Christmas cookbooks--what'd Santa get you? what [if anything] will you buy yourself tomorrow?

[jenn]

Now that the goose is in the oven and everyone is having a bit of a pre-dinner nap, I can look at my presents! Honestly, Santa--well, my husband and kids--were really good to me this year. Many many cookbooks. More specifically, I got
"I know how to cook"---Ginette Mathiot---I know someone said that this book duplicates other French cookbooks but after checking it out from the library, I still like it. I like what it presumes I know--reminds me of my recipe for cookies from my grandmother that she got from her mother which lacks all measurements because why would one need actual measurements? Can't wait to try the pumpkin jam recipe this weekend.
"Pork and Sons"---Stephane Reynaud---food porn. hungry just looking at it. Captivated by the photos drawings and little stories.
"French Feasts" ---Stephane Reynaud---More Food Porn.....An afternoon of that book and I'm halfway out the door to catch a plane to France. Still pondering what the first recipe will be--but the pumpkin soup sounds good and easy.
"Eat Me, the philosophy of Kenny Shopsin" -----dark horse, never heard of it but hey, intro by Calvin Trillin. Nice photos, still perusing.

So, how about you?

[Westminstress]

In a burst of post-post-holiday shopping, I recently acquired:

My Bread, Jim Lahey
How to Cook, Nigella Lawson
Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table, Mai Pham (based on positive reports from COTM)

And I'm thinking a lot about My Bombay Kitchen by Niloufer King.

We're in the middle of a kitchen renovation right now so no actual kitchen to cook in, hmmm maybe that's why I suddenly feel compelled to purchase so many new cookbooks!

[buttertart]

My Bombay Kitchen is a joy - the recipes are great and it's fun to read. Recipes for Parsi food in English are a bit out of the ordinary. Get it!
(I'm trying to hold back on ckbk purchases because we'll be moving soon and already have six kajillion books to pack up. It's killing me! Have $200 B&N giftcard burning hole in pocket.)

[nomadchowwoman]

My copy of My Bread is less than two months old, and it's already tattered. I'm baking bread all the time, have tried many of the variations. Love it!

[Westminstress]

Cool! What are some of your favorite variations?

[nomadchowwoman]

Ciabatta--these come out beautifully. I gave my mom one of my first two loaves, and she's now requesting them regularly. Also made a batch of ciabatta rolls (ciabattini?) for individual sandwiches.
DH loved the olive bread.
Walnut-raisin, as in the book, and I also made another loaf using dried cranberries instead of the raisins.
The Pane Integrale (with some WW flour) also is great.
And I love the basic recipe loaves as well.

[agedcheddar]

I got The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond. I 've been so busy I haven't started it yet, but soon....

[yayadave]

We got this for a niece. She made sour cream pancakes, meatloaf, and twice cooked potatoes from it. All good.

[CookieWeasel]

Father Christmas brought me a copy of Baking Illustrated (from Cooks Illustrated), and I've been enthralled with it. I got a copy of Shirley Corriher's Bakewise for myself, and between the two of them, it;s been a fascinating read. I also received a copy of My Life in France, which turned out to be pretty entertaining.

[linengirl]

Marcus Wareing's Nutmeg and Custard. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nutmeg-Custar... Highly cookable! I'm afraid the popcorn chapter got me, particularly. I've been popcorning all over the place, lately. Yum...

[greygarious]

Bought for myself:
THE ASIAN GROCERY STORE DEMYSTIFIED - explains ingredients, processed foods, equipment, and cooking techniques. A large Korean supermarket opened nearby 4 months ago and is still too crowded for me to tackle without a game plan.

CONFECTIONS OF A CLOSET MASTER BAKER - a memoir, with some drool-inducingly buttery recipes for German pastry, by the sister of actress Sandra Bullock. She writes cleverly and well. Some of the recipes appear on her blog, linked to at www.gesine.com, which has photographs best not viewed on an empty stomach!

[waver]

I used my Christmas giftcard last weekend to get Into the Vietnamese Kitchen and am having a lot of fun looking at old cookbook of the month threads on it. Already made one dinner that had the family begging for more -yay.

Still think I might get Fuschia Dunlop's book Shark's Fin and something but the store was out. So now have leftovers $$ and looking more closely at all the suggestions here.

[Caitlin McGrath]

I really enjoyed Fuschia Dunlop's memoir (Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper), but it was definitely a library vs. purchase choice for me (though there are a few recipes I thought worth copying. There's a thread about it on Food Media and News.

[The Dairy Queen]

I just picked up a copy of Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, which I've just now how a chance to flip through. Long story, but I got a buy one get one free deal, and this one (weirdly) enabled me to get a higher priced book for "free", so, I thought, what the heck. Anyway, I don't have any other of Ina Garten cookbooks. It seems like a fine book. Nothing particularly healthy or simple or innovative or trendy, just some pretty straightforward recipes with lots of tips, and beautiful photos.

~TDQ

[MMRuth]

I didn't ask for any cookbooks, nor did I receive any. However, on a short visit to Staunton, VA on the way home, I picked up several:

The Gold Cookbook - Louis P. de Gouy - apparently a rather prolific cookbook writer in his heyday, and worked at the Waldorf. Introduction by "Oscar of the Waldorf". Considered by some to be the Escoffier of American cooking. (Learned all of this by googling, after picking it up at an antiques store.)

Hearthside Cooking, Nancy Carter Crump - focusses on Southern/Virginian recipes, and each recipe has instructions for making the dish over a hearth and in a modern kitchen.

The Pat Conroy Cookbook - I've had my eye on this for a while, both for the chapter about Frank Stitts, and the chapter about his life in New Bern, NC, where my mother lives, and which he refers to as the place where he was happiest living as a child. I'm a sucker for his prose, particularly The Prince of Tides, and have enjoyed my read through it.

Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant Cookbook: A Lifetime of Recipes from the Shenandoah Valley - the restaurant is in Staunton, which I hadn't realized when I bought it. Great narratives, and some wonderful sounding recipes. Somehow my interest in English cooking has led to my interest in Southern cooking!

[Gio]

I bought myself a New Year's present: Tapas by José Andrés.
It should arrive Friday. I was enthralled after watching a rerun of the tapas episode in
On the Road in Spain.

[Perilagu Khan]

On December 26 purchased Ellen Brown's The Meatball Cookbook Bible.

It looks like an absolute bonanza of carne spheroids. Can't wait to begin cooking.

[saraugie]

I just downloaded Ruhlman's iPhone app Ratio. Its only $4.99, cheaper than the book and INSTANT gratification :>)

[italy531]

I received Taste of the World which is a William Sonoma cookbook. It looks like it has a few promising recipes. And then I bought the Big Orange Book (Rachael Ray)...I know people aren't fans but I tend to like them for weeknight cooking and Jam for Apples.

Now I also want to buy about another 10 books but I will contain myself for now.

[meatn3]

It is so nice to have a chance to share with folks who "get it"!

Others look at my collection and ask if it isn't enough already.

My new ones:
Ratio - Michael Ruhlman
Momofuku - David Chang/Peter Meehan
Asian Dumplings - Andrea Nguyen

a few older books I received:

Bento Boxes - Naomi Kijima
Pickles and Preserves - Marion Brown

I'm still wanting to add anything by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall , The Veselka Cookbook and Washoku by Elizabeth Andoh.

