Cookbooks We Love

The Treats Truck Baking Book

2011-11-28T23:29:25Z

Food trucks are all the rage these days and author/food truck owner Kim Ima, reinforces the belief that if you are passionate about something and can visualize it, you can make it happen and be successful.

“I want to make it real,” I told my friend. It was love. And when it’s love, what else can you do? Find a truck, learn how to drive in the city, learn how to make your favorite brownie recipe, times ten, and open for business.” ~ Kim Ima, The Treats Truck Baking Book

This is a great little book, especially for beginner bakers. I really like the Tips, Tools & Measurements page. It gives a quick outline of the basic essentials you should have in your kitchen, of course some baking tips and the most useful, at least for me, are the measurement conversions that she provides at a glance. Some recipes suggest “variations”, like adding chocolate chips to the banana cake recipe to make it into a chocolate chip banana cake. Another cool thing in the book is “Mix & Match” recipes, taking a basic recipe from one page and mixing it with a component from another recipe (ie. a different filling or frosting).

It’s a fun book to read, suitable for any young baker. The recipes are simple to follow, no fancy ingredients required, and each recipe fits on one page (this is a “mini” cookbook, so smaller than a “regular” cookbook). Although this may seem like a very basic and “homey” type baking book, it leaves the door wide open for you to explore your own baking creativity using the easy-to-make recipes as a base for your own!

My Father’s Daughter

2011-05-31T19:09:44Z

So, it would appear that Gwyneth Paltrow can add successful cookbook author to her CV along with her many other talent. As skeptical as I was going in to the review for My Father’s Table, I was actually pleasantly surprised by the number of dishes that not only sparked my own culinary recollections, but I was pretty eager to prepare for my own family. I have 2 daughters, one of which is an adventurous eater, the other, not so. What I found in Paltrow’s book was a collection of great dinner ideas and straightforward, hassle-free recipes. These are practical weekday meals for busy families that although short on time do want to sit down and enjoy dinner together. The dishes are healthy and ‘fresh inspired’. While Paltrow does not eat red meat or pork, she grew up in a household that did and doesn’t preach or try to convert us meat-lovers to her camp. She does eat fish and chicken and offers up some inspired meals such as her Fish Tacos and All Day Roast Chicken.

I also found myself quiet enjoying her warm anecdotes about her own family meals and reminiscences, along with family recipes she shares with us. The design and pictures are very appealing and the mega star does step aside to let the food shine. With basics like her ‘Slow Roasted Tomatoes and ‘Standby Vinaigrette’, this is a real go to book when you’ve hit mid week and run out of ideas.

Paella

2011-05-31T18:08:47Z

Dust off your paella pans, finally a definitive collection of recipes for this classic Spanish dish. Paella is the first cookbook in English by paella master, Alberto Herraiz, and he brings all of his knowledge of tradition and technique to the table. There are 108 recipes, including some rarely seen ‘sweeter’ versions. Want to create a memorable party? Take the largest paella pan you can carry outside to create your dish in the open air. Everyone takes a turn adding ingredients and stirring the pot. There’s an entire section of instruction and recipes for creating authentic paella on an open fire or grill.

The layout of Paella is stellar with its glorious red cover nicely wrapped in a cloth ‘rice’ bag. Photographs for almost every dish, including a few step-by-step ones, add to both the inspirational appeal of the book and the likelihood of success. The basic stocks and techniques are laid out at the beginning before moving on to the more elaborate dishes. There are authentic Spanish flavours and ingredients throughout the book. Barcelona-Style Thursday Paella Rice features an array of seafood including monkfish, langoustines, prawns, squid and mussels. Since this book is all about a special cooking technique, Harraiz also ventures to adapt it to different culinary traditions. For example, his Return to Paris Paella Rice with veal shank, mustard, and crème fraîche pays homage to the classic Parisian bistro dish, Blanquette de Veau. Similarily, his New York-style Paella Rice with Sausages from Around the World is a tribute to Daniel Boulud’s DBGB Kitchen and Bar. This one can even be served with ketchup, mustard or gherkins.

