NancyM's Reviews
Cookbook Reviews
26 books reviewed. Showing 1 to 26Sort by: Rating | Title 
The 150 Best American Recipes: Indispensable Dishes from Legendary Chefs and Undiscovered Cooks (150 Best Recipes)
By Fran McCullough, Molly Stevens, Rick Bayless
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - 2006
This book follows a several year run of books that selected the best recipes of the year from the internet, cookbooks, newspapers and other sources. Then they selected the best of those books. A tough task! Most of the recipes are relatively easy, but have a unique technique or ingredient combination that makes them a bit special. I'd love to cook my way through this one!
The 1997 Joy of Cooking
By Marion Rombauer Becker, Ethan Becker, Irma S. Rombauer
Scribner - 1997
There has been quite a lot of bad press about this particular edition of Joy of Cooking. Recipe selection mostly. But that aside, the recipes that are in this edition are well-written and they work. The extra descriptions on how to do things in the kitchen exactly are extremely helpful. With all the new encyclopedic cookbooks being published, this is still one of the first I reach for when I don't know how to do something or where to look for a recipe. It rarely disappoints.
The Accidental Vegan
By Devra Gartenstein
Celestial Arts - 2009
With tons of streamlined recipes, this cookbook is very useful for anyone wanting to eat more plant based meals. It has good recipes for all the basics of a vegan diet like hummus, tamales, peanut noodles, things to do with tofu, curries, etc. Definitely a must-have for any vegan's cookbook shelf, but worth having for anyone looking for great recipes for weeknight cooking.
And about those tamales, don't miss 'em. There are several variations, all with simple directions and they're great!
All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking
By Molly Stevens
W.W. Norton & Co. - 2004
If you're looking for a book on braising, this is the one to buy. The recipes cover a wide range of ingredients, and the text answers any question you could have.
At Mesa's Edge: Cooking and Ranching in Colorado's North Fork Valley
By Eugenia Bone
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - 2004
The recipes are quite interesting: clearly a mixture of family favorites from the author's Italian roots along with new recipes developed for the bounty found in Colorado's summer months. Because of that, most of these recipes would best be prepared seasonally, as the author does. Some ingredients will be hard for cooks that don't live in this area, or a similar one, to find fresh such as various peppers, zucchini flowers, elk, chukar, wild mushrooms or sour cherries. The author does give suggestions in the recipe ingredient lists for some substitutions where appropriate though, so this opens up these recipes for more cooks.
Many of the recipes have been adapted from other cooks or cookbooks, and in the head notes this is clearly noted. I always appreciate this as it could lead to ferreting out other interesting cookbooks! The author assumes that the reader has good cooking skills so doesn't go into as much detail in the preparation instructions as some cooks would probably prefer. A little more guidance on what to expect as the recipe is being prepared would have been helpful.
There is only one photograph in the book of a recipe and it's not labeled. (It's some form of filleted fish, not too exciting to look at.) Each chapter in the memoir section opens with a sepia-toned photo of the area or the people. The cover photos are really beautiful and had me wishing there were more photos included inside the book in color. The pages are rough cut on the edges which I don't mind in a novel, but they are annoying in a cookbook where it makes it difficult to thumb to a specific page.
The memoir portion of this book is quite entertaining to read; a classic tale of a city girl adrift in the country and how she tries, sometimes too hard, to fit in. She makes many of the same mistakes most people do that are new to an area or culture.
The chapters are written on different themes, but most have a food related theme whether it be about starting a garden, buying at local vendors or preparing new foods. They don't flow together quite right and the pace is a bit awkward here and there as if they were written as separate essays and hastily patched together. But still a nice read. I always enjoy reading about the area that is the inspiration for a cuisine or collection of recipes. It's clear from her writing how these recipes came to be. The head notes for each recipe alone are quite informative. I'd love to see more books like this one.
Breakfasts for lovers
By Lu Lockwood
Peregrine Press - 1981
What a pleasure to find a cookbook filled with wonderfully named menus for gourmet breakfasts.
This book has 31 menus, with recipes. They are whimsically titled, too. Among the menus and recipes are: Hawaiian Lovesong with Papaya Champagne and Cheese Stuffed with Many Things; Sleepy Island with Rum Swizzle, Baked Sausage in Crescent French Toast with Maple Syrup; Marriage of Figaro with Marriage of Figaro (burgundy and champagne drink), Angels on Horseback and Tiny Omelettes; Some Like It Hot with Margaritas, Mexican Eggs, Toasted Pita Bread; and April in Paris with Frothy Mocha Frappe, Layer Cake of Crepes, Jams and Cream.
The menus and recipes are all slanted towards romance and the recipes fit the themes remarkably well. And of course, since this is a book about cooking for couples, the recipes all yield two servings.
On each left-side page is a gorgeously detailed drawing that fits the menu theme. The name of the menu is listed in various stylized fonts along with the recipe names. Each menu is done very differently from the others. On the right-side pages, a shopping list of ingredients (without measurements or quantities, so it's not so useful) is listed vertically. To the right of this list are the recipes for the menu. Ingredients are called out within a paragraph or two of instructions and not listed separately. Instructions are clear, simple and straightforward.
While many of the menus sound exotic or gourmet, the recipes really are quite simple and can be put together quite quickly. Most menus include a recipe for an alcoholic beverage.
