Gastro Obscura

Title:  Gastro Obscura:  A Food Adventurer's Guide

Author:  Cecily Wong. Dylan Thuras. Atlas Obscura

Publication Information:  Workman Publishing Company. 2020. 448 pages.

ISBN:  1523502193 / 978-1523502196

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Eating may be the most immersive visceral travel experience."

Favorite Quote:  "We have always believed that wonder can be found wherever you are open to searching for it."

Atlas Obscura is a crowd-sourced database of place and foods current numbering at over 25,000. The project began as the brain child of Dylan Thuras and Joshua For. It was an effort to "inspire wonder and curiosity about the incredible world we all share." It began with places not found in ordinary guidebooks and perhaps off the beaten path. It expanded in 2017 to include exploration through food. It has since beyond writing its reach into education and travel. At this point, they are "a publisher of best-in-class journalism about hidden places, incredible history, scientific marvels, and gastronomical wonders."

This book, as the title suggests, is about food but more than that "it's a collection of forgotten histories and endangered traditions, obscure experiences, culinary ingenuity, and edible wonders." It traverses the globe. The book is laid out by region:  Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania, Canada, United States, Latin America, and Antartica! Each section is further divided geographically. Within each smaller section, each entry is about half a page - some longer, a few shorter. Each is titled by the topic, followed by the location, following by a half-page description of history and evolution. An offset identifies "how to try it." Images accompany some of the entries. 

You can read the book beginning to end, pick up and read an entry or two, or use the included index to look for something specific.

I have followed Atlas Obscura for a while. As a lover of travel and food, the gastronomic aspect immediately appeals to me. Food is a universal language and a part of every life occasion happy and sad. Food brings people together. In a world so divided, it is wonderful to see every effort to identify that which unites us. Though the foods from other parts of the world may seem unfamiliar, the emotion, love and sense of heritage embedded in each item is universal. 

In the past few years when travel has been limited, the ability to armchair travel has become even more important. This book takes us around the world. It is also a reminder that "wonder can be found around every corner - not just in uncharted and far-flung locales but down the street, down some stairs, into the Victorian-era public toilet that now houses a London coffee bar. While travel is a beautiful way of seeking wonder, you'll find within these pages that adventures don't always require a planet ticket ... wondrous food is everywhere."

This book is one that will sit nearby and that I will pick up time and again to peruse. I look forward to that and to seeing what new adventures this team uncovers.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Instant Pot Miracle Vegetarian Cookbook

Title:  Instant Pot Miracle Vegetarian Cookbook

Author:  Urvashi Pitre

Publication Information:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2020. 256 pages.

ISBN:  0358379334 / 978-0358379331

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "I have been cooking with pressure cookers for over thirty-five years."

Favorite Quote:  "Make each recipe once as written and then feel to experiment."

Instant Pot Miracle Vegetarian Cookbook is the latest cookbook offering from Dr. Urvashi Pitre. She is the recipe creator for a popular blog. Her background is in experimental psychology. Her cooking style pulls upon the fact that she lost 80 pounds on a low carb, keto diet that also restricted calories.

Her recipes sometimes focus on keto ingredients and sometimes highlight the tools such as a pressure cooker or an air fryer. As the title of this book indicates, this one focuses on vegetarian cooking in an instant pot.

The introduction provides the following qualifications:

• "There are no pseudo meats or meat substitutes." I appreciate that as I am not a fan of pseudo meats. 
• "Tofu is only used in three recipes where you would traditionally find it."
• "I use whole, unprocessed ingredients as much as possible." I appreciate this as well.

So far, I am completely on board. The book includes about a 100 recipes, some of which may be found on her blog. That becomes a question of economics. I, for one, love cookbooks and browsing cookings. So, I make the investment realizing that the recipes may be available elsewhere.

The introduction also indicates the target audience for the book with assurance that the recipes are simple enough for a fourteen-year-old and the stipulation that the reader may not be familiar with the ingredients or cuisines featured in the book. I am not fourteen and am quite familiar with cooking dishes from around the world. More and more, cooking is global with ingredients becoming readily available. So, that characterization sets a tone and target audience for the book.

The book is organized into sections

• Vegetables
• Lentils, beans, and legumes
• Rice and grains
• Eggs and cheese (so clearly vegetarian not vegan)
• Desserts and Drinks
• Sauces & spice mixes

It's interesting to see the main section of a vegetarian cookbook be vegetables. What else would it be? I expected perhaps an organizations around meals or main dishes versus accompaniments. For example, the recipe for braised cabbage pasta follows one for sweet-and-spicy glazed brussel sprouts. I would see one as a main dish and one perhaps as a side. That distinction would increase the usability of the book. The recipes themselves and a listing at the back provide information on categorizations such as egg-free, nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, low carb, cooking time, and number of ingredients. The book also indicates an index which is not present in the version of the book I have. The table of contents and the lists in the electronic version of the book that I have are also not hyperlinked which would improve usage (but that could be just an issue with the advance reader's version).

The individual recipes are mostly formatted to fit on a single page which makes for easier use. They are also clearly laid out as to categorization, servings, pressure cooker settings, ingredient lists, and instructions. Given Dr. Ptire's background, I do expect to see nutritional information which is not provided.

The color pictures are appetizing, and the individual recipes tried work.  I look forward to trying more, but I do find it amusing the the book specifically points out, "... if a recipe doesn't work for you, it's unlikely to be the recipe and more likely to be be something that you could do differently." Interesting approach again setting a tone and a target audience!

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Women in the Kitchen

Title:  Women in the Kitchen  Twelve Essential cookbook Writers Who Defined the Way We Eat, From 1661 to Today

Author:  Anne Willan

Publication Information:  Scribner. 2020. 320 pages.

ISBN:  1501173316 / 978-1501173318

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "A woman cook basting meat on a spit in front of the open fire."

Favorite Quote:  "It is often the women in the kitchen who set the scene, and establish the family tastes, particularly on the children."

