FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW

THE LIFE OF CHEESE; crafting food and value in America (University
of California Press, 2013, 306 pages, ISBN 978-0-520-27018-3, $29.95 US
paper covers) is by Heather Paxson, an anthropology professor at MIT.
It's number 41 in the well-respected California Studies in Food and
Culture series, but still comes with log rolling from five other
people. Paxson tells the anthropological story of American artisanal
cheese making, and its contribution to American culture. Much of the
book is anecdotal in her stories of the cheese community: family
members, employees, organizations, customers, other living things – but
no scandals. As a relative of a successful US cheese maker, I can
relate a few scandals that have been through the courts and banks, but
this is a book review, so 'nuff said. The serious part of the book
deals with food politics, the land and terroir, and modern labour
practices. There have been books about artisanal bakers and
chocolatiers and wineries, but here it is the fromagier's turn. A first
rate read in understanding how and where our food comes from, and the
artisanal life. There are also some small black and white photos,
extensive endnotes, and a long bibliography. No recipes. Quality/Price
Rating: 88.

 

4. HUNGRY CAMPERS; cooking outdoors for 1 to 100 (Gibbs Smith, 2013,
127 pages, ISBN 978-0-4236-3028-9, $15.99 US spiral bound) is by Zac
Williams, who also did the photography. It's an easy book to have on a
backpack trip since it emphasizes the basics: simplicity in flavours,
campfire primers, large group cooking, Dutch oven, and more. There's a
three-day backpack menu, with hiker's cereal, pita sandwiches, avocado
bacon wrap, gorp, and some noodle dishes. There's also an overnight
camping menu, a summer camp menu (for six days), a Dutch oven menu
(four days), and a gourmet three-day menu for the advanced chef. Good
fun for families and youth groups. Preparations have their ingredients
listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric
equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 86.

 

5. PRETZEL MAKING AT HOME (Chronicle Books, 2013; distr. Raincoast, 128
pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0964-0, $16.965 US hard covers) is by Andrea
Stonecker, a food writer and the executive director of the Portland
[OR] Culinary Alliance, as well as a cooking school instructor. It's an
open-and-shut book giving us sections on pretzel making basic, soft
pretzels (19 preps), hard pretzels (12 preps), plus some dips and
spreads. There's more to do with soft pretzels, such as the Elvis
peanut butter, banana, and bacon pretzelwich, pretzel bread pudding,
and even pretzel croissants. Hard pretzels feature taralli, caramel-
chocolate-pecan pretzels, and even pretzel ice cream. You can have fun
with this book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both
metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of
equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 86.

 

6. VEGETABLES PLEASE (DK Books, 2013, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-0202-
8, $25 US hard covers) is by Carolyn Humphries, a food writer and
editor for more than three decades (more than 60 books and numerous
articles). This DK book has the usual lush and plush photos, about 300
of them in colour. The publisher touts the book as "the more
vegetables, less meat cookbook" – and so, that end, there is a section
in every recipe called "Optional Meat" or Fish, with information about
a non-vegetarian option. This is extremely useful. The book opens with
a primer on pantry of veggies plus spices and herbs. This is followed
by 200 or so recipes, each with an indication of service and
preparation time and cooking time. And then there is a techniques
section. The arrangement is by form: soups, salads, pasta and rice,
pan-fries and fritters, curries, stews, casseroles, pizzas and wraps,
tortillas, tarts, pies, grills and bakes. Preparations have their
ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements, but there is no
table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: the home cook
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: zucchini and pea mini wraps;
rainbow pepper Mexican tacos; maki sushi; chile bean and veggie braise
with fried eggs; potato and tomato curry; crepes with mushrooms, garlic
and cheese.
The downside to this book: nothing really, but if pushed I'd say a
little bit too basic.
The upside to this book: good photos of techniques plus a larger
typeface.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.

 

7. COOKING WELL: HEALTHY CHINESE (Hatherleigh, 2013, 236 pages, ISBN
978-1-57826-428-5, $12.50 US soft covers) is by Wang Renxiang, David W.
Wang, and Jo Brielyn. The latter is a contributing writer in this book
of over 125 easy preps. The book follows the yin and yang concepts of
health: the cool yin embraces fruits and veggies, sugar and alcohol,
and fresh dairy, while the hot yang is salty foods (aged cheeses), red
meat, and poultry. But when you eat Chinese, it is always best to cook
it yourself. My problems with Chinese restaurants are too much
salt/sugar, and cheap ingredients (in order to be competitive). So this
book has healthy food (although you can cut back even more on the
salt). There's an overview of Chinese ingredients and their nutritional
benefits, healthy alternatives to oils/salts, and a guide on where to
find them. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois
measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beginner home cooks
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: steamed orange chicken, dry-
fried shredded beef, lamb with cumin, steamed eggplant with garlic and
sesame paste, and shanghai-style steamed buns.
The downside to this book: some salt could still be reduced.
The upside to this book: by cooking the healthy food yourself, you'll
save on dubious ingredients.
Quality/Price Rating: 85.

