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Thursday, November 30, 2017

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 best 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 at home, but how could that be? The books 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 photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases 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 –
 
 
9.LIDIA'S CELEBRATE LIKE AN ITALIAN (Appetite by Random House, 2017, 386 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-752977-0 $45 CAD hardcovers) is by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich (restaurateur, Emmy-award winning TV show, cookbook author) and her daughter Tanya Bastianich Manuali. The celebration, one of the few cookbooks today wrapped in a dust jacket, is explored in 220 recipes, suitable for a formal event, a picnic, or a family dinner. It is sort-of a greatest hits book; she's written over 14 other books on Italian food. Is there a need for another Italian cookbook on the market? Well, yes there is always room for one more, especially if the author is the irrepressible Lidia. Of value are the passages dealing with BBQs, party planning, doing a cheese platter, setting a table, choosing wine or constructing a salumi board. It begins with 22 alcohol aperitifs, followed by the apps, salads, soups, veggies and sides, polenta, risotto, pasta, fish and seafood, poultry and meat, and then dessert. "I chose these particular recipes because they are delicious and easy to make, and they serve and fit any celebration." The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart – there's a whole blankety-blank blank page just before the index! Quality/price rating: 86.
 
 
 
 
10.LOLA'S;  a cake journey around the world (Ryland Peters & Small, 2017, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-809-3 $24.95 USD hardbound) is by Julia Head, a UK-based caterer who once worked for Lola's Cupcakes in London. It has since expanded to cover regular cakes. Here Head gives us 70 global recipes for cakes: classic sponge cakes, traybakes, layer cakes, pastries and gateaux of all sorts. Rare in cookbooks these days are her icons for levels of difficulty, from easy through intermediate and advanced. There are some gluten-free and dairy-free cakes as well. It is all arranged by region, beginning with Northern Europe (the home of the cake), Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa, the Americas, and Australasia. All cakes are featured at Lola's: stollen, strudel, tiramisu, olive oil cake, baklava cake, peanut and banana loaf cake, sesame seed cake, mango cake, et al. All of them are colourfully illustrated with a combo of finished plated product and tourist-type photos. Preps are scaled, which is the way it should be with ratios. Conversion charts could also have been useful. Quality/price rating: 86
 
 
11.FOR THE LOVE OF PIE (Gibbs Smith, 2017, 200 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-4769-0 $27.99 USD hardbound) is by Cheryl Perry and Felipa Lopez. Both are co-owners of Pie Corps in NYC. It is a guide to both sweet and savoury pies, staring off with a primer, moving through to the crust, and then to the sweet (fruit, custard and cream, mousse and pudding, nut) and then to the savoury (chicken, meats, fish, veggie). Finally, there are some interesting hybrids in the sugar-salt-bitter continuum, such as apple crumb pie with rosemary-caramel sauce, lavender honey and peach hand pies, pear galette with mascarpone and salted sage brown butter, and fresh fig with blue cheese and walnut mini galettes.
The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, but it at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
 
12.MYERS+CHANG AT HOME (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-83647-1 $32 USD hardbound) is by Joanne Chang, a Beard award winner and owner of Flour in Boston/Cambridge. She also co-owns, with her husband, Myers+Chang, since 2007 in Boston. This is her forth cookbook, emphasizing the reconstruction of many of her preps for home use. Karen Akunowicz helped her; she's executive chef and partner in Myers+Chang. There's also a lot of log rolling, with six endorsements (including the ubiquitous Ottolenghi who must be tied with Batali by now). This is Asian food (some of it South Asian street food), beyond the Taiwanese cooking that Chang also does. There are stories and photos from the restaurant. It's arranged by major ingredient or format, such as dim sum, dumplings, wok, noodles, rice, sauces, with chapters on salads, grains, sides, family meals and desserts. Typical are dan dan noodles, dragon sauce, tamarind-glazed cod with Vietnamese mint & jicama, chocolate tofu mousse, and kung pao chickpeas. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 88
 
 
 
13.SATURDAY PIZZAS (Ryland Peters & Small, 2017, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-882-6, $21.95 USD hardbound) is by Philip Dennhardt (Ballymaloe Cookery School in East Cork Ireland) and Kristin Jensen, freelance food writer. He started as a pop-up restaurant with gourmet pizzas, and then became more involved with butchery and sausages at the Ballymaloe. Here are 90 preps of dazzling pizzas, best made with a wood-fired oven but here adapted for home use: just turn the oven up to as hot as it gets and preheat for one hour. If there is a fan, use it. There are lots of memoir material here as well as a primer for high heat pizza-making.  And a great trouble-shooting section. A basic pizza is dough and sauces: there are almost no real rules, just techniques. His primer is about 50 pages, and is followed by pizza recipes divided by solid toppings – sausage pizzas, cured meat ones, roast meat, seafood, and veggie. Then come the calzones and panzerotti, ending with fruit and dessert pizzas. From the latter, you could try banoffee pizza (biscuit/cookie base with bananas, whipped cream and toffee) or pear pizza with feta/walnuts/arugula, or even caramelized apple with blue cheese and candied walnuts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
14.NIGHT+MARKET (Clarkson Potter, 2017, 320 pages, ISBN-0-451-49787-1 $35 USD hardbound) is by Kris Yenbamroong, chef of Night+Market in LA. It comes with log rolling by Gwyneth Paltrow, David Chang, and Wolfgang Puck. Kris has re-imagined classic Thai cooking for the modern tastes, food that can be enjoyed with alcoholic beverages. He comes from a Thai restaurant background via his family's place, but he has also explored the rural cooking of Northern Thailand. According to the blurb to the part-memoir, part-cookbook, "he came to question what authenticity really means and how his passion for grilled meats, fried chicken, tacos, sushi and wine" influenced the style of good living at his restaurant. The major wine of choice is Chenin Blanc from anywhere, which I approve of. The emphasis is on having fun, which you can do at home with friends, but there are too many non-food photos for my tastes. The arrangement is by themes in his life: a chapter on "grandma" to cover the basics and classics, followed by "tourist in Thailand" for the rural materials, a chapter on dips and sauces, some leftover foods, and party night (TGIF, which used to mean Thank God It's Friday, but now means Thank God It's Fun – so any night will do). Dishes include Thai puffy omelet, scallop tostada, Thai-style Korean short ribs, salmon poke, stir-fried greens with garlic and chiles, and kung pao eggplant tacos. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
 