Book Title: Breakfast for Lovers
Author: Lu Lockwood
Illustrated by: Jill Coykendall Callaway
Category: Breakfast recipes and menus
Number of Recipes: 80 in 31 menus
ISBN: 093361411X
Publisher: Peregrine Press
Publisher address: Old Saybrook, CT
Date published: 1981
Edition: first
Description: softcover
Illustrated: yes
Photographs: no
Pages: 71
Retail price: US$8.95
Chai: The Spice Tea of India
By Diana Rosen
Storey Publishing, LLC - 1999
I have to admit, chai always seemed to me like one of those things you just buy at restaurants and probably can't make taste very good at home. Then I found this book. So now I make a mean pot of chai. And even a chai concentrate now and again. Oh, and did I mention the chai rice pudding? Mmm, mmm.
For background information on chai, even though this is a small book, I can't imagine anything that is missing. It is obviously well-researched and written by a woman very knowledgeable about teas. (She has also written books on black teas, green teas and herbal teas.)
The book begins with the author's personal introduction to chai in India. Following that is a great history of tea in India which leads into a chapter on traditional Masala chais. American variations on chai are next.
Each of the Indian regions' teas are explored and the spices that are used in chais are described with details on how to use them and their healing properties. Several recipes are given for chai flavored items like scones or meringues and a chapter is devoted to foods traditionally eaten with chai like sev, koftas and samosas.
Throughout, the book is decorated with lovely photos of places in India, tea cups or prepared recipes. There are several "Traveler's Tales" which are stories by folks connected to Indian teas of their travels and experiences in India. These help make this book one you'll read through in one sitting. There are also quotes and poems here and there. With the recipes, which have interesting head notes, sprinkled between all these things, this is really a great read.
The recommended reading section is most welcome and the glossary is extremely useful. I found myself referring to it periodically as I read the book to clarify some of the Indian terminology. The resources section is fantastic for finding any unusual ingredients as well as the finest teas that may not be offered in your neck of the woods. Addresses, phone numbers, websites and email addresses are given along with a description of the vendor's offerings. The index is very comprehensive.
Book Title: Chai - The Spice Tea of India
Author(s): Diana Rosen
Category: beverages/tea
ISBN: 1580171664
Publisher: Storey Publishing
Publisher website: www.storey.com
Date published: 1999
Edition: first
Description: softcover
Illustrated: no
Photographs: yes, sepia toned
Pages: 154
Number of Recipes: 22 of chai spice blends, 36 total
List Price: US$16.95
Chilis to Chutneys: American Home Cooking with the Flavors of India
By Neelam Batra
William Morrow Cookbooks - 1998
The author is a native of India but moved to America and now lives in California where she teaches cooking classes. The introduction of the book gives a very nice description of what it was like for her growing up in India and the food traditions she enjoyed. I've learned quite a lot about Indian foods, traditions and adaptations necessary for American kitchens from reading this book.
Many of the recipes in this book are familiar American dishes seasoned with Indian flavors, like Naan Pizza Bread with Nigella Seeds, Quesadillas with Chicken Tikka Kebabs and Smoked Gouda Cheese, Gingered Tomato Soup, Indian Coleslaw, Garbanzo Bean and Potato Salad with Yogurt-Cilantro Chutney, Blue Lake Green Beans in a Wok, Curried Russet Potatoes with Fresh Peas, or Guacamole with Yogurt and Chaat Masala.
Other recipes are more traditionally Indian but may have been adapted to work for American kitchens and the ingredients available (or not) here.
Each recipe has a nice head note that describes the ingredients or how the dish is traditionally made in India. Or sometimes, a personal story about the dish is given such as who she cooked it for, or why she developed the recipe. All of this reading is informative as well as entertaining. Just what I like to see in a cookbook!
The ingredient lists are very clear on how each item is to be prepped. No guessing is needed if the chicken is in pieces, what size or if the skin should be left on, etc. The recipe instructions are also very clear and detailed giving not just cooking times at particular temperatures, but describing exactly what the food should look like, smell like or sound like when that step is properly executed.
Along with most of the recipes are serving ideas - really menu suggestions on what to have with the dish to make a complete meal. These are extremely helpful to someone not familiar with the cuisine.
Notes on what parts of the recipe can be done ahead of time are given. The book's chapters are organized by two methods: recipes that follow a particular type of cooking, like roasting or deep-frying, and by type of food, like curries, soups or salads. Each chapter lists the recipes contained in it.
The spice blend chapter is really wonderful. It contains not just recipes for spice mixes, but also extensive text on the ingredients, what form they come in, where to buy them and how each is used.
Conveniently Vegan: Turn Packaged Foods into Delicious Vegetarian Dishes
By Debra Wasserman
Vegetarian Resource Group - 1997
The basis for this book is to help vegans cook healthy, inexpensive meals while taking advantage of convenience foods available like frozen vegetables, jarred sauces, vegan meat substitutes and canned beans.
The recipes are mostly very simple, making this book an excellent choice for a beginning cook as well as for people who want to eat healthier. They have few ingredients and very short, straightforward instructions. Most are very quick to put together too, so they are great for busy folks. To help keep things quick, almost all of them need only one or two pots or pans. That's a real time saver at clean up time.
There is lots of information in the book about the more obscure ingredients, and even a list of recipes that have the most calcium or iron for those concerned about getting enough of those nutrients. And a fantastic feature is a dual index listing recipes first by ingredient, and then by course, like desserts.
The Menu Ideas chapter would be great for someone new to eating vegan to see how to put together balanced meals. And each recipe comes with a nutritional analysis. There are quite a few recipes that are similar to meat recipes that would help a new vegan transition over without missing too many foods. Some of those include various lasagna recipes, sloppy joes, burgers, hot dogs and beans, and stuffed peppers.
