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Tuesday, July 31, 2018

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for August 4, 2018

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for  August 4, 2018
 
By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "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.
These notes for wines available through the LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca/ or at  http://www.deantudor.com
 
Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone tastes like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).
 
THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL FINDS --
 
White +443382    WATERKLOOF SERIOUSLY COOL CHENIN BLANC    WO Stellenbosch        2017    $17.95    12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92
Rose +680801 Famille Perrin Tavel 2017 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
 
20 under $20
=========
W+918805    CATENA HIGH MOUNTAIN VINES CHARDONNAY    Mendoza        2016    $19.95    13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
W+569665    BOYA CHARDONNAY    DO Leyda Valley    Viña Garcés Silva    2016    $14.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+465989    DASHWOOD SAUVIGNON BLANC    Marlborough, South Island        2016    $18.95    13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+483495    OLD COACH ROAD SAUVIGNON BLANC    Nelson, South Island    Seifried Estate    2017    $19.95    12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+387787    CHÂTEAU HAUTS DE LAGARDE BLANC    AC Bordeaux        2017    $16.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+556340    LA CHABLISIENNE LE FINAGE CHABLIS 2014 $19.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+161828    PAUL ANHEUSER SCHLOSSBÖCKELHEIMER KÖNIGSFELS RIESLING KABINETT    Estate bottled, Prädikatswein        2016    $17.95 9% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+417667    PAZO DAS BRUXAS ALBARIÑO    DO Rîas Baixas    Familia Torres 2016    $19.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+267146    OAK BAY PINOT NOIR    BC VQA Okanagan Valley    Gebert Family, St. Hubertus Estate Winery)    2014    $19.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+612    MONTES ALPHA SYRAH  DO Colchagua Valley    2015    $19.95    % ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+569673    VIU MANENT GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON    DO Colchagua Valley        2016    $16.95    13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+550384    CHÂTEAU TOUR GRAND MAYNE    AC Puisseguin Saint-Émilion    La Guyennoise    2015    $18.95    14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+952804    GÉRARD BERTRAND MINERVOIS SYRAH/CARIGNAN    AP        2015    $16.95    14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+492561    FARINA VALPOLICELLA    DOC        2016    $14.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+84053    TEZZA MA ROAT RIPASSO VALPOLICELLA SUPERIORE    DOC        2015    $17.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+451724    ZENATO ALANERA    IGT Rosso Veronese        2014    $19.95    13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+574368    FINCA MONICA TEMPRANILLO    DOCa Rioja        2016    $13.95    13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+574467    PABLO CLARO BIODYNAMIC CABERNET SAUVIGNON/GRACIANO    Vinos de la Tierra de Castilla    Dominio de Punctum    2015    $18.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+86363    WILDASS RED    VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake    Stratus Vineyards    2014    $19.95 13.4% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
 
20 over $20
=========
W+172338    SOUTHBROOK TRIOMPHE CHARDONNAY    VQA Niagara Peninsula        2016    $24.95    13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92
W+655381    STAGS' LEAP WINERY CHARDONNAY    Napa Valley    2016    $39.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
W+16725    TERRES SECRÈTES SAINT-VÉRAN CHARDONNAY    AC        2016    $20.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+562454    INDOMITO FALANGHINA DEL BENEVENTANO    IGT    Francesco Minini    2016    $14.95     12% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+396267    THE ORGANIZED CRIME BREAK-IN PINOT NOIR    VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment        2016    $21.95     12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+46003    BONTERRA THE MCNAB    Single vineyard, McNab Ranch, Mendocino County        2013    $59.95    14.9% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+135152    PAUL DOLAN CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Mendocino County        2015    $31.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+503904    CHÂTEAU CLARKE    AC Listrac-Médoc    Baron Edmond de Rothschild, prop.    2010    $42.95    14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+286336    DOMAINE LES GRANDS BOIS CUVÉE MAXIMILIEN CÔTES DU RHÔNE-VILLAGES CAIRANNE Farjon Besnardeau, vign.-récolt.    2015    $24.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+570077    MASSERIA PASSAMANTE NEGROAMARO    IGP Salento        2016    $16.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+334300    LATIUM MORINI CAMPO LEÒN AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA    DOCG        2012    $48.95    16.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+976662    FAUSTINO I GRAN RESERVA    DOCa Rioja    Bodegas Faustino Martinez    2005    $35.95    13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+939736    ONTAÑÓN GRAN RESERVA DOCa Rioja 2005    $39.95    13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+578864    LEANING POST THE FIFTY CHARDONNAY    VQA Ontario        2015    $21.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+947309    CONDE VALDEMAR RESERVA  Rioja 2011 $21.9513.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
W+663286    AUNTSFIELD SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC    Southern Valleys, Marlborough, South Island        2017    $21.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+93112    MASTROBERARDINO AGLIANICO    IGT Campania        2015    $23.95    13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+138818    TAHBILK CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Nagambie Lakes, Victoria        2015    $23.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+344416    CASTELGREVE RISERVA CHIANTI CLASSICO    DOCG        2013    $21.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Friday, July 27, 2018

* MORE FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS this Month!!!

3.OPEN SANDWICHES (Quadrille Publishing, 2018, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-78713-125-5 $19.99 USD hardbound) is by Trine Hahnemann, a Danish cookbook author with over a dozen titles.
Here are 70 smorrebrod ideas for breakfast, lunch  and dinner. She4's got the primer and the basics in two different places, followed by two chapters "everyday" and "special" (most are everyday). Smorrebrod can be special. It can be a large cold table buffet of topings to put on food, a sort-of DIYA to eat for hours. In winter one could try herring followed by duck with chicory and apple and then salted beef with horseradish. In summer, it is shrimp, soft leeks with eggs and vinaigrette. With all the flavours, a buffet may be hard to pair with wines. Nevertheless, you-as-host can enjoy the relative ease and leisure of other people creating the food. For one thing, nothing becomes soggy because it is eaten just after creation. Christmas pork with cabbage is another winner.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those looking for entertaining ideas.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: there are rules based on traditions, such as rye bread, then salted butter, then the main topping of protein, followed by garnish and decorations. The correct order of eating is always herring first, then other fish, then meat or veggies, and cheese is last.
The downside to this book: no author bio...who is she? I had to use Amazon.
The upside to this book: here are nice notes on the herbs
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
 
 
4.BEAUTIFUL BUNDTS (Robert Rose, 2017, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0576-2 $27.95 CAD paperbound) is by Julie Anne Hession, a competitive cook, photographer, blogger and cookbook author in Las Vegas and Wyoming. She's got 100 recipes for Bundts with their unique ring shapes. The range is from retro classics (babas au rhum, gugelhupf) through modern twists for every occasion. The Bundt pan can be used for many other dishes: sweet and savoury casseroles, cornbread, whole meals. She discusses the different designs of Bundt pans, including mini Bundts. The preps are arranged by format: basic, breakfast, filled, layered & swirled, pull-apart, holiday, international, mini, and savoury.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements.
Audience and level of use: home cooks
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: pull-apart pretzel Bundt (with a smoky cheese dipping sauce, retro cranberry mold, funfetti birthday Bundt, savoury caprese brunch strata, mini mushroom risotto, baked Italian sausage rigatoni Bundt.
The downside to this book: there are still many people who own a Bundt but are uncertain what to do with it.
The upside to this book: it is easy to make gluten-free and vegan Bundts
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
 
 
5.THE ALASKA FROM SCRATCH COOKBOOK (Rodale, 2018, ISBN 978-1-63565-063-1 $27.99 USD hardcovers) is by Maya Wilson, food columnist for Alaska Dispatch News and chief blogger at "Alaska from Scratch". The cookbook and the photos (which also include some landscape) are derived from her website. It's arranged in traditional fashion, with breakfast upfront followed by soups, seafood, mains, beverages, and desserts. It's a very good description of Alaska life and food, a nifty regional cookbook. But the book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart.
Audience and level of use: Alaskans, home cooks
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: blueberry basil lemonade; ginny weasley; hunter's pie (ground game or beef); king crab pasta with sourdough bread crumbs; scallop tostadas with corn salsa and chipotle crema; slow-roasted king salmon with cucumber dill sauce; black cod over udon; salmon burgers.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
 