 
15.MY RICE BOWL (Sasquatch Books, 2017, 320 pages, ISBN 978-1-63217-078-1 $35 USD hardbound) is by Rachel Yang, who, with her husband, owns/operates/chefs at four Pacific Northwest restaurants in Seattle and Portland. They've had three Beard Award nominations for their Asian-flavoured food. Jess Thomson is a co-author; she's a freelance food and travel writer with seven cookbooks and many articles. The preps are mainly Korean fusion with a global twist applied to noodles, dumplings, pickles and pancakes. The book is arranged thus, beginning with a chapter on banchan, then kimchi, BBQ, rices. Hot pots and stews, with four desserts. The first one hundred pages deal with memoirish material on her style of cooking and their restaurants, plus a primer on stocks, sauces, pastes, and the basics of dumplings and noodles (but there doesn't seem to be any indication of gluten-free dough, although there is a chapter on rice and another on pancake batter with mung bean batter). Try arugula and corned lamb, or mung bean pancake batter, broiled mackerel, and a smoky pad Thai (with purchased rice noodles). The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, but at least it had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
 
16.THE MOOSEWOOD RESTAURANT TABLE (St. Martin's Griffen, 2017, 402 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-07433-1 $35 USD hardbound) is by the Moosewood Collective of 19 members who do all the jobs necessary to run the Ithaca NY restaurant. Some have worked there since the place opened in 1973. Their latest cookbook – the 14th – has 250 brand-new recipes never published before. But it is no longer hand-lettered. Instead, it has a larger typeface with good leading and a in index that is readable. The restaurant is still a vegetarian operation, stressing plant-based foods but also using tofu/tempeh as a protein replacement, eggs, and honey. Chapter topics include breakfast and brunch , apps, spreads and dips, sandwiches, soups, side salads, main dish salads, grain bowls, entrees, stews, pasta, burgers and beans, breads and pizza, sides, sauces, and a huge selection of desserts. Typical are sunbutter bites, butternut squash latkes, Indonesian rice bowl, sugar snap peas with coconut and lime, white bean and olive sandwich, roasted beet and walnut dip, black rice and spinach salad, and fresh rhubarb cake. Everything seasonal, of course. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Nada to both. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
17.GUERRILLA TACOS (Ten Speed Press, 2017, 272 pages, ISBN 978-0-399-57863-2 $30 USD hardbound) is by Wesley Avila (professional chef who turned to running Guerrilla Tacos) with Richard Parks III (food writer). These are recipes from the streets of Los Angeles,  augmented by serious logrolling headed by Mario Batali. Avila's Guerrilla Tacos was named Best Taco Truck by LA Weekly. While these preps are Avila's personal touches, he draws on his Mexican heritage to create variations. Along with the recipes there are memoirs and photos. The book is arranged by themes, beginning with Pico Rivera (where he grew up), forklift food, the taco cart and truck, and then the pop-up style. Typical choices are the Mexican-style guacamole, green bean and egg taco, roasted pumpkin taco, razor clam tostada, pork sparerib taco, and mushroom escabeche taco. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 88
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Re: FAMILY-STYLE COOKBOOKS –

Brilliant - thanks very much for this, Dean!
I'll it share the with each author, my boss and colleagues, the book editors, designers and recipe testers, our social media gal, and our entire sales team for further sharing. Much appreciated!




PS -  Take a look at our upcoming SPRING 2018 list!


Martine Quibell, Publicity Manager
Robert Rose Inc. / www.robertrose.ca
120 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 800, Toronto, ON  M4P 1E2 
416-322-6552 x 3133 / mquibell@robertrose.ca
Follow us on: Pinterest / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram






On Nov 29, 2017, at 10:32 AM, Dean Tudor <dtudor@pathcom.com> wrote:

 
 
This is a roundup of cookbooks meant for family enjoyment, whether
 
workday eating or family participation, or just plain eating together....
 
 
MASTER THE ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER (Skyhorse Publishing,
 
2017, 258 pages, $25.99 CAD hard covers) is by Marci Buttars and Cami
 
Graham, both family specialists and bloggers at TIDBITS. As the publisher
 
says, this is NOT your grandma's pressure cooker. Here are more than 100
 
preps, with tips, for grains and yogurt and tender veggies, soft meats, and
 
so forth, with a range from breakfast to dessert. My kind of tool with large
 
type (including the index) and metric conversion charts. Quality/price rating:
 
87
 
SECOND HELPINGS, PLEASE! (Whitecap, 2017, 292 pages, $29.95
 
CAD paperbound) is a fundraiser project from the Mount Sinai Chapter of
 
Act to End Violence Against Women. It was originally published in 1968;
 
this is its 17th printing with some new material on quick and easy, low-
 
calorie, microwave recipes, and new tips. The last edition was previously in
 
2008. It's a basic community cookbook touching all the bases, perfect as a
 
gift for showers, weddings, anyone moving and setting up a kitchen, or a
 
holiday like Hanukkah (Dec 12 – 20 in 2017).  Of particular value are the
 
chapters with a lot of recipes for appetizers, party treats, soups and
 
veggies, and Jewish Festivals. Quality/price rating: 87
 
 
THE BEST OF AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN 2018 (America's Test Kitchen,
 
2017, 320 pages, $45 CAD hardbound) features the best recipes,
 
equipment reviews and tastings from the 2017 episodes of the popular
 
PBS television series (and some of their magazines and books too). Out of
 
1000 preps developed for their media, more than 150 are here as "best of
 
the best". It comes with the usual step-by-step photos and opinionated
 
equipment/ingredient thoughts. Newish topics for the 2017 year include
 
porchetta, panettone, sausage ragu, and frozen yogurt. Quality/price rating:
 
89
 
 
 
GRAVITY CAKES! (Robert Rose, 2017, 272 pages, $27.95 CAD
 
paperbound) is by Jakki Friedman and Francesca Librae, and utilizing
 
Jakki's business as a Manchester UK baker of gravity cakes (they create an
 
illusion of something pouring mid-air into the cake). These 45 projects can
 
be worked on by the whole family. The book has 650 step-by-step colour
 
photos to guide you. The preps are simple and the ingredients are
 
accessible. The designs  (Christmas, Valentine. Easter, Halloween, etc.)
 
are easy to construct; gluten-free preps are also available. Neat-o.
 
