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Sunday, August 31, 2014

* 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. Some magazines will reissue popular or classic recipes in an "easy" format. Here are some recent "re-editions"...
 
 
25.EATING ON THE WILD SIDE; the missing link to optimum health (Little,
Brown and Co., 2013, 2014, 408 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-22793-3, $16 US soft
covers) is by Jo Robinson, a health writer and food activist in
Washington state. She's the author or co-author of some 14 books, and
runs www.eatwild.com. This is the paperback reprint of the 2013 book.
The premise of her book is to choose present-day
foods that approach the nutritional content of wild plants —our
original diet. Game, although on the website, is not covered in the
book. Log rollers include Andrew Weil and Loren Cordain. Ever since
agriculture was "domesticated", the nutrient value of produce has
diminished. Some wild potatoes have up to 20 times more anti-oxidants
than today's russets; wild tomatoes can have up to 30 times more
lycopene than most supermarket varieties. You do not necessarily have
to go foraging in the wild for such plants, but certain heritage
varieties are better for you than others, and they are worth seeking
out. Part one covers veggies (wild greens, alliums, corn, root
vegetables, tomatoes, crucifers, legumes, artichokes, et al). Part two
covers fruits (apples, berries, stone fruit, grapes, citric, tropical
fruits, melons). For each, there is a description of what the past has
been, what the present is now (and how we got that way), the loss of
diversity, storage, eating, a recipe, a table of recommended varieties
(with comments for each), and "points to remember". She tells you how to store broccoli in a way that increases its antioxidants by a quarter more. Frozen
berries can be thawed to double their anti-oxidants. Tearing romaine
lettuce the day BEFORE you eat it doubles its anti-oxidant content.
Cooked carrots have twice as much beta-carotene as raw carrots. Orange
juice made from concentrate has almost 50% more anti-oxidants than
fresh or canned juice. The 14 preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
26.THE ILLUSTRATED COOK'S BOOK OF INGREDIENTS; 2,500 of the world's
best with classic recipes (DK, 2010, 2013, 544 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-1460-1,
$22.95 Canadian soft covers) is a nice book package from DK. This is the 2013 paperback reprint of the 2010 hard cover book. According to
the publisher, the reader can learn how to buy, store, prepare, cook,
preserve and eat about 2500 international foods. It's a visual
reference with thousands of photos and major contributions from such
top UK writers as Jill Norman (Elizabeth David's editor) on herbs and
spices, Jeff Cox on veggies, Judy Ridgway on oils and vinegars,
Clarissa Hyman on fruit, and the American Juliet Harbutt, cheese
consultant. Each has a separate chapter, so the book is not an
alphabetically arranged reference tool (there is an index). It's also a
heavy book because of the paper needed for the photos. 200 classic
regional recipes are also here. Some examples, such as "Slinzega: made in
Valtellina using smaller strips than bresaola, traditionally horse, but
increasingly venison or pork.", or p.154 has some nifty pix
of offal, including tongue and a pig's head. Preparations have their ingredients
listed mostly in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no metric table
of equivalents. The index is a gem, with leading and a larger than
normal typeface. It's pretty hard to beat the price of this book. Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
27.ASD: THE COMPLETE AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER HEALTH & DIET GUIDE (Robert Rose, 2014, 408 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0473-4, $24.95 CAN paper covers) is by R. Garth Smith (developmental pediatrician), Susan Hannah (research associate), and Elke Sengmueller (registered dietician). Together they have created a package of material about ASD, from mild impairment to severely disabled. The first two parts cover what ASD is and how to manage it (120 pages). Then there are fifty pages on "feeding therapy" and "dietary therapy", leading to a gluten-free casein-free (GFCF) diet program which can be useful if children have milk and/or wheat allergies, food sensitivities, or gastrointestinal difficulties. This is followed by the 175 recipes, all GFCF and arranged by course. These come from 36 other Rose cookbooks (there is a list), and they are all consistent in their layout with chef notes, tips, advice, and nutrient listings per serving. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. At the back, there are resources and references for further reading or Internet viewing, plus, of course, an index. I cannot comment on
the ASD material, but the preps are of the usual Rose quality. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
28.FRESH PANTRY: eat seasonally, cook smart & learn to love your vegetables (Skipstone, 2014; distr. Raincoast, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-59485-817-8, $21.95 US paper covers) is by  Amy Pennington, a Seattle cook, writer, and urban farmer (GoGo Green Garden). She's also the host of a PBS food show. Urban Pantry was her last book, but her current one (Fresh Pantry) is based on her monthly e-short series of the same name. Here she tells us how to select, prepare, and dine on fresh in-season veggies every day of the year. The 120 preps here are arranged by season, beginning with winter (cabbage, winter squash, onions) and moving through spring (rhubarb, lettuce), the berries and tomatoes of summer, and the peppers and kale of autumn. There are other vegetables too, but this is not a "vegetarian" book – she's also got meats (rhubarb-tarragon sausage) and fish (summer squash and corn fritters with lox). She's even got a 17 item pantry for us to use, after making the condiments. There is a list of recipes by course, as well as a developed index. Try Korean ribs with pumpkin puree, toasted pecan and cranberry relish,  or caraway-beet chutney. Good notes on growing. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
29.IDIOT'S GUIDES: The Anti-Inflammation Diet. 2D ed.(Alpha Books, 2014; distr. DK, 316 pages, ISBN 978-1-61564-430-8, $18.95 US paper covers) is by Christopher Cannon, MD, and Heidi McIndoo, RD. It was originally published in 2006 as The Complete Idiot's Guide etc. … There's been renewed interest in increased inflammation and its linkage to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and many more including cancer and IBS. It is more a question of eating whole unprocessed foods and avoiding refined foods entirely. Thus, for the most part, you would need to do your own cooking or visit known restaurants. As with many other such basic how-to books, there is a detailed table of contents and a larger index, both to facilitate easy retrieval. Recipes are scattered about depending on the topic, and cover a range of foods (fats, grains, fish, meat, fruits, and veggies). There are chapters on the principles of dieting, nutrition, dining out, food shopping strategies, supplements and herbs, stress and weight reduction, exercises, plus commentary on other diets. The 60 or so preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
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