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Saturday, July 30, 2016

THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK...

 
...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they've been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I'll try to point this out. The usual shtick is "favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks". There is also PR copy on "demystifying ethnic ingredients". PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase "mouth-watering recipes" as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don't seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don't ignore them altogether. Here's a rundown on the latest crop of such books –
 
 
 
3.FROM JUNK FOOD TO JOY FOOD (Hay House, 2016, 262 pages, ISBN 978-1-4019-5037-8, $24.99 USD hardbound) is by Joy Bauer, nutrition and health expert for the TODAY show (NBC, USA), and host of the "Joy Fit Club" which celebrates people for have lost 100 pounds or more. This current book, which deals with all manner of popular food re-invented for a healthier lifestyle, is drawn from her TV show of the same name. Her book covers all the courses and mealtimes, from breakfasts through appetizers, soups, salads, suppers, pastas, pizza, desserts, and beverages. For each food (e.g., eggs Benedict) she describes the original (here, 1000 calories) and her healthy knock-off (here, 377 calories, along with nutritional data). She replaces pancakes that one would find in a diner with "protein pancakes" at a third of the calories. And the same with silver dollar pancakes. "Spaghetti and meatballs" becomes zucchini linguine with meatballs. Good stuff all round, usually resulting in calorie reductions of half to 2/3. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of conversion equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
4.DIVA Q'S BARBEQUE (Appetite by Random House, 2016, 278 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-752982-4, $24.95 CAD softbound) is by Danielle Bennett, host of BBQ Crawl (as Diva Q), and highly ranked as a competitive BBQ expert. There are some impressive log rollers, but what can really sell the book is the fact that there are not all that many female BBQ pit masters. It has always seemed to be a guy's game. Here she's got 195 recipes for BBQ for family and entertaining, covering a full range from basics through rubs, sauces, spices, apps, pork-beef-poultry-fish, salads and breads. There is even a section on sweets, such as "s'more better dip" for toasting. It is a very entertaining package with her saucy style. Her best chapter is the "six recipes you need to know" (basic brine, smoked garlic, flavoured butters, etc.). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric conversion equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
 
5.PROJECT SMOKE (Workman, 2016, 293 pages, ISBN 978-0-7611-8186-6, $22.95 USD softbound) is by Steven Raichlen, a long time host of popular PBS grill and BBQ shows. His BBQ books have won multiple awards. He's been hosting/writing BBQ for a couple of decades now (29 books!). This is a step-by-step guide to mastering the craft of smoking. He's got 100 recipes, covering not only brisket-ribs-belly-salmon-turkey but also smoking sides. There's the important equipment chapter, choosing hardwoods, and making sure that you get the most out of things. His seven step approach begins with choosing a smoker, through to knowing when the food is done. His pragmatic approach includes boosting smoke flavours without using a smoker: just add bacon, or chipotle, ham, smoked paprika, smoked cheese, or lapsang souchon. He advocates smoking such items as butter, ricotta, salt, sugar, mayo, olive oil, capers, lemons, bologna – even ice!. It is a versatile book...full of tips and advice on every page. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents, unfortunately. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
 
 
6.AROUND THE FIRE (Ted Speed Press, 2016, 262 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-752-9, $35 USD hardbound) is by Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quinonez Denton, both of Ox restaurant in Portland. The focusing food writer is Stacy Adimando. The book is a collection of diverse grilling preps from the restaurant, as modified for home use and feasting. Seasonal produce is the core, as well as Argentine fire cooking. There is an emphasis on the unusual, such as grilled skirt steaks or lamb shoulder chops. The sections of the book are arranged by apps, mains, salads, sides, and sweets with drinks. There are some hot cocktails: calimocho, la yapa, ox blood, and the whey of the gun among others. Grilled veggies include such as sweet onion with buttered beets, butternut squash with za'atar and charred green onion yogurt, blistered snap peas, and baby bok choy with Ecuadorian peanut sauce. Excellent photography and good stories about their restaurant Ox. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
7.CHURRASCO (Gibbs Smith, 2016, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-4068-4, $30 USD hardbound) is by Evandro Caregnato, culinary director of Texas de Brazil, which began in Addison Texas in 1998. It's all about grilling the Brazilian way, with modifications for the home. There's a wonderful description here of the grilling tradition in Brazil and the concept of a churrascaria. Most of the meats are on skewers, which makes it hard to do at home without the proper equipment and space. So it is pretty well boneless for maximum impact. Charcoal is always used, unlike the Argentine and Uruguayan wood. There is a lot of material on the various meat cuts and preparing the skewer, collated by animal. Marinades are prominent too. There are also preps dealing with sides such as fried polenta stuffed with cheese, seasoned cassava flour, arroz carreteiro, and even lobster bisque or cream of jalapeno soup. The delightful Brazilian cheese bread (pao de queijo) is covered, as well as the Brazilian caipirinha  national drink. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements for the most part, but there are also tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
8.WEBER'S NEW AMERICAN BARBECUE (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-71527-1, $24.99 USD softbound) is by Jamie Purviance, Weber's master griller. He has written several grilling books for the Weber banner. This one is a modern spin on the classics, with international dishes Americanized. He's got tomato-bacon jam, grilled salmon BLTs, lemon-brined bacon, a whole slew of beef dishes and bean plates, plus a multitude of marinades and sauces. Some of the recipes come from fellow competitors. And as always with his books, the recipe instructions are quite detailed.  There's a whole section on rubs (all 17 of them) plus guides to grilling pork, lamb, beef, poultry, seafood. While the book is useful, it would help if the reader had a Weber BBQ of some sorts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
9.SMOKING MEAT (DK Books, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-4934-4, $19.95 USD softbound) is by Will Fleischman, a brand ambassador for Black Iron BBQ Pits. He's hosted many TV shows. His book is a basic, well-illustrated tome in the DK tradition guide to tools, techniques, cuts, with of course recipes. This is what you'll need to know for smoking (not necessarily BBQ: some people confuse the two). Personally, I love smoked meat but I am not so fond of BBQ. Wood is of the essence here, and the chapters cover beef, lamb, pork, poultry, game, and seafood, with extras comprising smoked mushroom caps, smoked asparagus, even smoked salsa verde and habanero hot sauce. Extremely goof detail with charts on cooking and smoking times and temperatures. Consider jerk-rubbed chicken wings, chicken thighs with white sauce, salmon with sweet glaze, smoked lobster tail, shrimp skewers, and more. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
10.LEGENDS OF TEXAS BARBECUE COOKBOOK (Chronicle Books, 2002, 2016, 205 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-3998-2, $22.95 USD softbound) is by Robb Walsh, a three-time winner of the Beard Journalism Award and co-owner of El Real Tex-Mex Cafe in Houston. This book was originally published in 2002 but has now been revised and updated – a lot has changed since that time. There are 32 new recipes here. Topics include evolution of Texas pits, trophy winners, old German-style meat markets, the importance of East Texas, the rise of BBQ as a "business", rib joints, and regional specialties. The emphasis of course is on smoking and BBQing beef. There are lots and lots of personality profiles here, with pix and some archival photos. These are recipes and recollections from the pit masters of the past and present. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
11.CHEF RONALDO'S SABORES DE CUBA (American Diabetes Association, 2016, 260 pages, ISBN 978-1-58040-613-0, $18.95 USD softbound) is by Ronaldo Linares, executive chef of Martino's Cuban restaurant in New Jersey. He's a specialist in diabetic cooking, and has here adapted many Cuban preps for diabetes-friendly traditional and nuevo cubano cuisine. The book is bilingual, Spanish and English, with the recipes facing each other on the printed pages. There are about 100 of them, from the basic Cubano sandwich to mojo marinated pork tenderloin, roasted sweet plantains, and seared scallops. And of course indexed in both languages. All courses and types of dishes are covered, savoury and sweet. A good looking book. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
12.SPRING; the cookbook (Quadrille, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-754-1, $24.95 USD hardbound) is by Skye Gyngell, owner of Spring Restaurant in London UK. It has preps and original recipes from her place, as well as series of profiles on its creation. She had previously won a Guild of Food Writers Cookery Book of the Year in 2007 for her "A Year in My Kitchen". Her dining establishment celebrates the Spring season, for the most part as many of the dishes can be used year round. Of course there is asparagus (with crème fraiche), eggs and anchovies with radishes, carpaccio of wild salmon, crab with crème fraiche and roe, nettle risotto, and many other dishes using spring veggies and spring lamb. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
13.CREOLE KITCHEN (Weldon Owen, 2015, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-68188-052-5, $35 USD hardbound) is by Vanessa Bolosier, founder of Carib Gourmet which specializes in Caribbean food and sweets in the UK. She comes from French-speaking islands of the Caribbean. Her creole kitchen is a food melange from Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Domenica, French Guiana and Saint Lucia. In this book you will find the melting pot of cultures, beginning with homemade food, street food, local restaurant food, and upscale food for entertaining. She has quite extensive notes on Creole food in particular, with its emphasis on veggies, fruits, and seafood of the region, along with pork. The key elements of creole food include accras (small fritters), boiled racines (roots), bokits (deep fried bread), dombres (dumplings), and rums. Expect avocado feroce, lobster fricassee, breadfruit and pork parmentier, green papaya gratin, and sauce chien. There are about 100 recipes in all. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
14.KEVIN BELTON'S BIG FLAVORS OF NEW ORLEANS (Gibbs Smith, 2016, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-4157-5, $24.99 USD hardcovers) is by Kevin Belton, who also hosts a PBS cooking series on New Orleans food. He has been assisted by Rhonda K. Findley, co-author of several News Orleans food books. It nicely rounds out Creole cooking above the Caribbean (see previous review) with its gumbos, crab and corn bisque, shrimp etouffee, Louisiana pecan praline, crab cakes, "jazz brunches", roux and gumbo. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
 
