What cookbooks have you bought recently, or are you lusting after? November 2012 edition [OLD]

[buttertart]

Hi everybody, what with our "friend" Sandy and related work/transport woes, my computer playing time has been radically curtailed. "Burma" was a nice respite during the storm. There are so many new and exciting books out and coming out...so what ones are turning your head these days?

[nadiam1000]

Just placed an order at bookcloseouts.com since they had a 50% off sale. I started with Nigella's How to Eat($5.49) for COTM and then added the Butch Bakery, Vegan Bake sale, Pillsbury Best of the Bake Off and Betty Crocker Best of Baking(feeling nostalgic), Put 'em Up( a canning book), Desserts 4 Today and Heartland Baking. Considering our house is on the market and we will be moving soon, I really should stop. I will try to cull some books this weekend to maintain some balance. It's hard though, since I like all the books I have which is saying something since I have so many. sigh....

[poptart]

Oh gosh...I also succumbed to the bookcloseouts.com sale. On order:
- Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies
- Fast Fresh and Green
- Salsas that Cook
- Vegan Slow Cooking

It's certainly hard to cull books. But, I tell myself that if this is something that brings happiness in life, that's not such a bad thing, right? :-)

[herby]

I have Chew Gooey and Salsas That Cook - made several recipes out of each and love both. Good choices, Poptart, I hope you have great dishes to report on soon :)

[DiningDiva]

You should like Salsas that Cook, it's a pretty versatile book. I really like it.

[buttertart]

270 replies...man. Time for a new thread for the rest of November (I wanted to get this done on the 15th but my work schedule is simply too ridiculous at the moment)...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8780...

[dkennedy]

Last night, (quite unexpectedly), I was treated to an evening in conversation with Ina Garten. Well, she didn't converse with me personally, I attended an interview facilitated by Evan Kleiman of KCRW. 500 of my closest friends and I eavesdropped while they two discussed the weather, Jeffery, face cream, and oh, yes, Ina's newest book. It was an absolutely delightful evening. As I sat there squirming in my seat I thought, there must be a few fellow Chowhounders in the audience. Too bad I couldn't pick you out....The best part came when I went home with an autographed copy of Barefoot Contessa FOOLPROOF. Unable to sleep when I got home, I curled up on the couch and devoured the book cover to cover.

http://www.vromansbookstore.com/ina-g...

[blue room]

dkennedy this is definitely off topic, but will you still be able to complete your travel plans?

[dkennedy]

Gulp...I am hoping to but I kind of holding my breath to see what happens over the next month. We have paid in full so it is going to be quite a financial loss for us if we decide it is too dangerous to take the risk. Of course we are hoping for everyone's sake that the tension de-escalates quickly!

[blue room]

My very very best wishes for this. (I thought you were going during Thanksgiving, quite soon.)
Also, yes Ina is great. Absolutely no losers with her recipes so far.

[dkennedy]

Thank you Blue Room!

[flourgirl]

I just received my copy of "The Elephant Walk Cookbook" after reading so many rave reviews of it here on CH. For anyone who's interested, the paperback is available for $24.95 +shipping through the restaurant's website.

[dkennedy]

I am awaiting my copy. I put it on my Bday wish list.

[Ruthie789]

Woman's Day has a recipe from the Casserole Queens it is a cranberry coffee cake and it looked great in the magazine. Now I do have to go out and buy the cookbook see link below:
http://www.amazon.com/Casserole-Queen...

[poptart]

Just got:
- Home Made Winter by Yvette Van Boven which looks absolutely wonderful; I love her drawings, the beautiful photographs and interesting recipes!

- Muffin Tin Chef: I was intrigued reading someone else's description of it on Eat Your Books; saw it in the bookstore and had to get it! Some good (and healthy) ideas here for portable food

- Whole Grains for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff: love the kind of cooking in here, looking forward to trying some of these out soon

- DIY by America's Test Kitchen: not one I planned on getting but couldn't resist.

[buttertart]

I just saw the ad for that CI book. How is it?

[foodie_guru]

While browsing through Chapters this week, I noticed a new ATK Book - The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2012. I didn't have much time to look through it - has anyone had a chance to review it?

[poptart]

I haven't yet cooked from it but it grabbed me when flipping through it at the bookstore.
There are lots of recipes for preserves, condiments, pickles; chapters on cheesemaking, candymaking, even beer making and other drinks. Lots there to explore.
One I may try first is for a condiment called "dukkah" which has roasted chickpeas, pistachios, sesame, and spices.
Another one that I'd like to try is for a whipped maple syrup spread (only ingredient is maple syrup).
The book has a lot of unique recipes in there, not just another run-of-the-mill jam and jelly book.

The directions are very clear and they have plenty of photographs to help show technique which is important for many of these recipes, such as the cheese making and whipped maple syrup, for example.

[ellabee]

So many of the ATK-Cook's Illustrated books seem like repackaging of existing stuff, but the DIY one gives the impression that real work went into it. It's also covering ground that few other cookbooks do. I hope to see a copy in person in 2013 at some point.

[deet13]

The Barbecue Bible by Steven Raichlen....

Getting ready for spring.

[chefathome]

I really like both his barbecue books and use them a lot.

[Breadcrumbs]

Once again I succumbed to the enthusiastic praise of my trusted hound friends on another thread and I've purchased a cookbook! I know, I know....quelle surprise!!

Holiday Dinners by Bradley Ogden now adorns my shelf.

btw, Monday was a holiday here in Canada and I managed to catch a little Anderson. That was until I heard about his "next guest"....evidently a hoarder...of books!!! I immediately averted my eyes!! For the record, very few of my cookbooks are on the floor!!! ; - )

[geminigirl]

Under the guise of Christmas shopping for the other cooks on my list... I bought myself:
Indian slow cooker
Baking with Julia
KA baking book

[meatn3]

You are still shopping for others - just doing a little quality control along the way!

[geminigirl]

I like the way you think:)

[Westy]

I did the same. I am waiting on: 3 good things, and The Vegetarian Option (Simon Hopkinson). it does mean that I need to get rid of at least6 old books I don't use (my rule of thumb to cut down on clutter is tyhat I get rid of two things if I get one). Helps cut down on clutter and makes sure I do not just randomly collect.

I'll likely take my old books to a used book shop. There is on in Carrboro that has:
Terrific pacific
Grady Spears' steak book
Trattoria

Which, of course means I have to get rid of 9 old books....

[Allegra_K]

Just bought Skye Gyngell's How I Cook from a thrift store--it looks like it hasn't even been cracked! Never heard of this author until participating in the cotm, but looks rather lovely.
Also from a library discard sale: Scottish Cookery by Catherine Brown and The Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan. Morgan's was another cotm suggestion, iirc. The more I participate in these cotm's and read these other book-purchasing threads, the more cookbooks go on my wishlist. It's a vicious (yet wonderful) cycle.

[Disneyfreak]

I'll have to go look at my new titles. They are just new to me. I recently went to a local organization's used book sale. I've been there before and usually they don't have a ton of cookbooks. I went this time on the last day and they had a huge cookbook area. I know I got Rocco Despirito Flavor, Dean and Deluca, Marcella's Italian Kitchen, and Bugialli On Pasta. I will have to look at the rest of the titles.

[buttertart]

That Marcella is my favorite, one of my top 10.

[Disneyfreak]

I used to own the book years ago but lost it to a flood. I also bought Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking, Biba Caggiano's Trattoria, Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave, Michael Lomonaco's Nightly Specials, Lynne Rossetto Kasper's The Italian Country Table, Emeril's TV Dinners, Sally Schneider's A New Way To Cook (this one was still wrapped in cellophane), Sara Moulton Cooks at Home and Kimiko Barber's the Japanese Kitchen.

[Westy]

Dean adn Deluca is totally underrated. Flavor is also excellent. i think it is overlooked due to Rocco's personality.

[goniners]

The Family Meal, Ferran Adria, and about 4 months ago found an old copy of La Technique by Jaques Pepin.

[honkman]

Looked at the Family Meal some time a go and found it as one of the most disappointing cookbooks of 2012. Didn't expect anything even close to El Bulli like but these recipes were so basic and underwhelming. It's a typical Phaidon book.

[roxlet]

I agree with you on Phaidon cookbooks, honkman. I find them almost invariably disappointing. My husband was given this book by a publishing friend, I looked through it, and then told my son that it might be a good 'learn to cook' cookbook. Haven't looked at it since.

