Cooking, Food & Wine Books - Page 12

Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China

Fuchsia Dunlop

Amazon Price: $14.52 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: W. W. Norton Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $10.50

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A new memoir by the most talented and respected British food writer of her generation.

Award-winning food writer Fuchsia Dunlop went to live in China as a student in 1994, and from the very beginning she vowed to eat everything she was offered, no matter how alien and bizarre it seemed. In this extraordinary memoir, Fuchsia recalls her evolving relationship with China and its food, from her first rapturous encounter with the delicious cuisine of Sichuan Province to brushes with corruption, environmental degradation, and greed. In the course of her fascinating journey, Fuchsia undergoes an apprenticeship at China's premier Sichuan cooking school, where she is the only foreign student in a class of nearly fifty young Chinese men; attempts, hilariously, to persuade Chinese people that "Western food" is neither "simple" nor "bland"; and samples a multitude of exotic ingredients, including sea cucumber, civet cat, scorpion, rabbit-heads, and the ovarian fat of the snow frog. But is it possible for a Westerner to become a true convert to the Chinese way of eating? In an encounter with a caterpillar in an Oxford kitchen, Fuchsia is forced to put this to the test.

From the vibrant markets of Sichuan to the bleached landscape of northern Gansu Province, from the desert oases of Xinjiang to the enchanting old city of Yangzhou, this unique and evocative account of Chinese culinary culture is set to become the most talked-about travel narrative of the year.

Preserving Summer's Bounty: A Quick and Easy Guide to Freezing, Canning, and Preserving, and Drying What You Grow

Rodale Food Center

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Full of Information 5 out of 5 stars.
32 of 32 people found this review helpful.

This book is great for the the novice. It covers soup to nuts (literally)!! After my first (successful!) attempt at canning tomato sauce and pickeling zucchini, I wanted to get more out of my garden. This year we had to take a hiatus from producing our own vegatables, but I ordered this book now, so I can be better prepared for next year. This books gives tips on types of vegatables to plant, harvesting tips, and a guide on how to best preserve each item. It has also given me plenty ideas to plan for in the next few years. My goal is build a root cellar in my basement. This book was definatly worth the money for the advice it gave me.

Good, but not my favorite 3 out of 5 stars.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.

This is a good book if you're learning how to can, and it has some good tips and recipes in it, but its not my favorite. I bought this book, along with the Ball 400 Recipes book, and I prefer the Ball book over this one.

useful book 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Good book. Has sensible, usable recipes and canning/preserving information pertaining to a variety of produce. Well written and easily understandable.

Editorial Review:

Preserving Summer's BountySurefire techniques and great recipes for keeping the harvest!

Weber's Real Grilling (Weber's)

Jamie Purviance, Tim Turner

Amazon Price: $16.47 List Price: $24.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Sunset Publishing Corporation Amazon Marketplace: 76 new & used starting at $4.23

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Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Outdoor Cooking -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 75 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Real Grilling 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is an awesome recipe book. Every recipe has a color photo, with excellent instructions. Every recipe we have tried is as mouth watering as it looks! I used to let my husband do all the grilling, but now I am hooked. There are great tips on how to grill just about everything.

Incredible Cookbook 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is the best cookbook i have ever used. Many of the recipes are easy to follow but it is also a grill exclusive cookbook. Now you may be thinking - so you can make chicken or steak - great cookbook right? Wrong, you can cook vegetables, starches and desserts in addition to every meat under the sun. Every recipe has a beautiful picture - the drawback is you are competing to make yours look that good and it makes you hungry to make everything in it. Overall an incredible buy.

Editorial Review:

For state-of-the-art outdoor cooking and entertainment, who better to turn to than the foremost authority on grills? With the experts from Weber taking you through the basics and beyond, you'll be sizzling in no time. Over 250 recipes show you the way with mouth-watering photography, simple-to-follow directions, can't miss techniques, and even substitution cheats.Flag your favorites-and there'll be plenty-with the handy enclosed Post-It notes. And yes, once they've sampled the savory results of your newfound grill skills, friends and family will be begging for your secrets. Just nod and say, 'It's all in the technique.'

Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture

Toby Hemenway

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Gardening & Horticulture -> Techniques -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Permaculture is a verbal marriage of “permanent” and “agriculture.” Australian Bill Mollison pioneered its development. Key features include:

use of compatible perennials;

non-invasive planting techniques;

emphasis on biodiversity;

specifically adaptable to local climate, landscape, and soil conditions;

highly productive output of edibles.
Now, picture your backyard as one incredibly lush garden, filled with edible flowers, bursting with fruit and berries, and carpeted with scented herbs and tangy salad greens. The visual impact is of Monet’s palette, a wash of color, texture, and hue. But this is no still life. The flowers nurture endangered pollinators. Bright-featured songbirds feed on abundant berries and gather twigs for their nests.
The plants themselves are grouped in natural communities, where each species plays a role in building soil, deterring pests, storing nutrients, and luring beneficial insects. And finally, you--good ol’ homo sapiens--are an integral part of the scene. Your garden tools are resting against a nearby tree, and have a slight patina of rust, because this garden requires so little maintenance. You recline into a hammock to admire your work. You have created a garden paradise.
This is no dream, but rather an ecological garden, which takes the principles of permaculture and applies them on a home-scale. There is nothing technical, intrusive, secretive, or expensive about this form of gardening. All that is required is some botanical knowledge (which is in this book) and a mindset that defines a backyard paradise as something other than a carpet of grass fed by MiracleGro.

Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China

Jeffrey Alford, Naomi Duguid

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A bold and eye-opening new cookbook with magnificent photos and unforgettable stories.

In the West, when we think about food in China, what usually comes to mind are the signature dishes of Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai. But beyond the urbanized eastern third of China lie the high open spaces and sacred places of Tibet, the Silk Road oases of Xinjiang, the steppelands of Inner Mongolia, and the steeply terraced hills of Yunnan and Guizhou. The peoples who live in these regions are culturally distinct, with their own history and their own unique culinary traditions. In Beyond the Great Wall, the inimitable duo of Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid—who first met as young travelers in Tibet—bring home the enticing flavors of this other China.

For more than twenty-five years, both separately and together, Duguid and Alford have journeyed all over the outlying regions of China, sampling local home cooking and street food, making friends and taking lustrous photographs. Beyond the Great Wall shares the experience in a rich mosaic of recipes—from Central Asian cumin-scented kebabs and flatbreads to Tibetan stews and Mongolian hot pots—photos, and stories. A must-have for every food lover, and an inspiration for cooks and armchair travelers alike.

The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty

Julia Flynn Siler

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 56 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Truth is stranger than fiction 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a great book to read if you have interest in the Mondavi wine business. My interest was piqued after a recent trip to the Napa/Sonoma wine region and visiting the Opus Winery, amongst others. Mondavi is a legend in the California wine business and after reading Robert Mondavi's book entitled Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business I was further drawn to learn more about the family story. In Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business Robert Mondavi tells his side of the story but in this meticulously researched book the big picture is further explained and goes deep into the demise of the wine empire. The ins and outs of the busines, complete with sordid stories, success and faillures, makes this book an epic tale of a family in turmoil. The conflicts between the elder brothers, the Robert Mondavi heir brothers, Michael and Timothy is given an impartial reporting that is refreshing. The book does focus primarily on the fall of the Mondavi empire but it is done in such a way that the background information on the rise of the empire puts everything into perspective. The contributions to the wine industry cannot be denied and the author acknowledges the innovations and techniques the Mondavi family brought to making wine, as well as making Caifornia wine world renowned and mass consumed. The expansion of the business to other parts of the world is quite interesting. It is a tragic story in the end as big business takes over the Mondavi name but not before many years of drama, which Julia Flynn Siler so eloquently describes. If you are interested in the Mondavi story this book is without question the one to read. The book has two sets of pictures that put faces on the characters in this real life soap opera. It is a very satisfying read that leaves you thirsting for more every time you stop reading it. Check it out, highly recommended, especially if you are a wine enthusiast or a person involved in business.

Editorial Review:

The New York Times bestseller, now in paperback: a scandal-plagued story of the immigrant family that built—and then lost—a global wine empire Set in California’s lush Napa Valley and spanning four generations of a talented and visionary family, The House of Mondavi is a tale of genius, sibling rivalry, and betrayal. From 1906, when Italian immigrant Cesare Mondavi passed through Ellis Island, to the Robert Mondavi Corp.’s twenty-first-century battle over a billion-dollar fortune, award-winning journalist Julia Flynn Siler brings to life both the place and the people in this riveting family drama. A meticulously reported narrative based on more than five hundred hours of interviews, The House of Mondavi is a modern classic.

