I don't know exactly when I discovered The Writer's Almanac, Garrison Keillor's daily show that includes a poem and some highlights from that date in literary history, but it is a vital element in my morning routine. My mom listened to it when I was in college, as I remember her hushing me and running over the radio to turn up the volume one morning when I'd just gotten home for summer break after my freshman year. I started subscribing to the daily email version six or seven years ago, and now I read it before I settle down into my work for the day.
This morning, the poem was one written by Marge Piercy and is called In Praise of Joe. It is a lyrical devotion to the morning cup of coffee and contains delicious praise for coffee in all its forms. If you are a coffee lover, you may see yourself in her words. I know I do.
I love you hot I love you iced and in a pinch I will even consume you tepid.
Sometimes I think I was born into the wrong food era. While I love all the artisanal products and amazing variety in fruits and vegetables, I am also a huge fan of the casserole. Sadly, it's a style of cooking not particularly popular in my generation. However, there's nothing I enjoy more than combining a protein, a starch, a sauce and one or two veggies in a large dish, topping it off with cheese or breadcrumbs and baking it until the top is golden brown. Casseroles are great for potlucks, for parties or for ensuring that you only have to cook every other night (I am also a big believer in leftovers).
However, over the last few months, I've spotted signs that the noble casserole is experiencing something of a resurgence in popularity. One such indication is the recently published cookbook, Bake Until Bubbly: The Ultimate Casserole Cookbook by Clifford A. Wright. I think this might become my new favorite cookbook as we head into the fall as the shorter, cooler days are perfect for casseroles.
This book opens with a well-researched and written introduction that offers up the history of the casserole (both ancient and modern history). Wright has grouped the recipes in a straightforward manner, starting with Breakfast and Brunch Casseroles (wonderful if you have houseguests) and then moving through Meat Casseroles, Poultry, Dairy and Game, Pasta and Noodle, Rice and Grain, Vegetables with Meat, Vegetables without Meat and finally ending things with Dessert Casseroles. The book clocks in at more than 450 pages, so there's something in here for everyone.
I'm particularly looking forward to preparing Turkey Mole and Hominy Casserole (page 154), Baked Angel Hair Pasta with Sausages and Smooth Tomato and Artichoke Sauce (page 252) and the Potato, Tomato and Onion Casserole (336).
I am currently totally and completely enamored of Faye Hess. I discovered her over the weekend, while catching up on the backlog of feeds in my reader. She is a New York City-based (well, Queens to be exact) chef who has made a series of four cooking videos that are entertaining, instructive and appealingly quirky. Oh, and did I mention that her food looks delicious?
During the nicely edited and captioned videos, she carries on a conversation with the camera that is so natural, passionate and easy that you can readily imagine that you are actually standing in her long, slightly slant-y kitchen with her. While preparing a garlic and butter sauce for freshly made gnocchi, she holds up a handful of sage to the camera man (who I'm guessing is her husband) so he can enjoy the scent. In that moment, I inhaled deeply myself, expecting a noseful of of rich, green woodiness. All I got was the faint wisps of bacon from the morning before.
Thanks to her inspiration, I'm planning a gnocchi attempt soon. I've also subscribed to her blog and ordered her book on Lulu (and I'm counting down the days until it arrives). She's made a passionate fan out of me, and I'm certain she'll do the same to you.
I started reading Waiter Rant sometime in the fall of 2004. I was stuck in a job that wasn't particularly busy and so I would pass the hours reading blogs and exploring the internet (the boredom I experienced at that job is what prompted me to start blogging, which eventually led me here to Slashfood). Having never worked in a restaurant, I was fascinated by the stories that the Waiter posted and would check back every day, hoping for a new post (this was long before I learned to use an RSS reader). I, along with many of his other readers, was thrilled when he announced that he had gotten a book deal and would be bringing his stories to live between two covers.
Several years ago, I spent some time working at a medical school. It was the kind of job where there were lots of morning meetings and at least once a week I found myself trekking to other schools for some planning powwow. One of the few benefits to these meetings were that the host school often served breakfast-y treats. Most of the time it was just an assortment of dough-y bagels or supermarket donuts, but once, someone was feeling generous and picked up muffins from Metropolitan Bakery. And it was at that meeting that I discovered the millet muffin.