[herby]

I have ferran Andria's book too and have not cooked much from it. I find it very helpful, though, because of the way ingredients for each menu are arranged by fridge/pantry/buy fresh, cooking timetables and quantities for 2, 6, 20 and 75 people. I find scaling recipes for large groups and two portions difficult and appreciate this; it teaches me how to scale up and down properly. Also, I think that pictorial instructions might be useful for some people - I like looking at the pictures myself :) I liked his potato salad, miso dressing for roasted vegetables, suggestion to peel tomato like an apple - just of the top of my head, there is probably more that I like. I agree, the recipes are simple but they are tasty and quick as my weekday meals tend to be. Most of the menus can be made within an hour and there is a variety of cuisines too to keep the menus from being boring.

Just my two cents:)

[MelMM]

Hakka cookbook arrived today. Also got Charles Phan's Vietnamese Home Cooking on the iPad.

[Candy]

Pure Vanilla, Bouchon Bakery, Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking (I helped proof read that), United States of Pie. I guess that is enough to keep me busy for awhile. In The United States of Pie is a Cranberry pie I going to make this week.

[blue room]

I've been thinking about Pure Vanilla forever. If you have an opinion one way or the other after looking at it, please post a few words here.

[chefathome]

Me, too. I've been curious about that one...

[rstuart]

I went out to buy bread today, and come back with a used copy of Elinor Klivans' Cupcakes for $8. I had bought one for my mother some years ago, and copied a few recipes from it.. and tried them, so I knew it was good. I shouldn't be buying myself any cookbooks this close to Christmas!

[chefathome]

Don't you just love going out for bread and returning with a book? :-)

[rstuart]

Good news is, I remembered the bread ;)

[buttertart]

I love Klivans.

[buttertart]

TGC bundle sale victim here...Jean Anderson Southern Oven, JO British, Baggett Cookies, Sunset Essential Western (you can take the girl out of Berkeley, but not the Berkeley out of the girl), Hamelman Bread, Pépin Techniques, and Gran Cocina Latina (for my SIL, I got it from Amazon, damnit).

[herby]

I got Gran Cocina from Amazon too:( So, you think Pepin Technique is worthwhile? I am still on the fence but should do it tonight as the sale will probably be gone tomorrow.

[buttertart]

I have the old one, and thought what the hey. Sale ends at midnight EST.

[herby]

TGC has free shipping as well as 4 for $40 sale. I have the following in my cart:
Jacques Pepin: Complete Technique
Nathalie Dupree: Mastering the Art of Soutern Cooking
Canal House Cooks Every Day

Any thoughts on these? Is Dupree book worth the shelf space? Is Pepin's book useful for a novice cook or for any level?

I would like to add a book for a friend who likes to cook but is not very experienced. Any suggestions?

[LulusMom]

For the friend, how about the new Ina Garten book?

[dkennedy]

Oh that is a much better choice, forget my suggestion. Go with LLM.

[herby]

Great suggestion, LLM, thank you! TGC only has her Back to Basics and I have not seen it and do not know if it is good or too basic. TGC has Jamie Oliver Meals in Minutes - should I get it for the friend instead?

[LulusMom]

I'd say Meals in Minutes, while simple, might scare her a bit if she actually tries to cook the meals in "minutes" that don't equal more than 30. But IG's Back to Basics is probably a very reasonable choice. She tends to make good food and give clear directions. I say this with total love for JO, but if someone expected to cook those meals in the 30 minutes originally advertized, I think they might be a bit shellshocked at the end of the cooking process.

[herby]

Thanks! You reminded me of TDQ comments about 30-min meals - how difficult it is to separate courses because the whole meal is cooked together following his instructions. I'll have a look at Amazon comments on Back to Basics.

[dkennedy]

I think The Pioneer Woman would make a good choice for an inexperienced cook. Nothing too difficult in terms of technique but good, solid recipes.

[JoanN]

Not a big fan of the Canal books. The photos are gorgeous, but I keep picking up the books, looking at the recipes, and putting down the books. There's never anything I want to cook in them.

[MelMM]

I'm the same way, and I've been a subscriber from early on. I read them like a magazine, but they don't inspire me to cook.

[flourgirl]

I have to admit to the same thing. I mostly bought them as a sentimental thing. I live very close to Lambertville, (which is one of my favorite towns), I have a lot of great memories of great meals at Hamilton's Grill Room, I love the idea behind the books, of the lifestyle they created for themselves in that studio/kitchen, I love the romance of the whole thing and I just had to have their books. I think I've only made one dish out of them, a mussel dish that wasn't particularly successful. There's lots of simple dishes in the books that are very similar to things I was already making, so I didn't need them to tell me how to do it. The books are charming, I enjoy reading them & they don't take up a lot of room so I will probably keep them for the above-stated reasons - but if I didn't have those reasons, I probably wouldn't have purchased them.

[dkennedy]

Just ordered two copies of Gran Cucina Latina from TGC bundle sale. One for me, one for my sis. I was encouraged by everyone else's favorable reviews. Hope to see it as a COTM contender in the not too distant future.

[geekmom]

I would like it to be COTM too, and I hope to be able to get a good price on a used copy whenever that happens. In the meantime, I'll hold off on ordering this pricey tome. (I'm in Canada so TGC not an option).

[chefathome]

I just received mine last week and LOVE this book. Love it, love it, love it.

[Breadcrumbs]

First, a quick trip to Costco yielded:

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten - I love Ina and can't wait to take a look at this! (CAD$21.79)

Jerusalem by Ottolenghi & Tamimi (CAD$23.89)

and though I didn't purchase it, for those who are interested they did have Keller's Bouchon Bakery for something around CAD$33

Then, at a church bazaar:

Colorado Cache Cookbook - a Junior League book (50¢)

[rstuart]

My mother grew up in Colorado BC, so I am sure that she got that cookbook (and cooked from it a great deal in the 80s) from one of her sisters!

[dkennedy]

I am currently lusting after Vietnamese Home Cooking by Charles Phan. I had a chance to page through it yesterday and it looks easy to follow with utterly dooable recipes. I love The Slanted Door so I am thinking this would be a great choice for me. Do any of you have it? What are your thoughts?

[pluralofcow]

I have this book, but I haven't cooked too much from it yet. The only recipe I've made is the "pork stuffed squid with spicy tomato sauce." It was really spectacular, probably one of the best things I've cooked this year. The squid bodies are stuffed with this really nice mixture of ground pork, cellophane noodles, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, onions and oyster sauce, then they're grilled and smothered in a chile-tomato sauce. It's delicious.

I've bookmarked dozens more recipes in the book, but I don't think I'll have time to do much more cooking until after Thanksgiving. Based on that one recipe alone, I'd endorse the purchase.

[dkennedy]

Thanks for the review, pluralofcow

[Gio]

On the strength of that description alone I think I need this book...

ETA: So I did. It took all of 5 minutes to decide.

[gardengorilla]

I saw that our local Costco had Bouchon Bakery in stock yesterday. Is is a worthwhile read?
Recent purchases:
Roots by Diane Morgan
The Bistro Cookbook

[geekmom]

OMG I am so going to Costco today.

[geekmom]

THANK YOU gardengorilla, I managed to nab one of the last few copies of Bouchon Bakery at Costco yesterday. What a great price!

[gardengorilla]

Great! Now I'm thinking I should have picked it up ;) I may return to Costco in the near future!
What city are you in? I'm in Calgary.

[roxlet]

Boohoo! My Costco didn't have it! Maybe I'll go back on Tuesday, which is the day they stock books. I bought the new Ina Garten book. I don't know why, except that I was in kind of a crappy mood at that moment and wanted to buy something! I'll give it a gander tomorrow.

In what part of the country is your Costco, and how did the price compare with Amazon's?

[jo_jo_ba]

i just got Liddabit Sweet's book and cant wait

[LulusMom]

I just opened my mail to find that a very thoughtful and generous fellow chowhound sent me a copy of Jamie Oliver's 15 Minute Meals. I think those of you who have been reading my posts know how excited and thrilled I am. Big thanks to a big heart!!

[chefathome]

Now that is what I call kindness. How awesome!

[LulusMom]

Seriously!! I almost wish I didn't have to make dinner tonight so I could just sit and paw my way through it. But I've got some fish to cook, so ..

[meatn3]

What a terrific surprise! That somebody is quite wonderful.

[flourgirl]

That is so wonderful! I hope you get to take many wonderful meals out of that generous gift. :)

[dkennedy]

What a thoughtful gift! I love to hear things like this, makes me feel like we are all part of a loving, extended family.

[LulusMom]

I do feel like we are family or very good friends. Those I've met I've had an immediate rapport (sp?) with. And a lot I haven't met but I still feel like they are my dear friends. Most of my friends don't cook, or care all that much about it, so it feels warm and comfortable in this community.

