Describe your new book: This book is the story of my life — the ups, the downs, and the music. If someone were to write your biography, what...
Continue »
I snuggle up with cookbooks the same way I snuggle up with novels and read them cover to cover, lingering on particular passages and savoring the temporary escape. This is one of the more gratifying cookbook reads in recent memory-- the recipes are woven with stories of the authors' family tables, wonderful illustrations, and practical cooking advice. The writing is personal and warm; the recipes are detailed but accessible. And in that same way I often feel when I come to the end of a novel I love, I didn't want this book to end.
This book is dreamy. It transports me to other eras and into local cultures, allowing me to snoop in on my favorite common denomintor amongst humans: food. The menus are as good as getting lost in a novel. From drive-ins to fine dining, I'm intrigued by the amazing variations in menu design, but I'm equally intrigued by how many similarities they all have. This book is one to be savored page by page.
Technically, it's still summer, which means that technically, it's still acceptable to eat ice cream every day. Had I planned earlier and better, I would have made it my goal to make each clever flavor over the course of the season. Jeni's recipes run the spectrum of riffs on old standards like Roasted Pistachio Ice Cream to more exotic combinations like Toasted Rice Ice Cream with a Whiff of Coconut and Black Tea. The recipes are divided into flavors by season, and ice cream-making novices get a breakdown of technique, method, and equipment. There are so many great flavors that it might take me a couple of summers to get through them all, but I'm certainly willing to give it my best shot.
When I first started sampling Rachel Saunders's jams at a local farmers' market a few years ago, I thought, "Wow! I wish I could make jam like this!" Today, I have no exccuse not to; Rachel's book is full of recipes for the luscious jams I fell in love with at the market. And I can make jams for every season, so whether I have quince or kumquats or greengage plums (my favorite!) on hand, I can follow her wonderful recipes which are accompanied by rich, gorgeous photos. I love knowing I have access to Rachel's secrets, but I'll still have to drop in on her stand once in a while to see what new delights she has cooking.
My summer ritual for the last few years has been to make gallons and gallons of watermelon-lime agua fresca and chug it with abandon. This year, I figured it was time to expand my repertoire of refreshing summer treats, and this book was the perfect guide. Not only did I try out several other flavors of aguas frescas, but I also tried my hand at homemade popsicles (avocado, anyone?), which are easy and crowd-pleasing. The photographs are gorgeous and will make you want to make a freezerful of every tempting recipe in the book.
Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.
Don't Miss
Customer Comments
vanessa vichitvadakan has commented on (10) products.
The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion and Cooking Manual by Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo and Peter Meehan
vanessa vichitvadakan, January 28, 2012
I snuggle up with cookbooks the same way I snuggle up with novels and read them cover to cover, lingering on particular passages and savoring the temporary escape. This is one of the more gratifying cookbook reads in recent memory-- the recipes are woven with stories of the authors' family tables, wonderful illustrations, and practical cooking advice. The writing is personal and warm; the recipes are detailed but accessible. And in that same way I often feel when I come to the end of a novel I love, I didn't want this book to end.Menu Design in America by Steven Heller
vanessa vichitvadakan, October 27, 2011
This book is dreamy. It transports me to other eras and into local cultures, allowing me to snoop in on my favorite common denomintor amongst humans: food. The menus are as good as getting lost in a novel. From drive-ins to fine dining, I'm intrigued by the amazing variations in menu design, but I'm equally intrigued by how many similarities they all have. This book is one to be savored page by page.Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer
vanessa vichitvadakan, August 25, 2011
Technically, it's still summer, which means that technically, it's still acceptable to eat ice cream every day. Had I planned earlier and better, I would have made it my goal to make each clever flavor over the course of the season. Jeni's recipes run the spectrum of riffs on old standards like Roasted Pistachio Ice Cream to more exotic combinations like Toasted Rice Ice Cream with a Whiff of Coconut and Black Tea. The recipes are divided into flavors by season, and ice cream-making novices get a breakdown of technique, method, and equipment. There are so many great flavors that it might take me a couple of summers to get through them all, but I'm certainly willing to give it my best shot.The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders
Vanessa Vichitvadakan, August 9, 2011
When I first started sampling Rachel Saunders's jams at a local farmers' market a few years ago, I thought, "Wow! I wish I could make jam like this!" Today, I have no exccuse not to; Rachel's book is full of recipes for the luscious jams I fell in love with at the market. And I can make jams for every season, so whether I have quince or kumquats or greengage plums (my favorite!) on hand, I can follow her wonderful recipes which are accompanied by rich, gorgeous photos. I love knowing I have access to Rachel's secrets, but I'll still have to drop in on her stand once in a while to see what new delights she has cooking.Paletas: Authentic Recipes for Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice & Aguas Frescas by Fany Gerson
Vanessa Vichitvadakan, June 14, 2011
My summer ritual for the last few years has been to make gallons and gallons of watermelon-lime agua fresca and chug it with abandon. This year, I figured it was time to expand my repertoire of refreshing summer treats, and this book was the perfect guide. Not only did I try out several other flavors of aguas frescas, but I also tried my hand at homemade popsicles (avocado, anyone?), which are easy and crowd-pleasing. The photographs are gorgeous and will make you want to make a freezerful of every tempting recipe in the book.1-5 of 10next