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Lumiere

Rob Feenie

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

A decent book of good 'haute cuisine' restaurant dishes 4 out of 5 stars.
10 of 13 people found this review helpful.

`Lumiere', written by Rob Feenie on the recipes of his British Columbian restaurant of the same name is a competent write-up of the restaurant's great recipes, mostly invented by chef Feenie. This means that in spite of the great recipes, it is a mediocre cookbook for the rest of us.

The book is very good if you happen to share the same seasons and produce of Vancouver and you happen to be a dedicated foodie who enjoys reproducing the dishes of great restaurants. Unfortunately, that is a relatively small population. The book should also appeal to those who are especially fond of seasonal eating, as the chapters of recipes are organized by season and by tasting menu.

In some ways, this book is very similar to `The Arrows Cookbook' covering the cuisine of a seasonally oriented restaurant in Maine; however the Maine restaurateur / authors transcend their Restaurant cookbook genre by adding great material on their personal truck garden which produces most of the seasonal vegetables for the restaurant.

While I am certain chef Feenie invented most of the savory recipes in the book, the Acknowledgments give us the sense that he had little to do with the writing of the book. As usual, there is the battalion of editors, book designers, and recipe testers, but there is also Marnie Coldham who assembled the recipes and adapted them for home preparation. There is also Nathan Fong who `whipped the manuscript into shape'. In addition to inventing most of the recipes, I suspect Feenie did little writing aside from the brief headnotes to each major recipe.

Lumiere is very much of a `haute cuisine' restaurant, similar to Chicago's Tru and Charlie Trotter's and to Napa Valley's French Laundry. It seems to concentrate on fixed price tasting menus, of which there are three for each of the four seasons. All recipes in the book (except for the pantry items in the `Basics' chapter) are on one of these twelve tasting menus. One result is that the portion sizes for these recipes are relatively small. And, it strikes me that these are the perfect sort of recipes to use on `Iron Chef', as they give the judges just two or three bites so that at least four portions can be made from the materials usually needed for two conventional portions. And, lo and behold, Chef Feenie recently won his competition on `Iron Chef America' against the very formidable Masaharu Morimoto.

When I saw that the Foreword to this book was written by Charlie Trotter, I suspected this would be an `Advertisement for Myself' kind of book with recipes similar to great 18th century furniture rather than the more immediately useful instructions for bookcases, Adirondacks chairs, and compost boxes. Feenie has learned much from Trotter and both are great chefs, but this is the kind of book which is much nicer to look at and read than to try to cook from, unless you happen to own a high end restaurant and don't mind a little recipe piracy now and then.

To be perfectly clear, let me say that that not all recipes in this book are complicated and not all recipes include expensive ingredients or involved stocks, sauces, or glazes, but many do. For starters, many recipes include varieties of cheese of which I have never heard, and I have heard of a lot of cheeses. And, many of these cheeses are specifically made with raw milk. It also manages to use dried pasta shapes I have never heard of. Other unusual or expensive ingredients are ice wine (a Canadian speciality), poussin (very small chicken), feuillantine (Not even in the Larousse Gastronomique!!!), tobiko (flying fish roe), veal sweetbreads (thymus glands), black truffles (oh my).

Certainly I am having just a little fun at Chef Feenie's expense, but I still find this book merely a `good' expensive restaurant cookbook and not a great one such as Thomas Keller's two weighty volumes. `The French Laundry Cookbook' went off the top of the scale for providing the aesthetic rationale behind tasting menus and the culinary rationale behind supporting local artisinal suppliers. At best, Feenie is saying `I can do that too'. Similarly, `Bouchon' ranks high as a reference on recipes for high-end bistro cuisine dishes. Feenie doesn't seem to have any such terroir anchor, as he uses ingredients from around the world. He avoids olive oils (which carry hints of their birthplace) by replacing them with the very bland grapeseed oils, but he calls for things such as fresh Roquefort cheeses, which must come from France. Not exactly in the Vancouver terroir. It is almost funny to see Yukon Gold potatoes crop up in every other recipe as the starch of choice. Certainly a strong advertisement for the gourmet cachet of these Canadian spuds.