[Stephanie Wong]

Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way by Francis Millmann -- It's a good read and there's some good ideas in it that I want to try.

Of course, I'll skip over the one that started with 1 cow, 1400 pounds and continues to equipment needed: block & tackle, 8 strong helpers

[The Dairy Queen]

I hadn't heard of that book until yesterday, when I noticed it was an editors choice on Amazon. I am so intrigued. According to what I've read, the recipes work both indoors and outdoors. We have a gas grill outdoors. Do you happen to know if the recipes will work on a gas grill?

~TDQ

[oakjoan]

Although it is a bit difficult to grill a whole cow inside, but once you've gotten the block and tackle into the kitchen, it's a snap.. ;+)

[The Dairy Queen]

Joan, you crack me up. I hope your empty magazine shelves enable you to feel free to pick up a few more cookbooks now and then, yes?

Here's a link to some recipes from Seven Fires. http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/11/fr...

~TDQ

[Beckyleach]

I'd recently bought myself the new Gourmet cookbook, and Mastering the Art volume II...and as I already am stacking my cookbooks sideways because I'm out of room (I'm over 500 and counting), I'm just filling in gaps right now, exercising some restraint (yeah, right ;-).

So, I asked for The Splendid Table, which I somehow missed when it was published. GREAT reading book. Haven't cooked from it, just yet, though.

I gave my sister an autographed copy of Food We Eat When We're Alone (or whatever it's called; I forget) by Deborah Madison....mostly for the autograph. She already has all the Madison's other books, so when I met her at the Seed Saver's Convention this summer, that was the only choice.

[artichokeenvy]

I can relate to stacking the cookbooks sideways but I couldn't resist picking up the following:
-Secrets of Slow Cooking by Liana Krissoff (looks promising & I keep intending to find /try some decent crockpot recipes)
-Desperation Entertaining (I liked their first book & it's real life instructions. "Desperation" fits me too well, too often!)
-Italian Cuisine, Basic Cooking Techniques by the Italian Food & Wine Institute (I like how densely packed with info this is.)
-The Book of Marmalade by C. Anne Wilson
-Saltwater Seasonings by Sarah Leah & Jonathan Chase
-East Meets Cuisine by Ken Hom
-A Taste of Heaven and Earth by Bettina Vitell
-A Treasury of Southern Baking by Prudence Hilburn

I've been a CH fan for years but have finally decided to join the input amongst fellow food/cookbook appreciators!

[Val]

You've been lurking all this time???!!! LOL...I've found a few very good crockpot recipes here on CH (pulled pork/chicken, Thai-flavored thighs for starters)...have you looked at the threads on slow cooking here?

[oakjoan]

Arti: Did you mean East Meets West by Ken Hom? If so, it's just a great cookbook. Try the Casserole of Spicy Chicken Wings on p. 153. Glad you reminded me of Ken Hom. He's an often-overlook treasure.

[Beckyleach]

Speaking of slow sooker recipes, I dusted off my old crockpot, bought a new, Kitchen Aid BIG one (the one, I've learned, of the exploding crock infamy, alas. So far, so good, in my kitchen, at least) and then bought these three books, which are SO much better than any of the old slow cooker cookbooks from my first go-round in the '70's and early 80's:

The Gourmet Slow Cooker, volumes 1 and 2, by Lynn Alley.

and Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook, by Hensburger and Kaufman

[nofunlatte]

Santa Latte (that would be me) was pretty sure there wouldn't be any cookbooks this year (and she was right), so she did a little gifting herself: from nofunlatte to nofunlatte.

I got The Candle Cafe Cookbook and The Vegan Scoop (I'm an omnivore, but for the new year, I am reducing the amount of animal products I eat, though not eliminating them). I also got Canal House (v. 2). Then on the table, I saw I (heart) Macarons. It looked so...darling. Now I rarely succumb to cute unless it involves a kitten video, but this book looked so cute. And I bought it. Now I think I'll be trying some macarons once the next semester starts and I can bring the stuff in to work (too tempting to have all of that at home!)

[yayadave]

I took a look at that macaron book and I got the feeling that the hidden potential will just unfold once you start using it. That cute, simple look may be deceiving.

[renéemarie]

I bought French Feasts earlier this winter - the minute I laid eyes on it I simply could not resist; it's one of the most gorgeous cookbooks I've seen. I made the Kouign Amman for a holiday party and it was delicious and shockingly easier to make than I would have ever imagined a Kouign Amman could be...

My mom got me a Crock-Pot cookbook, which is not something I would have picked out for myself but I suppose it will be nice to try recipes made for a Crock-Pot instead of adapting them with mixed success. Much more exciting were the two vintage cookbooks I got from a friend: Gourmet Cooking for One (or More), which I'm psyched for because it's hard to find good cookbooks geared toward singles, and Electric Refrigerator Recipes and Menus, which probably won't get used but is amusing nonetheless because my apartment's refrigerator practically dates back to the book's publication (well, not quite...it's from 1927, but still).

[jenn]

I tried the recipe in French Feasts for pumpkin soup this weekend--mmmmmmmm.

[The Dairy Queen]

I just broke down and ordered a copy of Ad Hoc at home...

~TDQ

[nomadchowwoman]

Please let us know what you think when it comes. I've looked at a lot of Keller's recipes and been put off by their laboriousness or time factor. If these don't need a staff to execute them, well, that's another story.

[The Dairy Queen]

I completely agree with your point. Due to the generosity of a friend who was whittling back her cookbook collection, I recently acquired French Laundry and have made one or two dishes from it. But mostly, I've found the recipes too time consuming for me on a day-to-day basis (which was not a surprise to me, based on all I'd read) . I'm hoping "at home" will more accessible for the home cook.

~TDQ

[MMRuth]

Reminds me of the time I planned a birthday dinner for my husband (just for the two of us) from a Charlie Trotter recipe. I swear, by five pm, all I had actually completed was a cake I'd made first thing in the morning, and some sort of basil oil/puree. I was practically crying when I suggested we go out for Chinese, and then I'd finish up making his birthday meal for lunch the next day!

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, that's so sad. But, I can completely relate.

I started to acquire books from some of these "high-end" restaurants that I'd been to, thinking, well, gee, one meal and the book pays for itself! (vs. the cost dining at the actual restaurant, not even including airfare and hotel...).

But, it's very humbling when you choose one dish and realize that there are really 3-4 recipes that combine to make that one dish. And it's going to take you all day.

It makes you appreciate that you can go OUT to dinner at these places and let the Kellers and Trotters of the world cook for you.

Nevertheless, for special occasions, it is kind of fun to choose a dish or two from these very high-end cookbooks. Boy do I have a lot of appreciation for that blogger who cooked her way through the entire French Laundry cookbook...

I really hope Ad Hoc is a little more down to earth because I'd like to at least pretend that I have just a smidge of the Thomas Keller experience. There are no Keller restaurants in the Midwest, so, this would be my only option, without getting on a plane.

Well, we'll see. I got a good deal on it on The Good Cook because I used my "buy one get one free, with free shipping" coupon for fulfilling my commitment.

