12. EVERYDAY EASY 30-MINUTE DINNERS: quick assembly – fresh and light
from the pantry. (DK Books, 2010, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-6189-2,
$20US hard covers) is "based on content previously published in The
Illustrated Kitchen Bible (2008) and The Illustrated Quick Cook
(2009)". Both of these books got high recommendations from me when I
first reviewed them, and they contained the primer data and about 1500
recipes. Here, there are 90 recipes specifically concerned with quick
preparations, as indicated in the subtitle. Techniques pages cover the
"how to" slice and peel, steam rice, make stocks, etc. There are six
themed recipe planners (healthy, one-pot, vegetarian, budget, et al).
Of course you may need three things that not everyone has: a larder-
pantry, a mise-en-place, and food prepared in advance. There are lots
of photos, tips on service and sides, plus indications of prep times. I
also like the large typeface. Preparations have their ingredients
listed in both avoirdupois and metric measurements, and there are table
of equivalents on the inside cover, both front and back. Basics include
berries with citrus syrup, tomato bulgur wheat with capers and olives,
kasha pilaf, waldorf salad, bean burgers. A good starter book, ideal
too for students and harried workers. Quality/Price rating: 90 (and it
would be better value if it were a paperback and presumably cheaper).
13. SUSHI; taste and technique (DK Books, 2010, 256 pages, 256 pages,
ISBN 978-0-7566-6424-4, $14.95US paper covers) is by Kimiko Barber and
Hiroki Takemura, who both work in cooking schools and restaurants in
London. It was originally published in 2002, and this is the paperback
reprint. The basics are covered: scattered, stuffed, pressed, rolled,
hand-formed sushi, with vegetarian and fusion options. I am not sure
how well the book is needed now, since there is proliferation of sushi
places all over the world, and many deal with take out. But if you are
in a rural area and the seafood is freshly caught, then you'll want to
have this book to do it all at home. It is easy enough, especially with
the large typeface. Try omelette parcels, seared duck breast, shrimp,
mackerel, and the like. Great pix of techniques. Preparations have
their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements,
but there is no metric table of equivalents. A glossary is also
presented. Quality/Price rating: 88.
14. GRILL IT! Recipes, techniques, tools. (DK Books, 2010, 336 pages,
ISBN 978-0-7566-6548-7, $18.95US paper covers) is by Chris Schlesinger
(chef-owner of East Coast Grill in Cambridge MA and Beard Award winner)
and John Willoughby (last editor of Gourmet). They have written nine
cookbooks together. It was originally published in hard covers in 2008
as "Barbecue", and this is its paper back reprint. Schlesinger, of
course, owns a grill restaurant, so he is committed to the procedure.
Topics are arranged by meat, with steaks and chops and ribs first up,
followed by seafood, poultry, veggies, etc. There are also chapters on
sides and salads, snacks, sweets, and the like. Large typeface is a
boon, although endless pictures of grill marks and charred bits can
fatigue after awhile. There's a good discussion on techniques and
sauces. Try Latin-style grilled pork chops, Asian-flavored grilled baby
back ribs, double-thick tuna steaks, or smoke-roasted chicken thighs.
Preparations have their weight ingredients listed in both metric and
avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table of equivalents.
Quality/Price rating: 87.
15. GEMS OF GLUTEN-FREE BAKING; breads and irresistible treats everyone
can enjoy (Whitecap Books, 2010, 200 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-018-1,
$29.95 Canadian, paper covers) is by Wendy Turnbull, who has been
gluten-free for thirty years (see glutenfreegems.com). She was appalled
at the white rice flour and tapioca starch she had to use. She began
experimenting with whole-grain gluten-free flours, and came up with
GEMS flour which you can make yourself (it is not a brand name). It is
comprised of brown rice flour, white sorghum flour, flour from
amaranth, light buckwheat, gluten-free oat, teff, plus chickpea,
millet, soy, quinoa, and white/red/black bean. Her book was originally
published in 2008 by a local Calgary publisher, and here it has been
updated and given wider circulation. There's a couple of dozen pages on
the flour and the basics of a gluten-free diet. The rest of the book is
divided into breads, muffins, cookies, and desserts (cakes, pies,
squares). There are 120 preps here. But nothing is scaled: it is all
volume. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois
measurements, but there are metric table of equivalents. Try crispy
gingersnaps, Dad's cookies, hazelnut and cranberry biscotti, butter
tart squares, chocolate fudge brownies, granola bars, sour cream spice
cake, or sourdough bread. Quality/Price rating: 88.