15.RUSH HOUR MEALS (Whitecap, 2016, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-303-8, $24.95 CAD softbound) is by Rose Reisman, who has written 19 health-focused cookbooks while also appearing in both print and broadcast, and running a "healthy" catering company. Here she presents recipes for busy families: nutritional ones that are easy and fast to make.  Like many similar books, it can all be done in 30 minutes or less. She's got mac and cheese won ton cups, black bean burgers, turkey chili with butternut squash, and miniature quiches. There are 115 preps here, arranged by course from apps to desserts, with some all-day breakfasts for the really harried. Typical are quinoa bites, chicken with roasted cherry tomatoes and asiago, Mexican chicken lasagna, and baked pottao parmesan chips. Each prep comes with some logos such as "gluten-free" or "vegetarian", nutrition tips, advice for kids, and nutritional data. Prep times and cook times are clearly indicated. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. But points off for the incredibly teeny tiny index type font (one point in size?), virtually unreadable by anybody over the age of 35. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
16.HOT THAI KIYCHEN (Appetite by Random House, 2016, 246 pages, ISBN 978-0-449-01705-0, $24.95 CAD softbound) is by Pailin Chongchitnant, who started her YouTube channel while a chef in the Bay Area and is now a co-host on Gusto TV. Her book is full and comprhensive, fleshing out many moments from the YouTube show of the same name. It's a basic Thai book but it is also well-priced. There's a lot of cultural and travel data and photos here, but there is also the cooking basics of Thai curries, soups, salads, stir-fries, sauces and dips, plus vegetarian and vegan versions of dishes. She's got a small chapter on desserts as well. A good entry-level book for the curious, and lots of close-ups of the plated food. Part one on the techniques covers a hundred pages before the recipes even begin. Not only does she have side-notes explaining the breakdown and the rationale behind the food's "coming together", but she has provided QR codes for her YouTube videos so you can see an actual demo of what she is doing. Unfortunately, preparations have their ingredients listed only in avoirdupois measurements, and there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
17.AMERICA'S BEST BREAKFASTS (Clarkson Potter, 2016, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-553-44721-7, $23 USD softbound) is by Lee Brian Schrager and Adeena Sussman. He's the founder of the Food Network South Beach and New York City Wine & Food Festivals, and cookbook author. She's a cookbook writer who also collaborated with Schrager on the "Fried and True" cookbook. These are fave local recipes from US coast to coast, essentially from diners and places open really early in the day. It's arranged by region, from the West Coast to the Midwest, to the South, and then to the Northeast. There is even a short chapter on Bloody Marys. So we get "shrimp and grits" from Charleston's Hominy Grill, croque monsieurs from Tartine in San Francisco, kimchi pancakes from the Sunshine Tavern in Portland, Filipino steak from Uncle Mike's in Chicago, and cannoli French toast from the Cafe Lift in Philadelphia – about 100 dishes from 25 cities, all sourced with some pix and profiles of the restos. Yummy. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
18.MEXICAN TODAY (Houghton Mifflin, 2016, 320 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-55724-6, $30 USD hardbound) is Pati Jinich, resident chef of the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington DC. She's written other cookbooks on Mexican food. The subtitle says "new and rediscovered recipes for contemporary kitchens", but of course, there are plenty of basics and classics too. The arrangement is standard, from soups, through salads, tortas, guacamoles, salsas, adobos, tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, guisados, one dish meals, sides, and desserts followed by beverages. So there are homey dishes such as bacon and lentil soup with plantains or green pozole with zucchini, tortas with chicken and refried beans and plantains, potato and chorizo tortas, open-faced Mexican gravlax sandwiches, crabmeat enchiladas with peas and a buttermilk sauce, and chicken or poultry pibil. It is a no-nonsense book with a good index (large type). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
 
19.DRINK LIKE A MAN (Chronicle Books, 2016, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-3270-9, $22.95 USD hardbound) is from Esquire magazine. It is touted as "the only cocktail guide anyone really needs", but then they all say that – or some version of that subtitle. There's a whole bunch of people involved, mostly from the magazine, but also a few who were former employees. It is a guy book in that only the essentials are covered: the basic implements, garnishes, bar setups, and the seven cocktail formulas, and even (to cover themselves) "a few seemingly fussy things that are actually worth it". The macho book goes on to present the 14 Classics of Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Martini, Negroni, etc., followed by The Second Round of Slightly Less Essential Cocktails (Bloody Mary, Brandy Alexander, Zombie, et al), and The Third Round of The Odd Inventive (Stinger, Americano,  Sloe Gin) and then Punches and some quick guy foods such as potato chips with caviar, alomds and rosemary, deviled eggs, jalapenos wrapped in bacon, etc. My thoughts: real guys only need the first fifty pages here. Preparations have their ingredients listed in some metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. One nice thing: the distinctive typeface of Esquire has been retained. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
20.COUNTRY COOKING FROM A REDNECK KITCHEN (Clarkson Potter, 2016, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-553-44845-0 $22 USD softbound) is by Francine Bryson, who has won over 200 local and national baking competitions and has appeared on The American Baking Competition (CBS). I'm not quite sure if the term "redneck" will help sell the book, but she has used it before for her baking book. Here are 125 examples of cooking from the Southern states, although the redneck empire is larger than that. As she says, there are preps for chicken dinners, savoury pies, Sunday suppers, make-and-take casseroles, dips, BBQ, baked goods and holiday sweets. There's a fair number of canned goods and prepared foods  to speed up the process (tinned soups, canned small white potatoes, evaporated milk, pimentos, lemon cake mix, and the like). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 82.
 
 
 
21.SHORT ORDER DAD (Skyhorse Publishing, 2016, 252 pages, ISBN 978-1-63450-980-0, $17.99 USD softbound) is by Robert Rosenthal, professional chef, food writer and humourist, and owner of Short Order Dad videos. He's an inspiration to all dad everywhere in his no-nonsense approach to 100 or so crowd-pleasing recipes in this book. It is also a handbook of basic techniques to employ with simple recipes that have the most taste with the fewest ingredients and the least effort. Everything here, of course, has been family-tested and could also be used for entertaining. Apps to desserts are covered, and there is a heavy splash of the American southwest in spicing and cuisine: chorizo beef burger, pork ribs mole style, seared duck breasts over greens, spicy green beans. Multiple log rollers include Floyd Cardoz and Colman Andrews. And there is not one single pix of the author, unlike many similar books by women cooks. Large type font, all caps for list of ingredients, and a decent sized index complete the picture. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85.
 
 
22.SIROCCO (Appetite by Random House, 2016, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-753033-2, $39.95 CAD hardbound) is by Sabrina Ghayour, host of Sabrina's Kitchen supper club in London UK and free lance writer. The cook is co-published with Mitchell Beazley in the UK. She had earlier written Persiana; here, she returns to the well with more Middle East cookery themes. As before, she emphasizes the pantry as the key to cooking from scratch: these are year round staples, waiting for stews, seasonal veggie delights, salads, and so forth. She's got about a dozen major spices/herbs/oils or combos. Her philosophy is that you can take these condiments and make Middle East versions of many other foods. Her range continues to be all-inclusive, with breakfasts, apps through desserts, and beverages/drinks. Try za'atar and goat cheese puffs, spicy turkey lettuce wraps, or spice-roasted duck. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
23.FIVE (Ebury Press, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-00-9195966-1 $31.99 CAD softbound) is by Rachel de Thample, who has cooked in the kitchens of Marco Pierre White, Blumenthal, and Gordon. She's currently a food editor, and she has authored "Less Meat, More Veg" for the UK market. Here she's got 150 preps for over 100 fruits and veggies. She's listed them all, with their suggested daily portion, such as 1 pear, 5 florets of cauliflower, 7 cherry tomatoes, etc. – just eat any five portions every day and use her recipes and listed meal plans. Some of the dishes are even useful for detox (no wheat, sugar, dairy), while others could also be vegan. There is some meat, for de Thample believes in balance. Try roast beet with cardamom yogurt, olive raisin tapenade with fennel and orange, roast lemon asparagus with pesto yogurt, or saucy miso spinach with toasted sesame. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
24.HOME COOKED (Ten Speed Press, 2016, 296 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-840-3, $35 USD hardbound) is by Anya Fernald (co-founder and CEO of California's Belcampo Meat Co.; she's also launched Slow Food Nation in the USA and has been an Iron Chef judge since 2009. Food writer Jessica Battilana is the focusing writer. There's heavy duty log rolling from Mario Batali and Harold McGee. It is a basic home cooking book, with sauces, meaty dishes, charred veggies – all in the name of flavours to get you up and going. Its roots can be found in the "cucina povera" of Italian frugal peasants: making
use of every part of food (preservation of the bounty, salt curing, broths, braises. The range is from apps to mains of pasta/risotto, veggies, fish and meat, and then desserts.  It is also part memoir. There's an emphasis on the off-cuts of meat (she is, after all, head of a meat company), so there is also sections on rendered pork and beef fats, and cultured butter and buttermilk. In addition to plated foods, there are many pictures of of her life. This is really an Italian cookbook. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
25.MY SIMPLE ITALIAN (Ebury Press, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-00-9192901-5 $49.95 CAD hardbound) is by Theo Randall of the InterContinental; it has consistently been voted one of the best Italian restaurants in Britain. Here, with an endorsement from Jamie Oliver, Randall proposes about 100 preps for the home, in the usual range from small plates through soups, salads, pastas, risottos, large plates, mains, feats, sides and desserts. There is an index at the front based on timings (under 20 minutes, 20-25 minutes, 30-35, 40-45, 50-55, over an hour), but it all really depends on how swift you are, if you have anybody helping as a sous-chef and if your mise en place is indeed "in place". There's a huge pantry list, which is a help. Worth a look. Preparations have some of their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85.
 
