Divine Cookbooks, Delicious Results

"You can learn so much about food just by listening to people from
different cultural backgrounds talk about their food memories...what you hear
is about the soul of their food, not its science." ~ Chef Craig von Foester

Rare Perfection, December 4, 2006

"Spiced with sultry nigella seed (sometimes confused with black cumin) and sumac, this bread tastes like a walk in the forest on a hot summer day." ~ pg. 243, Spiced White Bread

Ludo Lefebvre's CRAVE cookbook holds within its pages the most perfect puff pastry recipe you may ever try. I made the pastry yesterday and just drizzled icing over delicately crispy apple pastries. A sprinkling of nutmeg seemed perfect and I can truly say they are the best pastries I've ever made. The puff pastry cooks perfectly unlike many store bought versions that seem to cook unevenly and it is made with pure butter. The results were spectacular!

Many of the recipes in CRAVE are infused with the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg. The Spiced Bread is the first recipe I tried. The spice mixture is made from nutmeg, ginger, pepper and cloves and since I didn't have whole nutmegs, I used a ½ tablespoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon dry ginger, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon cloves. I crushed them all together with a mortar and pestle and then made the bread recipe using hot apple cider (infused with cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves and star anise) in place of the water, muscovado sugar for the granulated sugar, 2 ½ teaspoons instant yeast and 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon zest for the "ground sumac" which I need to order.

The recipe can be adapted slightly if you don't have all the ingredients needed, but the spice mix seems essential. I also ground up the "nigella" which I've used before on Indian Naan to produce the faint memory of spicy onions. This is also called Charnushka and Kalonji.

The bread recipe worked especially well in my bread machine, although I only used the dough cycle the first time and tried to make the bread look like the picture on page 33. You can use the bread in a variety of ways, including making delicious sandwiches with slices of turkey. The bread works especially well with a variety of cheeses or even for breakfast as toast with spinach chicken sausages and eggs. Just as I had imagined, cubes of bread would work well as croutons and they are featured in the Creamy Pumpkin Soup recipe.

Recipes to love include:

Moussaka of Lamb with Cumin and Roasted Tomato Coulis
Caramelized Cod with Five Flavors and Baby Spinach Salad
Sweet Onion Tart with Curry and Parsley Sauce
Cinnamon and Rosemary-Infused Chicken Breast with Baby Vegetables

...and for dessert:

Napoleons of Puff Pastry with Vanilla-Whisky Cream
Lemon Sorbet with Saffron
Pain D'Epices (a spice loaf)
Qunice Jam with Nostradamus Spice
Chocolate Soufflés with Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

Everything I've tried so far has exceeded my expectations. The pictures give a good indication of the delicious aromas that will fill your home. Fresh herbs and intoxicating spices fill the pages with sensory pleasure, cooking wishes and nostalgia. The Basic Recipes are helpful if you want to learn how to make stock, or you can improvise with stock pastes. There is a recipe for Curry Powder, Four Spices Powder and Citrus Zest Confit. These items are used in various recipes.

The recipes can be made mostly with ingredients found locally, but there are a few unique items you might want to invest in over time. Buying this cookbook along with Vanilla Beans, Saffron, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Fleur De Sel, high-quality peppercorns (Tellicherry), Star Anise, Acacia Honey, Argan Oil, Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar and Verjus (tart juice of unripened grapes) would make any cook a little heady. I felt heady just thinking about all the recipes I wanted to try.

"If you've had the now-popular Chai tea, you've tasted cardamom, a spice that combines hints of camphor, citrus, and bergamot." ~ pg. 22

The prose throughout is especially personable and makes the recipes even more enjoyable to try. Ludo Lefebvre spends lots of time talking about eating apples out under trees in orchards, his first experience cooking in the middle of a forest and how he loves the feeling of Fleur de Sel between his fingers as he sprinkles it over dishes he is preparing. The story of how he became a chef mingles within the amazing recipes to create a very satisfying culinary experience.

Almost all the recipes have additional notes to invite you into the cooking experience and then the instructions effortlessly guide you through the steps. I found this book was uncomplicated, very well organized and basically a dream. The recipes have all been carefully thought out and the ingredients carefully considered. This is about accessible culinary art or creating memorable experiences through artistic creation.

While you may think of vanilla as being most useful in cakes and cookies, Ludo Lefebvre uses vanilla beans in his Ahi tuna steaks. He also creates a Chestnut Ice Cream for warm waffles, which is very creative. The recipes all seem to be perfect for wintery feasts by candlelight, although the Yellow Peach Tart with Lemon Verbena would be perfect right when ripe peaches appear.

