A SELECTION OF RECENT BOOKS FROM ROBERT ROSE AND FROM FIREFLY AND FROM TOUCHWOOD AND OTHERS -- more than a baker's dozen for Christmas gifting !!!
1.MASTERING AUTHENTIC CREPES & GALETTES (Robert Rose, 2020, 2024, 148 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0720-9 $29.95 CAD softbound) is by Bertrand Larcher, founder of Breizh Cafe in Brittany. The 2024 version is an English translation of the 2020 French original. Here are fifty sweet and savoury recipes (many involving buckwheat flour), presented by season. Crepes are normally made with all-purpose flour and sweets; galettes are normally made with buckwheat and savouries (and they are a bit larger than crepes so they can serve as a main dish). In addition to the usual step-by-step instructions for perfect recipe preparations, the text gives us many useful tips and keys from other crepiers. Larcher also introduces some 20 other restaurants from around the world who have furnished preps and tips of detailed data for batters. Folding and presentation are also covered with step-by-step photos. A La Crepe Bretonne was my go-to restaurant in Montreal - I think I ate every menu item at least once over the course of two years. Typical winter recipes include almond cream crepe with toasted almonds, Tatin-style apple crepe, orange butter and candied orange crepe with vanilla ice cream, and mashed carrot, cumin, cilatro and shrimp galette. Ingredients are listed with both Imperial and Metric measurements. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
2.THE SPICE & HERB BIBLE 3rd edition (Robert Rose, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 800 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0493-2 $49.95 CAD softbound) is by Ian Hemphill, who runs an international spice store, with recipes from Kate Hemphill, who is a chef and food writer also works at the spice store. More details on both are at www.herbies.com.au. The book is a revised and expanded edition of the 2nd edition (2006) and incorporating another book (Spice Notes) from 2002. There are more than 170 recipes here the complement the spices and herbs; the book is an ACP Award winner and a James Beard nominee. The Hemphills offer major descriptions of about 100 culinary herbs and spices: origins, histories, buying, storage, processing and usage. The third section is the one detailing the art of blending herbs and spices; there are 66 blends here. All preps have both Imperial and Metric measurements, plus listings of prep times, cooking times, and "tips" - the latter usually has a wealth of substitutions. For example, if you do not have access to "alexanders" (black lovage, potherb) then you can suitably use a mix of parsley leaves and celery leaves (3 to 1 ratio). Another example: the info under "allspice" goes on for 7 pages, and is quite through. The book has a good typeface size for the index. Strongly recommended for its detail, although the sheer weight of the book may limit its constant use -- unless you have a dictionary stand. I'd prefer to use an ebook version (no weight) to print off a recipe. Quality/Price rating is 94 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
3.300 SENSATIONAL SOUPS (Robert Rose, 2008, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0-
7788-0196-2, $29.95 CAD softbound) is by Carla Snyder and
Meredith Deeds, both food writers living in the US Midwest. It's a reissue. This is a nice database of classics and contemporary soups, along with international preps such as pho, harira, minestrone, or African peanut soup. It is arranged by major ingredient. There are separate chapters for meat, veggies, beans, cheese, poultry, fish, and styles such as chowders, cold soups, and dessert soups. At the beginning there are notes on soup stocks, and at the end, there are notes on garnishes and toppings. As is standard with any Rose cookbook, the ingredients are expressed in both Imperial and Metric measurements, the typeface is clean and lean and large, and there is plenty of white space for adding your own notes.