~TDQ

[oakjoan]

MMR: I can also sympathize. I got rid of my French Laundry Cookbook due to the complexity and fussiness and time consumption of the recipes. I remember watching Charlie Trotter's show (years ago) on PBS and being overwhelmed by his fastidious style. I don't like to eat that kind of over-fussy food and certainly don't want to cook it. Of course when I first saw the program, I was totally intrigued an wanted to try anything.

I once made a cake from an Alice B. Toklas recipe which had three layers of different kinds of cake and various frostings. Took me the better part of a day and was certainly NOT worth it....those who ate it disagreed, but they didn't have to work all day to produce it.

I also just wanted to point out again that Nigel Slater's book Fast Food (or something similar) is also a gem. A great addition to my library as it's a wonderful source for quick recipes and ideas for dinner.

I want Rose Prince's book that has the recipe for bean soup with tomato salad on top...soooo good.

[mcf]

Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook. Have only glanced at it, and if I don't cook from it, at least it's a fun read.

[c oliver]

I've had it for a few years and haven't cooked from it --- yet. But I laughed out loud reading it. Need to pull it out again. The recipes do sound great.

[mcf]

Made the onion soup last night (husband's favorite thing) and it was amazing. Only thing we both thought we'd change was the balsamic vinegar, it was a tad too pronounced. I'll try halving it next time. Piled high with Comte gruyere and broiled, it was so filling that we skipped the ribeye dinner we'd been planning and went straight to the Boule de Neige I'd made for dessert a while later, followed by a walk before midnight. Oh, and I didn't have (or even know what it was) "dark chicken stock" , so added some Better than Bouillion beef paste for darkening the broth. The soup was extremely dark, rich, and made our house smell like a great bistro.

[c oliver]

We've been gone from home for two weeks and are now about ten minutes away. I'll be checking out that recipe asap.

[red_kc]

After 2 years of lurking I finally signed up to respond to this post! I received Entertaining with the Sopranos from my very dear MIL. The receipt was inside for $2.99. At least she got a bargin. I am the DIL that made 40 dozen cookies, marshmallows, cherry mash, pickles, ginger glazed ham and other goodies for my family. I love her but she still doesn't get why I need a stand mixer.
Happy Holidays!

[nomadchowwoman]

You know, I have been given those Sopranos cookbooks (because, I know, I was such an outspoken fan of the HBO series), and, BION, the recipes aren't bad.
FWIW, there are lots of folks who don't get those of us who love food and cooking, and that's why CH is so great. (I also lurked for years before jumping in.) Welcome to the (groaning) boards!

[Boccone Dolce]

Try the Ricotta Pie- it's pretty good! (I'm not a baker)
I love that MIL got a great deal.
I have a gift card for Books-a-Million and wandered over to the Ad Hoc book- it far exceeded my gift card amount... It's enormous and wrapped tight in plastic so I couldn't even flip thru...

[JerryMe]

Too funny! I got a "family" cookbook from my exe's spouse. Ex and I share a child, so it's included a lot of DS's favorites. I'm actually using it tonite for dinner.

I appreciate ALL cookbooks, and peruse them like novels.

Jenn - the pumpkin jam sounds really good! I'll have to check out that book

[Axalady]

My Santa's were very generous this year. My in-laws gave me a cooking Tagine along with a Flavors of Morocco cookbook by Ghillie Basan and The Tagine Deck - 25 recipes for slow cooked meals by Joyce Goldstein. The Husband Santa gave me a really nice cookbook called Specialties of the House, A Country Inn Bed & Breakfast Cookbook by Julia M. Pitkin which has over 600 recipes in it of every type imaginable. He also gave me The Ski House Cookbook by Tina Anderson & Saran Pinneo and Island Lake Lodge The Cookbook (he wants to go Cat Skiing, I said OK if I can hang out in the kitchen). He also got me The New England Soup Factory Cookbook and has requested Tomato, Shrimp and Fennel soup for dinner Wednesday night.

I happened to mention the National Geographic Book Food Journeys of a Lifetime and thanks to Amazon and overnight shipping he had it here in time for Christmas.

I'll be well entertained for the next few months.

[greedygirl]

I have the Basan book and like it a lot.

[buttertart]

Her books seem to be good in general - I love the Cambodian one.

[Axalady]

Good to know! Thanks greedygirl and buttertart.

[marietinn]

Saint Nicholas gifted me with Vegan with A Vengeance, I am beyond thrilled!

[nomadchowwoman]

Amongst the food/cooking-related loot Santa left me were two cookbooks, one a big soup cookbook, called The Best Soups in the World, which appears to have a few gems among many standards, and the other, called The Dumpling, a very large book on, well, you guessed it, all manner of dumplings. I haven't had a chance to look at it yet, but I love food "packets," any food encased by pasta, pastry, rice paper, masa, etc. so I'm sure I'll love this book.

[emily]

Oh, I looked through "The Dumpling" on Saturday. It's now sitting in my Amazon shopping cart, waiting for me to push the order button!

[Mothership]

Santa was very good to me... Ad Hoc at Home; Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook; Michael Symons' Live to Cook; Rose's Heavenly Cakes as well as The Cake Bible (ooh - very excited) ; James Peterson - Baking (I love his books - very informative); Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day ( I don't bake bread, but really want to learn how); The Perfect Scoop - David Lebovitz. I haven't had more than a few minutes to peruse any of them yet, but when everything settles down again and as soon as the leftovers are cleared out of the fridge, I'll be gettin down to business again. Can't wait.

[Normandie]

Country Cooking of France, Anne Willan

Colette's Cakes, Colette Peters

Historic Recipes of New England

Sicily, Giuseppe Coria (haven't tried making anything from it yet, but if anyone is interested in Sicily/the Mediterranean, this has stunning photography and some interesting historical writing on how the various invading civilizations contributed to Sicilian cuisine--I'd like this book even if I didn't cook)

[bizkat]

I got Fish Without A Doubt by Rick Moonan and it's everything I expected.

[Normandie]

Could you talk about it a little bit, bizkat?

I'm looking for a good, general, information *non-shellfish* fish cookbook. I'm allergic to all shellfish except shrimp. A lot of "fish" cookbooks therefore have a lot of material that's useless, to me. We love the standard cold waters ocean fish, however--flounder, cod, halibut, haddock, salmon, etc., and I would love to find some new ways to fix them. Would this book fit the bill?

[greedygirl]

Fish Without a Doubt was Cookbook of the Month last year - if you do a search you'll find several threads on it.

[beetlebug]

It was a COTM this past year. Here is a link so you can look at various reports on the recipes. I think it would fit your bill. The fish recipes were great and tasted like "restaurant" fish dishes. I haven't had a chance to try any shellfish recipes yet from the book.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/600185

[JoanN]

I think it would indeed fit the bill. Although there are quite a few shellfish recipes in the book, he recommends techniques for cooking fish that I'd never heard of before and are now standard for me. It's an excellent book. You won't be disappointed.

[Normandie]

greedygirl, beetlebug and Joan--Thank you all for your replies. I'm truly glad to know about this book. It's been a frustrating search (over years). I will definitely look into this, and, beetlebug, thank you for the link. Very helpful.

[bizkat]

Normandie, even though there are some shellfish recipes (plenty of shrimp though), the book won't let you down. I like how the chapters are broken down by technique- poaching, broiling, grilling, etc.

