THE REISSUES, THE REPRINTS, AND THE NEWER EDITIONS...
...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. Here are some recent "re-editions"...
16. PLATTER'S SOUTH AFRICAN WINES 2009; the guide to cellars,
vineyards, winemakers, restaurants and accommodation (The John Platter
SA Wine Guide Ltd; distr. by Wines of South Africa Canadian Office,
keenan@propellerpr.com, 416-461-6016, 567 pages, ISBN 978-0-95-845067-
6, $30CAD (includes shipping) hard cover) is the recognized authority
on South African wines. It has been published for 29 years. For this
latest edition, there are now 17 tasters – all identified, and with
initials after tasting notes. Some of the tasters have changed over the
years. Some 6000 wines are here evaluated (800 are new to this
edition), along with new wineries. One-quarter of all top ranking 5
star wines are now being made by mom-and-pop operations, a remarkable
achievement. Even the large co-ops are making more credible, limited
collections of superior wine. The contents of the guide are
straightforward: there are chapters on the wine industry, vintages and
styles, touring (accommodation and food, all in some 75 pages) followed
by some 400 pages of dictionary-arranged wineries, detailing most
aspects. To quote, "Wines are entered under the name of the private
producer, estate, co-operative winery or brand name of a merchant, and
listed alphabetically. Entries feature some or all of: producer's name,
address, phone/fax number, email address, website; wine name, colour
and style, grape varieties, vintage, area of origin; selected recent
awards and star ratings. Where applicable, other attractions to be
enjoyed on the property, such as meals and accommodation, are
highlighted." The book also has an indication of organic wines
available for sale and sketch maps to show the location of all the
wineries. The index at the front is by grape, so you can see at a
glance what is the top performing pinotage, or cabernet sauvignon, or
sparkler. Quality/Price Rating: 95.
vineyards, winemakers, restaurants and accommodation (The John Platter
SA Wine Guide Ltd; distr. by Wines of South Africa Canadian Office,
keenan@propellerpr.com, 416-461-6016, 567 pages, ISBN 978-0-95-845067-
6, $30CAD (includes shipping) hard cover) is the recognized authority
on South African wines. It has been published for 29 years. For this
latest edition, there are now 17 tasters – all identified, and with
initials after tasting notes. Some of the tasters have changed over the
years. Some 6000 wines are here evaluated (800 are new to this
edition), along with new wineries. One-quarter of all top ranking 5
star wines are now being made by mom-and-pop operations, a remarkable
achievement. Even the large co-ops are making more credible, limited
collections of superior wine. The contents of the guide are
straightforward: there are chapters on the wine industry, vintages and
styles, touring (accommodation and food, all in some 75 pages) followed
by some 400 pages of dictionary-arranged wineries, detailing most
aspects. To quote, "Wines are entered under the name of the private
producer, estate, co-operative winery or brand name of a merchant, and
listed alphabetically. Entries feature some or all of: producer's name,
address, phone/fax number, email address, website; wine name, colour
and style, grape varieties, vintage, area of origin; selected recent
awards and star ratings. Where applicable, other attractions to be
enjoyed on the property, such as meals and accommodation, are
highlighted." The book also has an indication of organic wines
available for sale and sketch maps to show the location of all the
wineries. The index at the front is by grape, so you can see at a
glance what is the top performing pinotage, or cabernet sauvignon, or
sparkler. Quality/Price Rating: 95.
17. RIVER CAFÉ COOK BOOK EASY (Ebury Press, 2003, 2008, 269 pages, ISBN
978-0-091925321, $39.95 Canadian soft covers) is by Rose Gray and Ruth
Rogers, the two owner-chefs of the River Café in London. They founded
it in 1987. They have had previously successful cookbooks, and a TV
show. This book is a straight reprint of the 2003 issue. God forbid
that we need another "easy Italian" cookbook…what's different here?
Well, the photos are very good and the large print is terrific. The
"easy" part is explained by the premise that the food should be easy to
shop for, and you can get it all on the table within an hour or two.
The 200 recipes here rely on a well-stocked pantry (checklist is
included here) plus fresh seasonal ingredients. The bruschetta section
has 24 preps (all photographed) plus 15 antipasti. Soup, pasta,
risotto, seafood, meats, potatoes, and verdure are completed by lots of
desserts. The source list and the measurements are all UK. Try chicken
with nutmeg, fig arugula bruschetta, Sardinian bottarga, or gnudi
bianchi. Most, but not all, of the photos are
for final plating. Quality/Price rating: 83.
18. SANTA FE SCHOOL OF COOKING; flavors of the Southwest (Gibbs Smith,
2006, 2008; distr. Raincoast, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-0470-9
$24.99 soft covers) is by founder Susan Curtis. The School has been
operating since 1989. Her co-author is the school manager, Nicole
Curtis Ammerman. The 2006 book was originally titled "SOUTHWEST
FLAVORS; Santa Fe School of Cooking", but this time out, they retitled
it. Otherwise, it is the same book. The emphasis is on lighter foods –
100 preps in all. Her typical classes are described: she covers
Mexican, Spanish, Native American, New Mexican, and Southwestern US
cuisine. Many of the preps come from some of the area's notable chefs,
such as James Caruso of El Farol and Eddie Lyons of the Pink Adobe and
Galisteo Inn. The theme and foundation, of course, is the chile. There
are glossary notes on equipment and larders, a bibliography for further
reading, and a directory of US sources for food ingredients. Only US
weights and measures are given without any metric conversion charts.
