October 2010 Cookbook of the Month Nominations (Through Tues., 9/14)

[smtucker]

Once again, it is time for the Chowhound Cookbook of the Month nominations. The Cookbook of The Month is open to anyone who wants to participate. Simply make a nomination, then vote and then cook. There are no dues to participate; no secret handshake to learn. Join us!

Please note that nominations are counted and only the top vote getters make it to the voting round. If you want your choice to advance, make sure you participate in the nomination round.

But please type the title of the book you are nominating in ALL CAPITALS, if you want your nomination to be counted. Nominations will be open until Midnight, EDT on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14.

Here is a list of the 49 previous COTM selections:
http://www.chow.com/cookbook_of_the_m...

[smtucker]

The Voting [Primary] thread is now up.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/734237

[pitu]

How about SWEET MYRTLE AND BITTER HONEY and
David Leite's THE NEW PORTUGESE TABLE (we did his website before. Looooove him.)

and where the heck are you all getting copies of Plenty? I just got ahold of Ottolenghi's earlier one! It's not on Jessica's Biscuit yet. I just saw it at the divine Omnivore Books in S.F. but it was $60 and as lovely as it is, I just couldn't bring myself to buy (and haul) it.

[mebby]

You can get Plenty through Amazon UK -- when I ordered it was on a special of some kind and less than $30 including shipping. Plus it came very quickly -- quicker actually than books I ordered from JB the same day.

[oakjoan]

I just ordered Plenty through Amazon, along with Rose Prince's New English Kitchen (a book I've been craving since I saw her video of white bean soup with buttered tomato and lettuce about a year ago. Cannot wait, I tell you....I CANNOT WAIT!

[Gio]

hahaha... Have i told you lately that I love you?

[greedygirl]

Ha! You finally caved.

[The Dairy Queen]

Hmmmm...I don't really see the synergy between sm&bh and tnpt.

~TDQ

[jen kalb]

Im astounded and abashed that Naples at Table is not more available - what about pairing Sweet Myrtle and Bitter Honey with one of WANDA TORNABENE's Gangivecchio books, like this one

http://www.amazon.com/Cucina-Sicilian...

If Leite's Portuguese book is seriously on the table, Id prefer to pair it with Jean Anderson's (which I have and like) than with the Sardinian Book

[roxlet]

I think that you and I are the lone voices crying in the wilderness, jen! It didn't even make the cut. Boo hoo. But I bought a brand new copy of Sicilian Home Cooking for 11 bucks from abebooks, so I will console myself with that...

[blue room]

I'd like to try THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA. Not so exotic as some of the past COTM choices, I know!

[JaneEYB]

My 15 yo daughter asked me to put in a request for "no more weird stuff". I've really enjoyed my month of Asian and now Middle Eastern but my boring kids want less exotic food. So probably THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA would fit that bill. I haven't cooked much from her books though I have friends who rave about her so I probably should know her stuff better.

[blue room]

(Haha -- I suppose if you were weaned on it, NO dish would be "weird"!)
So many here have mastered the well-known, of course they're ready to move on.
I watched Ina Garten's TV show 3-4 times and got the impression she knows what she's doing and is calm and careful and cares about ingredients.

[JaneEYB]

Oh I know, if I could have my time with them over again, I would have them eat the same food we did every night. But we ate so late, that was never possible when they were younger. I just hope their palates will mature soon (along with the rest of them) and they will stop being so picky. Though it wasn't helped by my husband being one of pickiest eaters around, though since he moved out a couple of weeks ago, there are a host of banned ingredients now available to me (nuts, pork and all piggy products, seafood, ginger, eggplant, pumpkin, mushrooms, sweetcorn, coffee, and more).

[Breadcrumbs]

All the very best wishes to you Jane as you embrace this new found freedom in all aspects of your life!

[LulusMom]

Embrace the freedom! Party on with the nuts and all that other great stuff!

[oakjoan]

Lulu's Mom: When Breadcrumbs started reading and posting on ChowHound she was already partying on with the nuts! And we're proud of it.

[LulusMom]

I meant Jane ... she is now able to have nuts in her pantry again.

[roxlet]

I have nuts in my pantry. I ask them to leave but they never go.

[LulusMom]

Laughing!!!

[blue room]

Wow, even corn and coffee? You *can* branch out now! A list like that is a shame, doesn't seem fair that all people can't enjoy all foods.

[JaneEYB]

As someone who will eat anything, I do so agree. But what annoys me most is people who won't even try something. Anyway, thanks for all the support - I am very much enjoying my culinary freedom.

[mebby]

I think you have the makings of a grand Freedom Fete there, Jane -- enjoy embracing the formerly forbidden fruits! I hope that this transition is a good one for you -- I have enjoyed your posts over the last couple months very much (not to mention your fabulous EYB creation!).

I too have two severely picky kids (among shared or unique dislikes -- french fries, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, potato chips, juice, soda, strawberries, most fruits and veg), however my big successes recently have been in the "weird food" category -- spicy Indonesian grilled chicken from last month's CAC (now known in my home as "that awesome chicken" and independently requested by both kids for first day back to school lunches despite the 3 (count them, 3) heaping spoons of sambal oeleek in the marinade) and the "meat cigars" from Arabesque which I made last night and all family members large and small gobbled up and requested a repeat of!).

But I do find that some of their dislikes are eerily related to those of my husband and I when we were kids -- I hated juice too and thought that soda was good, but disgusting served with meals. My favorite meal at age 6 was lamb chops. But I still don't understand their dislike of summer stone fruits -- I lived for those as a kid -- there are literally several plum trees around the house I grew up in in Berkeley that grew from pits I chucked out the window as a kid. I chalk that one up to my midwestern, standard fruit loving husband (bananas, apples, etc.). Bottom line -- you can't blame yourself.

I look forward to reading your posts from your newfound culinary freedom!

[JaneEYB]

My teenagers aren't quite as bad as I make them sound. They do like curries so I mainly cooked those when we did CAC and they enjoyed the Singapore Fried Noodles I made last might, loosely based on a CAC recipe.

Yes, I think you are right about picking up on parents' dislikes. I don't know if it's genetic but they both claim not to like mushrooms or peppers, which their father also would never eat. But I put finely chopped red peppers in the noodles last night and neither of them complained. Progress!

[LulusMom]

I think there is definitely something genetic about it. LulusDad and I both dislike hard boiled eggs. And that is just about the only thing we've found so far that Lulu just plain will NOT eat (and we never said anything about not liking them in front of her, so it wasn't that she picked it up that way). I've even tried egg salad and deviled eggs (both of which, in a pinch, I can eat) and she just really does NOT want to eat them. She'll stick with the 2 bite rule, but you can tell she's hating it.

