Customer Comments

Praisesong For The Kitchen Ghosts, by Crystal Wilkinson, is in turns a cookbook, history book, and regional family lore all written by a wonderfully skilled poet. It is beautiful to read and delicious to cook from. The unifying theme throughout the book is love. The food is not fancy, or using trendy ingredients, complicated preparation, or scientific precision, but it is all cooked with love, the most important ingredient there is. This is a book of memory and how food creates and gives life to our memories. It’s a book about Black Appalachian generations, and how their food ways came to be and have been passed down. The recipes, like Indian Creek Skillet Cornbread, are simple and authentic, and you can almost hear the author’s grandmother giving you instructions as you cook. The author’s background as a poet is not lost on these pages. It is a beautifully written tribute to her family and community. It is also an important record of the lives of people who don’t appear in a lot of our recorded history. Clarkson Potter provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own.

I follow Andre Nguyen on Instagram, so got some sneak peaks of what she was working on for her new book, “Ever-Green Vietnamese”, and I was so excited to finally get the book in my hands and start cooking from it. I’ve enjoyed other books she has written, and knew that this one would be just as special. She has such a great way of writing recipes and guiding you through while you cook. She anticipates any questions and gives very workable tips on equipment, ingredients, timing and variations. The book celebrates plant based recipes, and Vietnamese flavors. I think over 80% of the recipes are plant based, even including a vegan version of fish sauce. The variations can make many of the other recipes in the book plant based. I made the Oven-Fried Crispy Shrimp Imperial Rolls, happy to find an alternative to frying in oil. You paint the rice paper with a coconut cream mixture, then fill, roll and oven-fry or air-fry. I loved the flavor the coconut cream gave the wrappers and they did indeed come out very crispy! I was intrigued by the Pickled Mustard Greens Soup, so made a batch of the pickled greens a few days ahead of time and was delighted with the soup and happy to have extra pickled greens to use as an accompaniment for other meals. I had no problem finding ingredients locally, and did not need any specialty equipment to make anything in the book. Ten Speed provided me with a free copy of this book; the opinions are my own.

Ottolenghi Test Kitchen, Extra Good Things is the second book in a series that showcases condiments and pantry items that will up your food game dramatically. Each recipe has you make a sauce, marinade, dressing, ferment, topping, or dessert item, that can be used in a multitude of ways. The first recipe I made was 2-scalloped potatoes with chimichurri, an herby green sauce. The chimichurri was the condiment and the potatoes were a way to use it. At the beginning of the book is a chart listing things like rice, eggs, pasta, roasted vegetables, and then tells you which of the condiments in the book could be used to dress up the base food. It’s simple, but brilliant. My favorite chapter is Crunch Time, with each recipe making something crisp and crunchy to enhance each dish. Some I was familiar with, and really enjoyed learning and discovering things I’d never made before, like crispy tofu. This is not your regular cookbook! This is a great book for a creative cook who wants to be inspired. I’ve received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review. I will enjoy cooking from it for years to come!

I know the word “authentic” gets batted around a lot these days in the food world. As I read and cooked from “Bludso's BBQ Cookbook”, by Kevin Bludso, I kept thinking that this was the real deal, as authentic as it comes. Bludso's voice is clear and present throughout the book, and he doesn’t hold back with his opinions, stories, and recipes. Growing up in Southern California with summers in Texas exposed Bludso to the flavors of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, with some Caribbean influences for good measure. He shares the knowledge gained from cooking professionally and brings it to you with recipes that work for a home cook. Bludso starts with traditional smoked pork and beef cuts and moves on to less traditional fare. He includes lamb, oxtails, poultry, and plenty of seafood dishes. Lots of sides and breakfast recipes before desserts. I’ve received a free copy from Ten Speed Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review. I’m happy to have this book to expand my BBQ skills.

Arabiyya by Reem Assil is a book I’ve been waiting for. The book tells a story of family, culture, and history through the recipes and chapter introductions. It starts with spice mixes, condiments, and pantry staples. The descriptions are very clear with lots of tips to ensure success. The author ran a bakery and generously shares many savory as well as sweet breads and other baked goods. There are flatbreads, filled turnovers, cakes, buns, and in the later dessert chapter, puddings, cookies, and pies. The rest of the book gives us small plates (mezze), main dishes, and vegetable centered recipes. There is no shortage of spice and flavor. We are advised to purchase whole spices, toasting and grinding them as needed to preserve as much flavor as possible. Dishes are layered with the flavors of the Levant. The food is fresh, bright, and delicious, and the recipes inspiring. I’ve received a free copy from Ten Speed Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review. I am very happy to have this addition to my culinary bookshelf.

