Every month Susie Chang reviews new cookbook releases and
notes trends in the United States. And she may also occasionally
throw in a review of a "not-quite cookbook." And for
our non-U.S. members, Jane and Fiona provide similar reviews for
new U.K., Australia, and New Zealand releases.
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United States:
In October, publishers pushed forth a brash brigade of
talkworthy cookbooks - celebrities, restaurants, anything with a
"name," a "face," or a "brand." By contrast, this November's
cookbooks are earnest and adventurous, but they come with something
to prove. Strangely, there are no new blockbuster baking
books or slow cooker books - they all came out last month.
I'll start with three I missed from the last week of
October.
Mast Brothers
Chocolate: A Family Cookbook, by Rick & Michael Mast: A
fervent ode to chocolate, with iconic recipes and a strong
sustainability ethos.
One Good Dish: The Pleasures
of a Simple Meal, by David Tanis: Thoughtful, vivid,
impeccably shot - a pleasure of a volume and eminently
giftable.
Repast: Dining Out at the Dawn of
the New American Century, 1900-1910, by Michael Lesy and Lisa
Stoffer: Fascinating read about food in America's most unequal age
(before now).
Who put the Beef in
Wellington?: 50 Culinary Classics, Who Invented Them, When and
Why, by James W. Winter and James Martin: Tales of origins for
many classic dishes, with accompanying, somewhat simplified
recipes.
L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food, by Roy
Choi: One of the first food-truck stars shares his story -
another brash Asian-American rebel cook after the mold of David
Chang and Eddie Huang.
My Rio de Janeiro: A
Cookbook, by Leticia Moreinos Schwartz: A carioca
cookbook, filled with colorful, tempting dishes and ingredients
which will be hard to source.
Classico e Moderno:
Essential Italian Cooking, by Michael White, Andrew
Friedman, and Thomas Keller: Mix of traditional Italian dishes you
may already know how to make and restaurant innovations that will
either inspire or intimidate you.
Spain: Recipes and Traditions from
the Verdant Hills of the Basque Country to the Coastal Waters of
Andalucía, by Jeff Koehler and Kevin J. Miyazaki: This
year's regionally focused contribution, part travelogue and part
cookbook.
Japanese Soul
Cooking: Ramen, Tonkatsu, Tempura, and More from the Streets and
Kitchens of Tokyo and Beyond, by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat:
A sleeper hit with excellent formulations of Japanese comfort foods
from udon to tempura.
Wintersweet: Seasonal Desserts
to Warm the Home, by Tammy Donroe Inman: Essentially, a good
collection of baked treats.
A Passion for Bread:
Lessons from a Master Baker, by Lionel Vatinet: This season's
offering for the serious bread baker.
Some November trends: Italian revisited (again!),
international and East Asian, and a handful of Paleo books to help
shed the holiday pounds.
U.S. and U.K.:
Historic Heston, by Heston Blumenthal:
Historic Heston charts a quest for identity through
the best of British cooking that stretches from medieval to
late-Victorian recipes. Taking twenty-eight historic dishes apart,
then putting them together again, Heston examines the history
behind each one's invention and the science that makes it work.
Either an act of historic egotism or a thought-provoking
indulgence, this one's for the epicure who has everything.
U.K.:
Recipes
from an Edwardian Country House, by Jane
Fearnley-Whittingstall: The mother of Hugh of
River Cottage fame, Jane takes us on a culinary pilgrimage,
rediscovering classic recipes from the Edwardian kitchen. A
good gift for any Downton Abbey fans.
Roast: A Very British Cookbook,
by Marcus Verberne: Located in the London
food-lovers mecca of Borough Market, Roast is a champion of British
farmers and food producers. Having had a fantastic meal at
the restaurant myself, I can vouch for Marcus's skills.
Big Table, Busy Kitchen, by
Allegra McEvedy: A celebration of food, home,
love and life, inspired
by Allegra's mother's handed-down recipe collection, the source of
so many happy meals and memories.
The Great
British Bake-Off: Winter Kitchen, by Linda
Collister: The GBBO spin-offs continue with recipes for
when the temperature drops - not just baking but also soups &
stews, roasts, preserving and holiday entertaining and gift
ideas.