For more details, go to www.santafeschoolofcooking.com.
Try blue corn tamales with calabacitas filling, sunset soup with red
pepper (black bean soup and sweet corn bisque), nopales and golden beet
salad, or tumbleweed of sweet potato. Large typeface, but the deficient
index has not changed. Quality/Price rating: 83.
2006, 2008; distr. Raincoast, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-0470-9
$24.99 soft covers) is by founder Susan Curtis. The School has been
operating since 1989. Her co-author is the school manager, Nicole
Curtis Ammerman. The 2006 book was originally titled "SOUTHWEST
FLAVORS; Santa Fe School of Cooking", but this time out, they retitled
it. Otherwise, it is the same book. The emphasis is on lighter foods –
100 preps in all. Her typical classes are described: she covers
Mexican, Spanish, Native American, New Mexican, and Southwestern US
cuisine. Many of the preps come from some of the area's notable chefs,
such as James Caruso of El Farol and Eddie Lyons of the Pink Adobe and
Galisteo Inn. The theme and foundation, of course, is the chile. There
are glossary notes on equipment and larders, a bibliography for further
reading, and a directory of US sources for food ingredients. Only US
weights and measures are given without any metric conversion charts.
For more details, go to www.santafeschoolofcooking.com.
Try blue corn tamales with calabacitas filling, sunset soup with red
pepper (black bean soup and sweet corn bisque), nopales and golden beet
salad, or tumbleweed of sweet potato. Large typeface, but the deficient
index has not changed. Quality/Price rating: 83.
19. MOUTH WIDE OPEN; a cook and his appetite (North Point Press, 2008;
distr. Douglas & McIntyre, 410 pages, ISBN 978-0-374-53143-0 $16.50
Canadian soft covers) is by John Thorne, well-known culinary writer
living in Massachusetts. He is assisted by his wife Matt Lewis Thorne.
This is his sixth book, and like all of them, is derived from his
newsletter "Simple Cooking" with some autobiographical and memoirish
pieces. "Pot on the Fire", one of his earlier books, won a James Beard
Book Award. He picks his food choices carefully. Here he details
pistachios, falafel, Scottish marmalade, bagna caoda, salted anchovies,
improvised breakfasts, minestrone, and midnight snacks. He has prepared
us for many scenes along his food journeys. His writing style is
impeccable and iconoclastic; he delights in everything he thinks is
good. And wants us to think of them as good too. He says he does not
follow recipes, but rather he interacts with them. Here he gives us
about 125 preps, all listed at the front and indexed at the back. There
is a bibliography of his favorite food and cookbooks. And the index is
stunning in its detail – you can find his thoughts on a wide variety of
food matters in an instant. This is literary food writing at its
finest. Please read it in small doses, just before nodding off at
night. Quality/Price rating: 94.
20. CRÈME BRULEE (Chronicle Books, 2005, 2009; distr. Raincoast, 96
pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-6682-8, $14.95 US hard covers) is by Lou Seibert
Pappas, who has written several dozen cookbooks for Chronicle Books.
This book was originally published in 2005; here, it is simply
reissued. It is a collection of some 50 different varieties, beginning
with the classic vanilla bean crème brulee and moving through similar
creations such as mango crème brulee, cherry risotto crème brulee,
toffee crème brulee, and some savoury: mushroom and goat cheese crème
brulee, gorgonzola and leek crème brulee, sun-dried tomato and olive
crème brulee, and roasted onion and gruyere crème brulee. As with any
single food cookbook, you've got to like the end creation a lot. There
are photos of some of the final platings, plus the usual primer advice
on how to make crème brulee and spin off the variations. There is a
table of equivalents for the avoirdupois measurements. If this is your
bag, then – at this price level – this is your book. Quality/Price
rating: 85.
pages, ISBN 978-0-8118-6682-8, $14.95 US hard covers) is by Lou Seibert
Pappas, who has written several dozen cookbooks for Chronicle Books.
This book was originally published in 2005; here, it is simply
reissued. It is a collection of some 50 different varieties, beginning
with the classic vanilla bean crème brulee and moving through similar
creations such as mango crème brulee, cherry risotto crème brulee,
toffee crème brulee, and some savoury: mushroom and goat cheese crème
brulee, gorgonzola and leek crème brulee, sun-dried tomato and olive
crème brulee, and roasted onion and gruyere crème brulee. As with any
single food cookbook, you've got to like the end creation a lot. There
are photos of some of the final platings, plus the usual primer advice
on how to make crème brulee and spin off the variations. There is a
table of equivalents for the avoirdupois measurements. If this is your
bag, then – at this price level – this is your book. Quality/Price
rating: 85.
21. THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE POTATO (Vintage Books, 2009, 315 pages,
ISBN 978-0-099-47479-1, $23.95 Canadian soft covers) is by John Reader,
an author who has specialized in popular anthropological studies. Here
he tackles the ubiquitous potato. The book was originally published in
the UK by William Heinemann, under the title "Propitious Esculent"
(which means "benevolent edible"). It seems to have had rave reviews
from everywhere in the UK. It is a scholarly book, with endnotes, a
sterling bibliography of books and articles and websites, a good index,
and some black and white plates of photos and archival drawings. The
story begins in South America of course (pre-Incas, 8000 years ago),
and moves to Europe (Spanish Conquest spoils, Irish famine). Reader
looks at it all via human ecology (the extent to which culture and
social systems are influenced by environment and food production
systems). Readable. Quality/Price rating: 89.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
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