...all reflect a boom in the cookbook publishing business. A paperback reprint will lower the cost to the purchaser, and also give a publisher a chance to correct egregious errors or add a postscript. Some will reissue a book in paper covers with a new layout or photos. Others will rearrange existing material to present it as more informative text while keeping the focus tight. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an "easy" format. Here are some recent "re-editions"...
35.LUCKY PEACH 101 EASY ASIAN RECIPES (Clarkson Potter, 2015, 271 page, ISBN 978-0-8041-8779-4, $35 US hard covers) is by Peter Meehan and the editors of Lucky Peach, a quarterly journal of food and writing that has won multiple James Beard Awards for its single theme issues. These preps have been drawn from that magazine, and are designed for the fans and others who wish to explore easy Asian dishes such as pesto ramen, sichuan pork ragu, seaweed salad, five-spice chicken, braised chicken wings, or greens with whole garlic. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
36.TEA TIME (Skyhorse Publishing, 2015, 170 pages, ISBN 978-1-63450-343-3, $22.99 US hard covers)is by Francis Amalfi, who has written more than 15 food books. This book was originally published in Spanish as TODOS LOS TES DEL MUNDO; it has recipes, facts, and tips on tea preparation. It is also heavily illustrated. There is a history and culture, a description of various teas, therapeutic properties and household uses, and tea ceremonies. The recipes include infusions and tisanes, and there is even tasseomancy (reading tea leaves). At the end there is a select bibliography. You could try roasted peppers and potatoes with green tea, tea and mango sorbet, wild rice with tea, or green tea flan with vanilla and crunchy pistachio wafers. Preparations have their ingredients listed irregularly in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
37.MARK BITTMAN'S KITCHEN MATRIX (Pam Krauss Books, 2015; distr. Penguin Random House, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8801-2, $35 US hard covers) has selected essays and photographs from his New York Times Magazine column EAT between 2011 and 2015. His simple formulae mix and match ingredients and techniques in a matrix to easily adapt many recipes for each season, taste, or flavour pairing. For example, white fish fillets can be done at least 12 ways: broiled, sauteed, roasted, poached with variations of garnishes and styles. Paillards (cutlets) are even more versatile, since any meat such as chicken, lamb, beef and pork can be used for the base and fried with different intents. He's got a lot of different variations for tomato sauce, Thanksgiving leftovers (over 20), and chicken parts. A great book to leaf through for ideas. Unfortunately, preparations have their ingredients listed irregularly in both metric and avoirdupois measurements with no consistency, and there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
38.RISOTTO (Ryland Peters & Small, 2011, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-661-7, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Maxine Clark, a UK food writer specializing in Italian food, and who has authored many cookbooks for Ryland Peters & Small. It was originally published in 2011, and here it is updated. She comes up with 60 recipes for this Italian classic dish, including a variety of leftover uses and desserts. It is arranged by ingredient, with veggies followed by cheese, eggs, poultry, game, meats, and fish/seafood. Some interesting recipes include suppli al telefono con sugo di pomodoro (rice croquettes), saltimboca di risotto, arancini, torta di riso e formaggio tricolore (rice and cheese cake), cherry and almond risotto puddings, and dark chocolate Easter risotto. There are some useful UK and USA websites, as well as Italian titles for all of the recipes (including the index). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 87.
39.FIONA BECKETT'S CHEESE COURSE (Ryland Peters & Small, 2009, 2015, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-687-7, $24.95 US hard covers) is by the award-winning UK food writer and author who specializes in food and wine matching (www.matchingfoodandwine.com}. It was originally published in 2009, and some of this book can be found in bits and pieces (and kept up to date) through her website. The subtitle says it all: styles, wine matching, plates and boards, recipes. She covers the different forms of cheeses (from fresh and soft to old and hard and blue), how to pair wines (and beers and spirits), how to set
out an attractive cheeseboard and a cheese plate when entertaining, and how to employ cheese in your cooking course by course. She has about 40 preps here, with their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents. Some recipes: cheddar and cider fondue; lavender honey and vanilla cheesecake; taleggio and grape focaccia; bell pepper and Manchego Spanish omelet; leek and blue cheese quiche. There is a listing of UK and North American cheese producers, including Canada. Quality/Price Rating: 88.