I think other factors are at work too, but you can't discount genetics.

[mebby]

I can't stand hard-boiled eggs either and my son definitely got that from me -- I have to wait until he's asleep to make them for my daughter's lunch so she can eat them safely away from both of us at school. And the juice thing definitely can't be suggestion from me -- not that many adults drink a lot of juice, but almost every kid is addicted to those little juice boxes, whereas my kids' idea of a food insult is "tastes like juice!" It's definitely not the only factor, but I think genetics does play a part.

[Gio]

At the end of Mark Knoblauch's review at Amazon he says, "Garten's use of extra-large eggs as her standard measure may cause some cooks to encounter difficulties in reproducing some recipes." That made me start. I sometimes watch her show and don't remember anything about the size of the eggs in her recipes. I thought they were Large... Perhaps I wasn't paying attention??

[Breadcrumbs]

Huh, what a peculiar comment for him (oops I have to admit I have no idea who he is!) to make. Since Ina clearly stipulates egg size in each and every one of her recipes, and since folks tend to pay close attention to measurements when it comes to baking, I really can't imagine this being an issue. When it comes to cooking, I don't think the wrong egg size would have a detrimental impact at all...unless of course you grabbed an ostrich or quail egg by mistake that is!!!

[buttertart]

My MIL always uses extra-large eggs in everything and everything comes out just fine.

[Gio]

I didn't know who he is either but via Google I found that he's connected with Booklist magazine which is the acuisition journal of the American Library Association. Considering how Gartner measures absolutely Everything I thought his statement was strange.

[blue room]

I just glanced through 2 of Ina's books, and yes, she writes "extra-large" every time-- even in recipes for scrambled eggs. Maybe she just likes the eggstra Contessa opulence -- ?
Large eggs are about 2 ounces, extra large = 2 1/4 ounces. This is going to matter in *very few* recipes, right? Anybody heard why she does this?
If your recipe calls for five extra-large eggs, but you use five large instead, you are only missing 1/2 egg. If my math is right.

[oakjoan]

Hey! At least she doesn't call for ostrich eggs!

[roxlet]

I'm going to confess that all we ever have is extra large eggs. If I'm being super picky, I will sometimes use RLB's measure.

[LulusMom]

I'm pretty sure that is all I ever buy too. Don't even think twice about it.

[blue room]

Am I correct to think that "The Barefoot Contessa" has all different recipes than the recipes in "Barefoot Contessa Family Style" and "Barefoot Contessa Parties!" -- ?

[Breadcrumbs]

Yes that's right blue room. The 3 books all have different recipes.

[The Dairy Queen]

Do most of you have access to Naples at Table? It appears to be the frontrunner for nominations, but I see the cheapest copy on Amazon is $48, and my library doesn't have a copy.

~TDQ

[roxlet]

There's a $28 copy on abebooks.com, and I haven't check allibris or powells yet...

[Gio]

Alibris has the book listed at 80.00. I own the book but assure you I didn't pay that much. I'll have to check my records and see if I can find the receipt.

[The Dairy Queen]

There's ONE $28 copy on abe, with $22 shipping to the US from Australia. The next one on abe is listed at $79. None on Powells.

~TDQ

[greedygirl]

£58 on Alibris.co.uk! Cheapest used copy on Amazon is £45. Prohibitively expensive I'm afraid.

[The Dairy Queen]

Again, sorry for getting everyone all wound up re: availability. The book only has two nominations at the moment, plus one nomination to be paired with Sweet Myrtle & Bitter Honey. I wonder if many of the Schwartz recipes are online?

~TDQ

[greedygirl]

It's a valid point though and one to consider when voting.

[Gio]

Here's the recipe page on Schwartz's web site... he's The Food Maven:
http://thefoodmaven.com/radiorecipes/...

[The Dairy Queen]

Thanks, Gio. I would have missed this link if you hadn't pointed it out above...

~TDQ

[Breadcrumbs]

My "very unscientific" scan of block cap titles came up w a 3 way tie w Naples at the Table, Sweet Myrtle and Barefoot Contessa all w 3 votes each. But I haven't had a coffee yet so I could have missed something!! I don't own Naples at the Table. It isn't available in Canada except as an import on the re-sale mkt. for $50 & up. On EYB, 22 folks own it. It sounds like a good book so if its picked, I'll live vicariously!!

[The Dairy Queen]

I count four for Naples, but that's because I counted jen kalb twice!

~TDQ

[smtucker]

The "official" count for Naples is at 2. If there is a third one, it isn't in caps.

[The Dairy Queen]

Apparently I counted Jen three times. Sheesh. Well, I guess the availability (or possible lack thereof) of Naples isn't a huge issue at the moment.

~TDQ

[oakjoan]

There are two votes for Paula Wolfert's World of Food....I almost put this in caps but caught myself in time.....HEY! Way to get 3 votes, eh?

[smtucker]

Won't work. I have a spreadsheet and your name is already clearly next to world of food. <eg>

[LulusMom]

Hmmm, I'm sorry to say my library doesn't have a copy either.

[beetlebug]

Mine either. I'm a bit shocked actually. Usually the library will have at least one copy of whatever I'm looking for.

[roxlet]

I'm just so surprised that this book is so unavailable. I thought it had made a fairly big splash when it came out, so I assumed libraries and second hand bookstores would have a surfeit of copies. Wrong again!

[The Dairy Queen]

Weird, isn't it? Maybe it had a very limited printing? I find dessert cookbooks are often that way.

~TDQ

[LulusMom]

I was surprised too. I thought this book was fairly well known. Go figure.

[JoanN]

I'm still out of the country and just read through this whole thread in one swell foop. Wow. I have Dorie Greenspan's book on pre-order; in fact, I suspect it will be waiting for me when I get home. I'm guessing I will be very happy to have that as a COTM at some point. I'd also very much like to do Ad Hoc at Home. I got it just before I left and although I hate the format, I think I'm going to love the book once I start cooking from it. But since it was mentioned somewhere above, I'm going to nominate THE FOOD OF PORTUGAL by Jean Anderson. I think it borders on criminal that we've never done a Jean Anderson book and although "Jean Anderson Cooks" remains my favorite of all her books, it may be difficult for people to get their hands on it since I believe it's out of print and it's probably not in many libraries (and it's probably more of a cold-weather book anyway). Jean is one of the best and most professional cookbook writers out there and her recipes are invariably well written and always work.