These muffins aren't fancy. They are a basic combination of flour, sugar, butter and eggs, but something happens when you add in that toasted millet that transforms those simple ingredients into something amazing. The resulting muffins are nutty and have wholesome feeling, with a nice yielding crunch. Ever since I acquired a copy of the Metropolitan Bakery Cookbook, I've been meaning to try making a batch in my little kitchen (instead of running down to the bakery to satisfy a craving), but until a couple of nights ago, I just hadn't made the time to do it.
Now, knowing that I can make them on my own, they are the only thing I want to eat. Scott agrees (he also made off with the last one this morning). The recipe, which would make a perfect Saturday morning treat, is after the jump.
When I was growing up, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was one of my very favorite books. Set in the very fictional town of Chewandswallow, the residents don't have to shop at grocery stores the way the rest of us do. Instead, all their food was delivered by the weather. Morning would start with a drizzle of hot coffee, followed by eggs, toast and bacon. Life was good in Chewandswallow, until the weather becomes unpredictable and the food that comes from the elements becomes life-threatening. Eventually the townsfolk are forced to leave (on rafts made from giant peanut butter sandwiches) and restart their lives in a city where the only thing that falls from the sky is rain and snow.
First published in 1982, Cloudy has been beloved to generations of young readers and now, according to our sister site Cinematical, it's coming to the big screen. The animated film is going to be altered quite significantly from the original book, but hamburgers and donuts will still rain from the sky and the city will still be blanketed by a pea soup fog at times, so that's good enough for me. I really look forward to seeing it when it comes out in 2010.
If you're reading Slashfood right now, chances are that you're a foodie. In my experience, if there's anything a foodie likes besides eating/cooking, it's reading a book about eating/cooking. These are a few of the books I consider the best cooking books, but we all have strong opinions on this subject. What are some of the cooking books that you think should be on the list?
These days, more and more people are discovering that they are either gluten-intolerant or have Celiac Disease, which means that their bodies cannot handle even a tiny bit of gluten. There were tons of products at the Fancy Food Show that were designed to be totally gluten-free in an attempt to respond to the newly realized need. However, if you're more of a do-it-yourself kind of person and want to make your own gluten-free foods at home, then you should check out the growing category of gluten-free cookbooks.
One such cookbook is You Won't Believe it's Gluten-Free was written by Roben Ryberg (who also penned The Gluten-Free Kitchen) and is a hefty volume that spans every meal, as well as holiday and special event food (there's an entire section devoted to wedding cakes). The introduction dedicates space to tips and techniques as to how to keep your food gluten-free and avoid cross-contamination (if you're working in a kitchen that is shared with gluten eaters) as well as a primer on the different types of gluten-free flours available on the market.
I think that this is the type of book that could become a bible for those who are newly diagnosed with gluten issues. Ryberg includes five different recipes for pizza crust, a multitude of cake recipes and even a couple of variations on chicken nuggets, so that you can experiment until you find ones that tastes good to you. The feeling this book gives me, a casual user who has no gluten limitations, is that avoiding gluten is not a hardship and there are many ways to make all the foods you love so that you can eat happily.
The Martha Washington Cook Book is the only cookbook I've ever owned that came with a outer, protective sleeve to guard against warping and page-bending. Published in 1940, it has that smell that old books get, not musty exactly, but of ink and dust and aging paper. The inside cover and front page are illustrated with a drawing of the canoe-shaped kitchen garden at Mount Vernon.
The book starts out with short-story length biography of Martha Washington, before moving into a section simply entitled, The Cook Book. The author, Marie Kimball, explains that all the recipes contains in this book are based up ones that were contained in "a small, brown, leather-bound book." It is the volume that Martha brought with her to when she married George Washington. It was given to her by the mother of her first husband and it contained rules of housekeeping and recipes. At the end of her life, she passed it along to her granddaughter Nelly, when she got married.
This isn't exactly a cookbook that will turn into a daily resource for you, unless you happen to like Pigeon with Pudding and have six birds laying around. I'm intrigued by the recipe for Fresh Almond Cheese, which sounds a lot like marzipan. It is, however, a fun way to get a historical glance into the ways in which food was prepared and stored during colonial times. And, as luck would have it, it was reissued in 2004, so copies are available.
