Tasty Reads….2010 Holiday Book Round-Up!
Foodies don’t just love cooking and eating, they love talking about cooking and eating, and reading about cooking and eating… you get the idea! Luckily, I have some fantastic literary smorgasbords to tell you about that will leave any culinarian worth their fleur de sel, salivating this holiday season! From a modern home-cooking bible to a journey across America’s culinary landscape alongside the musings of Mark Twain, this collection of books has it all; charm, wit and to-die-for recipes! So whether you’re looking for the perfect book to curl up with once the weather cools off (don’t forget a nice cup of tea…or a cocktail!) or you have a cocktail enthusiast or discerning food aficionado, on your holiday shopping list, check out some of my favorite picks! Here we go…
Let’s start with the behemoth… Williams-Sonoma Cooking At Home by Chuck Williams and Kristine Kidd is like The Joy of Cooking on steroids! This book is all you need to create a masterpiece in your own kitchen. It leaves no method unexplained; in addition to more than 1000 recipes, each section is bursting with tons of tips, tricks and techniques to help you along! Their philosophy is that the best food is prepared simply, and with that in mind you can feel confident that your dish will be both delicious and elegant! This book is a must have for cooks of any level — it very well may be the new kitchen bible!
Our next book is an absolute must-read for parents of picky eaters; Nancy Tringali Piho’s My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus is part anecdotal humor, part self-help guide and part beacon of hope for all those parents who despair that their children will be subsisting on a diet of mac’n’cheese and bananas for the rest of their lives. Nancy’s book offers advice from chefs, health professionals and parents who have lived to tell with kids who bravely explore a wide range of tastes, as well as drawing on her own experiences as a mother of two.
If cooking your way through a year in Italy sounds good to you, you’re not alone! Blogger and author Mark Leslie did just that and more. He tells all in his endearing new book, Beyond the Pasta. More than just preparing meals, Mark became a member of the family he stayed with, from learning how to cook the Italian way with Nonna (the family’s grandmother and culinary matriarch) to learning the language through the patient tutelage of her daughter, Alessandra. This book is heartwarming and genuine and might just leave you feeling like one of the family, too!
The west coast can lay claim to many things, but one of the most unique is the array of talent in the cocktail world! Left Coast Libations is a fabulous showcase of some of the finest bartenders and their concoctions that this side of the country has to offer. From Seattle down to Sacramento, Ted Munat and Michael Lazar’s clever book is not only a list of who’s who in the booze scene; it’s also a sampling of those same creative minds’ liquid genius in the form of recipes for their signature cocktails. Bios, how-to’s and some gorgeous photography make this a perfect companion for the mixologist in you!
It started with breakfast and turned into eight chapters, eight dishes and a handful of trips all across the country. Twain’s Feast is both homage to and an honest look at the infamous list of foods that comprised Mark Twain’s dream feast. From the near extinct prairie hen to trout from Lake Tahoe and all the stories, heritage recipes and adventure in between, Twain’s Feast is a fantastic read for anyone who loves American history, food and the legend that is Mark Twain.
Fried Chicken and Champagne might sound like an unconventional pairing, but it’s exactly the kind of philosophy Lisa Dupar embraces in her book of the same name. The book, like Lisa’s Pomegranate Bistro, merges her Southern sensibilities with a love of fine things, in what she calls “the hometown and the haute”. This beautiful collection gathers together over 150 to-die-for recipes including, of course, classic fried chicken and chocolate bourbon pecan pie. If the recipes don’t send you running for the kitchen, you can bet the mouthwatering photography will! For now you can get info on how to get your copy through here.
Chef Greg Atkinson is a Northwest icon. His timeless book Northwest Essentials embodies this part of the country that he loves so much – luckily for us, there’s a new edition in town! It is a fantastic compendium of recipes that shine the spotlight on local ingredients and traditional Pacific Northwest flavors –including Atkinson’s own unique style.
It’s everything you ever wanted to know about salt and more! Salted, A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral by Mark Bitterman is the definitive “go to” salt guide. Whether your only exposure to salt is the box of kosher in your cupboard or you’ve got a gourmet line up, Salted makes an excellent gift for the foodie that has it all.
And last, but by no means least, we have Ethan Stowell’s New Italian Kitchen. This book is the perfect homage to traditional Italian cooking – but sexier! Ethan’s recipes are just as doable for a weeknight meal as they are for a family-style dinner party; Gnocchi with Morels and Fried Duck egg, anyone? Follow it up with a lemony panna cotta and wine-steeped pears and you’ve got perfection on your table! Dive into this one; New Italian Kitchen is fun, delicious and guaranteed to get the creative kitchen juices flowing!
Well, that wraps it up! I hope our list has given you a few ideas for the perfect holiday gifts, or maybe even introduced you to your new favorite book! Happy reading, and happy holidays! – Kathy
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2010 Holiday Book Round-Up! Foodies don't just love cooking and eating, they love talking about cooking and eating.