Quality/price rating: 87
 
 
 
BAKING CLASS (Storey Publishing, 2017, 144 pages plus stickers, $28.95
 
spiralbound) is by Deanna F. Cook who has written dozens of award-
 
winning books for kids. Here she builds on an earlier title, "Cooking Class", 
 
to present a way to get kids back into the kitchen and learn baking skills.
 
There are 50 recipes with step-by-step instructions so kids can follow on
 
their own. Classics include chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cupcakes,
 
pizza, cheese crackers: all made from scratch with wholesome ingredients.
 
At the back are stickers for colourful gift tag, labels, bake sale signs, and
 
cutout stencils for decorating cookies and cupcakes.
 
 
THE COMPLETE SOUS VIDE COOKBOOK (Robert Rose, 2017, 416
 
pages, $29.95 CAD paperbound) is by the world renowned chef, Chris
 
MacDonald (Avalon and Cava in Toronto). It's another in a long line of
 
"single-equipment" cookbooks (e.g.,food processor, crockpot, toaster),
 
here concentrating on using sous vide equipment and techniques to achieve
 
restaurant-quality results at home. Low temperature controlled food is
 
sealed in containers immersed in water. It works well if you have a lot to do,
 
and can be prepared in advance. But of course you do need the equipment.
 
A nicely done book that indeed can replicate restaurant food, with you
 
controlling the seasoning. The 175 recipes embrace the globe. Quality/price
 
rating: 87
 
 
 
 
A GRANDFATHER'S LESSONS (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
 
2017, 196 pages, $42 CAD hardbound) is by Jacques Pepin – and what
 
could be more family than Pepin cooking with his granddaughter Shorey.
 
He's been doing this since she was six; she is now 12 and capable of
 
cooking on her own. So here are meals that she enjoys as a young person,
 
and meals that are not always French-inspired. These are important life
 
skills, and they are illustrated with his renowned drawings. They open with
 
setting the table and good table manners – nice appreciations. Then they
 
move on to hors d'oeuvres [SIC from a Frenchman!] soups and salads,
 
eggs, sandwiches, pizza, fish, poultry, light meat, pasta, quinoa, veggies,
 
followed by 40 pages of desserts (hey, kids like to eat these things). Large
 
type in both the text and the index is a great bonus. Quality/price rating: 89
 
 
 
BUTTERCREAM BASICS (Robert Rose, 2017, 256 pages,  $27.95 CAD
 
paperbound) is by Carey Madden, whose cakes and cupcakes have been
 
featured in Vogue. She operates Violet, a custom cake bakery in
 
Philadelphia. This is buttercream decorating, and is the best gift for the
 
cake baker in your life. It's topically illustrated with step-by-step techniques
 
and loaded with tips, covering the major aspects of  cake and icing recipes,
 
borders and inscriptions, embellishment, blossoms, concluding with  a final
 
chapter on cupcakes. Quality/price rating: 87
 
 
NO EXCUSES DETOX (Ten Speed Press, 2017, 208p, $25.99 CAD
 
paperbound) is by nutritionist Megan Gilmore who specializes in detox at
 
www.detoxinista.com. She's got 100 preps for a more healthy eating plan –
 
gluten-free, quick and easy, relatively inexpensive, and meant for families.
 
Of course there's a plan, followed by courses: shakes, salads, soups, sides,
 
snacks, stir-fries, sweets, and staples. Ah yes, the "S" word dominates.
Quality/price rating: 87
 
 
EVERYDAY DIABETES MEALS (Robert Rose, 2017, 288 pages, $27.95
 
CAD papercovers) is by  Laura Cipullo, RD, CDE, CEDRD, CDN and Lisa
 
Mikus, RD, CNSC, CDN. Together they have three decades of clinical
 
experience. The 150 preps are for meals  with 45 to 60 grams of carbos.
 
The arrangement has easy consistent carbo dietary planning by choosing
 
from breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes, and then adding sweet or savoury
 
snacks within preset carb ranges. There's a 14 day meal plan. It's a lifestyle
 
change. Quality/price rating: 88
 
 
 
THE 7 WONDERS OF OLIVE OIL (Familius, 2017, 200 pages, $23.95
 
CAD paperbound) is by Alice Alech and Cecile La Galliard. It comes loaded
 
with lots of references, some quizzes, a handful of recipes, but no index.
 
Still, it is a useful read. Olive oil is discussed in a healthy sense: stronger
 
bones, some cancer prevention, higher brain function, some stroke and
 
heart attack prevention, reduction in diabetes risk, Alzheimer's disease
 
prevention, skin rejuvenation, and the Mediterranean diet. Each chapter is
 
succinctly titled. Quality/price rating: 88
 
 
 
THE LOW-FODMAP SOLUTION (Robert Rose, 2017, 268 pages, $27.95
 
CAD paperbound) is by Montrealer Cinzia Cuneo and others at
 
SOSCuisine, a group which designs specialized meal plans. Here they
 
concentrate on IBS. Research has shown that a low-FODMAP diet is
 
effective in three-quarters of IBS cases. You could be able to avoid intestinal
 
cramps, bloating, diarrhea and gas through the elimination of FODMAPs:
 
fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and
 
polyols – carbohydrates that are poorly digested in the intestine. Here she
 
has meal plans, shopping lists,  and 130 preps (many vegan). There are
 
also comprehensive lists of allowable foods and avoidable foods.
 
Quality/price rating: 89
 
 
 
THE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DIABETES
 
COOKBOOK (CICO Books, 2017, 160 pages, $29.95 CAD paperbound)
 
is by Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD., who is well-versed in diabetes care. It's
 
a guidebook for those who are pre-diabetic, diabetic, and  support groups.
 
She covers the challenges of living with diabetes, eating in  and dining out,
 
living on one's own, and travelling. She's got 70 preps tailored to those with
 
diabetes, including vegan and vegetarian options. It may not be everything
 
you'll need to know but it is a good beginning. Quality/price rating: 86
 
 
 
HOW TO HYGGE; the Nordic secrets to a happy life (St. Martin's Griffin,
 
2016, 2017, 208 pages, $27.99 USD hardbound) is by food writer Signe
 
Johansen; it was originally published in 2016 by Bluebird in the UK. "Hoo-
 
ga" (pronounced) usually translates as "comfort" or "coziness" implying
 
warmth, conviviality, and kinship. Nature sets the pace and provides health
 
benefits; the outdoors is better than the indoors. Try to be active at all ages;
 
try "fika" (collective restoration, eg, teas). Be minimalistic. There are more
 
principles scattered about the book. And there are more than a handful of
recipes.
Quality/price rating: 89
 

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

FAMILY-STYLE COOKBOOKS –

 
 
This is a roundup of cookbooks meant for family enjoyment, whether
 
workday eating or family participation, or just plain eating together....
 
