Archive for the ‘Book Reviews’ Category
In the Land of Misfits, Pirates and Cooks
by Michael Bennett and Eileen Bennett Clark
Published by The Professional Image
ISBN: 978-0615297781
Mango, crab, papaya, coconut, salmon, avocado and lobster, so many wonderful delights from nature are plentiful in the Caribbean. With nature’s overflowing bounty of tropical fruits, vegetables, fresh seafood and amazing spices it’s no surprise that Chef/Author Michael Bennett has penned a Caribbean-style cookbook from his years of living amongst the Islands.
Chef Bennett’s first book is titled “In the land of Pirates, Misfits and Cooks”, a first-hand “taste of living” in the Caribbean. Bennett has coined the term “Caribb-ican” a cross between Caribbean and American styles of food preparation. To excite one’s palate and to experiment with new methods of cooking and innovative ingredients makes the old new again. Chef Bennett takes the reader on playful culinary journeys throughout the many islands of the Caribbean showing you that with a little ingenuity you can bedazzle your taste buds by being tropically inspired with what Mother Nature has already given us.
The recipes are easy to read, easy to follow and easy to prepare. This book was designed with simplicity in mind to appeal to the most novice of home cooks yet intrigue the experienced cook at the same time. The ingredients are readily available at your local grocery store making this exciting style of cooking accessible at a moment’s notice without much plan other than having the ingredient list with you as you shop. On most pages there are sidebars that highlight cooking tips, preparation tricks and “inside information” as it pertains to healthy eating and variations on the preparation of the dish.
The photos highlight Bennett’s signature style of presentation “food stacking”. Bennett creates towers and rises with his food, Bennett clearly defines “playing with food”, you will never just get food on a plate with Michael Bennett, you will get works of art carefully constructed. This may seem daunting to the average home cook but in true teaching style Chef Bennett explains in detail “how to play with your food”, this alone is worth having the book as you become an honorary Pirate, Misfit and Cook of the Carrib-ican style of cooking.
- Review by Christine Najac
Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday
by: Lauren Ulm
Publisher: HCI; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)
ISBN: 978-0757313806
I spent the summer of my yoga teacher training trying to remain vegan. It was one of the hardest self inflicted meal plans I was ever on (being a devote follower of any recipe with cheese). Most of the recipes I made that summer were tofu, but lacked…well taste…they were bland versions (fakes even!) of foods I loved. If only I’d had Lauren Ulm’s recipes sooner!
Last week I received a cookbook in the mail that may keep me on the vegan wagon for life. Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm is a must have cookbook for any dedicated vegan and an inspiration to chef’s like myself who love to cook healthy and clean dishes with fresh produce as the staple ingredients.
The photo of Miniature Napoleons with Eggplant Cream on the cover is proof you can judge a book by its cover. I had to try it…I was even tempted to rip the cover off and eat it! This recipe was simple enough for beginners to recreate, and the presentation is beautiful enough to wow any foodie. The combination of flavors in the roasted tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms were bold, without over powering the decadent eggplant moose that fill each layer.
Vegan Yum Yum is filled with easy, delicious and animal free recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. You can read more about this book and Lauren’s vegan journey on her blog.
Review by Ursula Rafer, Divine Dining
Review by Kristin Ewing
A Tavola! Traditional Italian Home Cooking
by Gianni Scappin and Vincenzo Lauria
2009, The Culinary Institute of America
ISBN: 978-0-86730-928-7
If when you think of Italian food, the Olive Garden and Macaroni Grill come to mind, you are missing out on the traditions of Italy. A Tavola!, meaning at the table, takes you on an exploration of what it meant to grow up in Italy. Life revolved around the family dinner table and authors Gianni Scappin and Vincenzo Lauria share with us a combination of recipes from different regions of Italy, memories of their homeland and how Italian restaurants in America have changed our perception of what Italian food is.
While I must admit, I was expecting to see more Americanized recipes, I was happily surprised at what I found inside. The first recipe that I tackled was Fresh Egg Pasta. After several tries, from errors on my end, the pasta was successfully completed. Now that I’ve had pasta from scratch, I doubt that I will be purchasing boxed pasta from the grocery store. Of course, sauce was needed for the pasta, so I prepared the Quick Tomato Sauce. It is here that I must confess that tomatoes are the one food that I try to avoid at all costs. The tomatoes gave off a delicious aroma as they simmered on the stove leaving me excited to try the sauce with the pasta. The taste of the sauce matched the delicious aroma as I tried it on the pasta.