Kitten Meesa helping me by sitting
right on top of the recipe instructions!

I thought it was very interesting that while using this cookbook, I was making an apple cider using the spices that were Nostradamus' favorites even before reading this on page 228! This cookbook will inspire you in ways no other cookbook will - it is magical! While cooking from CRAVE, I like to make apple cider and burn a L'Occitane Winter Forest candle. I will now return to stealing another puff pastry while I await my husband's return home from the hunt. I sent him to the grocery store for more supplies (salmon/steaks), as I will be cooking from this book for quite a few more weeks!

Most cookbooks inspire me to try one or two recipes, but this has entire worlds to experience and is truly a "feast of the five senses" with an additional dash of warm culinary comfort.

~The Rebecca Review

Yan-Kit's Classic Chinese Cookbook

Celebration of Chinese Cooking, December 25, 2006

Yan-kit's cookbook is a celebration of authentic flavors from China, with easy-to-follow numbered steps to make cooking even easier. National favorites like Peking Duck are featured along with delicious Wonton Soup and Spring Rolls. The book is divided into "Recipes" and "Regional Menus."

The first section explains ingredients, equipment and techniques. New cooks will love the detailed pages on how to use a Wok, Steamer and various knives like the cleaver. Step-by-step pictures take you through everything from preparing the ingredients to the final presentation.

Yan-kit also includes fun advice on what to drink with your meal, how to eat rice and how to serve a meal. Pictures of all the vegetables, dried mushrooms, bean products, herbs, spices, cereals, sauces, oils, wines, vinegars, grains and noodles is very helpful when shopping.

A few of the intriguing ingredients featured include Chinese flowering cabbage, winter melon, ginkgo nuts, Szechwan peppercorns, Tientsin fen pi made from mung beans, floral mushrooms and dried oyster.

A few of the delicious recipes include:

Steamed Scallops in the Shell
Deep-fried Wontons
Lobster with Ginger and Scallions
Kung Pao Chicken
Paper-wrapped Chicken
Willow Chicken in Black Bean Sauce
Beef with Preserved Tangerine Peel
Red Bean Paste Pancakes

The Szechwan Menu serves eight and includes delicious Silver thread buns, Lotus leaf buns, Fragrant and Crispy Duck, Hot and Sour Soup, Fragrant Shredded Pork, Dry-fried four-season beans and Pang Pang Chicken.

What is it about a delicious soup served in a beautiful bowl and enjoyed with a porcelain soup spoon? I think the recipes are even more delicious when served in something like the set with a beautiful peony design . You may also want to look for a Cantonese Fire Pot.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is not an ingredient in this cookbook, so the flavors come from quality ingredients and flavorings. The classic favorites are included, but this book is a little more gourmet in appeal all while retaining an authentic appeal. The beauty of this book is that you can either select a new recipe to try for lunch or dinner or go all out and cook for a party by using the menu section.

~The Rebecca Review

The Armchair James Beard

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook : Secrets...

A taste of the past

If there was one thing I would change about my life, I would have loved to have met James Beard. He went on to the next life the year I discovered my true love - cooking. I was in Africa at the time and started cooking more than anything else. Daily I would come home and dream of dinner time when I too would learn many things from a cook who taught me how to enjoy some of the basic foods in life. While I was born in a different time and place, Africa was about 100 years behind America in some ways. I went through many of the same experiences he did. Times were simpler in Africa and I long for the days when cooking and eating dinner was a family occasion. After reading this charming collection of James Beards experiences with food and important people in his life - I now know why James Beard is so revered and honored for his amazing talents. His inspiration continues to flow through his books and this is a must read for the cookbook collector or anyone who wants a taste of the past

Decadent illustrations

I purchased this book for my Editor as a gift a while back. Buy one copy for all of your friends. That way they might start asking you to dinner for once! Buy it for your cookbook collecting friends or anyone who loves coffee table books. While it won't stay on the coffee table for long - you will want to read it from cover to cover as I did. Ina Garten wrote me an encouraging letter when I was compiling my new cookbook. I had written to her telling her how much I loved her cookbook. She is just super nice! I always love the fact that a cookbook is not just a book but is a living creation with a real author standing behind her work. She is just someone you wished lived next to you so you could go over for dinner all the time (of course you would wait for an invitation :-) Her recipes just look so good! Here new cookbook is now out and it is called Barefoot Contessa Parties. I tried some recipes and wrote a review which is at this site. It also have fun links to Ina Garten's Web site.

Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home

The Best Recipe

A book to inspire and introduce you to two famous cooks...

I did not grow up watching Julia Child on her famous TV program, but I sure love butter as much as she does. I grew up in Africa so I didn't hear of her until a few years ago when I started looking for shows on TV about cooking. After watching a special on her life and then watching a cooking show where Jacques made the most delicious creations, I decided to hunt down this book. I enjoyed both Julia and Jacques' sense of humor and love the work they have done together. Most cooks need books they can cook from fast. This book is for a day when you can take the time to read from cover to cover. Not only will you learn some new techniques you never thought of (a chicken massage with butter-mmmm!), you will also see that cooks are not all the same. We all have a special talent and gift to give the world. It is good to know that these two cooks stepped out of their own kitchens and have used their lives to teach so much. I recommend this book to all who collect books and all who may be new to the world of cooking.

How recipes should be written!

This is not only a book for those who love to be entertained, it is also for those who love to cook and want to make their cooking the best it can be. Christopher Kimball is one of the great researchers of our time. His attention to detail is remarkable. As an aspiring cookbook author myself, I see this book as an example of how recipes should be written.

My favorite sections are the detailed scientific and descriptive essays which are intriguing and entertaining to read. The information on chocolate is extremely accurate. By reading this book you will find out why some flaky pie crust recipes call for eggs, which tools are the best for preparing apples, and why evaporated milk helps to deepen the flavor of some dishes.

For some recipes, an extended explanation proceeds the recipe. When discussing "Individual Fallen Chocolate Cakes," three pages are devoted to explaining how the perfect recipe was achieved.

I am so pleased this book uses "chiles" instead of "chilies" since I had to prove to my editor that this was a valid spelling. In the winter, a "Chili Con Carne" is delicious and directions are given for spicing it up if you want more "heat."

I was also intrigued by recipes for: "Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops with Figs and North African Spices," Bread Stuffing with Sausage, Pecans, and Dried Apricots," "Penne with Portobello Mushroom Ragu," "Bruschetta with Red Onions, Herbs and Parmesan." While those sound very gourmet, there are also recipes for "Minestrone," "Tabbouleh," "Polenta," "Fried Chicken," "Roast Turkey," "Curry," "Cornbread," "Boston Cream Pie," "Popovers," Peanut Butter Cookies," and "Asparagus Frittata."

This book actually contains the Best Recipes from the pages of the magazine: Cook's Illustrated, which was first published in 1993. When creating these recipes, the editors started with the goal of developing the best recipe for "meatloaf" or "chocolate pudding." Cook's Illustrated is known for a near-obsessive dedication to finding the best recipes.

Here is a good example of Christopher Kimball's writing style:

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

"Sometimes the heavenly smell of cinnamon swirl bread emanating from the oven is the best part of the bread. Often after baking there are gaps between the swirls of cinnamon filing and bread, and the filling is prone to leaking out and burning in the pan.

We wanted to solve these problems when developing our recipe. We also wanted the baked texture to be moist and light, yet firm enough to be sliced fresh the first day and toasted for a few days after. To achieve the best texture and crust, we knew we needed to perfect the baking time and temperature as well as fine-tune the ingredients. While we were at it, we decided to use this recipe to develop a technique for the ever-popular cinnamon rolls."

My husband agrees that the "Molasses-Spice Cookies" are the best he has ever tasted. After years of searching for a recipe he would love....Christopher Kimball saved my marriage....I am kidding, but my husband was quite pleased.

You will also find a recipe for Key Lime Pie. (Have you ever noticed that you can smell Key Lime pie when someone mentions it or you see it in a cookbook? It happens to me all the time. I have vivid food memories.) The beauty of this cookbook is that the science of how a dish evolves is also sometimes included. On page 496, the science of how "Key Lime Pie Thickens" is explained in detail.

Another aspect of this cookbook, is the delightful information on kitchen equipment.

"Years ago, free-standing mixers were a kitchen staple. Grandma probably had a "mixmaster," which is a generic term for a free-standing mixer, thought it is actually a brand name for units manufactured by Sunbeam. .....If all you want to do is whip egg whites or cream, or if you only make cakes from a mix, you don't really need a heavy-duty standing mixer." page 351

This is the first book I reach for when I have a cooking question or want to validate my beliefs. You could say this is my cooking Bible. I also like the fact that there is a real author and not just a corporation standing behind these recipes.

