...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"...
23.WINE; a connoisseur's journal (Ryland, Peters and Small, 2013, 2016, various pagings, ISBN 978-1-84975-787-4, $19.95 USD spiral-bound with flaps) is a nifty publisher's package for those who like to keep a personalized reference of wine-buying. Andrew Jefford provides the wine advice. And there are lined pages within themed sections for the user to add his own notes. This way he could keep a record of all the great table wines tried for investment or enjoyment, for private dining or for parties – or even a larger wine tasting. Tabbed dividers have pockets for storing reviews, there is a 64-page rule mini notebook, and there is even glue for mounting wine labels. Quite a nice package for the price. Quality/price rating: 89.
24.ESSENTIAL CHINESE COOKING (Quadrille, 2015, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84949-837-1 $34.95 CAD hardbound) is by Jeremy Pang, owner of School of Wok cookery school in London. It was first published in the UK in 2015, and is now available in North America. He's developed a technique called the Wok Clock which is a way of organizing ingredients before actually cooking. He's got a comprehensive pantry listed, along with a primer on techniques and equipment. The book is arranged by these techniques: stir-frying, deep-frying, steaming, poaching and braising, roasting and double cooking. There is also a chapter on sides and condiments. Try glass noodle chicken salad, mustard green and bok choy salad, zing zing tempura sea bass, or pork belly and yam with hoisin scallion sauce. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
25.ECLAIRS (Robert Rose, 2017, 224 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0567-0, $24.95 USD papercovers) is by Christopher Adam, a pastry chef who now owns his own eclair boutique (15 locations worldwide). One is coming to North America in 2017, and this book looks to support it. It's been published in France in 2015; this is the English translation. It is basically a book with "easy, elegant and modern" preps for the busy but curious homemaker. There are 35 recipes with over 500 step-by-step photographs: 15 basic plus 20 inventive. I've always wondered about storage, and while "storage" is not indexed, he does answer it on page 25. The layout is typical Robert Rose with good leading and expression of ingredients and their quantities. I was most attracted to caramel eclairs, pistachio orange eclairs, and lemon eclairs. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements. Quality/price rating: 89.
26.THE CANCER-FIGHTING KITCHEN 2d ed (Ten Speed Press, 2009, 2017, 228 pages, ISBN 978-0-399-57871-7, $32.50 USD hardcovers) is by Rebecca Katz (consulting wellness chef), along with Mat Edelson (science writer). It was originally published in 2009; this is its second revised edition. It is a good resource showing how to control disease and optimize health through nourishing food. The original edition in 2009 won two IACP awards. It is now updated with the latest medical research, new recipes, and new photos. The 150 preps are also easy to prepare, and stimulate the appetite and try to counter the side effects of medically fighting cancer (fatigue, nausea, dehydration, mouth and throat soreness, and changes in palate-tasting). It has a primer dealing with menu planing and flavour enhancements, and cultivating culinary preferences. It's arranged by topic of soups/broths, veggies, protein foods, tonics, sweets, and "anytime" foods. There's a resources list and a bibliography (which unfortunately only goes up to 2008 except for one 2013 reference: why?). Preparations have their ingredients listed only in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
27.PIMENTOS & PIRI PIRI; Portuguese comfort cooking (Whitecap Books, 2013, 2017, 376
pages, ISBN 978-1-77050-190-4, $39.95 CAD hardbound) is by Carla Azevedo, a chef grad from George Brown College and a grad from Ryerson's Journalism school. It is a hard cover reissue of a substantially updated, revised, expanded and extended version of her first book, Uma Casa Portuguesa which dealt with home style Portuguese food, but largely Azorean. Here, she concentrates more on the mainland and some transition elements in North America to account for the tastes of the waves of Portuguese immigrants over the past 20 years since she wrote Uma. She spent time with Portuguese women and came up with this book of new preps and stories from the Portuguese kitchen. There is a primer on the essential of Portuguese cuisine, 330 recipes from apps to desserts, engaging photos, and both metric and avoirdupois measurements in the ingredient lists. Anyone for grilled octopus in red pepper and olive relish? Or caldo verde, piri piri, and bolo de natal com figos? Quality/price rating: 88.