Tartine Bread

2011-04-21T17:33:31Z

Tartine Bread is my ideal bread book. No more excuses, no more stalling, time to expand beyond pizza dough and brioche. Bread baking is very personal by nature. We all take to the ovens with varying degrees of enthusiasm, skill, and expectations. Not to mention time commitments. The most important element of a bread book, apart from the inclusion of recipes for breads you want to make and henceforth eat, is finding one that complements your skill and understanding. The broader the reach a bread book has in terms of understanding and challenge means a book with a longer shelf life.

Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson (of the acclaimed restaurant & bakery, Tartine in California) accomplishes the difficult task of being approachable for bread making novices and challenging enough for old pros. There is also a fine bonus of a generous chapter on ‘Days-Old Bread’ where Robertson shares some of Tartine’s favorite recipes featuring bread – Eggplant and Charred Pepper Bruschetta anyone? His first chapter is devoted to his own recipe and technique for making his classic standby, Basic Country Bread. With over 60 pages of detailed instruction, background, and step-by-step photos, success is practically guaranteed. Once the Basic is (somewhat easily) mastered we are ready to move onto subsequent chapters on Semolina and Whole Wheat Breads and Baguettes and Enriched Breads. Never before has the elusive Croissant seemed so attainable. His pictures inspired and his instruction was flawless – success!

Robertson writes with a calm and reassuring voice, he doesn’t back down on the necessary science and terminology, he just manages to make it understandable. The background story about opening Tartine and his quest for the perfect loaf is a wonderful and engaging entry to the book. From front cover to back and every page in between, this book is a stand out and a must-have for serious and not-so-serious bread bakers alike.

How to Roast a Lamb

2010-11-16T16:53:46Z

At last, a cookbook to take me back to meals I savoured in family-owned restaurants while visiting the Greek Islands. Occasionally one finds a Greek restaurant that touches on some of the authentic flavours, ingredients and moods of Greek feasting- and yes, the ouzo helps. However, my cookbook shelf has held a hopeful space for a book that would allow me to recreate those dishes at home. It was with great satisfaction that I flipped through Michael Psilakis’ How to Roast a Lamb. This is not a cookbook filled with cliché dishes of our version of Greek cuisine, but true Greek cuisine by a chef with both skill and passion.

Psilakis shares his story of an upbringing centred on family rituals and food. His parents are Greek immigrants who bring with them their traditions and flavours from their homeland passing them on to their hungry and willing children. Psilakis grew into a chef and restaurateur not through schooling but through hard work and keeping close to his roots. His journey and tale is as engaging and warm as the dishes he creates.

The dishes are classic Greek with some new twists. The latter section titles ‘Anthos – the new world’, features more complex and innovative dishes Psilakis showcases at his Manhattan restaurant Anthos. Such dishes as Braised Lamb Pastitsio, Anthos Shellfish Youvetsi and Smoked Octopus with Fennel Puree, Lemon Confit & Pickled Vegetables are neither for the faint of heart nor uninitiated with lists of ingredients and steps to fill an entire weekend. Fear not though home cooks, the rest of the book is filled with family dishes that will at once inspire you to fill your kitchen with the enticing aromas of Greece. And, his recipe for Roasted Leg of Lamb with a stuffing of sun dried tomatoes, black olives, rosemary, mustard, garlic confit and yes, oregano, had me running to my local butcher shop. The photographs of the finished dishes are by our long-time favorite Christopher Hirsheimer with a few nostalgic family shots.

Flour

2010-11-09T20:35:35Z

As cliché as this might sound, I really want to bake everything in Joanne Chang’s new baking book, Flour, Spectacular Recipes from Boston’s Flour Bakery + Café. Really, there’s not a recipe I don’t want to try. She makes it all look easy, delicious and impossible to resist. There’s nothing over-the-top and too showy in this collection; just good old-fashioned treats. Somehow her selection of recipes, with their nostalgic family roots are just what one relishes on a fall afternoon when you feel like getting your fingers sticky with cake batter.

I’ve tried my hand at the Oatmeal-Maple Scones and they’re delectable, in a healthy sort of way. The Raspberry-Rhubarb muffins are inspired and could not be better. The cookies and bars are a nice mix of classics (Ginger Molasses; Chocolate Chunk; Snickerdoodles) and freshly innovative (Cornmeal-Lime; Homemade Oreos; Lemon Lust Bars).