In the first few pages of this book, the author defines exactly what to expect: "I have chosen twelve cookbook authors and each is described in a biography followed by a handful of their own recipes as they appeared in the original, together with those same receipts adapted for the modern kitchen. Together these books trace the development of domestic cookery in England and America as recorded by women, whose position and career paths in both countries were very different from that of men." The book then goes on to deliver exactly that. The chefs included in the book in chronological order from the 1600s to current times are: Hannah Woolley, Hannah Glass, Amelia Simmons, Maria Rundell, Lydia Child, Sarah Rutledge, Fannie Farmer, Irma Rombauer, Julia Child, Edna Lewis, Marcella Hazan, and Alice Waters.

Being an avid peruser of cookbooks, I am familiar with the books from Fannie Farmer onwards. The names prior to hers are an education and now send me on a search for some of these books. For the chefs more familiar to me, I learn about their lives more so than I have from their cookbooks. The author does not specify her reasons for picking these chefs - a term the book teaches me "was not used for women until the 1960s and the television shows of Julia Child..." but does explain the contribution of each to the world of cooking. A key point to note is that this is not a book about female chefs in general; it is specifically about women who wrote cookbooks.

In other words, these women combine a knowledge of food, an ability to convey that knowledge in writing, and the business acumen to publish and sell the end product. More than that, many of them do it in a time and place in which women in such roles were unheard of. That makes their accomplishment all the greater.

Reading the original recipes reminds me of the recipes I cherish from my own mother and grandmother. Many are more notes with no amounts or measurements and a general description of the process. For example, Hannah Woolley has a recipe for a "boiled sallad" which is carrots seasoned with cinnamon, ginger, sugar, currants, vinegar, and a little salt. There are no amounts or cooking times. The recipes in this book are, however, all presented twice - once as the original and a second as tested with "US ingredients including all purpose unbleached wheat flour, granulated (US castor) sugar, unsalted butter, and Grade A large eggs." The modern translation of that given in the book is a spiced carrot puree which "tastes more like carrot cake than a salad." The originals are a joy to read, but I might take the revised as a starting point to cook with.

The recipes themselves provide a window to the time and place represented by the author. For example, recipes from Amelia Simmons, the writer of the first American cookbook, include pickled cucumbers, griddle cakes, and rice pudding. The recipes of Edna Lewis from the American South feature buttermilk biscuits, caramel pie, and fried apples. Marcella Hazan's Italian heritage brings polenta, risotto, and a granita. This book is a wonderful tour of cookbooks through time and history.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

The Kitchen Without Borders

Title:  The Kitchen Without Borders:  Recipes and Stories from Refugee and Immigrant Chefs

Author:  The Eat Offbeat Chefs, 

Publication Information:  Workman Publishing Company. 2021. 232 pages.

ISBN:  1523504048 / 978-1523504046

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "This story starts like so many other cooking stories - with a grandmother's recipe."

Favorite Quote:  "And so it was for the variety of countries that people fled, looking for a better life, often leaving everything behind except for their beautiful memories immortalized in the recipes they brought along with them. These tasty dishes represent cultures where cooking is valued as an act of love for your family, not just an elevated art that professionals practice in restaurant."

Eat Offbeat begins with Manal Kahi's story. Manal Kahi came to New York City in 2013. With her, she brought the food and heritage of her culture. From New York City, her adopted home, comes the opportunity of new beginnings. It began with her grandmother's hummus recipe that friends so liked and recommended that she sell. With that was born the idea of all the refugees and immigrants settled in New York City representing themselves through food. The result is Eat Offbeats. The company provides catering, featuring the food from the contributing chefs from around the world.

The current cadre of chefs represents refugees and immigrants from Venezuela, Iran, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Guinea, Syria, and Iraq. This book is a representation of the melting pot of New York City with not only recipes but also the stories of the Eat Offbeat chefs. While the food may not be familiar to some readers, all will relate to the idea that the smell or taste of even the idea of a dish can bring to mind memories. It is these stories that bring the recipes of this book to life as they do in The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook, another New York City enterprise that seeks to  highlight the diversity of our community.

The book is organized into typical sections you might find in a cookbook - appetizers and dips, salads and soups, rice and grains, vegetarian dishes, meat dishes, and desserts and drinks. The beginning of each section provides a list of recipes with the culturally correct name and then a brief description of the dish itself. The ingredients and methodology is clearly laid out, and several include a picture of the dish. I love being able to see the end product.

The book also contains a "pantry" section describing some of the international ingredients that may be less familiar to some readers. Also provided are conversion tables between different measurement systems - Fahrenheit to Celsius and US imperial to metric. The chefs have also provided recommended pairings and menus to assemble the dishes into a complete meal. Finally, the book is expected to contain an index which is not in this review copy. All these features make a cookbook easier to navigate and more user friendly.

My favorite part of the book is the stories and pictures of the chefs. Each tells of their relationship with food and how and why they came to their adopted home of New York City. The personal stories of these family recipes makes them truly special.

The publication of this book is also being done in partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC). In fact, from May 15, 2020, to May 15, 2021, (including any preordered copies that ship during this period), Workman Publishing will donate 2% of the cover price for every copy of The Kitchen without Borders cookbook sold in the United States and its territories, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and European Union member states, to the IRC, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing humanitarian aid, relief and resettlement to refugees and other victims of oppression or violent conflict, with a minimum contribution of $25,000 USD.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Bella Figura

Title:  Bella Figura:  How to Live, Love, and Eat the Italian Way

Author:  Kamin Mohammadi

Publication Information:  Knopf. 2018. 304 pages.

ISBN:  0385354010 / 978-0385354011

Book Source:  I received this book through the Penguin First to Read program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "She walks down the street with a swing in her step and a lift to her head."

Favorite Quote:  "Contentment is probably consumerism's biggest enemy."

