...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"...
14.MARGARET COSTA'S FOUR SEASONS COOKERY BOOK (Grub
Street, 1970,2020, 361 pages, ISBN 978-1-911667-00-1 $29.95 CAN
softbound) is now back in print. It was originally published in 1970 as one
of the first books to emphasize seasonal eating. It's divided into the four
seasons, beginning of course with Spring when all is new or has been
renewed, and then subdivided by mini-essays on some ingredients and
methods, such as sorrel, lamb, casseroles, and puddings. Costa was a
food and travel writer for Gourmet and the Sunday Times magazine, as
well as a food consultant for Marks & Spencer. Delia Smith writes a
foreword in an appreciation of this reissue which celebrates the book's
50th anniversary.
Found are the special preps such as liver with Dubonnet and orange, and
scallop and artichoke soup. Preparations have their ingredients listed in
both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of
equivalents. Quality/price rating: 90
15.THE CURIOUS BARTENDER: Cocktails at Home (Ryland Peters &
Small, 2021, 208 pages, $42.99 hardcovers) is by Tristan Stephenson,
not only a drinks writer and author but also a brand ambassador and
consultant in the UK world of cocktails. This work covers malt, bourbon
and rye types of whiskey, gin, vodka, rum, tequila, brandy, sherry, wine and
amari with histories, an exploration of the barrel-aging process, and a trip
to major distilleries throughout the world (but principally the UK and the
US). All the 75 recipes have been previously published in prior Curious
Bartender books, but have been collated for this new volume. So there is
the primer which deals with equipment, glassware and kitchen ingredients,
followed by a collection of 7 distilled alcohol bottles and 6 alcohol add-
ons (triple sec, maraschino, amari, vermouth, amontillado sherry, and
absinthe). Under "Making a Drink" there are good notes on shaking,
stirring, building, and blending. If you have his other books, then you might
not need this one.
He's got some classic and iconic preps for cocktails, such as the
Boilermaker. His notes follow the rising tide of brown spirits that has
returned after many years of clear spirits. There are lots of colour photos
and a description of each business (along with tasting notes) including
what to watch out for. Typical are sherry cobblers, champagne cocktail,
Americano, sidecar, pisco sour, margarita, et al. At the end there is a
bibliography (including his previous 11 books) for further reading. The
book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes,
or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 89.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
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