The use of grapeseed oil is certainly an interesting change, after having read hundreds of books on Mediterranean cooking sopping with olive oil, it's almost refreshing to find an oil based cuisine which does not use olive oil. He also uses lots of butter, as befitting his northern French influences.

At $35, you will not feel cheated if you buy this book and you know what to expect. The recipes are interesting, the section on Basics has lots of good recipes for glazes and infused oils, and the dishes have plenty of `Wow' factor if you use them to entertain. It just does not have a lot of value outside the world of professional chefs and foodies.

Recommended with reservations.

Editorial Review:

In French, lumière means “light,” in its purest, most transcendent form. In Vancouver, Lumiere is synonymous with Rob Feenie’s almost electric food. With its brilliant combination of European sophistication, Asian simplicity, and North American resourcefulness, the cuisine of Lumiere has captured the attention of food lovers all over the world, who rank Lumière among the pioneering restaurants of North America. As inventive as it is approachable, Feenie’s food ranges from Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Chanterelles and a Shallot and Caper Jus to Mascarpone Risotto and Walnut Cake with Maple Ice Cream. Illustrated with over 100 luminous photographs, this chef’s resplendent debut showcases all the luster that has earned Lumière its name.

A Taste of Canada: A Culinary Journey

Rose Murray

Amazon Price: $26.37 List Price: $39.95 Not yet published By: Whitecap Books

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Editorial Review:

A culinary survey of the superb foods of Canada.

Attracted by abundant natural resources -- rich farmland, great forests, wide-ranging prairies, coastal waters and fresh-water lakes -- people from all over the world immigrate to Canada. The food traditions brought by every generation's newcomers and the country's great resources merge to form a unique cuisine that is distinctly Canadian. In A Taste of Canada, stories and anecdotes accompany recipes from each corner of the country to capture Canada's ethnic and regional diversity.

The book's easy-to-follow format features classic delicacies enhanced with exciting new ingredients to reflect the cosmopolitan and multicultural Canadian palate. Some examples are:

• Wild rice pancakes with sour cream and caviar
• Chipotle maple baked beans
• Wine-pickled salmon
• Parsnip and pear soup with five-spice powder
• Pumpkin bisque with cranberry oil swirl
• Chorizo and scrambled egg breakfast pizza
• Slow-roasted pork shoulder with spiced apple relish
• Maple-glazed grilled peameal bacon
• Apricot coffee cake with butterscotch walnut filling
• Blueberry bread pudding with whiskey sauce.

A Taste of Canada showcases Canadian culinary specialties, from tourtière and classic fish chowders to butter tarts and Nanaimo bars.

Lunch with Lady Eaton: Inside the Dining Rooms of a Nation

Carol Anderson, Katharine Mallinson

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Editorial Review:

Their name is synonymous with royalty and their stores were landmarks in virtually every Canadian city, but as the Eaton empire rose and fell in the last century with the company's patriarchs, there was one woman equally deserving of credit. Flora McCrae Eaton was a visionary, a philanthropist, a socialite, a businesswoman, a world traveler, and a mother of six, but she also ushered in a shopping and dining aesthetic that revolutionized the retail and restaurant experience for generations of Canadians. Lady Eaton oversaw the architecture, staffing, and menus for more than a dozen grand dining rooms few have forgotten despite their eventual demise: the flagship Georgian Room (Toronto), the Round Room (Toronto—now the Carlu), Le Neuf (Montreal), the Grill Room (Winnipeg), and the Marine Room (Vancouver). For more casual fare Eaton's offered soda and ice cream counters, snack bars, hostess shops, cafeterias, and bakery counters. Lady Eaton's direction of the restaurants "created" a Canadian cuisine — chicken pot pie, cheese dreams, Waldorf salad, honey drop cookies, gingerbread, butterscotch pie, and Queen Elizabeth cake. Thirty recipes make this trip down memory lane as savory as it is nostalgic. Put on your gloves and hat and relive an era of elegance all but vanished. Lunch anyone?