Bella Figura is a memoir of a woman's recovery from loss and her redefinition of herself  in a trip to Italy. Kamin Mohammdi is a British author who was born in Iran and left the country during the Iranian Revolution. Her previous work celebrates that heritage and her life in her adopted homeland of Britain. Ten years ago, life brought her to Florence Italy. She now lives and works in the Tuscany region on Italy.

Her work has been appeared in a wide range of publications from the Financial Times to Condé Nast Traveller to Men's Health to the Sunday Times of India. Beyond writing, her work includes running a Tuscan olive grove, producing small batch olive oil, creating and selling olive oil based skin care, teaching yoga, practicing Reiki healing and massage therapy, and hosting workshops and tours based around this book. In other words, she has a fascinating and varied background, one I want to read about.

This book focuses on a period of time when personal heartbreak leads her to Florence, Italy to heal. Mind you, she has the financial resources to do so and a friend with a home to lend her. Through the book, she defines what the idea of bella figura means:

• "The concept of bella figura is about making every aspect of life as beautiful as it can be, whether in Rome, London, New York, or Vancouver."
• "But it's more about taking care, of speaking beautiful words, being beautiful to yourself, even in private."
• "Waiting for a party or a man to make you take care of yourself is bullshit. Make la bella figura and make it for yourself. Is not hard."

The advice is sound. Make life beautiful. Make it beautiful for yourself wherever you are. It is an idea that begins on the inside. You carry it with you. I wholeheartedly agree.

So, an author whose experiences I want to read about and a premise I agree with should set up for a moving reading experience. I expect an intersection between memoir, travelogue, and self-help. It is that to an extent with the added bonus of recipes with each chapter although the recipes are not really an integral part of the book. Near the end is also a "how to" on bella figura; again, that too seems simply added on and not necessary to the story actually told in the book. Beyond that unfortunately, for me, the majority of content of the book goes in an entirely different direction.

The bulk of the book seems to be about her dating adventures in Italy and the differences in the dating culture in Italy. To make matters worse, one of the relationships described is an unhealthy one, but for a long while, it persists. This focus in a book about personal development and finding your own joy in life seems to lead away from the concept of bella figura. I am still fascinated by the author and will likely look for her other work; this one was just not for me.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

The Drinking Food of Thailand

Title:  The Drinking Food of Thailand

Author:  Andy Ricker, JJ  Goode, and Austin Bush (photographer)

Publication Information:  Ten Speed Press. 2017. 272 pages.

ISBN:  1607747731 / 978-1607747734

Book Source:  I received this book through Blogging for Books free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Long before I opened Pok Pok, before I even knew there was such a thing as 'Norther Thai food,' I learned a lesson about drinking in Thailand."

Favorite Quote:  "It also deserves note that the title of teh book is The Drinking Food of Thailand, not Thai Drinking Food. This might seems like a minor distinction, but it's an important one. It's meant to emphasize that the dishes eaten in Thailand have points of origin as diverse as the people and ethnicities - Thai, Tai Yai, Chinese, Burmese, Lao, among others - who make up the population of the country."

What, you might ask, is drinking food and why would a non-drinker like myself explore drinking food? The author sets the expectation. Drinking food is:

• "to be snacked on while you make merry"
• "defined as much as by what they are as by whether they're eaten with rice, or at least enough to fill you up" 
• "typically eaten from a communal plate"

This definition conjures up an image of foods I am familiar with as every culture has its compendium of snack foods. My interest in food and culture draws me to this book even as a non-drinker. It is a different look than can be seen in other Thai food cookbooks. So, there are two ways to look at this book - as a cookbook and as a travelogue into a food culture. I choose it for the latter, but let's look at it as a cookbook first.

Some recipes in this book meet the image I conjure up of bar food, and some definitely do not. That is where the cultural education comes in. "Thais have a particular roster - and a particularly vast and exciting one - of dishes that are closely associated with drinking that I've seen again and again ... Often insistently spicy, salty, chewy, and/or sour, they're meant ... to keep the night going."

The book categorizes the recipes as follows:  snacks, soup, chile dips, fried foods, grilled foods, salads, stir fries, and late-night/morning food. Some like snacks, dips, and fried foods I expect. Other such as soup, salads, and stir-fries I don't expect on a bar food menu. As a reference, the book also includes a section on staple recipes such as spices mixes and sauces.

Delving deeper into the book furthers the cultural education for some of the ingredients are new to me, and the combination of the ingredients is new to my cooking. The book contains recipes for only about 50 dishes plus a handful of staple recipes. Some like fried cashews are relatively simple and self explanatory. Others, however, have much more complex with a much longer list of ingredients. (I counted 30 for one recipe!)

The author does note that no ingredient substitutions are noted unless they absolutely won't impact flavor of the dish, and that shopping at an online source or a Asian grocery story will be necessary to find the ingredients. Interestingly, the author also notes, "for the most part, the recipes in this book will be easier to cook ... This is not because I've dumbed them down, but rather because drinking food tends to require less work than other culinary categories." 

The relatively short list of recipes and the specialized ingredients means this will not likely be a cookbook I turn to often. And that's okay because this is one I pick and enjoy for the cultural introduction. I have never traveled to Thailand; nor am I likely to experience this drinking aspect of Thai culture. This book provides that arm chair travel.

The recipes in the book are punctuated by images and stories from the author's travels in Thailand. Andy Ricker is an American restaurateur who has spent over two decades traveling through and studying Northern Thai food. He brings that knowledge back to an American audience through his restaurants and now his books. For that look into culture and foods and ingredients different than those familiar to me, I truly appreciate this book.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Harvest

Title:  Harvest:  Unexpected Projects Using 47 Extraordinary Garden Plants

Author:  Stefani Bittner and Alethea Harampolis

Publication Information:  Ten Speed Press. 2017. 224 pages.

ISBN:  0399578331 / 978-0399578335

Book Source:  I received this book through the Blogging for Books program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Harvest is a practical  inspirational, and seasonal guide to living with an edible landscape.

Favorite Quote:  "A garden is an extension of your living space. It should reflect your style and be a place where you want to spend time. A garden can benefit and enrich your life in so many ways."

