutions, and
garnishes. Other variations include type of crockery use, upscaling or
downscaling the soup, and types of herbs. Preparations have their
ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but
there is no table of metric equivalents. There are to indexes: one by
alphabetical name, the other by type (Asia-style soups, chili, chilled,
chowder, fruit soups, grain-based, puréed, stews, vegetarian, etc.).
Audience and level of use: soup lovers and those looking for new ideas.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: as I write this review, I
should be consuming gingery beef broth with soba noodles and bok choy,
or broccoli and cheddar soup, or citrusy seafood soup, or roast pork
and don noodle soup, or kumquat-carrot puree with toasted fennel seeds
(January 18 – 22).
The downside to this book: the actual listing of a recipe per a certain
day may seem a bit to confining to some.
The upside to this book: it encourages SLOFE principles (seasonal,
local, organic, fast, and easy).
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
12. HOME BAKED COMFORT; featuring mouthwatering recipes and tales of
the sweet life with favorites from bakers across the country (Weldon
Owen, 2011; distr. Simon & Schuster, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-61628-200-4,
$34.95 US hard covers) is from the Williams-Sonoma line of cook books,
here authored by Kim Laidlaw, a professional baker and cookbook editor.
There are about 100 preps here with the stress on "home" and "comfort"
(although tidying up is still required). There are a series of
breakfast foods, breads, cookies and bars, cakes and cupcakes, pies and
tarts, finishing with custards and soufflés. Virtually a complete range
for the home cook. There is the usual primer-type info about baking
tools, ingredients, tips and advice, plus maintaining a pantry.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and
avoirdupois measurements, and there are tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: home bakers.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: angel biscuits, lemon-
blueberry drizzle bread, chocolate crinkle cookies, orange-whisky cake,
apple-cinnamon hand pies, Mexican caramel flan.
The downside to this book: I think this needs the Sonoma-Williams
cachet to push the book, otherwise it is very competitive out there for
the home baked cooking market. There may also be fallout due to Paula
Deen. Who knows?
The upside to this book: the preps can call for scaling as an
alternative to volumes.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
13. BEAN BY BEAN (Workman Publishing, 2011; distr. T. Allen, 370 pages,
ISBN 978-0-7611-3241-7, $15.95 US paper covers) is by the prolific
Crescent Dragonwagon, who has authored seven cookbooks, including the
Beard winner "Passionate Vegetarian". She has grown more than 31 bean
varieties. Here are more than 175 recipes for all manner of beans,
including lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, cannellini, favas, haricot
verts, shell beans, tofu and peanuts. There are the basic primers for
the types of beans: selecting, storing, preparing, cooking, and styles
(dried, fresh, shell, canned, and dehydrated). She begins with apps,
such as peanuts and garbanzos. Then she moves on to soups and salads,
followed by chili and stews, baked beans and casseroles, skillet stir
fries, and then beans and grains, followed by a few desserts.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements,
but there are tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: home cooks.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: German-style green bean,
potato and bacon salad; Petaluma chili; yellow-eye beans redux; dal;
Greek gigantes soup-stew; bhujia; vegetarian cassoulet; red bean ice
cream; green gram payasam.
The downside to this book: I'd still like to see metric measurements in
recipes.
The upside to this book: great range of tasty dishes.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
14. MASALA FARM; stories and recipes from an uncommon life in the
country (Chronicle Books, 2011; distr. Raincoast, 239 pages, ISBN 978-
0-8118-7233-1, $29.95 US hard covers) is by Suvir Saran, a NYC chef
(Devi) who is a city boy from India now running a farm in upstate New
York. He splits his time between the farm and Manhattan. It has been
written with the assistance of Raquel Pelzel and Charlie Burd, the
latter his partner. Log rollers include Marion Nestle, Ted Allen, Gael
Greene and Frances Mayes. The 67-acre farm is home to goats, alpacas,
ducks, geese, chickens and predators. It's a memoir collection of food
stories, arranged by season, with 80 recipes scattered about. Meal
planning is a must. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both
metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of
equivalents. Recipes are brisk but detailed enough, and cover a range
of cuisines, mostly influenced by Indian cooking. This is mainly a
cookbook with a few stories. Some preps include chai cider, lamb
pastrami, sweet and sour butternut squash, spicy pulled pork, veal
chops with mustard-herb sauce, and birbal kee khitcheree tomatoes.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
