3.DAILY TORTILLA; authentic Mexican recipes (Front Table Books Cedar Fort, 2014, 181 pages, ISBN 978-1-4621-1411-5, $18.99 US soft covers) is by Ricardo James (originally "Richard M. James") who was once a missionary in Mexico. This is fine home cooking, starting with basic tortillas, beans, rice, and salsas. Most of the items can be found in Mexican restaurants, such as bunuelos, torta de jamon y queso, tacos de pollo adobado a la parrilla, picadillo, and quesadillas. Nice illustrations with techniques carefully explained, and good bold print. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beginner
The downside to this book: pretty basic, and I am not sure about lasana con habanero
The upside to this book: good little book for college students.
Quality/Price Rating: 85.
4.MEATLESS ALL DAY; recipes for inspired vegetarian meals (Taunton Press, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 202 pages, ISBN 978-1-62113-776-4, $19.95 paper covers) is by Dina Cheney, a cookbook author, a free lance food writer, and a recipe developer. Here she gives us 80 preps for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. She's got a list of some 46 "power ingredients" which are supposed to be meat substitutes in that they are "meaty": eggs, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, parmesan cheese, seaweed, tomatoes, soybeans, avocados, pumpernickel, cauliflower, etc. This is an excellent array, and certainly useful to get the chewy meat eaters to convert at least some of the time. Just increase the umami!! Or, if you absolutely have to, just add some grilled meats/shrimp/poultry. Also, she's got useful tips on how to make the dishes vegan. It is all arranged by course, with many illustrations and a list of vegetarian resources.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: flexitarians and meat eaters
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: grilled cheese with apples, mustard and cheddar; potato and cheddar latkes; rigatoni with asparagus, leeks and goat cheese; bean loaf with maple cranberry sauce; Cuban black bean stew with sweet plantains; strata with cremini mushrooms, olives and sun-dried tomatoes.
The downside to this book: needs more recipes for variety
The upside to this book: a good beginning
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
5.VEGAN AL FRESCO; happy & healthy recipes for picnics, barbecues & outdoor dining (Arsenal Press, 2014, 267 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-532-7, $26.95 CAN soft covers) is by Carla Kelly, who has authored two previous vegan cookbooks. This is a book slanted to the outdoor life, including BBQ, picnics, and even hiking/walking. It comes complete with 11 log rollers busy promoting the book. Everything here is portable, and allergies are carefully marked. It's arranged by ingredient type such as finger food, sandwiches, salads, grill food, baking, dessert, cookies, drinks, plus the needed dips, sauces, condiments, salad dressings, and more. She's also got a listing of uncommon ingredients that will perk up any meal, an allergen list and index, and 12 menu/themes for picnics or beach parties. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: vegans
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: buckwheat and onion mini-loaves; pickle and asparagus potato salad; fennel and wild rice salad; cilantro lime coleslaw; peanut butter adobo BBQ sauce; caper and edamame dip.
The downside to this book: while there are recipes for hiking trips, I'd like some preps for overnight camping stays.
The upside to this book: a great idea for the outdoors.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
7.THE SIMPLE ART OF VEGETARIAN COOKING (Rodale, 2014, 270 pages, ISBN 978-1-62336-129-7, $32.50 US hard covers) is by the remarkable Martha Rose Shulman, the New York Times health food columnist and author of over two dozen cookbooks. Here she tries to offer a simple and easy method for creating plant-based meals every day, regardless of season or availability of the veggie. She has a vast array of templated master recipes with simple guidelines for creating essential dishes such as a stir-fry, rice dish, pasta, soup, and frittata. Then there are notes for adding or subtracting ingredients based on seasonality. The arrangement is by templates; in addition to the above, there are gratins, polenta, whole grains, risotto, beans and lentils, tacos, couscous, stews, and savoury pies. Many dishes can be cooked ahead, with some finishing off when you return from the market. She's got a vegetarian pantry and a chapter on basics such as wilted greens, peppers, onions, mushrooms, roasted veggies, tomato sauces, pesto, and eggs.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beginners, families
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: for minestrone, she has the template with dried beans. Variations would be with canned beans, with cabbage and winter squash, with spring and summer veggies, with lentils, with leeks and kale. Here are a number of variations here, such as using rice, shell beans, vegan versions, and advanced prep.
The downside to this book: some of the decision-trees needed to get to the prep will need attention to detail.
The upside to this book: lots and lots of variations
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
8.VIBRANT FOOD; celebrating the ingredients, recipes, and colors of each season (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-541-9, $25 US hard covers) is by Kimberley Hasselbrink, a food photographer and blogger, so she would know all about the colour of food. Of course, she did her own photography. There's some log rolling, especially from Alice Waters. Some of the preps here have come from her food blog. It all begins with spring's soft colours, moving to the bold of summer, the rich of autumn, and the deep colours of winter. Within, it is arranged by ingredient, to include (for example, under spring) spring greens, alliums, spring roots, rhubarb, and flowers. Nicely laid out, great typeface, wonderful photos of each and every dish. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: armchair cooks (for the photos), vegetarians.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sweet corn and squash fritters with avocado crema; summer squash pasta with green goddess dressing; scrambled eggs with cherry tomatoes and harissa; wild rice salad with rainbow chard and grapes; almond honey cake with poached quince.