[buttertart]

You might also want to take a look at Jane Grigson's Fish Cookery - it's extremely informative and her recipes are excellent. Focuses on fish available in Britain but recipes can be used for US fish of the same types.

[herring]

I've had the same frustrating search, Normandie, so I'm chiming in with another rave about the Moonen/fish book -- I just got it and LOVE it. I also received "The Young Man and the Sea: Recipes and Crispy Fish Tales from Esca" by David Pasternak and Ed Levine. It looks good, but I've been so enamored with Moonen's book I haven't cooked from it yet.

[roxlet]

I got Rose's Heavenly Cakes and American Pie and my husband got Momofuko. I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to look at any of them! I also gave my husband a year of Canal House Cooking (vols 1&2 now and vol 3 will arrive in the spring).

[weem]

Santa brought me "Fat" by Jennifer McLagan. It feels mouthwateringly indulgent just to look at it.

[pitu]

I have "Fat" out from the library. I can vouch for Cheong Liew's Braised Pork Belly on p88 . . . and fear I'll be buying this one sooner or later. Between "Fat" and "Seductions of Rice", I really dig the single ingredient with wide focus books....

[nomadchowwoman]

Would you mind giving a few more examples of recipes, even if you haven't tried them, from "Fat"? I'm thinking about ordering it.

[pitu]

It's very broad - biscuits and many other baked goods, roast birds, terrines, rillettes, different kinds of butters - she explains fats in great detail, by type and by animal source.

[nomadchowwoman]

Thanks. It sounds like a book I *have* to have.

[buttertart]

That is a great book. If you like single-ingredient books, another goodie is Milk: the Surprising Story of Milk through the Ages by Anne Mendelson. I was reminded of it while reading Fat.

[emily]

"Milk" has a recipe for clotted cream I'd love to try!

[buttertart]

The Russian style cheese made by simmering buttermilk intrigued me.

[emily]

Recent purchases for me:
"Warm Bread and Honey Cake: Home Baking from Around the World"
"Paris Patisseries: History, Shops, Recipes"
"Swedish Cakes and Cookies"
"Chocolates and Confections at Home with the CIA"

[nomadchowwoman]

You wouldn't have a sweet tooth, Emily, now would you? :))

[emily]

Yeah, I guess it's that time of year, despite the fact I hardly did any Xmas baking!

Added one more this morning: "Sweet Belgium" by Liesbeth Inghelram.

[buttertart]

Would love to hear more about "Sweet Belgium". Do tell!

[emily]

I couldn't find much info before ordering it, so you'll have to wait till it gets here!

[buttertart]

But what if I can't? Just kidding. Thanks.

[emily]

The wait is over. :) It's an odd, little book. Measures about 4x6" and doesn't contain a single recipe! Just pictures and descriptions of Belgian sweets. I might send it back, since I really wanted recipes.

[buttertart]

That IS disappointing. Thanks for saving me from ordering it!

[c oliver]

I ordered myself Bon Appetit Y'all but it hadn't arrived by the time we left town a week ago. Will give me something to look forward to. We're all making charitable donations so no other gifts.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Zilch. I am on a self-imposed ban from sexy new cookbooks until I spend at least six months further exploring the many already sitting on my kitchen bookshelves.

[tcamp]

Me too. However, thanks to the Barnes and Noble gift card I got from my infirm auntie, I may fall off the wagon if the opportunity presents itself. For some reason and quite uncharacteristically, the Lee Brothers book is whispering my name.

[nomadchowwoman]

I gave that a good once-over today at B & N, but couldn't bring myself to buy another cookbook after just getting two new ones. It's right purty, though.

[LaLa]

I am loving the new Lee Bros cookbook! getit getit getit!

[MartiniGenie]

I got two Alton Browns. I'm Just Here For the Food and the Early Years. Very entertaining. And has some good chemistry references.

[BabsW]

I got "The Bread Baker's Apprentice" and have been salivating over it. I am trying to restrain myself though and read through the non-recipes section. But, wow, if pictures of food can be described as "food porn," then the writing about food is "food erotica!"

I'd like to get a copy of Michael Ruhlman's "Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking."

[whs]

We got "How to Roast a Lamb" by Michael Psilakis. The rice with spinach recipe is worth the price of the book. Can't wait to make the braised goat.

[hobbybaker]

"Mediterranean Fresh" by Joyce Goldstein. I know this book is very good as it is the one of the finalists for James Beard Cookbook Awards, but it really is.

I made "moroccan artichoke and orange salad" already and it was so refreshing after heavy meat and casserole of December although this book plays more during hot summer days, which I am dreaming about in cold east coast:)

[lollya]

I received The Greens Cookbook, which I had hinted about wanting. I'm kind of disappointed with it... anyone have any feedback on this book, I did a ton of research and thought this to be a cb I'd really really enjoy...

on a high note, I also received Hells Kitchen's cookbook (local Mpls restaurant - and read the whole thing in 1 day - it's a cookbook and life story of the owner, Mitch) more my speed...

[pikawicca]

The Greens Cookbook was ground-breaking, back in the day, but vegetarian cuisine has come a long way since then. You can do better.

[lollya]

pikawicca - yeah, i can see that from the recipes i've skimmed. it had such high reviews and the few recipes i saw from the preview on amazon lured me. i'm hoping barnes and noble will let me return (no receipt) or exchange. :)

[c oliver]

I've had Field of Greens for a number of years and still like but not love it. Got our older daughter their newer book last year. It looked great but I don't have it and she lives in Seattle.

[The Dairy Queen]

Minor point of clarification, in case anyone is confused, but the Greens Cookbook and Fields of Greens Cookbook, are different. Both are inspired by Greens restaurant, but the former was co-written by Deborah Madison (founding/former chef at greens and author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, among many ) and the latter by Annie Somerville (current chef). I own them both and find them to be inspiring, but very involved and "heavier" than I'd like for day-to-day cooking.

~TDQ

[c oliver]

Thanks for clarifying. I really want the new one.

[The Dairy Queen]

You mean "Everyday Greens"? I've wondered about that one, too. Have you heard any of the buzz about it or known anyone who has it/has cooked from it? (Not that I need another cookbook...but, I am curious!)

~TDQ

[c oliver]

Before I gave it to our daughter, I looked at it briefly (it was a year ago and I'm OLD!) and remember really liking it. Do you have a Barnes & Nobel that you could check it out? you CHs are evil. I eliminated ALOT of cookbooks before meeting y'all. Thank heavens ;)

[pitu]

Make the Bresse Mushroom Soup (with the stock) from Greens. I've never made anything else from the book that I remember, but I love that one recipe very very much.

[Perilagu Khan]

Mark Miller's "The Great Chile Book" and DeWitt and Bosland's "The Complete Chile Pepper Book." 2010 is gonna be a smokin' hot year.

[pikawicca]

Candy gave me Bobby Chin's "Wild, Wild East, Recipes & Stories from Vietnam." I opened it to a random page, and these words in bold type leapt out: "Next was the fried dog." The recipes look great, though. I think I'll try the Salmon Cha next week, as I have some great fish in the freezer.

[clamscasino]

I had to return All About Braising to the library on Tuesday (after hogging it for 7 weeks). Boo Hoo. I would have been ordering that one today...but chowpup actually got it for me! Whoopee!

