IACP Finalists

[JoanN]

The finalists for the IACP cookbook awards have just been announced. I must say, I find it a surprisingly uninspired list. Doubt there's a book on it that will be a must-have for me.

http://iacp.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=...

[yamalam]

Yolele! Recipes from the Heart of Senegal sounds cool. Senegalese cuisine has Portugese and Vietnamese influences? I did not know that!! Couldn't find any online peeks, so I'll have to check it out at the book store.

[The Dairy Queen]

Well that does sound interesting, now that you point it out. Where did you learn about the Vietnamese and Portuguese influences? (Wondering where I missed that...)

~TDQ

[yamalam]

I think it was on the amazon or barnes and noble review, or one of the reviews that came up when I googled. Also said that the book was a tour of street food, and upscale fusion dishes as well. There are not many exotic corners of the world left, but I think Senegal qualifies!

[oakjoan]

Yeah, since it was a French colony I expected French influences. Fascinating.

[yamalam]

I've spent some time in West Africa, and loved the incongruity of dudes riding bikes piled with fresh baguettes amongst the traffic of mopeds, livestock, past mosques and corrugated metal shacks. Plus the bread was really good!

[oakjoan]

yamalam: What a great image! Sounds wonderful. I love Senegal because of Manu Chao and Amadou and Miriam's song "Senegal Fast Food". If you don't know it, I'm sure it's on ITunes or even You Tube.

[jen kalb]

I look at this list and it definitely represents a down trend in cooking excitement - just about nothing on the list that even interests me - maybe the cookbook publishing bubble has finally burst.

[kiimy]

Hi Just joined so hope it's ok to join the conversation.

I have beyond the great wall and martin yan's china, both given as presents. Don't know if I would have brought them myself but have used a few recipies. My fav at the moment is "a blokes guide to cooking, the ultimate bluffers guide", its got my husband in the kicthen which is great, we now share an appreciation for cooking food instead of just eating it lol.
apart from that nothing else sparks an interest.

[The Dairy Queen]

kiimy, welcome! That "blokes guide" sounds intriguing. Have you been happy with the results of the recipes (and your husband's cooking, I suppose.) I have a few gift-giving opportunities coming up and that sounds like it might be a good one.

~TDQ

[kiimy]

I have been really impressed with some of the meals I have been getting and the quality has been great especially since my husband has never really shown an interest in cooking. I think it helps that he knows I'm impressed. And even though I love to cook it is nice to have a night off every so often.

[pitu]

I hear you jen kalb - sometimes I think there needs to be a pause in the publishing!

culturally I think *we* are still deep into cooking excitement.
I know more people with excellent knowledge and adventurous skills, doing their own charcuterie or farming, than ever before.

[NYchowcook]

I agree, pitu, that there are many of us deep into cooking excitement. And many interested in farm to table connection, humanely and sustainably raised meat and veggies. (I was in a wholesale store eyeing the $2.49/lb short ribs and could not bring myself to purchase factory-farmed meat.)

However, sadly I believe we are very much in the minority. I am often astonished to hear someone (even those who like good food) proclaim: "I don't cook."
Indeed, look at the popularity of Rachel Ray, and those goofy contestant shows on food network. Those aren't for cooking. And the burgeoning prepared foods in the freezer and refrigerator sections of supermarkets.

[pitu]

you're right, I live in a bubble
: )
but did the cool kids always want to learn DIY so relentlessly? when I was in college, I cooked from my background but my peers couldn't care less.

[pitu]

I'm curious about the books in the First Book/ The Julia Child Award category.

Outside of that, I'm only sparked by the Literary Food Writing. Dunlop's Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper was a fun read. I've heard good things about Betty Fussell's Raising Steaks . . . and so now I'm curious about Bottomfeeder too!

Thanks for posting the link, JoanN!

[Gio]

Pitu:

I was curious about Bottomfeeders when a chef friend of mine recommended it last year. Then it took me several months to get the ambition to read it. When I finally did read it cover to cover I changed the way I shop for fish immediately.