Some interesting or unusual recipes: veal burgoo, chilled curried
pear soup, chicken-squash-sausage soup, lasagna soup, arugula soup with salmon and roasted grape tomatoes, guacamole soup. A nifty collection, only two bucks more than when first published. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
4.ENERGY BITES FOR EVERYONE (Robert Rose, 2023, 2024, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-07216, $24.95 CAD paperbound) is by Sonia Lizotte, a Montreal-based food stylist and author of best-selling food books. It was originally published in French in 2023; this is the English translation. These 80 recipes are touted as flavour bombs for all tastes and moods - pep, sweet tooth, savoury, unique flavours. The basic recipe gives you the techniques of creating the bites and using a small ice cream scoop to form the ball-bite. Everything here is healthy, if taken in moderation. And with 80 bites there is a three month time period for rotations. A good way to use up some crumbs as well, from leftover cakes or brownies, or just made from scratch. There are occasional preps that call for baking but otherwise it is all ball-bite creations similar in size to meatballs. Great ideas for families and young kids. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
5.THE WILD WEST COOKBOOK: cowboy comfort food. 2d ed. (Robert Rose 1998, 2024, 208 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0725-4, $24.95 CAD paperbound) is by Cinda Chavich, a long-time food writer and editor [check her out at TasteReport.com] If you think of the Wild West as an old place almost forgotten, then do remember that the book was originally published in the last century. The second edition has ben revised and updated with newer materials. There's a short history of cowboy campfire cooking, followed by the wild west pantry of mostly "B" words: beans, beef, beer, berries, bourbon, biscuits and bison. Jerky, mushrooms, and grains complete the picture. The arrangement of the book is traditional: apps, soups, salads, poultry, red meats, fish, veggies, baking and desserts. Scattered throughout are cowboy foods such as many forms of chili and baked beans and cowboy flapjacks. Good historical and photographic lore as well. Typical apps include smoky cowboy quesadillas, pemmican patties, prairie oysters (of course), chipotle wings, black bean nachos. Soup is the easiest thing to make over the open fire: fresh corn chowder; wild mushroom soup, black beans and sausage gumbo. A very charming giftbook to the man in your life. Try some cowboy pasta with ranchero sauce or frybread tostadas or chuckwagon beef shortribs and beans.
Ingredients are listed with both Imperial and Metric measurements.
Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
6.PATISSERIE REVOLUTION: the healthy baking bible (Robert Rose, 2023, 2024, 256 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0724-7, $44.95 CAD hardbound) is by renowned pastry chef Johanna Le Pape (she's a world champion of confectionery arts)and dietitian Melanie Frechon. It was originally published in French in 2023; this is the English translation. The book is a complete ingredient reference for gluten-free, low-GI, dairy-free and vegan pastry. Le Pape has an extensive list of alternatives to wheat flour, beginning with almond flour through white teff flour -- thirty-three in all. Plus the various starches (tapioca, corn, arrowroot, et al. For each she has critical notes on sources, nutrients, and uses. And then there are her exacting pairing flours, which is a table of equivalents to combine various flours by their weights -- very useful for replacing wheat flours. An example: 30% soy flour plus 40% brown rice flour plus 40% corn flour for one blend. The authors divide the book into ingredient families, moving from flours through sugars, milks, yogourts, fats, eggs, fruits and veggies. The actual recipes begin on page 159, with, of course, basic preps followed by classic preps, and some thirty pages for original creations. This is a well-developed resource and reference book for those who wish to enter the pasty business or for the home cook using gluten-free products by necessity. Lovingly illustrated. Ingredients are listed with both Imperial and Metric measurements. Quality/Price rating is 93 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
7.THE COMPLETE GOUT MANAGEMENT & NUTRITION GUIDE: empowering strategies for better health (Robert Rose, 2024, 256 pages, ISBN 978-07788-0723-0, $29.95 CAD paperbound) is by gout rheumatologist Diana Girnita and dietitian Doug Cook. I found the book informative and fascinating: note -- I've had gout since the last century. I've got good company with about one million other gout sufferers in Canada. Her book tells us all we need to know about gout: how to identify the disease, how to choose between the various treatments and how nutrition can help to mange the symptoms. For the most part, it matters to avoid medication when you can get nutrition at home by simply avoiding "rich flavoured foods" that are loaded with purines (HFCS or high-fructose corn syrup, soda pop, red meat, organ meats, seafood, beer, and lots of water. This book proposes a meal plan to reduce and manage gout attacks -- in 100 recipes. She begins with a section on everything you need to know about gout. That's 100 pages. The remainder of the book is about food preps, beginning from breakfast to lunch to dinner, with material on soups and salads plus side dishes. The recipes come from 21 books that are also published by Robert Rose. One book example is "200 Easy Mexican Recipes", from which was pulled a prep for chicken mole and a prep for red enchilada sauce. The Mediterranean Diet seems most appropriate with minimally processed whole ingredients. This Diet, along with a handful of nuts everyday [mostly walnuts], reduces blood uric acid levels. The preps here have a "gout-friendly meal plan" for four weeks of 96 breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners -- more than enough time to make sure you can eat your way through everything but not get bored with the repeats. The preps are formatted like all Robert Rose cookbooks, with both Imperial and Metric measurements printed in columns side-by-side to the ingredients, serving sizes, heating instructions, special equipment needed, tips, nutrient listings, serving ideas, and variations. There is an index, but unfortunately only to the recipes. Quality/Price rating is 94 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
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FIREFLY BOOKS: illustrated guides to Asian cuisines and food cultures.