Some recipes: Black Bean Watercress Sauté; Sautéed Amaranth, Peas and Onions; Quinoa Sweet Potato Patties; Couscous Lettuce Rolls; Pasta with Onion Sauce; Mexican Noodle Casserole; Thai Yellow Vegetable Curry; Potato, Apple & Sauerkraut Dish; Avocado Dressing; and Mandarin Orange, Avocado & Cucumber Salad.
Category: vegan, healthy, quick & easy
ISBN: 0931411181
Publisher: The Vegetarian Resource Group
Publisher website: http://www.vrg.org/
Date published: 1997
Edition: Second. Revised in 1999.
Description: softcover
Illustrated: some cartoon drawings of vegetables
Photographs: none
Pages: 208
Number of Recipes: 150
List Price: US$ 15.00
Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread Cookbook
By Crescent Dragonwagon
Workman Publishing Company - 1992
Like other books by this author, this is a great book to read as well as to cook with. True to its name, this book is mostly soup recipes with a few classic bread and salad recipes.
Within each chapter, individual ingredients are discussed and recipes for that ingredient given. The information on the ingredients is sometimes extensive and always informative.
There is lots to read in this book. Every recipe has a nice introduction that discusses where it came from, who it was served to or what the finished dish will be like. These descriptions are so wonderfully written that they make you want to try every recipe. Tips for preparing the recipe are sometimes given too, and most recipes have variations listed at the end to lower the fat, or substitute other ingredients. These points make the recipes very versatile. Instructions are clear and quite detailed leaving nothing to guess about.
I found the chapter on stocks particularly helpful with the several vegetable stock recipes of most value to me. Some interesting additions to stock like nutritional yeast and miso are discussed and they really do make a difference. With all the text about ingredients and recipes, this book will teach you how to make any soup taste better and what makes the recipes work.
The Contents are:
Introduction: Welcome to Dairy Hollow House
Stocks -- The Foundation
Fillips, Flourishes, and Fine Points
Chicken Soups to Crow Over
Fine Fish Soups--From Creek and Lake
Vegetable Soups for Market-Day
The Soup--The Solution to Dieting
Hot, Hearty Bean Soups--Luscious, Lusty Legumes
Gumbo Zeb-- History in a Bowl and More
Delectable Dairy Soups From Dairy Hollow
Sweet Harvest Fruit Soups
Nut Soups---From Soup To...
Loaves, Muffins, and More
Salad--The Green Palette
Dining by Design: Stylish Recipes - Savory Settings
By Inc The Junior League of Pasadena, Favorite Recipes Press, Cameron Caruthers
The Junior League of Pasadena - 1998
This is one beautiful cookbook put out by the Junior League of Pasadena. It's a large hardcover filled with glossy pages and many photos. The theme creates two books in one. There are of course great recipes, but the photos show some of the members' dining rooms, kitchens, patios and other areas. It's fun to just browse the pictures and look at these splendid homes.
The Contents are:
Special Menus
At the Doorstep - Appetizers and Beverages
Sconces & Scones - Bread and Breakfast
By The Hearth - Soups and Chilis
In The Garden - Salads
Patterns & Pasta - Pasta
Sides On the Sideboard - Side Dishes
The Foundation - Main Dishes
Decorative Decadence - Desserts
Let's Play - Recipes for the Family
Committee List
Special Thanks
Contributors
Nutritional Information
Index
The recipes all have easy to follow, detailed instructions. Each gives the number of servings. Nutritional information isn't listed with the recipe, but is given in a table for all recipes in the back of the book. Also back there is one of the most legible indexes I've ever seen. (A good, thorough index is a major selling point for me!)
Throughout the book there are some sidebars that give information about an ingredient or much more interesting, a "memory" of a member about the recipe. Those were great to read. Here's one for Five Pounds of Easy Fudge: "This recipe is an old family favorite. My mom used to hide the finished fudge to let it cool completely. My dad, brother, and I hunted until we found the fudge hiding place. Once we found it in the trunk of her car, and another year we found it stashed in the dryer." Isn't that great? I just love reading about how recipes fit into peoples' lives.
I'm really enjoying this one and will continue to cook from it. Some of the recipes I have marked to try are Chile and Tortilla Soufflé, Garlic Lemon Chicken, Salmon in Pastry Crust, Cranberry Sorbet, Amber Tea, (I don't have a dishwasher, but if I did, I'd try the Dishwasher Salmon), and Lemon Whipper Snappers.
Extreme Lo-Carb Meals On The Go: Fast And Fabulous Solutions To Get You Through The Day
By Sharron Long
Adams Media - 2004
I may as well jump right in with the features I don't like. If this book had been titled, "Another Cookbook of Low-Carb Recipes, Tips and Information", I would have been happier with it. But its title is misleading. Extreme? How so? Extremely low in carbs? Maybe. Most recipes seem to be under 10 grams per serving. "Meals On the Go" is the part that really seemed misleading to me. I guess I was expecting more really fast recipes. I thought there would be more recipes for foods that could be put together in a flash and taken along to eat. Most of the recipes just don't fit that profile because they are neither really fast or portable. Maybe this book is like a newspaper article; written by one person and given a headline/title by another! (One clue is the title of the book is lo-carb; her website address is lowcarbcook.com and she uses the phrase low-carb throughout the book.)
To be fair, the recipes are labelled with a "Q" if they are quick to fix - quick being defined as under an hour start to finish. Not really my idea of quick. They also can be labelled with an "M" if they can be prepared ahead of time. This might be more useful in the "On the Go" theme to have foods ready to take along. Unfortunately, not too many recipes are marked both quick and able to be prepared ahead of time. That combination would be great for fitting into the types of foods the title implies the book contains.
The "Making Wise Choices" chapter gives tips and suggestions for making good food choices when cooking and for ordering in restaurants. Again I have to wonder why the book is titled what it is when there are 12 pages devoted to restaurant ordering.