 
 
26.FLAVORS OF SICILY (Ryland Peters & Small, 2016, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-734-8, $24.95 USD hardbound) is by Ursula Ferrigno, consultant chef to Caffe Nero chain, has been on BBC, and runs classes for Sur La Table stores. She's written more than 18 cookbooks, mainly on Italian and Mediterranean themes. Here she does Sicilian cuisine, which is a great crossroads melting pot mixture of Greeks/Romans/Arabs/Normans/Spaniards. Typical food include tomatoes, olive oil, sheep's milk, pistachios, olives, fennel, citrus fruits. Classics include blood orange and red onion salads, olive relish, fava bean soup, spring lamb, fried chickpeas with herbs, panelle [socca], braised lemon chicken. Preparations have their ingredients listed in some metric with more avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
27.THE ELEMENTS OF PIZZA (Ten Speed Press, 2016, 250 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-838-0, $30 USD hardbound) is by Ken Forkish, owner of three bakery/restaurant/taverns in Portland OR and winner of a Beard and IACP award for his previous book, "Flour Water Salt Yeast". Now, the first rule of pizza is NEVER to eat it with a fork. But does this rule apply to someone named Forkish? Probably not: he's in your corner with this charming book, based on what his customers want. He's got some heavy-duty log rolling via Molly Wizenberg, Nathan Myhrvold, and some restaurant owners. There are more than a dozen pizza dough recipes for a variety of occasions (mostly related to the time element of bigas and quick doughs). He's got one gluten-free, which uses whatever the best commercial flour is available on the market. But he does warn here that the dough would be a bit cakey. The first 150 pages are devoted to techniques and a mini-history (illustrated) of pizza. It is all quite thorough and meant for the dedicated pizza-lover (or even a pizza shop owner looking for new experiences). The last 100 are for sauces and variations. As a baker, he advocates scaling which would make the dough more exact. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric with some avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
28.KOREAN FOOD MADE SIMPLE (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-66330-5, $30 USD hardbound) is by Judy Joo, who has a Cooking Channel show of the same name. She opened Jinjuu in London UK in 2014.
 
Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating:
 
 
29.KOREATOWN; a cookbook (Clarkson Potter, 2016, 272 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8613-1, $30 USD hardbound) is by Deuki Hong, chef of Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong in Manhattan. Hius co-author is Matt Rodbard, magazine food writer who also crafted "Korean Restaurant Guide: New York City". Log rollers include Anthony Bourdain and Edward Lee. There are 90 preps here, collected from other chefs – along with their stories and experiences, lots of photography, and tips on how to handle "Korean" food. It's a restaurant book with details on how to cook it at home (minus the exact home photo presentation). There are collections of Korean produce, small plates and side dishes, and a glossary at the back inside cover. Good layout and indexing, with dishes sourced and titling in Korean and English. Typical are crunchy sesame bean sprouts, mixed rice bowl, marinated short ribs,  Koreatown fried chicken, anchovy and peanut bar snack. A good mix of street-food-truck dishes and home preps. Sean Brock contributes a cornmeal and shrimp pajeon, Edward Lee does a red cabbage bacon kimchi, and Hugh Acheson does a pork belly. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
30.KOREAN FOOD MADE SIMPLE (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-66330-5, $30 USD hardbound) is by Judy Joo, host of a show with the same title as her book on the Cooking Channel. It comes with log rolling by Bobby Flay and Curtis Stone among others. 130 preps are here are more in number than the Hong book above, and more geared to home use (and maybe even home easy). It is arranged by category: small bites and kimchi, salads, veggies, rice and noodles, soups and stews, seafood, chicken, meats, sauces, breads, desserts, and drinks. Try potato pancakes with Asian pear compote (gamjajeon), steak tartare (yukhwe), noodles with rice cakes and fish cakes (ra-bokki), or oxtail soup (gori gomtang). Not as adventuresome as Hong's book, but better for the home cook. Actually, the two books complement each other with minimal duplication. Buy them both! Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
31.RUHLMAN'S HOW TO SAUTE: foolproof techniques and recipes for the home cook (Little, Brown, 2016, 178 pages, ISBN 978-0-316-25415-1, $20 USD hardbound) is by the bestselling and James Bear Award-winning chef-author of many culinary books. This is the latest in his series of cooking techniques (the other two were Roast and Braise). There are dozens of insightful tips, step-by-step photos of techniques, and basic recipes, with some more complicated ones too. It is a good reference book to put alongside the other two. Just about everything can be sauteed, just as it can be roasted and/or braised. Here it is a matter of heat, oil used, and timing: vegetable oil for high heat, olive oil for medium-high heat, and clarified butter for lower temperatures. Plus regular butter to finish off a dish. You can read all about it here. He covers the basics in 10 pages, followed by 150 pages of recipes (start with chicken fried steak) and then some more on saute larders, equipment and tools. The best wine to go with sauteed food is actually Meursault (look it up). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
 
32.COOKING SOLO (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, 226 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-17648-5, $19.99 USD softbound) is by Klancy Miller, a pastry chef who has done some appearances on the Cooking Channel and the Food Network. This is, as the subtitle says, "the joy of cooking for yourself". It is tough because it requires dedication since it is so easy to just take a series of snacks or cold foods. There are 100 dishes here, mostly easy and under 30 minutes prep time. The hardest part is letting go of leftovers or what could be potential leftovers. She says: "Preparing a meal for yourself is a special exercise, an unpressured act of creativity, self-care, and validation." Small plates anyone? That's what is in abundance on just about every menu in town. So these can also be apps for two or more people to share at home. Good stuff, lovingly photographed. Try quinoa quick bread with carrots, or gluten-free chocolate chip cake, perhaps hot pink hummus (roasted beet spread). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
33.GRILLED CHEESE KITCHEN (Chronicle Books, 2016, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-4459-7, $19.95 hardbound) is by Heidi Gibson with Nate Pollak. They are husband and wife and own the American Grilled Cheese Kitchen restaurants in San Francisco. She has won seven times in the Grilled Cheese Invitational, more than anyone else. The book's subtitle says it all: "bread and cheese and everything in between". And it is perfect for singles, along with any other kind of sandwich, Her book is arranged by course, beginning with breakfast, and then moving through lunch/dinner. Along the way she's got the answers to soup, mac 'n' cheese (but the mac 'n' cheese grilled cheese sandwich is in a different chapter), pickles-spreads-sides. There's a glossary and sources list. What makes great grilled cheese sammies? Use one of the 15 major types of breads, one or more of the great 30 melting cheeses, and a variety of add nos of your choosing for meats and greens. My faves: mushroom-Gruyere grilled cheese, breakfast piglet grilled cheese, and Indian leftovers grilled cheese. Almost 40 sandwiches plus variations and extras. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

* 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"...
 
 
15.APPETIZERS (Ryland Peters & Small, 2016, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-717-1, $19.95 USD hardbound) is a publisher's book compiled by Julia Charles from contributions of RPS authors (mostly Miranda Ballard, Jenny Linford and Vicky Jones among the 14 cited). The 70 preps here follow on the 100 in Milli Taylor's Party Perfect Bites (RPS, 2014). Appetizers and small bites are the perfect food these days, combining grazing with entertaining. All of them are so yummy at buffets, small plates, shared plates, pass-around platters, and just as leftovers the next day. Most are from Asiatic countries and the Mediterranean Basin. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with comparable metric. Quality/price rating: 86.
 
