Voting Thread November 2012 for Cookbook of the Month
Hello everyone, and thanks to you all for participating. Soup, beautiful soup was dominatin’ the nominatin‘ at first, but a final count has produced three choices to consider:
THE BEST SOUPS IN THE WORLD by Clifford A. Wright
BISTRO COOKING AT HOME by Gordon Hamersley
THE UNION SQUARE CAFE COOKBOOKS by Danny Meyer and Michael Romano (2 books, the second one is called SECOND HELPINGS from UNION SQUARE CAFE)
One vote per person of course, and the voting will be open 'til Saturday, October 20th at 9 p.m. EDT.
Please put your vote in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.
Here is a link for the nomination thread that brought us here:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/872907
And here is a link to general information about Cookbook of the Month and its many previous books: http://www.chow.com/cookbook_of_the_m...
The vote ends on a Saturday night, so plan/vote accordingly!
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Hard choice, so I've been procrastinating on the voting. I have Bistro Cooking at Home in hardcover, and I have the first USC book on my iPad. I don't have the soup book. Maybe I should. OK, I take that back. I just looked in the iBooks store and the soup book was there, so now that's on my iPad too. Oh, heck. I didn't like the soup idea, but now I'm looking through the book, I'm liking it a lot more. But BCaH has these appealing tarts and risottos, and USC looks pretty appealing as well.
Aaaaggghhh! I can't decide. Somebody, make a good argument and convince me that voting for one of these is the right thing to do!
›20 Replies-
re: MelMM
Berheenia
Oct 20, 2012 11:06 AM
I love the soup theme but it's back in the 70's here in Boston and I have to make a soup that is an auction item I contributed and I don't feel like roasting cauliflower at 400 degrees! I will in January and February (when I first made this recipe) and that's when I will be voting for a Soup Cookbook. Does this help? I am torn between the bistro selections but am happy with either of them as the November COTM.
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re: MelMM
LulusMom
Oct 20, 2012 11:17 AM
Quick question about the books on your iPad. I don't have an iPad, so this may be completely different, but does anyone know if you can print a recipe from your computer if you buy it for your kindle? I know you can read it on the computer so it *seems* like you should be able to. I just do NOT want to take my kindle into the kitchen while cooking.
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re: LulusMom
I can copy and paste into Word from the Kindle app, but the recipe loses it's formatting. I do take my iPad into the kitchen. I have a cookbook stand that I put it in, which keeps it upright, so I'm unlikely to spill anything on it. It just hasn't been an issue at all, and I use it in the kitchen quite a bit. In addition to the books I have on it, I also use MacGourmet, which has an iPad app that syncs to the Mac, so all the recipes I've entered are there on my iPad. I'd much rather use an iPad in the kitchen than a laptop, so that's what I do.
Another option, if you're concerned about it, is to wrap your kindle in plastic wrap (aka a computer condom), as described in this piece:
http://leitesculinaria.com/43860/writ...-
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re: MelMM
roxlet
Oct 20, 2012 05:56 PM
Is MacGourmet from the App Store? That would be handy! I'm going to go looking for it.
Edit- There seem to be two versions of it -- both pretty pricy-- and it's not clear whether it is an iPad app or for the computer and then imported to the iPad. Could you clarify, please?
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re: roxlet
It's a recipe management software for the Mac. I put my tried-and-true recipes in there. There is also an iPad/iPhone app you can get. I have the app. It syncs (wirelessly) with the app on my Mac, so any recipes I've entered get transferred to the iPad. Then I can take the iPad into the kitchen, instead of working off the laptop or having to print.
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re: MelMM
Gio
Oct 20, 2012 11:38 AM
If it's any help, Mel, I'm standing on the corner with all the other sign holders hoisting my sign that says, "union sq. cookbooks" on one side. The other side, which I can swivel at will says, "bistro cooking at home". Both in big bold red letters...