I was delighted to open Sunday Best, by Adrienne Cheatham and find recipes from one of my favorite areas on the planet, the American south. While Adrienne has cooked in top New York restaurants, she shares the food she grew up with, refining the recipes from her personal experience. No need to wait until Sunday to put your best on the table with this collection at your fingertips. Some of my favorites are the Cornbread Gougeres, Boudin-Stuffed Calamari, Crustless Kitchen-Sink Quiche, and every one of the Vegetable dishes. The flavors don’t all come from the American south. Adrienne doesn’t believe that flavors have borders and incorporates things like kimchi, miso, and berbere spice into dishes that leave you wondering why it wasn’t done before. I love that at the end of many recipes, there are ideas of what to do with any leftovers. And tips about what can be made ahead of time, as well as variations to fancy something up, or substitute other ingredients. These tips are so useful! I’ve received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

Black Food, edited by Bryant Terry, uses Black food as a thread that ties together the recipes, stories, poems, art, and essays. The book gives voice in such a beautiful way to Black community and experience that is more likely to be silenced or stolen from. Over a hundred people contribute work that is meaningful and important, as well as delicious. The book honors the past as it incorporates African and Caribbean influences and recipes, bringing them in to today. Like the Jerk Chicken Ramen, which brings together culinary traditions not usually combined. Farro & Red Bean Stuffed Collard Greens is a hearty recipe that turns out to also be vegan. Woven amongst the recipes are writings on not just food but spirituality, history, health, politics, queer life, nutrition, and culture. This is far more than a cookbook, or book about food. We need to hear more of these voices. I’ve received a free copy from Ten Speed Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

Maman: The Cookbook, by Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte is a wonderful collection of recipes that invites you to explore the cafe's menus from your own kitchen. Breakfast, brunch, and lunch are the focus, with breads, savory dishes, soups, sandwiches, pastries, desserts and beverages. There are recipes easily followed by a beginner all the way to more complex ones that require a bit of skill. I went straight to the canalés recipe, which is simple enough, but needs two days to make correctly. The result was delicious! I loved the classic shortbread dough as a base for cheesecake, as they suggest. It was corn season when I started cooking from this book, so the sweet corn soup caught my eye. The bourbon-bacon jam has become a house staple, it’s that good. The recipes are clearly written and the end products came out as I expected them to. This would be a lovely gift to give or receive! I've received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review. I look forward to continuing to cook from it.

Rodney Scott’s World of Barbecue, by Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie is a mouthwatering exploration into South Carolina cuisine. Rodney tells his very personal story of growing up in Hemingway, SC in a family who had mop sauce running in their veins. He went from resenting having to tend the barbecue pit while his friends celebrated high school graduation to embracing the work and eventually winning a James Beard award. The recipes start out with how to build your own pit and cook a whole hog. Then goes into the more manageable for the home cook recipes for ribs, chops, poultry and fish. Sides, salads, desserts, and cocktails are covered, with recipes that build on the sauces and seasoning blends he shares. It’s clear Rodney Scott cooks with love and he imparts that joy in this book. I’ve received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

Mister Jiu's in Chinatown, by Brandon Jew and Tienlon Ho, is worth taking the time to just read cover to cover. It’s a fascinating narrative on the history of Chinese immigrants, the evolution of Chinese food in America, and Chinatown in San Francisco. Then go back and check out the recipes. The recipes are not simplified or dumbed down. Some are quite complicated and I doubt very many home cooks would attempt them. The Liberty Roast Duck, for instance. You are looking at about two weeks of time, and that’s after you've sourced the admittedly fantastic Liberty Duck. What it does give you, even if you'll never make this at home, is an appreciation of the technique and skill involved in the dish. But many of the recipes are accessible by the home cook. Some have many steps, but the directions make it clear what you can prep in advance, making the final assembly a reasonable undertaking. I made the pot stickers without a big fuss and the results were so good. Steak Fried Rice is another of the simpler ones that I’ll be making again. There is an assumption that you have some kitchen skills and a willingness to learn a few more. I’ve received a free copy from Ten Speed Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review. I am excited to have this in my collection and am looking forward to cooking many more of the recipes.