 
 
 
16.BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS NEW COOKBOOK. 16th edition. (Meredith, 2016, 664 loose leaf pages, ISBN 978-0-544-371446-5, $21.99 USD, spiral ring binder) is from the
magazine of the same name. The 15th edition was published in 2012. It is important to remember: this is a classic that keeps getting better, for the basic home cook. Now in this edition of more than 1400 preps are 1300 recipes with 1200 photos (800 new) and 400 photos of techniques. And there is more complete nutritional data for each dish. Features include a chapter on "Cook's Secrets", "8 to Try" (flavour changes to perk up simple recipes), and a new chapter on holiday faves. Recipes have been laid out in a more eye appealing fashion, and there is advice on how to customize basic recipes. At the end there is a list of emergency substitutions, refrigerator and freezer storage notes, cooking at high altitudes, and metric conversion charts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85.
 
 
17.101 VEGETARIAN GRILL & BBQ RECIPES (Ryland Peters & Small, 2016, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-722-5, 144 pages, $19.95 USD hardbound) is another publisher's recipe book, compiled by Alice Sambrook. There are contributions from 24 food writers in the RPS stable, with the largest numbers coming from Ghillie Basan, Louise Pickford, and Miranda Ballard. The concentration here is on veggies for vegans and vegetarians. Organized by topic (small bites, skewers, burgers, hot sides, salads, salsas and sweets), it is a good guide to a complete meatless BBQ. It is a niche book, but a much needed one to claim a piece of the BBQ turf for those who don't eat meat and/or dairy. It's terrific for the vegetarian lifestyle. There's 101 recipes here: grilled halloumi and vegetable stack, sesame sweet potato packets, and a bunch of grilled corn dishes (among the total). Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
18.PETA'S VEGAN COLLEGE COOKBOOK (Sourcebooks, 2016, 326 pages, ISBN 978-1-4926-3554-3, $15.99 US paper covers) is by PETA with Martha Holmberg and Starza Kolman. This edition is based on an earlier book published in 2009 by Sourcebooks. So, in general, it has been updated, revised and is now reissued with new material. It's a solid, basic vegan book with 275 easy and inexpensive recipes "to keep you vegan at school". Most vegans need to cook on their own because it is extremely difficult to find vegan food in restaurants, and when they do find it (outside of special vegan places), it is expensive. And if they are college students, then they also have no real time to mess with cooking. The book is a boon: everything here is flavourful. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. And unfortunately the index is in the smallest possible typeface. Quality/price rating: 85.
 
 
19.EAT DRINK PALEO COOKBOOK (Chronicle Books, 2016, 220 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-5223-3, $24.95 US paper covers) is by Irena Macri; the material is derived largely from her blog Eat Drink Paleo. It was originally published in 2013 by Penguin Random House Australia, and this is its North American release. It is 110 recipes without gluten, grains, legumes, artificial ingredients or processed sugar. But Macri subscribes to an 80/20 rule: 20% of her intake will be butter, cheese, grains, ice cream and beer. Sort of like keeping kosher at home (in my case I'm an omnivore, but I keep "organic" at home and eat widely in restaurants and at parties. There's smoked chicken slaw, chai banana porridge, chili-chocolate mousse, and celery root remoulade with rare roast beef rolls. She concludes with a reference list of sources and further reading. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
20.MANLY FOOD (Quadrille, 2013, 288 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-731-2, $50 CAD hardbound) is by  Simon Cave (as in Cave Manly?) – there is no real info about him in the book, which was originally published in the UK in 2013 but here gets its first North American appearance. 200 preps are within this book, hyped as "The ultimate cookbook for men who love hearty, masculine food". Primer material includes a butchery guide, tips on building a BBQ, and sharpening knives. The eighteen chapters include "chili & spice", "TV dinners", "fast food", "pure meat", and "manly desserts". Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84.
 
 
21.FRIED CHICKEN & FRIENDS (Thunder Bay Press, 2016, 256 pages, ISBN 978-1-62686-588-4, $24.99 USD hardbound) is by Gregory Llewellyn and Naomi Hart. It was originally published by Murdoch Books Allen & Unwin in 2015. The authors are responsible for Hartsyard "seed and feed" restaurant in Sydney, Australia. It is unabashedly "Southern US" cooking, which sort of makes it "ethnic" in the land of Oz. Fried chicken makes the event, so the centre piece of the family restaurant is chicken than has been fried. There's lots of other stuff here too, as you might find at the restaurant: apricot buckle, collard greens and bacon, banana cream pie, poutine, ginger cake, carrot pickles, chicken skin crackers, and Dixie polenta with cheese. Overall this is heavy but flavourful food. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 86.
 
 
 
22.THE PALEO COMFORT FOOD BIBLE (Skyhorse Publishing, 2014, 2016, 252 pages, ISBN 978-1-5107-0329-2, $14.99 USD paperbound)
 
and
 
23.THE PALEO DESSERT BIBLE (Skyhorse Publishing, 2014, 2016, 252 pages, ISBN 978-1-5107-0524-1, $14.99 USD paperbound)
are both authored by Anna Conrad, who is both a caterer (Chef Anna) and healthy meal planner (Ideal Mealz). They were published in hard covers in 2014 (the COMFORT FOOD book was pluralized back then as COMFORT FOODS). They are basic paleo books, each with more than 100 recipes for grain-free and dairy-free foods among others.  The Comfort book is loaded with chicken, beef, mushrooms, pasta, French onion soup, stews – all the foods we grew up with. The Dessert book has almond butter pie, lemon squares, pecan bars, and chocolate fudge cake. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
 
 
24.BETTY CROCKER FAST FROM-SCRATCH MEALS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, 304 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-71445-8, $19.99 USD paperbound) has 150 preps for 30 minutes cooking time or less. Features include ideas for using fruits and veggies to upgrade dishes, pantry data, farmers' markets for surpluses and stocking up. Some recipes are more than 30 minutes, but they are all for preserves and condiments which help speed up other dishes or lend added depth to the flavours. There are tips on substitutions, and full nutrition data for every recipe. The suggestions for family food include bacon-wrapped chicken and chiles, Moroccan chicken soup, and chocolate berry shooters. Just a few added twists and every family dish can be an "entertaining" dish for company. Each recipe has a time , such as "20 minutes or less". Some are "5 minutes or less". Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
 
 
25.BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS JAMS & JELLIES (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-544-71555-4, $19.99 USD paperbound) has over 100 preps for preserving. The book is exotic enough to encourage bacon-shallot jam, which would not have appeared a few years back. In fact, there are other savoury spreads which are enticing. The book contains freezer jam, juice jelly, low-sugar, low-sugar pectin, and a chapter on presenting homemade jams and jellies for gifting. And, of course, safety is discussed, with a concluding chapter on troubleshooting. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
 
 
26.COOKING WITH LOULA (Artisan, 2015, 240 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-668-3, $29.95 USD hardbound) is by Alexandra Stratou, who was born in Athens. From her food website she self-published "Cooking to Share" in 2013, which was the original edition of this book. It is a good basic Greek cookbook of family recipes meant for sharing through family life. Even Alice Waters agrees with her ("soulful and imaginative way that honors the generations of cooks who have come before her"). It is loosely arranged by type of meal: weekdays, Sundays, summer holidays, traditions, and basic recipes. There are two indexes: one regular and one that is a list of preps by name and by time, so you can see the longer eight hour preps (roast suckling pig, gavros marinatos) and the shorter meze or salad under 30 minutes (laqhano karoto, skordalia). In between are all the other 90 recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
27.BOURBON EMPIRE (Penguin Books, 2015, 2016, 310 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-310814-6, $17 USD paperbound) is by spirits writer Reid Mitenbuler. It was first published in hard covers in 2015; this is the paperback reprint. It is a basic history book of bourbon in  American culture and life, accompanied by historical black and white archive photos and drawings. He covers the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 at epic length, the craft of production, bootlegging, lobbying and Prohibition. It is an interesting book, with a bibliography and extensive index, well-worth reading – especially in the paperback format. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
 
28.SUPERLEGUMES (Appetite by Random House Canada, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-753012-7, $19.95 CAD paperbound) is by Chrissy Freer of Australia, who earlier had written the best-selling Supergrains. The current book was originally published in a slightly different form in Australia by Murdoch Books. It is here presented in its Canadian version. It's a holistic health focus, using whole foods for nutritional balance, low Glycemic index counts, and with gluten-free and dairy-free options. The 85 recipes embrace chickpeas, white beans, soy beans, adzuki, fava, horlotti, pinto, black, kidney, plus peas, lentils, peanuts and more. Many of the dried legumes can be used also for their flour, which is particularly useful for gluten-free baking. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
 
29.THE INDIAN FAMILY KITCHEN (Appetite by Random House Canada, 2015, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-147-52997-8, $29.95 CAD hardbound) is by Anjali Pathak, granddaughter of the founders of Patak's curry pastes and sauces. It was originally published in the UK by Mitchell Beazley in a slightly different form. This is its Canadian debut. These are classic family dishes for the "next" generation, with her contemporary take on many classic dishes. Indian spices are the highlights here, being added to seasonal and vegetable- inspired preps. The range covers small and large plates, veggies, BBQ for summer, desserts and drinks. Along the way she has sidebars on chiles, kitchen gadgets, pantries, spices, wines, and shortcuts. There are family memories as well, and great photography. The 100 or so preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
30.COOK. NOURISH. GLOW. (Appetite by Random House, 2016, 336 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-753019-6, $35 CAD hardbound) is by Amelia Freer, a nutritional therapist who also authored Eat.Nourish.Glow. This latest book, originally published in the UK last year by Michael Joseph, is the Canadian release of 120 recipes that "will help you lose weight, look younger, and feel healthier." This is getting to be a big business thing now, with many such books advocating a more streamlined lifestyle of exercise, stress reduction, hydration, fewer acidic foods, more green leafy plants, lower gluten and lower sugar, with a watchful eye on reactions. The emphasis in selling the book is mainly to young or middle-aged women, using the fact that skin can glow and be enhanced with this kind of diet. You will age, but not as quickly...There are some good tips on kitchen confidence here. Dishes include crunchy veggie tabbouleh with coconut cream and herb dressing, cucumber ribbons with tahini dressing, millet-sesame croquettes with tamari dipping sauce, tapenade layered eggs, spiced coconut crème anglaise with pineapple and goji berries. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for July 23, 2016.