This book makes me want to run out to my garden and start planting. No matter that some of the plants in this book may not thrive in my area. No matter that it's twenty-five degrees outside, and we have snow in the forecast for tonight. This book appeals to the gardener, crafter, and cook in me. It is about dreams of warmer days and calm afternoons enjoying the bounty of our harvest.

Both the content and the structure of the book bring forth that dream. The subtitle of the book tells you the content. This is a book about forty-seven garden plants. The plants are organized by three "gardening seasons" - early, mid, and late. Depending on your geographic location, of course, the exact timing of early, mid, and late will differ. The book contains a reference for the US hardiness zone map; you have to know or look up the zone you are in to determine what timing and what plant may work in your garden.

The book offers twelve plants for the early season, nineteen for the mid season, and sixteen for the late season. Within a particular season, the plants do not appear organized in any fashion, but it is a short list so it doesn't really matter. The entire table of contents is on one page so any plant in the book can be easily found.

The section on each plant is about four pages long. The text introduction to the plant includes two parts. In the Garden address the zone in which the plant can be grown, plant size, and some planting and care instructions. Harvest, as you might think, suggests how to harvest, store, and use the plant. For each plant, a "project" or use is then given. Some are recipes such as pickled rhubarb or lavender and mint tea. Some are medicinal or cosmetic such as gardener's salve or rosewater facial toner. Some are craft-oriented such as blueberry dye or flowering basil arrangements. None of the "projects" are complex. The appeal is more in the ideas and the teaching of the concept of using your garden for these purposes.

What really makes this book though is the photography. The simple yet vibrant cover of the book is my main reason for picking up this book. It is inviting in its simplicity, and the vibrant colors on the neutral background grab your attention. The visual appeal of the book continues throughout. The pages alternate between text and full-page, full-color photographs. Yes, indeed; half the book is pictures that make me want to run to the garden center and start planting.

The foreword of the book references the Slow Food and corresponding Slow Flowers movement. The book manages to convey that thought completely. The book invites you to slow down and to take the time to, well, smell the roses. That is, after you plant them and nurture them until they blossom. While I wait for my garden season, I have this book to make me feel as if I am there already.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

The Dumpling Galaxy Cookbook

Title:  The Dumpling Galaxy Cookbook

Author:  Helen You

Publication Information:  Clarkson Potter. 2017. 128 pages.

ISBN:  1101906634 / 978-1101906637

Book Source:  I received this book through the Blogging for Books program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "For some, dumplings are merely the start of a meal, but in my family they sit at the center of the plate."

Favorite Quote:  "A dumpling is the perfect food:  proteins, vegetables, and seasonings all wrapped up in an easy to eat bundle of carbs."

Take a piece of rolled out dough. Add just enough filling - not too little that the end result is all dough and not too much that the dough bursts. Close up the dough. Cook in a myriad of ways depending on the dough and the filling.

It is amazing that almost every culture has a version of this. Dumplings. Samosas. Empanadas. Ravioli. Pierogi. Calzone. The list goes on an on. The recipe for the dough differs. The fillings are limited only by the cook's imagination. This book does one thing - Chinese dumplings - and does it well. It's not a big book and only 128 pages - definitely a specialty cookbook.

I love cookbooks that begin by saying that we will teach you the basic rules. Then, feel free to experiment. Experimentation is my favorite kind of cooking, using whatever I happen to have in the fridge and pantry at the time. "Dumplings are made to be customized, and this book will give you all the confidence you need to explore your own dumpling galaxy."

The first ten pages of the book are the basics. Ten pages doesn't sound like a lot, but a lot of information fills these pages. It starts with a history lesson establishing the author's credibility. Then, it includes general tips for fillings, the three methods of cooking dumplings, tools that make the job easier, how to make the dough depending on the method of cooking, and finally shaping the dumplings.

The remaining sections of this book are about the flavors - classic, green, faraway, and dessert. All told, the book contains about 45 flavor combinations. The classic flavors are all east based with eight out of fourteen recipes featuring pork. Three out of the six green recipes include egg as does the dough for boiled and panfried dumplings. So, depending on your definition of "green," these recipes may or may not fit into your dietary restrictions. The faraway flavors all feature some kind of meat or seafood. So, the concept and technique can work for anyone; the relevance of the specific recipes is, well, more specific.

A final section highlights about ten sauces and sides. The recipes themselves are not that long because they refer to the techniques described in the first ten page section. The recipes do not have too many pictures; I suppose, how many different way can you photograph a dumpling? I would have like to see pictures of some of the fillings coming together though and some more pictures of the actual process of assembling the dumpling.

What I really enjoy about the book is that it seems to anticipate the questions I ask. I am an experienced cook but new to the art of dumplings. Reading through, I wonder about many things and, usually, within a few pages, is the answer. Each recipe includes an introduction, explaining either an unusual ingredient or some cultural significance. Tips sprinkled throughout add to the information the book provides. At the end, I confirm my initial reaction. This book packs a lot of knowledge into a relatively small package.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

The Underground Culinary Tour

Title:  The Underground Culinary Tour: How the New Metrics of Today's Top Restaurants Are Transforming How America Eats

Author:  Damian Mogavero and Joseph D'Agnese

Publication Information:  Crown Business. 2017. 336 pages.

ISBN:  1101903309 / 978-1101903308

Book Source:  I received this book as a publisher's galley through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Thirteen years ago, Jeffrey Frederick, a former chef, took a new job as vice president of food and beverage operations, in charge of managing every food and beverage outlet in a resort owned by Harrah's Entertainment, on of the big gaming companies in Las Vegas."

Favorite Quote:  "This is the message I want to drive home:  you don't have to create a huge menu to create a successful restaurant and satisfy today's foodies. You just have to give your guests something that they crave and want to come back to. They eat it once, and the next time they think of that one food ... they will think of your restaurant."