The River Cottage Meat Book

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A heartfelt ODE to Prime MEAT and good ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This book was my first exposure to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and it was long overdue. After having read it, I hope to eventually acquire ALL of the author's other books. I've reviewed more than my fair share of culinary offerings, but this one easily elbowed it's way into my tight list of top favorites.

I felt an immediate connection with the author, who clearly resonates to the reality that FOOD is LIFE. How we raise it, how we harvest it, how we prepare and consume it, and how we respect and revere the ENTIRE process as a whole, is a microcosm for how we revere, and partake of, the entire experience of life itself. Food *IS* Life. Our earliest prehistoric hunter-gatherer ancestors understood this implicitly, and documented their awe and reverence of that sublime truth in their sacred places (re: cave art), in much the same way that many modern religions still use the apt metaphor of sacramental food and wine as a metaphor, and vehicle, for communing with the divine. In other words, to me, this book is essentially a modern-day cave painting ode to our animal companions, upon whom we rely for our sustenance ... and who have not been getting the respect and reverence they deserve in these fast paced modern times of disposable convenience food. I have little doubt that the author's other books address their respective subject matter in the same reverential spirit.

What I liked:
-------------

INTRODUCTION: The author opens this book with a philosophical fusillade on the subject of commercial "intensive farming" practices ... not only from the standpoint of being inhumane, but also because it results in meat of vastly inferior quality, and of poorer nutritional value to the soul. For many idyllic culinary daytrippers who've never before been privy to the sad realities of beakless `battery chickens', turkeys unable to walk because they were bred for overdeveloped breasts, diseased `downer' cattle pushed into slaughter pens with forklifts, and hogs driven insane by chronic overcrowding, this book will come as an eye-opening gut shot. He also goes on to wax poetically, and at erudite length, on both sides of the equally heated vegetarian vs carnivorian debate, and then dives headlong into a personal vision of more compassionate and sustainable animal husbandry practices, more educated consumerism, and of everyone eating less meat, but of much higher quality ... raised compassionately, slaughtered humanely, matured properly, and then prepared with proper reverence, skill, and minimal waste. Personally, I don't think this book stands much chance of putting a serious fiscal dent in the harsh fiscal reality of "intensive farming" and our society's increasing reliance on food that's fast, cheap and convenient ... but despite that, I admire the author, and I adore this book. If I could afford to leave the rat race behind, and live someplace a bit more bucolic, with a garden and a few animals of my own, and close friends with whom to make and share simple old world fare worthy of divine visitation, I would do so in a heartbeat. In any case, the introductory chapters alone are worth the entire cover price of this book.

RECIPES: Everything I like is in there ... educational information about meat quality and proper maturation, food philosophy, techniques for slow cooking, nose-to-tail eating, informative headnotes, etc.


What I Disliked: I only have a few nits, all of them fairly minor.
---------------

PHOTOS: Some of the photos are wonderful, but part of me wishes that all the rest of the photos within were of higher overall quality, and (in particular) that there were more and better procedural photos (ex: p.308 calls for trimming out the coarse ventricles of a pig's heart and removing sinews from a liver ... something less experienced culinary aspirants who've rarely, if ever, worked with offal before would doubtless appreciate pictures of). I also found myself pining for a few more photos of the pans and/or grills described in the various recipes, and more photos of finished dishes ... esp of the ones that the author clearly mentions are his favorites. In other words, I wish the book were as well marbled with photos as the beautiful beef on the cover is with fat.

RECIPES: This is just a minor nit, but more than a few recipes have not been optimized for the most efficient sequencing of steps, or the number of pans used. They also frequently omit helpful information, like recommended pan sizes. Not a big deal. Some of his seasonings are extremely British in their conservativism ... such has his wonderful braised trotters recipe, which I've found benefits from the addition of a little pineapple juice and star anise. Again, those are just minor nits.

SERVING SIZE: There are some minor inconsistencies with the stated number of servings a given recipe generates. For example, the Pot Au Feau recipe calls for 9-12 lbs of bone-in meat cuts, and serves 8-10, yet the Curried Goat recipe calls only ½ - 1/3 as much meat (4lbs) yet serves the same number. That's the sort of thing a good editor should catch.