1.CHINESE CUISINE: recipes and anecdotes from Chinese gastronomic culture (Firefly Books, 2024, 128 pages, ISBN 978-0-2281-0515-2, $19.95 CAD paperbound) is by Margot Zhang and Zhao en Yang. Margot is a chef and teacher; Zhao En Yang is the illustrator. This book, like the other three in this series, was originally published in French in 2023. So here is the English translation, and I've included below the other three books drawn from previous reviews. It's quite a chase trying to condense the entire Chinese society into a 128 page book. But they did it -- with recipes covering staple foods, essential dishes, festivals and traditions, pastries and drinks. Typical are wontons with pork and shrimp, lion's head meatballs, mapo tofu, mushroom hotpot and ginger milk pudding. There's an introduction to the various utensils (chopsticks, bamboo steamers, woks, chopping tools), sauces and broths, and the importance of oyster sauce and chillies. There are eight different regional Chinese cuisines, and these are all covered by main ingredients, meats, herbal medicines and street foods, among other items. As with the other three books in this series there are full-colour illustrations for everything. Zhao's people, products, and techniques are cleverly presented. Ingredients are listed with both Imperial and Metric measurements. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
2.VIETNAMESE CUISINE; recipes and anecdotes from Vietnamese gastronomic culture (Firefly Books, 2023, 128 pages, ISBN 978-0-2281-0442-1 $19.95 CAD soft bound) is by Nathalie Nguyen, with great watercolour illustrations by Melody Ung. It was originally published in French in France in 2022. This edition is the third in a Firefly series (the other two dealt with illustrated cuisines of Japan and of Korea). There are 30 recipes, each with text about the plate's place in culinary history. And yes, Vietnam cuisine does have its own version of peanut sauce (a no-heat recipe is included). Typical dishes include banh mi, of course), but also Vietnamese pancakes, pho bo, nem chua, and caramelized fish. There is a lot going on here: in addition to recipes, there are memoir materials, anecdotes, histories and background. For the food itself, there is in-depth coverage on techniques, utensils, and Vietnamese ingredients. It's a colourful book since all of the illustrations are watercolours of food, utensils, finished plates, meal composition, tableware, staples, condiments and sauces. These are everyday dishes. A top book. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
3.KOREAN CUISINE; an illustrated guide (Firefly Books, 2022, 128 pages, ISBN 978-0-2281-0389-9 $19.95 CAD paperbound) is by Luna Kyung, who lives in Paris and has written books about Korean food. Ahnji is a Korean illustrator and graphic designer who also lives in France, and is a co-author. Their book was originally published in French, in France, in 2021 this is the English translation. There is a lot going on here; in addition to recipes, there are memoir materials, anecdotes, histories and background. For the food itself, there is in-depth coverage on techniques, utensils, and Korean ingredients. It's a colourful book since all of the illustrations are watercolours of food, utensils, finished plates, meal composition, tableware, staples, condiments and sauces. These are everyday dishes. But just one thought: there is no pork neck bone soup recipe. I've noticed this omission in many recent Korean cookbooks, no doubt because pork neck bones are difficult to obtain, even from a butcher. The closest bone to find is either hock trotter or spare rib bone, and even these can be hard to find, especially (for the latter) in grilling season. I mention all of this because I regard pork neck bone soup (Gamjatang), along with Bipimbap, to be a quintessential Korean dish. You can easily check out the ingredients through the Internet. It is worth trying to do because of its bounty of flavours, even if you have to use spare ribs where is no real difference in flavour, although neck fans may question that assumption. Kyung's book is full of vast quantities of everyday dishes, fermented foods, noodles, party dishes, temple food, street food, lucky foods, and even North Korean specialties. This is an extremely useful book. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
4.JAPANESE CUISINE; an illustrated guide (Firefly Books, 2021, 128 pages, $19.95 softbound) is by Laurie Kie and Haruna Kishi. Kie has written many other Japanese cookbooks; Kishi is a Japanese illustrator. This little nifty reference work contains many recipes, anecdotes, histories, stories, maps, techniques, stylings, utiensils, native ingredients all wonderfully illustrated with watercoloured drawings. It can answer many questions: how to make sushi, miso soup, bento boxes; how to use Japanese knives, chopsticks, cooking vessels, seaweed. There is a special section on ramen and its many distinctive regional variations. Very lovingly produced, right down to the Japanese pictographs. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