[buttertart]

Heartily agree. I was just in the Strand here (NY) yesterday and saw 2 copies of JAC for under $8.00 each. It's available in multiple copies from used booksellers. The Food of Portugal is another wonderful book (inspired me to go on vacation there a few years back). One of the unjustly unsung heroines of the food scene.

[The Dairy Queen]

RE: Food of Portugal: 30 used copies on Amazon starting at about $3. It's indexed on EYB. I would love an excuse to buy and cook from this book. Though this may not be the case for everyone, my local library has 2 copies.

I also own Jean Anderson Cooks and would love to cook from that.

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Since it's peach season, make the peach souffé (JAC). Incredible.

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh wow, that sounds like a must-do. Right now!

~TDQ

[buttertart]

Oh yeah.

[DiningDiva]

JoanN, someone has started cooking his way through Dorie Greenspans new book at this link - http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/...

He's made comments about each recipe he's tried and Dorie has also commented on his results

[JoanN]

Thanks for the heads up and the link. I think I'll wait until I get home and have looked through the book before I check it out. Not that I'm easily influenced, you understand . . . . ;-)

[DiningDiva]

Of course ;-).

Dorie's baking book is out on Kindle format and I was hoping this new book would be released in that format too. I have to say that after viewing the thread in the link I posted, I ams seriously considering just buying the book.

[bxgirl]

OLIVE TREES AND HONEY
or BAREFOOT CONTESSA
I think I am leaning more towards Barefoot Contessa, but either will do

[oakjoan]

What is Olive Trees and Honey...okay, I know I could look it up online, but I'm lazy. It sounds like a Med/Middle Eastern book and we're just doing that with the Roden COTM.

[The Dairy Queen]

It's a book on Jewish cookery: Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World by Gil Marks

~TDQ

[blinknoodle]

It is a great cookbook. It has recipes from around the world and includes lots of variants, particular to different regions. Ie. shakshuka from Tunisia, Egypt, etc.

[bxgirl]

Hi, Blinknoodle.
I just got the book (after reading that it was so good) and would like to start cooking from it, whether or not it is chosen as COTM. Can you tell me some of the recipes that you have tried and liked, from Olive Trees and Honey?
Thanks

[blinknoodle]

I have been venturing more into Middle Eastern cuisine with the book, but it does span the gamut from Indian, to Ethiopian, to Germany. It is very ME/Mediterannean centred-though.

I have enjoyed the Syrian Bulgur Torpedos and the Moroccan Carrot-Orange Salad. many more recipes are bookmarked. :)

[bxgirl]

Thank you, blink, for the response. I will check-out those two recs. Was the carrot-orange salad very sweet?

[blinknoodle]

A bit but not overly.

[The Dairy Queen]

Sounds intriguing! Would there be a lot of overlap with the current month's books?

~TDQ

[pikawicca]

Maybe we should try a completely different direction next month and skip the ethnic/regional books. I'd like to suggest TASTY by Roy Finamore. These are simple and quick recipes with a bit of a twist. I've liked everything I've made from this book, and I've made a lot. Tonight we're having his butternut squash soup (with apple cider and coriander) and roasted pears (glazed with a brandy-marmalade mixture and garnished with pomegranate seeds). My family is asking for a holiday from the exotic.

[buttertart]

That's (Tasty) one of the best books of the past few years. It's nicely varied and very appealing, I agree. Not voting because I never seem to get it together to participate in the way I'd like.

[roxlet]

I was not aware of this book at all so I went to look at the reviews on Amazon, which are mostly positive. However, given how little I know about it, it is difficult to muster the necessary enthusiasm...

[buttertart]

I liked it so much I got a copy of it for my SIL. FWIW!

[The Dairy Queen]

Indexed on EYB, with a zillion cheap used copies on Amazon, what's not to like?

~TDQ

[The Dairy Queen]

Doea anyone know anything about Michael Symon's book Live to Cook?

~TDQ

[smtucker]

It is a fun short book. The dill pickle recipe is the only one I have actually made to date. I would call this book fairly pork heavy; Symon is all about the pork, but I would have to take a look to confirm my impression. I won't be back home until Monday, but will take a look then.

[The Dairy Queen]

That would be great, thank you. i've been looking for an index online somewhere but can't find one. The recipe on Amazon features veal (which I don't eat), but picking through the Amazon reviews, they describe it as "Greek-Italian-Slovakian." There are pierogies and potato pancakes, which appeals to me. It seems like comfort food with a twist, whereas Ad Hoc seems like straight up comfort food, using solid techniques. The dishes I gleaned from the reviews:

charcuterie (which is probably pretty pork-tastic--Ruhlman is co-author of this book)
a duck confit,
Beef Cheeks Pierogies with Wild Mushrooms and Horseradish;
Lola Fries;
his famous Mac and Cheese with Rosemary,
Goat Cheese and Chicken;
Fried Brussels Sprouts;
Spicy Tomato Soup with Blue Cheese;
Dates with Chiles;
Dill Pickles (which you mentioned),
Pierogies with Wild Mushrooms and Horseradish
spicy ketchup,
pepper relish,
Lola Burgers,
BBQ Sauce
Italian Braised Beef
poached halibut
potato pancakes
simple linguine with heirloom tomatoes is spiced with capers, anchovies and chili
peas and pancetta; (there's your pork)
Ohio creamed corn with bacon (more pork)
crispy cauliflower with anchovy aioli
pickled ramps

~TDQ

[smtucker]

Would it be possible to view the recipes on eatyourbooks.com? It is certainly on my bookshelf, so if you have joined, this could be another way to use their database.

[pikawicca]

You can't see recipes on EYB, only ingredients.

[smtucker]

I think you can see the list of recipes at the book level; but you are correct that you can't view the recipe instructions.

EDITED: see if this link gets you to the list of recipes in the book
http://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/1...

[The Dairy Queen]

*smacking my palm to my forehead "I could have had a V-8" style*

Why didn't I think of EYB? Yes, there are 108 recipes of the book, 13 of which include pork. So, not that pork-tastic, really. Pretty interesting sounding recipes, actually, but perhaps not enough to make it a COTM. Still, an intriguing book. Maybe I'll check it out of the library.

~TDQ

[Gio]

I wonder if we're becoming too sophisticated or discerning regarding cookbook choices for our own good... or at least for the good of COTM. Over the years we have cooked an astounding number of different cuisines and styles. There's still so much out there and so much to learn. Does this make choosing more difficult as we go forward?

[roxlet]

I think you're right, Gio!

[The Dairy Queen]

I think that's part of it, Gio. I personally am much more knowledgeable and opinionated about cookbooks than I was when I started. I've also realized what limits I have with my family.