 
MASTER THE ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER (Skyhorse Publishing,
 
2017, 258 pages, $25.99 CAD hard covers) is by Marci Buttars and Cami
 
Graham, both family specialists and bloggers at TIDBITS. As the publisher
 
says, this is NOT your grandma's pressure cooker. Here are more than 100
 
preps, with tips, for grains and yogurt and tender veggies, soft meats, and
 
so forth, with a range from breakfast to dessert. My kind of tool with large
 
type (including the index) and metric conversion charts. Quality/price rating:
 
87
 
SECOND HELPINGS, PLEASE! (Whitecap, 2017, 292 pages, $29.95
 
CAD paperbound) is a fundraiser project from the Mount Sinai Chapter of
 
Act to End Violence Against Women. It was originally published in 1968;
 
this is its 17th printing with some new material on quick and easy, low-
 
calorie, microwave recipes, and new tips. The last edition was previously in
 
2008. It's a basic community cookbook touching all the bases, perfect as a
 
gift for showers, weddings, anyone moving and setting up a kitchen, or a
 
holiday like Hanukkah (Dec 12 – 20 in 2017).  Of particular value are the
 
chapters with a lot of recipes for appetizers, party treats, soups and
 
veggies, and Jewish Festivals. Quality/price rating: 87
 
 
THE BEST OF AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN 2018 (America's Test Kitchen,
 
2017, 320 pages, $45 CAD hardbound) features the best recipes,
 
equipment reviews and tastings from the 2017 episodes of the popular
 
PBS television series (and some of their magazines and books too). Out of
 
1000 preps developed for their media, more than 150 are here as "best of
 
the best". It comes with the usual step-by-step photos and opinionated
 
equipment/ingredient thoughts. Newish topics for the 2017 year include
 
porchetta, panettone, sausage ragu, and frozen yogurt. Quality/price rating:
 
89
 
 
 
GRAVITY CAKES! (Robert Rose, 2017, 272 pages, $27.95 CAD
 
paperbound) is by Jakki Friedman and Francesca Librae, and utilizing
 
Jakki's business as a Manchester UK baker of gravity cakes (they create an
 
illusion of something pouring mid-air into the cake). These 45 projects can
 
be worked on by the whole family. The book has 650 step-by-step colour
 
photos to guide you. The preps are simple and the ingredients are
 
accessible. The designs  (Christmas, Valentine. Easter, Halloween, etc.)
 
are easy to construct; gluten-free preps are also available. Neat-o.
 
Quality/price rating: 87
 
 
 
BAKING CLASS (Storey Publishing, 2017, 144 pages plus stickers, $28.95
 
spiralbound) is by Deanna F. Cook who has written dozens of award-
 
winning books for kids. Here she builds on an earlier title, "Cooking Class", 
 
to present a way to get kids back into the kitchen and learn baking skills.
 
There are 50 recipes with step-by-step instructions so kids can follow on
 
their own. Classics include chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cupcakes,
 
pizza, cheese crackers: all made from scratch with wholesome ingredients.
 
At the back are stickers for colourful gift tag, labels, bake sale signs, and
 
cutout stencils for decorating cookies and cupcakes.
 
 
THE COMPLETE SOUS VIDE COOKBOOK (Robert Rose, 2017, 416
 
pages, $29.95 CAD paperbound) is by the world renowned chef, Chris
 
MacDonald (Avalon and Cava in Toronto). It's another in a long line of
 
"single-equipment" cookbooks (e.g.,food processor, crockpot, toaster),
 
here concentrating on using sous vide equipment and techniques to achieve
 
restaurant-quality results at home. Low temperature controlled food is
 
sealed in containers immersed in water. It works well if you have a lot to do,
 
and can be prepared in advance. But of course you do need the equipment.
 
A nicely done book that indeed can replicate restaurant food, with you
 
controlling the seasoning. The 175 recipes embrace the globe. Quality/price
 
rating: 87
 
 
 
 
A GRANDFATHER'S LESSONS (Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,
 
2017, 196 pages, $42 CAD hardbound) is by Jacques Pepin – and what
 
could be more family than Pepin cooking with his granddaughter Shorey.
 
He's been doing this since she was six; she is now 12 and capable of
 
cooking on her own. So here are meals that she enjoys as a young person,
 
and meals that are not always French-inspired. These are important life
 
skills, and they are illustrated with his renowned drawings. They open with
 
setting the table and good table manners – nice appreciations. Then they
 
move on to hors d'oeuvres [SIC from a Frenchman!] soups and salads,
 
eggs, sandwiches, pizza, fish, poultry, light meat, pasta, quinoa, veggies,
 
followed by 40 pages of desserts (hey, kids like to eat these things). Large
 
type in both the text and the index is a great bonus. Quality/price rating: 89
 
 
 
BUTTERCREAM BASICS (Robert Rose, 2017, 256 pages,  $27.95 CAD
 
paperbound) is by Carey Madden, whose cakes and cupcakes have been
 
featured in Vogue. She operates Violet, a custom cake bakery in
 
Philadelphia. This is buttercream decorating, and is the best gift for the
 
cake baker in your life. It's topically illustrated with step-by-step techniques
 
and loaded with tips, covering the major aspects of  cake and icing recipes,
 
borders and inscriptions, embellishment, blossoms, concluding with  a final
 
chapter on cupcakes. Quality/price rating: 87
 
 
NO EXCUSES DETOX (Ten Speed Press, 2017, 208p, $25.99 CAD
 
paperbound) is by nutritionist Megan Gilmore who specializes in detox at
 
www.detoxinista.com. She's got 100 preps for a more healthy eating plan –
 
gluten-free, quick and easy, relatively inexpensive, and meant for families.
 
Of course there's a plan, followed by courses: shakes, salads, soups, sides,
 
snacks, stir-fries, sweets, and staples. Ah yes, the "S" word dominates.
Quality/price rating: 87
 
 
EVERYDAY DIABETES MEALS (Robert Rose, 2017, 288 pages, $27.95
 
CAD papercovers) is by  Laura Cipullo, RD, CDE, CEDRD, CDN and Lisa
 
Mikus, RD, CNSC, CDN. Together they have three decades of clinical
 
experience. The 150 preps are for meals  with 45 to 60 grams of carbos.
 