 
WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for July 23, 2016.
=======================================================================
By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My Internet compendium "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at http://www.deantudor.com since 1994.
 
So many people have asked me for wine recommendations, with numbers only. The readers' most common response is that while they like what I say, they only relate to the score. The score is a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, where e.g. a Southern Rhone tastes like a Southern Rhone and not like a Northern Rhone) and Quality/Price Ratio. Let's take it for granted that, e.g., a Riesling tastes like a Riesling, and the wine has some value in the marketplace either above or below its selling price. This way too I can also cover more wines.
 
This restructured wine newsletter for the Ontario market (with wines available through the LCBO and Vintages on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca/ or at    http://www.deantudor.com
 
20 under $20
=========
R-Atalaya Laya 2014 Almansa  Spain, +132605, $15.95, 14.5% ABV,  MVC/QPR:  90.
R-Bod Piqueras Castillo de Almansa Old Vines Seleccion 2010 Almasa, +586719, $16.95, 14.5%ABV.
MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Gonzalez Byass Finca Constancia Seleccion 2013 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, +376384, $16.95, 14% ABV,  MVC/QPR: 92.
W-Maetierra Atlantis Albarino 2015 Rias Baixas, +452078, $16.95, 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Gil Family Entresuelos Tempranillo 2013 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon, +462440, $16.95, 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Jackson-Triggs Grand Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2013 VQA Niagara, +367797, $19.95, 13% ABV,
MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Redstone Limestone Vineyard South Riesling 2012 VQA Twenty Mile Bench, +381251, $19.20, 9.5%ABV,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Watchdog Rock Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Columbia Valley, +461178, $17.95, 13.5%ABV, MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Zuccardi Q Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 La Consulta/Tupungato Valleys Mendoza, +140855, $19.95, 14%ABV, MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Zuccardi Serie A Malbec 2014 Uco Valley Mendoza, +167619, $16.95, 14%ABV,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Indomita Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Maipo, +434191, $15.95, 14%ABV, MVC/QPR: 90.
R-Santa Carolina Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Maipo, +461202, $16.95, 14%ABV, MVC/QPR: 90.
R-Rockbare Mojo Shiraz 2013 Barossa Valley, +327767, $18.95, 14.5% ABV,  MVC/QPR: 91.
R-Domaine Autrand Cotes du Rhone 2014, +380675, $13.95, 14% ABV,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-M.Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes du Rhone 2014, +328831, $16.95, 13.5% ABV,  MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Pala I Fiori Vermentino di Sardegna 2015, +52068, $15.95, 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Abad dom Bueno Mencia 2008 Bierzo, +291989, $15.95, 13.5% ABV,  MVC/QPR: 88.
W-Garces Dilva Boya Sauvignon Blanc 2015 Leyda Valley, +389726, $15.95,  MVC/QPR: 88.
R-Santa Rita Medalla Real Syrah 2012 Limari, +443523,  $17.95, 14.5% ABV,  MVC/QPR: 88.
R-St.Hallett Gamekeeper's Shiraz 2014 Baross, +166991, $17.95, 13.5% ABV,  MVC/QPR: 88.
 
 
20 over $20
=========
W-Markham Chardonnay 2014 Napa, +418277, $23.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Yacochuya 2006 Cafayate Calchaqui Valley Salta, +35964, $57.95, 16.3% ABV,  MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Stoneleigh Latitude Sauvignon Blanc 2015 Marlborough, +324228, $21.95, 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Roger & Didier Raimbault Sancerre 2014, +82255, $26.95, 12.5% ABV,  MVC/QPR: 90.
R-Bachelder Hautes Cotes Cotes de Beaune 2013, +445247, $27.95, 13%ABV, MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Beni di Batasiolo Riserva Barolo 2006, +330704,  $39.95, 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Le Arche Amarone della Valipolicella 2012, +95836, $34.95, 15% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Flowers Chardonnay 2014 Sonoma Coast, +215210, $68.95, 13.5% ABV,  MVC/QPR: 88.
R-Emmolo Merlot 2013 Napa, +96024, $69.95, 15.1% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Creation Pinot Noir 2014 WO Walker Bay So. Africa, +455279, $26.95, 14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90.
W-Anselmi Capitel Croce 2014 IGT Veneto, +966655, $26.95,  13%ABV,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-16 Mile Cellar Rebel Pinot Noir 2011 VQA Niagara, +461731, $22.95, 13.3% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88.
R-Chareau des Charmes St.David's Bench Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2012 VQA St David's Bench NOTL, +434415, $27.95,  MVC/QPR: 88.
W-Silver Oak Twomey Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Napa/Sonoma, +458695, $44.95, 13.7% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88.
W-Kim Crawford Small Parcels Spitfire Sauvignon Blanc 2015 Marlborough, +38240, $24.95, MVC/QPR: 88.
R-Chateau Blaignan 2010 Cru Bourgeois Medoc, +416727, $25.95, 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88.
R-Caiarossa Pergolaia 2009 IGT Toscana, +460097, $31.95, 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88.
R-Querciabella Chianti Classico 2013, +728816, $37.95, 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88.
R-Le Clos Jordanne Village Reserve Pinot Noir 2012 VQA Niagara, +33894, $30, MVC/QPR: 87.
W-William Fevre Champs Royaux Chablis 2014, +461640, $24.95, MVC/QPR: 88.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

* FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! * Chickpea Flour does it All (The Experiment)

CHICKPEA FLOUR DOES IT ALL (The Experiment, 2016, 226 pages, ISBN 978-1-61519-304-2, $19.95 USD softbound) is by Lindsey S. Love, a food photographer and blogger/recipe developer in Brooklyn doing free-lance work for food mags. Here she has about 100 seasonal recipes that are gluten-free and dairy-free, very useful for vegans. Chickpea flour is also a soy-free alternative to tofu. There is a bonus in that the flour is high in protein, versatile and inexpensive. There are a lot of sweet and savoury dishes here.
Chickpea flour can be used to thicken and flavour hearty dishes, give the dish a protein boost, adds creamy texture to dairy-free dishes, and forms an alternative to wheat-based pizza and pancakes/crepes. Love comes with eight log rollers. Her arrangement is by season, beginning with winter. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois and some metric measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. The typeface is a bit small and the ink seems to have been screened to a gray tone. It would be more easily viewed by millennials than by seniors.
Audience and level of use: chickpea lovers, vegans, gluten-free adherents.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: grilled harissa cauliflower with quinoa toss;  mung bean pancakes with carrots and scallions; chipotle queso dip; strawberry s'mores; fig and hazelnut clafoutis; spiced chickpea pancakes with charred corn and radish salsa.
The downside to this book: there is just the one basic socca prep labeled "socca".
The upside to this book: excellent photography by a food specialist.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Sunday, July 17, 2016