1080 Recipes is the classic Spanish cookbook, akin to the Joy of Cooking in this country. It's not quite as old as Joy, but is similar in the way in which it instructs both beginning and experienced cooks. The English version was released in October 2007 and is a fascinating glimpse into traditional Spanish cooking.
If you are looking for a book to instruct you on how to make all the dishes from your favorite tapas restaurant, this isn't necessarily the best book for you to buy. However, if you want something comprehensive that will offer up a variety of recipes that will inject new life into your home cooking, I'd recommend giving this one a shot.
One section that is particularly helpful is the section on rice (I know that sounds crazy, but stay with me). I admit to often getting stuck in the same pattern of steamed brown or jasmine rice, without much in the way of flavor or interest. This section of the cookbook has helped me spice up my side dishes (I realize that makes me sound like a 1950's housewife). I also love the vegetable sections, because they've gotten me to think about new spices and cooking techniques (I would never had thought to stuff and roast cucumbers but it sounds delicious).
Okay Top Chef junkies, here's the cookbook you've got to own. Top Chef The Cookbook not only offers up the best of the first three seasons of the addictive reality show, it also gives you something of a behind the scenes peek into how the show works and why it is so appealing. The introduction is written by Tom Colicchio (one of the show's primary judges), and it is interesting and conversational, making me feel like I was sitting down with him, asking questions about how he got involved with it and receiving candid answers in return.
It takes this book 35 pages to get to the recipes, because they have devoted the beginning of the book to setting up the show, sharing unknown secrets about how it works and offering up lots of wisdom about why the show is as appealing as it it. I found this section to be totally engrossing and lost half a hour reading it (I'm a known skimmer, something has to be really interesting for me to read it closely and deeply).
But finally, the recipes do arrive and they are dishes that the chef-testants dream up when they are on their game and the food gods are smiling. In other words, these recipes are the best of the best to come out of the show. Many of the recipes are simple, familiar dishes that the chefs have elevated (such as waffles, steak and eggs and eggs in a hole) so that they are intriguing while still being recognizably tasty. Others are slightly more outrageous and unique (although nothing like some of what Richard dreamed up on this most recent season).
Essentially, this is a cookbook built around a TV show and it will feed those of you who love to watch Top Chef. But it is also an interesting and serviceable cookbook that would serve you well, even if you'd never watched a single episode. That's a tough line to walk and they've done it admirably.
I didn't put it down until I had at least looked at every single wine on the list. It's Gary first list of favorite and recommended wines, and it's chock full of enthusiasm, energy, and genuinely great recommendations.
Here are some ways this book can be useful for you:
Exploring wine if you've never really tried wine before and have no idea where to start.
Choosing great wines for specific occasions from Gary's very cleverly organized and insightful lists for any event.
Finding the best wine for that flavor profile you really like (best dry Reisling, best "fruit bomb" red, etc.).
Learning how you can become better at recognizing what you like about wine and what wines you're passionate about (hint: drink more wine!).
Understanding that wine can be fun, and that it doesn't have to be serious or snobby.
What I really love about this book is the genuine authenticity that just reverberates from everything that Gary has to say. Each individual wine write-up is like getting to read an episode of Wine Library TV, chock full of enthusiasm, honesty, and insightful wine wisdom. The only thing I would change about the book is that, for a truly ignorant wine novice like myself, it's hard to tell which wines are white or red, etc., which is important for me since I have a hard time really enjoying reds and wanted to go through and pick out all of the wines that I knew I would want to try right off of the bat. A quick cheat sheet or wine primer at the beginning of the book (Petite Sirah is red, Reislings are white, etc.) would have been really helpful for me.
Overall, the book is well written, very straightforward in Gary's typical style, and I think it has potential to really help the everyday wine enthusiast reach a level of immersion in the wine world that many of us don't think we can reach. It can be expensive to start out in wine and buy a bottle of everything, especially if you're back at square one when the wine isn't a quality example of the genre you're trying to explore. This book makes jumping into every corner of the wine world a real possibility for every wine drinker, and that is something really worth sharing. Keep a copy handy for your own trips to the liquor store, and give a copy to a wine-loving (or wine-curious) friend!