16. A SLICE OF ORGANIC LIFE (DK Books, 2010, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-
7566-6211-0, $19.95US paper covers) is by Sheherazade Goldsmith, a
writer who runs an organic farm in Devon, England. It was originally
published in 2007; this is the paperback reprint. The author is listed
as "editor-in-chief" which seems to imply that other people wrote the
material. But I don't see any writing references, although there are
many acknowledgements to photographers. The book is in three parts:
what you can do to be eco-friendly if you don't have a yard; what you
can do if you have a patio or a small yard; and what you can do if you
have a large yard or field or even community garden. Under the latter,
there are 33 activities, ranging from keeping some chickens (illegal in
Toronto), making simple preserves, nourishing the soil, to using up a
glut of tomatoes, planting a vine or simply creating a pond for
wildlife. There's about 90 activities in the book. At the very least
(with no yard), one can bake bread, check the label, make flavoured
oils and vinegars, and shop ethically. Commonsense will win out. This
is a very good book, with a few recipes (all indexed in italics).
Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and
avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The
bibliography could use an update.
Quality/Price ratio: 89.
17. CURRY CUISINE; fragrant dishes from India, Thailand, Vietnam, and
Indonesia (DK Books, 2010, 352 pages, ISBN 978-0-7566-6207-3
$22.95 CAD soft covers) is a book package with nine authors, each one
responsible for a different country. It was originally published in
2006, and this is the paperback reprint. Sri Owen, a cookbook writer
for the past four decades, wrote the chapter on Myanmar and Maritime SE
Asia, while David Thompson (who wrote the award-winning book "Thai
Food" in 2002) covers, of course, Thailand. Eighteen regions in all are
included: (beyond the subtitle) Africa, Caribbean, Britain and
Japan, and all with kitchen memoirs by the authors, cooking methods,
and cook's notes of tips. This is a book about curry migration through
the world. The publisher also advises that "Every recipe in Curry
Cuisine is both authentic and user-friendly. Tried and tested by
experts using widely available ingredients, exquisite flavors and
successful results are guaranteed." No weasel words there...180
recipes cover the key dishes, the sides and the accompaniments.
Unfortunately for us in Canada, the source list is all US and UK only.
The book concludes with a food glossary. Try katsu curry (pork or
chicken); shrimp balti; saraman (ginger beef curry); green curry of
coconut heart; chickpea pilaf; tamarind rice; or lamb with winter
vegetables and spinach. The volume measurements are in avoirdupois only
while the weight measurements are in both avoirdupois and metric
scales. Quality/Price Rating: 89.
18. THE PRACTICAL HOMESTEAD; the backyard handbook for growing food,
raising animals & nurturing your land (DK Books, 1998, 2010, 192 pages,
ISBN 978-0-7566-6213-4, $19.95 US paper covers) is by Paul Heiney,
currently a part-time farmer. It was originally published in 1998 as
"Country Life". It is an open-and-shut quick guide to creating a
sustainable life style via your own farm, getting back to the roots. A
small farm would suffice. Select food topics include: making cider,
churning butter, harvesting honey, growing grain, grinding flour,
selecting poultry, curing bacon, spinning wool, making cheese, canning,
winemaking, plus others. Each has a couple of pages loaded with advice
and photos and charts. Larger material deals with working the soil,
planning the year, making compost, sowing seeds, and restoring a pond.
It is pretty good stuff, with primer advice for the beginner. Nothing
much has changed in farm life in the past dozen years, so most of the
reprint still stands. Quality/Price rating: 86.