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TOUCHWOOD BOOKS
1.HUBARB; new and classic recipes for sweet and savory dishes (Touchwood Editions, 2019, 2022, 112 pages, ISBN 978-1-77151-404-0, $25 CAD hardbound) is by Soren Staun Petersen, a Danish recipe developer and food stylist. He had earlier written Surprise with Pumpkin in 2018. This current work was originally published in Denmark in 2019 and subsequently translated into English in 2022. Rhubarb fits into the superfood category with its fibre, vitamin C, potassium, calcium and anti-oxidants. His 35 preps here cover some savoury items such as pizza bianca, chicken with pearl barley, and sweets such as pavlova with rhubarb, rhubarb banana bread--- even rhubarb chips. There are eight compote preps that deal with cheesecake, trifle, and pancakes. And of course, chutneys and relishes are useful companions with the BBQ grill. He's even got four drinks such as rhubarb gin and rhubarb mule (coriander smash is a marvel). Good stuff for rhubarb lovers. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
2.THE DAVISON ORCHARDS COOKBOOK; favourite recipes from the farm and family (Touchwood Editions, 2024, 294 pages, ISBN 978-1-77151435-4, $44.10 CAD, hardbound) is by multi-generation family members Rachel Davison, Tamra Davison, and Laura Shaw, from Davison Orchards (founded 1933). They've given us 100+ recipes. On one level it's a regional-tourist cookbook with memoir material and pix of the people and the farm associated with food from the area. On another level, it's a pretty good introduction to family food from the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia. There is an arrangement by course (breakfast, mains, et al) with extras on quick breads, preservation of fruits and veggies, desserts, sweets, and beverages. It's all very family oriented, and makes for a great gift. For example, in the book, garlic appears everywhere, and in the index it is listed as an ingredient in 23 dishes. And, thankfully, there is a really good comprehensive metric conversion chart as well as a very readable typeface font size for the index. It's all lovingly presented. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
3.SWEET GREEK; authentic recipes for every occasion (Touchwood Editions, 2013, 2023, 248 pages, ISBN 978-1-77151415-6, $45 CAD hardbound) is by Kathy Tsaples who grew up in Melbourne. In 2012 she opened a stall, Sweet Greek, at the Prhan Market selling baked goods and prepared meals. This current book was released in Australia in 2013, and now has been revised for the North American market in 2023. It's another regional-tourist cookbook with many memoir words and photos on family and friends and locations. It's a Greek cookbook stocked with Mediterranean pantry staples; 90 preps cover the Greek Orthodox calendar as well as national holidays -- there are individual chapters for each one with feasts strewn about. So you have Christmas, New Year, Easter, Palm Sunday, Lent, as well as a summer family feast, the family feast before Lent, the everyday family feast, hearty winter meals, and more. All ending up with a large 40 page chapter on sweets. Psomi (bread), tyri (cheese) and olives are the Holy Trinity as they form the foundation of Greek cuisine. Basics here include tomato fritters, marinated olives, souvlaki, tzatziki, and feta dip. For a large family dinner you cannot beat slow-roasted chicken, artichokes, peas, tomatoes and potatoes, followed by any or all of yogurt cake with lemon, rice pudding, sesame seed slab, biscotti, honey walnut biscuits, honey doughnuts, marzipan pears, moist semolina cake, and fig sweet. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
4.THE SIPSTER'S POCKET GUIDE TO 50 MUST-TRY ONTARIO WINES volume 1 (Touchwood Editions, 2023, 146 pages, ISBN 978-1-77151-421-7, $20 CAD softbound) is by Luke Whittall, wine instructor at Okanagan College and author of a variety of Sipster's pocket guides, and other books dealing with BC wines. Currently, he also has sipsterswinepodcast.ca to check out. The portable pocket guides to Ontario and BC wines (there are three in the BC series for 150 wines) are very approachable in style, zeroing in on experiences, good company, and "where a wine might take your thoughts" or attitudes. He lists fifty of these on the inside French cover, one per wine, ranging from "abrupt" through "friendly" through "vacation" -- even "singalong". It's a good idea to get away from regular tasting notes, as he does. Each wine comes with a photo, and I happened across one of my faves: the 2017 Rose Traditional Methode from Chateau des