The downside to this book: there's about 16 preps per season, I would have liked more.
The upside to this book: customized photography.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
9.COMPLETE FAMILY NUTRITION (DK Books, 2014, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-1949-1, $25 US hard covers) is by Jane Clark, a chef-nutritionist, top Harley Street consultant, and writer on health issues. It's a one-stop basic reference to balanced diets for families. She covers essential nutrients, wise food choices, ideal serving sizes, and how nutrition helps: optimal memory, development, digestion, and balanced moods. There are details on key nutrients for each of the fifty recipes which are at the back in a section called "classic recipes made healthy". Each has service details, prep times, cooking times, and nutrition data. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both avoirdupois and some metric measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: families, beginners.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: poached fall fruit compote; nut butters; cinnamon and maple granola; herb-topped fish pie; oat-crusted salmon nuggets; roasted chicken and root vegetables; falafel burgers with arugula and tzatziki; Thai rice noodle salad.
The downside to this book: I wish that there were more recipes.
The upside to this book: there are over 200 photographs and illustrations.
Quality/Price Rating: 86.
10.THE BAR BOOK; elements of cocktail technique (Chronicle Books, 2014, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1384-5, $30 US hard covers) is by Jeffrey Morgenthaler, an award-winning bartender in Portland OR, with Martha Holmberg, an award-winning food writer in Portland OR. It is a self-help book, almost like a textbook, focusing on techniques in order to enable the reader's skill set. His book is of value to both amateur and professional bartenders. It is a very detailed book, divided into chapters dealing with ingredients (citrus juices, other juices, sodas, mixers, simple syrups, compound syrups, infusions, bitters, tinctures, dairy, eggs, ice) and techniques (measuring, stirring, shaking, swizzling, blending, muddling, garnishing). For each, such as for cream, he notes that you are adding a layer of texture through foam and fat. You'll need to choose the best cream and apply it to the drink. He uses Alexander cocktail and Irish coffee as examples, using cream shaken by the Mason jar method. It is quite explicit.
Audience and level of use: budding bartenders, other bartenders wanting to improve themselves.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: there are about 60 cocktail preps, used to illustrate each technique or ingredient.
The downside to this book: it's a little too specific (Swissmar spoons?)
The upside to this book: good detail to help you.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
11.SIMPLE THAI FOOD; classic recipes from the Thai home kitchen (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 228 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-523-5, $24.99 US hard covers) is by Leela Punyaratabandhu, who writes for blogs including her own She Simmers. She's got a WOW list of log rollers, with the likes of David Tanis, Mollie Katzen, David Lebovitz, and Andy Ricker. These are family-style simple Thai dishes; they are accessible. The arrangement is by course, from nibbles through stir fries, salads, soups, curries, noodle dishes, rices, and sweets. At the end are basic dishes: homemade tamarind pulp, curry paste, toasted rice powder, chile jam, satay sauce, cucumber relish, and more. There is also a glossary and some mail-order sources listed. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beginners, those new to Thai cuisine.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sweet potato fritters with peanut-sweet chile sauce; chicken and fried garlic on rice; bananas in sweet coconut cream; mango and sweet coconut sticky rice; shrimp paste rice; sweet dry curry of pork and long beans; rice noodles with chicken and Chinese broccoli.
The downside to this book: the presentation is more upscale than the book's contents.
The upside to this book: she does a really good job of explaining Thai cuisine to North Americans.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
12.THE BANH MI HANDBOOK (Ten Speed Press, 2014, 126 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-533-4, $17.99 US hard covers) is by Andrea Nguyen, cookbook writer and blogger-owner of www.vietworldkitchen.com. She also writes for the LA Times and Wall Street Journal. Here she creates a nifty book for making your own banh mi sandwiches, created by Vietnamese street vendors in the 19th century as a local equivalent to the French snack of pate and bread. You will need three things: a crusty-chewy bun (French stick preferred but ciabatta buns also seem to be popular), toppings such as daikon and carrot pickles, chile slices, cucumber strips, cilantro sprigs, etc., and a filling (grilled pork, roast chicken, pork liver pate, Vietnamese cold-cuts). Then it is just up to you to create a classic or a modern innovation. Arrangement is by ingredient: bread, toppings, cold cuts, chicken, seafood, pork, beef, vegetarian. There are even two slider recipes, although just about everything can be reduced in size for two-biter dishes. For when you get tired of sandwiches, she's also got banh mi lettuce wraps and a banh mi salad (you can use gluten-free croutons here). All of these are so tasty...Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements; there is no table equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beginner, the curious snacker.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: grilled lemongrass pork; peppery portobello; egg and tofu pancakes; shrimp in caramel sauce; chicken liver pate; Hanoi grilled chicken; chicken satay.
