http://www.cookbookswelove.com/ cookbook picks and reviews en nospam@nospam.com Copyright 2009 2009-01-08T21:01:00-08:00 http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/martha-stewarts-cooking-school/ http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/martha-stewarts-cooking-school/#When:20:01:00Z 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. All Purpose, General 2009-01-08T20:01:00-08:00 http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/how-to-cook-everything-completely-revised-10th-anniversary-edition/ http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/how-to-cook-everything-completely-revised-10th-anniversary-edition/#When:19:39:00Z 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! All Purpose, General 2008-12-02T19:39:00-08:00 http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/spain/ http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/spain/#When:18:14:00Z 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? Celebrity Chef, Restaurant, Regional, International 2008-12-01T18:14:00-08:00 http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/baking-for-all-occasions/ http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/baking-for-all-occasions/#When:20:01:01Z 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. Baking, Bread, Dessert 2008-11-28T20:01:01-08:00 http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/turquoise/ http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/turquoise/#When:19:55:00Z 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. Regional, International 2008-11-14T19:55:00-08:00 http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/food-festivals-of-italy/ http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/food-festivals-of-italy/#When:19:28:00Z What other country but Italy could one dedicate a lavish, hardcover picture book devoted entirely to food fairs and events. France perhaps, but the more social and informal nature of Italian cooking promises one that is more varied and useable to home cooks. Food Festivals of Italy is a cookbook whose theme is to celebrate the unique food fairs of Italy. The book is organized traditionally beginning with Antipasti, then Primi, Secondi and finishing with Dolce. Each section highlights 2 or 3 recipes from one of the 50 featured fairs includes. The recipes are preceded by a brief description of each festival. First up is the Artichoke Festival featuring recipes for Artichoke and Potato Stew and Stuffed Italian Artichokes. Next is the Balsamic Vinegar Festival in Emilia Romagna, with an outstanding recipe for Potato and Leek Soup with aged balsamic Vinegar. The tour continues with festivals devoted expected classics like the Garlic Festival, Salami Festival, Mushroom Festival, Pasta and Pizza Festivals to some lesser-known surpises such as the Pumpkin Festival, Rabbit Festival and Frog Festival. Throughout the book featured recipes and gorgeous photography capture the essence of their star ingredient, and all are well presented and very easy to make at home - sadly we must import our Italian ingredients to recreate these authentic treats. Food Festivals of Italy is a celebration of all we love about Italian food and a reminder of what makes this cuisine so diverse, and accessible.  Regional, International 2008-11-05T19:28:00-08:00 http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/la-paella/ http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/la-paella/#When:18:55:00Z Author Jeff Koehler has quite nicely captured the magic and fun of Spain’s most cherished dish. Paella is quite literally a party in a pan and nothing starts the festivities better than this simple dish of rice, herbs, stock and assorted ingredients. Koehler primes his reader with the 4 basic elements to a successful paella; the pan, the rice, the sofrito and the liquid (stocks). With this information anyone can easily recreate the 16 or so main recipes he offers, and more importantly branch out and create your own. The recipes in Paella reflect the simplicity and variety of this dish. Whether your preference is seafood, chicken, meat, vegetarian or a combination of all there is a paella for every taste, budget or occassion. What better way to celebrate summer’s bounty than with the Garden Vegetable Paella, and the WIld Mushroom Paella was a big hit at our table this fall. There is also a section of beyond the norm rice dishes from the Cazuela and Caldero regions. La Paella is interspersed with some lovely food shots and scenes of the Spanish markets and countryside. Tucked into a party-sized paella pan, what a great gift. Regional, International, Specialty, Misc 2008-11-03T18:55:00-08:00 http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/italian-grill/ http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/italian-grill/#When:17:00:00Z Grilling is a national obsession. Bookshelves are bursting with orange and brown barbecue and grilling books boldly touting their tried and true techniques, marinades and sauces. With roots in Italian grilling and cooking tradition Mario Batali’s Italian Grill offers a subtler and fresher approach to grilling. No thick sweet-and-sour glazes here, just light marinades with hints of citrus, wine, herbs, garlic and the occasional hot chili flake. Mario takes some liberties with Italian tradition and adds a few of his personal touches. His porchetta glaze is a prime, tasty example. Mario gets us started with a primer section on ingredients