General Books - Page 12

Gastronaut: Adventures in Food for the Romantic, the Foolhardy, and the Brave

Stefan Gates

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

An irreverent journey through the culinary world of the exotic, the bizarre, and the truly extraordinary, Gastronaut is equal parts cookbook and quest book. For your bedside or your stoveside, this hilarious and captivating journey through some of the strangest food experiences, past and present, is divided into three levels of escalating difficulty. Whether you're ready to gild your breakfast sausages with gold, re-create the Last Supper, or cook a whole pig in an underground fire pit, this book takes it all on with gusto and little regard for what one might call decency.

Gastronaut answers questions like:
• what foods make us fart?
• how do you make your own moonshine?
• is it possible to teach grandmas to suck eggs?
• how would you stage a bacchanalian orgy in the comfort of your own home?
Here is the perfect book for people who are fascinated by the wilder side of food and who, every now and then, want to show off their penchant for the extreme.


THE GASTRONAUT'S CREED
Food will consume 16 percent of my life. That life is too precious to waste; therefore:
• I resolve, whenever possible, to transform food from fuel into love, power, adventure, poetry, sex, or drama.
• I will never turn down the opportunity to taste or cook something new.
• I will never forget: canapés are evil.
• I will remember that culinary disaster does not necessarily equal failure.
• I will always keep a jar of pesto to hand in case of the latter.

Van Gogh's Table: At the Auberge Ravoux

Alexandra Leaf, Fred Leeman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

At the Auberge Ravoux, in a tiny artists’ village twenty miles from Paris, Vincent Van Gogh found a measure of peace in his ill-starred life—and experienced an unparalleled burst of creativity, producing seventy masterpieces and studies. The Auberge still operates today as the Maison de Van Gogh. Little has changed since Van Gogh first set down his bags more than a century ago, and visitors are still treated to the comforting, delicious regional cuisine that he would have dined upon.

Here is a stirring view into Van Gogh’s world, as intimate as sharing poulet and pommes sautées with the artist himself. Written by the former Chief Curator of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam with one of America’s foremost culinary authorities, this unique cookbook/art book explores the role of the café in Van Gogh’s life. Includes more than 50 traditional recipes, ranging from hearty to refined, and 100 photographs, paintings, sketches, engravings, and letters, some never before seen in book form.

A Late Dinner: Discovering the Food of Spain

Paul Richardson

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Editorial Review:

Vivid and richly textured, A Late Dinner is a delightful journey through Spain and Spanish cuisine. Paul Richardson is the perfect guide. In lush prose he brings to life the fascinating people who grow and cook and eat the hugely varied and still little-known food of Spain.

Richardson's vibrant writing takes readers beyond gazpacho and paella and immerses them in the flavorful world of Spanish food -- from the typical coastal cuisine; to the ancient shepherd cooking of the mountains; to the cities of Madrid, Barcelona, and San Sebastián, where chefs are setting the trend for modern cuisine across the globe. His evocative descriptions -- the fried þsh in Cádiz; the tender asparagus and sweet crispy lettuce of Navarre; the Catalan calçotada, a feast of grilled spring onions in a nutty, delicately spicy sauce; the whimsical creations of internationally acclaimed chef Ferran Adrià -- are a celebration of the senses.

Richardson traces the roots of Spanish cooking to the landscape, the people, and the history of this beautiful and complex country. A Late Dinner is a glorious and intimately drawn portrait of Spain.

Slow Food: Collected Thoughts on Taste, Tradition, and the Honest Pleasures of Food

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Slow Food, founded in Italy in 1986 in opposition to the culturally destructive effects of fast food, is now an international movement with more than 70,000 members worldwide. Increasingly popular in the US, Slow Food promotes conviviality, taste, biodiversity, and the preservation of traditional food cultures.

"Slow Food: Collected Thoughts on Taste, Tradition, and the Honest Pleasures of Food" is an anthology for cooks, gourmets, and anyone who is passionate about food and its impact on our culture. Drawn from five years of the quarterly journal Slow (only recently available in America), this book includes more than 100 articles covering eclectic topics from "Falafel" to "Fat City." From the market at Ulan Bator in Mongolia to Slow Food Down Under, this book offers an armchair tour of the exotic and bizarre. You’ll pass through Vietnam’s Snake Tavern, enjoy the Post-Industrial Pint of Beer, and learn why the lascivious villain in Indian cinema always eats Tandoori Chicken. The articles are contributed by some of the world’s top food writers.