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re: MelMM
Well, just looked at the totals, and I don't think my vote will have any impact on the final outcome, but here it is:
BISTRO COOKING AT HOME
I think we really had two factions here: soup people, and non-soup people. It might have been best for the non-soup people to agree on a book and consolidate our votes, so we don't end up like Ralph Nader taking votes from the Democrats, or Ross Perot taking votes from the Republicans. However, in this case, it didn't matter, as it seems a non-soup book is destined to win. And I'm OK with that, even if it isn't the non-soup book I prefer.
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re: smtucker
Breadcrumbs
Oct 20, 2012 04:44 PM
It's funny isn't it smtucker. Personally, I couldn't imagine a world without soup, If I had my druthers, I'd have soup every day. As a matter of fact, more often than not I pick up soup for lunch on work days. I am partial to hot soups, even in the dead of the summer...especially spicy soups at that time of year. mr bc on the other hand, not so much! Over time I've managed to convert him from a "soup-hater" to what I'd call a "soup-tolerator" but given the choice of menu items..."I'll have soup" are words I don't ever to expect to pass through his lips. Indeed soup seems to be divisive!
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re: smtucker
It's not that I'm anti-soup, it's just that November is not a month I make a lot of soups. I voted for the soup book solely because the USC book didn't even look remotely interesting to me, and the Hamersly book is not something I'll be buying this year. The soup book is thus the only one I could participate through, though it's no better than 50/50 I'll actually do it because, again, November is not a soup month in the Northwest. Especially given most of the soups I make involve things sourced from the local waters, and November is the worst month of the year for that. Make a soup book the book of the month in, say, January, and I'm all over it.
So sad my holiday book recommendation didn't make it :(
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Hi everyone! I'm new here and looking forward to participating - but it feels like the voting should be left to those more experienced. Looking forward to seeing what's picked. All three books look interesting.
›3 Replies-
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re: omnomnompizza
geekmom
Oct 20, 2012 10:57 AM
Welcome, omnomnompizza - I am fairly new here myself but I voted anyway and didn't get run off the forums or anything :-) I think the general rule is that if you're committed to cooking from the COTM you are encouraged to vote... am I right, blue room?
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My copy of Bistro Cooking at Home just arrived in today's mail. Just spent the last hour posting tabs on all the recipes others have recommended (22). I can't wait to dive in. Tonight I am making a dinner out of Jaime Oliver's 30 Minute Meals and tomorrow we will be out so maybe on Sunday. For all my complaining up above, today has really shaped up, one new cookbook in hand, two more on their way (with loaners from the library keeping me busy until they arrive). Still holding out hope that lots more people vote or that I am pleasantly surprised by the other contenders. Again, for those of you voting for Soup or Union, we (I) would really appreciate your recommendations for "don't miss recipes."
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blue room
Oct 19, 2012 01:57 PM
This discussion of the highs and lows of COTM participation interests me greatly. My thoughts will follow--right now I'm bakin' a cake! (Mr. blue room's birthday.)
›6 Replies-
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re: dkennedy
blue room
Oct 19, 2012 04:57 PM
Thank you, dkennedy. The cake he always requests is the Hershey's Black Magic cake
http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recip...
(a real standard cake I think) -- and always with a broiled topping -- brown sugar, coconut, etc. Has to be a rectangle, he's not impressed with the circular 2-layer foolishness I admire.
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Oh dear, I must be in quite a mood. Picked up my copy of The Best Soups in the Worlds from the library today, along with 3 others I learned about during the nomination process (Back in the Day Bakery, Bocaditos, and La Parilla) and I have to say, the soup book is the only one that is not impressing me right off the bat. I didn't end up participating at all last month (although I made two recipes and checked the book out of the library) and I am afraid I am going to be in the same boat this month. It is so hard to motivate to cook out of a book you are not inspired by. I have Union Square on my shelf (and have had it for quite some time), and can't seem to get myself to cook out of it either. If it wins, perhaps I'll be motivated by others experiences. Up to this point, I have been considering it for the Weekly Cookbook Challenge thread. The one book I am excited about, Bistro Cooking At Home, is probably not going to be selected and my copy has not yet arrived... second time I ordered it...the first one never did arrive so I had to reorder it.