The arrangement has easy consistent carbo dietary planning by choosing
 
from breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes, and then adding sweet or savoury
 
snacks within preset carb ranges. There's a 14 day meal plan. It's a lifestyle
 
change. Quality/price rating: 88
 
 
 
THE 7 WONDERS OF OLIVE OIL (Familius, 2017, 200 pages, $23.95
 
CAD paperbound) is by Alice Alech and Cecile La Galliard. It comes loaded
 
with lots of references, some quizzes, a handful of recipes, but no index.
 
Still, it is a useful read. Olive oil is discussed in a healthy sense: stronger
 
bones, some cancer prevention, higher brain function, some stroke and
 
heart attack prevention, reduction in diabetes risk, Alzheimer's disease
 
prevention, skin rejuvenation, and the Mediterranean diet. Each chapter is
 
succinctly titled. Quality/price rating: 88
 
 
 
THE LOW-FODMAP SOLUTION (Robert Rose, 2017, 268 pages, $27.95
 
CAD paperbound) is by Montrealer Cinzia Cuneo and others at
 
SOSCuisine, a group which designs specialized meal plans. Here they
 
concentrate on IBS. Research has shown that a low-FODMAP diet is
 
effective in three-quarters of IBS cases. You could be able to avoid intestinal
 
cramps, bloating, diarrhea and gas through the elimination of FODMAPs:
 
fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and
 
polyols – carbohydrates that are poorly digested in the intestine. Here she
 
has meal plans, shopping lists,  and 130 preps (many vegan). There are
 
also comprehensive lists of allowable foods and avoidable foods.
 
Quality/price rating: 89
 
 
 
THE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DIABETES
 
COOKBOOK (CICO Books, 2017, 160 pages, $29.95 CAD paperbound)
 
is by Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD., who is well-versed in diabetes care. It's
 
a guidebook for those who are pre-diabetic, diabetic, and  support groups.
 
She covers the challenges of living with diabetes, eating in  and dining out,
 
living on one's own, and travelling. She's got 70 preps tailored to those with
 
diabetes, including vegan and vegetarian options. It may not be everything
 
you'll need to know but it is a good beginning. Quality/price rating: 86
 
 
 
HOW TO HYGGE; the Nordic secrets to a happy life (St. Martin's Griffin,
 
2016, 2017, 208 pages, $27.99 USD hardbound) is by food writer Signe
 
Johansen; it was originally published in 2016 by Bluebird in the UK. "Hoo-
 
ga" (pronounced) usually translates as "comfort" or "coziness" implying
 
warmth, conviviality, and kinship. Nature sets the pace and provides health
 
benefits; the outdoors is better than the indoors. Try to be active at all ages;
 
try "fika" (collective restoration, eg, teas). Be minimalistic. There are more
 
principles scattered about the book. And there are more than a handful of
recipes.
Quality/price rating: 89
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Dean's List 2017 Holiday Books Part II - Good Food RevolutionGood Food Revolution | A sort of Canadian food and wine website

MORE NEW FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS REVIEWED...

THE COMPLETE COOK'S COUNTRY TV SHOW COOKBOOK (America's Test Kitchen, 2017, 691 pages, ISBN 978-1-940352-93-0 $32.95 USD paperbound) is from the America's Test Kitchen team. Every recipe from all ten seasons of this popular PBS show is here, along with played photos. This is US regional home cooking. Everything has been tested and retested to arrive at the best version. Included also are tests of kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients: to see which brands offer the best value and performance. There are bonus variations and accompaniments, tips and advice, shopping guides, and stories behind the recipes. There is an index to the shows themselves, so you can spot some of the recipe titles. The extensive index also covers courses and photos; it is in big type with some bold lines.
Audience and level of use: beginners, staunch lovers of US regional cooking
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: it is arranged by type of food, eg. Grandma's food, diner food, steakhouses, Sunday best food, Tex-Mex faves, Italian, grilling, breakfasts and breads, cakes and cookies, other desserts and pies.
The downside to this book: the book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, but at least it had conversion and equivalents charts.
The upside to this book: good clinical work
Quality/Price Rating: 90.
 
 
 
 
4.DUTCH FEAST (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2017, 263 pages, ISBN 978-1-55152-687-4 $32.95 CAD hardbound) is by Emily Wight, a writer and recipe developer. This is her second cookbook for Arsenal. The publisher notes that this is the first extensive Dutch cuisine book to be published in North America in three decades. Dutch food has been characterized as local and seasonal with international flavours, lots of sugar and dairy with cheese and breads not far behind. Many foods have been brought to America, such as pancakes and waffles, apple pie, doughnuts, and coleslaw. Overall, these foods are also upfront in Dutch cuisine, with apples, potatoes, endives, onions and kale being most important. The 120 preps are arranged by course (breakfast, coffee time, dinner), with side chapters for borrels (Dutch small plates), rijsttafel, gezellig (comfort food), and Christmas. The book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes along with the avoirdupois, or at least had a metric conversion chart.
Audience and level of use: beginners, those interested in Dutch food.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sauerkraut stamppot; semolina pudding with rose and honey; cranberry and persimmon pastechi; farmer's cheese soup; hutspot; prune tart; spicy prawns with green beans; marinated herring; meatball curry.
The downside to this book:  I wanted more on the rijsttafel since there could be some 30 or so dishes. She lists 16 and two are ice cream desserts.
The upside to this book: a good primer on Dutch food history and resources.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
5.SMORGASBORD (Ten Speed Press, 2017, 170 pages, ISBN 978-0-399-57909-7 $17.99 USD hardbound) is by Johanna Kindvall, a Swedish illustrator and cook based in Brooklyn. She had previously authored Fika: the art of Swedish coffee. She's illustrated her own books, and quite deftly too. This is the art of Swedish breads and savoury treats, as found throughout all of Scandinavia (but is more commonly associated with Denmark; no matter). It is a basic primer at an affordable price, which separate chapters on breads, everyday smorgasbord, outdoor seasonal spreads, smorgasbord celebrations, and condiments and sides.  Baking preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but overall it is mostly US volume measurements. There is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those wishing to expand their repertoire or wish to do a buffet.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: butter-fried chanterelles with walnuts; smoked fish salad with horseradish; elderflower-cured rainbow trout; quick pickled veggies; Christmas malt bread; stinging nettle pesto; orange marmalade with thyme.
The downside to this book: I wanted more
The upside to this book: affordable introduction to smorgasbords.
Quality/Price Rating: 87
 