Then again, I'm lucky to live in an area that has a fairly active and friendly CH group - Lulu and I were lucky enough to have a very nice time out with meatn3 recently.

[dkennedy]

You had a chow meet up? How fun! I would love to cultivate a group of friends from COTM/DOTM etc. Like you, most of my friends do not share my passion for cooking. It would be great to have some friends on this board who were, in fact, my friends. Friends that would come over and share a meal or go cookbook shopping with me. I see a thread brewing...

[chefathome]

Man, I would love to have friends who share my passion for food. To cook with someone who truly loves food would be incredible. Thankfully my husband is also a food person but he has very little time to cook.

[meatn3]

It is interesting how well you can get a feel for someone in this type of exchange.

Our area has had a few random group dining experiences - usually motivated by a particularly energetic thread about a restaurant. Tehama (sp?), iirc, put together a local google group so we can take it off the board and plan w/o upsetting the mods. It has been fun! It is a bit surreal suddenly hearing the voice & cadence and having the visible physical form of the person - but it quickly feels normal. People have been great and even better than they seemed online!

LulusMom & I met and spoke a little at a groupeat a few years ago. We later did quite a bit of e-mailing in our attempt to plan a local chow picnic which didn't pan out. When we did get to spend time together in "real life" it just felt like meeting with an old friend! Actually a friend plus, that being the addition of the very delightful Lulu! She was patient with our rambling talk and had a number of interesting observations to contribute. She is insightful, quite smart, a great conversationalist and has a very clever wit. Rather like her mom!

d, if there are local 'hounds in your area give it a try! Our first group thing was at a Chinese restaurant. Perfect venue for trying lots of dishes and it worked well for those who had specific diet needs. The only down side was it was hard to converse with anyone unless they were seated nearby. That was part of our motivation for a picnic - easier to mingle and perhaps less intimidating than the idea of sitting at a restaurant with strangers. We also wanted a family friendly chow event.

I'm newly single without family in the area. I have been incredibly moved by some lovely invitations to join local CH's in their holiday meals. These are folks who I've really only met a handful of times and largely know from here. So far I haven't been able to accept the offers but the generosity of the invites have made me feel very welcomed. We are so blessed to be part of such a vibrant, interesting and generous community!

[The Dairy Queen]

Funnily enough, I became a chowhound because a friend brought me along to a taco crawl/"chowdown". One of the attendees started calling me Dairy Queen during the taco crawl (long story) , so that's the handle I used when I came on the boards to post about my impressions of the food. I have since organized many meet-ups (though it's been several years). They can be really fun. Here's a link to the rules about organizing chowdowns: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/3676...

~TDQ

[dkennedy]

Thank you for the link, i am going there now to learn more.

[chefathome]

Your adoptive family sounds amazing. It is wonderful to hear stories about such generosity and hospitality. Our town is the opposite; it is an oil town so very, very transient. No one really puts down roots and very few move here with permanency in mind (including us). I am many hours' drive from any family, too, but am thankful I have a food-loving husband. We talk and talk about food for hours when we get the chance.

As we live in a young oil town there are no restaurants aside from a few chains such as McDonald's so we drive 350 km to the nearest one when we want to eat out.

[geekmom]

Same here, dkennedy! I would love to meet up with a bunch of people who share my interest in food.. I do know a couple of foodies, but they don't live in the same city as me, and while my family does like the results of my enthusiasm for cooking, they aren't as into it as I am. I remember looking around the room at the Smitten Kitchen event the other day and thinking that these are probably all people who I'd get along with wonderfully if I had a chance to chat with them.

[dkennedy]

Too bad neither of you two live in L.A. We could hang out. I think I am going to see about starting a thread about this subject so people who are interested in meeting off board can find each other. I'll post a link here if I am able to set it up.

[chefathome]

Yes, too bad. We live several thousand km from LA. Teaching classes gives me a bit of that cooking joy but to date I have seen very few who are as excited about food. And those who are live quite far from town. It would be great to find like-minded folks in our areas!

[LulusMom]

I highly recommend it. I've met so many people through Chowhound (and the google group that was started because of CH), and have gotten to try a lot of different places in town with them.

[dkennedy]

LLM,

Can I email you so we can chat about how I could get this started in my town?

[LulusMom]

Absolutely (in case you don't still have it, my email should be in my profile), but I think probably TDQ has given the guidelines. But I'd be happy to tell you about our experiences.

[DiningDiva]

Do it. We have a San Diego CH group on Yahoogroups that we use to communicate with each other. We've done a few functions, but most of our board regulars use it because the moderation on that board is unbelievably tight. So far we've all been pretty pleased with having an option to meet and disucss off-board.

[Allegra_K]

Reading this conversation with longing. There are very few hounds in my city and I always wish that I had food friends close by, but alas. Luckily there's CH, and I've found like-minded people to communicate with from afar! Thank you, internet! My own family and friends are sick to death of my food chatter, and despite my best efforts, none of them have ever really warmed up to cooking.

[rstuart]

Hi geekmom.. odd that you should mention this. I am going to Smitten Kitchen's event here in Toronto on Friday, but I don't know anyone else going!

[geekmom]

I'm sure you'll enjoy it; Deb is funny, poised and gracious with a crowd. Lucky you to have so many cookbook authors coming to Toronto this fall! One of the reasons I miss living there. :-)

[greedygirl]

Oh no! I have one right here waiting for you! (@ LLM)

What a lovely Chowfriend you have there though.

[LulusMom]

Wow, thank you gg! I hope you can find another equally excited giftee?

Guess maybe I need to be careful about being so effusive about wanting a particular book...

[The Dairy Queen]

HA! That reminds me of when I very badly wanted a copy of Dunlop's Every Grain of Rice and ended up with two copies as a result of the generosity of one very kind and thoughtful chowhound. I passed my copy along to another chowhound...

~TDQ

[geekmom]

Wow, that's fantastic! Enjoy it!

[flourgirl]

I just pulled the trigger on "Modernist Cuisine at Home". The price dropped to a little under $94 on Amazon and what the heck, it's my birthday.:)

[chefathome]

Please share your thoughts when you've received and ogled it. This is one of the top ones on my list, too. And Happy Birthday! :-)

[flourgirl]

I would be happy to. Can't wait to dive into it. And thank you!

[herby]

Happy birthday, Flourgirl! Mine is next week and five more family/friends BDs are this month!

[flourgirl]

Thank you so much! Happy early birthday to you too! That's funny, the big birthday month in my family is December. My husband, my son, my SIL, one of my BILs, and one of my nephews. And 4 out of those 5 are all very close to Christmas - makes for a very hectic holiday season.

[herby]

Thank you! Your birthday rush is even more hectic than mine ;)

[The Dairy Queen]

Be sure to check out these Modernist Cuisine threads! Happy Birthday!

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8422...

~TDQ

[flourgirl]

Thank you! :)

[honkman]

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/14362...

[flourgirl]

Thank you!

[The Dairy Queen]

Hey, has anyone talked about Jean Anderson's new "from a Southern Oven?"

~TDQ

[The Dairy Queen]

I'm not trying to enable anybody here, but I have an email from TGC this morning for a bundle sale, duration unspecified other than "for a limited time only". Books must be priced in the $10-$35 (member price), which excludes Bouchon Bakery but includes Grand Cocina Latina, Duprees book, and the Canal House Cookbook, and cannot be Book Search plus books, etc. ... In my experience they often sweeten the deal later in the weekend by offering free shipping, but you can't count on that.

ETA: disregard my point on the free shipping. If you buy four books so that you can get them for $10 each, then you get free shipping because that's more than $25...

~TDQ

[Westy]

so my wife asked me for my christmas list, and as usual thee were a couple of cookbooks. However, in an effort to avoind buyer's (I suppose int his case, it would be receiver's) regret, i thought I'd toss them out and see what people thought:
1. Bean to bean
2. This is a Cookbook
3. Indian Slow Cooker
4. Nigel Slater: Fast Food

[Gio]

If Nigel Slater's Fast Food cookbook is anything like his Real Fast Food I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to you. Real Fast Food is Fantastic. The recipes are simple, execution is speedy, and finished dishes are delicious. We loved everything we cooked from it.

Two of his books were COTMs during September 2011 and a companion thread was established to accommodate those who wanted to cook from his other books
Here's that reporting thread...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/804902

[Gio]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/829403

That link brings you to a thread that contains reports of recipes some folks cooked from The Indian Slow Cooker. It might help you get an idea of what others thought.