As to the other 3 books I mentioned: wow, they all look fabulous, especially La Parilla. It is a paperback nothing of a book, but the recipes seem simple and straight forward and each picture is better than the next. I cannot wait to start cooking out of this book! I can't remember when so many recipes appealed to me out of one book so I just bought my own copy from Amazon. Also bought Bocaditios. I had the same reaction with The Back in the Day Bakery Book but the price is a bit steeper so I'll wait until I try a few out before purchasing this one. (I think this one might have been mentioned on another thread). I would have NEVER even picked this baking book up without the nod of several Chowhounds, but again, looking through it, it is going to be hard to resist. Nana cream pie, with nilla wafer pie crust, Mexican ho chocolate short bread, cherry pie bars....
But getting back to our vote.....once the book has been decided upon, I would love to hear some people's favorites from the one that wins. I really, really want to participate this month!
ETA: Jane, I noticed on EYB you own both Bocaditos and La Parilla, have you cooked out of either of them yet?
›27 Replies-
re: dkennedy
The Dairy Queen
Oct 19, 2012 11:20 AM
dk, I'm kind of in your same boat. I have no interest in the soup book and I guess I don't really have an opinion about either of the other two. My library has them both, so I can cook from either. When a winner is chosen, I'm hoping someone can help steer me in the right direction... I would really like to participate in November.
~TDQ
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re: dkennedy
JoanN
Oct 19, 2012 11:45 AM
Just curious, dkennedy. You say you didn't participate at all this month, yet you took the book out of the library and made two recipes. I took the book out of the library and have made three recipe so far (another is on schedule for the weekend). Only difference between us is that I reported and you didn't. Why not, do you think? Did you not like the recipes you tried? Or just overall ennui about the book in general?
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re: JoanN
LulusMom
Oct 19, 2012 01:05 PM
This is a point I've discussed with some other CHers - some feel they shouldn't report on recipes (or restaurants) that they didn't like. I feel pretty much the opposite. I definitely don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but I think if something doesn't turn out well for me (or if I have a really unworthy meal in a place that is raved about) it is sort of my duty to my fellow 'hounds (friends!) to say so. I've wondered where others stood on this. Maybe this needs a thread of its own, but I'm interested to hear what others think.
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re: LulusMom
I like hearing all experiences. Boy would I be annoyed if during a COTM, I spent a fair penny to make a dish, didn't enjoy it, posted and then someone said, oh yea, I hated that dish when I made it last week.
I also love hearing about substitutions [especially when the why is given], modifications that someone would make the next time, and all general impressions. Pictures are always a bonus.
But to get back to your report. My hope is that if someone cooks from the book that they would post at least a short review.
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re: smtucker
LulusMom
Oct 19, 2012 01:18 PM
I feel the same way, but I can't tell you how many times I've heard others say otherwise, like they didn't want to bring the party down. Maybe it is a dish that everyone else loved and it didnt' work out for the person, or maybe they just feel embarrassed, i don't know. I want to know if something doesn't work (I can still try it if I feel like it would work for me) or, as you say, if there are great ways to sub something to make it better or easier.
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re: smtucker
I was and am planning on reporting on what I made, just haven't gotten around to it. I tabbed a bunch of recipes but when the first dish I made was just "eh" (IMO), I felt I'd rather cook out of my own Indian Cookbook. So, it has remained untouched since that first night and I haven't even been reading along. I've kept the book out only so I will report on the two recipes I already made.
That is what I mean about worrying that I won't participate if I am not inspired. Just can't make myself want to do it. Even if I own the book.
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re: dkennedy
LulusMom
Oct 19, 2012 01:19 PM
Please don't feel that my question/comment was in any way a reflection on you. And puh-lease! We ALL have months when we just don't have the mojo to participate, or the forces of the universe are working against us. I doubt one person here doesn't understand.