Also, in the beginning, how I acquired the book didn't matter. I decided it was just much easier to own it. Now, I'm much more judicious with my pursestrings/bookshelves. If I can't get it from my library or find a pretty cheap used copy, I'm less inclined to vote for it. If you've purchased every single book we've cooked from (and I'm almost certain there is no one who has), that would have you somewhere between 50-60 books, not even factoring in "all Julia Child." My point is, if you've been acquiring cookbooks, you've probably added many to your collection.

There have been at least two COTM's that I recall where I bought the book and traded it away the first change I've gotten, so, at least I don't hang on to books I really dislike.

I think there's a little trying to work around other people's food limitations and access to the books. I know I've begged to get a "lighter" companion book added to a duo or asked for a certain book to be postponed to a better season for the (somewhat extreme) climate in which I live. I've actually stopped doing that because I realize it just makes things much harder.

But, I will say, there are some cuisines we've come back to multiple times, Italian coming to mind: twice this year with the River Cafe books and Trattoria, and before that Batali and Hazan. And while there are still plenty of Italian books I'd like to cook from (some mentioned in this thread and also Lynne Rossetto Kasper's), I do sometimes wonder if I need another Italian book when I would rather try something completely new. Italian cuisine is just very accessible from many perspectives.

There are some cuisines that have been passed over so far, several of which have come up in this thread: all of Central and South America, for instance. Eastern Europe.

It's complex, COTM.

But, at the end of the day, even if I don't adore the book, I do adore cooking alongside my fellow 'hounds. Most of the COTM 'hounds are the ones I rely on for cookbook recommendations anyway, so whatever they choose is almost always fine by me.

~TDQ

[roxlet]

Does anyone else feel that there is a distinct lack of focus in this month's nomination thread? Is it COTM fatigue or exotic food fatigue or something else?

[The Dairy Queen]

Yes, I agree that this thread is wandering all over. I don't know what it is. I know that there are some of us who deliberately aren't nominating for one reason or another, so, mabye we're adding more distraction than content. Not sure. I haven't even cooked from this month's books yet...though, I really, really intend to.

~TDQ

[jen kalb]

maybe we are getting too sensitive to each other? I know that x will argue strongly agains tOttolenghi, that y doesnt like pork that z hates something else. so maybe I dont want to bring it up again. There are at least half a dozen books on this list I would love to cook from along with this group but deciding it month by month like this is exhausting.maybe if we did this for 3 or 4 months at a time it would be easier to decide.

[LulusMom]

Ach, please don't worry about my non-pork thing (I'm assuming it's me ..). I'm feel like this is a democracy, and I know I can always at least try whatever book is chosen from the library and see if I can find a recipe or two to try, or I can go back over old COTMs and try stuff that I still have on my list. I bet a lot of other people feel the same way.

I kind of feel like Ottolenghi/Plenty is due. But weirdly, not that many people are mentioning it.

[The Dairy Queen]

I'll chime in on the Ottolenghi. Love it, but it's a book that might be hard for me to get my family excited about after a month of Middle Eastern Food... Ottolenghi is heavily ME influenced...

Maybe something like Barefoot Contessa or Ad Hoc would be a change of pace from the past two months. I like the idea of Sweet Myrtle and Bitter Honey so much that I'm willing to overlook my previous comment that we'bve done a lot of "Italian" this year...

~TDQ

[Rubee]

I actually like the variety of books mentioned (though it makes it hard for the organizer!). I always found it kind of funny that in some of the nomination threads, all of a sudden everybody has the exact same book to nominate, out of all the cookbooks out there ; ) I usually nominate cuisines I want to focus on. I actually just bought a Japanese cookbook and am planning a Peruvian dinner next weekend, countries I'd also like to explore, but didn't want to add to the mix with more ideas. Another reason too is because in the beginning someone would nominate a book and we'd say "Oh, I have that book and I love it" or "I've been wanting to cook out of it", etc. That happens less as we cook through some of the best/classic cookbooks.

I wasn't as in love with Ottolenghi as others, though I only cooked from his online recipes and I think it's always a little harder to get inspired.

I have less time to cook now so I've decided if it's a book I'm not really interested in, I'm just going to continue out of the last couple (I still have a lot of recipes in CAC I want to try).

[LulusMom]

I really liked the few things I cooked from Ottolenghi, but wasn't thrilled with having to make the math changes (mine is the British version). I don't own Plenty. I'm just surprised, given the high vote count on it a month or two ago, that it isn't getting huge numbers of nominations this month.

I'm with you - if I'm not interested in the book that wins, I'm perfectly fine with it. I just go back to the many, many recipes from past COTMs that I haven't had a chance to try yet. It's all good.

That said, with the number of people interested, I'm going to throw my nominating vote to SWEET MYRTLE AND BITTER HONEY.

[DiningDiva]

No, Mercury is retrograde. Focus will gradually come after it goes direct on Sept. 12th, but clarity won't happen at least until next Friday.

[greedygirl]

In my experience of COTM, lack of focus is usually a bad sign. It usually means that there is no general enthusiasm for any of the books suggested, and the subsequent month of cooking will be slow. I don't think there is any real reason for it - just happens like that sometimes.

[Breadcrumbs]

I nominate: SUGAR MILL CARIBBEAN COOKBOOK by Jinx Morgan and BAREFOOT CONTESSA COOKBOOK - Ina Garten

Sugar Mil: Since there was some interest in Caribbean cooking and, it doesn't seem to have been covered in past COTM reviews, I thought I'd suggest this book. Authors have been columnists for Bon Appetit and book was very well received w great reviews for authentic, accessible recipes. Book is well priced (only $12.21 on Amazon).

Barefoot Contessa: If EYB is a good indicator, I'm imagining many of us own this book. SInce a month of Caribbean may be a bit much for our families I thought this would provide good balance and, it doesn't seem any of Ina's books have been COTM selections previously. I know I've always been pleased with what I've made from this book but don't feel I get enough use out of it.

[Rubee]

I like BAREFOOT CONTESSA COOKBOOK too - it's my favorite of all her books. I've made quite a few recipes in the 10 years it has been out as many are great for entertaining (I still get requests for her crabcakes, sun-dried tomato dip, Indonesian ginger chicken, coconut cupcakes), and her ham is my go-to glaze. It would be a nice book for easy weekday lunches and dinners too.

[rabaja]

SWEET MYRTLE AND BITTER HONEY

As suggested up thread. I happen to have this book and LOVE it. The minestrone recipe alone is wonderful and it's full of delicious meat and pasta and fish dishes.