I find it refreshing to find that the author is interested in his readership and really does want you to have success the first time you make a recipe. Thank you Mr. Kimball for helping us clarify the technical details and solve the cooking confusion.

Cooking A to Z : The Complete Culinary...

How to Cook Everything : Simple Recipes...

Tantalizing pictures with deliciously entertaining text

If you are looking for a perfect cookbook for a cookbook collector, this is one they will value highly. Pictures burst from the page and are refreshingly surrounded with interesting tidbits and realistic recipes. The layout is superb and each subject is nicely highlighted for easy location while you page through 629 pages of intoxicating inspiration. The cover is practical with a plastic sheath and the book will open and stay that way on your counter. The type is easy to read with plenty of bold text for emphasis. I cannot give enough positive comments about this book. You will love it.

Not another cookbook :)

I have the habit of giving cookbooks as gifts. I recently gave How to Cook Everything as a gift. This cookbook is not only perfect for the cookbook collector, but will be appreciated by a new cook. I was inspired by the success of this cookbook and it showed me there is room in the world for a cookbook which revives our favorites and inspires us to try something new.

The World Encyclopedia of Bread and...

Provence : A Country Almanac

The scent of homemade bread...

If you have never made a loaf of homemade bread you have missed out on one of the most therapeutic experiences in the kitchen. The sensory delight you will experience as the bread cooks is nothing short of magical. Understandably, many of us do not have time to wait for bread to rise or feel insecure about the process of kneading. Put your fears aside, you can do this. Start on a Saturday afternoon and learn all you can. As an avid reader of history and culture, I enjoyed the history and Introduction chapters almost as much as the page after page of homemade goodness. For once the pictures actually look like what you will achieve in a home kitchen. There is an entire section on breads from various locations. Whether you just enjoy imagining you will make a loaf of bread, or want to purchase a gift for a friend....this is the book on bread you will both love.

El Farol: Tapas and Spanish Cuisine

Lemon-Rosemary Flan, June 14, 2005

El Farol is the oldest restaurant and bar in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Frescoes by Alfred Morang decorate the walls of the 1835 adobe. In this eclectic setting, oil paintings by Roland Van Loon dance across your vision as you take pleasure in the Spanish Cuisine.

For quite some time I've wondered about using smoked paprika and Chef James Campbell Caruso uses this ingredient in many of his recipes. Have you ever wondered how to make those preserved lemons? There is a recipe with simple ingredients like sea salt, cinnamon, cloves, garlic and olive oil. Once the lemons are preserved, you store them in oil for six months to a year. The Preserved Lemon Butter Sauce calls for 1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemons. This sauce can be served over salmon.

One of the most intriguing recipes is for the El Farol Pincho Spice Mix that makes use of all sorts of spices and herbs I've never blended together before like, smoked paprika and oregano. You rub the unique spices on anything you can grill.

If you love blue cheese, you may want to try to find "Cabrales." Most of the recipes do use readily available ingredients although you may have to hunt for saffron in your grocery store or order it online.

Recipes you may enjoy:

Lemon-Rosemary Flan - the El Farol's biggest-selling dessert

Marscarpone-Stuffed Figs and Dates - sprinkled with pistachios and arranged with orange slices.

Grilled Artichokes in Saffron Butter

Beef Empanadas - a masa harina/flour based dough filled with spicy turkey filling.

Grilled Artichokes in Saffron Butter - one of the most popular tapas (small, savory Spanish dishes)

The picture in this book that made me terribly hungry was the Ensalada de Uvas con Queso. A grape salad with fresh mozzarella. I had wondered about using the small balls of mozzarella and here is the recipe.

Pantry items you may need include: sherry vinegar, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, sea salt, sweet smoked paprika, Mexican oregano, saffron, star anise, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, olive oil, masa harina, raisins and of course, lots of fresh garlic.

Growing fresh herbs is optional and rosemary is one of the herbs I still need to plant this year. Once it is planted, I'm making the Lemon-Rosemary Flan. I have a feeling we will be eating a little better this summer than last! The food in the El Farol cookbook is comforting, delicious and at times a little exotic. Fortunately dried figs are not difficult to find and most of the spices can be found at the grocery store or here at Amazon.

~TheRebeccaReview.com

Sensationally colorful!

This is a book with page after page of an area in France I love. It is a place I want to visit time and time again. I can almost smell the intoxicating lavender breeze as I glance at the cover. If you purchase this book as a gift, I highly recommend enclosing something that has the scent of lavender. A soap or even a drop of lavender oil on the inside cover will make this a sensory experience. While I love books filled with recipes, I could not resist this one. Oh, to be in France at this moment sitting by a lavender field. This book truly brought back memories of my trip to France and I enjoyed the information on olives as I had purchased olive oil and olives at a little sea side store in Cassis. You will be looking into plane tickets soon after reading about the rich culinary heritage of this region.