[DiningDiva]

I, too, would be interesting in any comments on This is a Cookbook.

After last months' mostly successfuly cookbook buying binge, I need to slow down and chose my next additions carefully as I am still cooking from the last batch.

[meatn3]

Two purchased through Amazon due to CH comments/recommendations to add to my jam making options for 2013:

*Fine Preserving - M F K Fishers annotated edition of Catherine Plagemann's cookbook
*Mouth Wide Open - John Thorne (Father Kitchen spoke highly of a marmalade recipe in this book about food)

Thrift store finds:
*True Thai - the modern art of Thai cooking - Victor Sodsook (first edition)
*A Cook's Book of Mushrooms - Jack Czarnecki (first edition)
*The Foof & Flavors of Haute Provence - Georgeanne Brennan
*Giulianno Bugialli's Classic Techniques of Italian Cooking (this is to replace a copy in lesser condition)

I avoided the last incarnation of this thread to reduce temptation!

[Breadcrumbs]

Before heading across the pond I ordered Great Coffee Cakes, Sticky Buns, Muffins & More: 200 Anytime Treats and Special Sweets for Morning to Midnight by Carole Walter. Happily it was awaiting me when I arrived home and I so wish I had some time to curl up with it. This looks like a sensational book so big thanks to those of you here who recommended it!

After enjoying an incredible meal at Bocca di Lupo in London I just had to order their cookbook (yes I resisted the temptation to buy a signed copy there and schlep it back in my already-far-too-heavy luggage!!). Thanks to my friends at Amazon the book arrived the following day (seriously...how do they do that?!!).

jic anyone is interested, I did post a trip report here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8766...

[DiningDiva]

I've been cooking from Great Coffee Cakes etc... and everything is fantastic! Do try the Orange Cream Cheese Muffins with Pepitas. Great with coffee. I'm toying with the idea of trying either her croissant or danish recipe this weekend.

[flourgirl]

I love those muffins! That is such a great book.

[rasputina]

Oh my weakness is baked goods. You guys will be the death of me. That cookbook sounds wonderful. Off to find it on Amazon.

[DiningDiva]

You won't regret the Walker book. It's really solid

[Breadcrumbs]

I started flipping through it last night when I got home from work and I found myself putting sticky notes on almost every page! I'm really excited to have this book in my collection. While we love baked goods, we don't eat a lot of desserts (as much as we'd love to!!). That said, I do seem to make a lot of "breakfast breads" for weekday breakfasts or weekend coffee or tea w friends. Whatever the occasion, it would seem this book will have me covered. I plan to make the peanut butter banana muffins in the days ahead...they just sound so yummy!!

[JoanN]

That book has been on my wishlist practically since it was first published. I love to bake, but do so rarely; it's strictly a company's coming occurrence. And I haven't seen the book at much of a bargain price, either. But my birthday's coming up. I think I know what my present to myself is going to be.

[Breadcrumbs]

I bought mine on Abe's Joan (Total inc. shipping US$ 21.92)

My book arrived in pristine condition. Originally from (and likely never opened) The Art Institute of Dallas. Lovely mylar-covered book jacket too.

In Canada a new copy was roughly $30 USD so this was indeed a bargain. $ well spent IMHO.

[DiningDiva]

I did just about the same thing marking up all the "want to try" recipes. I'd read one recipe and then turn the page and go "wow, this sounds even better". So far everything I've made has been quite good.

[Breadcrumbs]

I'll report back here w the results of my first recipe DD, thanks for the inspiration. This may very well be a good candidate for my Cookbook a Week Challenge thread.

[roxlet]

I have had that book for years, and it is one baking book I reach for time and again. It is a fabulous addition to anyone's library!

[jpr54_1]

I would like to attend this Antique Book show but unfortunately I can' t attend.

I wish I lived closer

http://www.rabelaisbooks.com/home.php...

[meatn3]

What an amazing resource! Thanks for sharing it.

[jpr54_1]

my copies of River Cottage Cookbook and R.C.Fish arrived today from the UK this morning.

they both seem to be interesting reads;

I also got a copy of My Vietnam-Luke Nguyen this past week.

lots of reading and cooking to do-

[nezzie]

Just got Deb's "Smitten Kitchen" and have been enjoying it...although I must say that I love the recipes on her blog just as well if not better! (but still happy she did the book because she's great!)

[geekmom]

I picked this one up today at one of the book tour events. It looks like a nice solid home cooking book with lots of comfort food recipes and a fun chatty tone, just like the blog. Deb is incredibly gracious and friendly, and took the time to greet each person by name and chat with them after signing their copy of the book. She made a lot of funny comments as she cooked her apple cider caramels. I'm impressed by how relaxed she was, cooking in front of a crowd while being interviewed for a radio show with a microphone in front of her face. I believe the interview will be up on this site in a couple of weeks: http://www.cbc.ca/nxnw/cookingclub/

[rasputina]

I bought Ina Garten's new cookbook. I think it's called Foolproof or something. I've had a lot of success with her recipes and own all of her cookbooks.

[angelsmom]

Just picked it up at Costco!

[nezzie]

Yes, that's next on my list! I have ALL of Ina's books and love them.

[Breadcrumbs]

ooh, thanks for mentioning that angelsmom. I'll have to stop in on Saturday. Like nezzie, I have and love all things Ina!!

[geekmom]

Just picked up a copy of Jamie Oliver's "Jamie at Home" for $14.99 -- at that price, and with the glowing reviews here, I couldn't pass it up. (Canadians take note! There are 3 bargain-priced JO cookbooks currently up for grabs at the Chapters/Indigo/Coles chain.) Maybe this book will teach me what I need to know to finally grow vegetables successfully.

STILL waiting for my Union Square Cafe cookbook -- not sure why I paid extra for expedited shipping. Supposedly it was shipped from the Seattle area on Oct 24 and it still hasn't shown up at my house in Vancouver.

[Westminstress]

Union Square Cafe cookbook finally came in. Other recent acquisitions: 660 curries and love soup (both relatively cheap!). Saving Burma and Jerusalem for my Christmas list.

[angelsmom]

Some one here suggested Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook so I borrowed from the library and the recipes look delicious and so many pictures which I love.

[rstuart]

I just got this from the library too.. and it reminds me to check it out!

[Rubee]

I'm going to flip through it tonight to make something this weekend.

[Wildsvleis]

Charred & Scruffed - Adam Perry Lang (incredible!)
NOMA
Die GROOT Boerekos boek

[MelMM]

Have you cooked from Charred & Scruffed? Given your parenthetical remark, I'd like to know what you find appealing, epsecially recipes you have made. I have the book, but it's leaving me cold so far, even though I am a huge barbecuer & griller.

[gembellina]

I've got my eye on India by Pushpesh Pant, but the Burma book has cropped up a lot recently so I'm going to check that one out too... I'm still galled by how much more expensive books are in Canada, and Amazon.ca doesn't seem to be much help in that respect. Oh well, maybe it will induce me to cook more from any book I buy!

[chefathome]

They are FAR more expensive in Canada, that is for sure. And each day I check Amazon.ca the prices seem to increase.

[keith]

I've gone on a bit of a cookbook rampage over the last month. Some highlights include:

Traditional Recipies of Laos - Phia Sing
Gran Cocina Latina - Maricel Presilla
Vietnamese Home Cooking - Charles Phan
Turkish Flavors - Sevtap Yuce
Burma: Rivers of Flavor - Naomi Duguid
Jerusalem - Yotam Ottolenghi
Stella's Sephardic Table - Stella Cohen
Charred & Scruffed - Adam Pertty Lang
Iraqui Family Cookbook - Kay Karim

[dkennedy]

Keith, my family descends from Rhodes and so I would really like to hear what you think of Stella's Sephardic Table when you get a chance. We already have a very authentic Sephardic Cookbook from South Africa (which was written by Rhodesli Jews), and I was toying with buying this one as well. Please let me know your thoughts.

[keith]

I really liked the book. Lots of familiy history of Rhodes (and also Rhodesia/Zimbabwe, where the family later moved) to give the recipies even more life. I've only cooked a bit from it so far, and am more steeped in the ashkenazic tradition than the sephardic tradition, but the recipes came out great and seem to be quite "authentic" (though I hate using that word). I also love the fact that each recipe includes a ladino translation of its name for easier cross referencing with other sources. In my mind, it's well worth the purchase.

[Gio]

The Elephant Walk Cookbook: The Exciting World of Cambodian Cuisine from the Nationally Acclaimed Restaurant by Longteine de Monteiro and Katherine Neustadt. We've had dinner at The Elephant Walk restaurant in Cambridge and loved everything we ate. Enough said.