I got it because it was mentioned here on Chowhound, I think by MMRuth, whom I idolized and miss on this board. Anyway, I bought it and love it. Would love more reasons to cook and share it with you all.

[bayoucook]

What happened to MMRuth? A fave of mine too!

[LulusMom]

We miss you MMRuth!

[Caitlin McGrath]

I had to look up the book to confirm, but incidentally, Sweet Myrtle and Bitter Honey reached COTM voting stage in both April and June of 2008. Sounds like it's ripe for renewed interest.

[MMRuth]

It's a wonderful book - here's the thread on which I posted about some of my cooking from it:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/460138

And, to the other posters - I lurk a bit but post rarely these days, in part because I've not been doing a lot of cooking over the past months, after a confluence of some difficult happenings in my personal life.

[bayoucook]

So sorry to hear that, MMRuth; hope things get better very soon. I haven't been cooking much lately either - elbow nerve damage has left three fingers on my left hand numb and it makes it difficult to handle objects. Getting better though.

[jen kalb]

Thank you for replying MMRuth - I miss your posts and hope that your situation becomes less difficult.

I would like to cook from this book but it is fairly specialized to its area, right? I think to give folks more diversity over a month it would be a great choice paired with another regional book, like say NAPLES AT TABLE.

[The Dairy Queen]

I too hope things lighten up for you MMRuth. The good news about COTM is that people can drift in and out as their circumstances and interest permits, and though we might miss those who aren't cooking and posting along, we are always happy to welcome you back whenever you are ready!

Your posts make Sweet Myrtle and Bitter Honey sound like it would be delightful!

~TDQ

[roxlet]

Nice to see you post, MMRuth, and I hope we will see more of you!

[roxlet]

What about a cookbook everyone is always recommending and which is not going to be specific to any one cuisine -- THE WAY TO COOK.

[The Dairy Queen]

Technically that would have been covered in "Julia Child" month, though, that was before my COTM time, so, I'd be willing to do it "again."

~TDQ

[mebby]

I love all the fresh suggestions on this month's nominations (Thai and Caribbean especially, along with Wolfert's World of Food), but I'm going to be a broken record...PLENTY AND REVISIT OTTOLENGHI. And I hope to join in on this month's Roden books when we get back from vacation this weekend.

[bayoucook]

AD HOC AT HOME

[blinknoodle]

I think German cuisine would be great to try but I agree that a colder month might be more appropriate. Would Spanish be past its prime in October? I suggest THE NEW SPANISH TABLE. Fabulous cookbook thus far for me.

[Gio]

It's been two years since we cooked from a Spanish book... or in this case a series of Spanish books:
Penelope Casas' La Cocina de Mama, Tapas,The Foods and Wines of Spain, and Delicioso. IIRC although several of us cook the books as a whole the month was less than spectacular.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/5245...

What do you like about The New Spanish Table?

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh, but I LOVED Casas month. I had wonderful success with those recipes. My only complaint about Casas month is that we were cooking from so many different books (four!) that we were scattered and there seemed to be less cameraderie. I wish we'd only cooked from one or two...

Sidestepping a little, I'd love to do a Portuguese month, though. Either Jean Anderson's "Food of Portugal" or Leite's "The New Portuguese Table". Maybe the former because there's a lot of used, inexpensive copies floating around. (My library has both.)

~TDQ

[jen kalb]

or both books.

[The Dairy Queen]

I'm always game for two books. More than that is too many, but I find two pretty manageable, personally.

I meant to mention in my post, though, that I'm reluctant to actually nominate the Portuguese books because I've never cooked from them, so, I can't really personally recommend them. Plus, my non-participation in August and my non-participation in Sept thus far makes me feel a little shy about nominating... I'm pretty sure my schedule will clear up in the second half of Sept and for Oct and I can jump in again, but, I just want to be certain.

~TDQ

[jen kalb]

Ive cooked from Anderson and like it - but Portuguese is not my first preference for this month.

[The Dairy Queen]

Wrong season?

~TDQ

[Gio]

Ha... I LOVED it too but DH thought it was just OK.. We only cooked from La Cocina, though, so that narrowed the experience a little.

Portuguese might be interesting. There are several large Portuguese communities in Massachusetts... Emeril Lagasse grew up in Fall River. I like Jean Anderson. Have her "Jean Anderson Cooks".

I'm not nominating a book this month. Want to see what's presented by others. I could get behind Plenty and the Ottolenghi revisit. I Love his food! Curious Ad Hoc hasn't made an appearance yet...

[greedygirl]

I just bought Seasonal Spanish Food by Jose Pizarro, who runs a great tapas restaurant here, Brindisa. Haven't used it yet but it looks great.

[oakjoan]

I nominate PAULA WOLFERT'S WORLD OF FOOD. It's a collection of recipes from her "kitchen, travels and friends" - just like our friends if one of our friends happens to be Michel Bras. Actually, there are just a couple of recipes from Bras. While there are a few complicated recipes calling for unusual ingredients, most are much less time-consuming and use regular ingredients. Below are descriptions of several recipes.

Pumpkin Soup with Swiss Chard Croutes

Moroccan Chicken with Eggplant and Tomato Jam (fabulous)

Chicken Tajine with Sweet Onions

Mixed Fish Baked with Braised Leeks

Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Sherry Vinegar and Cornichons (French pickles)

Lamb Tajine with Olives and three beef stews

Carrots Sauteed with Bacon

Baked Mushrooms with Green Olives (both regular mushrooms and dried porcini)

A baked eggplant dish with gruyere and honey

Steak with Peppercorns and Raisins and another steak recipe with capers

Lettuce Mousse

Rhubarb Tarts with Whipped Cream and Caramel

Quince Sorbet

Sicilian Ricotta Ice Cream

Greek Butter-Almond Cookies

Caramel and Coconut Cake from Yugoslavia

A fabulous Walnut Roll

There are also several bread recipes - Moroccan Anise-Flavored, Catalan Coarse, Country Style, Sicilian Semolina, etc.

[Breadcrumbs]

That sounds like a good one. Funny I was just about to suggest Paula Wolfert's Mediterranean Cooking or the New York Times Country Weekend Cookbook since, like your suggestion, they both seem to have a variety of ethnically diverse recipes.

[Caitlin McGrath]

Breadcrumbs, when you actually want to nominate books, just a reminder that the book titles must be in all caps for the nomination to be counted, as the OP notes. Not sure if you are just throwing out ideas, or mean to make them formal nominations.