 
 
6.FEAST BY FIRELIGHT (Ten Speed Press, 2018, 202 pages, ISBN 978-0-399-57991-2 $22 USD hardbound) is by Emma Frisch, owner of Firelight Camps in Ithaca NY. These are everyday foods created by fireside cooking shared with friends and family. She's got menu planners, handy illustrations, equipment lists, and advice on how to prepare for any trip, even one to a local park during the week (and no need to pitch a tent). There are 80 recipes here plus memoir material about the joys of camp cooking. But the book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart.
Audience and level of use: happy campers, those who look cooking in the outdoors (not all BBQ)
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: spiced sweet potato and kale tacos; red pepper-fennel kraut; Campari sangria spritz; praline bacon; crispy lemon-thyme skillet chicken with green beans; grilled stone fruit with bread crumble; honey-coriander glazed pork chops with roasted corn salsa.
The downside to this book: nothing, really. It is pretty thorough, although I think that cleaning up could use its own chapter.
The upside to this book: it is all about sharing food at the campfire
Quality/Price Rating: 89
 
 
7.THE BODY BUILDER'S KITCHEN (Alpha Dorling Kindersley, 2018, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-46546-997-7 $19.95 USD paperbound) is by Erin Stern, a professional bodybuilder and competitor who has won over 14 titles. Www.erinstern.com has more about her and her kitchen. Her book is intended to give bodybuilders a foundation of 100 recipes plus meal  plans to help develop a nutrition plan that works. These are the preps that have given her successful results. The are all easy, contain a minimum number of ingredients, and each prep includes totals for calories, protein, carbos and fat. She has five main meal plans that use the recipes: all of them are for seven days each – bulking, cutting, ketogenic, calorie cycling, and carb cycling. Each one of these plans comes with s shopping list. The preps promote muscle-building and fat-burning. But the book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart.
Audience and level of use: bodybuilders, dieters.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: broiled cod with tomatillo salsa; egg white custards; reverse-seared sirloin steaks; slow cooker BBQ pulled chicken; overnight mocha oats; Tex-Mex fajitas; Canadian bacon and egg cups; turkey and veggie rollup.
The downside to this book: I wanted more recipes.
The upside to this book: here is guidance on how to eat, what to eat, and when to eat it.
Quality/Price Rating: 87
 
 
 
 
8.A BAKER'S YEAR (St. Martin's Griffen, 2018, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-12738-9 $25.99 USD hardbound) is by Tara Jensen, who has a wood-fired bakery in North Carolina. Previously she had spent a decade as a professional. This is her story of a year of baking and living the simple life at the Smoke Signals Bakery. It ius all arranged by  month, from January through December. Half of each chapter describes her life at the bakery for that month; the other half are the preps that are relative to that month. February is devoted to sourdough cultures. Most of the March recipes deal with pancakes while April has waffles. I like then presentations and style of the book. The book could have been improved if she also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart, and did more scaling.
Audience and level of use: home bakers, pastry chefs
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: savoury pancakes; shooting star cake; full moon cake; broken down berry pie; coalfield cake; stenciled loaves in a pan; cornmeal chess.
The downside to this book: I would have liked more bread recipes, and some gluten-free alternatives.
The upside to this book: her antry porridge includes whole spelt and whole barley
Quality/Price Rating: 88
 
 
9.THE CHICKPEA REVOLUTION (Skyhorse Publishing, 2018, 196 pages, ISBN 978-1-5107-2640-6 $17.99 USD hardbound) is by the team of Scarborough blogger Heather Lawless and Jen Mulqueen, a Toronto nutrition expert. The have given us 85 plant-based recipes; it's a vegan book centred around chickpeas as a way of cutting back on animal agriculture (responsible for 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions). Chickpeas are good because they are versatile, affordable, rich in protein (and fibre, iron, phosphate, et al), and they contribute to the soil by absorbing nitrogen from the atmosphere. In addition to the chickpea itself, there are many cooking uses for chickpea flour, aquafaba (the vegan egg white), and chickpea pasta. The eight chapters here run through the mealtimes: breakfast through weeknight dinners, plus entertaining and cocktails. Kids are included too; this is a family book. This is also a good book for vegans and flexitarians. If you must need meat/fish/dairy/eggs – just add them as garnishes to most of the preps. This can expand the scope of the book. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, but at least it had  metric conversion charts.
Audience and level of use: vegans, chickpea lovers
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: morning glory muffins; socca bread; fish-less tacos; falafel dog; garbanzo joe (vegan sloppy joe); Moroccan stew; acorn squash salad; roasted grapes and lemon-tahini dressing; chickpea pot pie.
The downside to this book: needed a cross-reference from socca to panisse and vice versa.
The upside to this book: good single ingredient cookbook, but I was looking for more recipes.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
 
 
10.PROJECT FIRE (Workman Publishing, 2018, 326 pages, ISBN 978-1-5235-0276-9 $22.95 USD paperbound) is by Steven Raichlen. It's his annual (or so it seems: this is #31) BBQ book – the others have won five Beards and three IACPs. He's also done three PBS food shows (Project Smoke, Primal Grill, Barbeque University). So he needs no introduction. Here he concentrates on "cutting-edge techniques and sizzling recipes from the Caveman Porterhouse to Salt Slab Brownie S'mores". He's documented live-fire cooking in over 60 countries. His current book has 100 preps with many reinventions. There are reverse-seared beef tomahawks, fry-brined filet mignons, ember-charred porterhouses, and T-Bones enriched with melted beef fat. Unique items include spit-roasted beer-brined cauliflower, blowtorched rosemary veal chop, hay-fired mussels, peppery chicken under a brick, and herb-crusted salmon on a shovel. Live-fire of course needs an audience, and this is indeed top level showing off!! Also covered are breakfast, cocktails, desserts and veggies. A great book to be used for entertaining friends. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, but at least it had  metric conversion charts. Quality/price rating: 90.
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Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

* 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"...
 
 
13.SEASONED WITH GRACE (The Countryman Press, 1987, 2018, 161 pages, ISBN 978-1-68268-186-2 $19.95 USD paperbound) is by Eldress Bertha Lindsay, the last Eldress in the Shaker Society (she passed on in 1990). This is the 1987 book containing "recipes from my generation of Shaker cooking", along with a current day foreword by Lindsay's collaborator Mary Rose Boswell, curator or executive director for many heritage groups in New England. She brings us up-to-date with developments at the Canterbury Shaker Village. There is material about the Shaker communities and lifestyle, resources on biographies and a bibliography (through 1986), as well as many end notes. Sandwiched in between are the prep, arranged by form such as soups, stews, meats, casseroles, omelets, veggies and salads, and desserts of various kinds. Good large print, and a real find for historical cookery and customs, featuring classics such as New England Clam Chowder, Shaker horehound candy, and maple sugar cake. Quality/price rating: 94.
 