The recipes for the most part sound good and have nice head notes. The instructions are very descriptive and I didn't find any confusing instructions at all. Nutritional information is given and almost all the recipes have a reduced-fat variation. Serving sizes range all over the place from 1 up to 16 with most being 6 or 8.
Many recipes use low-carb versions of ordinary ingredients but not an innovative method or ingredient substitution to lower the carb count. I've never seen a low-carb tortilla and many of her recipes use this ingredient. Other unusual or hard to find ingredients include lard, different soy products like soy protein isolate, soy flour, xanthan gum, milk and egg protein powder, pork rinds, kefir, and guar gum. Substitutions can be made for some of these but not always.
Frank Stitt's Southern Table: Recipes and Gracious Traditions from Highlands Bar and Grill
By Frank Stitt, Christopher Hirsheimer, Pat Conroy
Artisan - 2004
This is one gorgeous cookbook. It's a large, coffee table type book and is very heavy. The photographs by Christopher Hirsheimer are fantastic and add greatly to this book. Almost every two page spread has at least one photo, some are full pages. There are many photos of ingredients used in the recipes, finished recipes and also photos of the people and places in the area. Along with these photos are wonderful stories about where ingredients are grown or produced along with the stories of the people who make these foods. There is tons of very interesting reading among these pieces that tie the recipes back to the folks who grow the ingredients.
The recipes vary in ease of preparation, but are not fussy and do not contain large numbers of ingredients. Some are very much staples of southern home-cooking while others are more original variations of common ingredients that have a restaurant feel to them. For me, the mix is just right. Every recipe has a great head note that explains something about the main ingredients, who inspired the recipe or what to serve the food with. All very interesting and well-written introductions to the food.
There are many recipes I'd like to make from this book. They include: Spoonbread, Creamy Grits, Charred Corn Relish, Watermelon and Red Onion Relish, Crabmeat Crostini, Pickled Shrimp, Marie's Herbed Cottage Cheese Dip and Crudites, Spiced Pecans, Crab Cakes, Roasted Corn and Crawfish Chowder, Watercress and New Potato Soup, Autumn Beet Salad with Spiced Pecans, Pears, and Fourma d'Ambert, Grilled Cobia with Beet Relish, Grilled Tuna with Artichoke and Olive Vinaigrette, Chicken Saute with Lemon, Capers, and Bread Crumbs, Chicken with Watercress Sauce, almost all of the vegetable recipes, and the pumpkin cheesecake.
French Women Don't Get Fat
By Mireille Guiliano
Knopf Publishing Group - 2004
The author was raised in France, spent a year here in the US - where her new American eating habits caused weight gain - and went back to France where she learned how to manage her weight. She now divides her time between New York and Paris.
This gives her a unique perspective on how the French lifestyle works well for French women and also how the American lifestyle don't work so well for many American women. The book is not a prescriptive diet type of book, more a lifestyle guide with many new ways to think about food and enjoying life.
She firmly believes in enjoying one's food and not banning any foods from your diet, just enjoying all of them in moderation. Portion control is emphasized.
The recipes in the book, while not the main focus, are quite interesting and varied; none are particularly difficult, although the croissants do take a couple of days. Many would seem not to fit into a healthy lifestyle, but when eaten in reasonable quantities and combined with lots of vegetables and fruits to complete the meal, they fit right in. Some of them include: Celery Root Remoulade, Baked Apples, Espresso Faux Souffles, Grilled Peaches with Lemon Thyme, Zucchini Flower Omelet, Ratatouille, Magical Leek Soup (Broth), and Homemade Yogurt.
The index is quite comprehensive, but since the recipes are scattered throughout the text of the book, I would have liked it very much if she had included a separate recipe index for quick reference.
I was annoyed by her very frequent use (at least once in most paragraphs) of French phrases. In many cases, they were used to make a point about whatever she was discussing and were appropriate. But I feel they were used to excess and about half the time did not have English translations so anyone not understanding French would be left wondering what she was saying.
Overall, I have to say I enjoyed the chatty tone of this book with all her anecdotes of living and growing up in France. Her advice is nothing new to anyone who has struggled with their weight, but she puts it all together in a non-threatening way that seems very doable.
The recipe instructions are poorly written however with no detail given on what to expect or how to do each step. If you do have some cooking mastery though, her recipes are interesting and look delicious. I just don't think they are explained well enough for a true beginning cook (for whom the book appears to be written).
Fry Light, Fry Right: Fried-Food Flavor Without Deep Frying
By Elaine Magee M.P.H. R.D.
Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers - 2004
Imagine eating Potato Skins with Quick Ranch Dip, Beer-Battered Fish, Chicken Fried Steak with Country Gravy, Shrimp Fried Rice, Chicken Fingers or Nuggets, Restaurant Cheese Fries, Beef & Bean Nachos Grande, Onion Rings, Corn Dogs, Potato Chips, or Jelly Doughnut Muffins with Vanilla Glaze without guilt! Sound impossible? Not according to the author of Fry Light, Fry Right! These and many more favorites have been lightened and degreased in her recipes.
In the introductory chapters, the author describes why deep-fried foods taste so good and also why they aren't the best choices for us. She details the techniques she uses to keep the flavor and crunch while trimming the fat.
The introduction gives examples of how dramatic the nutritional content can change in her recipes from the original. Chicken Nuggets lose 30 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving. Though, she is quoted, "But as I always say, healthy food isn't going to do anyone any good if no one is eating it. It has to taste good. That's why I test my lightened recipes on all sorts of people--and the recipes in this this book were very well-liked across the board."