[Breadcrumbs]

Caitlin, thanks so much. I'm pretty new here so really just hoping to inject some new ideas. Since I haven't participated in prior COTM review processes, I figured I should leave the nominations to the resident experts this time around. I really appreciate your post. Thanks.

[beetlebug]

@Breadcrumbs - please feel free to nominate any book you would like. There isn't any requirement to COTM other than the shared love of cooking together. The reason why we ask for all caps is that it makes it so much easier for smtucker to count the vote. This way, nothing gets lost in the discussion.

[roxlet]

This sounds like an interesting book, but I wonder if it might intersect with this month's COTM since some of the recipes sound middle eastern in orientation.

[oakjoan]

roxlet:

This Wolfert book is a compilation of recipes from all over, and since she's an authority on North African cooking, there are recipes from there. The book we did of hers was, IMNSHO, a gimmicky book, i.e.,slow cooking. This one is much more eclectic, with lots of French, Italian, and Spanish recipes.

You are correct in saying that there are some North African dishes (tajines, etc.) I could say we did two or three Italian cookbooks in the past couple of years, etc.

[roxlet]

Yes, that is true, but the Middle Eastern books are THIS month's COTM. And just for me, after a year in Egypt, I'm kind of tired of those tastes right now. It's funny, I have three Egyptian house guests who have been in the US for over 6 weeks at this point, and I asked them if they are homesick for any food from home, and they said no! I guess you had to be there --- in Egypt I mean!

[jen kalb]

This is decidely NOT a middle-eastern book - there are more than 60 recipes from France alone, at least 30 from Italy of which 25 are from Sicily and many from Spain, Greece, etc, even Scandinavia in addition to like 16 from Morocco and my favorite portuguese salt cod recipe. And her moroccan dishes are hardly generic middle eastern anyway. Overall its very sophisticated cooking using a wide range of materials - a great antidote to a monotonous cuisine, it seems to me..

ps - one of my daughters recently lived and kept house in Morocco for 9 months - got awfully bored with the limited range of foodstuffs available there (and she doesnt eat meat or fish)so I get what you are saying.

[oakjoan]

Thank you jen kalb!!!

[roxlet]

I'm not surprised, Jen. And Morocco, unlike Egypt, has a recognized real cuisine. But if you're not a restaurant, it is exceedingly difficult sourcing ingredients. We are unbelievably blessed here in this country. No matter, the ingredient, it is usually available somehow, whether by mail, mall or internet.

[jen kalb]

WORLD OF FOOD would be a great choice, maybe paired with anoother Wolfert book (Mediterranean? Southwest France? Greens and Grains? Clay Pot Cookery?) since most people have at least one not everybody has all. her books

I looked at it this morning and was reminded that it includes some great Sicilian vegetable apps as its first chapter, then a whole set of delicious salads. Yum

[BigSal]

I bought my copy not too long ago and I agree, it looks great. It's only been eye candy so far, but looking forward to trying some recipes. As for Casas, I much prefer her other books to La Cocina de Mama. Sticking with the Spanish theme, Jose Andres also has a couple great cookbooks too.

[blinknoodle]

I didn't know that Spanish month had a lackluster following before. I have tried a few recipes from The Spanish Table and they have been great (Baked Eggs with Red Pepper Ragout and Chickpeas with Spinach stand out). It also helps that seasonal produce is best for Mediterranean cuisine right now.

I was also wondering whether a purely vegetarian book would appeal to the group? Some suggestions: Madhur Jaffrey's WORLD VEGETARIAN and OLIVE TREES AND HONEY are two good ones.

WASHOKU would be great for Japanese.

[oakjoan]

blinknoodle: We've already done Jaffrey's and Madison's veg books as COTM. You should check out the threads buried here on Chowhound. Of course, that doesn't mean we can't do them again - witness the suggestion of Ottolenghi.

[The Dairy Queen]

oj, are you sure we've done Jaffrey's World Vegetarian? vcfe, yes, but I don't remember wv...

~TDQ

[oakjoan]

I was thinking it was both of them in one month, but it may have just been wishful thinking on my part due to my love for Jaffrey. I mean Madison is fine, but Jaffrey is in my hall of fame.

[The Dairy Queen]

Ah, okay. Personally, I was very disappointed by Madison's vcfe and was sorry I voted for it and nominated it several times before it finally won. I think it's fantastic in its comprehensiveness, but frankly not all that reliable. I know its was an award-winning book, etc. but I think it just got points for comprehensiveness. I always wonder if the people who vote for these kinds of awards actually even cook from the books they're voting on.

~TDQ

[beetlebug]

I wonder if Madison' VCFE was one of the first cookbooks of it's kind in comprehensiveness. Maybe that's why it one all those awards. I found it bland and unreliable. I cooked a bit from Jaffrey's WV (which was never a COTM) and liked it much better. But, the book was too big for my kitchen so back to the library it went.

[LulusMom]

Definitely agree that Madison's book is unreliable. There are so many typos in that book, makes me shake my head. Still and all, I have a few favorites that I return to fairly often. But it really should have been edited a lot better, and there is no way it needs to be that big - there are plenty of things in there that just aren't that interesting.

[The Dairy Queen]

I do think that's it, bb, that it was the first to be so comprehensive, plus, it's "for everyone." Maybe this idea that vegetarian food can be mainstream. Plus, I'm sure Madison was still basking in the glow of her Greens cookbook, which was highly-regarded, I think.

~TDQ

[roxlet]

I've had VCFE on my shelf for years, but have never used it. I felt like I had to have it on my shelf since it is such a well-regarded tome (or seemed to be), and I am happy to hear these comments. I think I will banish it upstairs to the home of unloved and little-used cookbooks to make room for something more exciting that I might actually use...

[oakjoan]

I agree about Madison's veg book. It's weird, because I have a couple of her other veg books and they have many recipes I use over and over. The Veg Cooking for Everyone, however, has never been that interesting to me.

[Gio]

Here's a link to the COTM Archive:
http://www.chow.com/cookbook_of_the_m...

Portal to many years of fine cooking and eating...

[The Dairy Queen]

Thank you, Gio, but, I still don't see jaffrey's wv on that list, Gio. yes, madison's vcfe, and yes Jaffrey's Indian Cooking, but not wv. Am I overlooking it?

~TDQ

[Caitlin McGrath]

The only Jaffrey we've done is Indian Cooking.

[jen kalb]

We did Jaffrey's Indian Cooking not one of her veg books. World of the East Veg is a very good book,

[blinknoodle]

I, too, noticed VCFE for not Jaffrey's World Vegetarian, but maybe it is hidden within one of the months.