[wattacetti]

Sushi by Ole Mouritsen from my father - interesting tome which applies some science to sushi; Mouritsen is a Professor of Biophysics in Denmark so it's an interesting take on Japanese cuisine.

Fat Duck Cookbook from my brother, as he likely saw that I haven't yet opened up the giant tome yet.

[LaLa]

I got the Lee Bros Simple Fresh Southern.. I am enjoying reading it.

[kittyfood]

My present to myself is Jim Lahey's "My Bread." I have used his technique in the past but have trouble remembering to start the dough the day before. Maybe with the book in plain sight I will remember to do this more often.

[nomadchowwoman]

I LOVE this book. The instructions and photos make the whole process so easy and stress-free. I made the ciabatta a few days ago.

[NYCkaren]

I love this book too! I asked for it from my mother and received it. I made the stecca last night _ crunchy, chewy baguettes. Heaven! As you say, Kittyfood, the only tricky thing is the timing. You have to plan your life around the long first rise and one- or two-hour second rise. It's worth it.

[AGM_Cape_Cod]

I too got the Ginette Mathiot. I actually had a discount coupon for Barnes & Noble and couldn't find anything for my husband. So I bought that sealed and told him that part of his shopping was done.
I also got Ratio by Michael Rulhman and The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco. Time to move my cooking up a notch.
The final cookbooks were Asian Dumplings by Andrea Nguyen and the José Andrés Tapas book. Looks to be an interesting year of cooking.

[ms. clicquot]

I got Michael Rulhman's Ratio as well and am looking forward to reading it and testing it out. I also received a couple of Canadian cookbooks from my sister-in-law which look nice. My grandmother and mother-in-law gave me money so Monday I'm heading to the bookstore to look for Ad Hoc and the new Gourmet one (and maybe a couple of others, depending on how good the sales are!)

[buttertart]

What Canadian ones may I ask? Always on the lookout for new ones.

[ms. clicquot]

Funny, I was going to list which ones when I wrote that post but was too lazy to walk over to the tree to get them! They are:

Good Food for All: Seasonal Recipes from a Community Garden by The Stop Community Food Centre

Fresh Canadian Bistro, by Craig Flinn. It has recipes from restaurants across Canada.

[Gio]

If you mean Gourmet Today (the big green book) I got that one and love everything I've read so far. I already tagged more than a few recipes to try. It would make a terrific COTM, I think... also got Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries. Now That's a joy!

[Harters]

Kitchen Diaries is great. You'll enjoy cooking from it.

We usually follow Slater's months for recipes to keep it seasonal (although, of course, it isnt necessarily seasonal for folk outside of northern Europe)

[Gio]

Oh thanks for that Harters! I did read the last of the December pages just to get a feel for it... and I do think I'll try to keep as seasonal as I can. I live north of Boston Massachusetts. That should work, yes?

[emily]

For those who like Kitchen Diaries, I highly recommend Slater's latest book, Tender. I had to order it from Amazon UK, but it was worth it!

[ms. clicquot]

Yes, the green Gourmet Today is the one. I have the yellow one from a few years ago and really like it so I'm looking forward to it. It should keep us busy through the winter!

[greedygirl]

Isn't it? He would make a wonderful COTM sometime. I love the way he writes. I got his new book, Tender, for Xmas. Haven't had much of an opportunity to peruse it yet, but he does make you want to dig up your lawn and turn it into a vegetable garden! (Won't be happening, Mr GG would kill me.)

[Harters]

I will get Tender - but have to say I found his recent TV series (of the book) a tad irritating. He isnt a natural TV performer and, have to say, I thought he came over quite pretentious. Much better in print.

greedygirl - perhaps you and Mr GG could compromise by going down the potager-style route. Incorporate eats into your normal planting scheme. I only have a comparitively small garden and it's packed with flowering stuff as I'm a keen gardener - but I grow herbs in amongst them (for example, bronze fennel with its yellow flowers is in my "hot bed".

[greedygirl]

I do grow some herbs, including bronze fennel! I like flowers a lot too, and Mr GG loves his lawn.

I agree - he's not a natural on TV but this year's effort was a lot better than his previous series, some years ago now. I am also slightly annoyed by his references to his "scruffy London terrace". He lives in Islington, for goodness sake.

[MMRuth]

I agree - it's a lovely book (Kitchen Diaries). I made some fabulous pork chops from it, though had less success with a walnut cake ... meant to post about my difficulties with it to get a diagnosis. Even used English flour.

[Harters]

He's got two pork chop mentions - I love the ones in mustard sauce. The other is blue cheese and butter which I probably won't try as I'm not keen on blue cheese in cooking (although I do keep thinking I must try my favourite Blacksticks Blue in something).

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, both of those pork chops sound delicious to me, and Kitchen Diaries wasn't even on my list. Oh no!

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Not only good recipes, great to read, a "curl up with". Love Slater.

[MMRuth]

Yes, it was the one with the mustard sauce that I made.

[buttertart]

I got Gourmet Today out of the library and am going to buy it - there are a lot of enticing recipes in it (one for an Italian dish of crepes aka crespelle baked with sausage and broccoli raab for example).

[The Dairy Queen]

I picked up a copy, too. I haven't cooked from it (yet) but I think I'm going to like it.

Don't forget to redeem the coupon on the inside back flap. You can get a $12 refund or a one-year subscription to Bon Appetit. The book becomes such a bargain at that point, how can you resist?!

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Hey, hadn't thought of that - already have Bon Appetit post Gourmet going byebye, but the refund is a fine thing!

[JoanN]

I picked up a copy a couple of weeks ago in Costco since I love the big yellow book I have at home and where I've been staying in NJ really doesn't have a good, basic cookbook. Only thing I made so far was the rack of lamb (although I didn't do the whole Provencal sauce). Really good and very easy. Looking forward to dipping further into it over the next few weeks.

[buttertart]

Oh no! You mean I need the yellow one too?

[Beckyleach]

The yellow edition really IS "the best of Gourmet" in that it's a compilation of favorite recipes since the 1940's. The new book has a more modern, multi-ethnic slant. I love them both!

[JoanN]

You're absolutely right about the yellow book, but it's worth mentioning that the recipes were restested and reformulated for modern living and eating; they're not just exact reprints from the magazine's past. And it's really interesting to compare one to the other. It's almost a history of how home cooking has changed, in the States at least, over the past few decades.

[Beckyleach]

Yes. Thanks for pointing that out. :-) It's important to note, because tastes and ingredients have changed...

[The Dairy Queen]

JoanN, didn't you find it interesting that the yellow book came with a CD and the green one did not? I wonder why they decided to drop the CD when they released the green book?

~TDQ

[JoanN]

That's interesting. I didn't get a CD with the yellow book. Can't remember now where I bought it. Maybe second-hand on Amazon, since that's how I buy most of my books.

And, yes, buttertart. You need the yellow one, too. The "La Brea Tar Pit" Chicken Wings are alone worth the price of admission. But I'm pretty sure you can find that online. And my grandsons insist on the Creme Brulee French Toast whenever they visit. As I've mentioned here before, last time they visited I told them the recipe was really easy and that they could make it at home themselves. The 12-year-old said, "Maybe. But you make it with love." I'll cook anything that boy wants for the rest of my life.

[MMRuth]

I've made that French Toast on JoanN's rec. Twice in fact. Fabulous, and so easy.