[pitu]

Thanks Gio - I'll check it out. Will I have to swear off Trader Joe's frozen wild fish? I pretty much stick with the farmer's market for seafood, but ours only fishmongs spring-->christmas.
All three books in that category are in the Brooklyn library system.

[The Dairy Queen]

According to Peter Singer, author of "The Ethics of What We Eat, Why Our Food Choices Matter"--TJ's fish sticks is a good choice.

~TDQ

[pitu]

My significant other may appreciate that, but what will I eat?
: )
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6009...

[oakjoan]

I'm intrigued by Eric Ripert's book "On the Line" if only because of his recipe for Chicken Bouillabaisse which I've used for years. It's one of my all-time favorite party dishes. Fabuloso.

To those who posted that they don't eat shrimp anymore....does this mean that you don't even eat shrimp that are on the "alternatives" list?
I consider myself so lucky to live near a market that has the choices for shrimp that are allowable on the Monterey Acquarium list. Each type of fish is labeled with its point of origin, whether it's fresh or frozen or frozen at sea, if it's line-caught or farmed or whatever else. Amazing that I live about 5 miles from it and it's not even posh.

[bayoucook]

Here are the recipes I've tried out of Bon Appetit, Y'all that were SO delicious:
Boeuf Bourguignonne (p. 91)
Chicken Fricassee with Garlic and Red Wine Vinegar (p. 105)
Chicken Saltimbocca with Country Ham (p. 112)
Fried Catfish Fingers with Country Remoulade (p. 129)
Shrimp with Parmigiana-Reggiano Grits and Tomatoes (p. 139)
Cornmeal-Crusted Soft-Shell Crab with Jalapeno Tartar Sauce (p. 147)
Plus some of the cornbreads and sides.

Guess it's a kind of up-scale cooking Southern....Yummy!

[JoanN]

Not exactly diet food, is it? But those do sound good. Got it on hold at the library.

[JoanN]

I just brought "Bon Appetit Y'all" home from the library, and oh my goodness! I started writing down recipes I thought I'd like to try but had to give up around page 20. I was writing down ALL of them. Got to about page 79 and I was so hungry I had to put it down and go make lunch. This looks like real winner.

Quite a few recipes on her Web site for anyone who wants to take a peek:

http://www.virginiawillis.com/recipes...

[Gio]

Thanks for the link Joan. I couldn't resist taking a peek and I think I'm in trouble. I absolutely Love the sound of her Poulet au Vin de Vinaigre, Halibut Provencal and the Potato and Turnip Gratin......
Off to ecookbooks I go!

[JoanN]

Cheaper at Amazon. I already checked. ;->

[Gio]

Oh gosh - really?? Thanks for that. I hovered/lurked/contemplated at Jessica's then clicked out without ordering thinking I'd wait till the end of the month. Off to Amazon now. I'll never get anything done today!

Edit:
Ecookbooks: 21.00
Amazon: 21.45
LOL

[JoanN]

New book, $17.45 +shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listin...

[Gio]

Ah Ha.. I didn't go to the 3rd party sellers. I got it now.... Thanx!
It's on it's way to me as I type....

[JoanN]

I *always* go to the third-party sellers. Can't tell you how many *used* books I've bought where you'd be really hard pressed to find the "used" part. I figure that if they're any good they're going to be covered with splatters and notations soon enough anyway.

[Katie Nell]

I know, dammit! ;-) I wrote it off earlier based on the title (it *is* stupid!), but everything sounds SO good!

[oakjoan]

Poulet au Vinaigre is one of the great dishes ever invented and my husband's very favorite dish. Will have to check out "vin de vinaigre".

[MMRuth]

Wasn't there a recipe for one in Hopkinson? Or am I confused?

[Katie Nell]

I'm assuming that picture is the Sweet Potato Bread Pudding? Might of just found another Thanksgiving dessert!

[JoanN]

No, that photo is of a French Toast Casserole, one I had noted because you prepare it the night before and pop it in the oven the morning of. Unfortunately, the link to the Eggs and Dairy section of her Web page just repeats the Salads and Slaw section so there's no way to know if she had posted it.