Interesting little side story about the book order. I ordered the book from one of Amazon's re-sellers for 23-ish dollars as a hardcover. It arrived as an autographed paperback. Emailed Amazon, reply by seller admitting the hardcovers were not in stock, would I like a refund. I went to the Amazon page and saw the books are now Used from $36.00 and New from $55.55. I'm keeping the paperback.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0395892538/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00

Awaiting the arrival of New English Kitchen by Rose Prince an author and regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph UK. I read her columns and am intrigued by her approach to shopping and cooking seasonal local food.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0007...

[buttertart]

I love the book and the restaurants too :)

[twyst]

Huge order came in last week, Im up to my eyeballls in books.

Quay
Marque
mission street food
Galvin
Faviken
Carnivore
Fire in My belly
Japanese farm food
Alinea (replacement because mine walked off)
Noma (also a replacement)
Bouchon Bakery
Elements of Dessert
Professional Pastry Chef

The UPS man hated me as he delivered those boxes :p

[chefathome]

Some of those are not exactly thin volumes! How on earth did Alinea and Noma manage to sneak away?

[twyst]

Lent them out against my better judgement :(

[chefathome]

Then you are more generous than I because I would have a very difficult time parting with most of my food books. Most of my culinary-minded friends live quite a distance away so I would be afraid of never getting the books back. None of my family members "get" either Alinea or Noma so I'm safe there.

[flourgirl]

chefathome - you're not alone. I have no problem sharing most of my stuff with people who ask to borrow things (and I have to say, my friends and family are usually pretty good about returning stuff) but I won't lend out most of my cookbooks. I just can't do it. And, same here, I don't think I have any close friends or family who would even be interested in borrowing my copy of Alinea.

[chefathome]

Whew! So it's not just me. I would have to tie my family up to force them to look at my culinary books, sadly. They appreciate my passion (and cooking!) but none are interested in the process or the books. Hard for me to understand. Sometimes I wonder what I would do with them all (hundreds) after my death because we have no children to pass them down to. Hopefully at least one or two of my 10 nieces and nephews will grow up to love them. My famiy members, however, are absolutely obsessed with reading and books - very scholastic and educated. Just not these books. :-(

[flourgirl]

My family's not interested in my culinary books either. Same exact situation as you - they all love great food, and they all love books - but have no interest whatsover in my culinary books. Even one of my closest friends, who is also a passionate cook, and lives in my neighborhood, has never expressed much interest in my books. And she's one of the very few people I would loan any of them out to (besides my family members.). She's been in my home many times, and almost my entire collection of hundreds of great books are housed in my living/family room for anyone to see and take a look at but she never even pulls a book off the shelf. I think she's more about collecting great recipes than she is about reading cookbooks, it's just not her thing.

We only have one child, a boy, who also loves great food but so far isn't all that interested in reading about it. He's only 11 though and mostly interested in sports right now. I'm hoping as I get him cooking more that he'll get more interested in the collection.

[chefathome]

Oh, wouldn't it be awesome if your son becomes interested in food and cooking/books in the future?

My books, too, are on lots of shelves and look so beautiful that I cannot comprehend anyone not wanting to get their hands on them immediately. If I saw that collection in someone's house I would pull books off the shelf, inhane them, curl up on the couch and forget all about everyone else. Last time I showed a self-proclaimed "foodie" NOMA and Alinea and he just quickly flipped through them. No interest. We can't all love the same things, I suppose.

[geekmom]

"Sometimes I wonder what I would do with them all (hundreds) after my death because we have no children to pass them down to."

You've reminded me of something rather cool that happened recently at my local cookbook store - a noted local food writer & TV presenter passed away and his massive cookbook collection was sold off to benefit charity. http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/09...

[chefathome]

Wow - that IS rather cool! That is a great idea.

[meatn3]

I don't have children either. There are a few titles which may make sense to sell and I maintain a list tucked in with my will. Books I inherited from family members are noted too. Whatever is left after my family looks them over I plan to have (if they haven't been downsized due to moving to a care facility) donated to the local Vocational Schools culinary department. They can add them to the department library, sell them, give them to students, whatever - but at least the books will have a chance of inspiring someone else!

[flourgirl]

Yes, I've been thinking about creating a list of some of the more valuable books in my collection and keeping it with those important papers. It's good advice.

[meatn3]

To my family it would just be an old book and considered worthless since they don't know the genre. Of course I love it when other families have this problem since it creates a great "find" for me at the thrift store!

[rasputina]

Oh let us know what you think of Faviken, I've been eyeing it.

[Rubee]

My most recent purchases:

Three older books (last few years), all CH recs, being shipped:
Holiday Dinners with Bradley Ogden: 150 Festive Recipes for Bringing Family and Friends Together
Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition (Barbara Lynch)
What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers

Two from 2012:
Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking (Nathalie Dupree)
The Back in the Day Bakery

[nadiam1000]

Rubee, can you let me know what you think of the new Nathalie Dupree cookbook? I really like her and have most of her previous books. Having lived in Atlanta for several years, and enjoying southern food, I have a lot of southern cookbooks and I am not sure if I need one more : ) I had the opportunity to meet Nathalie at a cooking class in Atlanta and she is very nice. She used to have a cooking show on PBS when I lived there which I enjoyed..

[Rubee]

Will do! Believe it or not, this will be my first Dupree book. Can't wait for it to arrive.

[blue room]

I sure like the cookbooks of Lee Bailey, I consider him to have been a southern cook. Are you familiar with him/his books?

[emily]

I just flipped through the Liddabit Sweets Candy Book and will likely purchase it. Lots of interesting candy recipes... pb&j cups, bacon buttercrunch...

[rstuart]

Has anyone tried "Cake Simple" yet?
http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Simple-Bun...
It was available new for only 6 dollars at my local Winners!

[Caitlin McGrath]

I got it late last year because she has some intriguing flavor combinations (check out the index on Amazon's Look Inside feature), which I thought would at least provide inspiration. I've made four cakes from it, all with very good results: Vanilla Pink Peppercorn, Saffron Almond, Cherry Almond, and slightly tweaked Coconut Minis. There are some recipes I wouldn't make without changes, just based on ingredients/how they read to me, but as I said, there are some appealing ideas I can work with, as well as versions of standards. It's a slim book, and I'd pick it up for 6 bucks.

[rstuart]

Thanks Caitlin.. I figure that if it's still there when I check this week.. it's fate!

[LulusMom]

So I'm pretty much trying to not buy cookbooks until I can figure out how to get rid of some other books and find a place for the piles already overwhelming my bookshelves. Still and all, lately I've had a bit of a craving for Caribbean food and I have no idea what the best book on that subject is. Anyone have any ideas? I'd prefer it to be strictly food from the islands. I'd especially love it if it is something old enough that my library is likely to have it.

Enable away!

[dkennedy]

TEACHING DAD TO COOK FLAPJACKS

After coveting this book for several months, I finally got around to buying it. I haven't seen a lot of press on this book, and it is not yet indexed on EYB, so I am not sure what to expect, except some beautiful pictures and hopefully a good voice.

The book was written as a tribute to her Da, which I thought was beautiful in and of itself. I am hoping it might make a nice gift for my own dad. Won't know for sure until my copy gets here. Here's hoping....

[limoen]

I read the article on this book some time ago and thought it very sweet. The recipes sound wholesome and simple: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyl.... I had the Danish Apple Charlotte (though from a Diana Henry book) and it's very good.

[dkennedy]

I can't wait to get my hands on my copy of the book. Thx for the article.

[Cynsa]

I went to Linda Lau Anusasananan's book signing yesterday and came home with "The Hakka Cookbook - Chinese Soul Food from around the World". Linda demoed delicious recipes from her cookbook for tastings. Recipes + History. Hakka means 'guest' and it's a history of immigration.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/873344

[buttertart]

Must get immediately...one of the things I miss about SF is Hakka food.
Roll on 2014 visit, if not sooner!

[The Dairy Queen]

Me too. And now I am craving salt-baked chicken with garlic dipping sauce. Is there a recipe in the book? Is it much different than this one of Troop's? http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/ha...

We should coordinate our 2014 visits.

~TDQ

[rasputina]

That sounds fabulous!

[buttertart]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/873344 you've seen this, I hope?
Similar, ingredients are 2 tb dark soy, 1 tb rice wine, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground white pepper, 10 lb rock salt for baking. Dipping sauce has ground galangal (laos) in it. These are unique and exciting recipes.
I like Tropp more than I used to but she is not my favorite writer on Chinese food. Got the big book just after we got back from Taipei and a lot of it seemed slightly off.
It'll be mid-August like it was this year, big birthday and I hope that Jai Yun is still open, because that's where I want dinner to be.