SOME NEW BEVERAGES TASTED THIS MONTH --

SOME NEW BEVERAGES TASTED THE MONTH OF JUNE --
 
 
1.Chateau des Charmes Rose Cuvee d'Andree 2015 Estate Grown VQA NOTL, $15.95 Vintages +333260: this fresh and vibrant rose continues to please year over year as I have said before. It is still 100% pinot noir, dry "old style" as in Europe, but loaded with Ontario cranberry, red fruit strawberry, and some discreet black cherry tones from the hot summer, coming in at 12.7% ABV. Stainless steel fermentation of course, and twist top. Refreshing, just bottled. Ontario Wine Awards Gold Winner for 2016. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
2.Chateau des Charmes Chardonnay 2012 St. David's Bench Vineyard VQA St David's Bench, +430991, $19.95 Vintages: one of several chardonnays at different price points from Chateau des Charmes. My last vintage tasted was the 2010. Barrel fermented and barrel aged in French oak for almost a year, with lees stirring. Expect soft balance with nuances of minerality and some muted tropicality, served up with orchard fruit. Cork closure. Long finish. One of my fave chards, but do not serve overchilled. 483 cases. 13.2% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 90 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
3.Ciderie St-Nicolas Brut Crackling Strong Cider PQ, ~$16: This "brut" of a cider can put hair on your chest, coming in at 8.5% ABV. It has been a gold medal winner in the past. This strong cider is useful as an aperitif or as a first course wine. Certainly, it is dry enough to take on many grape sparkling wines. A good choice in the cider sweepstakes. Once available through Vintages, now a private order from exquisitaste@sympatico.ca. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
4.Ciderie St-Nicolas Rose Cider PQ, ~$20: 7% ABV. It is a gold medal winner. The apples are crushed cold pressed with raspberries and strawberries for added complexity and, of course, colour. A terrific social drink or with dessert, even brunch. Carries enough weight and follows through with apple cider tones. Once available through Vintages, now a private order from exquisitaste@sympatico.ca. Quality/Price rating is 89 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
5.Le Pere Jules Cidre Brut [2014 apples] Normandy, +456145, $13.60 LCBO General List: Lovely orange colour tones, but has that Norman/Breton funk of baked apples and barrels from the region. Bone dry, long finish, 5% ABV. Not only delightful but also affordable. Please remember that the LCBO only orders French cider once in a while, so load up for sure. Quality/Price rating is 94 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
6.Alberto Quacquarini Vernaccia Di Serrapetrona Vino Spumante Secco NV, $31.02 licensee; $34.95 retail; cases of 6 from www.appellationwines.ca. Made from the
Vernaccia Nera grape (located only in the Serrapetrona area in the Marche by the Adriatic) although there can also be small amounts of Montepulciano and Sangiovese. 12.5% ABV. Dry style (secco) for a sparkling red wine -- the result of THREE fermentations: the first uses half of the grapes hand-picked in October; the rest are dried on straw mats and added to the wine in January for a second fermentation; the third occurs after the wine has rested for a few months, and is then put into autoclaves where the Charmat method is used. It's a very unexpectedly aromatic wine, with red fruits including a cranberry sharpness and a strawberry sweetness (almost like cab franc). Typically tannic at first but then broadens on the palate and in the mouthfeel. It is best with sausages and salamis, or anything made with fatty pork.
Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
7.Henry of Pelham Baco Noir 2014 Speck Family Reserve VQA Ontario, +461699, $24.95 Vintages Sept 17 but at winery now: Low yielding grapes come from Short Hills Bench area which was planted in 1984. As with their previous baco noirs, HOP has maintained both the rich jammy black currant spicy character and the low price – under $25. Aged in premium American Oak for more than 18 months. It's still young, needing another two years or so for proper aging, but with multiple decanting it can be enjoyed now. 13.5% ABV. One of the top bacos at the LCBO. Works best with pronounced meats such as pork, lamb, farmed or wild game – all either braised or grilled. And spicy foods. Speck Family Reserves are the top tier by HOP. Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
8.Henry of Pelham Chardonnay Speck Family Reserve 2013 VQA Short Hills Bench, +616466, $29.95 Vintages: from some of their oldest vines, starting in 1988, this chardonnay has been barrel fermented in French oak (40% new Allier, 60% in one year barrels) before barrel aging. It's smooth and clean, showing ripe oak expressions and some creaminess, long finish. Also, it is underpriced, if I may add....Quality/Price rating is 91 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
9.Miguel Torres La Mulas Merlot 2015 Reserva Central Valley Chile, +454868, $12.95 LCBO: a lined price series treat from Chile, now on the shelves with its siblings cabernet sauvignon and sauvignon blanc, all at $12.95. Good value cheer from this soft, medium-bodied, velvety MVC merlot grown in organic vineyards. 14% ABV. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
10.Waterkloof Circle of Life White 2012 WO Stellenbosch, +284588 $19.95 Vintages: a blended white (every region seems to have a few), this time it is South Africa with content of sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, and some semillon added later. Of value is the co-fermentation of the two "blancs", almost a field blend, as these wines are made together and not blended later. Aged a year before release for more complexity. It's a naturally made wine, with sustainability a cornerstone. Expect citrus, cream, and melons. Tasty. Quality/Price rating is 88 points by Dean Tudor of Gothic Epicures.
 
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Saturday, July 16, 2016

THE RESTAURANT/CELEBRITY COOKBOOK...

...is one of the hottest trends in cookbooks. Actually, they've been around for many years, but never in such proliferation. They are automatic best sellers, since the book can be flogged at the restaurant or TV show and since the chef ends up being a celebrity somewhere, doing guest cooking or catering or even turning up on the Food Network. Most of these books will certainly appeal to fans of the chef and/or the restaurant and/or the media personality. Many of the recipes in these books actually come off the menus of the restaurants involved. Occasionally, there will be, in these books, special notes or preps, or recipes for items no longer on the menu. Stories or anecdotes will be related to the history of a dish. But because most of these books are American, they use only US volume measurements for the ingredients; sometimes there is a table of metric equivalents, but more often there is not. I'll try to point this out. The usual shtick is "favourite recipes made easy for everyday cooks". There is also PR copy on "demystifying ethnic ingredients". PR bumpf also includes much use of the magic phrase "mouth-watering recipes" as if that is what it takes to sell such a book. I keep hearing from readers, users, and other food writers that some restaurant recipes (not necessarily from these books) don't seem to work at home, but how could that be? The books all claim to be kitchen tested for the home, and many books identify the food researcher by name. Most books are loaded with tips, techniques, and advice, as well as gregarious stories about life in the restaurant world. Photos abound, usually of the chef bounding about. The celebrity books, with well-known chefs or entertainers, seem to have too much self-involvement and ego. And, of course, there are a lot of food photo shots, verging on gastroporn. There are endorsements from other celebrities in magnificent cases of logrolling. If resources are cited, they are usually American mail order firms, with websites. Some companies, though, will ship around the world, so don't ignore them altogether. Here's a rundown on the latest crop of such books –
 
 
11.JUICE GURU (Robert Rose, 2016, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0529-8, $19.95 CAN softbound) is by Steve and Julie Prussack. He's the founder of Juice Guru Academy, dedicated to juicing and health education courses. He's a broadcast radio host and publishing founder of VegWorld Magazine. His lawyer wife is also a head writer for VegWorld Magazine. It is a basic juicing book with a 21-day plan, 100 or so fruit and veggie juices, and some lifestyle changes. They got juices with power greens, for cleansing, roots, tonics and elixirs, juices for children, quick and easy, and smoothies. Juicing has been promoted as boosting vitality, increasing longevity, and staying slim. Since most of us don't get the RDA of fruits and veggies, a glass of juice a day keeps the naysayers at bay. And besides, fresh-pressed juice contains about twice the nutritional content of a green smoothie. All good stuff. They've got lots of tips and techniques for proper juicing and extraction of value, plus a concluding section on resources. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
12.THE HUNGRY GIRL DIET COOKBOOK (St. Martin's Griffin, 2015, 363 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-08041-7, $17.99 USD paperbound) is by celebrity Lisa Lillien, author and TV personality of a series of Hungry Girl books going back ten years – over 2 million were sold. She's got hungry-girl.com (with a free companion app to create shopping lists and track one's food) and shows on the Food Network and Cooking Channel. Here (in this paperback reprint of a 2015 book) she follows up on her a diet of big portions, big results, and dropping 10 pounds in four weeks. There are 200 all-new easy recipes, including Hungry Girl classics such as oatmeal bowls, egg mugs, salads, and foil packs. And the usual tips, tricks, hints, strategies, how-tos, and food swaps or substitutions. The emphasis, as always, is on lean protein, fat-free and reduced dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables, and huge portions for volume. Ideal for mix-n-match meals and snacks. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
 
 
 
 
13.HUNGRY GIRL CLEAN & HUNGRY (St. Martin's Griffin, 2016, 363 pages, ISBN 978-0-312-67677-3, $19.99 USD paperbound) is by celebrity Lisa Lillien, author and TV personality and founder of the Hungry Girl "empire". Here, in this original book, she's covering  easy all-natural recipes for healthy eating in the real world. Each prep has little to no added sugar, is low in calories and starchy carbs, and is high in protein and fibre. Each prep has fewer than 375 calories per serving. Typical are BBQ meatloaf (196 calories), shrimp fried rice with pineapple (229 calories) and flourless chocolate cake (100 calories). 43 recipes have 5 or fewer ingredients, 56 recipes can be done in under 30 minutes, 91 are vegetarian preps, and there are 108 gluten-free recipes. Overall, there are more than 150 recipes scattered among breakfasts (oats, bowls, eggs, burritos, pancakes/waffles, smoothies), soups and stews, casseroles, pasta, cauliflower, stir fry and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
 
14.FLOYD CARDOZ: FLAVORWALLA (Artisan Books, 2016, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-621-8, $29.95 USD hardbound) is by Floyd Cardoz, a Top Chef Masters-winning NYC chef (Tabla, North End Grill, Paowalla). It comes with some heavy-duty log rollers like Samuelsson, Colicchio, and Stone. He's got 100 or so recipes which are big on flavours, not spicy heat. For example, there is grilled asparagus with mustard seed and lemon, or salmon with fennel and coriander, or grilled lamb shanks with salsa verde, or roasted cauliflower with candied ginger and pine nuts and raisins. Chapters are about meal times: there are sections for weeknight meals, dinner for two, family style, breakfast, summer cooking, special dinners and parties, and food for the Big Game. There is a list of sources. Preparations have their ingredients listed in mainly avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents on the last page. Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

The Event: Dinner with Marco Bonfonte, new style Piemontese winemaker.