[Katie Nell]

Dang! That French Toast Casserole looks really good!

[Katie Nell]

Found that recipe! http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/coo...

[JoanN]

Doesn't it sound terrific? I wish I were expecting overnight guests sooner than I am.

[Katie Nell]

It really does! I hope it's the COTM soon! ;-)

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh wow. It does all look very delicious! Maybe we'll have to have a movement to get this chosen as COTM (after CofF, of course) so I have an excuse to buy it!

~TDQ

[bayoucook]

I posted above some of the recipes I've tried out of it - still going strong. It's becoming one of my favorites! Want people to know it's really good food, not just for the tastes of southerners.

[Gio]

I see there are a few that might merit an award.... the ones that I noted are:

The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper,
Beyond the Great Wall,
Martin Yan’s China (has he ever been nominated or won?),
Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper,

And my all time favorite of last year:
Taras Grescoe's Bottomfeeder... a book I hope opens the hearts and minds of everyone who loves seafood.

[JoanN]

It's interesting that two of the five books you mention are in the literary category rather than cookbooks.

I'll have to take a look at "How to Eat Supper"; I certainly respect the author. I've pretty much had it with Alford and Duguid; more style than substance (although I know many here disagree with me). Don't know whether or not Yan has ever been nominated, but I'm quite certain he's never won. I probably shouldn't be, but I'm always suspicious of an author's 8th? 9th? book on the same subject, especially when it's associated with a TV show. I'd be happy to be told I'm wrong, but I always wonder if their best stuff didn't get into their first four or five books. I dislike compendiums from magazines in general (although I really do like the big yellow Gourmet book a lot), but "Y'all" does sound like fun. I think I'll go put a few books on reserve at the libe.

[Gio]

Are you saying I'd rather read than eat? LOL Judging by the way I've been buying books these past few years, I'd have to agree....

I mention Beyond the Great Wall only because I know that peeps here have continually praised the work and I recognize it as such. After reading a few of their recipes, I decided... uh uh, not for me. I susbscribe to Kasper's weekly newsletter and enjoy reading her, but find her recipes too lengthy. Not too complicated, I suppose, just too much of everything.

As for Martin Yan... at he least he keeps trying. Last year I saw a re-run of his Singapore journey, IIRC, that was quite different from his former cooking show.
He's the Energiser Bunny of the culinary world.

[chez cherie]

i don't believe "bon appetit, y'all" is a compendium from the magazine. i think it's all original material.

[JoanN]

Isn't that funny! And thank you for pointing that out. I just assumed. And as they say, there's an "ass" in "assume."

[bayoucook]

it totally is original material - see my other post....

[The Dairy Queen]

JoanN--I've never been able to understand how we're supposed to use those Alford and Duguid books in the kitchen. Seriously, we're supposed to cook with those? They take nearly all of my primary prep space. I think they prioritized the coffee table-ness of the books over the practical to use in the kitchen-ness of the books.

~TDQ

[pitu]

My fave A&D book, and the one I actually cook from, is Seductions of Rice -- more recipes and less photos. Organizing by such a wide open ingredient really works for them.

[The Dairy Queen]

I've been curious about their "Flatbreads" book--do you happen to know if that is similar in format to SofR?

~TDQ

[pitu]

I don't.
I have their Home Baking book, which covers all the flatbreads of the world territory that I'll need in this life (and probably the next.) It's also a big glossy brick
: )

[The Dairy Queen]

HAHAHA! Duly noted, thank you!

~TDQ

[Hungry Celeste]

I have the Flatbreads & Flavors book, and it's not in the "coffeetable" format like the more recent ones. It has a bunch of interesting recipes, too. Their uighur naan recipe is a standby of mine.

[mirage]

Which recipes have you loved from Seductions of Rice? I bought it on sale a long time ago, and it wound up waaaay in the back of the cookbook cupboard.