The downside to this book: I wanted more!
The upside to this book: you can have fun with this book.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
13.UN-JUNK YOUR DIET (Skyhorse Publishing, 2014, 300 pages, ISBN 978-1-62873-771-4, $24.95 US hard covers) is by Desiree Nielsen, RD, who has a private practice in Vancouver BC. There are fifty recipes here, and a lot of material on how to shop, cook and eat right – in order to fight inflammation and thus feel better. Of course, she's a whole food advocate. The book has an evangelical tone, since it is addressed to food sinners who eat too much junk food. But then she is a motivational speaker on a mission to improve life's qualities. The important element here is how to shop. The preps are at the back, and indexed. She's also got resources lists and bibliographic references to her positions. Well-written with verve. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: junk food addicts, others seeking nutritional information.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: liquid gold smoothie; real muffin; breakfast bars; salad for breakfast; turmeric chicken; crunchy nut candy bars; greens and beans casserole; baked apple oat pudding.
The downside to this book: I wished that there were more recipes.
The upside to this book: I appreciate her take on muffins, and how today they are basically white sugar and white flour.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
14.THE 12 BOTTLE BAR; a dozen bottles, hundreds of cocktails, a new way to drink (Workman, 2014; distr. T. Allen, 412 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-7494-3, $14.95 US soft covers) is by David Solmonson and Lesley Jacobs Solmonson, owners of the blog 12bottlebar.com. She's also a spirits and wine food writer, authoring a few books on gin and liqueurs. It's a good idea to have a restricted bar, limited to a few bottles with appropriate garnishes. It could be for a small bar in a tavern, or it could be for home. Either way it is useful for mixed drinks. The 12 bottles include 7 spirits, such as gin, rum, brandy, rye and vodka, plus 5 mixers involving liqueurs, vermouths and bitters. No bourbon, scotch, or tequila since these have limited cocktail applications. So it is a system to limit yourself to 200 classic drinks: sours, slings, toddies, highballs, martinis, etc. All of the beverages are "old school" as part of classic cocktails with some new innovations. New stuff such as tequila/mezcal are limited to two or three popular concoctions: they do include ONE prep for a margarita. Bourbons and scotches are neat or with soda or water. So you can still have them: just don't make cocktails with them. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: home bartenders or small bars.
Some interesting or unusual facts: there's a drink index by theme (poker night, brunch, pool party, bbq, Christmas/New Year's, girls night.
The upside to this book: good idea, and I'm glad they don't have the other liquors.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
15.MOONSHINE; the cultural history of America's infamous liquor (Zenith Press, 2014, 208 pages, ISBN 978-0-7603-4584-9, $25 US hard covers) is by Jaime Joyce, currently an editor at Time Inc. It is a straight forward book with notes and sources and indexes. I wish I could say that three armed border agents swarmed my house as this US book was delivered to my door, but it only seemed like it in these Canadian days of repressed alcohol beverages. I usually get goosebumps just walking into a Uvint, even though I don't use them. Nevertheless, this is a book review on a US book about US white lightning or mountain dew – but I am sure that the Internet police will know that I've written it. Moonshine is untaxed liquor made in an unlicensed still. It is clear and unaged – sort of like raw vodka. But cheap. Her history sets the cultural background beginning with Irish and Scottish immigrants used to making their own whiskey. There are two elements here: government denial of a liquor license, and excessive alcohol taxation. Without a license, you cannot legally make the stuff. But once made, you can sell it or give it away – and the government wants its cut. Does that seem fair? Shouldn't the still be licensed first if the state wants the tax? Unregulated stills can create health issues (e.g., blindness, death) but also folklore issues related to movies and television, folk and country music ("She was only the bootlegger's daughter but I loved her still"), and some white trash trailer park material.
Audience and level of use: beverage historians and those interested in moonshine
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: moonshine led to military involvement, NSCAR and the Prohibition.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
16.FLOURLESS; recipes for naturally gluten-free desserts (Chronicle Books, 2014, 191 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-1955-7, $27.95 US hard covers) is by Nicole Spiridakis, a recipe developer and wedding cake baker. She is also a free lance food writer, with a blog at cucinanicolina.com. Here she uses ground nuts, fluffy egg whites, ripe fruit, dark chocolate – such as plums, pistachios, apples and cornmeal, hazelnuts, coconut, lemons. These can create batters and doughs. Her book is in four parts: cakes and cupcakes, cookies, puddings and tarts, and candies/confections. The 80 or so preparations have their ingredients listed in metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents given.
Audience and level of use: those who need gluten-free food.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: almond cake with balsamic-roasted strawberries; vanilla cupcakes with lemon butter-cream; sesame-tahini cookies; Indian pudding; roasted stone fruit with honey mascarpone and mint.
The downside to this book: there is a fair bit of white space taking up room away from more recipes.
The upside to this book: a good contribution to the gluten-free bibliography.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com