This book has quite the title. An underground tour implies something secret, exclusive, and mysterious. This book also has quite the subtitle too. Data and metrics imply concrete knowledge that is visible, measurable, and usable. What does one have to do with the other? The idea of this book is simple to understand. Appropriate use of appropriate data can help restaurateurs improve their performance and help demystify that "something" that keeps customers coming back. Implementing the idea may be something quite different. "I must confess that I have told you something of a white lie in saying that this book is about data. It's really about creativity ... Data and technology are only as good as the way they are used."

A disclaimer to begin with. I do not work in the food industry. I, however, enjoy cooking, collect cookbooks, and have an interest in books on food and cooking. Hence, my take on this book is that of an avid amateur. My interest in this book is not for the "how to" but for the story.

The story is exactly what this book delivers. The author Damian Mogavero is the founder and CEO of Avero, a company offering software solutions for restaurants. The software enables restaurateurs to gather the data to effectively run their business. Hence, the company has the lofty goal captured in the subtitle of the book - transforming how America eats.

I don't think the substance of the book quite lives up to its lofty title. The book is much more general and much more tailored to a broader audience. This book is not a how to of data gathering and analysis. It is not a look at the solutions the company offers or a detailed look at exactly how clients have used the tools to transform their business. Rather, it is a memoir like narrative of Damien Mogavero's work.

One main story of the book is an actual culinary tour of New York, an annual invitation only event for restauranteurs to provide them with a two day gastronomic look at innovative ideas they may bring back to their own businesses. The story is a literal description of the tour with a brief discussion on why each stop on the tour is included. This portion of the book is not data driven, but rather just one means by which restaurateurs may gather data. I doubt most of us would ever qualify for an invitation, but I can walk away from this book with a brand new list of New York restaurant adventures to experience.

Other case studies include applying the same data techniques to large Las Vegas establishments, nightlife venues, and other implementations of the hospitality industry. The metrics addressed in the case studies range from menu, server training, kitchen management, and even theft prevention. The focus of the book is not the specifics but rather an introduction to how data might be used. As a reader not in the industry, it has the right amount of detail and, couched in a narrative, is an entertaining and easy to read behind-the-scenes look at how the hospitality industry operates.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Far Afield

Title:  Far Afield: Rare Food Encounters from Around the World

Author:  Shane Mitchell (author). James Fisher (photographer)

Publication Information:  Ten Speed Press. 2016. 304 pages.

ISBN:  1607749203 / 978-1607749202

Book Source:  I received this book through the Blogging for Books program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "It was not a soft landing."

Favorite Quote:  "Travel should be about expanding your universe, even if that means venturing beyond other people's comfort zone."

Far Afield both satiates and triggers my wanderlust. This book combines some of my favorite things -  a book about food, travel, and people around the world composed with amazing photography. The aim is not to cover the globe but "to sit longer in one green valley" and savor the individual interactions. It is a culmination of journeys over the course of a decade.

If you lay out a traditional world map, the destinations in this book going from west to east are as follows:  Hawaii, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Iceland, France, Kenya, India, and Japan. The destinations within these countries are not the cities or the commercial areas but rather completely off the beaten path. A Maasai warrior in Kenya. A refugee in France. A gaucho in Uruguay. A tribeswoman in India.

All told, the book comprises ten profiles, each focused on an individual and community in one location. Each section of the book includes text, photographs, and recipes. The text is not facts and figures. Nor does it attempt to capture every detail about the culture or tradition. It is a brief story that captures people, place, tradition, and, of course, food. It is a very personal recollection of the author's visit. It is that personal recounting that takes this reader along on the journey with the author.

The photographs are full color, with many full page and many double page photographs. They include portraits, landscapes, and, of course, food. You could not read the text and simply look through all the photographs and still walk away with a complete sense of the people and place. The portraits particularly capture an intensity and a depth that make the book come alive. The physical size of the book - 9 inches by 11 inches in hardcover - and the glossy paper it is printed on enhances the impact of the photographs. For this book, I think the medium (print vs. electronic) will definitely make a difference.

This book has recipes but is not truly about the recipes. As the introduction says, "The recipes ... are souvenirs of this long journey. They are a highly personal reflection of meals shared in the moment." In other words, the book is about the journey and the people. The recipes that are included from all over the world are approachable for a home cook. That might seem surprising at first because of the range of cuisines and cultures covered. However, it really isn't These recipes are not restaurant food but rather "dishes intended for the family table." Most of the ingredients are relatively straight forward. Where a recipe calls for a specific, perhaps unfamiliar, ingredient, the author mostly includes a more familiar substitute - for example, oregano for epazote or shiitake mushrooms for hamakua mushrooms. In addition, the book includes a short list of resources for ordering ingredients or spices online.

In reading and looking through the photographs in this book, Maya Angelou's words come to mind. "We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike." In today's world, we need this reminder more and more. The commonalities in this book - food, food traditions, and hospitality.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Butter: A Rich History

Title:  Butter:  A Rich History

Author:  Elaine Khosrova

Publication Information:  Algonquin Books. 2016. 288 pages.

ISBN:  1616203641 / 978-1616203641

Book Source:  I received this book as a publisher's galley through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "... catch up to his mother."

Favorite Quote:  "Indeed, one of the best lessons learned from my career in food and cooking is that gratification is something of a paradox:  To much of a good thing often diminishes the pleasure we derive from it. (Would you really want to eat your favorite dessert every day?) Call it the Goldilocks principle. Balance isn't just right for your body; I think it also assures real satisfaction."

Butter - Yum! What's not to like? A book about butter perhaps does not have the same wide appeal as butter itself, but for foodies, it absolutely does. After all, most of us have some in our fridge. These days, it could be a stick, a tub, a tube, or the many other ways in which butter can be bought. Butter at times has gotten a negative reputation. Eat it. Don't eat it. Cook with it. Don't cook with it. The advice changes with the research you read.