[pitu]

Well, it probably depends on your other cookbooks and your own proficiency about whether it works for you...
It's a book I page through for inspiration - I'm not much of a recipe follower when it comes to stuff that has lots of wiggle room. Seductions of Rice hits a lot of bases for me -- dashi, catalan seafood/rice, carolina pulau, ginger steamed fish, a mapo tofu variation...
I really have to go back to it in the near future - I've meant to try the various rice puddings since I got it (also on sale - thank you strand nyc!)

[JoanN]

OT, but speaking of "thank you strand nyc," I was there day before yesterday looking for two cookbooks they didn't have. On the cookbook sorting table, the one you're not supposed to touch without assistance, I saw a copy of Claudia Fleming's "The Last Course" at the bottom of a pile of books nearly three feet tall. I asked the young man if he would mind pulling it out for me. He did so very graciously. Half price off the $40 cover price and looking brand new. Jacket intact, no writing, no marks on it. For a book that's selling on Amazon for $71 +shipping (lowest price) up to $399 (also plus shipping; I know; ridiculous; but that's what someone is asking for it. And a lot of others are asking three figures for it.) I'm almost tempted to try to sell it. But I won't. Ya gotta love that store!

[MMRuth]

Wow - that is wonderful! What books were you looking for?

[JoanN]

I was looking for "Revolutionary Chinese Cooking" (which I was going to borrow from a friend, but after a celebratory bottle of champagne I was too tipsy and forgot to take it home with me) and Sortun's "Spice," which I have on reserve from the library but thought I might buy if I found it for half price or less.

[The Dairy Queen]

I'm intrigued by the idea of a table in a store where you're not supposed to touch the books without assistance. That just makes me want to fling myself on top of the books and roll around in them.

Is "The Last Course" a collectors item for some reason?

~TDQ

[JoanN]

The book was originally published with a retail price of $40 by Random House in 2001 and for some reason, one can only presume that it was too expensive, never reprinted. Last year, I read on some blog, the author herself had the book reprinted and it is (or was) available from someplace out on Long Island for $50. So I guess it is, in a sense, a collector's item.

Here's a rather long discussion of CHer's attempts, some successful, some un-, to try to get a hold of a copy.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/428749

Finding it for $20 was, I thought, quite the coup.

[The Dairy Queen]

Wow! That is quite the bargain (just having looked at the thread you linked, and then going to Amazon to have a peek for myself.) I can't believe you didn't buy it! I personally cannot resist that great a bargain. Of course, that's why I own countless things I seldom use, including certain cookbooks. I admire your self-restraint.

~TDQ

[JoanN]

Are you kidding?!? Of course I bought it! No self-restraint at all when it comes to that good a book at that good a deal.

[The Dairy Queen]

HAHAHA! Oh, I missed that part! Well, good for you. Tell us, is it fabulous?

~TDQ

[The Dairy Queen]

P.S. Were you able to find R.C. then?

~TDQ

[JoanN]

No, I wasn't able to find RCC and the used prices on the usual discount sites are still a bit more than I'm willing to spend. I'll just wait until it comes down some more.

And, yes, "The Last Course" looks absolutely fabulous. My dessert and baking forays are very sporadic, but I may just start baking for the doormen. A lot of the recipes are just over-the-top decadent. And her recipes for ice cream, all of which have me just drooling, call for a dozen egg yolks. Egad! Maybe I could start a business selling fresh egg whites?

[The Dairy Queen]

I'll make you a deal. I'll paraphrase any recipe you want out of RCC for you, if you paraphrase for us everything you try out of Last Course! :) Seriously, do keep us posted so we can all live vicariously through you.

And, yes, you are going to have to make a lot of meringue cookies if you are going to try any of those dozen egg yolk ice cream recipes. A dozen? My goodness!

~TDQ

[oakjoan]

Oakjoan bows down before you! I have been looking for that book since I made the Oatmeal Stout Gingerbread a few years ago....and I don't even know if that's in the book.....is it?