I wanted to try Chicken Fingers (oddly called Chicken Tenders in the introduction while referring to the Chicken Fingers recipe page). Unfortunately, the recipe calls for 1 cup of instant potato flakes and I dislike the flavor of those, so don't want to buy a whole box just to try one recipe. The recipe also calls for fat-free half-and-half which is full of trans-fats and tons of sugar. Seems incongruous to use this in a healthy recipe. She says we can substitute low-fat or whole milk. How much would the results change?
How about All-White-Meat Easy Chicken Nuggets? Well this one is doable, but not from my pantry. It calls for Wondra flour and buttermilk, neither of which I keep on hand normally. Rats!
This got me to scanning the recipes a little closer to see if they all called for things that I don't keep on hand. Some special diet cookbooks are notorious for this. Wondra shows up here and there mixed with egg substitute to help adhere coatings. Would regular flour work? She doesn't say. Reduced Fat Bisquick pancake mix puts in an appearance occasionally. Panko crumbs are used in the Pistachio-Crusted Calamari with Lemon-Caper Sauce (doesn't THAT sound good?!), but cornflakes are suggested as a substitute. Other recipes have suggestions for substituting ingredients as well.
Good Day for a Picnic: Simple Food That Travels Well
By Jeremy Jackson
William Morrow Cookbooks - 2005
This book, according to Jackson is "about picnics that require no grills and no cooking at the picnic site. In other words, all the work is done beforehand...." Unfortunately, I found that the recipes didn't always fit this definition well. They either need last minute preparations or don't transport well or their taste or texture would suffer with extended storage time: Crepes Stuffed with Chard, Feta, Pine Nuts, and Golden Raisins; Substantial Cornbread Salad; Spicy Chai Ice Cream and Perfect Peach Ice Cream might be a challenge to transport but he does give suggestions on how to wrap it or to churn it on-site; Zucchini Fritters.
He also describes his food as "...food that my grandparents and great-grandparents would have enjoyed and not have been puzzled by." Hmmm. Well, I can see my grandparents enjoying and not being puzzled by much of the food in the book, but I think they might have found Chilled Avocado and Cucumber Soup puzzling as I don't think they'd ever seen an avocado nor eaten cold soups.
Packaging and transportion information on individual recipes is very noticeably absent on most recipes. This book could have been much more suited to picnic-style eating and entertaining if ideas and suggestions were given about how to package more of the foods. He does, however, include at what temperature each recipe can be served, hot, warm or cold. This is very helpful.
So, would I recommend this book as a good picnic book? Well, no. But if your idea of a good picnic is to cook in your kitchen and then bring the food out to the patio for a meal, it's well-suited for that.
Would I recommend it as a good cookbook for those looking for interesting recipes? Definitely. One of the reasons I like this book is that it isn't the same old fried chicken, potato salad and deviled eggs collection of recipes.
And I'd also recommend it as a good read for armchair cooks. Jackson's introduction and history of outdoor eating is well-researched and entertainingly written. From the introduction: "Picnics used to be the norm. Really. Think about it. Didn't our ancestors all eat outdoors? I don't mean our great-great-grandparents. I mean our biological ancestors---monkeys and whatnot---nibbling on berries. Or, to look at it another way, didn't Adam and Eve enjoy the fruits of Eden outdoors? When God booted them out of the garden, I think it's fair to summarize his message to them in this way: 'All right guys, Picnic's over.'"
Half a can of tomato paste and other culinary dilemmas: A cookbook
By Jean Anderson and Ruth Buchan
Harper & Row - 1980
There's usually something that could have been done differently to suit my tastes in every cookbook. Well, for this cookbook, I have absolutely no complaints at all! This may just be the most useful cookbook in my kitchen.
The premise of the book is based on the fact that many times food we purchase is packaged in sizes that are not typically used up in one recipe. Tomato paste took first place as the most often cited culprit for being a leftover when the authors polled folks, hence the title of the book. Besides the things that clutter up our refrigerators like bits of cheese, cream, or half a green pepper, staple products are also covered such as molasses, various flours, bread crumbs, corn syrup, and brown sugar. Each food has its own chapter with information and recipes.
Each ingredient's chapter begins with information on that food which is followed by information sorted into these sections: Best Way to Store; Maximum Storage Time; Roles in Cooking; Recipe Uses; How to Use Very Small Amounts; Special Comments; and finally the recipes. This information is comprehensive and extremely useful. No more excuses for throwing out those half empty packages of food!
The recipes are varied and in an attempt to not create more leftovers, are very flexible with multiple substitutions suggested. This is extremely helpful and allows a cook to really use up what one has on hand instead of buying more ingredients that may not be used up fully.
The Appendix - A List of Recipes Categorized According to the Leftovers They Use - is a brilliant addition to the book and one that would be great to see in more cookbooks. It lists all the recipes that a particular ingredient is used in and how much of the ingredient is needed. An addition to this appendix by adding the page number to the recipe would have been helpful; as it is, you need to find the page the recipe is on by looking it up in the index.
This book gets lots of use for inspiration and storage information here. It is a real workhorse of a book. It would be wonderful if the authors did a new revised edition to show us how to take care of the new ingredients we now find ourselves creating leftovers of like canned chipotle peppers, specialty oils, sun-dried tomatoes, coconut milk, and Thai chili paste. But I'll keep this one close to the kitchen for all the ingredients that tend to hang around too long!
Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes and Recollections from the Pit Bosses
By Robb Walsh
Chronicle Books - 2002
This book is much more than a bunch of regional recipes. It's stuffed full of reading about the origins of barbecue in Texas and profiles many of the people, places and restaurants involved in this unique food of the state. Reading about the history of foods is fascinating and this book is a great history lesson about some very unique folks and their special brand of cooking.
