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Book Nook provides readers with insights into the world of books. Vick Mickunas takes you into the center of the publishing world with the latest book buzz, book reviews, and exclusive chats with authors..Home > Blogs > Book Nook > Archives > 2009 > November > 22 > Entry
Hey, what’s cooking?
Thanksgiving is the ultimate food holiday. It really sets the mood for what is to come; consulting cookbooks, talking food, dreaming desserts. Best of all, we get to eat. In this holiday spirit, here are some tasty new books about food.
“The Pleasures of Cooking For One” by Judith Jones (Knopf, 273 pages, $27.95). Perhaps you will be spending some time by yourself over the holidays. Don’t let that solitude prevent you from enjoying some good meals. This delightful cookbook is packed with recipes designed to feed just one person. Indulge yourself with winter bean soup, corn and salmon pancakes, a potato dish for Julia (the author was Julia Child’s editor), and quiche for one. Jones provides round after round of savory treats for solo diners.
“The New Portuguese Table” by David Leite (Clarkson Potter, 256 pages, $32.50). The cuisine of Portugal is not that well-known in this country. It should be. This is a book that has recipes and photos that had this reviewer’s stomach in full growl. I can’t wait to try fried stuffed olives, curried mussels, grilled chicken breasts with spicy coconut sauce, and scrambled eggs with asparagus and fresh cod.
“The Cuisines of Spain — Exploring Regional Home Cooking” by Teresa Barrennechea (Ten Speed Press, 337 pages, $27.99). Tiny Portugal borders Spain, a country with many regions and cuisines. The author takes readers on a mouth-watering culinary tour. We become familiar with the staples of the Spanish kitchen — olive oil, vinegar, cured hams, chorizo, blood sausage, salt cod, peppers, asparagus, saffron and rice. Then we grab our cutlery and head out for a trans-Iberian food odyssey.
“Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy — a Feast of 175 Regional Recipes” by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich ( Knopf, 411 pages, $35). Italian food — sure that’s familiar. But there are many Italian dishes that remain unknown by our taste buds. The author takes readers to 12 of the lesser-known regions of Italy. In an interview this week in the Kansas City Star, Bastianich revealed her favorite recipe from this book: “There’s a chocolate bread parfait that I love because it is reusing bread that is a day or two old instead of throwing it out. That gives me great satisfaction.”
“Appetite City — a Culinary History of New York” by William Grimes ( North Point Press, 368 pages, $30). This is a fabulous history of dining in New York City. It may be “Food City” now but that wasn’t always the case. Grimes, the former restaurant critic for the New York Times, knows his way around the dinner table.
These books would make fine gifts for the food lovers that you know.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: secret passions
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By Alice
November 23, 2009 6:53 PM | Link to this
I just saw a display for “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” and after the release of Julie and Julia, I read that sales have gone up - it will probably be a top “cookbook” gift this year too.