Every time I'm in NY, I spend long hours combing the Strand's shelves and tables. I've gotten a number of my faves there: Ada Boni's Italian Regional Cooking; The 100 Glories of French Cooking by Courtine; Pleasures of the Good Earth by Giobbi, Auberge of the Flowering Hearth by de Groot and Bert Greene's Kitchen Bouquets.

The Strand and Powells Book Store in Portland, OR are the twin Meccas for cookbooks.

And now a chorus of "Jealousy".

[JoanN]

There's a recipe in the book for a Guiness Stout Ginger Cake. Would that be the same thing? It will probably be one of the first recipes I try. And I do recall your mentioning it somewhere along the line.

Not sure she still has them available, and even less sure you'd be willing to pay the $50 +tax +shipping that she's asking for, but here's a link to her inn and restaurant Web site where she has an order form for the book.

http://northforktableandinn.com/event...

[Caitlin McGrath]

The Guiness Stout Ginger Cake is fabulous (better with a day or two of age on it). Recipe works well in a deep 9-inch cake pan or springform pan, and also is great made with oatmeal stout.

For those reading along, here is the recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searc...

Epicurious has half a dozen recipes from The Last Course, though none others that I've made.

JoanN, I've never tried any of her ice cream recipes precisely because they seem so over the top, with all the yolks. Whether you ever or never had the coconut tapioca (with the accompaniments, though I admit I never made the brittle) at Gramercy Tavern, I definitely recommend it (and I've never been a big tapioca fan), and not too OTT. She has great fruit-centered recipes (for a different season than now, of course).

[oakjoan]

I got my recipe off the internet and the link is below

http://www.starchefs.com/thanksgiving...

It is Fleming's recipe for Oatmeal Stout Gingerbread. I just assumed it was from her cookbook. In any case, it's probably just as delicious either way. I made it about a year ago, but I remember it was fab and very moist.
I can't remember if I made it in a loaf pan or cake pan.

Let us know how it turns out with Guiness.

[JoanN]

Except for the change in title and ingredient from Guinness Stout to Oatmeal Stout, the recipe from the starchefs site is exactly the same as what's in the book.

[JoanN]

Her ice cream flavors are so intriguing to me that I just might try one of the recipes using oh, say, mabye only 8 egg yolks? But I think I'll wait until after my next cholesterol test.

I liked tapioca as a child and rediscovered it when I was in Indonesia, where a tapioca soup served with ice cream was the most marvelous afternoon treat on a steamy day. Thanks for recommending the recipe. Looks easy, too. The hardest part, I think, will be finding both large and small tapioca pearls.

[The Dairy Queen]

What kinds of ice cream flavors?

*intrigued by the idea of intriguing ice cream flavors*

~TDQ

[JoanN]

Basil, Black Mint, Black Pepper, Brandied Fig, Buttermilk, Cream Cheese, Sweet Corn, Licorice. And that's only a partial list. She says the cream cheese ice cream is essentially frozen cheese cake filling. I'm not usually a big cheese cake fan, but I want some of that NOW!

[The Dairy Queen]

WOW! Except for the licorice, those sound very interesting indeed!

I can't wait to hear how they are after you've tried them. 8 yolks seems like plenty. :)

~TDQ

[Katie Nell]

I love basil ice cream, and I'm not even a huge basil fan! It completely brings out the sweetness of basil.

[JoanN]

Haven't tried a basil ice cream, but I once made basil sorbet to serve as a palate cleanser for a rather formal dinner I prepared for my parents' wedding anniversary. It was really the perfect touch.

[Caitlin McGrath]

There's a basil ice cream recipe in The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz, that's less egg yolk-intensive. I haven't tried it, but I'd be happy to paraphrase (in the appropriate DCOTM thread) if you want to compare.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Black pepper ice cream is really good with summer stone fruit desserts. I first had it at Gramercy Tavern when Fleming was there, served with a peach tart. For an interesting variation, at a restaurant in the Bay Area, I had Sichuan peppercorn ice cream with caramelized pineapple. I loved the sweet corn flavor when I had it at GT, too (paired with the little corn/almond berry cake). It's one thing to have a little scoop at a restaurant, another to use all those egg yolks and cream at home, which is why I never bit the bullet.