Slow Food is moving fast in North America, with more than 5,000 members, loosely organized into 55 "Convivia," from Montreal to San Francisco, benefiting from enormous free publicity. Slow Food offers a clear alternative to the fast food nation. This book is proof positive that he or she who lives slow, lives best.

Death by Pad Thai: And Other Unforgettable Meals

Douglas Bauer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Food isn’t just a gustatory pleasure; it is the stuff of life. At its best and most memorable, a meal becomes a story—and a story becomes a feast. In this collection of essays by some of the country’s finest writers, food is the central player in memories both exquisite and excruciating. Steve Almond recounts the gleeful daylong preparation of a transcendent lobster pad thai dish. Sue Miller reveals that after a lifetime of practical cooking, she is finally fed by a man who presents food as an offering, made just for her. Aimee Bender ponders her lifelong envy of what everyone else is having for lunch. Richard Russo relates the celebratory day he and his wife spent eating their way through haute Manhattan—and departing utterly famished.
Expertly compiled and edited by Douglas Bauer—including pieces by Amy Bloom, Peter Mayle, Jane and Michael Stern, Ann Packer, and Andre Dubus III—this unforgettable collection presents food as education, test, reward, bait, magnet, and, most of all, gift. Gathered here are meals that sate our most complex palate, the appreciation of life.

Eating in Italy: A Traveler's Guide to the Hidden Gastronomic Pleasures of Northern Italy

Faith H. Willinger

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An Indispensible Guide to Northern Italian Eateries 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I've made something like ten pleasure trips to Italy in the past decade, and for me, this is easily the best dining resource IN PRINT. In this Internet age, there are additional ways to garner some information about Eating in Italy, but it you aren't too interested in the "new, hot, trendy" etc., this is definitely money well spent.
There are other books I draw upon, including Sandra Gustafson's "Cheap Eats In Italy," Maureen Fant's "Trattorias of Rome, Florence, and Venice," and the guides from the Time Out series. But kilo for kilo, this is the one I use most frequently, especially if you wander away from Rome-Florence-Venice.
Many of her recommendations also pop up (as citations) in some of the better travelogues--- for instance her writing is cited in books such as "The Collected Traveler-- Central Italy" collected by Barrie Kerper and the recently issued "Piazzas and Pizzas-- the Adventures of the Clean Plate Club in Italy."
Worth every penny, Euro, or late, lamented Lire that you spend.

Editorial Review:

Based on her knowledge and expertise, Willin ger presents a gastronomic tour of the regions of northern I taly, including the finest restaurants in Florence, the outd oor markets in towns not on tourist maps, and the best choco late anywhere. '

Cleveland Food Memories: A Nostalgic Look Back at Food We Loved, the Places We Boughtit, and the People Who Made It Special

Gail Ghetia Bellamy

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Grade it: "Incomplete" 2 out of 5 stars.
9 of 11 people found this review helpful.

This is a good book for baby boomers like myself to trip down memory lane. Or so I thought. I enjoyed the pictures. But I had several problems with this book. If we were in school I would have to grade it "incomplete". Some of the pictures do not indicate the location: the picture of the people lined up in front of the Hough Bakery after V-J; the two pictures of the Manner's on page 37; the old Lawson store that is pictured...and it goes on and on and on. Where were they located?

Many of her stories start off interesting then drop you and leave you hanging. She mentions that in the 1940s there were four Chandler & Rudd stores. Then she switches to Heinen's. What happened to Chandler & Rudd? There is an old ad for Fisher Foods but only a mere mention of Fazio's and no mention of Stop-N-Shop.

Many items that folks may remember get an one word mention like the Forum or Dearings, others are shown over and over again like Manners. Whatever happened to the Uncle Marty ice cream trucks? No mention of them. Some of the East Side barbeque joints of the 1950s and 60s like Whitmore's or Hot Sauce William's or Ferris'? No mention of them. Peterson Nuts. Yes. King's Nuts. No.

But the kisser is: there's a picture of Otto's Deli. And that's it. All of the places you could go and get a great corned beef sandwich? Hold on to the memory.

And don't look for them in this book.

Editorial Review:

Remember when food was local?

. . . when Cleveland companies made it, and local people sold it and ran the restaurants where we ate it?