The Date and Time:  Monday, June 20, 2016  7PM to 10PM
The Event: Dinner with Marco Bonfonte, new style Piemontese winemaker.
The Venue: Grano
The Target Audience: wine writers
The Availability/Catalogue: all are through Cipelli as private orders, one is consignment.
The Quote/Background: Marco described his family, going back 8 generations, and the importance of adapting to the growing wine industry. From the region he produces DOC and DOCG Gavi, Barbera, Barbaresco, Barolo and others. But also, he's created Albarone, using the albarossa grape in the appassimento style, produced and aged similar to Amarone. His 2011 vintage was scored 96 recently, and judged the second best red wine in Italy.
The Wines: We had four wines, all with food. He is represented in Ontario by Cipelli wines.
 
The Menu – Antipasto (salumi, insalata, calamari), with Roero Arneis Perste 2015, an iconic white at $24.95es (Cipelli PO), herby and rosemary, my rating 4 stars (91+).
Primo (fettuccine al ragu di cervo [deer]), with Nebbiolo Langhe Imma 2013, $29.95est (Cipelli PO), 3.5 stars (88-90).
-Secondo (brasato di manzo [short ribs] al barolo), with Barolo 2011, $59.95est (Cipelli PO), rated 4 stars (91+).
Formaggio (Italian and Ontario cheeses), with Albarone Piemonte Albarone 2012, $71.95est (Cipelli Consignment), rated 4 stars (91+).
There was an olive oil cake for the dolce.
The Contact Person: dpancer.cipelli@bellnet.ca
The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 90.
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Sunday, July 10, 2016

MORE FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS

 
3.150 BEST MEALS IN A JAR (Robert Rose, 2016, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0528-1 $19.95 CAN softbound) is by Tanya Linton, once a writer and producer for Home & Garden TV but now a partner in a TV production company that specializes in lifestyle programming. There have been other Mason jar cookbooks but they tended to be dessert or baking oriented, utilizing the 250 mL size. Here Linton goes on to extend the category to include all forms of food courses: salads, soups, rice bowls. For example, with salads, you layer in the dressing first, followed by heavier/harder foods, and then top with leafy greens. Provided that you keep the jar upright at all times, then you just dump it into a salad bowl (presumably at your desk or at a picnic). It works, but I would prefer using just the wide-mouthed jars for standardizing and ease of access for eating or dumping. I've wrestled with too many jars with small openings such as the Mason jars for  two or one litres. The vessels are convenient: glass is healthy, assembly is efficient with wide-mouthed, food is fresh, cleanup is quick using a dishwasher, and portion control. Bonne Maman jam jars (from France, 250 and 500 or so mL) are used for drinking and can be used for non-preservation food, but they have no twist on lids as Mason jars do. So best to keep them upright. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements.
Audience and level of use: those needing lunches or portability
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: breakfast burrito in a jar; Santa Fe rice bowl; pulled-apart chicken parmesan; bulgur wheat Greek salad; pizza soup; BLT salad; tuna, white bean and arugula salad; fried egg rice bowl.
The downside to this book: more emphasis could have been made on wide-mouthed jars.
The upside to this book: a good variety of preps, especially the "hearty meals".
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
 
 
 
 
4.A New Allergen-Free Cookbook, by guest reviewer Ann Tudor
 
"Today's post is another in my occasional series of cookbook reviews. This one is Pure Delicious, by Heather Christo (Pam Kraus Books, Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House, 2016).
 
"Heather Christo is a long-time foodblogger whose daughters' health crises forced her to change her mind about food allergens. A lot of cookbooks these days cover gluten-free or dairy-free cooking, and there are a lot of vegan cookbooks. But Heather Christo's book offers recipes without gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, or cane sugar.
 
"The book is a beauty, well bound and generously illustrated. In addition to telling Heather's own familial journey, the first fifty pages offer great information and encouragement for anyone who suspects that food allergies might be causing problems. How do you set up your kitchen for this new way of cooking? How do you bring your children on-side (although, in her case at least, the elimination of severe stomach pain was very persuasive). How do you eat out? This introductory material is essential and nicely presented, given how overwhelming a task it can be to implement wide-ranging dietary changes.
 
"The heart of the book is the 250-odd pages of recipes, divided into: Soups and Chilis; Salads; Appetizers; Sides; Baked Goods; Pizza and Burgers; Pasta; Mains; Desserts; Breakfast. Anyone struggling with preparing family meals while avoiding eggs, dairy, etc., will embrace this book. Every recipe is safe. Every recipe is do-able. Just open the book and choose a page.
 
"As the author points out, you won't need to apologize for any of these dishes. This is "straight-up good-tasting food that is packed with naturally wholesome ingredients and nutrients" (p. 56).
 
"An excellent book. Anyone who cooks for people with food allergies should have it."
 
 
 
 
5.COMFORT AND JOY: cooking for two (Countryman Press, 2015, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-58157-342-8, $24.95 USD hardbound) is by Christina Lane, who also wrote Dessert for Two. She has been specializing in small batch meals for every occasion. Here she concentrates on comfort food, southern US classics, and family favourites, with another section on desserts for two (15 more recipes). She does a good job of scaling down, always a difficult task (as is scaling upwards). Still, overall, the collection is on the sweet side with a large chapter on brunch (over 70 pages) with pancakes, muffins, oats, and the like. Lunch has 13 preps, mainly chicken and/or cheese. Dinner has 10, mostly poultry and shrimp. Then there is a range of small stuff such as pastas, casseroles, finger foods – useful for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: empty nesters, singles, couples.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Thanksgiving dinner for two; apple cider-glazed chicken breasts; sheet pan supper; shrimp 'n' grits.
The downside to this book: needs more recipes, especially savoury ones.
The upside to this book: great looking photography.
Quality/Price Rating: 86.
 
 
 
6.EAT BETTER, LIVE BETTER, FEEL BETTER (Appetite by Random House, 2015, 298 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-752976-3, $27 CAD paperbound) is by Julie Cove, certified holistic nutritionist. Here she advocates an alkalize lifestyle (which cured her of debilitating back pain, see www.alkalinesister.com). It is a four-step program to re-do your diet, detox your body, and focus on long-term health issues. Healthy bodies have a pH of 7.365. Eating too much acidic food leads to a lower pH level, and, coupled with stress, promotes poor health. So, as she says, we need to "alkalize your life". There's a food chart, ranging from highly alkaline (broccoli, kale, spinach) through mildly alkaline (grapefruit, almonds) and neutral (flax, walnuts, dates, hummus) and highly acidic (alcohol, coffee, beef, eggs, pork, deli meats, mushrooms: all the gout foods!). Basically – 75% of your meal should be alkaline, hydrate, exercise, and reduce stress. 150 recipes cover all courses. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those looking for diet changes or feel they have too much acid in their lives.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: coconut avocado; breakfast salad (blood orange, kale, golden berries); vegan crunch Thai green salad; hummus and veggies wrapped in chard leaves; red quinoa bites with oregano and sun-dried tomato marinara sauce.
The downside to this book: some superfluous photography.
The upside to this book: lots of tips and advice, and the resources listing.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
 
 
 
7.THE POWER GREENS COOKBOOK (Ballantine Books, 2015, 282 pages, ISBN 978-0-553-39484-9, $22 USD paperbound) is by Dana Jacobi, author of over 15 cookbooks (including Williams-Sonoma books). She also blogs and freelances cooking and food articles. Here she gives us 140 healthy preps for dark leafy greens, covering the range of soups, salads, mains, small plates, sides and condiments. The 15 power greens range from arugula to watercress – these are basically what writers mean when they talk about plant-based foods. They protect against diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, eye and muscle fatigue, and sagging lustre-less skin. Aha – that latter gets some people! Recipes are coded for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and/or 30 minutes or less in prep time. At the back are the basics – separate sections on the greens, with an index to each one's recipes, The master index is at the far back. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those looking to improve their health or want plant-based recipes.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: popcorn trail mix; carrots with wild arugula pesto; avocado and watercress tartine; collard greens cacciatore; broccoli leaf, edamame, and corn succotash; roasted red peppers stuffed with kale; avgolemono soup with arugula.
The downside to this book: I have no idea why the basics are at the back; most books have it upfront.
The upside to this book: she makes use of romaine, parsley, beet greens, Brussels sprouts.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
 
 
8.CHICKEN (Ebury Press, 2015, 256 pages, ISBN 978-00-91959-72-2, $49.99 CAD hardbound) is by Catherine Phiipps, a food columnist for the Guardian in the UK. It is a British- oriented cookbook, with references to local butchers, etc. As the subtitle indicates, "over two hundred recipes devoted to one glorious bird". And of course, it is a USEFUL bird, for flesh that is fried, flambeed, roasted, BBQ, smoked, stewed, grilled, poached, put in a sandwich or salad, made into soup and stock. There is a variety here: the question is whether a reader would pay fifty bucks for what used to be commonplace in Better Homes and Gardens, Sunset, Betty Crocker, Martha Stewart, et al. It is a different time now, with a need for photos and spices and some updating of the classics. Brining is relatively new for home use, as is sous-vide. So are international flavours such as butter chicken. But offal seems to be just liver and hearts – what happened to gizzards (e.g. salade landaise)? You'll also need organic offal: nothing else will ever do. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric for weights and avoirdupois for volume measurements, but there is no overall table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: millennials, those looking for just a chicken book.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: chicken with red peppers and green olives; chicken tagine; chicken and onion suet pudding; chicken with coriander, garlic and sour orange; red mole chicken; chicken broth with rice, mint and lemon juice; confit legs.
The downside to this book: pricey
The upside to this book: good photos and spicing.
Quality/Price Rating: 86.
 