 
 
14.MEZZE (Ryland Peters & Small, 2015, 2018, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-935-9, $14.95 USD hardbound) is by Ghillie Basan, a cookery writer and journalist specializing in Middle East cuisine. She has written other Middle East books for Ryland Peters & Small. This book is a trimmed down version of her 160 page book published in 2015. Here are some 70 recipes of dips, bites, salads and other small plates to share, or apps or even mains. The Persian word "maza" means to relish and savour, accompanied by tea, sherbet or yogurt, occasionally wine or beer. Spanish tapas are the Middle East Moorish-influenced dishes, but with alcohol. I always love a whole meal of little plates. This book is arranged by cold mezze, hot mezze, and sweet mezze. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. It's very useful for those looking for a small dish or two, or entertaining ideas. Try olives with harissa and preserved lemon; sweet melon with feta; spicy beef tartare and bulgur balls; hot hummus with pine nuts and chilli butter; spinach and feta pastries with pine nuts; roasted meat-stuffed onions with tamarind and butter; or pears in saffron and cinnamon syrup. Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
15.FERMENTATION REVOLUTION (Robert Rose, 2017, 2018, 208 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0593-9 $27.95 CAD paperbound) is by Sebastien Bureau and David Cote, both a scientist and a businessman involved with sustainable food development, especially at RISE Kombucha. It was originally published in French in Quebec in 2017; this is the English translation. Here are 70 easy, healthy recipes for sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi, and more. Fermentation of food is a hot kitchen trend: you can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, such as pickles, olives, ginger beer, and make your own foods multiple their nutritional properties tenfold. Plus it's great for your digestive and nervous systems, reviving immune systems and regulating metabolisms. The range here (after the primer) is from fermented veggies through fruits, sugars, milks, grains, and legumes. Hey 10,000 BILLION beneficial bacteria inhabit the gut – and we gotta do something for them. Resources lists, explicit easy instructions, and innovative preps for fermented seitan jerky, dragon bowl, umeboshi plums, fermented garlic scapes and Brazil nut bruschetta tapenade, and lemon confit meringue pie – it's all here for the avid and curious beginner. In Robert Rose fashion, the book also used metric and avoirdupois in the recipes. Quality/price rating: 88.
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Chimo! www.deantudor.com

 

Monday, July 23, 2018

* FOOD BOOK OF THE MONTH! : Berkeley Bowl Cookbook

THE BERKELEY BOWL COOKBOOK (Parallax Press, 2018, 216 pages, ISBN 978-1-941529-96-6 $34.95 USD hardcovers) is by Laura McLively, an RD and food writer based in Oakland. She created a blog, "My Berkeley Bowl" about cooking with unusual fruits and veggies. So here she has an equivalent print version of recipes inspired by the produce of a major California food market, the Berkeley Bowl, which specializes in rare fruits and veggies principally from Latin America and Asia. And no, the title name does not refer to the current trend towards food bowl layering, although of course, you could make bowl dishes from the Berkeley Bowl produce, as in "Berkeley Bowl bowl". Log-rollers include Deborah Madison. The photos are very useful in identifying produce, and many come from off the shelf so we have a price indication as well. There are 1200 varieties of fruits and veggies here, an awesome number to those of us in the North. Much of the food is grown in California, and its location is in a former bowling alley (ah yes, that "bowl" word again). There is a brief historu of the market and then some Kitchen Notes before the recipes. It's alla arranged by physical shape: leaves, flowers-seeds-pods, spores and succulents, stems, roots and tubers, savoury fruits, and sweet fruits. At the end, she's got some seasonal menus with page references, and some ingredient key photos. These foods may be difficult to find outside of large metropolitan areas, but you should begin by looking into Asian or Latin American markets or farmers' markets that specialize in heirloom varieties (the owners of Berkeley Bowl are of Japanese descent). The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart.
Audience and level of use: collectors of unusual cookbooks, vegetarians.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: moqua pisto with fried egg; chayot pozole; bunuelos de yuca; burdock root pizza; guava with cotija and honey; breakfast pea shoots and polenta; shiso limeade; toasted salad savoy with pears and goat cheese; summer salad with rau ram chimichurri.
The downside to this book: I really wanted some metric measurements for the rest of the world (ROW).
The upside to this book: it is important because of her recipe contributions for exotic fruit and veggies.
Quality/Price Rating: 91
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Sunday, July 22, 2018

* 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 –
 
 
2.EVERYONE LOVES TACOS (Ryland Peters & Small, 2018, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-933-5 $19.95 USD hardbound) is by Felipe Fuentes Cruz and Ben Fordham, partners in Benito's Hat (2008) and Every Juan Loves Tacos (2017) in London. Felipe also has Dona Nata Mexican Kitchen in Los Cobos, Mexico. There are 65 preps here; most use both flour or corn tortillas. It's arranged by filling, such as meat, seafood/fish, vegetarian, with chapters on antojitos apps, breakfast/brunch, salsas, desserts, and drinks. They even have a list of substitutions for ingredients hard to come by (especially in the UK). Noteworthy are beer-battered avocado dippers, avocado stuffed with shrimp,tacos de carnita, tacos de atun, and tacos de papa con curcuma. The book could have been improved if it also used more metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 86.
 
 
3.GIADA'S ITALY (Clarkson Potter, 2018, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-307-98722-8 $35 USD hardbound) is by Giada de Laurentiis, the Emmy winner from the Food Network multiple series, a TV food judge, and author of many Italian food cookbooks. These are her recipes for La Dolce Vita – the comfort/sweet life. The book is filled with her recipes, photographs of in and around Rome, family photos, and stories of life. The arrangement is pretty well standard, starting with "starters" and moving to lunch, in-betweens, weeknights, "la dolce vita", sides and sweets. Something for everyone at feeding time. She's got some good notes on the Italian pantry which can easily double for a Mediterranean pantry. The main part of the book is the "mains" of "la dolce vita", and includes such basic preps as penne with parmesan pomodoro, ziti stufati, creamy lobster linguine, lamb osso buco, veal saltimbocca milanese-style, and hazelnut chicken. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. They could have easily dropped one of the many photos of Giada and put in equivalent tables. Her fans will enjoy this book. Quality/price rating: 85
 
 
 
4.SALADISH (Artisan Books, 2018, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-57965-695-9 $24.95 US hardbound) is by Ilene Rosen, co-owner of a specialty grocery shop in Brooklyn who had previously spent a decade-and-a-half as the savoury chef at City Bakery where she crafted her famous salad bar. Those deets are impressive. The associative food writer is freelancer Donna Gelb who also develops and tests recipes. Their main premise is to make a "salad plus", hence "saladish", something like a salad. The book comes with some log rolling, but that is needed to sort out one salad book from another. We've just gone through a whole variety of books on "salad bowls", where salads are augmented by grains and beans and assorted protein sources. This one is, according to the subtitle, "a crunchier, grainier, herbier, heartier, tastier way with vegetables". There are five basic principles: use best ingredients; contrast texture and flavours; taste throughout the recipe creation to balance the seasoning; add some surprise; and if it needs something extra, diced red onion is the secret fix. The basic difference between the preps in this book and the salad bowl books is simply a wider range of ingredients, contrasting flavours, and the red onion trick. They've got 100 recipes here, organized seasonally, and with a range of aromas, textures of heartiness, party menus, timelines for prep work, and charts to show placement on the table. So you CAN have your own salad buffet at home...For winter, they present slightly spicy carrots with buckwheat honey, broccoli rabe with roasted oyster mushrooms, acorn squash with green olives and curry dressing. Some meat is involved, such as bacon and chorizo, but only as garnishes. The appendix lists all the vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free recipes. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, but at least it had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
 
 
5.MICHAEL SYMON'S PLAYING WITH FIRE (Clarkson Potter, 2018, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-8041-8658-2 $30 USD hardbound) is by the chef and co-owner of three restaurants in Cleveland and also the host of many food shows on TV. He's got 5 other restaurants around the US plus the B Spot chain of burger joints. He's authored four other cookbooks, mostly dealing with meat. Here he delves into meat again, but this time it is BBQ from his newest restaurant, Mabel's BBQ in Cleveland. It's also a live-fire place, and hence this book has both BBQ and freshly cooked foods from the fireplace. Douglas Trattner assisted him. It's divided into types of animals – pork, beef, chicken, seafood, lamb, veggies and sides, completed by BBQ sauces, relishes and rubs. Scattered throughout are profiles of various pit-masters that he consulted in a swing around the United States. It's another great book for his followers, well-written and virtually complete. My faves are smoked pork butt, Mabel's Hungarian smoked kielbasa, fireplace chicken on a string, and cedar-planked salmon. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. But very few American books are doing this today. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
 