and techniques for the Italian Kitchen, bringing something new to novice and pro-grillers alike. Balsamic vinegar, almonds, bread crumbs, capers, citrus zest, olive paste, semolina, tomatoes, polenta, mozzarella and gorgonzola are a few of the ingredients that make up the Italian grill pantry. Flavors are fresh and ingredients few in these dishes. A few standouts both in the flavor and new to the table categories are Radicchio in Pancetta with Pears and Balsamic; Fennel with Sambuca and Grapefruit; Mussels alla Piastra with Prosciutto Bread Crumbs; Shrimp Rosemary; Spit-Roasted Turkey Breast Porchetta-Style and Eggplant Parmigiana Packets. There is a nice balance of meat, fish and vegetable recipes, in fact there are so many great dishes in this collection that we could list every recipe in the book as a favorite, and the whole section on pizzas and flatbreads is well worth firing up the grill for. Celebrity Chef, Restaurant, Meat, Poultry, BBQ 2008-10-18T17:00:00-08:00 http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/the-river-cottage-fish-book/ http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/the-river-cottage-fish-book/#When:18:49:00Z Another winner from the chap from England’s River Cottage. The River Cottage Fish Cookbook is Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall’s tome celebrating all food from the sea. And it is a bountiful offering. As with his River Cottage Meat book, Hugh does not skimp on information, technique, recipe offerings or charm. Hugh doesn’t just talk about the pleasure of smoked fish, he actually shows you how to build your own smoker and do it yourself, with plenty of how to instructions and photos to make it a reality. I love the authenticity of all of Hugh’s books from his carefree and rustic recipes to his irreverent writing and charmingly, unfussy food shots. The section on barbecuing fish is a revelation and will get you out of the backyard and onto the beach grilling your fish on an open flame for a true beach party. Mackerel is an all-time favorite fish for barbecuing and not just due to a lingering aroma in the kitchen it leaves behind) and what better way to celebrate the bounty of this flavorful, oily fish and its natural affinity for smoke and flame by tucking in some fresh bay leaves and grilling a good haul of it in the open air with friend and family. There are a great variety of recipes in the River Cottage Fish Cookbook from the sublimely simple, Grilled Lemon Sole with Lemons, Moules Frites and Mackerel on Potatoes and Bay to the homey fare like Hugh’s Mum’s Fish Pie, Smoked Pollack and Spinach Tart and Fish and Chorizo Soup. He always includes good sections on basic techniques so the most novice cooks can recreate any of these recipes. His section on Fish Thrift and Standbys is a nod to the more humble origins of fish cookery and its place in home kitchens where home cooks may be short on both time and money. I can’t resist such easy and comforting offerings like Bloody Mary Sardines on Toast and Fish Bubble and Squeak (potatoes and fish, a marriage made in my culinary heaven). There is a large section of the book dedicated to information about the wild fish of the British Isle, Hugh is after all a conservationist as well as cook and he does not take this wonderful resource for granted. It makes for interesting reference on all types of fish and many of them can be found in North American waters. As with the recipe section the photographs are stunning and completely capture the heart of the moment. River Cottage Fish is just the perfect book for those who love to cook with fish but also care about the future of our oceans and fresh waters. 2008-10-07T18:49:00-08:00 http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/whole-grains-every-day-every-way/ http://www.cookbookswelove.com/cbwl/site/cookbooks/whole-grains-every-day-every-way/#When:20:13:00Z Whole Grains by Lorna Sass is the ideal cookbook for those cooks who love good food but also want to eat food that is good for them. It presents all the information and accompanying recipes for dozens of the whole grains that are the healthiest. This book will allow you to seamlessly incorporate more whole grains in your diet with minimal fuss and without skimping on flavor. Sass gives us a brief intro into what whole grains are and why we should be eating them. Now we are ready to cook with grains. For almost 100 pages Sass provides us with Grain profiles for the most common and best grains to cook with. This includes how to buy them, how to cook them, cook’s notes and compatible foods and flavors. This section alone is well worth the retail price of the book. But there is more. The recipes in Whole Grain are divided into 5 section; stand-alone soups and salads; main courses; on the side; breakfast and brunch and desserts and baked goods. There is a nice balance of meat and meat-free dishes in the lot, needn’t become a vegetarian to eat healthy with grains. Wild Rice with Gingered Squash, Kamut with Saffron-scented Mushrooms and Leeks, Wheat and Oat Scones with Cranberries, Barley and Sesame Chicken Stir-fry and Spelt Gingersnaps are a few of the dishes that have sold me on cooking with whole grains and introduced a new repretoire in my kitchen. While there are not photos for every dish in the book there is an insert that includes an overhead shot of all the grains for easy reference. This is a fantastic book and one we highly recommend.  Healthy Cooking, Diet 2008-09-19T20:13:00-08:00