Other dishes that I prepared included the Stuffed Crispy “Ravioli” Snacks, Mock Pizza “Margherita,” Chocolate “Salami,” and Ricotta Fritters. I wanted to make Livio’s Licorice Liqueur for the review, but it takes over two months to prepare, so hopefully by New Year’s I will be enjoying that liqueur. My sister prepared the Spaghetti Pizza for her family and with a few modifications for my four-year-old niece; it was quite the hit in her family.
Overall, all of the recipes were easy to follow and understand. Some of the ingredients were difficult to find here in Chicago, even when I was at the Italian market. A hidden bonus in the book is all of the information that Scappin and Lauria provide about Italy and the food and drinks from there. The information helps the reader understand the Italian culture and the role food and drinks play in it. Despite my initial disappointment at the selection of dishes, I was quite pleased with A Tavola!, which helped me expand my horizons and understand there is far more to traditional Italian dishes besides pasta.
Review by Kristin Ewing
The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
by Tarek Malouf and The Hummingbird Bakers
2009, Ryland Peters & Small, Inc.
ISBN: 978 1 84597 831 0
Marie Claire magazine informed its readers “If you haven’t tasted a Hummingbird Bakery looks-too-good-to-eat cupcake, you’ve definitely missed out.” With only locations in London, I’m not sure how many of you can afford to fly there in this economy. I know I can’t. Although it is not completely the same as purchasing one from the actual bakery, Tarek Malouf and The Hummingbird Bakers have provided the recipes to make their delicious treats in our own homes with The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook.
At first glance, I couldn’t decide what recipe to test first. Everything sounded and looked amazing. Peter Cassidy did an excellent job with the photography of every item in the book. I settled on the marshmallow cupcakes considering the bakery is known best for cupcakes and I have never been able to turn down anything with marshmallows. This recipe was easy to follow with one exception. Most ingredients called for conventional measurements, but other ingredients called for a specific amount of ounces. Without a scale to weigh the ingredients, I’m not sure how accurate I was at combining the correct amount.
The marshmallow cupcakes were absolutely delicious and my favorite of everything I made. The cupcake base was not too rich and balanced nicely with the marshmallow filling and frosting. As I ate the cupcake, I remembered my childhood and how we always had cupcakes as birthday treats in school. The best thing about cupcakes is that unlike a traditional cake, you are not supposed to share them. The cupcake is all for you to savor.
The overall favorite with everyone else was the raspberry cheesecake brownies. I found these to be too sweet for my taste, but they certainly did not last long around my friends. As I made the brownie batter, I found myself wanting to eat the entire bowl based on how good it smelled. I had difficulties making the cream topping. Although I followed the directions, I could not get the cream firm enough and it ended up quite runny, despite even trying to freeze it. I’m sure that after a few more attempts (like I need another reason to make brownies), I will master this to perfection.
The Hummingbird Bakery cookbook provides recipes for all types of treats in both traditional and original recipes. Some more traditional recipes include banana bread, sugar cookies, lemon meringue pie and cupcakes. The more original recipes range from lavender cupcakes, ham and mushroom muffins and of course their hummingbird cake.
by Klaus Fritsch with Tylor Field III and Mary Goodbody
2009, Clarkson Potter/Publishers
ISBN: 978-0-307-40926-1
Just the name Morton’s on a cookbook could be intimidating enough for a home cook based on their reputation for having the best steaks anywhere. Then as you look at the pictures, the intimidation grows because the food showcased looks absolutely amazing. It isn’t until one looks at the recipes that they realize the recipes aren’t that hard to follow.
Going through the cookbook, one can easily visualize the spirit of Morton’s Steakhouse from all of the side stories shared with the recipes. To help the cook at home, sample menus are located throughout the cookbook. Drink pairings are provided for the main dishes.
I was able to make several of the dishes from Morton’s The Cookbook. I made warm blue-cheese dip, filet mignon with light garlic rub, old-fashioned roasted chicken and sautéed garlic green beans. All of the dishes were delicious, not just at the first serving but also as leftovers. The warm blue-cheese dip was a crowd favorite with a second batch made the next day. My favorite was the old-fashioned roasted chicken. It was extremely moist and flavorful. I can only imagine how it must taste at an actual Morton’s Steakhouse.
Before the steakhouse classics chapter, the reader is provided information about cooking and timing a steak. This is perfect for the beginner, and I found this information to be extremely helpful. As I made the other recipes, there were some directions that I found confusing, so it was helpful to have friends and family around to help. Home cooks should read the entire recipe before starting to make sure they understand everything.
The only thing I felt that was missing from Morton’s The Cookbook was nutritional information for the dishes. Although with how delicious these recipes were, I probably wouldn’t want to actually look at that information. Overall, I believe that Morton’s The Cookbook is a must have for any home cook.
Written By: Kristin Ewing