 
 
6.THE NEW NOURISHING (Ryland Peters & Small, 2017, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-859-8 $21.95 USD hardbound) is by wellness lifestyle food editor Leah Vanderveldt. She believes in plant-based comfort food to feed the body and the soul. It is all arranged by course, beginning with breakfasts, and then moving on to soups and stews, big bowls, entertaining, savoury snacks, and sweet snacks. She doesn't count calories or believe in guilt-free foods. Veganism, for the most part (honey is used), is the way to go, and through plant-based foods one can promote a sense of well-being and find a feel-good point. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: vegans, vegetarians, millennials
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: crispy chickpeas, garlic greens, sweet potato noodle bowl, mezze bowl, winter veggie bowl, sweet potato falafel, pesto winter squash pizza, farro risotto with green peas, vegetable-loaded nachos.
The downside to this book: I wanted more.
The upside to this book: good themes.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
 
 
7.DINNER WITH DICKENS (CICO Books, 2017, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-78249-449-2 $24.95 USD hardbound) is by Pen Vogler, food historian author of Dinner with Mr. Darcy and Tea with Jan Austen. She has also recreated recipes from the past for the BBC. This is the food of Victorian England, and is inspired by the life and work of Charles Dickens. His books have included a grand wedding breakfast, a bread-and-butter tea, and of course the day-to-day gruel of the children and workers. Each chapter here comes from a book, such as the family dinner in Little Dorrit, Guppy's dining house treat from Bleak House, Christmas matters from both Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol, and drinks from The Pickwick Papers. There's a bibliography of relevant additional cookbooks and of cultural histories from this time period. Each prep comes with background from the Dickens' book, an historical recipe (not from Dickens) and a modern updated version, plus a photo of the plated product. Christmas pudding, punch sauce, French plums, Leicestershire pork pie – it is all here. This is pop culture of cooking at its best.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: Dickens lovers, pop culture, Victorian times.
Some interesting or unusual facts: Dickens was fascinated by what connected people, and food was at the top of his list. His characters give, share, steal or long for beefsteak pudding, a morsel of pickled salmon, and sip of currant wine – which tells us something about the giver, the receiver, and the relationship between them in terms of their moral, economic, or social life.
The downside to this book: I wanted more
The upside to this book: a good representation of the theme.
Quality/Price Rating: 88
 
 
 
8.MUSHROOMS (Ryland Peters & Small, 2017, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-880-2 $21.95 USD hardbound) us by Jenny Linford, a UK freelance food writer and multiple cookbook author. Here she celebrates mushrooms and truffles, from folklore to foraging. There are 65 preps here, covering all savoury courses: apps, soups, stews, grains, rice, pasta, meats, fish, salads, veggies, eggs and cheese. She opens with a primer on cultivated and wild mushrooms. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: mushroom lovers, umami enthusiasts.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: jamon and mushroom croquettes; mushroom and bean chili; Thai mushroom soup; beef and porcini ragu with pappardelle; pan-fried fish fillets with wild mushrooms; mushroom and goat cheese and lentil salad.
The downside to this book: The publisher states in a denial of liability  "There is an element of risk to ingesting wild mushrooms." I say unless you really know what you are doing, trust a "professional" forager.
The upside to this book: a good collection of recipes, augmented by terrific photos on a matte finish.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Sunday, November 26, 2017

HONEST TO GOODNESS (Tizzard, Whitecap, $29.95)

HONEST TO GOODNESS (Whitecap, 2017, 200 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-302-1 $29.95 CAD papercovers) is an oversized book from Christine Tizzard, Newfoundlander food stylist and host of YouTube Channel and CBC TV (Best Recipes Ever). She shares over 100 nutritious preps along the line of comfort food for the family mealtime. It's all very practical and creative, and involves the whole family. It is arranged typically, from breakfast to "packed lunches" to supper (with its soups, salads, sides, mains, and desserts). There are separate chapters on theme nights, snacks, and even bake sale recipes good for the whole year's roster of celebratory sales-in-need-of something. One of my faves is the yummy spatchcock piri piri chicken, not too spicy yet still full of flavour. Or try the pole and bush bean salad with crispy chickpeas. Food is global, with Korean Asia, Indian, Mediterranean, etc. She makes cooking fun. She's got symbols for GF, V, NF (nut-free), LS (low-sugar). On page 4 there is a detailed anatomy of a recipe. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and  avoirdupois measurements, but there are no tables of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for November 25, 2017.

 
WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for November 25,  2017.
 
By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at http://www.deantudor.com since 1994.
These notes for wines available through the LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca/ or at  http://www.deantudor.com
 
Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone tastes like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).
 
THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL FINDS --
 
R+538090    CHATEAU STE. MICHELLE CABERNET SAUVIGNON Special 50th anniversary bottling, Columbia Valley 2015    MAGNUM 1500mL $44.95    13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+461277    VIÑA OLABARRI CRIANZA DOCa Rioja    2013    $14.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
 
20 under $20
=========
R+18721    VIÑA TARAPACÁ GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Maipo Valley        2014    $17.95           14 % ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+89029    TAWSE SKETCHES OF NIAGARA RIESLING    VQA Niagara Peninsula        2015    $18.95    10% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+268342    HENRY OF PELHAM ESTATE CHARDONNAY    VQA Short Hills Bench, Niagara Escarpment        2016    $19.95    13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+522342    ZONTE'S FOOTSTEP HILLS ARE ALIVE SHIRAZ    Adelaide Hills, South Australia        2015    $19.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+524892    LAPOSTOLLE RED BLEND Rapel Valley    2013    $17.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+662775    D'ARENBERG THE HERMIT CRAB VIOGNIER/MARSANNE    McLaren Vale, South Australia        2016    $17.95    13.3% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+81588    CRASTO VINHO TINTO    DOC Douro    2015    $17.95    13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+167684    HONORO VERA MONASTRELL Jumilla    2016 $13.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+171371    LA FERME DU MONT LE PONNANT CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES    Unfiltered, AP        2015    $19.95    14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+251645    LA FERME DU MONT PREMIÈRE CÔTE CÔTES DU RHÔNE    Unfiltered, AP        2015    $17.95    14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+268136    PODERI ANGELINI PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA    DOC        2012    $18.95
15% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+280552    BARÓN DE MAGAÑA DO Navarra 2011    $19.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+380238    LORCA SELECCIÓN MONASTRELL    DO Bullas        2008    $15.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92
W+452540    DOMAINE DE LA CHAISE TOURAINE SAUVIGNON    AC    Christophe Davault, vign.    2016    $16.95    12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+508630    JERZU MARGHIA CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA    DOC        2014    $16.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+527853    CHÂTEAU JOININ    AC Bordeaux        2015    $14.95    14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+534602    ICARIO VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO    DOCG        2011    $19.95  14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+526533    DOMAINE DE NUGUES BEAUJOLAIS-VILLAGES    AC        2014    $16.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+164491    FIELDING UNOAKED CHARDONNAY    VQA Niagara Peninsula 2016 $14.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
 
