Tag: recipes

Baking Chez Moi by Dorie Greenspan

- Ann Leave a comment

baking chez moiWith her groundbreaking bestseller Around My French Table , Dorie Greenspan changed the way we view French food. Now, in Baking Chez Moi , she explores the fascinating world of French desserts, bringing together a charmingly uncomplicated mix of contemporary recipes, including original creations based on traditional and regional specialties, and drawing on seasonal ingredients, market visits, and her travels throughout the country. Like the surprisingly easy chocolate loaf cake speckled with cubes of dark chocolate that have been melted, salted, and frozen, which she adapted from a French chef’s recipe, or the boozy, slow-roasted pineapple, a five-ingredient cinch that she got from her hairdresser, these recipes show the French knack for elegant simplicity. In fact, many are so radically easy that they defy our preconceptions: crackle-topped cream puffs, which are all the rage in Paris; custardy apple squares from Normandy; and an unbaked confection of corn flakes, dried cherries, almonds, and coconut that nearly every French woman knows.

Whether it’s classic lemon-glazed madeleines, a silky caramel tart, or “Les Whoopie Pies,” Dorie puts her own creative spin on each dish, guiding us with the friendly, reassuring directions that have won her legions of ardent fans. (description from publisher)

Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi

- Ann Leave a comment

plenty moreYotam Ottolenghi is one of the world’s most beloved culinary talents. In this follow-up to his bestselling Plenty, he continues to explore the diverse realm of vegetarian food with a wholly original approach. Organized by cooking method, more than 150 dazzling recipes emphasize spices, seasonality, and bold flavors.

From inspired salads to hearty main dishes and luscious desserts, Plenty More is a must-have for vegetarians and omnivores alike. This visually stunning collection will change the way you cook and eat vegetables. (description from publisher)

Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen by Dana Cowin

- Ann Leave a comment

mastering my mistakesFor years, Dana Cowin kept a dark secret: From meat to vegetables, broiling to baking, breakfast to dinner, she ruined literally every kind of dish she attempted to make.

Now, in this cookbook confessional, the vaunted first lady of food and exceptional entertainer finally comes clean about her many meal mishaps. With the help of friends – all-star chefs, including Mario Batali, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Tom Colicchio, among many others – Cowin takes on 100 recipes dear to her heart. Ideal dishes for the home cook, each recipe has a high “yum” factor, a few key ingredients, and a simple trick that makes it special. With every dish, she acquires a critical new skill, learning invaluable lessons along the way from the hero chefs who help her discover exactly where she goes wrong.

Hilarious and heartwarming, encouraging and instructional, Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen will inspire anyone who loves a good meal but fears its preparation. Featuring gorgeous full-color photography, it is an intimate, hands-on cooking guide from a fellow foodie and amateur home chef, designed to help even the biggest kitchen phobics overcome their reluctance, with delicious results. (description from publisher)

In a Nutshell by Cara Tannenbaum

- Ann Leave a comment

in a nutshellThe only cookbook of its kind, In a Nutshell is a complete guide to cooking and baking with nuts and seeds.

After working for years as instructors at the Institute of Culinary Education, Cara Tannenbaum and Andrea Tutunjian deliver the essential cookbook for Mother Nature’s most versatile and nutritious ingredients. With more than 250 recipes exploring the culinary and cultural history of nuts and seeds in everything from Pumpkin Seed Guacamole to Hazelnut Roulade, In a Nutshell unites the smooth, crunchy, savory, and sweet. In a Nutshell is organized to reflect the way we eat meals today, with chapters like Nibbles, Dip It, Noodles and Nuts, and Family Style. Omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans alike will delight in dishes both simple and complex, from Almond-Crusted Mac-and-Cheese to Pistachio Biryiani.

Culinary cheerleaders for the powerful team of sixteen nuts and seeds featured in the book, Tannenbaum and Tutunjian prove that nuts are so much more than a happy-hour snack. (description by publisher)

Bitter by Jennifer McLagan

- Ann Leave a comment

bitterIn Bitter, Jennifer McLagan turns her attention to a fascinating, underappreciated, and trending topic: bitterness.

What do coffee, IPA beer, dark chocolate, and radicchio all have in common? They’re bitter. While some culinary cultures, such as in Italy and parts of Asia, have an inherent appreciation for bitter flavors (think Campari and Chinese bitter melon), little attention has been given to bitterness in North America: we’re much more likely to reach for salty or sweet. However, with a surge in the popularity of craft beers, dark chocolate, coffee, greens like arugula, dandelion, radicchio, and frisée, high-quality olive oil and cocktails made with Campari and absinthe – all foods and drinks with elements of bitterness – bitter is finally getting its due.