[The Dairy Queen]

Yes, I saw that thread! Thanks for the ingredient list. Oh! Big birthday! Will have to keep that in mind!

~TDQ

[qianning]

A book dedicated to Hakka cooking....oh this thread is such trouble.....

[buttertart]

Killer, eh? RUN, do not walk, look in the book on Amazon. Pulling the trigger.

[Allegra_K]

I have never purchased more cookbooks than since I started reading these threads. You make quite a compelling case, though, for nearly every book I long for, so what's a person to do?
Your collection must be incredible and awe-inspiring.

[buttertart]

I've been collecting since about 1970. :)
Just bought the Hakka, Gran Cucina Latina, and the CI Science book on Amazon...

[DiningDiva]

Gran Cocina Latina is overwhelming in it's scope. And unfortunately, the authors two restos are 5' underwater in Hoboken,m NJ these days ;-( courtesy of Sandy

[buttertart]

I know...v sad.

[chefathome]

As I'm expecting my Gran Cocina Latina Tuesday, I am wondering if you would share a bit more information on it. It sounded fantastic on Amazon.

[DiningDiva]

At 900+ pages it's a gynormous tome. I have no doubt that the chef/author meticulously researched the material (in fact, I know she did), but at that size and breadth, there is too much to take in and too much to distill to give me a real sense of place and cuisine. Or at least that's a problem for me. I think there are nuances in the cuisines get lost in the sheer volume of the material.

For me it would have been a bit more manageable and approachable had it been broken down into volumes. But I have to give Chef Presilla major kudos for even attempting to pull something of this magnitude together. What she's presented is a great overview of the various cuisines, but for me there was just too much in one cookbook for it to be effective. That won't stop me from trying to cook from the book.

Your milage may vary

[JoanN]

I received my copy of Gran Cocina just before Sandy arrived so have had very little time with it. Still, from what I have seen, I'm impressed as hell. Yes, it's huge. But it seems to be very well organized. And it seems also to have an excellent index (29 pages, if I counted correctly), so critical in a book such as this. There's even an index to recipes in Spanish. Detailed as the index is, it concentrates on the recipes, as opposed to the background information, in the book. For instance, having returned not that long ago from a trip to Patagonia and Chile, I was reading the section on Pacific Fish and Seafood and was thrilled to find descriptions of so many foods and dishes that had been new to me such as cochayuyo, maches, and picoroco. None of these foods are listed in the index since you can't buy them in North America, but the information is there.

There are separate chapters on empanadas, on tamales, on cebiches, even on drinks. I may never make the Brazilian Feijoada, but I certainly enjoyed reading about it. I haven't had a chance to cook from the book yet, but the recipes read "right" to me. The Chirmol de Chiltepe, for example, is just how my friends in Guatemala make it, except that they have acess to chiltepes and don't need to substitute piquin chiles.

I think it's a superb book, overwhelming perhaps in it's size, but not in it's accessibility. I'll be curious to hear what you think, chefathome, once you've had a chance to go through it.

[chefathome]

Sounds like my kind of book. Having an encyclopedic nature, I would suck this up like a sponge. My favourite food books include tomes such as Larousse. Just traced the books and they have apparently been delivered to my home. Only thing is my husband is out of town on business and I am also out of town. Just knowing that my precious books are just sitting there, waiting to be pored over, bothers me. But I'll be back home tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll see if I can get a neighbour to take them in for me.

[Allegra_K]

I've been poring over this book since I received it a few weeks ago. It's one of those take-to-bed-and-read-like-a-novel cookbooks, well, except that it's a little large to curl up comfortably with. Every recipe has a lovely preface, sometimes with a charming story of how the author chanced upon that version, other times filled with additional information about ingredients, but always a pleasure to read. I've been amazed at the finds in these pages...I was just lamenting the fact that I can't find a Latin American cookbook with many Salvadoran recipes beyond pupusas, and then Presilla shows up and gives me, in grand detail, ingredients and methods to make things like Gallo en Chicha (including making one's own chicha) and Salvadoran Crema! To me, that alone is worth the price of the book. What recipes I have tried (only a handful so far) have all been wonderful and would absolutely be repeated.
As JoanN points out, the index is incredibly detailed and thorough, the ingredient information is fabulous, and the recipes look right. Yes, it's a huge book, and Latin America encompasses a massive area, but it seems pretty well represented in here for what it is. I am extremely happy to have this book, and look forward to exploring it further.
Would love to hear what you do make out of it, when you can finally get to your package!

[chefathome]

Just received my books and have not had a chance to sit down with them until now. Presilla's book looks brilliant - I will be curling up with it in a few moments. It is large but I have many books that are larger and heavier. My kind of book! :-)

[The Dairy Queen]

Oh this is so what I didn't need to hear because I'm so very tempted, yet, I'm just not getting a lot of use out of my cookbooks right now. Is this one destined to be a classic, THE book to have?

I bought Art of South American Cooking by Felipe Rojas-Lombar several years ago because I didn't have any books on South American cooking and Bittman listed it in his "50 Cookbooks I Would Rather Not Live Without" as the only "serious" book on the topic.

(Did he ever update that 50 cookbooks list as he promised, by the way?)

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/5086...

I wonder if I should trade that one away and get this one instead?

Joan, are you familiar with the Felipe Rojas-Lombar book and, if so, how do you think they compare?

~TDQ

[JoanN]

No, I don't have the Rojas-Lombardi so I can't compare the two. I wasn't all that interested in that book when it came out because it was strictly about the cooking of South America as opposed to Latin America and, as such, does not include the foods of Central America, Cuba, or the Latin Caribbean, all of which are of great interest to me.

I wouldn't want to make any predictions as to how this book will stand up against other Latin American cookbooks until I've started cooking from it which, with Thanksgiving quickly approaching, probably won't be for some time yet. But it does, if for no other reason than the wealth of background information, seem to me to have the potential to become a classic.

[Madrid]

I did have the Rojas-Lombardi book when it came out, and I liked it then, but later found it surpassed by some other books. Which have now been mostly surpassed the La Gran Cocina. She mentions Rojas-Lombardi as her mentor and gives him lots of credit. Her book is a labor of love and she tries to be as authentic as possible....she came from Cuba as a refugee and spent lots of time in Spain as a cultural historian before she switched to cooking. She really cares about the historical roots of each dish including going back to Spain and has been in home kitchens throughout.

It's my new all latin american reference. She covers the islands as well but a speciality cookbook there might be a good addition to your library. It's a huge continent.

[The Dairy Queen]

Thank you to you and to JoanN for your feedback on this. For whatever reason, I did not see JoanN's post until I saw Madrid, so I'm doubly grateful for Madrid's reply. I picked up a copy of LGC for $10 via The Good Cook last week, so I can compare the two and swap away the one I decide I don't need.

~TDQ

[qianning]

oh my goodness....recipes for lily bulbs, celtuce, preserved mustard greens, salted mustard green, lots of takes on mushrooms, lots of braised dishes....big sigh, here i go again....

[buttertart]

Yup. Bite the bullet.

[buttertart]

The Hakka book is wonderful, family history, ethnography, discussion of the diaspora, and swell recipes. GET IT.

[geekmom]

This discussion is why I didn't even allow myself to pick up this book, or Gran Cocina Latina, or Bouchon Bakery, or a gazillion other things while I was at the cookbook store today. You people are so bad. ;-)

[buttertart]

It's a happy sort of sickness.

[Ruthie789]

Yes it`s a happy sickness, in the addiction family of diseases! I keep saying it`s my last one but something always manages to catch my eye and I cave! This is a fun thread!

[geekmom]

Same problem here... I think I won't get any more, then I hear about yet another "must-have" book. Thank goodness my library is well-stocked so I can try before I buy. I'm currently previewing Burma, River Cottage Meat, The Food of India, and Momofuku Milk Bar - that would easily have run me over $200 at the cookbook store.

[Ruthie789]

As well am interested in Burma. I have also gone to the library and it is a great way to preview books. Unfortunately mine does not have anything too current. I am also interested in Masala Farm and the list could go on and on.I do purchase many books secondhand as well and find many vintage books which I like.

[SocksManly]

I almost only buy used cookbooks for $10-20, and use the library now. They have a lot of great books, and if there's one that's not available at my local library I can use their website to have it sent to my local library. It's really an amazing service that more people should use.

I can afford to buy all new books, but why? It's more fun finding that awesome book you've been wanting for $10. :)

Watch this...