28.FEED YOUR LOVE (Skyhorse Publishing, 2007, 2017, 152 pages, ISBN 978-1-63220-490-5, $16.99 USD hardbound) is by Guillermo Ferrara, author of 19 books on personal growth. It was originally publish in Spain in 2007, and this is the 2017 translation. He turns everyday meals into an invitation to play and to pleasure: cooking promotes life and joy. He's got scores of suggestions to turn your mealtime into a sensational event, with preps such as a sparkling wine sherbet, peaches in cinnamon and cardamom syrup, chicken curry with ginger veggies, guava peals, min-chocolate souffles. His text includes material about sex and food, yin and yang foods, balanced eating, cooking and the chakras, and rituals. Recipes are arranged by region: Greece, Mexico, and Hindu.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in mostly avoirdupois measurements with some metric, but there are also tables of metric equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
29.REAL MEXICAN FOOD; authentic recipes for burritos, tacos, salsas and more. Rev. ed.(Ryland, Peters and Small, 2012, 2017, 144 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-819-2, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Felipe Fuentes Cruz and Ben Fordham. Together they run Benito's Hat Mexican Kitchen in London England, now in several locations. Ben runs it and Felipe devises all the dishes. Check out www.benitos-hat.com. These are largely family-style recipes, with an emphasis on home. There's a chapter on starters (antojitos), sopas and ensaladas, mains, sides, salsas, desserts and drinks. There's roasted pumpkin with chard and mushrooms, baked sea bream with garlic butter, corn tortillas dipped in black bean sauce with queso fresco, coriander-lime rice, salsa brava, and shrimp tacos. The photography, like most Ryland books, is gorgeous and appetite-provoking. Certainly this is a sure winner book for fans of the restaurant and for those who like to cook uncomplicated Mexican food at home. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents.
Quality/price rating: 85.
30.FARM-FRESH RECIPES FROM THE MISSING GOAT FARM (Cico Books, 2013, 2017, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-78249-451-5, $19.95 US hard covers) is by Heather Cameron, who bought an organic blueberry farm outside Vancouver, BC renaming it, Missing Goat. This is a straight reprint of the 2013 book. She now has her own line of organic jams which she sells to 50 or so shops, and in her spare time she is also a food writer. Here are over 100 recipes for a range including pies, snacks, soups, breads, and preserves. These farm faves are arranged by season beginning with Spring, and sub-arranged by time of day (breakfast, snack, main, dessert). As such it is also part memoir. She details the trials and tribulations of a newbie running a farm, emphasizing the field to table aspect. It is an all-occasion book, with such recipes as baked beans with salsa, blueberry pie, salmon with blueberry chutney, chicken kale soup, zucchini cakes with apple sauce, mini jam pies, perogies, chicken and veggie wrap with quinoa, and gingerbread cookies. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
31.MARKET VEGETARIAN; easy recipes for every occasion (Ryland Peters & Small, 2008, 2017, 160 pages, ISBN 978-1-84975-808-6, $21.95 US hard covers) is by Ross Dobson, a Sydney, Australia-based food writer with ties to the UK and USA. It was originally published in 2008; this is the revised edition. The earlier work had the word "organic" in the subtitle; it has now disappeared for there was no compelling reason why you had to use organic food (Dobson does not make a case for it). Nevertheless, the book is attractive for its reliance on fresh market food. He opens with how to buy food at such a market, but then this will also depend on where you live. The arrangement is by course, from appetizers to desserts. The recipes are easy to follow, although it would be useful too if you had a pantry. Websites and mail order firms are listed, but all are UK and US. The pix, as always, are great. Some interesting recipes – potatoes and parsnip croquettes; vegetable potstickers; braised fennel with polenta; chile-
roasted vegetables with soft goat cheese; paella of summer vine vegetables with almonds.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 84.
32.EVERYDAY DELICIOUS (Hardie Grant Books, 2014, 2016, 208 pages, ISBN 978-0-1-78488-025-5, $29.99 USD paperbound) is by Izy Hossack, a recipe developer and blogger. It was originally published as a hardbound in 2014, but titled "Top with Cinnamon". It has been re-titled and reprinted in paper covers here. It is a collection of her ideas from the blog and contributions to other publications. These are sweet and savoury preps for lazy weekends and impromptu get-togethers. You'll need a pantry of sorts to have the basic ingredients on hand. All courses are presented. Typical are tiramisu, Spanish olive oil tortas, prawn and corn soup, fig and walnut parmesan crackers, and herby kale pesto. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. Quality/price rating: 86.
33.A MOVEABLE FEAST (Hardie Grant Books, 2014, 2016, 180 pages, ISBN 978-174117621-6, $24.99 USD hardbound) is by Katy Holder, multiple cookbook author and food writer-editor. It was originally published in 2014 but now makes its re-appearance under a slightly different imprint. This is a basic picnic (or al fresco dining) book dealing with a variety of circumstances. It is arranged by form: breads and muffins, flaky and crumbly, minis, leafy, wraps, bites, moveable, sweets and drinks. All with British and Australian influences. Typical are tandoori prawns, chicken tortillas, tuna and egg pain bagnat, salmon-avocado sushi, and baked ricotta with roasted veggies. Stylish tips for presentation abound. Preparations have their ingredients listed in metric measurements, but there is no table of avoirdupois equivalents. Quality/price rating: 87.
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