Charmes. Price ranges are listed for all, and this wine gets "four wine glasses" to indicate $30 - $40. His gloss says the body is light and the sweetness is dry. He suggests pairing with spinach salad, chicken skewers and picnics. There's an excellent index, with subdivisions of the broad categories "activity pairing", "light body to medium to full body", "grapes", "prices", "food pairing", "wine pairing", "wineries", et al. A good book for the bored wine drinker who wants a new outlook on some of the best wines in Ontario. For BC wines, try THE SIPSTER'S POCKET GUIDE TO 50 MUST-TRY BC WINES volumes 1-3 (Touchwood Editions, 146 pages apiece, $20 CAD each, softbound. Quality/Price Rating: 89, by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
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DINING OUT WITH HISTORY; at Atlantic Canada's historic sites (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2022, 2024, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-554556274, $19.95 CAD paperbound) is by Jan Feduk, It was originally put out by the author in 2022, but this is its national 2024 publication. As the publisher summarizes, "Twenty living history sites that offer us a taste of the past in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador". Twelve are in Nova Scotia, PEI has two as does New Brunswick, and four are from Newfoundland and Labrador. Each chapter tours an historic site, tells a tale and shares a few recipes (there are 34 preps in all). She shows the links for the themes of food, work and life for each site. Sketch maps and historical photos illustrate most of the book, but there are also colour pix for the buildings, the cooks, and for the presentations or techniques. Sure to be everybody's fave is from Battle Harbour in Labrador: fish and brewis, a staple with the fishermen (salted fish, hard bread, fat back pork and onions)-- basic but also yum-yum as umami. Other dishes include Balmoral Oatcakes, Bonnach, Eel Stew, "eggs in the snow", flummies, and assorted pies, biscuits and breads. Nothing elaborate -- just good food from the time period. Perhaps we could get a "volume two" from Ms. Feduk, to cover Western Canada and a volume three for Upper and Lower Canada. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
HEALTHY COMFORT FOODS; gluten-free, diabetic friendly, and keto recipes (Boulder Books, 2024, 304 pages, ISBN 978-1-989417-88-1, $34.95 CAD hardbound) is by Bobbi Pike, an East Coast Canada health coach and recipe developer; this is her third cookbook. She's got 150 recipes here that easily displace the "grab and go" processed food plates, but still maintain the naturally healthy style of current comfort foods. The table of contents is conveniently broken down into courses such as appetizers, snacks, breakfast, soups, stews, vegetables, sides, fish, meat, desserts, and sauces, ending with five pages of pantry items (all of which come mostly from health-food stores and can be used in this book's preps). Interesting dishes include cranberry meatballs, avocado BLT chaffle, fennel soup, taco soup, iman bayildi, turmeric-crusted cod with tomato jam, pork chops with mushroom ragout, chocolate chip cookie skillet, roly poly, spinach dip and cheese ball. Ingredients are listed with Imperial measurements, but there is no metric scale nor a table of metric/imperial equivalents. Quality/Price rating is 92 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
Both of the following two books are good examples of a leading category of cookbooks: the regional culinary link of tourism and food, with emphasis on local markets and personalities, photography, and relatively simple food. These two books have both Imperial and American measurements listed for their ingredients.
-COCINA DE ANDALUCIA; Spanish recipes from the land of a thousand landscapes (Ryland Peters & Small, 2024, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-587-6, $40.96 CAD hardbound) is by Maria Jose Sevilla, an award-winning Spanish food and wine expert and chef and broadcaster. It's a very well-put together book emphasizing all eight of the region's provinces. Andalucia itself is the largest area of Spain, with a culinary history from Moorish, Christian and Jewish influences. Each prep has a short intro about its character and the local people who live there. Most prominent for us in North America are the imported specialties of Iberico hams, olive oils, sherry vinegars, and olives. Many of the 80 preps are simple and/or spicy peasant dishes such as molletes Andaluces (bread rolls with tomatoes, olive oil and Iberico ham). The contents are listed as tapas and raciones (larger food items), followed by breads, veggies, fish, meats and desserts. Typical are potato omelette, chorizo in sherry, marinated olives, shrimp fritters, eggplant with molasses, and salt cod dishes.
