Every cook owes a huge debt of gratitude to those dedicated foodies who have meticulously documented their work with food, giving us the benefit of their mistakes, successes, experiments and flashes of genius.
This book looks pretty dry – lots of text with occasional poor photos, it isn’t very appetizing on first glance. I wasn’t really expecting much – boy was I surprised! These recipes are fabulous, some of the most delicious vegetarian … Read More
Posted in On My Bookshelf | Tagged cranberry, dates, raw food, recipe, salad dressing, Vegetarian | Leave a commentThis was a gift from my mentor, George Wagner; it is chocolate art, themed around Easter, and written by the Catalan Antonio Escriba, who was known as ‘El Mago del Chocolate’, the Chocolate Magician, during his lifetime (his family continues … Read More
Posted in On My Bookshelf | Tagged centerpieces, chocolate, easter | Leave a commentWhat a clever idea – a ‘Baker’s Atlas’ that takes you around the world exploring all the different variations of bread – fougasse, matzoh, pizza, chapati, bannock, pita, lavash, focaccia, dosa, tortilla, injera, naan, whole wheat skillet breads, and so … Read More
Posted in On My Bookshelf | Tagged bread, chapati, cookbook, dhal, naan, pizza, recipes | Leave a commentThis is an ethereal, wonderful pastry book. Claudia Fleming apprenticed under the master himself, Pierre Herme, and now is Pastry Chef at the Gramercy Tavern in New York. I can easily see Pierre Herme in her work, especially in her … Read More
Posted in On My Bookshelf | Tagged cookbook, flan, recipes, tart | Leave a commentThe was a very popular book back in the 1990′s, when Charlie Palmer was a big name on the scene and American chefs were at their peak. I guess some people would call it food porn, as the wonderful photographs … Read More
Posted in On My Bookshelf | Tagged chicken, cookbook, recipes | Leave a commentI am not sure if Charlie Trotter invented food porn, but he was definitely one of the first and most successful at bringing the presentation of plated food to another level. We were all amazed by his genius when he … Read More
Posted in On My Bookshelf | Tagged charlie trotter, lamb, recipes | Leave a commentI was fortunate to work for Chef Pino Posteraro at his excellent Vancouver restaurant, so I know him well and have huge respect for him. This book is subtitled ‘A Lifetime of Excellence in the Kitchen’, and that is apt. … Read More
Posted in On My Bookshelf | Tagged chestnut, cookbook, grapefruit, italian, recipes, vancouver | 1 CommentThis is a fabulous book, written by two chefs with very solid backgrounds in food. Part of the enjoyment of this book comes in reading about their personal journeys, as they moved from a typically carnivorous diet to one of … Read More
Posted in On My Bookshelf | Tagged raw food, Vegetarian | Leave a commentThis is an important book; much like ‘Fast Food Nation’ it is a wake-up call for all consumers to pay attention to the impact of our collective diet on the planet. This comes from a fascinating and dedicated man, heir … Read More
Posted in On My Bookshelf | Tagged Vegetarian | Leave a commentOne of those classic Christmas moments we have all had – ‘Gee, thanks!’ I had tried to smile brightly when I was given this cookbook for a present. Given in the spirit of the holiday, and I was obviously expected … Read More
Posted in On My Bookshelf | Tagged cookbook, recipes | 1 Comment