Cookbook Reviews
- Wednesday, March 10, 2010
-
Baking: 350 Recipes and Techniques, 1,500 Photographs, One Baking Education Baking: 350 Recipes and Techniques, 1,500 Photographs, One Baking Education | By James Peterson | (10 Speed Press; $40 hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 6:00am
Get an education while you bake up a storm Step-by-step photographs and detailed directions give cooks everything they need to know about baking By Kim Davaz “Baking: 350 Recipes and Techniques, 1,500 Photographs, One Baking Education.” There you have it. Just about everything you need to know to start baking or raising your personal baking bar, all in one place. Author James Peterson, whose 14 other cookbooks include two James Beard Award winners (“Sauces” and “Cooking”), is a cooking instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. “Baking” is indeed an education. Peterson explains every little detail of every…
- Wednesday, February 24, 2010
-
Venezia Venezia | By Tessa Kiros | (Andrews McMeel, $34.99 hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 5:08pm
Linger over ‘Venezia,’ then fire up the stove The book is a work of art; and the recipes aren’t bad, either By Kim Davaz Tessa Kiros opens her newest cookbook with a love letter to the city of Venice, in particular, its food. When you think of the food of Venice, think fresh, fresh, fresh, especially when it comes to fish; and local, including a celebratory glass of bright sparkling Prosecco to begin any meal. “Venezia” is Kiros’ third cookbook published by Andrews McMeel, following the same format and size as “Apples for Jam” and “Falling Cloudberries” (a Gourmet magazine cookbook…
- Wednesday, February 10, 2010
-
The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen | By Teri Edwards and Serena Thompson | (Hearst Books, $27.95 hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 6:08pm
Farm Chicks take readers beyond the kitchen By Kim Davaz Teri Edwards and Serena Thompson are The Farm Chicks, stay-at-home moms whose annual antique show (plus crafts and food) near Spokane caught the eye of Country Living magazine. This led to the women becoming contributing editors of Country Living, developing a line of products and now publishing a cookbook, “The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen: Live Well, Laugh Often, Cook Much.” The book starts with a tear-out stencil of an apron. Make the apron and use it when decorating baked goods or craft projects - this is both a cookbook and…
- Wednesday, January 27, 2010
-
The Bubbly Bar and The Cocktail Primer The Bubbly Bar | By Maria Hunt | (Clarkson Potter, $16.99 hardcover) | The Cocktail Primer | By Eben Klemm | (Andrews McMeel, $19.99 hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 5:08pm
Pair of authors mix it up for home bartenders By Kim Davaz There is something innately festive about drinking sparkling wine. Maybe it’s the special glasses or those marvelous bubbles, but just looking at the bottle says special occasion. That occasion might be a graduation, a marriage proposal or wedding, the birth of a child or an I’m-so-glad-you’re-here moment, but sparkling wine also is nice on ordinary days. In “The Bubbly Bar: Champagne and Sparkling Wine Cocktails for Every Occasion,” Maria Hunt explains that true Champagne can come only from the Champagne region of France. Everything else is sparkling wine. All…
- Wednesday, January 06, 2010
-
Bread Matters Bread Matters | By Andrew Whitley | (Andrews McMeel, $34.99, hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 5:08pm
British baker contends bread should be made at home By Kim Davaz Bread. It’s a basic food that is at home at any meal. British master baker Andrew Whitley wants it to be on your table, made by your own hands, as often as possible. With this in mind, Whitley has written “Bread Matters: The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive Guide to Baking Your Own.” Full of tables and lists and schedules, this is a cookbook to make daily bread baking a reasonable possibility. Whitley’s opinion of modern bread is not high: He despairs of the sad loaves most…
- Wednesday, December 23, 2009
-
Nigella Christmas Nigella Christmas | By Nigella Lawson | (Hyperion, $35 hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 6:08pm
Nigella makes any size celebration spectacular Holiday cookbook covers dinner for two or a feast for the entire extended family By Kim Davaz “Nigella Christmas” by Nigella Lawson is a celebration between two covers, with everything necessary, kitchen-wise, for a spectacular Christmas. I should backtrack: While you can make a spectacular Christmas feast à la Lawson, she by no means limits your holiday festivities to the top of the “wow” meter. There is just as much attention paid to a quiet little dinner or brunch and cozy drinks as there is to the break-the-bank, 8 1/2 -pound standing rib roast beef…
- Wednesday, December 09, 2009
-
The Grand Central Baking Book The Grand Central Baking Book | By Piper Davis and Ellen Jackson | (Ten Speed Press, $30 hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 5:08pm
‘Grand Central’ makes baking a breeze By Kim Davaz Although we are knee-deep in prime baking season, let’s try to spread the butter and sugar wealth around. Start now, but keep up the good work throughout the year. You will be thanked richly. The Grand Central Bakery in Portland was named one of the top 10 bakeries in the country by Bon Appétit magazine. Co-owner Piper Davis learned to cook from her mother, Gwyneth Bassetti, founder of the bakery. In “The Grand Central Baking Book” written with chef and food writer Ellen Jackson, Davis shares the recipes and techniques that won…
- Wednesday, November 25, 2009
-
The Spice Kitchen The Spice Kitchen | By Sara Engram and Katie Luber with Kimberly Toqe | (Andrews McMeel, $29.99, hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 6:45pm