-CYPRIANA; vibrant recipes inspired by the food of Greece & Cyprus (Ryland Peters & Small, 2019, rev. ed. 2024, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-601-9, $42 CAD hardbound) is by Theo Michaels (who was born into a large Greek Cypriot family), a bona fide executive chef and author of six other cookbooks. The first edition was in 2019, but the book has been nicely refreshed for a new audience. He's got 80 preps especially meant for summer grilling, meze, and salads. An example is the pork fillet with smoky white beans and pickled apricot salsa (fasolada me hirino fileto kai saltsa verykoko). Recipes are headed in English and in demotic Greek. Both Imperial and metric sizes are noted. Orzo, roasted tomato, and feta salad really appealed to me, as did grilled eggplants with feta. Both books earn a Quality/Price rating of 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
A trio of small books: BURGERS (Ryland Peters & Small, 2024, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-600-2, $16.19 CAD hardbound) with 60 preps for patties, divided into classics, sliders, vegan, and "international" -- along with sauces and sides; TACOS (Ryland Peters & Small, 2024, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-589-0, $16.19 CAD hardbound) with 60 preps for fillings, salsa and sides pertaining to meat, seafood, vegetarian, and breakfast; and VEGAN SNACKS (Ryland Peters & Small, 2024, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-579-1, $16.19 CAD hardbound) with 60 preps for plant-based bites for breakfast, grazing, bar bites and sweet treats. All three are relevant and all three are based on prior books from Ryland Peters & Small. Still, both metric and imperial measurements have been incorporated this time. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
If you need more heavy duty "seriously good" BBQ stuff, then it is time to bring out the SERIOUSLY GOOD BARBECUE COOKBOOK (Fox Chapel Publishing, 2024, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4971-0475-4, $26.99 CAD softbound). This oversized book is authored by best-selling Brian Baumgartner and his team. He's got over 100 of some of the best recipes covering the major styles of US BBQ: Kansas city-style, Texas-style (central, eastern), deep south (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Memphis, North Carolina) and other regional styles for Oklahoma, West Coast, Northwest, New Jersey, Hawaii, Montana, and Midwest. All the variations seem to have been covered, so the book becomes encyclopedic with the addition of seafood, sides, sauces, rubs, marinades, and sweets. Juicy all the way, especially my fave -- the pork belly burnt ends (a riff on brisket burnt ends). Imperial measurements. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
On a similar note, I've been reading through the 250 winning recipes from the World Food Championships held in Arkansas: BURGERS & BACON COOKBOOK, Fox Chapel Publishing, 2024, 184 pages, ISBN 978-1-4971-0455-6, $31.99 CAD softbound. The WFC has 11 category-specific competitions over the course of one week, and these 250 preps have been pulled from major areas such as "sweet and savory bacon dishes", "aioli, cheese sauces, and chutneys", "buns and bases" plus sides, jams and spreads. Many techniques and flavours are discussed here, including meat blends, great cheeses for toppings, sauce injectors, and "perfect" buns. Thoroughly comprehensive with lots of notes and photographs and commentaries by the teams. Well-worth reading on its own. Imperial measurements. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
For a more relaxed take on BBQ with a theme of entertaining, then the cookbook du jour, by Valerie Aikman-Smith, is SUMMER FEASTING FROM THE FIRE, Ryland Peters & Small, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2014, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-586-9 $40.96 CAD hardbound...in addition to BBQ there are appetizers, salads, sides, drinks, and desserts. Ms. Aikman-Smith is a food stylist working for movies and TV shows, plus editorials, commercials, print and advertising campaigns. She has regularly published with Ryland over the past decade, and her current book embraces the best of her previous books SMOKE & SPICE, PICKLED & PACKED, and FEAST FROM THE FIRE. There's more than 90 preps here, including basic material on pantry staples. It's a complete work based on an updating of her earlier writings. "Small bites" is my fave section, with recipes of typical dishes such as empanadas, rillettes, pork belly tacos, fish tacos, crab cakes, shrimp hushpuppies, quesadillas, and grilled halloumi. It's well worth a look for innovative entertaining ideas. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