6.THE GREAT SHELLFISH COOKBOOK (Appetite by Random House, 2018, 240 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-753057-8 $29.95 CAD paperbound)  is by Matt Dean Petit who started the Rock Lobster Food Co which showcased, of course, lobster, making it accessible to inland Canadians. He had authored The Great Lobster Cookbook, and now he is back with a new collection of 100 or so preps for all kinds of shellfish, including lobster. It's a complete book that shows where and how to buy fresh shellfish, how to store and how to cook it. He's got crab, oysters, mussels, scallops, squid, octopus, clams, and prawns. In addition to the classics, there are Thai curry crab, fried squid pintxo peppers, spot prawn dumplings, et al. This is also a good reference book for the home cook, and includes a large typeface index. Bravo. The book was improved by also using metric in the recipes. Quality/price rating: 89
 
 
 
 
7.AT MY TABLE (Appetite by Random House, 2018, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-14-753106-3 $45 CAD hardbound) is by Nigella Lawson. It's labeled in the subtitle as "a celebration of home cooking". But then, aren't just about all of her cookbooks concerned with "home cooking"? (e.g. How to Be a Domestic Goddess; Nigella Express; Nigella Christmas; Nigella Kitchen; Simply Nigella). The contents seem to be arranged by course, beginning with breakfast, moving through to lunch and dinner, followed up by dessert choices and cocktails. I say that because there are no chapter headings, just a table of contents with page indications for each and every recipe (waffles on p16, hake with bacon, peas and cider on p120, roast top round on p194, double chocolate and pumpkin seed cookies on p265, and a dirty lemon martini on p272). It is a good selection, g=headed up by lamb shanks and polenta-fried fish. And worth your consideration if you are a home cook. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. There are separate make-ahead and storage notes for most recipes. The index has principal ingredients in bold face with designations for vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free (just missing soy-free and nut-free). Quality/price rating: 88.
 
 
 
 
8.EASY CHICKEN RECIPES (St. Martin's Griffin, 2018, 228 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-14628-1 $19.99 USD paperbound)
 
AND
 
9.HOME MADE SOUP RECIPES (St. Martin's Griffin, 2018, 228 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-16172-7 $19.99 USD paperbound) are by Addie Gundry, a culinary arts master's grad who has worked for Boulud, Keller, Stewart, and others on management, restaurant openings, brand development, editorial, marketing, and sales. She won a Food Network competition, and now creates culinary content for web platforms: http://recipelion.com/103recipes She's got 103 preps here in her latest collections of recipes. She explains that 103 recipes were used just to be different from everybody else. Her other books had subtitles with "103 easy etc.", "103 best etc.", "103 fuss-free etc.", and "103 inventive etc." – all concentrated on ease and comfort with regard to casseroles, desserts, dinners, cookies, slow-cooker, and chicken. In the first book she goes after poultry in her arrangement of appetizers, soups, stews, slow cooker, skillet, oven-baked, BBQ, and casseroles. Her second books has soups, stews, chilis, bisques and chowders – all sorted by "chilled", "slow cooker", "main course", "vegetarian". It is all good food with a flair, mostly on the Martha Stewart side. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 85.
 
 
 
 
10.GOAT: cooking and eating (Quadrille, 2018, 208 pages, ISBN 978-1-78713-118-7 $29.99 USD hardbound) is by James Whetlor, who has worked as a chef in London and latterly at River Cottage in Devon. He also set up a company to supply kid and goat meat to chefs and shops throughout the UK. There is a primer on goats and Farm Africa (half of the royalties from this book will be donated to Farm Africa). The 90-plus recipes are arranged by time and format: slow, quick cooks, over fire, roast, and baked. Plus some basics dealing with dips and sauces and spice blends. There is a general index and a recipe index. The latter has two sections: recipes suitable for goat (e.g., curry goat) or kid, and recipes suitable for kid only (e.g., herb-crusted rack of kid). A lot of the book can also be used for lamb/mutton, which enhances its value. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric (for the most part) and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
 
11.KOREAN BBQ (Ten Speed Press, 2018, 232 pages, ISBN 978-0-399-58078-9 $28 USD hardbound) is by Bill Kim of Chicago's "bellyQ" restaurants, with food writer Chandra Ram. He's taken the art of Korean BBQ and come up with a matrix of 10 rubs and sauces (3 spice rubs and 7 master sauces) with which one can command the art of Korean BBQ. As he says, "you are the master of your grill". Even logroller Daniel Boulud agrees. While the magic 10 are carefully explained and photographed in almost 30 pages, the end papers of the back cover have listed the basic recipes for preparation: a neat device, worthy of notice. Preps call for the sauces and rubs on a mix-and-match basis, or as straight up. The book is arranged by topic – the magic 10, snacks, BBQ meats, BBQ poultry, BBQ fish and shellfish, BBQ vegetables and tofu, sides, and desserts. There is also a special chapter on leftovers, which is actually my fave chapter here. He gives us a guide to using up leftover master sauces into such as kimchi potluck stew, grilled shrimp egg foo yung, and chicken-corn salad. Then he turns it around and gives us a "salad matrix" to use up the leftovers, followed by a "bowl matrix", a "sandwich matrix", and a "pesto matrix", all with appropriate page references. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. This fault might slightly diminish international sales. Quality/price rating: 90.
 
 
 
12.KEVIN BELTON'S NEW ORLEANS KITCHEN (Gibbs Smith, 2018, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-4894-9 $24.99 USD hardbound) is by the PBS Chef Kevin Belton, with freelance New Orleans-style food writer Rhonda K. Findley. Belton is a Creole who has been teaching New Orleans cooking for over 20 years, and has devoted his PBS TV shows to the genre. This book is drawn from and accompanies his latest show, "Kevin Belton's New Orleans Kitchen". He offers tasty New Orleans classic dishes like crawfish pie, fried oyster po-boy with blue cheese and Buffalo sauce, and duck and andouille gumbo with potato salad, as well as foreign favorites with a little New Orleans twist, like Cuban paella, Vietnamese wonton soup with shrimp dumplings, and Greek souvlaki with tzatziki. Belton's flavours and engaging writing alongside the fab photographs make this new cookbook of Creole and Cajun food very enjoyable. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents on the last page of the index. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for July 21, 2018

 
WORLD WINE WATCH TOP 20/20 WINES: 20 under $20 and 20 over $20 for July 21, 2018
 
By DEAN TUDOR, Gothic Epicures Writing deantudor@deantudor.com. My "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.
These notes for wines available through the LCBO Vintages (on a bi-weekly basis)  can always be found at http://www.gothicepicures.blogspot.ca/ or at  http://www.deantudor.com
 
Scores are a combination of MVC (Modal Varietal Character, e.g. a Southern Rhone tastes like a Southern Rhone) and QPR (Quality/Price Ratio value in the marketplace above or below its price).
 
THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL FINDS --
 
+991562 Bailly Lapierre Reserve Brut Cremant de Bourgogne NV $19.95. 93 points
+360248 Giuseppe B. Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth 375 mL $16.95. 94 points
 
20 under $20
=========
W+246579    CAVE SPRING ESTATE BOTTLED CHARDONNAY MUSQUÉ    Cave Spring Vineyard, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Escarpment 2016 $17.95      13.5 % ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+258806    ROSEWOOD SÜSSRESERVE RIESLING    VQA Niagara Escarpment        2016    $15.95    11.2% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+443507    SANTA EMA GRAN RESERVA SAUVIGNON BLANC    DO Leyda Valley        2017    $15.95    13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+456020    RUSTENBERG STELLENBOSCH SAUVIGNON BLANC    WO Stellenbosch        2017    $14.95     MVC/QPR: 89
W+169474    HUNAWIHR KUHLMANN-PLATZ VIEILLES VIGNES GEWURZTRAMINER    AC Alsace        2016    $19.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
W+363150    LE FILS DES GRAS MOUTONS MUSCADET SÈVRE-ET-MAINE SUR LIE    AC    Claude Branger, vign.-récolt.    2016    $14.95 12% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+562231    CLAUDIO QUARTA SANPAOLO FIANO    IGP Campania        2016    $14.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+366948    FONTANAFREDDA GAVI DI GAVI DOCG 2016    $18.95     MVC/QPR: 89
W+543785    HACIENDA LOPEZ DE HARO BLANCO    DOCa Rioja    Bodega Classica    2016    $14.95     MVC/QPR: 90
R+606764    ARBOLEDA SINGLE VINEYARD CABERNET SAUVIGNON    DO Aconcagua Valley        2015    $19.95  14%ABV,MVC/QPR: 89
R+569699    TABALÍ PEDREGOSO GRAN RESERVA CABERNET SAUVIGNON    DO Maipo Valley        2015    $15.95    14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+682005    JIM JIM THE DOWN-UNDERDOG SHIRAZ    South Australia    Hugh Hamilton    2015    $16.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+24034    WIRRA WIRRA CHURCH BLOCK CABERNET SAUVIGNON/SHIRAZ/MERLOT    McLaren Vale, South Australia        2015    $19.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+550293    CHÂTEAU LOUMELAT CUVÉE J.J. LESGOURGUES    AC Côtes de Bordeaux - Blaye        2015    $16.95    12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+487173    GEORGES DUBOEUF BELLES GRIVES MORGON    AC        2014    $18.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+103705    LAPLACE MADIRAN    AP        2015    $18.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+684753    PORCA DE MURÇA RESERVA TINTO    DOC Douro    Companhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro    2014    $18.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+488015    QUINTA DO ESPÍRITO SANTO    Vinho Regional Lisboa    Casa Santos Lima    2015    $12.95    15% ABV, MVC/QPR: 92
R+39925    CUNE CRIANZA    DOCa Rioja        2014    $16.95  13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+461269    IZADI RESERVA    DOCa Rioja        2013    $19.95     14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
 
20 over $20
=========
W+465724    RODNEY STRONG SONOMA COAST CHARDONNAY    Sonoma Coast        2015    $29.95             13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+558684    BREMERTON BATONNAGE SHIRAZ/MALBEC    Langhorne Creek, South Australia        2015    $34.95      MVC/QPR: 88
R+553008    CHÂTEAU TRONQUOY-LALANDE    AC Saint-Estèphe        2012    $57.95  13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
W+167338    LUCA G LOT CHARDONNAY    Tupungato, Uco Valley, Mendoza    Laura Catena, prop.    2016    $32.95     13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+265090    LA CHABLISIENNE MONTMAINS CHABLIS 1ER CRU    AC        2015    $34.95    13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
W+653154    GÉNETIN POUILLY-FUMÉ     Tinel-Blondelet 2015    $28.95    13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+561035    2027 CELLARS EDGEROCK VINEYARD PINOT NOIR    VQA Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula        2016    $24.95    13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+555813    PYROS BARREL SELECTED MALBEC    Pedernal Valley, San Juan        2015    $21.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+63891    EMILIANA COYAM    Los Robles Estate, DO Colchagua Valley        2014    $29.95    PMA  14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 90
R+410019    HOWARD PARK MIAMUP CABERNET SAUVIGNON    Margaret River, Western Australia        2015    $22.95    14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+692301    PENCARROW PINOT NOIR    Martinborough, North Island    Palliser Estate    2016    $24.95     MVC/QPR: 89
R+550459    CHÂTEAU TOURANS    AC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru        2014    $34.95    14% ABV, MVC/QPR: 88
R+550442    CHÂTEAU NOAILLAC    Cru Bourgeois, AC Médoc        2014    $21.95 13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+556381    HENRI DE VILLAMONT PINOT NOIR Bourgogne 2014     $22.95 12.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+556407    MOILLARD CUVÉE PRESTIGE RULLY     2015    $28.95    13% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
T+539403    SILVIO GRASSO BAROLO    DOCG        2012    $47.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 89
R+247262    ALEJANDRO PESQUERA CRIANZA    DO Ribera del Duero        2014    $34.95 14.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
R+482158    URBINA SELECCIÓN CRIANZA Rioja 1999 $32.95 13.5% ABV, MVC/QPR: 91
 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

RE: SOME MORE FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW

Thank you!!!

 

I books accumulating downstairs. I’ll send them off J

 

 

All my best,

Danielle Johnson, Senior Publicist

Raincoast Books | 2440 Viking Way, Richmond, BC V6V 1N2  

Direct Line (604) 448-7163 | www.raincoast.com

 

 

 

From: Dean Tudor [mailto:dtudor@pathcom.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2018 6:50 AM
To: blog1
Subject: SOME MORE FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW

 

THE CURRY GUY (Quadrille, 2017, 161 pages, ISBN 978-1-78713-143-9 $19.99 USD hardbound) is by Dan Toombs, who runs a website www.greatcurryrecipes.net which draws about 130,000 visit a month. His book concentrates on “Indian restaurant cooking” in the UK, that is, foods you are most likely to encounter in a restaurant setting. Many people are happy enough with ethnic food to merely replicate a fave dish or two at home. Here are 100 such recipes, headed by butter chicken. It is arranged by base recipes, appetizers, classic curries, grilling and BBQ, popular side dishes, and accompaniments and breads. Preparations have their ingredients listed a bit haphazardly in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.

Audience and level of use: those who eat out in Indian restaurants.

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: butter chicken is derived from leftover tandoori marinades in a curry, ostensibly created by the first tandoori restaurant in India (1947).

The downside to this book: a bit short, I wanted more

The upside to this book: good idea for sticking to basics that people are familiar with.

Quality/Price Rating: 86.

 

 

4.DOCTOR'S ORDERS (Hardie Grant Books, 2017, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-78488-137-5 $14.99 USD hardcovers) is by the team of Chris Edwards and Dave Tregenza who are both deep into UK bar consultancies. It's a collection of 50 preps of classic cocktails, medicinal tonics, and contemporary concoctions to cure whatever ails you. Typical ailments are broken hearts, hangovers, and lack of energy. There is the usual primer for a home bar (glasses, base recipes, equipment, bottles) and then the preps are arranged by remedies, comforters, revivers, and restorations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, with no table of equivalents.

Audience and level of use: those looking for a basic catch-all book of cocktails.

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Beets by Wray (root-based daiquiri), apple a day, watermelon G & T, citizen cane, last word.

The downside to this book: a bit short

The upside to this book: good value for the price.

Quality/Price Rating: 86

 

 

 

5.LAGOM (Quadrille, 2017, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-78713-037-1 $29.99 USD hardbound) is by Swedish food stylist and writer Steffi Knowles-Dellner. She develops recipes for several Scandinavian brands and teaches Nordic cooking classes. This is the Swedish art of eating harmoniously; “lagom” means just the right amount, as in moderation or balance. In cookbook-land it is related to the Danish “hygge” (comforting, cozy food). Her book is arranged by course (breakfast, lunch, light bites, mains, desserts, baking) with Swedish titles. There are about 100 preps here, emphasizing moderation (as developed in her opening comments and introductions). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.

Audience and level of use: those looking for a new twist in food preps.

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: buckwheat, chive and lemon pancakes with smoked salmon; wholemeal scone muffins; autumn salad; almond milk=braised pork belly; pearl barley risotto; spelt pizza; rye crispbreads; salmon burgers with corn salsa; coconut semolina cake.

The downside to this book: to complete the balance theme I think I would have appreciated menus and menu ideas for a whole meal, not just the one dish.

The upside to this book: the cuisine is global.

Quality/Price Rating: 89.