At the end of it all, how much do any of us really know about butter itself? For me, the answer is not a lot until reading this book. This book starts in the mountains of Bhutan and travels the world through the different sources and uses of butter. For many of us, the search for a specific butter from a specific milk from a specific farming technique may not be affordable or practical. Nevertheless, it is fascinating to read about, and the global economy of today may put it more within reach than we think.

This book is structured in two main parts - The Story and The Recipes. The Story is not a chronological history but rather a set of chapters centered around specific topics such as the advent of butter, the role of women in the butter trade, tools and techniques, sacred traditions that surround or use butter, the invention of margarine and its purported health claims, and the rise of artisan butter today. (Note:  The galley I received has certain words missing in this section. I assume that is a function of the galley and not the final book. I am able to infer much of the information from the surrounding text so it does not impact my enjoyment of the book.)

The Recipes are just that; as the author states, since butter is such a widely used ingredient, the selection here is a limited one. "I chose to include classic dishes that owe their character to butter, to both its flavor and behavior as an ingredient. It's a collection of Butter's Greatest Hits, you might say."  About half the recipes, as you might suspect, are for baked goods. The next selection is for sauces and toppings. The final section is on making variations of butter such as smoked butter and brown butter. The recipes have a European / North American bent, as far as cuisines go which differs from the the global focus found in the narrated story of butter.

The fact that the book has the subtitle "A Rich History" gives me an indication that the author approaches her storytelling with a sense of humor. This holds true throughout the book. Books such as this one can at times be dry reading. Fortunately, this one is not. The book packs in a lot of information, but in an easy to read package. The photographs, the quotes from other sources at the beginning of each chapter, and the conversational tone of the book help with the readability of the book.

A fun, informative book for foodies that will leaving you craving "butter's most common and beloved application ... a thick melting smear on toasted bread." Yum!

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Soframiz

Title:  Soframiz: Vibrant Middle Eastern Recipes from Sofra Bakery and Cafe

Author:  Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick

Publication Information:  Ten Speed Press. 2016. 264 pages.

ISBN:  1607749181 / 978-1607749189

Book Source:  I received this book as a publisher's galley through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Beginning at 8 am, people from all walks of life pass through our door to gather, eat, and restore."

Favorite Quote:  "We believe in learning the rules before we break them, so we study technique, ingredients, and recipes constantly."

The word sofra in Turkish means a table made ready for eating a meal. The authors expand that meaning to capture everything about the about a meal, including the feeling of warmth and hospitality that goes along with a meal lovingly offered. Sofra Bakery and Cafe opened in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2008, and it offers the food of Turkey, Lebanon and Greece with the owner's own twist on the flavor combinations.

This book offers up the recipes behind some of the Sofra favorites as well as new adventures for the home cook to try. The book's organization reflects its bakery origins; this is not a composite book on middle eastern cooking. It is more focused on cafe offerings - breakfast, meze, flatbreads, savory pies, cookies and confections, specialty pastries and desserts, and beverages. The book also includes a chapter on the pantry accompaniments - jams, spices, pickles, etc. - that might accompany or become a part of its menu offerings. Finally, the book includes a helpful glossary describing ingredients that may be new to home cooks and possible resources where a home cook may be able to purchase these ingredients.

The book itself is beautiful and easy to navigate. The hardcover edition is printed on lovely, thick paper. Although not every recipe includes a photograph, the matte-finish photographs included are vibrant and appetizing. The individual section begins with a list of recipes, and an index provides further ability to easy locate a recipe. The recipes themselves are laid out clearly over one to two pages. The titles are set off clearly by font; the ingredient list is clearly printed on one side; and the directions are laid out in neatly separated paragraphs. Each recipe also begins with a chef's note, which includes tips on recipe pairings or seasonal substitutions.

The recipes themselves are very, very ingredient centered. You might say, well, all recipes are. However, many of these recipes call for ingredients that may not be readily available in many markets. Just the first couple of recipes call for ingredients such as Maras peppers, hawayej, kataifi pastry, barrel-aged Greek feta, labne, and Spanish Calasparra rice. The glossary does provide resources where certain ingredients specific to the cuisine may be ordered; a few descriptions include substitutions but not many. Also, somehow, I think the result will likely not be the same without the authentic ingredients. As such, while I appreciate the recipes and they sound delicious, I am likely to try some recipes when I can locally find the ingredients.

Another aspect that makes these recipes a "sometimes treat" is the richness of the ingredients. The book does not state nutritional information. However, when a recipe serving nine calls for 2 sticks of butter and 8 ounces of cream cheese, you can hazard a guess at the luxuriant nature of that dish. Again, the recipes sound delicious, but that fact will ensure that I save most of them for special occasions. A baker's side note:  The ingredient amounts in this book even for baked goods are given by volume, not weight. Adjust accordingly.

Some of the recipes are also fairly simple, in that an experienced cook really does not need a recipe for the dish. For example, how do you think you make hot pepper labne, whipped feta with sweet and hot peppers, and whipped goat cheese with almonds and golden raisins? The entire section on flat breads contains two dough recipes - Yulfka dough and Za'atar bread. The remaining recipes are a variety of toppings for that dough. In other words, master the dough, and the toppings are up to your imagination.

Overall, the book is beautiful, and, if I am in the Boston area, I will make sure that Sofra Bakery is a place I stop and treat myself. However, I am not sure the recipes will find themselves into my regular cooking repertoire.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Cook Korean!

Title:  Cook Korean!

Author:  Robin Ha

Publication Information:  Ten Speed Press. 2016. 176 pages.

ISBN:  1607748878 / 978-1607748878

Book Source:  I received this book through the Blogging for Books program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "My mom was a busy working mom but she always made sure that I ate healthy homemade meals."

Favorite Quote:  "Don't be afraid to fail on the first try! Sometimes even the package directions are not perfect. Try a few recipes to find the one you like!"

My introduction to Korean food comes through a Korean friend and through food at local restaurants. I am experienced in the kitchen and enjoying cooking and trying foods from different cultures. I do not cook Korean food often, but I am learning to incorporate the flavors and techniques through books like Koreatown and this one.