[JoanN]

Thanks for the offer to paraphrase the basil ice cream, but I doubt I'll be doing a comparative tasting any time soon. I don't prepare desserts without a specific meal or event in mind, so I'm never sure when or what will be next. But I'll be keeping that black pepper ice cream and stone fruit combo in mind.

I had a few business lunches at GT, but never tried any of the desserts, so it's wonderful to hear from someone who has. Especially since they seem to have been memorable. Thanks, Caitlin.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Heh, I wasn't really imagining you doing a comparative tasting - just thought if basil ice cream appealed to you, you might be interested in a recipe using 5 egg yolks for a quart yield rather than 12.

[jen kalb]

not sure where you are but the big chinese supermarkets in NYC tend to stock several kinds, even different colors. Ive also seen small and large pearl in specialty food stores selling british and other "gourmet" items.

[JoanN]

Thanks. Good to know. Need to head to Chinatown (NYC) to restock staples so will add these to the list.

In Indonesia a few colored pearls were always mixed in with the white ones. For some reason, red and green seemed to be especially popular colors. I couldn't look at it without wondering if it was left over from Christmas.

[jen kalb]

I see pale green and other colors in the supermarkets in Brooklyn and NJ so you could very well find some too.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Look for large tapioca pearls at Kalustyan's if you don't see them in Chinatown (they also have multicolored tapioca pearls). This makes a soupier tapioca, not a stiff pudding. The combo of coconut tapioca, passionfruit sorbet, and cilantro syrup is great. I discovered I was a fan when I tried the dish at the restaurant a few years before the cookbook was published.

The little blueberry (or blackberry) cakes with browned butter and almonds are great; quite rich, but that's why they're so small. I've heard raves for the chocolate brownie cookies (another recipe available on Epicurious), but haven't made them because I've been told by people who have that you really need a stand mixer, which I don't have.

[karykat]

I know I have those on hand for this book and wonder if I got them at asian markets?

[The Dairy Queen]

You mean like the kind that goes in bubble tea karykat? The large ones, in black or a pack of multi colors, are definitely available at Asian Markets in the Twin CIties. (I got some at the Midtown Global Market outpost of United Noodle).

~TDQ

[karykat]

I don't know if the large pearls are the same as the bubble tea things, but I imagine it is.

I just looked at the coconut tapioca soup recipe from The Last Course. It looks wonderful, with milk and coconut milk along with the pearls.

[Caitlin McGrath]

They're meant to be large white tapioca pearls, like the regular ones but bigger. If anyone can't find them, the dish would be fine with all small pearls. The large ones make for some textural variation and are interesting visually, but they taste the same.

[MMRuth]

I used to cook from that book a lot - will dig it out and see which recipes. Right now I'm making some dishes from Mangoes & Curry Leaves - including a Sri Lankan chicken dish.

[MMRuth]

I put mine on the top of the back of a big wing chair that "backs onto" the open kitchen area. When I'm cooking a couple of recipes from one of them, I photo copy them and tape them to the kitchen cupboards.

[The Dairy Queen]

So, your big wing back chair serves as a bookstand, of sorts?

I wonder if a book stand (imagining a heavier duty version of a music stand) would serve that purpose for those of us whose wing back chairs are perpertually occupied by house royalty, I mean, the cat.

Might be a good way to free up some counter space (one of these days, I shall buy a home copier and employ your photocopying technique. As it is, now I have to plan ahead , drag my cookbook to the office, make a copy, and drag everything back home.) Sometimes I actually do do this.

~TDQ

[MMRuth]

Yes - the book lays flat on top of the chair. Do you have a cookbook stand? I have two, but I usually need my counterspace for other things. My 60 dollar printer from Costco also copies and scans.

[The Dairy Queen]

No, no, no I'm imagining a free-standing cookbook stand, like a sturdier music stand.

But, $60 is very compellingly affordable!