 

 

 

 

6.POSH PANCAKES (Quadrille Books, 2018, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-803-6 $19.99 USD hardbound) is by Sue Quinn, a UK recipe writer and food stylist. This book is one of a series – first word titled POSH – and dealing with TOAST, EGGS, KEBABS, and RICE (they have been reviewed here before). PANCAKES is new. Here are 70 easy recipes for everything from hoppers to hotcakes. The main intent is rise about the mundane and show some pancakes with pizzaz. It's arranged by course, from breakfast through to dinner (no reason why you cannot have pork-fennel-chili baked pancakes, cheesy pancakes with creamed greens, or chicken and sweetcorn pancakes). Just a modest amount of prep work, and many basic forms can be cooked up in advanced and reheated with added sauces, etc.

Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.

Audience and level of use: millennials

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: rye crepes with lardons and goat cheese; oatmeal pancakes with fruit salad and lime syrup; ham hock and rose harissa crepes; pears and walnuts, salted caramel crepes.

Quality/Price Rating: 88

 

 

7.ON THE SIDE; a sourcebook of inspiring side dishes (Bloomsbury, 2017, 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-4088-7315-1, $28 USD) is by Ed Smith, a UK food writer with articles in the Independent and the Guardian, plus his own award-winning website “Rocket & Squash”. This is his first book, and it comes loaded with A-list logrollers such as Nigel Slater and Yotam Ottolenghi. It is a collection of side dishes (which can easily be expanded to mains or for sharing platters), arranged by type: green leaves and herbs; veggies plus fruits, flowers and bulbs; roots, squash and potatoes; grains, pulses, pasta and rice. At the end there is a great recipe directory with suggested accompaniments (and page references) for mains such as roast beef, stews and casseroles, BBQ, cheeses, souffle, cold cuts, duck , seafood, lobster, etc. This is followed by two other handy indexes (with page references) to WHERE the food is prepared (counter, oven) and HOW LONG it will take (less than 15 minutes, 15 – 30, 30 to an hour, etc.). And of course, the main index itself. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric and avoirdupois measurements, which can be confusing since it is one or the other, and not both.  But there is no table of equivalents.

Audience and level of use: those looking for a different kind of cookbook.

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: bulgur wheat salad; quick romesco; lemon and olive oil fregola; runner beans with bacon and walnuts; bread sauce and parsnip crisps; butter-braised chicory; nutmeg neeps; steamed marinated fennel; white wine and dill carrots.

The downside to this book: ingredient quantities mixed units of measurement.

The upside to this book: the indexes.

Quality/Price Rating: 89.

 

 

8.150 BEST WAFFLE MAKER RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2018, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0589-2, $19.95 CAD paperbound) is by cookbook author Marilyn Haugen and home economist Jennifer MacKenzie (who also writes cookbooks). At home, we don't have many single purpose pieces of equipment. Just a blender, a food processor, and a Kitchen Aid – which do many of the things we need to do in the kitchen. However, we do have a waffle maker because my wife does love waffles, and they are very hard to cook in a Kitchen Aid. Waffles are the kind of food you tend to eat out, much like french fries: they're a lot of work and need specialized equipment. Here the team expands on the usefulness of the waffle maker beyond the traditional waffles. The classics are here, but there are also preps for vegan and gluten-free waffles, plus sandwiches, pizzas, mains, and snacks. And it's a very useful book to have the kids cook from. There are resourceful sections here on how to buy a waffle maker (we have both stovetop and electric at home); the grids are useful  for grilling, like a panini maker. The layout is typical Robert Rose with both metric and avoirdupois measurements in each recipe, plus tips and service and variations.

Audience and level of use: families

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Club Wafflewich, crispy crab cakes with chipotle aioli, pico de gallo chicken quesadillas, stuffed pepperoni and olive pizza pies.

The downside to this book: I wanted more

The upside to this book: a good book for family.

Quality/Price Rating: 86,

 

 

9.SERIOUSLY GOOD FREEZER MEALS (Robert Rose, 2018, 368 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0591-5 $24.95 USD paperbound) is by Karrie Truman, a blogger (happymoneysaver.com} who can actually make 50 freezer meals in a day. Her blog appeals to those on a budget who cook from scratch. And of course, storage in a freezer is the best thing. We've had a freezer at home for over 40 years now (actually, the first one lasted 25 years and we are now on to another one) and it is full of single items and prepared meals such as ragu or pot pies. So this is another Robert Rose single equipment book, chock full (150 preps) of freezer meals. She's got preps for the whole family: dietary needs, small and large families, time constraints. Freezer bags are the main containers: they can be reused. Of course, all freezer meals will lose their taste after awhile, so they need to be used up by rotation. There's a lot of primer material here on the hows and whys of freezing, followed by the preps. Most recipes have a bulk batch guide so you can increase or decrease the serving size (the servings are mainly for 6). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.

Audience and level of use: families

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: smoky pulled pork sandwiches; pad thai; tikka masala; sun-dried tomato and bacon chicken; chili; coconut cashew basil curry soup.

The downside to this book: the book is over-sized and heavy, but I guess if you can prep many dishes a day for the freezer, then you can lug around the book.

The upside to this book: a useful freezer book with an international scope.

Quality/Price Rating: 88

 

 

 

 

10.THE COMPLETE PLATE (Figure 1, 2018, 307 pages, ISBN 978-1-77327-015-9 $29.95 CAD paperbound) is by Lauren Klukas, a certified personal trainer with a heart problem. This led her to establish a website – The Complete Plate – dealing with nutrition and cooking. She's been endorsed/logrolled by three RDs, and her contributing authors include Janine Elenko RD, and Ashlee Gillespie, a pastry chef specializing in gluten-free cooking. It's a massive book well-worth your attention, with 120 recipes and 30 meal plans. Her tome concentrates on weight maintenance and weight loss through a balanced diet of ingredients that meet both nutritional and calorie demands. The meal plans are for 1500, 2000 and 2500 calories. The recipes tend to be on the appetizing side, which is a good thing. The opening 30 pages give the primer basics, which is followed by the menus and then the recipes, all with nutrient analyses. Attention is given to gluten-free and special dietary matters. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are also tables of equivalents.

Audience and level of use: families, those wishing a healthier lifestyle.

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: green bean, feta, walnut, and pomegranate salad; grilled squash salad; roast chicken with veggies; Arctic char and wild rice; tuna quinoa bake; yellow bell pepper and chicken fajitas.

The downside to this book: small print, especially for the ingredients, and a grey (not black) ink tone – hard to read!

The upside to this book: the conversion charts are listed in the table of contents!

Quality/Price Rating: 89.

 

 

 

11.PLATTERS AND BOARDS (Chronicle Books, 2018, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-6415-1 $24.95 USD hardbound) is by Shelly Westerhausen, a vegetarian food blogger, and Wyatt Worcel who was responsible for the meat platters. It is a great book for grazers and snackers, and for parties, and the like. I find it also works for groups of two people sharing a bottle of sparkling wine. Here are all the essentials for creating a small smorgasbord or spread – all on a platter. The chapters are arranged by time: morning, noon, afternoon, evening, and “anytime”. In the beginning the primer directs you to the types of boards and assembly points. There are serving forks and spoons. There are condiments.  And, of course, there is the arrangement. They've got layouts for you, as well as drinking tips. Near the preps there is “A Board for Every Occasion” with listings of appropriate boards for baby showers (with page references), girls night, weekend dinner, and dinner party starters (i.e., apps). At the end there are recipes for the essentials, such as crostini, smokey sweet mixed nuts, cheese straws, cheddar crackers, lager whole-grain mustard, compound butters and pestos. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no conversion tables of equivalents.

Audience and level of use: millennial, party goers and party givers.

Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lazy Sunday brunch board; park picnic spread; teatime spread; movie night board; grill out platter; mainly meat charcuterie board; pickle platter; Southern-style board.