 

8. 150 BEST DESSERTS IN A JAR (Robert Rose, 2013, 221 pages, ISBN 978-
0-7788-0435-2, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by food writer Andrea
Jourdan. It's trendy these days, at least in restaurants, to present
desserts in a jar, mainly Mason jars. It is certainly a clever use for
jars that have lost lids, or for an antique jar that no longer seals
well. You may not have enough of one type for a dinner party, that that
is the charm: different shapes. So here is a whole pile of preps – 150
or so – ranging from warm fruit desserts (crumbles, cobblers, etc.),
steamed puddings, bread puddings, custards, creams, flans, cakes, and
soufflés through colder or room temperature delights of tutti frutti,
gelatin, trifles, tisamisu, freezer creams, and so forth. The obvious
rule is to use Mason jars or some tempered glass vessel for the hot
desserts, and something similar for the frozen ones. Apart from that,
you could just pretty well go to it for single-serving treats that are
readily available for warming up later or straight from the
fridge/freezer. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both
metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of
equivalents.
Audience and level of use: home cooks, or restaurants looking for
ideas.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: peach melba, blackberry mont
blanc, burnt orange crème brule, iced mocha syllabub, pear and almond
crumble.
Quality/Price Rating: 89

 

 

 

9. 150 BEST EBELSKIVER RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2013, 256 pages, ISBN 978-
0-7788-0442-0, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Camilla V. Saulsbury, a
food writer and recipe developer. It continues a series from the
publisher about small desserts (see above for desserts in a jar, and
below for mini pies). Here it is a single-use pan that attracts:
ebelskivers, which can produce puffed pancake balls. The original  (or
variations) has been found in Japan, China, Thailand and India. It
turned up in Holland and Denmark as a result of their respective
trading with Asia. Here, in this book, they are traditional Danish
pancakes served as a special occasion sweet treat. They are about the
size of a racquetball, and have the consistency of part doughnut,
popover and pancake. They are cooked on top of a stove in a seven-well
ebelskiver pan. They are a main treat served stuffed with raspberry jam
at Christmas, along with mulled wine glogg. The pans have been a best-
selling item at Williams-Sonoma for the past five years; restaurants
also are serving the puffs. The book is in four main parts: breakfast
and brunch treats, serious desserts, savoury options, and international
dishes from Asia, Europe and Africa. Preparations have their
ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but
there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: home cooks, or restaurants looking for
ideas.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: spiced carrot ebelskivers;
blue cheese and pecan ebelskivers with pear compote; green chile and
jalapeno ebelskivers; fluffernut puffs; o=pistachio and raisin
ebelskivers.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.

 

10. 175 BEST MINI PIE RECIPES: sweet to savory (Robert Rose, 2013, 332
pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0439-0, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by Julie
Anne Hession, a food writer. It is another book – of three – featuring
small desserts (see ebelskivers and jars above). It's another trend in
both the restaurant and the home, perfectly adaptable to individual
tastes and individual meal times. When you want one (or more) of
different kinds, just find it in the fridge and warm them up…any time…
They are mostly sweet, covering the whole range of desserts, but there
are also 90 pages devoted to savories such as meat, veggies, and
seafood. You will find tartlets, strudels, quiches, pot pies, pasties,
samosas, and others. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both
metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of
equivalents.
Audience and level of use: home cooks, or restaurants looking for
ideas.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: The top ten classics include
mini-apple pies, maple-glazed pumpkin pies, lemon meringue tartlets,
cherry and hazelnut strudels, Mississippi mud pies, mini-chicken pot
pies, steak and mushroom Guinness stew pasties, spanakopita, baked
masala veggie samosas, and ham with cheese quiches.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.

 

 

 

11. SLICE & BAKE COOKIES; fast recipes from your refrigerator or
freezer. (Chronicle Books, 2013; distr. Raincoast, 120 pages, ISBN 978-
1-4521-0962-6, $18.95 US soft covers) is by Elinor Klivans, a former
pastry chef who has written many book on home baking dealing with
cookies, cupcakes, and fast breads. Here she creates a database of
quick cookie doughs that can be stored in advance of baking, useful for
last minute get-togethers or bake sales or assuaging the afternoon
pecks. The 45 preps show that Klivans has turned a lot of standard
cookies into a "freeze and bake" system. There are four categories:
chewy, crisp, savoury, and stuffed/sandwich cookies. There is also the
usual primer information on making changes and storing. Preparations
have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois
measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: home bakers
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chive and black pepper logs;
bacon and cheddar crisps; wafers stuffed with figs and tapenade; sun-
dried tomato and basil strudel; snickerdoodles; sugar cookies; almond
macaroons.
The downside to this book: no gluten-free advice is offered.
The upside to this book: good concept book
Quality/Price Rating: 86.

 

12. CRACKERS & DIPS; more than 50 handmade snacks (Chronicle Books,
2013; distr. Raincoast, 143 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-0950-3, $19.95 US
hard covers) is by Ivy Manning, a food writer and columnist for the
Oregonian in Portland. Here are 52 formulas for crisp snacks and some
dips to eat with them. Homemade is always better for crackers because
then you get to control the preservatives, additives and salts. Some of
the crackers here are vegan, gluten-free and/or whole grain. The
crackers are in five sections: light and crunchy, international,
healthy, easy, and sweet crackers. This is followed by 18 dips, all of
which could replace butter in a restaurant serving bread. Preparations
have their ingredients listed in both metric and (mostly) avoirdupois
measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: home bakers, restaurants.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: smoked almond thins, flax
seed pizza crackers, amaranth crackers with cheddar and pepitas, black
pepper taralli, Irish blue cheese and walnut shortbread, bacon and
caramelized onion jam, albacore tuna tartare with hijiki.
The downside to this book: a bit short – I wanted more!!
The upside to this book: good single ingredient book.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.

 

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