There are lots of large and small photographs showing the folks that cook this food and some restaurants. Some are old and some are much newer; all are in sepia-tone which suits the book perfectly. All of the recipes have their own page and the few that carry over to a second, are on the facing page. Recipe titles and ingredients are in a dark brown with the head notes and instructions in black, all easy to read. The very interesting sidebars are also in a combination of black and brown type and cover subjects as diverse as the "Legends" - influential Texas individuals, one etymology of the word barbecue which the Oxford English Dictionary calls "absurd conjecture", the history of goats in Texas, and everything you could want to know about different types of ribs.
Besides the many expected recipes for ribs, brisket, sausages, and loins, there are lots of recipes for the rubs, mops, sauces and condiments used to make all this taste so good. Side dishes like slaws, beans and salads are included too. The range of recipes gives you a good idea of how meals are put together, centered around the meat of course.
Although I enjoyed the history sections the most, the information included on how to select a home barbecue rig such as smokers, barrels, pits and gas grills is very helpful. Other useful sections cover fuels, loads of tips in sidebars throughout, a chapter on markets, restaurants and other resources, online sources, a glossary of terms, barbecue associations, measuring equivalents charts and a cook-off calendar. Plus a well-organized index. The glossary even includes instructions like how to warm tortillas and how to prepare fresh and dried chile peppers.
Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes (Better Homes & Gardens)
By Better Homes and Gardens, Kimberly Mayone, Kristi Thomas
Better Homes and Gardens - 2003
This cookbook will likely become one that I use over and over again. Not because it is a low-carb cookbook, but because it has great, quickly assembled slow cooker recipes.
The introduction and Low-Carb Basics chapters review all sorts of information about using slow cookers and nutritional information. The usual information about fats, carbs and proteins is included but additional useful information that other books normally don't cover is included such as a discussion on the glycemic index versus glycemic load.
Each chapter begins with an alphabetical list of the recipes along with their page number. Since the recipes aren't printed in alphabetical order in the chapter, this is a useful feature.
Each recipe is printed on one page. Each recipe has the prep time, times to cook on low or on high, how many servings it makes and what size cooker to use. The instructions are well written, complete and easy to follow.
The top outside corner of each recipe page shows the carb count per serving for the recipe. These have a broad range throughout the cookbook starting in the single digits for the vegetable recipes and going as high as the 40's for a few entrees.
As is usual with many slow cooker dishes, a common serving suggestion is to serve with whole wheat pasta or brown rice. These are almost always listed as optional ingredients. So, even though I didn't see this mentioned, I assume that their carb amounts are not included in the per serving analysis. Seems a bit disingenuous to not include those ingredients in the nutritional analysis. I mean, who eats Beef Stroganoff without noodles or Chicken Curry without rice? Anyway, for me, this lowers this book's usefulness as strictly a low-carb cookbook, but I'll still be using it for the tasty recipes.
Very few of the recipes call for Splenda, which I do not use, so unlike many other low-carb cookbooks, I don't have to skip a lot of recipes or substitute something. Many recipes have an ethnic origin so the variety is quite large. I think just about anyone would find lots of recipes to try in this book. The recipe titles sound interesting but always include the main ingredients or flavors so you aren't left wondering just what a whacky named recipe makes.
I don't eat beef, pork or lamb and there are lots of recipes for those, but many look adaptable to having turkey or chicken fill in. There aren't any fish or shellfish recipes except for a clam chowder recipe that uses tomatoes!
Mario Tailgates NASCAR Style
By Mario Batali
Sporting News - 2006
Mario has dedicated this book: "To Americans at leisure. We got it down." Well said and a promise of great recipes contained in the book.
Many of the recipes assume you have a grill on the scene where the food is to be prepared and eaten. This really is a grilling cookbook focusing on easy to moderate recipes with lots of strong flavors. This is largely a collection of recipes for carnivores. All but one of the breakfast recipes - Eggs in Hell (eggs poached in a skillet of spicy tomato sauce) - has meat in it. A few appetizers are meat-free like Speedway Guacamole, and of the few side dishes, three even have meat in them.
Recipes sometimes have racing names and the head notes refer to various tracks or racing references. Each chapter has a short introduction with some tips applicable to those foods.
There are also numerous boxed text stories of various tracks, typical mornings at the track, pit stop information, etc. I found the text entertaining and for a NASCAR fan, this would be a great book to read.
The design of this book is really appealing and beautiful. There are tons of full-color photos throughout of Mario cooking, eating with others or of race drivers and cars. Unfortunately, the photos have no captions so except for Mario, I have no idea who any of the people are. Maybe they thought NASCAR fan readers would recognize most of them.
The recipe ingredients are printed all in one paragraph with two slashes separating each ingredient. I really dislike this style of listing the ingredients. Also, the instruction steps are not separated with a space under each one. Both features, while looking nice on the page, make it a little difficult to keep your place when cooking and referring back to the book. I could have easily skipped an ingredient or two in the recipe because of this.
The selection of recipes for each chapter is really great. They are varied and unique amongst the others. The chapter on chicken and fish doesn't have one recipe I wouldn't make: Cuban-style Chicken Thighs with Grapefruit Mojo; Jerk Chicken; Texas-style Barbecued Chicken; Brickyard Barbecued Game Hens; 5-Spice Chicken; Jambalaya Turkey Burger; Monster Shrimp with Orange Chili Glaze; Shrimp al ajillo; Spicy Beer Shrimp Boil; Salmon Hobo Packs; Soft-shelled Crab Sandwiches with Spicy Tartar Sauce; Grilled Lobsters with Limoncello Vinaigrette.