The downside to this book: not enough of it!!

The upside to this book: a great idea whose time has come.

Quality/Price Rating: 90.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

* 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...

 

 

 

12.PASTA REINVENTED (DK Books, 2018, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-6994-6 $19.95 USD paperbound) is by Caroline Bretherton, who has worked in the food industry for two decades. She has authored or co-authored a dozen books. She's had a successful restaurant and a career with the Food Network in presentation and hosting. Here she delves into alternative noodles that are gluten-free, through 80 recipes. The range includes GF grains, legume pastas, nut pastas, veggie noddles, and others. Her primer explains all, including how to create your own vegetable noodles. She has specific preps for beet and rice flour dough, spinach and millet flour dough, sorghum and squid ink flour dough, almond and tapioca, spelt and chestnut, chickpea, buckwheat, and corn. There are many notes on shaping hand cut doughs, then she moves on to pasta soups, pasta salads, pasta bowls, and pasta bakes. Typical are sweet potato and rosemary noodle kugel, lamb and feta pastitsio, almond fettuccine with crab and lemon sauce, and then black sesame and coconut curry bowl. At the back there are pages on substitutions and swapping. Truly an innovative book with many new ideas for the jaded cook or chef. The book could have been improved if it also used volume metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 89.

 

 

 

* 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”...

 

 

13.GOOD FISH (Sasquatch Books, 2011, 2018, 326 pages, ISBN 978-1-63217-107-8 $29.95 USD paperbound) is by Becky Selengut, a Seattle-based cooking teacher and private chef. It was originally published in 2011; this edition has been updated and expanded. Much has changed in the previous 8 years regarding Pacific fish: limits to overfishing has brought back stock and acquaculture has much improved. The 15 species covered in the first edition are still “good fish”. The new varieties include mahi-mahi and wahoo (Hawaii), herring, razor clams, pacific cod, and lingcod. Some of the originals got expanded and re-organized, such as wild salmon (moist-heat and dry-heat) and halibut. Her basic “good fish” rules are F (farmed is OK with verification), I (investigate provenance), S (smaller is best fish), and H (home domestic fish are best for the economy). She's got 100 recipes, and in addition to techniques, she has a bunch of URL links for her free videos which show you “how to” – fillet a fish, wok-smoke fish, clean a geoduck, sear a scallop, and more. This is a good assortment of sustainable seafood recipes from the Pacific coast. Now, time for something from the Atlantic. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, but at least it had metric conversion charts. Quality/price rating: 89

 

----------------------------------------------------


Chimo! www.deantudor.com

SOME MORE FOOD AND DRINK BOOKS IN REVIEW

THE CURRY GUY (Quadrille, 2017, 161 pages, ISBN 978-1-78713-143-9 $19.99 USD hardbound) is by Dan Toombs, who runs a website www.greatcurryrecipes.net which draws about 130,000 visit a month. His book concentrates on "Indian restaurant cooking" in the UK, that is, foods you are most likely to encounter in a restaurant setting. Many people are happy enough with ethnic food to merely replicate a fave dish or two at home. Here are 100 such recipes, headed by butter chicken. It is arranged by base recipes, appetizers, classic curries, grilling and BBQ, popular side dishes, and accompaniments and breads. Preparations have their ingredients listed a bit haphazardly in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those who eat out in Indian restaurants.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: butter chicken is derived from leftover tandoori marinades in a curry, ostensibly created by the first tandoori restaurant in India (1947).
The downside to this book: a bit short, I wanted more
The upside to this book: good idea for sticking to basics that people are familiar with.
Quality/Price Rating: 86.
 
 
4.DOCTOR'S ORDERS (Hardie Grant Books, 2017, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-78488-137-5 $14.99 USD hardcovers) is by the team of Chris Edwards and Dave Tregenza who are both deep into UK bar consultancies. It's a collection of 50 preps of classic cocktails, medicinal tonics, and contemporary concoctions to cure whatever ails you. Typical ailments are broken hearts, hangovers, and lack of energy. There is the usual primer for a home bar (glasses, base recipes, equipment, bottles) and then the preps are arranged by remedies, comforters, revivers, and restorations. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, with no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those looking for a basic catch-all book of cocktails.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Beets by Wray (root-based daiquiri), apple a day, watermelon G & T, citizen cane, last word.
The downside to this book: a bit short
The upside to this book: good value for the price.
Quality/Price Rating: 86
 
 
 
5.LAGOM (Quadrille, 2017, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-78713-037-1 $29.99 USD hardbound) is by Swedish food stylist and writer Steffi Knowles-Dellner. She develops recipes for several Scandinavian brands and teaches Nordic cooking classes. This is the Swedish art of eating harmoniously; "lagom" means just the right amount, as in moderation or balance. In cookbook-land it is related to the Danish "hygge" (comforting, cozy food). Her book is arranged by course (breakfast, lunch, light bites, mains, desserts, baking) with Swedish titles. There are about 100 preps here, emphasizing moderation (as developed in her opening comments and introductions). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those looking for a new twist in food preps.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: buckwheat, chive and lemon pancakes with smoked salmon; wholemeal scone muffins; autumn salad; almond milk=braised pork belly; pearl barley risotto; spelt pizza; rye crispbreads; salmon burgers with corn salsa; coconut semolina cake.
The downside to this book: to complete the balance theme I think I would have appreciated menus and menu ideas for a whole meal, not just the one dish.
The upside to this book: the cuisine is global.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
 
 
6.POSH PANCAKES (Quadrille Books, 2018, 176 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-803-6 $19.99 USD hardbound) is by Sue Quinn, a UK recipe writer and food stylist. This book is one of a series – first word titled POSH – and dealing with TOAST, EGGS, KEBABS, and RICE (they have been reviewed here before). PANCAKES is new. Here are 70 easy recipes for everything from hoppers to hotcakes. The main intent is rise about the mundane and show some pancakes with pizzaz. It's arranged by course, from breakfast through to dinner (no reason why you cannot have pork-fennel-chili baked pancakes, cheesy pancakes with creamed greens, or chicken and sweetcorn pancakes). Just a modest amount of prep work, and many basic forms can be cooked up in advanced and reheated with added sauces, etc.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: millennials
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: rye crepes with lardons and goat cheese; oatmeal pancakes with fruit salad and lime syrup; ham hock and rose harissa crepes; pears and walnuts, salted caramel crepes.
Quality/Price Rating: 88
 
 
7.ON THE SIDE; a sourcebook of inspiring side dishes (Bloomsbury, 2017, 336 pages, ISBN 978-1-4088-7315-1, $28 USD) is by Ed Smith, a UK food writer with articles in the Independent and the Guardian, plus his own award-winning website "Rocket & Squash". This is his first book, and it comes loaded with A-list logrollers such as Nigel Slater and Yotam Ottolenghi. It is a collection of side dishes (which can easily be expanded to mains or for sharing platters), arranged by type: green leaves and herbs; veggies plus fruits, flowers and bulbs; roots, squash and potatoes; grains, pulses, pasta and rice. At the end there is a great recipe directory with suggested accompaniments (and page references) for mains such as roast beef, stews and casseroles, BBQ, cheeses, souffle, cold cuts, duck , seafood, lobster, etc. This is followed by two other handy indexes (with page references) to WHERE the food is prepared (counter, oven) and HOW LONG it will take (less than 15 minutes, 15 – 30, 30 to an hour, etc.). And of course, the main index itself. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric and avoirdupois measurements, which can be confusing since it is one or the other, and not both.  But there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those looking for a different kind of cookbook.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: bulgur wheat salad; quick romesco; lemon and olive oil fregola; runner beans with bacon and walnuts; bread sauce and parsnip crisps; butter-braised chicory; nutmeg neeps; steamed marinated fennel; white wine and dill carrots.
The downside to this book: ingredient quantities mixed units of measurement.
The upside to this book: the indexes.
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
8.150 BEST WAFFLE MAKER RECIPES (Robert Rose, 2018, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0589-2, $19.95 CAD paperbound) is by cookbook author Marilyn Haugen and home economist Jennifer MacKenzie (who also writes cookbooks). At home, we don't have many single purpose pieces of equipment. Just a blender, a food processor, and a Kitchen Aid – which do many of the things we need to do in the kitchen. However, we do have a waffle maker because my wife does love waffles, and they are very hard to cook in a Kitchen Aid. Waffles are the kind of food you tend to eat out, much like french fries: they're a lot of work and need specialized equipment. Here the team expands on the usefulness of the waffle maker beyond the traditional waffles. The classics are here, but there are also preps for vegan and gluten-free waffles, plus sandwiches, pizzas, mains, and snacks. And it's a very useful book to have the kids cook from. There are resourceful sections here on how to buy a waffle maker (we have both stovetop and electric at home); the grids are useful  for grilling, like a panini maker. The layout is typical Robert Rose with both metric and avoirdupois measurements in each recipe, plus tips and service and variations.
Audience and level of use: families
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Club Wafflewich, crispy crab cakes with chipotle aioli, pico de gallo chicken quesadillas, stuffed pepperoni and olive pizza pies.
The downside to this book: I wanted more
The upside to this book: a good book for family.
Quality/Price Rating: 86,
 