40.VEGETARIAN INDIA (Alfred A. Knopf, 2015, 422 pages, ISBN 978-1-101-87486-8 $35 US hard covers) is by the renowned Madhur Jaffrey, well-known actress and cookbook author (she has seven Beard Awards). It was originally published in England by Ebury Press in 2014 under the title "Curry Easy Vegetarian" and in a slightly different form. Jaffrey has been at the cookbook game for over 40 years, yet still needed logrolling from such British chefs as Yotam Ottolenghi or April Bloomfield. At least two of her previous cookbooks had the word "vegetarian" in the title. Here she covers the whole of the Indian subcontinent, from north to south, from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal, with collections of family recipes from friends and relatives. Each of the 200 preps has a story that she tells. It's arranged by course, from apps through to desserts and drinks, with large pit stops for dals and grains. And while there is an index, all the recipes are also listed in chapter order at the back so that you can see at a glance what each chapter contains. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89.
41.HAPPY COOKING (Pam Krauss Books, 2015, 312 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8792-3, $35 US hard covers) is by the fabulous Giada De Laurentiis (I would kill for her teeth and smile), star and judge on many TV cooking shows and cooking reality programs. And she's written seven bestselling cookbooks. So here's another one, based on her digital magazine GIADA, between August 2013 and the present (about two years worth). Here she tries to maintain good health without the stress of cooking and eating in an everyday ritual. So that means preparing in advance and having a slew of decadent treats. There are about 200 recipes here, time-saving tips and advice, and healthy eating strategies for the busy weekday activities. It is arranged by both course and meals (breakfast, snacks, salads, soups, stews, pastas, weeknights, weekends, veggies, and sweets). You could try her citrus-chile acorn squash, butternut squash with marjoram and gluten-free pasta, soy citrus turkey jerky, margarita chicken wings, or shellfish noodle paella. Each prep has indications of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free. Recipes have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
42.FRENCH COUNTRY COOKING (Arcade Publishing Skyhorse, 2015, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-61145-858-9, $24.99 US paper covers) is by Francoise Branget, a member of the National Assembly of France. It was originally published in France in 2011 and then translated into English for North American release. These are 180 authentic recipes from every region. It is actually a collection contributed to by every member of the National Assembly of France. It also has some politics and some legends to relate. It is an interesting book, although some of the stories are unreadable because of the light typeface ink. There's a slow-cooked hare prep, an offcuts in a pot pie (stewed scraps, soubes style), and chicken poached and sauteed with chanterelles. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
43.JAPANESE HOME COOKING (Firefly, 2015, 280 pages, ISBN 978-1-77085-606-6, $39.95 CAN hard covers) is by Chihiro Masui (author of over 20 cookbooks) with Hanae Kaede. It was originally published in France in 2013, and this is the North American English language translation, finally available. Many step-by-step photos clearly show the techniques and ingredients of Japanese cuisine. The book moves from the basic cooking of rice to the sophistication of setting and dressing a table. The comprehensive nature of the book deals with Japanese approach to food with cultural history and the impact of foreigners, the basic technique skills, the final dish presentation, and the Japanese table. There are about 90 recipes with some variations, for a mix of everyday home food and gourmet special occasions. There are some tips on substitutions for hard-to-find ingredients.
The range of dishes follow the standard Japanese meal pattern, beginning with cold starters and ending with desserts. Multiple indexes are useful, with a glossary, an ingredient index, and English recipe index, and a table of recipes from transliterated Japanese. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89.
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Chimo! www.deantudor.com
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