These are my favorite cookbooks of all time...so far :)

Picnic 125 Recipes

Idyllic Picnics for all Seasons, October 10, 2005

"A picnic evokes thoughts of leisure, relaxation, and enjoyment of the outdoors. It can be a still life in the open air or a boisterous frolic on the beach. Some picnics celebrate a special occasion, some offer the opportunity for friends to gather, and others provide an excuse for breaking the routine of daily life." ~DeeDee Stovel

Are you dreaming of sipping hot chocolate out in the snow or nibbling on brownies after skiing, then there is a lot to offer even in the winter. DeeDee Stovel is a caterer and cooking teacher who is also the author of "Weekend! A Menu Cookbook for Relaxed Entertaining." The recipes in this cookbook are family favorites so most are for eight people. You can easily cut the recipes in half or plan to have leftovers. The picnics for Romantic outings are designed for smaller quantities.

In this creative work, you can find picnic ideas for every season. This would be perfect as a gift with a basket filled with items needed for some of the recipes. The recipes are a reflection of the favorites on the East Coast, but they will appeal to anyone who loves to go on a picnic. You will find information on:

Picnic Planning
Spring Flings
Summer Spreads
Autumn Outings
Winter Wanderings

DeeDee Stovel loves art and introduces the reader to famous artists who loved to paint picnic scenes. She briefly introduces picnic history and includes information on portable meals from the past.

The useful information includes ideas on how to keep food safe, how to prepare meals to go and how to keep food cold or hot. If you are looking to create "ambience" then she gives recommendations for flowers, mints, candy and other items to add to your checklist. There are two ready-to-go checklists for "Baskets at the Ready." This enables the picnic prone to be ready to travel at the hint of a picnic longing.

Picnics of Interest:

Breakfast in a Meadow
Spring Day Hike
Family Celebration in the Backyard
Summer Canoe Picnic
Beach Picnic
Sunlight Through the Trees Picnic
Music Festival Picnic
Sports-Fan Picnic
Moonlight on a Mountaintop Picnic
Teddy Bear's Birthday Party Picnic
Cross-Country Ski Picnic
Workday Picnic

Recipe Ideas are organized according to the Picnic, but you can even just take one new idea from your favorite chapters and create your own outdoor feast. There are tantalizing recipes for:

Gingerbread
Herbal Ice Tea
Champagne Mimosas
Bundt Cake
Brownies
Apricot Almond Bars
Barbecued Chicken
Red Potato Salad
Grilled Salmon Fillets with Mustard Dill Sauce
Frosty Fruit Salad
Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Tortellini Salad
Fresh Peach Ice Cream
Marinated Pasta Salad
Sun Tea
Petite Lobster Rolls
Cucumber Sandwiches
Gazpacho Madrileno
Cold Rice Salad
Strawberry Cookies
Spicy Beans with Sausage

If I had to choose one picnic book to keep in a basket for spontaneous outdoor feasts, this
would be it. There are 125 recipes with seasonal appeal and lots of classic favorites and some intriguing surprises.

~TheRebeccaReview.com

Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook...

Serious Books for Serious Cooks - Visit Joseph M. Carlin's Food Heritage site.

His goal is to help preserve America's rich culinary past. I also found a great

history/cookbook combination in Rare Bits : Unusual Origins of Popular...

"That about half of the books are recently published encourages me to believe that

historians have begun to take food history seriously. And it makes me feel

good to think that there are at least a few people out there who like a

little history with their dinner." —Michael Hastings discussing Food Books

Favorite Cookbooks Page II - Well, I keep adding to the list....

People give food meaning. It's easy to trivialize, because food
is everywhere. But love of food is love of life. ~Barbara Haber

Does anyone really have sixteen thousand cookbooks? YES, but they are in a library!
Barbara Haber is the curator of books at the Radcliffe Institute's Schlesinger Library.
They house one of the largest culinary collections. When Barbara arrived, the library
had a mere eight thousand books of all kinds and just a modest cache of cookbooks.
Several large donations from private collectors gave the library a big boost.
To find out more about culinary history...Click Here

Rebecca's Internet Kitchen

It's strange to think most books are about love... even cookbooks.
~Stephan in the French film: A Heart in Winter

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