Flavor, by Yotam Ottolenghi, is the third book in a series exploring vegetables as a menu component that is center of the plate worthy. Attaining maximum flavor is the goal, through the use of charring, browning, infusing, and aging. Coaxing flavor by the use of these techniques is a frequent tool of professional chefs, and Ottolenghi shows you how to develop and use these skills at home. We also learn about using sweetness, acidity, fat and heat to bring out and balance flavors. The Spicy Mushroom Lasagne recipe is getting a lot of notice, for good reason. It is absolutely delicious. I love the Cauliflower Roasted in Chile Butter. Many of the recipes have a sub-recipe, like the Chile Butter, or an infused oil or salsa, that are worth doubling when you prepare them, to have on hand for other uses. That’s another chef trick. This is not your usual book on vegetable cooking. It doesn’t try to cover everything you pull from your garden. Instead, it is a resource for you to learn from as you cook the recipes. You will soon figure out how to apply these skills to other ingredients you cook. Great book! I’ve been given a free copy by Ten Speed Press in exchange for a free and unbiased review. Thanks, Ten Speed, this is so appreciated!

Dessert Person, by Claire Saffitz is not your usual baking book. To start with, there is the most useful chart at the beginning called the Recipe Matrix. The recipes are all placed on a graph with the difficulty of preparation on one side, and the total amount of of time it takes to make on another. This is pure genius, and I’d love to see this used more often. Sometimes you just want a quick and easy project, and other times you have all day. The author clearly has a love of baking and has spent a lot of time figuring out the best recipes and techniques for each offering. She gives lots of tips and helpful hints that will make you a better baker. Like the change you will notice in your cookies if you rest the dough in the refrigerator overnight. You begin to understand that technique is as important as the quality of your ingredients. There aren’t fussy, plated desserts in here however. These are meant to be shared. The recipes are written to use sensible measuring units. You won’t find wonky amounts like 7/8 of a teaspoon. And the ingredients tend to be ones you can find easily. My favorite pastry is the Kouign-amann, so I was happy to find such a great recipe for it, even though it’s one of the most time consuming, difficult recipes in the book. Easier ones that I also loved, are the coffee coffee cake, the minty lime bars, and a fresh take on chocolate chip cookies. I’ve received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.

The cocktails and mocktails in Fizz are designed to elevate every celebration. Olly Smith uses bubbles as an ingredient, explaining how their qualities affect the drinks. Bubbles are made in the fermentation process of sparkling wines, ciders, soda, and other beverages. Their size and longevity are carefully considered in each recipe, as well as flavor and balance. The recipes give detailed instructions on constructing the drinks, even to the type of glass and garnish. Some of the ingredients are not ones you might have on hand. A good game plan would be to pick a few recipes, gather the ingredients, and commence honing your bar tending skills. I’ve received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review. Cheers!

I am drawn to honesty, in my life as well as in art. It’s not easy to put one's introspective self examination out there for the world to see. It can be painful to observe, wishing you could step in, alter the projection. But then we'd never get great songs, books, films, poetry. David Chang, in his new book Eat a Peach, gives us a deeply personal account of his success and failures in both his restaurants and his life. He takes us behind the doors of the kitchen, showing his creative process, hopes, and ambitions. We see the cracks and grime, as well as the beauty and shine. It can be difficult to look at, yet impossible to turn away from. All the while, we root for him, wanting him to rise above his demons and challenges. I received a free copy of Eat a Peach from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review. Reading it in the midst of a pandemic, with the survival of so many restaurants in question, is bittersweet.

Every aware cook in 2020 has seen the growth in the desire for vegan food. In the old days, that often meant just substituting meat with tofu, or some industrialized meat substitute. Just as often it was pasta or stir fry. Boring! Thankfully we have talented, committed chefs moving our palates and our daily cuisine into the territory of flavor and creativity. Bryant Terry shows us in Vegetable Kingdom that he is a master of this new territory. Being winter when I received Vegetable Kingdom (thanks for the free book, @tenspeedpress!), I stuck to exploring the recipes of the season. There are plenty of great things to cook in the dark of winter. I love the Roasted Delicata Squash, Black-eyed Peas, and Mustard Greens, as well as the Root Vegetable Kakiage Tempura. The Roasted Parsnips with Onion-Mustard Sauce is a sure fire hit. I can hardly wait for summer, to dive into the amazing sounding recipes for the bounty to come. Tempura-fried Squash Blossoms with Eggplant-almond Stuffing is high on that list. Thank you, Bryant Terry, for expanding our horizons with this outstanding collection of plant based recipes!