The book wraps up with a good index and a section of contact information and statistics on each track.
Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times: Featuring 350 recipes from the author of HOW TO COOK EVERYTHING and THE BEST RECIPES IN THE WORLD
By Mark Bittman
Broadway - 2007
In tiny print on the cover it says, "Originally published as The Minimalist Cooks at Home, The Minimalist Cooks Dinner and The Minimalist Entertains". I was happy to see that right on the cover, so that we all know these recipes are in other books. I don't have any of those books, so really enjoyed looking through this one. I'm not sure if it includes every recipe in those books, but certainly has many. He does say in the introduction that it includes "just about everything I've published in the New York Times Dining section in the last ten years".
I was surprised to see a few recipes that take hours in this book, but he explains that in the introduction too. They are recipes that take a large amount of "unattended" time and little prep time, so do fit into a quick category if you only consider the prep time. This is like slow-cooker recipes being "quick", which, if your schedule works for them, really are quick and easy.
The text in the book is in black except for the ingredients which are in orange. I can read them with no trouble, but they could be a touch darker.
He encourages cooks to make variations on his recipes and includes them with almost every recipe. Ingredient substitutions are also encouraged which makes this book much more flexible and more likely to be helpful on a busy day. Every recipe gives the time it takes to make (and a note if it's largely unattended time) and the number of servings.
The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen
By Donna Klein
HP Trade - 2001
The author has chosen to include only those authentic recipes as found around the Mediterranean instead of dishes inspired by the cuisine that are not authentic. She also includes vegan versions of recipes that usually include animal products such as pesto and tapenade. For recipes using cheese, she simply uses a recipe that omits it. She feels that substituting for ingredients like cheese or anchovies creates dishes that are somehow not correct, and that home cooks would most certainly have created recipes without these ingredients due to not having them occasionally, or for more particular palates, such as for children. She doesn't however, have any fig recipes in the book as she feels figs are missing something if not presented with their natural accompaniment, honey.
The recipes are straightforward with clear, detailed instructions on how to make them. Ingredient lists are not excessive or made up of unusual ingredients. None of the ingredients are substitutes for animal products. You won't find any tofu cutlets, miso in place of anchovies or soy cheeses here. The ingredients are those that are actually used in this region.
While there are no pictures in this book, the descriptions of the recipes and how to put them together, give a good idea of what to expect.
Each recipe comes with a nutritional analysis listing calories, protein, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol (0 for all recipes, of course), carbohydrates, dietary fiber and sodium. Many recipes have tips on how to prepare the recipes or a portion of them in advance. And quite a few also have variations listed for the recipe.
The Bibliography is a serious source of temptation for this cookbook collector. The list of cookbooks could be added in its entirety to my wish list!
The Meals in Minutes chapter is a very well-done list of menu suggestions for different size gatherings and events. It's a great way to learn how to put a well-rounded vegan menu together for at home or entertaining.
This cookbook has become a favorite of mine, not just as a vegan cookbook, but overall. There are so many great recipes to make that stand alone or as side dishes for a non-vegan menu. Anyone who enjoys the foods of the Mediterranean region will find dozens of things to try here.
One Potato, Two Potato
By Molly Stevens, Roy Finamore
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - 2001
This is an encyclopedic look at potatoes. Simply put, if you ever cook potatoes, you should have this cookbook in your collection.
I can't imagine any recipe that uses a potato that they may have left out. That said, of the 300+ recipes, there aren't strange ones or simple variations. Each is distinct and interesting. The Mashed Potatoes chapter has 28 recipes and the Main Dishes chapter, 40. With that kind of selection, everyone is sure to find an appealing recipe to use up that sack of spuds. There are a handful of go-with garnish or sauce recipes like frizzled leeks or doctored canned stock to supplement the potato recipes, but very few. This is a book of all potato dishes. Of course some of the recipes like Clam Chowder or Chicken Croquettes have other main ingredients, but all the recipes are for dishes that potatoes are essential in. Sweet potatoes are given some time as well.
The Potato Principles chapter is chock full of great information. They go over the differences between low-, medium- and high-starch potatoes as expected, but also name varieties of each and explain what they should be used for. Interesting tips are given as well. Other good information in this chapter includes sections on: cooking times, draining potatoes, boiling, soaking, peeling and scrubbing, storing, buying, sweet potato information and descriptions of the many types of potatoes in the stores and farmer's markets including heirlooms.
Additional technique-specific information is given at the beginning of some of the chapters. The Mashed Potatoes chapter begins with three pages of description on exactly what to do to get the very best mashed potatoes. Tips like heating added liquids before adding to the potatoes and precisely how to use a hand masher are written out in detail.
Quite a few recipes have variations given at the end which makes them just that much more versatile. Cuisines from around the world are represented.
Each recipe comes with a head note describing it, where it came from, what to serve it with or some other interesting bit of information. They are well-written and quite varied making this a great cookbook to read. Many times the description of the dish sounds so good you want to make it on the spot.
The Bibliography lists dozens of wonderful cookbooks that inspired the recipes. The index is 15 pages long and has the recipes listed any which way you could think to look them up.
Recipes from the Root Cellar: 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables
By Andrea Chesman
Storey Publishing, LLC - 2010
I don't know about you, but I find it harder to cook inspired dishes other than soups in the winter. In the summer it's easy; just about all the veggies in the garden can be eaten raw, either alone or in a big salad, maybe dressed with a fast herb vinaigrette or quickly steamed or sautéed and you're done. But the winter vegetables seem to stump me frequently.