The author Robin Ma was born in Korea and moved to the United States at age fourteen. Her educational background is in the arts. Her food experience comes from her cultural heritage and her mother. Make sure you read that story in the acknowledgements section! She has documented these experiences on her food blog. The copyright on this book in fact states that "Many of these recipes appeared in an earlier format on the author's blog Banchan in 2 Pages." This background gives the book a very casual, conversational tone and a homey feel which is enjoyable just to read.

A comic book makes everything more fun and more approachable, even food it seems. One of my concerns with Koreatown was its busy layout and organization. This book is just as busy in its layout, if not more so. However, by introducing it as a comic book, it sets the expectation. I expect the illustrations and the nature of its layout. So, it works.

The book does have two issues with usability. First, the print version is a trade paperback. As such, it does not lay flat or stay open to a particular page without being weighted down. That makes it difficult to put on a counter and use to follow a recipe. Second, the comic book format means that the steps in the directions are not numbered or laid out in sequential paragraphs. Dotted lines and arrows indicate the sequence, but I will likely number the steps in my copy to make it easier to follow.

The book is organized into food groups as a typical cookbook would be:  Kimchi and picked, vegetable side dishes, meat and poultry, seafood, soups and stews, porridges, noodles and rice cakes, snacks and street food, cocktails and anju (snacks that accompany alcohol), and Korean fusion.  A detailed table of contents provides a list of recipes with English and Korean (phonetically written in English) titles. Since most recipe titles include the main ingredients, recipes are easy to find. The book also includes an index, but I find the table of contents easier to use.

Don't let the comic book approach fool you. This is a serious cookbook. It only has about 70 recipes, but does pack in a lot of information. It includes personal stories, some Korean food history, descriptions, definitions, and, of course, recipes. For those not familiar with Korean food, the book also contains about a ten page section on key ingredients, the contents of a Korean fridge and pantry, a meal guide, and some background on Korean food by region. Each recipe also includes tips and definitions set apart by the colors of the illustrations. Again, the conversational tone, the illustrations, the colors, and the format make the food and the unfamiliar ingredients more approachable. Having read Robin Ha's stories, I look forward to incorporating her flavors in my cooking.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

Broth & Stock

Title:  Broth & Stock from the Nourished Kitchen

Author:  Jennifer McGruther

Publication Information:  Ten Speed Press. 2016. 183 pages.

ISBN:  1607749319 / 978-1607749318

Book Source:  I received this book through the Blogging for Books program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Most days of the week, I keep an enameled cast-iron pot on the back burner of my stove where bones simmer in water to make broth."

Favorite Quote:  "They are foods not only of comfort, but also of frugality and the pressure to waste as little as possible, lest bellies go hungry. In this way, to make broth not only fills the functional role of sating hunger and thirst, but also teaches us a lesson in the values of patience, simplicity, and thrift. There is virtue in the humble soup pot."

A warm bowl of soup has long been the cure for many ills in many household. A bowl of chicken soup to help a cold. A hot mug of broth to warm up the winter. A rich fragrant stock to cook rice. Making broth is a normal part of my cooking life and a centuries old traditions found in almost every culture throughout the world. Broth, particularly the idea of bone broths, is not a new trend, but a cooking staple made popular and made the "in" thing through restaurants, websites, and book such as this one and Brodo: A Bone Broth Cookbook.

This book "out of the box" is beautiful. I love the many pictures and consistency of the photography. The book has many full page images; most of them feature a bowl set upon a wood texture. This consistency creates a unified feel to the entire book. The wood textures emphasizes the homey, rustic feel that a bowl of soup conjures up. The simplicity of the bowls and the photo angles allow the food in the bowls to shine.

Now the content. What is broth? At its very basic interpretation, it is water given richness, flavor, and dimension by what you choose to add to the water. The possibilities are endless, from kitchen scraps to cuts of meat bought specifically to this purpose. So, why a cookbook? I look for three things. The first is new ingredients and combinations that I have not considered before. The second is techniques by which to improve my cooking. The third is innovative ways in which to use this flavorful base.

This book starts off with about fifteen master broth recipes, covering a variety of bases (chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish, and a few that can be made with no meat products). The master recipes use very few ingredients or seasonings, allowing the broth to be used further as a ingredient in other recipes. If the intention is to drink the broth as prepared, the cook will have to apply their own flavors to the broth resulting from these master recipes. A concern for me is that most of the master recipes use wine as an ingredient. As someone who neither drinks nor cooks with alcohol, this is an issue. The introduction discusses the use of an acid in broths and suggests wine or vinegar, clearly stating a preference for wine. I do use vinegar in my broths; so, be warned, that vinegar for wine is not a 1:1 substitution. I use a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to a pot of broth; the book unfortunately, does not give the substitution amount for its recipes.

The techniques in the book discuss the same techniques found in other soup references. Broth making is a combination of the ratio of ingredients to water, flavorings, skimming and straining, and the length of time a broth is cooked. Vary these combinations, and the end product changes. The book does go through some of the options and variations and the impact of each. The one idea new to me is the technique to create your own instant stock powder. I have made and frozen stock and broth for future use but never cooked it down to then dehydrate it. It is an intriguing idea, especially if you are short on freezer room.

Beyond the techniques and master recipes, the books includes about "forty recipes using these stocks in complete meals." The only issue is that not all the recipes are based on the broths themselves. Some such as a roast chicken, oxtail stew, and chicken in wine with mushrooms, peas, and herbs use no broth at all. Some such as the broth for infants and the beef tea are in effect recipes for other kinds of broths. Some such as the cream of chicken soup do not not rely on a master recipe but rather incorporate the broth making process into the recipe itself. While the photographs look tempting, the grouping of recipes and the entire book itself does not follow what it sets out to deliver.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

something to food about

Title:  something to food about: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs

Author:  Questlove, Ben Greenman, Kyoko Hamada, Anthony Bourdain, 

Publication Information:  Clarkson Potter. 2016. 240 pages.