I’m actually looking forward to my birthday on the horizon – I can make myself the Yellow Birthday Cake with Fluffy Chocolate Ganache Frosting. And, for Christmas morning I think I’ll be ambitious and make the Brioche au Chocolat (I’ll be the star Mom; they’ll never know I made them days before, pulled them out of the freezer and baked them up fresh). Chang claims they make them by the dozen every day at Flour, and every day they sell out. I think I’ll move to Boston.

Noma

2010-11-01T20:16:26Z

At the 2010 World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards, a relative newcomer; Noma of Copenhagen unseated the reigning champion, Spain’s El Bulli. The tiny restaurant (12 tables) is helmed by youngish chef Rene Redzepi who is credited with bringing ‘new Nordic’ cuisine to the world stage while literally shaking the foundations of haute cuisine. Redzepi has an uncompromising approach to local eating, seasonal and wild foraged ingredients are not just the stars - they make the dish. Rather than luxury standards like foie gras and tuna tartare, guests dine on truly Nordic ingredients as musk ox, burnt hay and cloudberries. How to translate such unique and subtle cuisine down to a cookbook without loosing its essence? By staying true to Rene’s own principles and putting the focus on the individual ingredients and their visual origins.

With Noma, publisher Phaidon Press has set the bar for all professional restaurant books to come. The production, photography and design are completely new, stunning and evocative; every picture tells a story about that ingredient. Like the restaurant itself there are no unnecessary decorative elements. Just the ingredients magically transported from their origin to plate with a very light added touch from chef Redzepi. Not embellishments, just perfect partnerships of ingredients. Accompanying the images of each dish are a selection of images that complete the story of Nordic cuisine and the origins of each dish. Nature has never been closer or more beautifully captured in a cookbook before. There is not a professional chef that will not want this book on their shelves for the pure artistry and integrity of the dishes.

Coco

2010-11-01T20:07:07Z

With Coco, publisher Phaidon Press has created a must-have reference for professional chefs, instructors, culinary students and culinary enthusiasts. To compile this list of who’s who in the international culinary scene, the editors asked 10 World-Leading Masters of the art to select and profile 100 of the best emerging chefs from around the world. The 10 chef-curators are: Ferran Adria, Mario Batali, Shannon Bennett, Alain Ducasse, Fergus Henderson, Yoshihiro Murata, Gordon Ramsay, Rene Redzepi, Alice Waters and Jacky Yu – an impressive line-up.

Arranged alphabetically (it’s not a contest after-all), Coco gives a brief profile of each chosen emerging chef (nice insight into their background and origins of their passion), a sample menu from their featured establishment, along with images of their restaurant, finished dishes and sampler of recipes. Each profile features some insight from their ‘curator’ who selected the chef as to why they have been chosen and discusses particular dishes or experiences that have made a significant impression on them.

There really is not a dull page or entry in the lot. Every page brings a new surprise; some of the names are recognizable and familiar faces while others are new. All bring a singular passion and something unique to the book. This impressive book will be indispensable to those chefs wanting to make future lists and editions! As a cookbook there are some dishes here that will be out of reach for non-professionals, however, there are ample to help home cooks hone their own skills. It really is a fantastic behind-the scenes peak into the world of cutting edge kitchens.

Esalen Cookbook

2010-11-01T18:11:23Z

Only a lucky few get the opportunity to spend time recharging themselves at the world-renowned Esalen Institute, perched on the cliffs above the ocean in Big Sur, California. Esalen is a place of peace and beauty, where people can contemplate, think, and discover. And wouldn’t you know, the kitchen (along with the kitchen garden of course) is the heart of this tranquil get-away. Now, lucky for all we can recreate a bit of that serenity in our own kitchens with The Esalen Cookbook by chef Charlie Cascio.