[The Dairy Queen]

blinknoodle, oakjoan says here she mistakenly recalled that we'd done vcfe and wv in the same month. vcfe was the lone COTM in July 2008. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7326...

Caitlin, Jen, and I all agree that the only Jaffrey we've done is Indian Cooking. That was Oct 2009.

~TDQ

[greedygirl]

Add me to the list of people who aren't inspired by Austrian/German/Russian food. There are a few nice dishes, of course, but as a whole I can't see it lasting a whole month.

So I'm going to suggest PLENTY by Yotam Ottolenghi, along with the OTTOLENGHI COOKBOOK revisited.

[JaneEYB]

I would definitely be up for doing PLENTY with OTTOLENGHI revisited. It feels like there would be a lot more variety over a month whereas I'm not sure my family could take a month of East European food (even if only every few days).

[Breadcrumbs]

Looks like Ottolenghi Cookbook was COTM in Aug '09 http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6417...

Looking through past topics, looks like South American and Caribbean Cuisine haven't been covered or, what about a soup book like Soup Kitchen: The Ultimate Soup Collection From The Ultimate Chefs Including Jill Dupleix, Donna Hay, Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver & Tetsuya by Annabel Buckingham. Or maybe something by Donna Hay....

[The Dairy Queen]

Ottolenghi is a past COTM, but Plenty is new.

I would LOVE to do South American. But I hate soup.

~TDQ

[LulusMom]

I'd love to do a Caribbean book. I just have no idea what the good ones are.

And I'm not excited by the German thing, but that probably has something to do with not eating pork or sauerkraut. That said, I've managed to have some really very nice restaurant meals in Germany. Always stunned at what my husband can find.

[pikawicca]

It drives me crazy that Americans think that German food is all about pork and sauerkraut. I think it might be the duty of CH to dispel this myth.

[LulusMom]

I've been to Germany, and know that it isn't all about that. But ... there is still a LOT of pork and meat, and that doesn't enchant me.

[The Dairy Queen]

Spaetzle! Black Forest Cake! Pretzels!

~TDQ

[pikawicca]

I adore spaettzle, and it's so easy to make.

[roxlet]

My husband will frequently make a black pepper and parsley spaetzle to go with a seared duck breast preparation.

[LulusMom]

I LOVE duck breasts, and they're darned hard to find around here, unfortunately. Finally found a place that will get me legs though. Sounds like a delicious meal.

[roxlet]

He doesn't buy duck breasts, he buys whole ducks, disassembles them and uses the legs and thighs to make confit, he freezes the breasts, and uses the carcass to make the duck/green peppercorn demi-glace that is in The Way to Cook. The seared breasts with that sauce and the spaetzle is fabulous.

[oakjoan]

roxlet: Does your husband accept bribes to come to Oakland and prepare that spaetzle?

[LulusMom]

How about a tour of North America?

[roxlet]

See, you just missed out, oakjoan! He was in your neck of the the woods in mid-August. He always goes for the classic car races in Monterey, and then he does business meetings up and down the west coast. One year it's points north, and the next it's points south, so you're either going to have to come to NY or wait two more years!

[roxlet]

When I told my husband about my post, he decided to make this for dinner tonight -- seared duck breast with green pepper demiglace, black pepper and parsley spatzle and French green beans. Yum. Can't wait for dinner!

[LulusMom]

Lucky duck... Can you tell him there are jealous chowfriends out here.

[pikawicca]

Actually, I would say that the duck was rather UNlucky.

[LulusMom]

very good point.

[The Dairy Queen]

Never made it but would love to! I have to say, though, I do think of German food as being pretty meat-tacular. And vinegar-y. Neither of which are problems for me.

~TDQ

[Rubee]

Thai, maybe CRACKING THE COCONUT by Su-Mei Yu or David Thompson's THAI FOOD

[qianning]

I would second Cracking the Coconut.

[Breadcrumbs]

My favourite German Cookbook is Mimi Sheraton's "The German Cookbook". As for Hungarian, a friend brought me "The Gourmet's Cookbook" by Elek Magyar when he returned from Hungary in the 1970's, it is a wonderful (well-used!) source of authentic recipes.

[jen kalb]

Id be more up for Russian (more variety) than Hungarian or German, if that is the direction folks want to go. Please to the Table, for example, is a pretty good and wide compilation.I love Hungarian but its too monochromatic -and high cholesterol -for a month

I too had a hard time identifying what I saw in the River Cafe book with Italian - its more of an Italian cooking style, and very simple (more like say Chez Panisse) than a regional italian book that carefully recreates a local cuisine.

[clamscasino]

Just back from a little googling (and I did notice that the Kolache threads are reappearing on CH) and I like the idea of a regional cookbook that emcompasses more of these cuisines. (Enough Italian for now.) I found two that look interesting and are available on Amazon, AND in my state's library network. They are:

All along the Danube: Recipes from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Author Marina Polvay. (Comes with a special chapter on Christmas along the Danube.

The Practical Encyclopedia of East European Cooking: the Definitive Collection of Traditional Recipes, from the Baltic to the Black Sea. By Lesley Chamberlain. This ones expensive new, but used editions are available on Amazon from $6.72

[ChefJune]

<All along the Danube: Recipes from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Author Marina Polvay. (Comes with a special chapter on Christmas along the Danube. >

That sounds very interesting, but I'd fear for a monthlong cookfest from it. Fear for my waistline, that is! ;D

[clamscasino]

I thought it looked interesting too. I'll order it from the library and take a look at whether it truly would be a caloric disaster. Hey, after all, Michael Pollan says to cook/eat like your grandmother, and both mine and Mr. Clam's are represented in the above list.

[pikawicca]

As the weather cools, I'd love to have us do a German, Austrian, or Eastern European book. We've never come close to any of these cuisines, and they have a lot to offer. A couple of possibilities are THE NEW GERMAN COOKBOOK by Jean Anderson and Hedy Wurz, and GERMAN COOKING by Marianna Olszewska Heberle. There are many other possibilities.

[roxlet]

The only books I have that fit vaguely in that category is East of Paris and a Hungarian cookbook. I guess that I don't really love German food, and being in Germany this summer did nothing for my desire to further explore the cuisine...

[pikawicca]

Don't know where you were eating, but we were also in Germany this summer and had several incredible meals. Even our casual lunches were great. (Of course, white asparagus was in season, so that was a bonus.)

[roxlet]

We were in Cologne and had pretty uninspiring food. I would say it went from bad to wurst, but then I'd have to hit myself.