~TDQ

[oakjoan]

JoanN: Well, in the case of Martin Yan, his field (Chinese and other Asian cooking) is so vast that I am not worried he's tapped out. I do find his TV personality to be terribly irritating, but the books I've seen are quite good.

I do agree with you on the Alford/Duguid books. They're too coffee-table for me. I mean, I don't mind gorgeous photos, but I didn't find much in the books I looked at when they were COTM a while ago to be inspiring.

[karykat]

Alford and Duguid certainly do have style. But I also think they have substance. I've had wonderful things from the Home Baking book including cranberry chocolate sweet buns, a banana cake with coconut (not too sweet -- and I didn't think I even liked coconut that much) and middle eastern pizzas with lamb and pine nuts. So at least for me, they've had the chops to go with the beautiful pictures. And now that I know how good the recipes are, I've gotten flour and sugar all over my copy.

[Katie Nell]

Gio... is Bottomfeeder going to make me feel guilty (I really do not need more of that in my life!) or just educate me?

[Gio]

Hi Katie Nell...
Bottomfeeder shoudn't make you feel guilty about anything, but will make you more aware of what's going on the high seas and in the fish farms. It's an enlightening book and he spent a great deal of time travelling around the world to speak to fisherpeople and chefs.

Here's his website:
http://www.tarasgrescoe.com/about_bot...

[Katie Nell]

I think my dad and I are going to split the cost and both read it. He's a fly fisherman, as is my husband, so at least I can get local fish very fresh! It's just so hard because there are so many delicious fish that I want to eat, but I don't want to feel guilty about it either! You don't eat shrimp at all anymore, right?

[Gio]

Regretfully I don't eat shrimp as I formerly knew it but the northern cold water shrimp
( AKA Maine shrimp) is a fine alternative when they are in season... they are smaller, though.

The Monterey Bay Seawatch is a good place to find good seafood choices for various areas of the country. Here's the Northeast list.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr...

Grescoe advises folks to ask the fish monger at the market: Where does the fish come from? and How was it caught?

[chowser]

How did you like Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper? I just picked it up a couple of days ago from the library. Bottomfeeder sounds good--thanks for the heads up.

[pitu]

I really liked Shark's Fin & SP - more a library book than a keeper for me, btw - especially how she winds up the last few chapters with a critical/political eye. It dragged a wee bit in the middle . . . power through, or skim, until it picks up for you again.

[chowser]

Thanks for the heads up--I'll plow through the center.

[The Dairy Queen]

I agree with pitu. Actually, I thought it was pretty formulaic as memoir goes. If I didn't have such a passion for the subject and interest in the author, I might have given up before the end (as I did with Barbara Kingsolver's AVM--just couldn't stand the preachy tone of that book).

Dunlop does have a few recipes in there that make you wish, briefly, that you didn't have to return it to the library, but just copy those down on to note cards before you return the book.

~TDQ

[oakjoan]

Re: GIO'S POST ABOVE about the awards. This is total gossip.

I can't help but reply here re Martin Yan...a Chinese guy (very well versed in cooking, restaurants, ingreds, etc.) told me at last year's Chow picnic that Martin Yan exaggerates his accent to appear more "authentic" and that he doesn't talk that way in person....this guyknows Yan and has been on several of his trips.

[chowser]

I've heard that about Martin Yan, too, from others who've met him. We need to keep in context the timeframe when he first arrived on the scene and what he felt would help sell himself the most. I've heard he is a very intelligent, well-spoken man.

[Gio]

Oh dear - burst my bubble why don't you..... LOL
I had no idea. And here I thought he was Mr. Authentic himself. Color me gullible.

[The Dairy Queen]

I've always like Martin Yan, too. He does seem a little over-the-top and I always expected some of his schtick was a act, but it's hard to know how much. But, as chowser says, he came onto the scene when no one was out there teaching that cuisine, so I give him a lot of credit. I do occasionally see his cookbooks in the used book store and often wonder if they are any good. Maybe I should actually buy one one of these days.