In this deep and fascinating exploration of bitter through science, culture, history, and 100 deliciously idiosyncratic recipes – like Cardoon Beef Tagine, White Asparagus with Blood Orange Sauce, and Campari Granita – award-winning author Jennifer McLagan makes a case for this misunderstood flavor and explains how adding a touch of bitter to a dish creates an exciting taste dimension that will bring your cooking to life. (description from publisher)

 

50 Deliciously Decorative Cookies by Fiona Pearce

- Ann Leave a comment

50 deliciously decorative cookiesThese cookies are almost too beautiful to eat!

For bakers of all skill levels, this delightful book features 50 projects to try with a wide range of different decorating techniques: elegant cookies piped with royal icing, or fun and funky fondant cookies, or cookies made with amazing colored dough, or built up into awesome 3-D cookie sculptures! The projects are grouped according to the type of icing used, and a neat icon shows roughly how long it takes to make each one. And at the back of the book is a selection of cookie recipes, decorating tips, and a set of templates.

With step-by-step instructions and photography, each project features simple, elegant designs that are guaranteed to amaze and delight. (description from publisher)

America, Farm to Table by Mario Batali

- Ann Leave a comment

america farm to tableThe beautifully produced America, Farm to Table at times has the feel of being two different books sewn together. And that’s not a bad thing.

On one hand, celebrity master chef Batali comes through again with an inspired collection of appetizers, soups, main dishes, sandwiches, and desserts. Most of his more than 100 recipes, unsurprisingly, have an Italian spin. Standouts include a potato and salami cheesecake, black risotto with oysters and fennel, minestrone Genovese, and Batali’s grandmother’s fettuccine with sparerib sauce.

Complementing Batali’s pieces are the sections written by Webster, an editor at the Washington Post and self-described “culinary adventurer.” He has traveled to 14 cities across the country, interviewing a chef, and that chef’s supplier, in each. The result is a highly entertaining behind-the scenes look at the business of small farming. In Nashville, chef Erik Anderson of the Catbird Seat and chicken farmer Karen Overton colorfully explain the 60-day trip her chicks take from hatchling to entrée, snacking on oyster shells from the restaurant and listening to the radio in their barn (NPR, of course). And in Tampa, Webster meets chef Greg Baker and his pork producer, Rebecca Krassnoski, who coaxes her hogs to their final reward not by wielding an electric prod but by proffering blueberry doughnuts. (description from publisher)

Joy the Baker Homemade Decadence by Joy Wilson

- Ann Leave a comment

joy the baker homemadeJoy Wilson believes that everything is better with pie. And caramel. And definitely ice cream.

Her world is pretty sweet: she dabbles daily in butter and sugar as her blogging alter ego, Joy the Baker. Her new book, Joy the Baker Homemade Decadence, is packed with 125 of Joy’s favorite, supereasy, most over-the-top, totally delicious treats, such as Dark Chocolate, Pistachio, and Smoked Sea Salt Cookies; Butterscotch Cream Pie with Thyme-Marshmallow Meringue; Mint Chocolate Chip Cake; and Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream.

After all, every day is an opportunity for sweets. (description from publisher)

Pork: More than 50 Heavenly Meals That Celebrate the Glory of Pig, Delicious Pig by Cree LeFavour

- Ann Leave a comment

porkPork celebrates the versatility and utter deliciousness of pork in more than 120 tempting recipes. Five chapters are organized by flavor profile, including American, Bistro, Latin, Chinese and Japanese, and South and Southeast Asian. Each recipe is grouped into a set, matching a main course of pork with a complementary grain, pasta, salad, or vegetable.

This cookbook encompasses a wide range of techniques for expertly cooking many popular and surprising cuts of pork, from braising, sautéing, roasting, barbecuing, and stewing to serving it encased in soft, warm pasta, buns, or tortillas. Featuring a year’s worth of meals for all occasions, Pork will have cooks of all skill levels salivating.(description from publisher)

Lick the Bowl Good by Monica Holland

- Ann 1 Comment

lick the bowl goodNo meal is complete without dessert! Popular food blogger Monica Holland brings you an enticing collection of comforting homemade classics with a modern twist in Lick the Bowl Good.

Find inspiration in her fun, whimsical recipes that reinvent old favorites and create exciting new flavor combinations. Enjoy dozens of irresistible recipes from: Grandma’s chocolate layer cake. Cream cheese swirl snickerdoodle blondies. Hummingbird cupcakes with mascarpone frosting. Pumpkin pie cake. Blueberry vanilla yogurt popsicles. Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies.

Brightened with full-color photography throughout, the carefully tested recipes are not only gorgeous to the eye, they’re achievable for both the experienced baker and those just venturing out into the wonderful world of baking.

Whether you need a bake sale treat or are having a midnight cravings for milk and warm-from-the-oven cookies, Lick the Bowl Good is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. (description from publisher)