20 over $20
=========
R+18879    THE HESS COLLECTION 19 BLOCK MOUNTAIN CUVÉE    Mount Veeder/Napa Valley        2013    $54.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+68817    HIDDEN BENCH ESTATE CHARDONNAY    VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment        2015    $29.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+209858    FESS PARKER BIEN NACIDO VINEYARD PINOT NOIR    Santa Barbara County        2014    $64.95    14.1% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+210039    RODNEY STRONG RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY RESERVE CHARDONNAY    Russian River Valley, Sonoma County 2014    $49.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+241182    CHARLES BAKER PICONE VINEYARD RIESLING    VQA Vinemount Ridge, Niagara Escarpment    Stratus    2014    $34.95    10.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+392738    DOMAINE QUEYLUS TRADITION PINOT NOIR    VQA Niagara Peninsula        2014    $29.95    13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+410019    HOWARD PARK MIAMUP CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Margaret River, Western Australia        2014    $22.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+566026    CAVE SPRING CSV RIESLING    Cave Spring Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment     2015    $29.95    11.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+906404    LA CREMA RUSSIAN RIVER PINOT NOIR    Russian River Valley, Sonoma County        2014    $45.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+961284    DOMAINE DROUHIN OREGON PINOT NOIR    Dundee Hills        2014    $49.95 14.1% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+995910    REMO FARINA AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CLASSICO    DOCG        2013    $39.95    15.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+61176    DOMAINES SCHLUMBERGER KESSLER RIESLING    AC Alsace Grand Cru        2014    $27.95    12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+155408    MARCHESI DI BAROLO BARBARESCO    DOCG        2013    $23.95 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+216309    CASTELLO DI GABBIANO RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO    DOCG        2013    $22.95    13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+216408    VALLE REALE MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO    DOC        2007    $21.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+259770    JOSEPH CATTIN HATSCHBOURG GEWURZTRAMINER    AC Alsace Grand Cru        2015    $24.95    13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92
R+437954    CHÂTEAU PIERRE DE MONTIGNAC    Cru Bourgeois, AP Médoc        2009    $23.95    14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+525931    CHÂTEAUX VIEUX CHEVROL    AC Lalande-de-Pomerol        2010    $28.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+572230    CAVE DE TAIN GRAND CLASSIQUE CROZES-HERMITAGE    AC        2015    $23.95    13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+682492    CHÂTEAU L'HOSPITALET LA RÉSERVE ROUGE    La Clape, AC Coteaux du Languedoc        2014    $28.95     14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

RE: Holiday Gift Cook/Food/Wine Books for 2017, Travel-inspired ...

YAY! Thank you so much!!!!

 

From: Dean Tudor [mailto:dtudor@pathcom.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2017 2:35 PM
To: blog1
Subject: Holiday Gift Cook/Food/Wine Books for 2017, Travel-inspired ...

 

Holiday Gift Cook/Food/Wine Books for 2017, Travel-inspired ...

The Event: Breakthru Beverage Taste and Buy Holiday Event

The Date and Time:  Thursday November 9, 2017   3PM to 8PM
The Event: Breakthru Beverage Taste and Buy Holiday Event
The Venue: Oretta, King St West
The Target Audience: private buyers
The Availability/Catalogue: all wines are available but by the case of 6 or 12.
The Quote/Background: This was a "holiday" showcase for the Breakthru Beverage – B&W Wines Division, featuring a wide variety of wines from New and Old World producers, beginning at $21 (Adamo Viognier 2016 VQA) retail through $159.95 (Tenuta di Arceno Arcanum 2009), ranging from champagnes to whites to reds.
The Wines: I did not taste every wine since I arrived at 4:20PM and had to leave early for another engagement. 32 wines were served, some were also available through the LCBO.
 
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Champagne Tarlant Brut Reserve NV $45.15
-Darioush Signature Chardonnay 2014 Napa $82.95
-Darioush Signature Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Napa $139.95
-Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur Meursault 2015 $94.95
-Adamo Estate Viognier Bock Vineyard VQA 2016 $21
-Zena Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014 Willamette $154.95
-Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2013 $89.95
 
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Adamo Estate Meritage VQA Niagara Escarpment 2015 $45
-Long Meadow Ranch Estate Merlot 2013 Anderson Valley $64.95
-Arrowood Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 $54.95
-Two Hands Sexy Beast Cabernet 2015 McLaren Vale $34.95
-Il Fauna di Arcanum 2013  $44.95
-Bibi Graetz Soffocone di Vincigliata IGT 2014 Tuscany $74.95
-Tenuta di Arceno Arcanum 2009 Tuscany $159.95
-Hickinbotham The Revivalist Merlot 2014 McLaren Vale $134.95
-Two Hands Charlies Garden Shiraz 2015 McLaren Vale $74.95
-Piper-Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV $59.95
-Darioush Signature Merlot 2013 Napa $99.95
-Darioush Duel Shiraz Cabernet 2014 Napa $74.95
-Rockford Local Growers Semillon 2014 Barossa Valley $44.95
-Long Meadow Anderson Valley Chardonnay 2014 $64.95
-Brewer Clifton Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2015 $67.95
-The Paper Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Marlborough $47.95
 
The Food: salumi and cheese platters, breads, tomato bruschettas, tomato/mozz skewers, sliders of porchetta, eclairs and tarts for dessert (although there were no dessert wines).
The Downside: I had to leave early.
The Upside: it got crowded early on, but people knew how to move away.
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 89.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Sunday, November 19, 2017

FOOD BOOK REVIEW -- THE PLAGIARIST IN THE KITCHEN (Unbound, 2017, 176 pages, $42.95 CAD) is by the redoubtable Jonathan Meades.