ISBN:  0553459422 / 978-0553459425

Book Source:  I received this book through the Blogging for Books program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "What is food for thought"

Favorite Quote:  "This project began as an exploration of food, but it ended as an exploration of creativity. Working with chefs, and trying to figure out how they do the things they do, helped me to see how my own creative process works. Creativity never stops."

Let me start with the first thing that reaches out to me about this book. I love the cover. I first saw it from far away and was intrigued by the portrait. From far away, I see the whole. As I step closer, I start to see the ingenuity of the individual pieces and the choices made to represents the parts of the human body. I see the food, but I also see the anatomical drawing of a medical textbook. Most of all, I see the creativity. This cover gives the statement "you are what you eat" a whole new meaning.

Next, I get to the tag line for the book. "Exploring creativity with innovative chefs." Food and cooking are definitely creative outlets for me. So, I am drawn in further, still unsure quite what to expect.

Then comes the introduction, both of the author and the subject. Ahmir Khalib Thompson, aka Questlove, is an American musician, producer, artist, journalist, author, and food lover. This book is the result of his love affair with food.

If you are looking for a cookbook, this is not the book for you. This is about conversations and ideas. The introduction sets very clear expectations on what this book is and what it isn't. It is about chefs who are "artists facing forward." It is "about the ideas behind the food." It is about "the creative process of these chefs illustrated through photography."

What follows are individual interviews with ten different chefs - Nathan Myhrvold, Daniel Humm, Michael Solomonov, Ludo Lefebvre, Dave Beran, Jesse Griffiths, Donald Link, Dominique Crenn, Daniel Patterson, and Ryan Roadhouse. The conversations are almost philosophical in nature with questions ranging from your ideal next employee to the portrayal of food in science fiction to the history of race as it relates to food. The conversations are all as unique as the chefs themselves. They leave me with two thoughts. One is a feeling as if I were there, present and sharing in the conversation. The second is that Questlove is a person I would love to talk to (as would many other people I am sure!), not for his celebrity but to have the kind of conversation portrayed in this book.

Part of what gives these conversations their warmth and depth are the photographs. The photography is very different from what I expect. Food photography, particularly cookbook photography, is all about the dish of food and presenting it in the most appetizing way possible. The photographs in this book are about the process and the ideas of food. Many capture the small details from a single ingredient to hands covered in a marinade to a few even of the people. The compositions and the colors make me stop and think.

This book falls into many different categories. It is a coffee table book; the cover and the photography are conversation starters. It is a journalistic book for it is a documentation of interviews. It is an academic book for it highlights the philosophy of both Questlove and these chefs. Ultimately, it is a foodlover's book, with photographs to salivate over, chefs whose work to aspire to, and food ideas to contemplate.

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.

The Elements of Pizza

Title:  The Elements of Pizza: Unlocking the Secrets to World-Class Pies at Home

Author:  Ken Forkish

Publication Information:  Ten Speed Press. 2016. 256 pages.

ISBN:  160774838X / 978-1607748380

Book Source:  I received this book through the Blogging for Books program free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "It's really up to you."

Favorite Quote:  "The fact is, even an average crust with sauce and melted cheese still tastes pretty good. For that reason, there are a lot of average pizzas that plenty of people happily eat - and plenty of people for whom pizza is more of a business proposition than a passion for quality. Please ignore them."

What does a guy who grew up in Maryland, lives in Portland, and started his career as an engineer in the Silicon Valley know about pizza? Turns out, he knows quite a lot. Artisan baker Ken Forkish presents a detailed and educational book on pizza. Mind you, it is not exhaustive in its exploration of American pizza styles. It focuses primarily on Italian and New York style pizza.

This book is considerably more than a cookbook; it is an education. The recipes themselves don't appear until 100 pages into the book. Before that comes the education. The first chapter is a travelogue through pizza history, starting in Naples and ending in the United States. With photographs and text, this chapter provides a peek into the history, culture, and diversity of pizza in different areas.

The second chapter talks about the styles of pizza from Neapolitan to a New York slice. For each style, the book includes a description, its differentiating characteristics, and "desired results", i.e., how the end result should look and feel. Again, the focus is limited to certain styles of pizza - no Chicago deep dish here.

Chapter 3 is dedicated to guidelines for a great pizza crust. This chapter ends with the reminder that ""be guided by your own taste." That bonus guide recurs through the book. The next two chapters educate on equipment and methods. Most of us don't have a wood fired oven, but fortunately, these chapters are written for the home cook with equipment and methods accessible to the home cook. A wood fired oven may not be in my future, but a great home made pizza is.

Of course, the book does have recipes. First and foremost come the pizza dough recipes. The book goes through different dough recipes with pros and cons based primarily the time each takes to make, along with some specialties like a gluten free dough. In all, the book includes thirteen dough recipes but oddly, no recipes for a whole grain dough. I understand being a dough "purist" but if the book includes a gluten free dough then why not a whole grain dough? That limits the usability of the recipes for me.

The section on dough is really the heart of the book. The focus is on building an outstanding base from which to build further. Each recipe includes ingredients by weight, quantity, and baker's percentage. It give a detailed description of each step, for example, not just "mix the dough" but "mix by hand, first stirring your hand around inside the dough tub to integrate....". The earlier chapters on methods includes photographs of the techniques.

The recipes to put it all together into one delicious slice of pizza don't begin until 150 pages into the book. Again, the book includes classics like a Pizza Margherita and the New York cheese pizza. It also ventures into more diverse combinations like a butternut squash pizza and a Chantrelle and Garlic Pizza. The pizza recipes are organized into five sections - Italian and Italian-Inspired, New York and New York Inspired, Artisan Classics, Trifecta Flatbreads, and Vegetables and Just Because.

This book focuses on mastering the process of pizza making. Once you master the process, the variations are only limited by your imagination. Because I tend to use my cookbooks as guidebooks rather than exact rules, this approach works for me. Perfect the dough. Find the toppings you enjoy. Pizza at home your way!

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.