 
 
 
9.EATING IN THE MIDDLE (Clarkson Potter, 2016, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-7704-3327-7, $27.99 USD hardbound) is by Andie Mitchell, a Yahoo Health columnist and author of It Was Me All Along (which chronicled her weight loss). Now in her debut cookbook she presents those dishes that helped her lose weight: healthy meals packed with flavours. The seven log rollers come from other cookbooks and blogs and magazines. Over the course of 13 months she lost 135 pounds. This is how she did it. It's arranged by meal, breakfast to desserts, and promotes "mostly wholesome" food. A lot comes from the Mediterranean and South-East Asia. She gives lifestyle tips and many variations in the memoirish portions, but it is mainly about making the mouth and tummy feel satiated with spicing. Each prep comes with headnotes on some aspect of eating food. Nutritional information is given, as well as use of low-sodium broths. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use:  those looking to lose weight.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: sweet potato hash; jerk shrimp salad with mango and avocado; lemon cream risotto; white pizza with roasted garlic and eggplant; Asian chicken salad; ribollita; petite turkey lasagnas.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
 
 
 
10.SWEETER OFF THE VINE (Ten Speed Press, 2016, 249 pages, ISBN 978-1-60774-858-8, $24 USD hardbound) is by Yossy Arefi, a food photographer and blogger. It is arranged by season, with subheads for type of plant. So for Spring, there are sections on herbs, rhubarb, strawberries, and cherries. For summer, it's apricots, berries, melons and more. For fall, it is grapes, apples, pears and more (including squash). And in winter we'll need cranberries, citrus, and dates. Good divisions. She's got a larder of preserved accented fruit such as preserved lemons or unsweetened cranberry juice. And some year-round essentials of chocolate, vanilla, pastry, creme fraiche. As a true baker, Arefi has just about everything scaled. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are some tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those desiring baked goods and desserts.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts:
The downside to this book: nothing really, it is a first class effort.
The upside to this book: good photography and ingredient scaling.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Thursday, July 7, 2016

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for July 9, 2016.

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for July 9, 2016.
=======================================================================
By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My Internet compendium "Wines, Beers and Spirits of the Net", a guide to thousands of news items and RSS feeds, plus references to wines, beers and spirits, has been at http://www.deantudor.com since 1994.
 
So many people have asked me for wine recommendations, with numbers only. The readers' most common response is that while they like what I say, they only relate to the score. The score is a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, where e.g. a Southern Rhone tastes like a Southern Rhone and not like a Northern Rhone) and Quality/Price Ratio. Let's take it for granted that, e.g., a Riesling tastes like a Riesling, and the wine has some value in the marketplace either above or below its selling price. This way too I can also cover more wines.
 
This restructured wine newsletter for the Ontario market (with wines available through the LCBO and Vintages on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca/ or at    http://www.deantudor.com
 
FAVE UNDER $20 – Olarra Laztana Reserva 2010 Rioja, 14% ABV, +433649, $19.95, MVC/QPR:92
 
20 under $20
=========
W-Gerard Bertrand Reserve Speciale Viognier 2014 IGP Pays d'Oc, +147975, $14.95,  MVC/QPR:  88
W-Henry of Pelham Estate Riesling 2013 VQA Short Hills Bench, 11% ABV, +557165, $17.96, MVC/QPR: 91.
R-Barahonda Sin Madera Monastrell 2014 Yecla, 14.5% ABV, +366823, $14.95,  MVC/QPR: 90.
R-Coppi Peucetico Primitivo 2010 Giola del Colle Puglia, 13.5% ABV, +724674, $14.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Viewpoint Estate Fine Pinot Noir 2010 VQA Lake Erie North Shore, 13% ABV, +443812, $19.95,  MVC/QPR: 90.
W-Chateau des Charmes St. David's Bench Vineyard Chardonnay 2012 VQA St.David's Bench, +430991, $19.95,  MVC/QPR: 90.
W-Tinhorn Creek Chardonnay 2014 BC VQA Okanagan Valley, 14% ABV, +378489, $19.95, MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Stratus Kabang Gewurztraminer 2013 VQA NOTL, 13.4$ ABV, +442012, $17.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Tilimuqui Single Vineyard Torrontes 2015 Famatina Valley La Rioja Argentina, +450486, $13.95, MVC/QPR: 91 [organic AND Fair Trade cert.]
R-Finca El Origen Reserva Estate Malbec 2015 Uco Valley, 14.1%, +65664, $15.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Kaiken Terroir Series Corte Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Mendoza, 14% ABV, +384305, $15.95,
MVC/QPR: 88.
W-Casas del Bosque Reserva Sauvignon Blanc 2015 Casablanca Valley, 14% ABV, +974717, $14.95,
MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Santa Carolina Gran Reserva Petit Verdot 2013 Rapel, 14.5% ABV, +7484, $15.95, MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Waimea Spinyback Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Nelson South Island, +694737, $19.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Toi Toi Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Marlborough, 13% ABV, +454785, $17.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Brampton Old Vine Red Blend 2013 WO Western Cape South Africa, 14% ABV, +455303, $15.95,
MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Domaine de la Chaise Touraine Sauvignon 2014, 13% ABV, +452540, $14.95, MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Senorio de Los Baldios Crianza 2009 Ribera del Duero, 14%, +366393, $19.95,  MVC/QPR: 91.
R-Vicchiomaggio Ripa Delle Mandorle 2014 IGT Toscana, 13% ABV, +677930, $15.95,  MVC/QPR: 90
R-Lafage Tessellae Vieilles Vignes Carignan 2014 IGP Cotes Catalanes, 14.5% ABV, +343509, $17.95,
MVC/QPR: 89.
 
20 over $20
=========
W-Henry of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Chardonnay 2013 VQA Short Hills Bench, +616466, $29.95,   MVC/QPR: 91.
W-Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2013 VQA Twenty Mile Bench, +1552, $24.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Artesa Chardonnay 2013 Carneros, +657585, $29.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
W-Bachelder Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay 2013 Burgundy,  13% ABV, +416602, $28.95, MVC/QPR:94.
R-Jackson-Triggs Grand Reserve Meritage 2012 VQA Niagara, 13.5% ABV, +594002, $24.95, MVC/QPR: 91.
W-Delicato Irony Small Lot Reserve Chardonnay 2013 Napa Valley, 14.5% ABV, +27409, $21.95, MVC/QPR: 91.
W-La Crema Chardonnay 2014 Monterey, 13.5% ABV, +158683, $26.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Mahi Pinot Noir 2013 Marlborough, 13.5% ABV, +447532, $20.95,  MVC/QPR: 92.
R-Chateau Haut Rocher 2008 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, 13.5% ABV, +446252, $34.95,  MVC/QPR:89
R-Chateau Haut-Bellvue 2010 Haut-Medoc, 13.5%, +444307, $26.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Sivas-Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Sonoma County, +451377, $24.95,  MVC/QPR: 88.
R-Xavier Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2011, 14.5% ABV, +244814, $39.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Castello di Gabbiano Gran Selezione Bellezza Chianti Classico 2012, 14.5% ABV, +652438, $39.95,
MVC/QPR: 89.
R-La Gerla Brunello di Montalcino 2010, 14.5% ABV, +642561, $63.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Piazzano Blend 2 2013 IGT Toscana, 14% ABV, +455493, $24.95,  MVC/QPR: 89.
R-Lone Birch Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Yakima Valley, 13.9% ABV, +446971, $20.95,  MVC/QPR:88
W-Chatelain Les Charmes Pouilly-Fume 2013, 12.5% ABV, +727990, $21.95,  MVC/QPR: 88.
R-Tenuta Sette Ponti Crognolo 2013 IGT Toscana, 13.5% ABV, +727636, $29.95,  MVC/QPR: 87.
R-Georges Duboeuf Domaine Mont Chavy Morgon 2013, 12.5% ABV, +276477, $21.95,  MVC/QPR:87.
R-Chateau Bernadotte 2012 Haut-Medoc, 13.5% ABV, +970178, $22.95,  MVC/QPR: 87.

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