[pikawicca]

We had a superb lunch of sauteed trout, steamed potatoes (that tasted very buttery, but had no butter) and asparagus when we were in Cologne. I should say that I've lived in Germany on and off, and have a pretty good feel for what to avoid regarding restaurants. I'm always bemused when people say they don't like this cuisine. It's varied, like any other, and I think it's been defined by the lowest common denominator.

[roxlet]

Well, we were not in the best position being near the convention center at a tournament hotel, but we tried to get some good meals without success. My DH has made some good German dishes in the past (his maltashen (sp?) zuppa was wonderful) but in general, cant say I am a fan of most of the German food I've tried. My BIL is German, so we get some authentic stuff from that end. Just not to my taste, I guess.

[The Dairy Queen]

I feel like we've done Italian twice this year (Trattoria and the River Cafe Easy Books) so, I'd be up for Eastern European or German or Austrian.

~TDQ

[Gio]

Interesting that you mention German books, Pika. I was thinking Austrian this afternoon but I thought that cuisine would probably be better suited to a winter month, or am I wrong? I've been to Germany but in the late Spring when it was still cool bordering on cold....

[roxlet]

OK, so here's a random thought -- though there have been many Italian books, there haven't been any regional ones, and I was recently looking through a book I own that I would like to cook from more -- NAPLES AT TABLE by Arthur Schwartz. That, or Ada Boni's classic, ITALIAN REGIONAL COOKING would be very interesting to me. Both have the advantage of not being new and should be available in libraries or from used book sellers.

[Gio]

I have Arthur Schwartz's book and like it very much. Another southern Italian regional book I like is, "Sicilian Home Cooking: Family Recipes from Gangivecchio" by Giovanna Tornabene and Wanda Tornabene. A mother/daughter team who cook at their restaurant Gangivecchio.

http://www.amazon.com/Sicilian-Home-C...

However, since we recently did the two Italian books from the River Cafe... perhaps another theme might be in order. J/S

BTW: does anyone have the new Dorie Greenspan book, "Around My French Table"?

[roxlet]

I plan on getting that soon. Do you have it, and if you do, do you like it?

I consider those River Cafe books to be sort of a British interpretation of Italian food, and I persist in my nomination of Naples at Table in that there has never been a regional Italian cookbook. I don't have the Tornabene book, though I have been meaning to get it, and I would also be happy to do a Sicilian cookbook (I'm half Sicilian and half Neapolitan, so this all makes sense, you see), but I think that Sicilian food, while distinct from Middle Eastern, can sometimes have flavors and ingredients that intersect (the use of currants springs immediately to mind).

[Gio]

I don't have the Greenspan book but am considering it. I'm in the same boat geographically as you. My mother grew up in Trieste but went to university in Naples. My father's family came from Abruzzo. Frankly, if we do another Italian book in the future, I'd rather do a northern regional focus.

[greedygirl]

I don't really agree with your opinion of the River Café books. You could equally say that the Schwartz is an American interpretation of Italian food. While I might be interested in the Naples at Table book at some point, I agree with Gio that it's too soon for another Italian book.

[roxlet]

Well, I knew I'd hear it from you on that gg, but we can agree to disagree! Just from the perspective of my family, my family's cooking, and visits to Naples, I have to say that Schwartz's book is spot on. Clearly I don't have a bias against a non-Italian writing an Italian cookbook, and I feel that Naples at Table is extremely authentic despite the fact that Schwartz is not Italian. Schwartz is definitely not interpreting Italian food; it is very specific to the place.

And Gio, as far as a northern regional focus goes, I feel that when you do Marcella, that is really what you are doing though she does not specifically state that. Again, just my opinion...

[greedygirl]

From numerous visits to Italy, I'd say the River Café food is pretty authentic too. It's just not rooted in one region.

I was interested to see that Schwartz has a cooking school near Paestum, which is where we were this summer.

[jen kalb]

Id definitely support NAPLES AT TABLE its really an excellent regional book. It could be paired with another regional book as well. I have one of the Tournabene books - not sure it is the same one as above., Fall is a good time for ths food since we still have eggplants, peppers, etc galore. I have a dream of doing The Splendid Table, but I think that would be more for winter.

[LulusMom]

I'd also be very interested in doing a Sicilian book sometime, and I've got that Sardinian cookbook that came out a few years back (sorry ... martinis in action right now, can't remember the title) and would love to do that one.

[The Dairy Queen]

Sweet Myrtle and Bitter Honey?

~TDQ

[roxlet]

I have that book too and would be interested in cooking from it as well...

[jen kalb]

ditto. Maybe SWEET MYRTLE AND BITTER HONEY and the SCHWARZ NAPLES book as a regional pair?

[LulusMom]

That's it! Thanks TDQ.

[The Dairy Queen]

P.S. reply to Gio on Dorie's new book. I've purchased it through the Good Cook, but they say it won't ship until October. I know it goes against our desire to not cook from a new book, but what if we each asked for a copy of the new Dorie as a gift for whichever holiday we celebrate in December and cooked from it in January?

~TDQ

[buttertart]

I'd be up for that because I put myself in the same boat...looked at the book on Sunday at B&N and man oh man does it look good...

[roxlet]

I'm off to Costco this morning (have run out of chocolate chips making endless batches of cookies for the Egyptians), and I am somehow hoping that it will be there. Fingers crossed!!

[buttertart]

I have a friend in France I am dragooned into taking those mongo bags of chocolate chips to when we go...get French chocolate in return, though..not complaining! Good luck w the book.

[oakjoan]

roxlet: Are you saying that there's a Costco in Egypt??!! Or are you making cookies to ship?

[pikawicca]

She's back home and has (extremely ill-behaved) Egyptian house guests. I sure would be baking those louts any cookies.

[Gio]

Ouch... I just saw this... did you see my reply to your query about Schwatrz's on-line recipes below?

Anyway, Pre-ordering Holiday gifts is not unheard of at Casa Gio. I could very easily do that for the Greenspan book. I was intrigued with her when I read in her blog that another group is signing up to cook through her new book. Those who sign up nominate and vote for the one recipe they'll all make during a certain time period. I *Think* that's the way it goes. They call it, "French Fridays with Dorie."

http://doriegreenspan.com/

[buttertart]

She must be feeling the LOVE these days. I hope she's as nice as she seems in her books!

[Gio]

I actually don't have any of her books... yet. The only one I'd heard of was her book on baking, and since I no longer do the baking I used do I passed it by. But her blog is interesting and I'm enjoying that.

BTW: are you voting for Love this month? LOL

[buttertart]

Oops, no other way to emphasize here...but food is love, sin't it? ;-)

[Gio]

Yes indeed. On so many levels...