Editorial Review:

First published in the United Kingdom, THE RIVER COTTAGE MEAT BOOK quickly became an underground hit among food cognoscenti around the world. Now tailored for American cooks, this loving, authoritative, and galvanizing ode to good meat is one part manifesto on high-quality, local, and sustainable meat production; two parts guide to choosing and storing meats and fowl; and three parts techniques and recipes for roasting, cooking, barbecuing, preserving, and processing meats and getting the most out of leftovers. With this thought-provoking and practical guide, meat eaters can knowledgeably buy and prepare meat for better health and better living, while supporting the environment, vibrant local economies, and respectful treatment of animals.

Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Complete Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival

Jack A. Spigarelli

Amazon Price: $19.95 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Cross-Current Pub. Amazon Marketplace: 13 new & used starting at $19.95

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 46 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Too vague to be very useful 2 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This book brings up too few scenarios to be useful that way, and really didn't do much more than thoroughly go into the pros and cons of purchased food preservation methods.

Don't buy this directly from the author/publisher 1 out of 5 stars.
5 of 13 people found this review helpful.

I have a personal copy of this book and thought so highly of it that I tried to buy one for my son. Amazon was temporarily out of stock so I made an online purchase directly from the authors. Guess what, that was in December and it is April now and the book was never sent. The authors have responded to email inquiries and promised to send the book. However they have never followed through and also have never bothered to send a refund. Maybe they are having a crisis of their own, in which case maybe they aren't all that well prepared after all. If you must have it, buy from Amazon or another credible source.

Editorial Review:

A complete guide to emergency preparedness for our uncertain times. Virtually an encyclopedia of food storage and personal preparedness, it covers topics from exactly how to design a food storage program tailored for your particular family to growing and preserving food, storing fuel, alternate energy, emergency evacuation kits, medical and dental, surviving biological, chemical and nuclear terrorism, communications, selection of firearms and other survival tools, and preparing for earthquakes.

Dozens of detailed, expert checklists and tables with photographs and index. Extensive book and resource lists with regular and Internet addresses. An absolute must for those serious about preparing for and surviving during our dangerous times.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses

Tom Standage

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Total reviews: 48 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From beer to Coca-Cola, the six drinks that have helped shape human history
Throughout human history, certain drinks have done much more than just quench thirst. As Tom Standage relates with authority and charm, six of them have had a surprisingly pervasive influence on the course of history, becoming the defining drink during a pivotal historical period.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. Beer was first made in the Fertile Crescent and by 3000 B.C.E. was so important to Mesopotamia and Egypt that it was used to pay wages. In ancient Greece wine became the main export of her vast seaborne trade, helping spread Greek culture abroad. Spirits such as brandy and rum fueled the Age of Exploration, fortifying seamen on long voyages and oiling the pernicious slave trade. Although coffee originated in the Arab world, it stoked revolutionary thought in Europe during the Age of Reason, when coffeehouses became centers of intellectual exchange. And hundreds of years after the Chinese began drinking tea, it became especially popular in Britain, with far-reaching effects on British foreign policy. Finally, though carbonated drinks were invented in 18th-century Europe they became a 20th-century phenomenon, and Coca-Cola in particular is the leading symbol of globalization.

For Tom Standage, each drink is a kind of technology, a catalyst for advancing culture by which he demonstrates the intricate interplay of different civilizations. You may never look at your favorite drink the same way again.

Cook Right 4 Your Type: The Practical Kitchen Companion to Eat Right 4 Your Type

Peter J. D'Adamo, Catherine Whitney

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 49 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Diet schemes come and go. Successful plans, backed by powerful media machines, become bestsellers with sequels and food-product lines. But with so many diet books on the market, how do you decide which plan is right for you? According to Peter D'Adamo, the answer depends on your blood type. In his first book, Eat Right 4 Your Type, D'Adamo, a naturopathic physician and researcher, makes interesting and unique connections between human evolution, blood type, diet, exercise, and health. Now, in Cook Right 4 Your Type: The Practical Kitchen Companion to Eat Right 4 Your Type, D'Adamo provides readers with:

• Road maps and charts for each of the four blood types, detailing which foods and beverages to consume and which to avoid
• Tips for starting and sticking with the diet and matching your menu to your blood type
• Thirty-day meal plans to help you stay healthy, live longer, and achieve your ideal weight
• More than 200 healthy and easy recipes keyed to blood type

While D'Adamo's theories challenge common nutrition wisdom and his diet can be difficult to follow, Cook Right 4 Your Type will make his advice a little easier to swallow. --Ellen Albertson