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re: smtucker
Oh dear, SMT, I don't want to be a bad influence but here goes:
The Bombay Cafe Cookbook. It appears to be out of print (and not indexed on EYB...grrrr!) but as you can read on the Amazon reviews, it's a great resource.
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re: smtucker
The Dairy Queen
Oct 19, 2012 01:25 PM
I sometimes cook and don't report if I think I have nothing new to add--I don't see any point to being the fourth or fifth "me too" to a report along the lines of "I tried this recipe as written and really loved it. "
Also, sometimes I will end up (accidentally) modifying a recipe beyond recognition (I have a hard time describing these situations but they happen to me) and not like the outcome. This happens more often than I'd care to admit but it usually starts out because I didn't plan ahead very well, and don't really have all of the essential ingredients on hand, and end up making way too many ingredient substitutions. Or, sometimes I didn't read the recipe carefully in advance and halfway through discover that I was supposed to do some important step in advance (like make a sauce the night before) or that this recipe relies on a whole other "sub recipe" I'm not prepared to cook.
In these cases, when I completely botch the recipe and don't like the results, I don't report back because I can't imagine there's another person in the universe who will find themselves as woefully unprepared as I was. However, I really was "cooking from the book," just very inattentively...
I will report back if I end up modifying the recipe only a little (regardless of whether I liked the results), or if I end up modifying the recipe a lot if I like the results.
~TDQ
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re: LulusMom
I'm with you on this, LLM. When I don't like something, I think others probably want to know that as much as they want to know what I do like. If a negative write-up is done thoughtfully, with plenty of explanation of what the reviewer felt was wrong and why, I think it can be very useful. I assume the reader is intelligent enough to discern whether my reasons for not liking something would apply to them, and the same is true if I liked something.
When I buy books on Amazon, I always read the negative reviews. Some are useless, but if they give enough background and explanation, they can be extremely useful. Often, I'll think, what bothered this reviewer wouldn't bother me, and buy the book anyway. But sometimes a criticism will resonate with me.
To me, whether a review is positive, negative, or middling, it is the thought that goes into the review and the context given that determines how useful it is.
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re: LulusMom
blue room
Oct 19, 2012 04:44 PM
If I know I have used the correct ingredients and method, and the result is all wrong, I'd warn future travelers! But specificity is important -- too salty, took half an hour longer to bake, lemon cookie lacked tartness, etc. Not just "yuck, I'll never make this again." But I never see this -- the worst I usually see here is something like "didn't do it for us" or "DH liked it better than I did."
I DO freak out when the book author is around -- I once started a thread about a book (not a COTM) and couldn't post one post without a very quick response! Couldn't bring myself to criticize OR question, so I just abandoned the thread. The authors are so gracious and helpful, but boy I do prefer that nice secret ballot with no pressure when "voting" on a dish here! Many here have travel, restaurant, and "foodie education" way beyond mine -- I'm really a "home cook" like the board title says (boy was I surprised at the expertise I encountered!) I do think though, I've said this before, that if you nominate or vote you should participate in some way since you have affected the outcome. I don't like the attitude "my book didn't win, see you next month." Comments and questions are just as valuable as actual recipe reports, from this crowd.
I can't speak for anyone else, but I really don't think I've ever seen a cookbook that didn't have even *one* recipe worth trying.-
re: blue room
JoanN
Oct 20, 2012 05:46 AM
There have been earlier discussions among COTMers as to whether or not they enjoy having the author of the book participate in the threads and if I recall correctly it seemed to be an almost 50/50 split for and against. I for one was disappointed that Mr. Iyer was asked to step away. (Not that I know that for a fact, but as far as I could see his responses weren’t violating any of the rules and yet he was suddenly gone.) I assumed thread participants complained about his presence and he was asked to leave. I thought it a shame since I was finding his posts unobtrusive and his responses very helpful. But then, as a former editor, I have no difficulty telling an author when and where I think his/her work falls short and how it can be improved. ;-)
I agree with you wholeheartedly that those who nominate and vote have some obligation to come out and play, but my objection isn’t to those who have been active participants for years and just aren’t interested in the current title. I object to those who month after month are active on the nomination and voting threads and are then rarely seen or heard from again until the next voting thread gets posted.