Molasses Inspirations

Joy Crosby

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Not yet published By: Formac Publishing Company Limited

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Editorial Review:

For many, molasses conjures up memories of favourite desserts and baked beans. Today, Canadian chefs are making use of this traditional ingredient in a wide range of innovative appetizers and entrées as well as desserts and baked goods. This unique cookbook offers the best of both classic and contemporary recipes that feature molasses.

Author Joy Crosby's family business is molasses, so she has been more aware than most of the renewed interest in this heritage ingredient. For this book, Joy contacted the chefs at leading restaurants across Canada and asked for their most innovative and successful recipes using molasses. She tested and tasted the contributions, and from the best chose this collection of recipes.

Among the 50+ recipes in this collection are Pork Tenderloin with Molasses Glaze and Carmelized Apples (Victoria Village Inn, Victoria by the Sea, (PEI);Oatmeal and Flaxseed Bread (Mojo, Regina); and Warm Gingerbread & Pumpkin Molasses Ice Cream (Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino, BC).

Others include Scallops infused with Lemongrass and Molasses (Racines, Fredericton); Cold Smoked Duck with Molasses Marmalade and Sweet Potato (Little Britt Inn, Britt, ON); and Sake-Molasses Sabayon(Wild Tangerine, Edmonton).

JOY CROSBY is a resident of Rothesay, New

Cooks in My Kitchen: Tales and Recipes from a Cooking School

Gail Norton, Diane Thuna, Maggie Lennon

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Editorial Review:

Over the years, Calgary's Cookbook Co. Cooks has become a centre for culinary knowledge in Western Canada. Gail Norton shares her favorite recipes--her own and those created by a variety of chefs. Contributors include David Forestell, Victoria Adams, Michael Allemeier and Geoff Last as well as a host of others. And the recipes range from the best way to pre-pare stock to Stilton Shortbread and Savoury Tarte Tatin with Cognac Pork Tenderloin. Each recipe is designed to make it easy for even a novice cook to tackle.

Dishing: Calgary Women Cook

Cinda Chavich, Pam Fortier, R. Harbrecht, dee Hobsbawn-Smith, E. Kelly, Karen Miller, Gail Norton

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Editorial Review:

Cowboys, stampedes, ten-gallon hats…those are the images that the city of Calgary evokes. But cooking? You bet your boots! Calgary is fast becoming renowned as a cultural hot spot, and these eleven women are leading the way. From appetizers to desserts, recipes such as Foie Gras with Cherries and Balsamic Vinegar and Hazelnut Torte with Ginger-Lime Cream put Calgary on the same culinary map as cities like Paris and Rome. Infused with the creativity and verve that characterize the Wild West, this cookbook serves up the best Calgary has to offer. So rope up your appetites, fire up the stove and get ready to dish it up, Calgary style!

All Stirred Up: The Best Recipes from the Womens Culinary Network

Women's Culinary Network

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Cook with Canada’s culinary stars with this fantastic collection of recipes -- food the professionals cook at home!

When women who cook connect over food, the result is something delicious. All Stirred Up is a dynamic new cookbook providing over 150 fabulous recipes from the Women’s Culinary Network. The WCN membership spans the breadth of the industry -- and now the country -- from home economists to food stylists to cookbook authors. This book is a collection of the best recipes from the WCN members.The result is mouth-watering recipes from cooking stars like Anne Lindsay, Bonnie Stern, Elizabeth Baird and Lucy Waverman.

With over 60 contributors, much of the charm of this collection is found in recipes created by food professionals who deliver delicious food daily, but out of the public eye. Sink your teeth into Buttermilk Beet Soup, Provençal Leg of Lamb or Fragrant Saffron Rice with Cashews. All Stirred Up also features practical tips from pros who work in kitchens every day: as food-product developers, personal chefs or recipe testers. These are comforting recipes, simple to prepare and full of incredible taste. Not only have all the recipes been developed by professionals, they’ve been kitchen-tested by their peers.