I was delighted to come across this book. It's a great collection of recipes using vegetables that are in season in the winter for all courses, not just side dishes. The first chapter of this book describes these vegetable families: Hearty Greens and Cabbages, The Onion Family, Tubers, Root Vegetables, Winter Squashes, and Dried Beans. Some of the individual vegetables in these families that are described in detail are: beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery root, collard greens, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, leeks, mustard greens, onions, parsnips, potatoes, rutabagas, salsify, shallots, sweet potatoes, turnips, and various winter squashes. Each vegetable in this chapter has information on availability, storage, how to buy, preparation, cooking ideas and math. The math portion describes how much chopped, sliced, diced, shredded or pureed vegetable you get per pound of raw vegetable.
At the beginning of each chapter, the recipes included are listed in their order of appearance. This is a feature I really appreciate. Oddly, the page numbers for the recipes aren't included which would be helpful. Everything is very easy to read and recipes each have their own page with only a handful sharing a page. The couple that need two pages are printed on facing pages, so you don't have to turn the page to finish the recipe. There aren't any nutritional analyses of the recipes. Another missing feature is prep time and cooking times. The number of servings is noted and also, many substitutions or variations are given in the recipes making them more versatile. There is a great index in this book with recipes listed by title and also by their ingredients.
The recipes seem to be quite straightforward without lots of ingredients or any hard to find ones. Some of the ethnic recipes have ingredients specific to them, like sesame oil or chile paste with garlic for a Chinese recipe, but if you like those foods, you'll probably have those few things on hand anyway. The vast majority of recipes call don't call for any ingredients that aren't already pantry staples for most of us.
When Every Minute Counts
By Joanna Lund
Putnam Pub Group - 2001
The 100 recipes in this book are all easily made in a hurry. And most can be made from staples you have around the house or easily obtainable items from any grocery store. Many call for pre-cooked noodles or rice, but even if you have to take the time to cook those, the recipes are still very quick and easy to put together.
I was pleasantly surprised to see many recipes for things that traditionally take much longer to prepare like Easy Italian Meat Loaf, Grande Corn Chili or Hawaiian Sunset Rice Pudding. Unlike many "quick" cookbooks, the recipes are interesting and familiar without being boring at all. There's real comfort food here that can be whipped up in no time.
The introductory chapters describe the Healthy Exchanges system and are chock full of all sorts of tips and techniques to make cooking healthier, easier and faster. I loved reading this section. I especially like JoAnna's common sense approach to processed foods that she describes in detail. Her recommendations for using (or not) certain processed foods really makes sense. The discussion of weighing whether to purchase a ready-made product or cook from scratch was interesting as well.
Recipes for healthier homemade items like sour cream, evaporated skim milk, sugar-free and fat-free condensed milk, buttermilk and creamy mushroom sauce in the dairy section are all very welcome. I'm sure I will use these many times. And browning ground meat in the microwave is a terrific idea! Can't wait to try that.
The recipes are one per page and are in an easy to read font in black. Each has three nutritional analyses: Healthy Exchanges, Diabetic Exchanges and basic nutritional information like calories, fat, fiber, carbohydrates, sodium etc. This makes the book very easy to use for anyone following their own particular diet or watching certain nutrients. Recipes that freeze well are also noted which I find very helpful. There's nothing faster than taking a homemade dinner out of the freezer!
One feature of the book that I find especially helpful is the listing of each recipe, with page number, at the beginning of each chapter.
My only disappointment with this book is the index. Each recipe is listed by its name, but there are no breakdowns of recipes by ingredient. Grilled Chicken with Italian Vegetables is only found under G.
A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen: Easy Seasonal Dishes for Family and Friends
By Jack Bishop
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt - 2004
This is one of my favorite cookbooks and I've considered it as a candidate to cook all the recipes from over the course of a year. Every time I pick it up I'm inspired to do something creative in the kitchen.
The book is arranged with the recipes listed by the four seasons and each section lists the recipes at the beginning. I find this organization very helpful as I, along with the author, receive a weekly share of vegetables from a Community Sponsored Agriculture farm in town. Since he lives on Long Island, and I'm in upstate New York, the vegetables he has available are quite similar to those I receive each week. But even if you don't belong to a farm program, the recipes focus on vegetables that are likely to be in your local farmer's market or supermarket each season.
The only downside to this organization is when you either choose to eat something out of season, or the recipe you want is in a section you might not look in, especially if your seasons differ from those in the book. California or Florida come to mind. But there is a great feature in the back of the book that helps to mitigate this. An index of recipes by category is given. This is useful for anyone, as it lists recipes by type, such as Pasta and Noodles; Eggs; Sandwiches and Tortilla Dishes; Side Dishes; Pizzas and Tarts; etc.
The recipes included can all be made in less than an hour, some in much less time, and had to be tasty and use fresh ingredients to be included.
Jack Bishop is the Executive Editor of Cook's Illustrated magazine, so he knows all about writing clear instructions in recipes and he demonstrates that in this book. The instructions are detailed and don't leave any doubt about what to do.
Reading this book is a joy too as each recipe has a nice headnote describing what the recipe will create as well as bit of information on some of the ingredients. To further instruct, almost every recipe has a sidebar describing a particular ingredient or technique.
The recipes take inspiration from cuisines all over the world, yet use vegetables and other ingredients that aren't impossible to find. Recreating the authentic dishes of other cultures isn't the goal here, but to use those ingredients or techniques from other parts of the world to enhance the ingredients at hand.
Most recipes serve 4, with some for 2 or 3. Many could easily incorporate meat if desired or be served on the side for meat eaters and alone for the vegetarians in the family.