Burma - 43 copies, placed a hold
River cottage meat - 5 copies, placed hold
Food of India - 2 copies, placed hold

It's just too easy.

[flourgirl]

I do use my library, and we are fortunate to have a great library system where I live. I often take books out of the library that I'm interested in to see if the book is worth buying. But taking a book out of the library is not the same thing as owning it. I very rarely buy fiction books, but it's very difficult to depend on library cookbooks. I use my books over and over again, and refer to many of them simultaneously as reference material. That's just not easy to do when you are using library books.

[MelMM]

Just ordered the Hakka book. It looks fascinating.

[buttertart]

It is. You will not be disappointed.

[MelMM]

I trust you on this, which is to some extent, the reason I jumped on it.

[MelMM]

This has arrived and I've started reading it. It is one of those books that you can read like a novel, because there is a lot of context given for the recipes. Very fascinating. A good compliment, in my library, to Grace Young's "Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge". Both books about the Chinese diaspora, the Young book being less specific on the ethnicity, but more specific on the technique, and the Hakka book being more specific to the Hakka culture, and less technique-oriented. It's very interesting, and a great read so far.

[buttertart]

My two greatest desires at the moment:
Books on Swiss baking, patisserie and boulangerie (French or German languages no prob)
Books on Japanese patisserie (in English, I look at the ones in Japanese and it kills me that I can't read it).

[geekmom]

Have you been able to find any English-language books on Japanese patisserie?

Some of the best French-style pastries I've ever tasted were from this little bakery on a side street in an unassuming part of Kyoto. My son and I walked down there every morning during the ten days we stayed at a hostel nearby to buy something new for breakfast. Yummm.

[buttertart]

No. They do make fabulous pastries...one of the highlights of my entire life was opening a box containing a chestnut and meringue Mont Blanc (topped with whipped cream and a candied violet) that I had bought in Shinagawa station, on the shinkansen to Kyoto, to find that the box had a sort of little corral in it that held a small bag of dry ice. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[qianning]

LOL, Japanese packaging, truly amazing. don't get me wrong the food is good too, but the care that goes into the presentation is just so incredible.

[buttertart]

Yes indeedy. A joy.

[DiningDiva]

Buttertart, this one's for you. I have a friend who is first generation Japanese. He speaks and read it fluently and is a charmingly geeky foodie. I asked him about your request for something in English on Japanese patisserie and here' s what he wrote me back:

"Oooh, that's such an unusual request. Makes me really curious how she may have been exposed to Japanese desserts.

The Japanese, like the Chinese, do not have a strong traditional concept of dessert. For the Japanese traditional desserts largely grew out of the tea ceremony, where their sweetness only makes sense within the tea ceremony context, but rarely makes culinary sense as a stand-alone dessert.

Outside of the very classic tea-influenced desserts, most desserts in Japan were developed rather recently, with many of them being adaptation of European desserts. Of course they also have developed their own unique desserts built out of their own taste traditions as well.
As far as books, there should be books out there, even in English, on the art of Wagashi. Wagashi are the most traditional of Japanese desserts, the form that grew out of the tea ceremony. However it's rather unlikely that is what your friend is looking for, as it's famous for being "not understood" by western palates.

Do you know specifically what kind of desserts she is thinking of, and how she was exposed to them? Or is it a specific dessert item that she has in mind? That will help a lot in narrowing it down.

BTW a good publisher that publishes many books in English is Kodansha, Japan's largest publisher - which is saying a lot since Japan's publishing industry is the world's largest.
If your friend is in New York, specifically Manhattan, Kodansha has a very large store there with a huge English selection. Also there's a really traditional Wagashi store in Rockerfeller Plaza, if that indeed is what she's interested in.

I can also recommend the Tea Box Cafe in Manhattan's Takashimaya department store. Also New York's most dynamic and interesting Japanese restaurateur has opened up a new shop, I believe called Chaya, in lower Manhattan specializing in tea and tea-related desserts. Plenty of other related resources in New York!

Sorry that I have more questions than answers right now, but if you can give me more information I should be able to help."

[Caitlin McGrath]

The Manhattan Takashimaya closed a couple of years ago, unfortunately.

[buttertart]

Thank you, Dining Diva, and your friend!
What I'm interested primarily in is Japanese renditions of French or other Western pastry. There are bakeries in Fort Lee, NJ (and I'm sure in other places a lot of Japanese people have settled), that sell the most lovely imaginable pastries, rather less sweet than French French.
I've scoured Kinokuniya bookstore here and there isn't much.

[SocksManly]

Today I bought:

The Food and Cooking of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and The Philippines
How to Cook - Book One by Delia Smith (already had part 2)

Ordered from Amazon:

Gran Cocina Latina
660 Curries

[ellabee]

The fall/holiday cookbook offerings that I most want to take a look at are La Gran Cocina Latina and the expanded, ultimate Pepin Techniques book (finally including some color pics).

The paperback La Technique from which I learned so much got left behind in a move in the mid-1980s, and I miss it. But I'm afraid that this complete book, which is more than twice as big as that one, will be too big to handle.

[Ruthie789]

I just purchased Leslie Beck`s Healthy Kitchen. I have been following her in the Globe and Mail and like her approach to nutrition.

[rstuart]

I like her too..didn't realise that she had a cookbook.. good to know!

[geekmom]

Stopped by the cookbook store today & picked up my copies of Jerusalem (UK edition with gorgeous strokable cloth cover - squee!) and Jamie's 15 minute meals. Next week I'll be in there again for the Smitten Kitchen event, so I will pick that book up then, and am hoping they will have the other UK book I ordered, Monica Galetti's "Monica's Kitchen" - she is a sous-chef at Le Gavroche in London, a judge on Masterchef: The Professionals & one of the most inspiring female chefs on TV today for me personally.

[buttertart]

I like the cloth cover too, even if not squeezy.
Le Gavroche is one of my life goal restaurants...

[geekmom]

Cool. I would love to eat there too; was hoping it would be during my next UK trip, but since we're bringing the kids, it looks like Ottolenghi would be a better bet (and I know we will be very happy with the food there!)

[herby]

I went to a used book fair this morning and for $12 got the following six books:

Asian Cookbook by Charmaine Solomon
The Key to Chinese Cooking by Irene Kuo
The Foods and Wines of Spain by Penelope Casas
The Great Book of Couscous by Copeland Marks
Everyone Eats Well in Belgium by Van Waerebeek
Japanese Women Do Not Get Old or Fat by Naomi Moriyama (took it out of the library a while back and thought that I would actually enjoy using her simple recipes - remains to be seen!)

[Allegra_K]

Ooh, I've heard really good things about Kuo's book. It's been on my wish list for ages. Good haul!

[ellabee]

Congratulations on a lovely haul!

If I found The Key to Chinese Cooking by itself for $12, I'd consider it a real score. Eerily, all the others are on my big read/wishlist too. (Except the Moriyama; keep us posted on how you enjoy that).

[herby]

Thank you Allegra and Ella! I quickly paged through the Spanish and Belgium books and want to cook everything :) Belgium book has a pancake that I would like to make for the current DOTM. I will have a good look through Moriayma's book and will post on Breadcrumbs' thread which need to be "bumped-up" anyway.

[LulusMom]

Belgium does have some amazing food. I look forward to hearing your thoughts about that book.

[herby]

Paging through the introduction of the Belgium book, I gathered that her purpose of writing this book was to preserve family recipes which immediately appealed. The recipes sound delicious and not too involved. But this is my first impression from a very quick page through.

[Caitlin McGrath]

The Complete Asian Cookbook was a COTM a couple of years ago: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/724623

[buttertart]

That is an amazing score. I love the first 3. Kuo is Child for Chinese food.
The Belgian book is also swell.

[qianning]

Everyone Easts well in Belgium, and Foods and Wines of Spain and Irene Kuo, Wow!

[herby]

I am thrilled as you can imagine! The only downer is that Kuo smells... the book, I mean. I left it on the balcony for a few hours yesterday but it did not help much...

Have you cooked from the Belgium book, Qianning? Please share successes and failers if you have.

[Allegra_K]

Really laughing here about the smelly book. My new (used) copy of Cradle of Flavor that I just got ranks supremely high in the odour department, so I feel your pain! Like it was in the bowels of the earth for a lengthy time.....

[chefathome]

Me, too! I had an old "Food that Really Schmecks" book that my dog kept sniffing and pawing at. She would leave the others alone but that one mysteriously drew her...and I am not sure that I want to know why.

[buttertart]

Another wonderful book, I love Edna Staebler.