 
9.SERIOUSLY GOOD FREEZER MEALS (Robert Rose, 2018, 368 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0591-5 $24.95 USD paperbound) is by Karrie Truman, a blogger (happymoneysaver.com} who can actually make 50 freezer meals in a day. Her blog appeals to those on a budget who cook from scratch. And of course, storage in a freezer is the best thing. We've had a freezer at home for over 40 years now (actually, the first one lasted 25 years and we are now on to another one) and it is full of single items and prepared meals such as ragu or pot pies. So this is another Robert Rose single equipment book, chock full (150 preps) of freezer meals. She's got preps for the whole family: dietary needs, small and large families, time constraints. Freezer bags are the main containers: they can be reused. Of course, all freezer meals will lose their taste after awhile, so they need to be used up by rotation. There's a lot of primer material here on the hows and whys of freezing, followed by the preps. Most recipes have a bulk batch guide so you can increase or decrease the serving size (the servings are mainly for 6). Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: families
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: smoky pulled pork sandwiches; pad thai; tikka masala; sun-dried tomato and bacon chicken; chili; coconut cashew basil curry soup.
The downside to this book: the book is over-sized and heavy, but I guess if you can prep many dishes a day for the freezer, then you can lug around the book.
The upside to this book: a useful freezer book with an international scope.
Quality/Price Rating: 88
 
 
 
 
10.THE COMPLETE PLATE (Figure 1, 2018, 307 pages, ISBN 978-1-77327-015-9 $29.95 CAD paperbound) is by Lauren Klukas, a certified personal trainer with a heart problem. This led her to establish a website – The Complete Plate – dealing with nutrition and cooking. She's been endorsed/logrolled by three RDs, and her contributing authors include Janine Elenko RD, and Ashlee Gillespie, a pastry chef specializing in gluten-free cooking. It's a massive book well-worth your attention, with 120 recipes and 30 meal plans. Her tome concentrates on weight maintenance and weight loss through a balanced diet of ingredients that meet both nutritional and calorie demands. The meal plans are for 1500, 2000 and 2500 calories. The recipes tend to be on the appetizing side, which is a good thing. The opening 30 pages give the primer basics, which is followed by the menus and then the recipes, all with nutrient analyses. Attention is given to gluten-free and special dietary matters. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there are also tables of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: families, those wishing a healthier lifestyle.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: green bean, feta, walnut, and pomegranate salad; grilled squash salad; roast chicken with veggies; Arctic char and wild rice; tuna quinoa bake; yellow bell pepper and chicken fajitas.
The downside to this book: small print, especially for the ingredients, and a grey (not black) ink tone – hard to read!
The upside to this book: the conversion charts are listed in the table of contents!
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
 
 
 
11.PLATTERS AND BOARDS (Chronicle Books, 2018, 224 pages, ISBN 978-1-4521-6415-1 $24.95 USD hardbound) is by Shelly Westerhausen, a vegetarian food blogger, and Wyatt Worcel who was responsible for the meat platters. It is a great book for grazers and snackers, and for parties, and the like. I find it also works for groups of two people sharing a bottle of sparkling wine. Here are all the essentials for creating a small smorgasbord or spread – all on a platter. The chapters are arranged by time: morning, noon, afternoon, evening, and "anytime". In the beginning the primer directs you to the types of boards and assembly points. There are serving forks and spoons. There are condiments.  And, of course, there is the arrangement. They've got layouts for you, as well as drinking tips. Near the preps there is "A Board for Every Occasion" with listings of appropriate boards for baby showers (with page references), girls night, weekend dinner, and dinner party starters (i.e., apps). At the end there are recipes for the essentials, such as crostini, smokey sweet mixed nuts, cheese straws, cheddar crackers, lager whole-grain mustard, compound butters and pestos. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there is no conversion tables of equivalents.
Audience and level of use: millennial, party goers and party givers.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: lazy Sunday brunch board; park picnic spread; teatime spread; movie night board; grill out platter; mainly meat charcuterie board; pickle platter; Southern-style board.
The downside to this book: not enough of it!!
The upside to this book: a great idea whose time has come.
Quality/Price Rating: 90.
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
* 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...
 
 
 
12.PASTA REINVENTED (DK Books, 2018, 192 pages, ISBN 978-1-4654-6994-6 $19.95 USD paperbound) is by Caroline Bretherton, who has worked in the food industry for two decades. She has authored or co-authored a dozen books. She's had a successful restaurant and a career with the Food Network in presentation and hosting. Here she delves into alternative noodles that are gluten-free, through 80 recipes. The range includes GF grains, legume pastas, nut pastas, veggie noddles, and others. Her primer explains all, including how to create your own vegetable noodles. She has specific preps for beet and rice flour dough, spinach and millet flour dough, sorghum and squid ink flour dough, almond and tapioca, spelt and chestnut, chickpea, buckwheat, and corn. There are many notes on shaping hand cut doughs, then she moves on to pasta soups, pasta salads, pasta bowls, and pasta bakes. Typical are sweet potato and rosemary noodle kugel, lamb and feta pastitsio, almond fettuccine with crab and lemon sauce, and then black sesame and coconut curry bowl. At the back there are pages on substitutions and swapping. Truly an innovative book with many new ideas for the jaded cook or chef. The book could have been improved if it also used volume metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 89.
 
 
 
* 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"...
 
 
13.GOOD FISH (Sasquatch Books, 2011, 2018, 326 pages, ISBN 978-1-63217-107-8 $29.95 USD paperbound) is by Becky Selengut, a Seattle-based cooking teacher and private chef. It was originally published in 2011; this edition has been updated and expanded. Much has changed in the previous 8 years regarding Pacific fish: limits to overfishing has brought back stock and acquaculture has much improved. The 15 species covered in the first edition are still "good fish". The new varieties include mahi-mahi and wahoo (Hawaii), herring, razor clams, pacific cod, and lingcod. Some of the originals got expanded and re-organized, such as wild salmon (moist-heat and dry-heat) and halibut. Her basic "good fish" rules are F (farmed is OK with verification), I (investigate provenance), S (smaller is best fish), and H (home domestic fish are best for the economy). She's got 100 recipes, and in addition to techniques, she has a bunch of URL links for her free videos which show you "how to" – fillet a fish, wok-smoke fish, clean a geoduck, sear a scallop, and more. This is a good assortment of sustainable seafood recipes from the Pacific coast. Now, time for something from the Atlantic. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, but at least it had metric conversion charts. Quality/price rating: 89
 
----------------------------------------------------

Chimo! www.deantudor.com