THE PLAGIARIST IN THE KITCHEN (Unbound, 2017, 176 pages, ISBN 9781783522408, $42.95 CAD hardbound) is by the redoubtable Jonathan Meades, the UK journalist, TV personality, and filmmaker who also specializes in food. He says that this book will be the only cookbook he will ever write. Meanwhile, as this book does exist, it is his take in praise of the unoriginal recipe. Very very entertaining and provocative. It was funded by readers through the writer website "Unbound". You pledge for it in advance, and it gets published once it receives critical mass. This particular title was distributed in Canada by Penguin Random House. He says it "is an anti-cookbook, a recipe book that is also an explicit paean to the avoidance of culinary originality, to the daylight robbery of recipes, to hijacking techniques and methods, to the notion that in the kitchen there is nothing new and nor can there be anything new. It's all theft." So: ultimately, it is a basic book of workable standard classic recipes with his pithy and enlightening comments. Because it is British, it is all in metric, with no tables of equivalents or conversion charts. There is a an index, plus four pages of three columns each which feature the names of contributors/subscribers. There is a short bibliography of "books referred to" and presumably borrowed from. Most of the books are old, and most of the authors have since passed on. So there. The book could have been improved if it also used US volume measurements in the recipes; this would improve sales in the last remaining country on the planet to ignore metric. Quality/price rating: 88.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

The Event: Annual Wines of Chile Toronto tasting

The Date and Time: Tuesday, November 7, 2017   11:30AM to 4PM
The Event: Annual Wines of Chile Toronto tasting
The Venue: ROM
The Target Audience: wine trade, with consumers at night 7PM to 9:30
The Availability/Catalogue: all wines are available in various contexts, ranging from GL through Consignment and Private Orders. The catalogue had full details on ordering, including prices, contact names, and Ontario agent names.
The Quote/Background: I attended the seminar this year. There was a wrinkle: none of the wines were in the trade show itself. There used to be a focus table with these wines. Instead, there were focus tables just for sparkling wines (this was new in 2017), top wines for licensees, and small producers' table. I managed to get around to all of them: the seminar, the tables, and then dabbled in the trade show itself. The seminar was conducted by Patricio Tapia, author of "Descorchados". He was assisted from time to time by agents or principals who were seated at separated round tables with lucky members of the trade who snagged a seat at the seminar. My ratings from the tables and the seminar are folded into the lists below.
The Wines: I did not taste every wine at the show. Most prices below are retail.
 
**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Morande Extra Brut NV Casablanca $30  Majestic
-Morande Extra Brut K.O. Secano Interior $23.95   Majestic
-Valdivieso Brut Charmat NV $12.99  Wine Lovers
-Anakena Ona Special Reserve Red Blend Cachapoal 2015 $19.95  Accolade Wines
-Aresti Family Collection Assemblage Curico 2012 $29.95 Southern Glazer's
-Caliterra Edicion Limitada M Colchagua 2015 $21.95  LCBO
-Caliterra Cenit Colchagua 2014 $21.95  Churchill Cellars
-Carmen Winemaker's Red Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo 2014 $29.95 Select Wines
-Carmen Gold Reserve Maipo 2013 $59.95 Select Wines
-Casa Silva Romano 1912 Vines Colchagua 2015 $27.90  Churchill Cellars
-Concha y Toro Terrunyo Cabernet Sauvignon Pirque 2014 $34.95  LCB0
-Emiliana Metodo Tradicional Chardonnay/Pinot Noir Casablanca Brut $17.95  PMA
-Errazuriz Don Maximiano 2014 Aconcagua $84.95 LCBO
-Perez Cruz Pircas de Liguai Single Collection Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Andes 2013 $29.95
-San Esteban In Situ QV Blend Aconcagua 2014 $54.95  MCO
-San Esteban In Situ Laguna del Inca Blend Aconcagua $32.95
-San Esteban In Situ Signature Chardonnay/Viognier 2016 Aconcagua $17.95 LCBO
-Santa Carolina VSC 2012 Cachapoal $39.95   LCBO
-Santa Carolina Herencia 2010 Peumo  $69.95   Charton Hobbs
-Siegel Family Ketran 2013 Colchagua $80     JCipelli
-Valdivieso Caballo Loco Grand Cru Maipo $39.99  Wine Lovers
-Ventisquero Tara Chardonnay Atacama $47.95   LCBO
 
***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Santa Ema Sparkling NV Leyda $34.95   ROUST
-Valdivieso Extra Brut TM NV $19.99  Wine Lovers
-Siegel Unique Selection 2013 Colchagua $39.95   JCipelli
-Ventisquero Enclave Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo 2012 $79.95  Univins
-Veramonte Ritual Chardonnay Casablanca $18.95  LCBO
-Veramonte Neyen Apalta 2012   $49.95   Epic Wines
-Arboleda Chardonnay Aconcagua Costa 2016  $19.95 LCBO
-Casa Silva Lago Ranco Sauvignon Blanc Otorno 2016 $27.95  Churchill Cellars
-Carmen Do Quijada #1 Semillon Colchagua 2016 Select Wines
-Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo 2015 $22.95  LCB0
-Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay Limari 2015 $19.95  LCB0
-Emiliana GE Syrah/Carmenere/Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua 2013 $79.95  PMA
-Emiliana Signos de Origen La Vanilla 2016 Casablanca $20  PMA
-Caliterra Tributo Petreo Colchagua 2015   Churchill Cellars
-Valdivieso Eclat Vigno 2010 Maule $34.95   Wine Lovers
-Santa Rita Bougainville Maipo 2012 EJ Gallo
-De Martino Legado Reserve Chardonnay Limari 2015 $21.35
-Errazuriz Max Reserva 2015 $20.09 Licensee LCBO
-Santa Carolina Reserva de Familia Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo 2015   $17.81 LCBO Licensee
-Montgras Intriga Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo 2014  $22.95  LCBO
-Montgras Ninquen Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah Colchagua 2014  $29.95  LCBO
-San Esteban In Situ Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 Aconcagua $22.95    LCBO
 
The Food: empanadas (of course: beef, chicken, veggie), charcuterie and cheese boards, dips and breads.
The Downside: as with many trade shows these days, too many wines to taste in one go.
The Upside: I was grateful to be able to taste the seminar wines while seated, with enough time to write notes.
The Contact Person: lisa@androscom.com
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 91
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com