Food makes powerful memories. Just mention Hough Bakeries and see how quickly we Clevelanders start to drool over just the thought of those long-lost white cakes. This book collects the fondest memories of fellow Clevelanders who all share an ache for treats from the past. There were Frostees in Higbees’ basement. Popcorn balls at Euclid Beach. Burgers at Manners or Mawby’s or Kenny King’s. Entertainment-filled nights at Alpine Village. Mustard at old Municipal Stadium . . . and so much more. Look inside and rediscover some of your own favorite local flavors!

Webster's New World Dictionary of Culinary Arts (2nd Edition)

Steven Labensky, Gaye G. Ingram, Sarah R. Labensky

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An excellent basic culinary reference book 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.

This friendly volume is crisp, concise (tens of thousands of entries in just under 500 pages), and attractive. It is not only inexpensive, but possibly one of the best culinary dictionaries available for the home cook who simply wants a decent resource for occasional questions.

My basic test for a culinary reference book is to look up "falernum" (a by-product of rum distillation which is used as a flavoring in fruit desserts--sort of along the lines of grenadine). Well, "falernum" isn't in here, but so much other stuff is that I'm not complaining.

The pronunciations are a little iffy on foreign language terms, and the definition brevity is sometimes confusing (kiu is listed as "an ancient Chinese beer." OK. Does that make it a beer from ancient times, or a really old fermented brew that's currently available?). Still, these are minor quibbles for an admirably complete book.

Editorial Review:

This unique, exceptionally comprehensive dictionary of the culinary arts defines approximately 20,000 terms (including “foreign terms” from all the world's cuisines, not just European). The entries are drawn from such varied categories as: foods, international foods, prepared dishes, preparation and cooking methods, tools and equipment, food chemistry, beers, spirits, and wines, hospitality and restaurant management, nutrition, food safety and sanitation, chef biographies, food history, and gastronomy. Measurement and conversion charts, phonetic pronunciations, cross-references, and origins and usage designations will be useful to professional or amateur chefs—or anyone who simply enjoys food.

Eat This!: 1,001 Things to Eat Before You Diet

Ian Jackman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

If de Tocqueville were traveling America today... 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

...and he was hungry, he very well might have written this charming book. A celebration of that spot in town that only the locals know about, this book is a light footed tour through the places that will never be included in the Michelin guide, but should not be missed at all costs.

Written with a great eye (and ear, nose, and tongue) for detail, lovers of "real food" everywhere will find this book a very satisfying read. Finally, a food book that understands that a super omelet or a perfect pizza is just as important to understanding great food as a fancy 3-star meal.

Editorial Review:

Ian Jackman believes that life is too short to deny yourself our nation's true culinary treasures. Guided by food experts throughout the land, he travels from east to west—from small town to big city—uncovering local treats, guilty pleasures, and some oddities that no true food lover should miss. From lobster rolls and buffalo meat to banana cream pies and clam stuffies, Jackman finds the sinful temptations your taste buds crave—and he writes about them in a way that's certain to get any confirmed foodie salivating!

• Where you can find the very best burgers in America
• 21 varieties of apples you must try
• Lamb fries—eat or avoid?
• The country's primo pizza parlors
• And more!

Escape the guilt and anxiety propagated by our puritanical, diet-obsessed society and indulge yourself with Eat This!

The Mere Mortal's Guide to Fine Dining: From Salad Forks to Sommeliers, How to Eat and Drink in Style Without Fear of Faux Pas

Colleen Rush

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From aperitif to digestif, approach every meal with savvy and grace.

We’ve all experienced Fancy-Pants Restaurant Jitters at some point – the fear that you will unknowingly commit some fine-dining crime, whether it’s using the wrong fork, picking an amateur wine, mispronouncing foie gras, or gasping when your fish entrée arrives with its head still attached. Relax. The Mere Mortal’s Guide to Fine Dining is the ultimate antidote to restaurant anxiety.

Where does your napkin go when you leave the table? Should you sniff the wine cork? And why, pray tell, are there so many forks? This comprehensive and accessible primer answers these and dozens of other questions and offers the basics on every aspect of fine dining, including:

* How to navigate a place setting
* Speaking menu-ese and the language of fine food
* A refresher on polite and polished table manners
* 911 for wine novices
* A carnivore’s guide to beef, pork, lamb, and veal
* What local, sustainable, and organic really mean
* Japanese dining dos and don’ts
* Who’s who on a restaurant’s staff
* How to be a regular—or get the perks like one
* Top restaurants across the country
* What the food snobs know (and you should, too)
* And much more…

With a little help, any Mere Mortal can order wine with confidence, get great, attitude-free service, decipher menus, and finally, truly, savor any dining experience.