As far as “my book didn’t win, see you next month” is concerned, that will be me if a soup book wins. I’m just not interested in going to the effort to acquire and review a book on a subject that has no appeal to me whatsoever. What I object to is the starting of a stand-alone thread for those titles that didn’t win. Back in the early days of COTM, if someone was passionate about a book that wasn't selected, that person would keep lobbying until a sufficient number of participants were won over. Stand-alone threads were most often created for titles people thought had no hope of every becoming COTM such as Lobster at Home or The Last Course. I just find it boring to select as COTM a book that has already been well-covered on it’s own thread.
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re: JoanN
blue room
Oct 20, 2012 06:06 AM
I hope Mr. Iyer was not actually asked to leave! Surely you'd have to cross a serious line of some sort to be banned..? When he disappeared I just figured he had given up on us, not the other way around.
I'm not comfortable critiquing with the authors around, but that's *my* problem, not theirs!
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re: angelsmom
Good question. I think it was the thread re what cookbooks you bought or were lusting after. I had just treated myself to a copy of The Last Course and there was this long discussion about how much I paid, if copies could be bought from their Inn, etc. Somewhere in this discussion, someone mentioned Back In the Day. I tried to find the reference but my computer is really slow right now. If I can find it later, I will post a link. Meanwhile, what I remember reading was that this was a fabulous book, recipes were foolproof, etc. etc.
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re: Westminstress
The Dairy Queen
Oct 20, 2012 02:38 AM
Yes, second helpings is the Union Square book my library has, too. It doesn't have the first one.
~TDQ
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Much as I love Gordon's bistro in Boston, I'm not gonna be buying his book just yet as I'm in a backlog situation. And I've no interest in the Union Square one, as the description/reviews of it on Amazon doesn't indicate it'd be worth a spot on my shelf. Guess that leaves BEST SOUPS IN THE WORLD for me.
›3 Replies-
re: Quintious
onefineleo
Oct 17, 2012 09:42 AM
I had the pleasure of dining at Hamersley's Bistro last night and mentioned to Gordon (a very nice guy) that his book was a November nominee (he's familiar with COTM!). He acknowledged that his book is out of print and that he has plenty available, signed, for $25.00 plus shipping costs. If you are interested, just call the restaurant at 617-423-2700.
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re: onefineleo
Breadcrumbs
Oct 17, 2012 09:57 AM
This is great to know onefineleo. Though I already have a copy, this strikes me as a wonderful book to give as a gift and having it signed would be terrific. I'll keep that in mind as the holidays approach. Thank-you!
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geekmom
Oct 16, 2012 05:37 AM
Since I don't really want to cook THAT much soup, and Bistro Cooking at Home is not available new (at least not from a Canadian source -- is it out of print?) I vote for UNION SQUARE COOKBOOKS.
›12 Replies-
re: geekmom
It is definitely not out of print. I got mine used for a pretty good price.
Here is a link to where to buy it used, but I can't speak for Canadian pricing.
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re: dkennedy
Gio
Oct 16, 2012 06:26 AM
And I recently bought my used copy from Amazon.com...
http://www.amazon.com/Bistro-Cooking-...-
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re: geekmom
You're right. I didn't notice that there were only resale venders, some old, some new. Too bad, the recipes seem wonderful and everything I have read about it indicate they are really reliable. I have USC and the Soup Book on order from the library, but the Bistro Book is the one I am really excited to cook out of.
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re: geekmom
Gio
Oct 16, 2012 06:46 AM
I think I don't understand what you're saying geekmom. New copies are on offer by re-sellers...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listin...
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L.Nightshade
Oct 15, 2012 06:44 PM
You are fast! Great job!
I'm jumping in with UNION SQUARE COOKBOOKS.
With the assumption that would include Second Helpings.›2 Replies