Philadelphia Magazine writer Jason Fagone spent one year profiling some of the most divinely outsized personalities in the world of competitive eating. While Akron house painter Coondog O'Karma makes a midlife grab at glory via rapid-fire pizza consumption, Bill "El Wingador" Simmons attempts to reclaim Wong Bowl supremacy from 90lb Sonya "Black Widow" Thomas, and day trader Tim Janus dons the mantle of the mysterious Eater X, it all comes down to one shared hunger. They all want to win the Mustard Yellow Belt of International Hot Dog Eating Supremacy back from the Japanese who'd dominated the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest nearly every year since 1997.
Back in July of 2001, that would mean beating the record of 25 1/8 set the previous year by Kazutoyo "The Rabbit" Arai.
I first heard of agave nectar five years ago, when a friend of mine went off of wheat and sugar simultaneously. She struggled with the lack of wheat in her diet but thanks to agave nectar, didn't have much trouble staying away from sugar and sweets. She became something of an agave booster and talked it up to anyone who would listen. I became a slow adopter, and began to use agave nectar to sweeten my tea and morning bowls of oatmeal.
I've always wanted to to explore baking with agave nectar, but until now, I'd never had the correct resource (and I worried that trying to use it with one of my sugar-based recipes would be inviting disaster). Enter Ania Catalano's book, Baking with Agave Nectar. This squat paperback is beautifully photographed and contains 100 recipes that all use agave as their primary sweetener. Catalano became interested in agave nectar when she was diagnosed with hypoglycemia and needed to find a sugar substitute that tasted good and wouldn't spike her blood sugar levels the way that processed sugar, honey and maple syrup did.
One of the things I appreciate about this book is that Catalano doesn't just replace sugar with agave nectar. She is careful to incorporate whole wheat and sprouted flours into her recipes, so that when you bake her treats, you know that you are making something that will be far healthier than what you can pick up at your local bakery. In these times, when we're all looking for ways to improve the quality of the foods that we eat, this volume is a wonderful assistant in allowing you to have tasty, sweet baked goods that are good for you as well.
I went to college in Walla Walla, WA, just as a revolution in food and wine was taking place in that area. When I started college, the only dining choices in town were grubby old diners, a couple mediocre pubs and and fast food. By the time I graduated, the area was awash with tasting rooms, upscale restaurants and excellent bars serving the best in hand-cut french fries and hormone-free burgers. Walla Walla was just one example of the revolution taking place all across the Pacific Northwest in the area of wine and food. In Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining, Braiden Rex-Johnson captures examples of that revolution all over the region and condenses the best of the offerings down into a pleasure-filled book.
Organized by region, Rex-Johnson presents food through engrossing stories that evoke the place and setting before finally ponying up the recipes. By giving so much backstory she makes the food come alive and seem more accessible that if she had simply created a volume of recipes.
It isn't an everyday cookbook, but is the kind of thing that is fun to page through on a Saturday morning while you drink a cup of coffee and plot out a trip to a farmers market. But the time you are a few pages in, you'll be awash with ideas and will be mentally planning an impromptu dinner party so that you can make the Mixed Greens with Fallen Cheese Souffles and Champagne Viniagrette or the Sea Scallops with Spiced Carrot-Dill Sauce. While it's designed around the food and wine of the Pacific Northwest, many of the recipes are easily transferrable to regions all across the country. While some of the seafood might not be quite as available, many of the other ingredients are. Don't let the regionality of this book prevent you from checking it out. It might just stir up a desire in you to visit Washington, Oregon or Idaho and that's not such a bad thing, is it?
Sometimes I think I was born into the wrong food era. While I love all the artisanal products and amazing variety in fruits and vegetables, I am also a huge fan of the casserole. Sadly, it's a style of cooking not particularly popular in my generation. However, there's nothing I enjoy more than combining a protein, a starch, a sauce and one or two veggies in a large dish, topping it off with cheese or breadcrumbs and baking it until the top is golden brown. Casseroles are great for potlucks, for parties or for ensuring that you only have to cook every other night (I am also a big believer in leftovers). 
1080 Recipes
Okay Top Chef junkies, here's the cookbook you've got to own. 
If you're a Vayniac, you already know that Gary Vaynerchuk came out with a book called 
Chocolate-stuffed bananas on the grill
Tyler Florence welcomes new daughter
Beware kids' menus!
