RUHLMAN'S HOW TO ROAST (Little, Brown and Co., 2014, 144 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-25410-6, $25 US hard covers) is by Michael Ruhlman, who began writing narratives about chefs but has now become a source for food reference books. He has begun branding his books, e.g., Ruhlman's Twenty, Ruhlman's How to Roast) which is also mnemonically useful for the word "rule". He's a Beard Award author who has come up with a blend of food history, recipes and practical advice. Roasting is pretty basic, and if you can tell time, then you can roast and never burn. He covers tools, staples, ovens, techniques, photos, etc. The 25 recipes begin with roasted chicken, and then moves on to standing rib roast and the Thanksgiving turkey, moving through roasted monkfish and ending with roasted pineapple. It is a good book for beginners, well-illustrated with technique photos.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois with some metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. If you need more recipes, check out FINE COOKING ROASTING ($14.95 US, below).
Audience and level of use: beginners, students
Some interesting or unusual facts: "while there may no longer be a difference in the act of baking or roasting, the semantic difference is meaningful and useful."
The downside to this book: a bit brief, especially with large print, leading and white spaces.
The upside to this book: this is the first book of a new series on basic techniques.
Quality/Price Rating: 90.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
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