All Stirred Up lets you cook like a pro in the comfort of your home kitchen.

List of contributors:
Julia Aitken
Elizabeth Baird
Laura Buckley
Arvinda Chaudan
Susan Connoly
Nettie Cronish
Marilyn Crowley
Christine Cushing
Regan Daley
Cynthia David
Naomi Duguid
Heather Epp
Madeleine Greey
Gail Hall
Barb Holland
Karen Jull
Anne Lindsay
Jennifer Low
Barbara-Jo McIntosh
Jan Main
Dana McCauley
Joan Moore
Antoinette Passalacqua
Daphna Rabinovitch
Rose Reisman
Ettie Shuken
Mairlyn Smith
Bonnie Stern
Anita Stewart
Lili Sullivan
Therese Taylor
Heather Trim
Lucy Waverman

Recipes in Wine Country

Tony de Luca

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The cookbook that goes with everything.

Recipes from Wine Country is uniquely organized by wine variety. Over 120 recipes are sorted by wine varieties, including reds, whites, sparkling and ice wines.

Each chapter opens with an entertaining introduction to the wine highlighting its main features, and is followed by recipes for all four seasons.

Once a particular wine has been chosen, cooks can access a variety of recipes that suit the wine. For example, for a light spring dish, choose the classic, full-bodied Merlot with the Rosemary Chicken Breast. In the cold season, match it with hearty beef and sage medallions.

The recipes and combinations are plenty and match a wide range of wine favorites.

Enjoy these scrumptious pairings:

• Riesling: spring menu, Chicken with Four Peppercorn Crust
• Gamay Noir: summer menu, Wine country Spareribs
• Chardonnay: autumn menu, Turkey Breast Noisette with Chardonnay Grape Stuffing
• Merlot: spring menu, Merlot Mushroom Soup
• Cabernet Sauvignon: spring menu, Rocket Salad
• Ice Wine: Creme Brulee Tart.

From appetizers to main courses to decadent desserts, Recipes From Wine Country lets you entertain with confidence and ease.

(20051101)

The Pound Cake Book

Bibb Jordan

List Price: $8.95 By: Longstreet Press Amazon Marketplace: 8 new & used starting at $33.80

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Best Pound Cake Resource I've Found! 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 13 people found this review helpful.

This tiny little book is filled with more info on this country's most beloved cake than any other cookbook I've found. It has clear and concise recipes with a cake for every taste. If you love poundcake you have to get this book!

great pound cake recipes 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 8 people found this review helpful.

If you love pound cake and are looking for something different to do and eat this book is great! try the awesome marble pound cake recipe.

The Pound Cake Cookbook 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I found this little pound cake cookbook by accident here on Amazon.com, and I am so happy I did. The author, Bibb Jordan explains what the meaning of pound cake is, it's origins, and how to make the "perfect" pound cake. I have a website for Home Baker's and I choose to include on my site a wonderful recipe from this book: Chocolate Truffle Pound Cake. This cake is amazing, like so many of the other ones in the book. I also make a recommendation on my site for home baker's to definitely purchase this book. I highly recommend it for the "Pound Cake Lover", and anyone who loves to bake wonderful pound cakes.

I would like to make one suggestion to the author, and that is to include how many servings the cakes make. Otherwise, the book, like the pound cakes are perfect.

Editorial Review:

Unique recipes for the ultimate comfort food--pound cake! There are enough here to suit every taste, every season, and every occasion.

Girls Who Dish! Inspirations

Karen Barnaby, Margaret Chisholm, Deb Connors, Mary Mackay, Glenys Morgan, Lesley Stowe, Caren McSherry-Valagao

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Editorial Review:

Inspiration is what you make of it…and for these seven chefs it embodies that nurtured a passion for food. From memories of world travel to the simple perfection of a ripe tomato. The Girls Who Dish draw on many personal sources in this truly fulfilling cookbook.