[qianning]

The smelly Kuo, that has got to be frustrating; scan it and toss? Store in a ziplock?

re: Belgium, haven't used it as much as I should, but have made a couple of the beer braises with good results, and it always gets pulled out for the waffle recipes. I like "my mother's waffles", Mr. QN, the main waffle aficionado around here, prefers the Flemish or the Sugar Waffles. There's always a lot of negotiation about which recipe to use when we indulge in waffles.

[herby]

It only smells when I open it - moldy or something like that. Once the book is closed it does not smell. So, I'll keep it for now.

I have to try the waffles - thank you for this suggestion! - even if only to justify the shelf-space that my waffle iron is occupying :)

[Breadcrumbs]

Regarding the smelly book herby...not sure what the odour is but a couple of months ago a few of my thrift store finds smelled of cigarette smoke. I tried putting dryer sheets between the pages and putting the books in ziplocks. Ditto w the febreeze idea but alas, these efforts were no match for the nasty smell. Finally, after some Googling, I found a suggestion to put the books in a Rubbermaid container atop a layer of cedar chips (like you'd put in a hamster cage). I left the books in there for 2 weeks and most were pretty much odor free. Those that weren't went back to the thrift shop after an additional 2 weeks didn't improve matters.

[MelMM]

Thanks for posting that tip. I got a used book a while back that smelled so strongly of cigarette smoke, I couldn't stand to open it. I really think this is something book vendors should disclose and should count towards the advertised condition of the used book. As I recall, the book I bought was "Very Good", but I wouldn't think a smelly book could be called that.

[Breadcrumbs]

No problem Mel. Hopefully you won't have that issue again but jic, this is worth a try. It was a learning experience for me. Now I take a quick sniff of my Thrift store finds before I bring them home and, if I don't see notes online, I'll ask used book-seller's for confirmation that the books are from a "smoke-free" environment.

[LulusMom]

It is a great tip, and I really appreciate it. I will say, though, that the chances are that the people working in a used book store might not smell stuff that you'll smell at home. There are so many old weird smelling things that they all sort of meld into one and other. I worked at a used record store many moons ago and never noticed any smells. I went back to visit friends there 20 some years later and was stunned by how bad the place smelled, and yet the smell was so familiar in a way.

[emily]

I like the cedar chip tip.

[Ruthie789]

You could also try to expose them to the sun in summertime. The sun will sanitize the books. It is not easy to remove musty and smokey smells from books.

[herby]

Thank you for the tip, BC! My book smells moldy as if it was sitting in a damp basement - wonder if cedar will help since it absorbs odours similar to charcoal but it probably won't kill the fungus. I need to do some research.

[roxlet]

Febreeze it!

[herby]

Really? It would work? Each page or just fan the book out while spraying?

[roxlet]

I'd fan the book and spray. Why not?

[DiningDiva]

Herby, I've owned the Foods & Wine of Spain for years and have everything I've made from it (tho' I haven't cooked from it recently) always turned out well. Very solid cookbook

[herby]

Good to know! I heard many good things about Casas' book on these boards and was happy to find it.

[emily]

Received a bunch of pre-orders over the last week. Really liking Dahlia Bakery. A bit disappointed in Bouchon Bakery because they're missing recipes for some of my favorites, but will keep it. Smitten Kitchen is going back -- she has a few interesting baked goods, but I have zero interest in any of the non-dessert recipes. And I find the tone way too chatty and the intros grating. That book needed some editing imo.

[emily]

Frontera will also likely go back. I'm really not into tequila right (bad experience a few weeks ago) and, as should have been anticipated, every drink recipe contains tequila. There is a bacon guacamole recipe that does sound interesting....

[buttertart]

Bacon...guacamole? Holy guac! Marriage made in heaven.

[DiningDiva]

The bacon guac recipe is in Fiestas at Rick's too I think. If you want the recipe let me know and I can post it...paraphrased, of course ;-)

[buttertart]

That one I have. Ah, Rick :)

[DiningDiva]

I like the tone of the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. I agree there are some recipes that aren't that interesting especially in comparison to some of the really good ones on her blog. There is enough interest in it for me to keep the book.

I'm making her deep dish apple pie for Thanksgiving

[lilham]

I found the interesting recipes on her blog are invariably others.

[DiningDiva]

Yes, I've heard that too

[emily]

Agreed. I like her site more for the "reviews" of others' recipes.

[The Dairy Queen]

Reminds me of the Homesick Texan Cookbook where the recipes on the blog were better than the ones in the book. I suspected that a lot of the recipes on her blog were other people's and, when it came time to select recipes for the book, they couldn't get permission to include them.

~TDQ

[emily]

The deep dish apple pie was one of the ones that looked good. Also curious about the smores cake, maple bacon biscuits and the olive oil ricotta cake.

[chefathome]

Many purchases but the most recent batch is from Amazon which should arrive at my house Tuesday. All recent releases:

Jerusalem: A Cookbook
Gran Cocina Latina
Gluten-Free and Vegan Bread: Artisinal Recipes to Make at Home

[jpr54_1]

I had 3 books delivered today-

The River Cottage Cookbook from U.K.

Jerusalem
and
Beans by Bean: A Cookbook-Crescent Dragonwagon

8

[tcamp]

I have Beans by Beans out from the library. Looking forward to digging in this weekend.

[jpr54_1]

I bought 3 bean types today at Whole Foods
Christmas Lima Beans
Eye of the Goat Beans
Runner Canelli Beans

I already had in cupboard
lentils-, French,Black,regular
Green Flageolet beans
Gigante Limas which r delicious-tried them first for Greek Cookbook COTM-The Olive and the Caper:Adventures in Greek Cooking
I will also be buying fava beans and chickpeas for falafel

[buttertart]

That Crescent Dragonwagon name just kills me. Ah for Berkeley in the 70s.

[DiningDiva]

I love CD, she is a real sweetheart. I have her big vegetarian cookbook and like it.

[rstuart]

You do have to wonder what her original name was..

[sr44]

Google it...

[ellabee]

Ellen Zolotow. Here's the longer answer (Brooklyn in the 60s, not Berkeley in the 70s): http://crescentdragonwagon.typepad.co...

[rasputina]

I wonder why she didn't change it again, since she says it's ridiculous.

I do have a couple of her books, the Bean one and her cornbread book and I chuckle every time I see the name.

[ellabee]

As she explains in the linked passage, she didn't change back because she'd already had several books published under that name that were successful (one of which was her original Bean book).

[tcamp]

I remember her telling that story on some radio program - don't remember which. Anyway, the name is really what attracted me first although I do love beans of virtually any type.

[lilham]

I received Madhur Jaffery's Easy Cury last week. I haven't had the time to look at it yet. (Why am I buying more cookbooks)? But mr lilham had and said there are lots that interests him. Hopefully I'll have more time to cook from it during the holiday season.

I've got Jamie Oliver's 15 minute meals when it came out (about a month ago)? I've cooked at least one meal from it every week since I got it. It's one of the best purchases I've bought for sometime!

[The Dairy Queen]

Lilham, my copy of 15 Minute Meals is on its way via Royal Mail. I really wanted a U.S. version of this book, but, really, in the spirit of this thread, who says I can't have both (when the U.S. version eventually comes out)? In the meantime, I don't want to wait.

If you have time, would you have time to do a quick round up of the recipes you've from this book in the Jamie Oliver thread? http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/769171 (I know you already posted about the Winter Squash penne--I've got the avocado mint salad on my list now! Since my husband's not a chickpea fan, we're probably going to skip the penne since you didn't love it.)

~TDQ

[lilham]

I've added what I can remember here http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7691...

[nadiam1000]

This week was a cookbook bonanza for me. I received Bouchon Bakery and Dahlia Bakery from TGC and I also received my order from Bookcloseouts.com. This included Garde Manger by Chuck Hughes, Desserts from the Loveless Cafe, Chocolate Cakes, Rosies Baking Book the Guy Fieri cookbook and several others. I am so mad at the Post Office because they left the bookcloseouts box on the back patio and it got soaked from all the rain we have been having. The box was completely soaked and a couple of the books were wet. It is very lucky that they were not ruined. I only found the box because I went out to do some recycling and there it was with our wet mail sitting on top! Seems like they should have a plastic bag or something to use when it is storming like that. I hope to be able to look through my new stash this weekend and report back.

One of the young kids at work is interested in cookbooks and with all the new ones I have purchased, I should go through and pull out a few of my myriad of cookbooks and give them to him. With us moving, I know I could spare a few and make some room. I am in trouble this fall season because there are so many new releases!