"I do not need the two Gourmet cookbooks. I do not need the two Gourmet cookbooks. I do not need the two Gourmet cookbooks."

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, that is so sweet. The yellow book included a 45 minute DVD on Ruth Reichl's favorite recipes and cooking techniques. To be honest, I've never even looked it at, which is why, until now, I didn't even know what the contents of the DVD were. I bought mine on Amazon, used, for about $5 (with shipping on top of that, of course). I noticed that the seller mentioned that the DVD was included, which is why I chose to buy the book from that particular seller.

~TDQ

[The Dairy Queen]

According to the DVD, Reichl's favorite recipes from the YELLOW Gourmet book are:

Page 255, Risotto with Peas and Prosciutto
Page 33, Gougeres
Page 396, Duck Breast with Orange Ancho Chile sauce
Page 742, Devils Food Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream

The production values on this DVD are (not surprisingly) very good. I feel bad I've not looked at it before.

And I will have you know, that when I left the room to get the yellow book, my cat stole my chair. She's so cute, grooming, that I don't have the heart to move her. The sacrifices we make for Chowhound. :).

~TDQ

[Caitlin McGrath]

Risotto with Peas and Prosciutto
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Risotto-with-Peas-and-Prosciutto-106368

Devils Food Cake with Brown Sugar Buttercream
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

The other two aren't on Epicurious. Having subscribed to one or the other of the magazines, I always counter those who say, "All the recipes are on Epicurious anyway" with, "Not true!" Some of my favorites over the years have not been, and I'll bet there are plenty of gems in the two big Gourmet books that are not.

[MMRuth]

That buttercream sounds wonderful. Making a note. And, as you say, not all the recipes from Gourmet are on Epicurious. The day after my husband made noises about my getting rid of the many years of Gourmet, a friend emailed and asked me to find a recipe for her, which I was able to do. So, I had a new shelf added and the other one reinforced, instead!

[oakjoan]

Ah, MMR, I am one up on you in the maturity department....or maybe the "OMIGOD I MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE!" Department. I recently gave a gigantic stack of Gourmets and Saveurs to Friends of the Oakland Library. They have a used bookstore to add revenue and love getting Gourmets, etc. It makes me feel righteous...well, at least until the next day when I look at the empty shelves with their empty cardboard containers.

So I will probably be calling you in the middle of the night to ask about the poached pear recipe in the October 89 Gourmet.

[The Dairy Queen]

You just gave all of your food magazines away? ? ? Oh my goodness you are bold.

~TDQ

[The Dairy Queen]

Interesting, Caitlin!

According to this post, re: some of the recipes in the (green) "Gourmet Today " book were previously published in Gourmet Magazine and some are entirely original. I don't know if those original recipes are on Epicurious or not, but, I'm guessing not. Other than trial and error, I'm not sure how to test that.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6701...

MMRuth, have you considered scanning your magazines? The problem is, of course, that you'd have to destroy them in order to scan them, but if you really are space constrained, it could be a good solution.

It would be massively time consuming, but I recently bought a scanner (not cheap, about $400) that is very accurate and fast (20 pages at a time--double-sided!) and gives you the option to scan to pdf or word document. And the pdfs are fully searchable. I was a skeptic, but, the character recognition is fantastic. It will even make sense of a recipe upon which I've scribble a bunch of hand-written notes... (it makes sense of the recipe itself, not of my notes.

)

Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500M Instant PDF Sheet-Fed Scanner (they have a PC version and a mac version. The mac version is apparently not very compatible with snow leopard yet.)

My goal for 2010 is to become a more paperless household in terms of document retention, on a current basis. By, "on a current basis" I mean , I'm just going to scan everything in 2010 and see how it goes. If I like it, then I'll commit to scanning all of my archives...

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Thanks for checking it out - seems my Liam isn't the only too cute to move sofa and chair hogger, hmm? Used is a great idea, will look it up. JoanN - you made me want it even more, the revised recipes of the past 40 years idea is tempting indeed. (Planning a move, trying not to give in to temptation, moved 170 + boxes of books last time and God knows how many there will be now, but...aagh....)

[JoanN]

Tried the yellow book gougeres and it’s one of the few recipes from the book I wasn’t crazy about. I like the Zuni better. Zuni has more than double the butter and double the cheese for the same amount of flour and water. And as I type this, I realize that might be just the reason others would prefer the Gourmet recipe. What can I say? Guess it’s the reason I have to take that cholesterol pill every night.

[The Dairy Queen]

JoanN, re: the gougeres.

Well, it does sort of reinforce your point that the recipes were re-tested and reformulated for modern tastes, even for the yellow book. (In the intro to the green book Reichl says there's even more of an emphasis on lighter cooking, also, on drawing more from global cuisines. Also, mixed drinks are in again!)

It's possible that the gougeres recipe that ran in the magazine originally called for more cheese and butter.

~TDQ

[Caitlin McGrath]

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

I use maple syrup instead of the corn syrup called for. Works fab, tastes great.

[JoanN]

That's really good to know. Making a note in my book right now. That corn syrup has been sitting in my cabinet forever and this may be the only recipe I use it for. But there's always some Grade B maple syrup around.

[buttertart]

Re your grandson's adorable comment: He's got your number! ;-)

[walker]

That boy will go far in life; I wish I'd known how to flatter a bit better.

[pitu]

I didn't get a cd with the yellow book either JoanN, and I bought it new from either The Strand or Jessica's Biscuit...

[beetlebug]

I'm pretty sure the CD came out in later editions. The first few editions definitely didn't have it since I was haunting the books store (didn't want the first printing with the pale yellow). I am slightly curious about the CD but don't feel that my cookbook is lacking without it.

[The Dairy Queen]

My guess is that you're too advanced to find the DVD very helpful. Ruth Reichl named her four "favorite" recipes and then they spent the next 45 minutes demo'ing them and showing off various techniques. My guess is that the recipes chosen were not necessarily Reichl's favs, but the ones for which they thought they could teach something.

I'm guessing you don't need anyone to teach you how to make risotto or gougeres. Or, the trick they taught in the duck breast recipes for measuring thyme. (Instead of plucking the herbs directly into a teaspoon, pluck them onto a sheet of parchment paper, then use the parchment paper to funnel them into the measuring spoon.) And, I'm guessing most of the bakers in this thread know how to frost a cake.

Some of the discussion about the making the ancho chile sauce for the duck breast might have been helpful (the person who demo'd it, can't remember his name at the mo, said the first time he tried it he threw it out because it was too sticky or something...) . Also perhaps helpful, the comment the gal made about the buttercream frosting, "Don't panic when it seizes; it always does that. Just keep going and it will work out fine", but that's hardly worth 45 mins out of your life!

Here's the list of the four recipes again: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6763...

~TDQ

[beetlebug]

I'm not sure if I'm too advanced for the DVD, I just know that I am too lazy to actually take the DVD 20 feet to the tv to watch it. It's the whole, cutting it open, bringing it over and then remembering to watch it, that's beyond me. ;-)

And, for those of you who don't have the DVD and have questions about gougeres, the Zuni book does a beautiful description of what to look for in the dough.