These are meals one can enjoy at home every day – true comfort foods to soothe the soul and heart. Blue Cheese Scones; new combination for us and now a new favorite for breakfast. We equally love Grandma’s German Goulash and the Chicken Enchiladas with New Mexico Ranchero Sauce. The Cream of Tomato Soup; so simple yet so sublime - made with tomato juice. And, when was the last time you found a recipe in a cookbook for that classic little Chinese omelet; Egg Foo Young?
And what’s serenity without a little chocolate – The Chocolate Wacky Cake is one of their most-served desserts and it’s vegan so completely guilt-free

Alfalfabet A to Z

2009-07-21T00:33:56Z

Where can you find a gaggle of giggling geese frolicking with a herd of happy herefords? In the lively pages of Alfalfabet A to Z: The Wonderful Words from Agriculture. This entertaining book covers the ABCs through the amazing world of farming and agriculture. For kids of all ages.

A wonderful new kid’s book written by Carol Watterson and illustrated by Michela Sorrentino. Not a cookbook per say, but was written by yours truly!

More info at the official Alfalfabet website.

* sorry, not yet available for purchase below

Martha Stewart’s Cooking School

2009-01-08T20:01:00Z

Who better to produce a culinary course for home cooks than Martha Stewart? Not only is she is a consummate teacher and perfectionist; she is backed by the best cooking assistants and test kitchen around, and afterall, she started her career in the kitchen. In a nutshell, Martha Stewart’s Cooking School is a book of general cooking techniques and classic recipes stylishly presented for the home cook.

Martha Stewart’s Cooking School includes all the need-to-know techniques for a home cook from making stocks, cooking with eggs, how to cook vegetables and grains and making fresh pasta and sauces. There is also a section on desserts covering classics such as meringues, soufflés, custards and sorbets. But if you want to hone your baking skills I recommend Martha Stewart’s Baking Book.

Although not a recipe book, there are @200 all new recipes to apply your new culinary skills. A nice mix of classics like Roast Chicken, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Omelets, Very Best Burger, Country Pate, Marinara Sauce, Double Crust Apple Pie and of course your classic sauces. There are also some new twists like a Squash and Goat Cheese Frittata, Braised Fish with Fennel and Tomato and Tortilla Soup.

With handy charts on cooking times for meats and best cuts for braising and stewing this book also does double duty as a handy kitchen reference. The layout and instruction, along with the broad content will appeal to a wide range of home cooks from the absolute novice to the more experience. It has a fresh, clean layout with really top- notch photographs for the step-by-step components. The instructions are clear and concise without any unnecessary chitchat. Put this book along side your copy of How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman and you are really set to cook up a storm.

How to Cook Everything Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition

2008-12-02T19:39:00Z

Has 10 years really gone by since Mark Bittman published his groundbreaking tome, How to Cook Everything? Judging by the state of the yellow dust jacket on my copy I can believe it. Do I really need this 10th anniversary edition? I’ve grown quite attached to my yellow book and am reluctant to believe it can be improved upon. Well good news, Mark Bittman has indeed improved and expanded an already top-notch cookbook. Now I can declare with even greater confidence, “If you only want one cookbook, then buy this one.”

How to Cook Everything has earned its recognition as a classic. It really is the best all-purpose cookbook for today’s new and beginner cooks. Even accomplished cooks will admit to referring to the tips, techniques and countless recipes on a most regular basis. The high praise on the dust jacket includes the names of such noted celebrity chefs as Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Jean-George Vongerichten and Mollie Katzen.

This 10 edition is much more than just a polishing and re-jacketing. The changes are extensive. Mark Bittman has gone through every recipe and removed, updated and added where he felt it was needed. There are hundreds of new dishes. Here’s a great new feature; each chapter opens with a section of “Essential Recipes”, which are the building block recipes that every cook needs in their repertoire. This new edition reflects a growing interest in cooking with more whole grains, beans and vegetarian dishes, he even tags his vegetarian dishes for easy reference. Still here, and further expanded are his handy illustrations of the more complex techniques. As always the recipes are uncomplicated, unfussy and most can be prepared in under 30 minutes. He offers his great tips and suggestions for substituting ingredients, improvising and variations on a dish. There are also the classic, need to know dishes such as roasting Turkey and Beef that make this the book to go to for entertaining too. His charts such as “7 Vegetables and Stuffings to Match” also add the the already useful and flexible nature of this cookbook. Yes, I think Red is the new Yellow on my bookshelf. And, thank you Mark for including a much needed recipe for spaetzle in your new edition!