The Pocket Bakery, by Rose
Prince: The bakery started as a way for Rose's
children to earn their pocket money on a Saturday morning and has
now expanded into a successful local bakery, selling bread, cakes
and pastries.
Australia & New Zealand:
Lantern
Cookery Classics Box Set Volume One, by Stephanie Alexander, Matt Moran, Gary Mehigan, Kylie Kwong, George Calombaris
and Maggie
Beer: Lantern Cookery
Classics gathers timeless recipes from these much loved authors in
this new series of indispensable books for your kitchen bookshelf,
and this convenient boxed set is perfect as a gift or to enhance
your own collection. Eat Your Books has a Box Set as a
giveaway to one lucky member - enter
here.
delicious. Love To Cook, by Valli
Little: From the editor of Australia's leading
food magazine, Vallie Little's latest book, Love to Cook,
is designed to help you discover (or rediscover) the joy of
spending time in the kitchen and at the table.
Love Italy, by Guy Grossi:
More than just a cookbook, top Melbourne chef, Guy has
travelled to Italy to meet the people and learn more about their
artisan products. Using traditional Italian ingredients, he
has created 150 recipes for you to produce authentic recipes at
home.
The New
Classics, by Donna Hay:
Donna Hay's latest book is her biggest and best yet and contains
family favourites and new recipes all written in Donna's trademark
simple, clear and easy way.
Everyday, by Karen
Martini: In Everyday, Karen
makes coming up with new meal ideas easy, sharing her best no-fuss
recipes for all the delicious salads, pastas, pizzas, curries,
roasts, one-pot dinners, puddings, cakes and biscuits you'll ever
need.
Ben's BBQ
Bible, by Ben
O'Donoghue: This book is a compendium of
Australian chef Ben's classic barbecue recipes with an additional
40 brand-new recipes. Includes everything from juicy meats like
Mexican suckling pig, to vegetarian dishes like Artichokes with
lemon, honey, thyme and almond.
4 Ingredients
Allergy Free, by Kim
Mckosker: The 3rd in the Wellness Trilogy
by the 4 Ingredients queen. All recipes are free of the 9
common allergens.
Mexican Craving, by Ben
Milbourne: Ben Milbourne,
Masterchef Australia, has a fresh take on Mexican
cuisine and ingredients. Mexican food is one of the oldest
cuisines, yet one of the newest trends.
Cut: Josh Emett's
Kitchen, by Josh
Emett: After spending many years in Gordon
Ramsay's restaurants and earning a Michelin star, Josh returned to
NZ to judge on MasterChef and open his own restaurants.
Cut is a meat focused book, which shows you how to use
various meat cuts and recipes for each, plus side dishes and
sauces.
The
Complete New Zealand Seafood Cookbook, by Auckland Seafood School: This
beautiful book is not just a collection of great recipes, it also
has useful information about catching, preparing and cooking.
As summer approaches and fishing season begins, it's a great
'bible' for any Kiwi who loves fishing, cooking or eating
seafood.
Bluebells
Cakery Cupcakes, Slices and Other Baked Treats,
by Karla Goodwin: Karla Goodwin is the
talented baker behind the boutique Auckland cake shop Bluebells
Cakery. She perfected her craft while living in London where she
worked in one of the UK's most prestigious cupcake bakeries,
Primrose Bakery. Karla's first book reflects her baking style
- sweet, playful and with a vintage twist.
Nadia's Good Food
Cookbook, by Nadia Lim:
Dietitian and Master Chef Nadia is well-known for her excellent
healthy recipes. She provide Healthy Day Menus to help you achieve
a balanced diet. Each recipe has nutritional analysis.
Union Jax: Tastes
& Travels Around the UK, by Jax Hamilton:
Brit now living in NZ and finalist on Masterchef, Jax chronicled a
trip back to the home country and gives her take on the food scene,
from posh eateries, London markets, candy floss in Brighton and her
Kiwi take on Irish stew - in Ireland.
And the Latest from Australian Women's
Weekly:
Party Food:
Savoury and Sweet Small Treats for Any Special Occasion
Cheesecakes:
The Best-Ever Cheesecake Recipes - All Triple Tested for Perfect
Results Every Time
Mexican:
Burritos, Salsas, Chillis, Tacos and Quesadillas from the Legendary
Test Kitchen
Summer
Winter