[The Dairy Queen]

Believe me, the effort io open it/taking it over to the play/watching was too much for me, too, until I mentioned the DVD in this thread, after which I felt a sudden obligation to let people know what, exactly, was on it. :) But, ifIf I ever make the duck breast or cake, I probably will re-watch the DVD again, but, otherwise, no.

~TDQ

[pitu]

thx - I was thinking the disc had the book as searchable files or something (which I'd love - can you imagine searching your favorite cookbooks by ingredient?)
totes not interested in cooking show extras...
happy new year, y'all

[The Dairy Queen]

Funny, pitu, that's what I had hoped it would be, too.

Did you see this post about the cookbook "organizer"?

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/677870

~TDQ

[roxlet]

I forgot to mention that I also got Gourmet Today for Christmas and finally got to do my first perusal the other night. It looks like it has a lot of really wonderful recipes, but sooo many that it's hard to really know what exactly is in there. Since Gourmet went under, I wouldn't be without it and I and I am very happy that I got it as a gift. Momento mori as it were...

[buttertart]

Made this for NYE dinner - a lot of work (even though I had crepes in the freezer) (it took me 3 tall G&Ts) but BIG BIG flavor. Utterly delicious. And I'm not overfond of Italian sausage or broccoli raab - my husband loves them so I thought what the hey. A great dish - we have 2 more meals of it, it's very rich. Yum!

[Caitlin McGrath]

"(it took me 3 tall G&Ts)"

Hilarious (but I can totally relate).

[buttertart]

Cooking while cocktailing - the only way to fly!

[buttertart]

Heated up two portions of this last night and A LOT (like a good 1/4 cup!!!)of fat came out of it (to be expected with sausage and so much cheese, but it stayed suspended in the dish when it was originally cooked). No wonder it was so rich. Would drain the fat next time.

[renéemarie]

Tapas is one of my favorites...so many simple, delicious dishes. And, as a wintertime bonus, I am convinced that the Castilian Garlic Soup actually cures colds - WAY better than plain old chicken noodle.

[Val]

Son gave me a Thai cookbook, not an author anyone would know but that's okay (LOL, guess who LOVES Pad Thai and rice noodle in general??? well, we both do, truth be told) and he astutely pointed out that I have no Thai cookbooks. Also have a Borders gift card and Amazon gift card from other sons...might look into Flexitarian Table to see if I can find a steal on it at either place.

[Caitlin McGrath]

I really like Flexitarian Table, and think you might, too, Val. It's very in keeping with the way you seem to like to eat and cook.

[Val]

CM, if I didn't have a carnivorous son living with me, I *believe* I would be a vegetarian...but if I make ribs or something very red-meat for him, then I end up wanting some too! (very small portions of course LOL!) Yeah, Flex Table it is...so many great reviews of it in the COTM threads.

[The Dairy Queen]

Your Thai book wasn't by Robert Carmack and Sompon Nabnian, by any chance?

~TDQ

[Val]

No, it's a paperback with no pictures (not a big deal to me) by Jennifer Kotylo...here it is...http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Thai...

Now I can try the Green Papaya Salad that so many 'hounds rave over...none of our local Thai restaurants serve it...argh!!!...but in this one, I see she doesn't include the small dried shrimp or salted crab that I've seen as an ingredient on some good websites (the salted crab might be hard to find here anyway)...but I would love to try the salad. I 'd really like to TRY it somewhere to see if I love it before I go and make the entire dish but what the hey, I'm game!

[The Dairy Queen]

I just looked at the papaya salad recipe on Amazon and it's definitely different than the the way I learned to make it. I'm most surprised by the lack of sugar (traditionally, palm sugar), but, perhaps the tamarind concentrate has sugar in it? Also, I like it with peanuts. But, there's no reason you can't add more things in if you decide you want to, once you have the basic recipe down.

But, I think there are many "authentic" recipes for papaya salad and, perhaps, there may not be one, universal right way. Kind of like chili in the U.S.--everyone makes it a little differently, and while most people would probably say chili has to include beans...beyond that, just about anything goes... You might say beans+ground meat+tomato base of some sort is the minimum combo, but then someone would jump in and say, not ground meat, cubed meat. Not tomato base because what about white chili? And what about vegetarian chili? And so on. Many variations are possible.

Nevertheless, I hope you end up enjoying your book. As you say, having some Thai recipes is better than having none Thai recipes!

~TDQ

[Caitlin McGrath]

Ha, TDQ, I hope no Texans see your post and jump on your chili example. (Chili doesn't have beans! Chili doesn't have tomato, the red comes from the chile powder! etc.) Of course, if one doesn't fall into that camp (and lord knows, I don't), yours is a quite valid comparison with regard to variation.

[The Dairy Queen]

Ah, yes, I see according to this post in the vegetarian chili thread that a proper chili has no beans. That's going to make the vegetarian version problematic! http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6765...

And speaking of recipes with a ton of variation, I think pad thai falls into that category as well, so, I think Val will be just fine with her new cookbook!

~TDQ

[pitu]

Momofuku (David Chang) mmmmmm, Pork and Sons (Stephane Reynaud) and a big book with Dumpling in the title that defines dumpling in the broadest possible way. We're part of a pork CSA this winter....
Also David Lebovitz Sweet Life In Paris.
I've already made the pork-white bean-sage stew from P&Sons - had the book from the library - it was crazy good when made with fresh cranberry beans, less good with dried cannellini beans. I don't cook beans that often, easy to get mush!

[nomadchowwoman]

Just finished Sweet Life in Paris. If you like it, you should also read Molly Wizenberg's "A Homemade life," which is just wonderful and has wonderful recipes too.

[pitu]

p.s. The Dumpling (ha) is my new dumpling book. Authors Wai Hon Chu and Connie Lovatt.
It has a pretty awesome website.
http://www.thedumpling.com/About%20Th...
: )

[Harters]

Father Christmas left "River Cottage Everyday" (Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's latest).

In fact, he left two copies due to what was obviously a misunderstanding over my letter to him at his Lapland HQ. No doubt a cockup in the postal system during the recent dispute - I blame management not the workers. Couldnt organise a piss-up in a brewery. However, it now means I'll have to buy a copy of Nigel Slater's "Tender".

I'd hoped he might

[Athena]

My son gave me Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc - which I had also bought for him - he spent the day deep in my copy because he didn't want to take the plastic wrapping off of his copy :-)

Enjoy Julia shaebones - my copy is wonderfully tattered and splattered from years of use.

Harters - would you recommend the HF-W?

[Harters]

Athena

I've not gone through the book yet - but I have the the River Cottage Cookbook and his neat one and use both of them regularly, so I'm sure I'm going to enjoy this one. Just flicking through now, it looks like it's very straighforward but tasty recipes - "scotch broth salad", broad beans on toast, beetroot & walnut hummus, pot roast pheasant with chorizo. Can't wait to get cooking.

[Athena]

Sounds great Harters, though a bit like my other English cookbooks which I enjoy reading but can't get a lot of the ingredients here in Bermuda - homemade chorizo yes; pheasant no.:-)

[greedygirl]

I got River Cottage Everyday before Xmas as a present to myself (only a tenner with free postage) and I really like it. I made the purple slaw yesterday to have with our Boxing Day ham and it was good. Have you got Ottolenghi yet, Harters? That's definitely my cookbook of the year (and I've bought a lot of books this year - may have to ban myself until the new Ottolenghi comes out in May).