Spain

2008-12-01T18:14:00Z

I love a good road trip book. All the better if the purpose of the trip is to seek out new culinary experiences. And, Spain is a country with one of the most diverse and exciting cuisines going. So, it was with high expectations that I approached Spain, A Culinary Road Trip. Here’s what drew me in, firstly Mario Batali and Mark Bittman, first rate cooks, writers and food-obsessed wits. I love that they will unabashedly try anything new with genuine curiosity and appreciation, they are not culinary show-offs. And, Spanish food and countryside together, what a combination. In Spain, A Culinary Road Trip Mario and Mark join up with actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Claudia Bassols on a mission to eat, drink and explore their way across the Spanish countryside. The goal is simple, seek out and enjoy foods unique to Spain.

This book is more than a companion to the Food Network series of the same name. It really stands on it’s own and one need not to have watched the show to enjoy this books, in fact all the better if you haven’t. What works surprisingly well in the book is the charming chit-chat between our travellers. Rather than annoy, which this could easily have done, snippets of their conversations give the book a personality and highlight the reality that we all have different tastes and approaches to food. For example, when asked to list their favorite things to find on their hotel pillow at night our celebrity authors show a bit of their true selves; Gwyneth (fresh baked cookie), Mario (my head), Claudia (chocolate), Mark (cake crumbs).

The celebrity authors willingly take a back seat to the food and culture of Spain and although there are plenty of photo ops of our travellers it does not take away from the fact that the true star of the book is the country and it’s food. The book is full of stunning photos of the many historic and cultural sights they visited. The dishes featured vary from simple country fare like Pisto Manchejo (pureed ratatouille on bruschetta) and Pineapple with lime and Molasses to more elaborate, yet still homey dishes like Capon Grandma Style. Naturally our visitors take in a few of Spain’s best restaurants and some of those highlights are featured including a visit with acclaimed chef Ferran Adria. But never does the book have a ‘lifestyles of the rich and famous snobbery to it. The authors seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves and their road trip through Spain, then again who wouldn’t?

Baking for All Occasions

2008-11-28T20:01:01Z

I simply had to post a review for Flo Braker’s Baking for All Occasions right away just to share the recipe for Eggnog Pound Cake with Crystal Rum Glaze. Next best thing to eggnog in a cup, combination of fresh eggnog, rum and currents baked in a nutmeg infused light pound cake is a definite holiday pleaser. I also really enjoyed making (and eating) the Gingerbread-Pecan Tart. And there are many more that I can’t wait to get to like the Zebra Cookies, Millionaire’s Shortbread (rich chocolate icing and caramelized milk filling give it a shot of decadence) and Deluxe Lemon-Lavender Mail-a-Cake.

These truly are recipes for special occasions and those bakers who love to spend some time creating something homey, yet special. There is a mix of old and new in this collection. I really appreciate the way the other has so helpfully and clearly laid out her recipes and taken the time to cover every detail, every step in clear language. It’s a book to inspire confidence and so far, great praise for the cook at the end of the meal.

Turquoise

2008-11-14T19:55:00Z

Turquoise is the follow up book to the equally stunning Saha (A Chef’s Travels in Lebanon and Syria) by Australian husband and wife and writing team Greg and Lucy Malouf. He cooks, she writes and together they create beautiful cookbooks with authentic and extraordinary dishes and stories of the country they visit. The Maloufs travelled through the diverse culinary landscape of Turkey to show a less than informed public that there is much more to Turkish cuisine than eggplants. Rarely does a book so beautifully capture the people and culture of a region. We cannot say enough about how beautiful this book is, the photography, the design, the layout are all perfectly executed.

Ultimately Tuquoise is a book that celebrates the food culture of a country and the photographs chosen for the book truly capture the story and mood of the place. And the food, it’s a revelation. Chicken and Pistachio Pizzas, Slow Cooked Lamb with Quinces, Shepard’s Spinach and Sticky Date Pilaf with Golden Pine Nuts and Almonds are some of the dishes I’ve recreated at home with great results. But this book is so much more than a cookbook, it is an honest and captivating peak into the lives and landscape of this extraordinary country. The food, the history and the people come to life with a well written narative that introduces each chapter and recounts Lucy Malouf and her husband’s experiences.