SENSATIONAL SALADS; more that 75 creative & vibrant recipes (Ryland Peters & Small, 2024, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-594-4, $34 CAD hardbound) is by Kathy Kordalis. Alongside the new recipes in this book are those previously published by RPS in five other books, including "Mediterranean Summer Table". Salads are easy enough to put together, but the awkward part is having on hand the ingredients to mesh. So you'll need a pantry. And salads can be made more substantial by adding cheese, eggs and meats to the final product. Her book is full of ideas, starting from the diverse bases beyond the usual leafiness, followed by the dressing that can range from minimal to lavish. In between there are veggies that you can crunch, proteins and fat, croutons (of course), and nuts/seeds. Most of the recipes have American and Imperial measurements. To me, what makes a salad is the collection of herbs and spices that are added at the finish, and Kathy Kordalis gives us all a wide variety...yum, yum. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
SURF-SIDE EATING; simple & fresh recipes for summer inspired by coastal living (Ryland Peters & Small, 2020, 2024, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-603-3 $39 CAD hardbound) is a collaborative
edition with collected preps from 12 RPS cookbook authors. 27 recipes come from Valerie Aikman-Smith; just one recipe apiece can be attributed to three other authors. Most other writers here have 10 to 12 recipes each. The preps are arranged by course: breakfast/brunch, salads and sides, BBQ, dinners at sunset. You can expect seafood, of course, such as shrimp, scallops, mussels, squid, fish tacos (now found everywhere), and lighter summer-y meats such as chicken. If you are at the seaside then this is a good book for guidance on beach food and drinks on the light side. Both American and Imperial measurements are used. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
I'LL HAVE THE RISOTTO!; 50 delicious recipes for Italian rice dishes (Ryland Peters & Small, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2024, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-596-8, $22.25 CAD hardbound) is by Maxine Clark, one of the RPS stalwarts in its cookbook series. It was first published in 2011, and has been through a few turns since then to include a few additions from three other RPS contributors. Select risottos include arancini di riso di siciliane, artichoke and pecorino risotto, roasted garlic risotto with goats' cheese -- all covering a range of veggies, cheeses, eggs, poultry, red meats, bacon and sausages, and seafood. Most of the preps have metric measurements but a few still also add some Imperial measurements -- which could be confusing if you switch back and forth. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
THE SIPSTER'S POCKET GUIDE TO 50 MUST-TRY ONTARIO WINES volume 1 (Touchwood Editions, 2023, 146 pages, ISBN 978-1-77151-421-7, $20 CAD softbound) is by Luke Whittall, wine instructor at Okanagan College and author of a variety of Sipster's pocket guides, and other books dealing with BC wines. Currently, he also has sipsterswinepodcast.ca to check out. The portable pocket guides to Ontario and BC wines (there are three in the BC series for 150 wines) are very approachable in style, zeroing in on experiences, good company, and "where a wine might take your thoughts" or attitudes. He lists fifty of these on the inside French cover, one per wine, ranging from "abrupt" through "friendly" through "vacation" -- even "singalong". It's a good idea to get away from regular tasting notes, as he does. Each wine comes with a photo, and I happened across one of my faves: the 2017 Rose Traditional Methode from Chateau des Charmes. Price ranges are listed for all, and this wine gets "four wine glasses" to indicate $30 - $40. His gloss says the body is light and the sweetness is dry. He suggests pairing with spinach salad, chicken skewers and picnics. There's an excellent index, with subdivisions of the broad categories "activity pairing", "light body to medium to full body", "grapes", "prices", "food pairing", "wine pairing", "wineries", et al. A good book for the bored wine drinker who wants a new outlook on some of the best wines in Ontario. For BC wines, try THE SIPSTER'S POCKET GUIDE TO 50 MUST-TRY BC WINES volumes 1-3 (Touchwood Editions, 146 pages apiece, $20 CAD each, softbound. Quality/Price Rating: 89, by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
IN CASE YOU MISSED THEM, HERE ARE SOME EARLIER BOOK REVIEW FROM MARCH 2024 ---
RECIPES FROM MY INDIAN KITCHEN; traditional & modern recipes for delicious home-cooked food (Ryland Peters & Small, 2017, 2024, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-516-6 $34 CAD hardbound) is by Nitisha Patel, a professional chef doing recipe development and food consulting in the UK. It was originally published in 2017 as "My Modern Indian Kitchen" but these are also her family recipes from India, for over 60 preps of home-cooked Indian food. She has some cultural notes in her primer on spices and then moves on to street food, curries, vegetarian dishes, sides, rice, chutney, raita, and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements (except for the desserts which are scaled, for the most part), but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: Indian food lovers looking for modern interpretations.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: amritsari fish pakoras; keralan king prawn curry; malabari mussels; tandoori spatchcock poussin; veg manchurian; goan sausage and king prawn pilaf.
