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Thursday, December 26, 2019

* 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"...
 
 
14.THE NEWLYWED'S COOKBOOK (Ryland Peters & Small, 2019, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-78879-064-2 $19.95 USD hardbound) is a publisher's book, with recipes contributed by the RPD stable of cookbook reviewers. It is being touted as a wedding gift for any couple who are contemplating marriage. [It's inexpensive, so maybe a shower gift would be more appropriate.] The emphasis here is on sharing the cooking. The arrangement proceeds from breakfast/brunch through meals for two, appetizers, entertaining, salads, sides, desserts, baking and drinks. It is pretty straightforward but it is global, so we get lamb tagine, gosht aloo saag masala, and shiitake potsticker dumplings. The contributing writers ranged from Jenny Techiesche with 17 through Kathy Kordalis (12), Shelagh Ryan (11), Jenny Linford (10) and 9 others. The book could have been improved if it also used metric in the recipes, or at least had a metric conversion chart. Quality/price rating: 87.
 
 
15.THE ALEPPO COOKBOOK (Interlink Books, 2017, 2019, 352 pages, ISBN 978-1-56656-997-2 $25 USD paperbound) is by Marlene Matar. It's a straight reprint of the hardback version from 2017. It is arranged by course, from mezze (hot and cold) to desserts, with stops for stuffed dishes, kibbeh, bread, pickles, preserves, and drinks. Her primer has a local Aleppo spice mix, chickpeas, freekeh, mint, nuts, pomegranate, quince, vine leaves, yogurt, and other foodstuffs for the pantry. The 200 recipes deal with the whole Syrian food experience, from basic dishes to entertaining or fancy meals. Preparation times, cooking times, rising times, and service are clearly noted. The range includes some vegetarian kibbeh, She manages to cross-reference many dishes with surrounding states: "itch for everyday" has variations in Lebanon, southeastern Turkey, Armenia and Aleppo (it is based on bulgur like tabbouleh but each area adds and subtracts other ingredients). A fascinating book about the cuisine of Syria. 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: 89
 
 
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Chimo! www.deantudor.com

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