[Gio]

I pre-ordered Ottolenghi's new cookbook last month. I think I need an intervention..... I

[yayadave]

Do you have any familiarity with The Daily Soup Cookbook?

[Gio]

No I don't, Dave...but I do have the New England Soup Company book from which I cook regularly. What don't you like about The Daily Soup?

[yayadave]

Oh, yeah. The neighbor to whom I gave a copy of this book is a beginning cook. Ooops.

[yayadave]

I don't know what happened. My answering post got abbreviated to two lines. What I didn't like about the book is the number of ingredients, the number of unusual or hard to find ingredients, and the detailed instructions.

A reviewer on Amazon said much the same thing. But she also said that if you followed the recipe, you ended up with a perfect soup. I'll give it a try. See below.

[waver]

I love Daily Soup. They use a lot of ingredients but the results are worth it in our house. Its one of the few books I write in so I can tell you which recipes work well if you want.

[yayadave]

That's a very generous offer. Thank you. I took a slower look and found a few that I'll make, once holidays run down. The bean with chorizo on pg. 104 and the chicken, ginger, and coconut on pg. 160 look a little detailed, but do-able. That chicken recipe has a few ingredients that I may have to search out. I see that there is a butternut squash recipe on pg. 168. Maybe I'll make a good squash soup, yet.

I still think this may not have been a good choice for a beginning cook.

[Gio]

Dave, that NE Soup Co. book has a delicious butternut squash recipe. I don't have the book in front of me for the page number... but look it over. It's the first recipe I made when I got the book and we loved it.

[nomadchowwoman]

So I'm guessing from this discussion that I should buy the NESoup Co or the Daily Soup Book. My sister (not a cook) got me a soup book; while it looks ok, it is not very inspiring. Most of the recipes are pretty standard; and almost all I have in other cookbooks. I've seen many raves about the NE Soup book on these boards, and my question is: are these mainly NE style soups, w/NE ingredients or is it broader in scope? I have some books by NE chefs w/terrific soup recipes (Jasper White, Stonewall Kitchens, Sarah Leah Chase). I've never seen the NESoup Co book so I know nothing about it except that Hounds seem to love it.

And I'm assuming Daily Soup book is from the NY restaurant chain; I do know their soups.

[Gio]

The NESC cookbook has recipes that relate to all cuisines and uses ingredients readily available in any supermarket, I find. The usual serving size is between 8 - 12 so I halve the recipe since we're only two here and still we have leftovers...good for lunch.

Here's the recipe I first made:
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=810693
(I omitted the flaked cooconut and the extract

)

Here's a Google page with other recipes:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1T4GZAZ_enUS332US332&q=new+england+soup+factory+recipes&start=10&sa=N

Here's the book at Jessica's Biscuit:
http://www.ecookbooks.com/p-20771-new...

[nomadchowwoman]

Thanks, Gio. I put it--and a couple others (shame on me!)--in my cart at JB this a.m. Now I need to push the 'buy" button. Shouldn't be too difficult.

[yayadave]

COTM should be making SOUP for January or February.

[MMRuth]

I think we have a book selected for January, but soups for February sounds like a great idea.

[The Dairy Queen]

Not that this negates the possibility of having a soup book for February, but I thought there were a lot of interesting soup recipes in Trattoria when I flipped through it this morning. I didn't notice them as much in Bistro, but I haven't really gone through it page by page yet, either.

~TDQ

[bayoucook]

Good idea! My favorite/most used soup cookbook is Barbara Kafka's Soup: A Way Of Life. Does anyone else own that one? Mine is battered from use.

[dockhl]

Yes, I love that book. Also her "Roasting"

[bizkat]

Would this be the Butternut Squash Recipe you mention?

http://www.recipezaar.com/New-England...

[waver]

I added a thread on the Daily Soup here http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/677171

[yayadave]

Good move on starting a thread. The more I look at this book and the recipes, the more interested I become.

[The Dairy Queen]

From where did you order it, Gio? Amazon?

~TDQ

[Gio]

You know what? It isn't Ottolenghi's new book, I ordered Simon Hopknson's new book, The Vegetarian Option. (delivery early April)

I confused the two. Mea Culpa.

[pikawicca]

After reading your post above, I pre-ordered the new Ottolenghi book (doesn't come out until June) from Amazon UK.

[greedygirl]

It's out in May - not that I'm counting the days or anything....

[Beckyleach]

Bummer. This isn't available in the U.S. till next July. Pooh.

[Beckyleach]

River Cottage Everyday, that is....this thread is so fractured my post landed WELL down-thread from where I originated.

[MMRuth]

You might be able to get it through Kitchen Arts & Letters in NYC (at a price). They bring in quite a few UK cookbooks.

[buttertart]

I've ordered things I "had" to have from Amazon.uk - books are discounted, the shipping charge isn't that bad, and it's quicker than you'd expect.

[MMRuth]

Good point.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Amazon UK is really a savior for books not (yet) available in the US. Even including shipping and handling (usually £6.99), the total is usually no more than the cover price in US$, and it only takes a week or two to arrive.

[The Dairy Queen]

Caitlin, did you mean books not available in the U.S.? Sorry, don't know why I'm so nitpicky today. I have a head-cold and my brain seems to be functioning only on instinct or something.

I was surprised at how smooth the shipping was when I bought my copy of Ottolenghi. Like you said, even with shipping costs, it was about $34 or so...

~TDQ

[Caitlin McGrath]

Ha, yes, thank you for catching my typo; I have edited my post above so as to make it intelligible! I don't even have a head cold to blame for lack of sense. But yes, it is very straightforward and fairly cost effective to buy from Amazon UK if one is in the US.

[MMRuth]

And that's definitely cheaper than it was at Kitchen Arts ....

[Beckyleach]

Thanks for the tip! I hadn't thought of UK shops.

[greygarious]

Ugh - a friend sent me one of Guy Fieri's DDD books - I looked at the recipes and tried very hard not to look at his picture or read any other content. Nothing of interest in the recipes - I'm actually glad. First I was going to toss it into the recycling bag, but since I dislike gratuitous waste I'll leave it behind next time I'm in a cafe or waiting room.

[pitu]

If it makes you feel better...I had to look up who Guy Fieri was...

[yayadave]

...although as soon as I saw his picture I knew what "DDD" meant.

[yayadave]

Sorry. Should have been a direct answer to the O.P.

I gave a copy of "The Daily Soup Cookbook" to a neighbor. Since I was ordering one, I figured I may as well order two. So the second copy is a, sort of, self gift. After only a quick look, I don't think it's as good as the New England da-da-da cookbook. Maybe someone will have a more informed opinion on Daily Soup to share.

On the plus side, I got THREE bookstore gift cards. THREE!!! I don't have anything in mind, right now.

[c oliver]

Donate it to your library. They LOVE cookbooks.

[greygarious]

Maybe I can sneak it into the book return slot when no one is looking - I really don't want to be seen with it! ;-D

[laliz]

one man's trash is another's treasure. I'd LOVE to have gotten that book

[Boccone Dolce]

I'm with Liz- I'll trade you these fuzzy slippers and Marcona Almonds..

[shaebones]

B/c I gushed over the movie J & J AND the book 'My Life in France', I got 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking'. Beef Bourgounion will be my bext cooking challange :)