The downside to this book: a little thin on the number of recipes
The upside to this book: colourful, good memoir material in each recipe. Quality/Price Rating: 88, by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
THE SCANDIKITCHEN COOKBOOK; recipes for good food with love from Scandinavia (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 2024, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-599-9 $35 CAD hardbound) is by Bronte Aurell, Danish restaurateur and TV food celebrity, who runs the ScandiKitchen Cafe and shop in central London along with her Swedish husband. It was originally published in 2015 as "The Scandi Kitchen". She has also been published widely. Here she has an introduction to Scandinavian food through 75 dishes for all occasions. The contents begin with a pantry/larder, and move on to breakfast, open sandwiches, smorgasbord with soups and salads and light dishes, followed by dinner and desserts. There is even a chapter on fika (get-together with coffee with cakes). Try the breakfast open sandwich, shrimp and asparagus open sandwich, a Nordic Christmas, or traditional Danish apple trifle as individual servings. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 87, by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
BEST OF BRIDGE DONE IN ONE; perfect recipes in one pot, pan or skillet (Robert Rose, 2023, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0712-4 $34.95 CAD hardbound) is by Emily Richards (cookbook author and recipe developer)) and Sylvia Kong (cookbook author and food stylist). Both are home economists, and both have been busy revising the Best of Bridge series of cookbooks over the years. After almost half a century and 4 million books they have created a collection of one-pot recipes. This all-new book of 105 recipes uses just one cooking equipment, whether it be an electrical one-pot, a pan, a cast iron pan, a skillet, a bowl or a sheet pan. As always, the new Best of Bridge team look to family-friendly preps, easy-to-prepare meals, after-work dinners, entertaining crowd pleasers, flavour variations, ingredient substitutions, make-aheads, freezer options, easy clean-up, budget conscious foods, and the like. Virtually goof-proof. Here, even kids can make some foods. The range of contents include breakfasts, apps, salads, soups, sandwiches, red meats, poultry, fish and seafood, veggies, sides and desserts. You could try creamy mushroom and lentil orzo, vegetable beef curry, cinnamon-glazed pumpkin sheet-pan pancakes or skillet lasagne. The index includes lists of dishes for each specific pot; there are also recipe icons to guide you through the equipment and the food. It's a good looking book with excellent colour photos and large bold print. And, of course, the publisher is well-known for using BOTH metric and imperial measurements in all the preps. Quality/price rating: 92, by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
FRENCH FROM THE MARKET (Gibbs Smith, 2024, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-6488-8 $53 CAD hardbound) is by Hillary Davis, cookbook author and lecturer, with about a half dozen or so cookbooks about French cuisine on her resume. Currently, she lives in the Hamptons with several months spent annually in France. Her latest book here has gobs of recipe photos and photos of French markets. Her contents range from starters through to desserts, and emphasizes Parisian foods and South of France foods. This is traditional French cooking, fresh from the market daily. She's simplified a few recipes such as quenelles and tarte Tatin. She's got some innovative recipes such as alpine parsnip hummus with hazelnuts. But mainly it is a French provincial cookbook, with bistro oeufs, a chicken in every pot, Alsatian onion crispbread, Provencal vegetable pistou soup, chilled summer tomato soup with soft garlic breadcrumbs, frisee salad, camargue rice salad, and red wine-poached cherries and grapes with cardamom chantilly among the 100 plus engaging preps. My fave dessert was the Pont Neuf baked figs with brie, walnuts and honey. Yum yum. All the preps have imperial measurements, but there is a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 94, by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
BOOK OF REAL GUUUD BARBECUE; grilling, slow roasting and smoking, beer-can burgers, fireball whiskey meatballs, venison stew, stuffed alligator, rubs, marinades, and more (Firefly Books, 2024, 256 pages, ISBN 13-978-0-2281-0511-4 $29.95 CAD softbound) is from the BBQ Pit Boys, founded in 2007 as a YouTube cooking channel; they host the largest BBQ community in the world. It is now world-wide with over 2.2 million subscribers and about 1.5 billion views - the most watched BBQ cooks on both YouTube and Facebook. The record shows that they have five million plus followers on all social media platforms. And now, for those without an Internet connection comes a BOOK!! It's all backyard grilling, with material on charcoal, a knife, and rubs/marinades. They thrive on being low-key, much like Bob and Ray were in their prime. There are many basic preps and methods here, for what are basically "grilling" and "slow-bbq" - steaks, fish, pork shoulder, lamb, and many sides. It's just about goof-proof. The book is very colourful with chapters devoted to burgers and sausages, meatballs and pies, beef, pork, lamb, game, poultry, seafood, fish, sides, sauces, et al. Lots of photos of the boys and the meats. As the jacket says: "this isn't just a cookbook, its a way of life." A good book for beginners. Just a couple of quibbles -- no index (look to the chapter contents) and no metric measurements (and no conversion tables). Quality/price rating: 89, by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures Writing.