~TDQ

[oakjoan]

Although I got really tired of his overly enthusiastic demeanor, his recipes and some of the shows from China are quite interesting and very good.

[NYchowcook]

Yes, underwhelmed.

However, I keep taking out of the library:
the CIA cookbook, the Splendid Table How to Eat supper, and Olives & Oranges.
I may buy the first two.

I bought Ellie Krieger's book. I find her, well, annoyingly perky and optimistic about healthy food. Makes me want to make a pasta & cream sauce!

[The Dairy Queen]

NYchowcook--about Krieger's book, how are the recipes? (If, say, you were a person who could overlook annoyingly perky).

~TDQ

[NYchowcook]

I confess I haven't tried any of the recipes in Krieger's cookbook. I've read through the book and the recipes seem good, trying to add flavor without a lot of fat, etc.
However, generally the recipes are either too basic for me; I can make them on my own without a recipe, or they're not thrilling enough to want to follow her steps.

There are some good ideas for lowering fat, including a recipe for blue cheese dressing (which I love) that uses yogurt and buttermilk and just a little mayo.

[The Dairy Queen]

Actually, it sounds like the perfect book for me. I've been looking for healthy recipes that are pretty simple/basic for weeknights. I might not even mind perky! Thanks for the feedback.

~TDQ

[Katie Nell]

I like her a lot, actually- I like that she tells me it's okay to eat chocolate! :-)
I really like that blue cheese dressing too- we really enjoyed the buffalo chicken salad that goes with it.

[yamalam]

I agree that the recipes aren't earth shattering, but they are tasty, and every recipe has detailed nutritional information. Sometimes I like to know how much sugar, fat, etc is in a recipe. A lot of times I don't too, but then I have every other book for that. Also, she's not all about calories, she tells you about the nutrient-y and antioxidant-y things too.

[porceluna]

For months, I resisted getting Krieger's book (don't like the show, recipes looked boring) but finally gave in for the sake of some healthy recipes with predetermined nutrition facts.

Turns out, the recipes are actually really good! The whole-wheat pancakes are awesome--my whole-grain hating family has declared them the best pancakes they've ever had, and don't want to go back to our usual version. The pork w/cherries was also a hit. There has been only one recipe so far that wasn't great. I would recommend it.

[JoanN]

Finished reviewing “The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper” last night. For me, this is definitely in the “read, don’t need,” category. The audience for this book is people who come home late and tired and feed the family pizza and Chinese-take-out because they don’t know how to shop or to cook or to get a healthy meal on the table quickly.
It assumes you have little or no experience in the kitchen and the recipes are twice as long as they might be in another book because the instructions are so detailed. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The recipes sound good, but I don’t need a book to tell me how to make a tomato-mozzarella salad, even if it does include currants and pine nuts. You said, NYchowcook, that this is one you keep coming back to. I’m curious what the appeal is for you. Are the recipes just that good?

[The Dairy Queen]

Joan, is it really readable, as in, prose'ish? Or is it pretty much a cookbook format?

It sounds like I might be the audience for this book, except that I'm too harried to read a long recipe, even a simple one. But, if it's entertainingly prose'ish, I could see checking it out of the library for bedtime reading.

~TDQ

[JoanN]

It's very readable in the sense that there's a lot of information and sidebars other than just the recipes. For instance, there are cute quotes (one of my favorites: "'Carpe dienm' does not mean 'fish of the day.'"); cookbook recommendations; their favorite chocolate for baking, canned tomatoes, commercial pasta, that kind of thing. Lots of info in sidebars such as when to add salt when cooking beans, why to blend soup in small batches, save your onion peels for stock. Really--really--basic stuff. I think it's worth checking out of the library, but I doubt many contributors here would need to own it.

[NYchowcook]

(sheepishly) Joan, what I wrote is that I keep taking Splendid Table out of the library.

Confess I haven't cracked it open yet! So it's more the book keeps coming back to me, than I go to it!

[bayoucook]

I already have Bon Appetit Y'all and it's wonderful!