Authors spice up everyday dishes By Kim Davaz Sara Engram and Katie Luber love spices and herbs. They use the term spices to mean both spices and herbs. Some chefs consider the seeds and bark of plants to be spices and the leaves and stems to be herbs. Let’s not quibble. Call them all spices and use them often. Engram and Luber love spices so much, they started a company that makes little one-teaspoon packets sold online at tspspices .com and through stores such as Smart Spice. (You can find them in Portland at Zupan’s Market.) All are organic. To encourage…
- Wednesday, November 11, 2009
-
The Scandinavian Cookbook The Scandinavian Cookbook | By Trina Hahnemann | (Andrews McMeel, $29.99, hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 1:14pm
Visit the flavors of Scandinavia By Kim Davaz “The Scandinavian Cookbook” is Trina Hahnemann’s yearlong journey through the beauty and food of Scandinavia, month by month, beginning in January. In her past life, Hahnemann was a caterer to people you may have heard of: Elton John, the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen. These days, the chef and food writer lives in Denmark, where she owns cafes, including one in the Danish House of Parliament. Each month includes the foods that are best during that time of year, be it gooseberries in August, apples in October or root vegetables in the winter.…
- Wednesday, October 28, 2009
-
Bubby’s Brunch Cookbook Bubby's Brunch Cookbook | By Ron Silver with Rosemary Black | (Ballantine Books, $30, hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 1:14pm
Generous chef shares secrets to better brunches By Kim Davaz Brunch, says chef Ron Silver in “Bubby’s Brunch Cookbook” is a flexible, forgiving and fun meal both to make and to eat. His restaurant, Bubby’s in New York City, is anything but fancy. That’s not his style. He prefers to feed people with the kind of food he grew up eating at home. While plenty of fancy people you’d recognize in a second eat at Bubby’s, there are also plenty of people you’d never notice. All of them love Bubby’s food. Silver is a generous soul, never hesitating to give out…
- Wednesday, October 21, 2009
-
Confections of a Closet Master Baker Confections of a Closet Master Baker | By Gesine Bullock-Prado | (Broadway, $24, hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 1:14pm
Escape from L.A. just the ticket By Kim Davaz Gesine Bullock-Prado lived in Los Angeles and experienced everything that the L.A. lifestyle implies. As head of her sister’s production company (yes, Sandra Bullock, here known as Sandy), Bullock-Prado lived life in the fast lane in L.A. Not Los Angeles, where certainly many lovely people live, but capital L capital A - the land of excess, power lunches, the latest fashions and scripts being offered by everyone and his dog for her sister’s consideration. Did anyone care about her or was she merely a conduit to her sister? In “Confections of a…
- Wednesday, September 30, 2009
-
Cook’s Country Best Lost Suppers Cook's Country Best Lost Suppers | By the editors at America's Test Kitchen | (America's Test Kitchen, $29.94, hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 1:14pm
Find a favorite page from the past in ‘Best Lost Suppers’ By Kim Davaz One afternoon in New Jersey, my father, two young cousins and I decided to make rice pudding. It’s hard to find a restaurant or grocery store deli counter in New Jersey that doesn’t offer rice pudding. I found a recipe for rice pudding in “Cook’s Country Best Lost Suppers” by the editors at America’s Test Kitchen. As written, the recipe was very good, but not quite what we wanted. We made a copy of the page for noting changes as we made them. It took several batches…
- Wednesday, September 23, 2009
-
Down Home With the Neelys Down Home With the Neelys | By Patrick and Gina Neely | (Knopf, $27.95, hardcover)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 12:14pm
Neelys sprinkle life story with recipes By Kim Davaz When it comes to cute, it’s hard to beat Pat and Gina Neely as seen on their Food Network shows, “Down Home With the Neelys” and “Road Tasted With the Neelys.” They delight in each other and they make it hard for viewers not to delight in them. They’ve collaborated with Paula Disbrowe on “Down Home With the Neelys: A Southern Family Cookbook.” It’s their life story with photos and recipes. Their barbecue seasoning and barbecue sauce appear again and again through the book, even showing up in the Neely version of…
- Wednesday, September 02, 2009
-
The Too Many Tomatoes Cookbook The Too Many Tomatoes Cookbook | By Brian Yarvin | (The Countryman Press, $19.95, paperback); Heirloom | By Tim Stark | (Broadway, $14, paperback)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 1:14pm
Having too many tomatoes is a delicious dilemma By Kim Davaz Tomatoes, sun-warmed and sweet: It’s summer held in your hand. This part of summer can last well into September, if the weather holds. A neighbor has a tangle of tomato plants in her backyard, lounging in the sun. Some are large and some are small. Some look like peppers but are an unknown variety of long. narrow tomato, the plants a gift from a mutual friend. Even the tomato vines and leaves carry a strong tomato scent that clings to your hands. In one of the essays between chapters of…
- Wednesday, August 19, 2009
-
Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom Julia's Kitchen Wisdom | By Julia Child | (Alfred A. Knopf, $14.95 paperback)
Posted by Kim Davaz • 1:14pm
Child’s ‘Wisdom’ is a dividend of new film A paperback version of “Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom” capitalizes on new interest By Kim Davaz A paperback version of Julia Child’s 2001 book, “Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes From a Lifetime of Cooking,” has been released as a result of the new movie, “Julie and Julia.” The film is based on the book “Julie and Julia” by Julie Powell about cooking her way through Child’s iconic books, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and “My Life in France.” Think of this new release as the grown-up equivalent of a toy tie-in to…