Cookbook Review Day

Today I want to talk about some new cookbooks that I recently received.  I have become very particular about the cookbooks that grace my shelves these days, and that is for one reason really, room.  My coobook shelves are literally bursting, I have filled all the shelf space and have now started stacking them on top of the shelves. So when I really want a new cookbook, I really need to think about it and think about whether or not it is worthy of my precious space. I decided that both of these books today are worthy of my space, and I actually got rid of one little used book to make room.

This first one is simply one of the most beautiful cookbooks I have ever seen.  Spain And The World Table is a compilation of Spanish recipes from the most highly respected Spanish chefs. From the Culinary Institute of America, this book takes recipes created by such greats as Jose Andres and Norman Van Aken and presents them in a way which they can be recreated by the home cook.  Martha Rose Shulman, whose work I am very familiar with, provides the writing and commentary all throughout the book.  Yet it’s not just a cookbook. This is also a reference book.  Anything you ever wanted to know about Spanish cuisine is in this book.  After a recipe Mission Figs stuffed with blue cheese is a reference page full of details about Spanish cheeses, after a recipe for Consomme with Saffron, we get a tutorial on saffron and when and where we should use it- and is it worth its hefty price tag?  There are bits about the different regions of Spain, and I have to say, there is a lot of information in this book, but it’s presented in such an accessible way.  The book itself is beautiful enough- with a picture for almost every single recipe, that if I had a coffee table, this would be on it.

The caveat is that I haven’t cooked out of it yet, so I can’t attest to the nature of the specific recipes. However, reading through several of them that caught my eye, they don’t seem particularly difficult or too avant garde to give them a whirl in my home kitchen.  Every once in a while a recipe will mention a lengthy reduction or there is one recipe specifically that uses a foam- where did I put that foam-making device anyway?  But overall, they really seem geared toward the home cook, and give us an opportunity to try at home the dishes that the world is talking about.  Spanish cuisine is hot right now- but there are so few cookbooks devoted to the cuisine that this is a very welcome addition to my world parade of cookbooks.  With recipes like Hazelnut Passion Fruit Ice Cream, Lamb and Roasted Pepper Ragout, Sea Scallops with Green Raisin Salsa, and Mango, Scotch Bonnet, and Sesame Mojo, this is a book I could read through several times over and not get bored with it.  I can’t wait to give some of these recipes a whirl.

The second book I wanted to mention today is more fun and less intensive than the Spanish tome, but an equally wonderful addition to my cookbook collection.  Grilled Pizzas and Piadianas brings the art of grilled pizza back home where it belongs.  It wasn’t that long ago that Andy and I figured out just how to make a grilled pizza in the first place.  A careful ballet of flipping crust and adding toppings at just the right time elevates pizza to a whole new level.  This book shows us exactly what we could be doing to make it easier, as well as gives us a virtual parade of pizza topping ideas.  As an example, The New Orlean pizza has blackened crawfish, Andouille sausage, fontina cheese, and a spicy apricot sauce as it’s toppings.  I would have never thought of those toppings for pizza- but now that I’ve seen it, it sounds and looks amazing. The Moroccan pizza is topped with curried chicken, roasted garlic and kalamata olives, The Millenium is topped with ground lamb, feta and cucumber!  There are dozens of new pizza ideas here, and every turn of the page gives me a new mouth-watering picture, and the desire to make pizza!

Then there’s the piadinas. What exactly is a piadina? Well, it’s like a flatbread sandwich.  It’s sort of like making a pizza dough and then rolling it around toppings like a wrap, and apparently, they are very popular in Italy. These also look amazing!  Piadina Firenze is stuffed with grilled eggplant and peppers, and is one I’ll be trying when the eggplant comes up in the garden. There’s also a special chapter here for my husband, who is always wanting to make a dessert on the grill.  We have an Apple Tart- a pizza crust topped with cinnamon glazed apples and almonds, a Grilled Banana Split, and something called The S’more, a pizza topped with chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows!  There are also tips on throwing the ultimate grilled pizza party as well as suggestions for beverages that accompany some of the pizzas.  I have to say, as much as I love this book, this would have made a fantastic Father’s Day gift for Andy, since he’s always wanting to make grilled pizzas.  We’ll be taking this book for a spin this weekend if the weather cooperates.

Uncategorized - by Erika

142,599 thoughts on “Cookbook Review Day”

  4. What’s Going down i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I have
    found It positively helpful and it has aided me out loads.
    I’m hoping to give a contribution & aid different customers like its
    helped me. Good job.

  7. Please let me know if you’re looking for a author for your site.
    You have some really good articles and I think I would be a good asset.
    If you ever want to take some of the load off, I’d love to write some content for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine.
    Please send me an email if interested. Thank you!

  11. Great weblog right here! Also your site rather a lot up
    fast! What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link in your host?

    I want my website loaded up as quickly as yours lol

  15. Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed!
    Extremely useful info particularly the last part 🙂 I
    care for such info a lot. I was looking for this particular info for a very long time.
    Thank you and good luck.

  18. Hello! I realize this is sort of off-topic but I had to ask.

    Does building a well-established blog like yours require a lot of work?
    I am completely new to blogging but I do write in my diary daily.
    I’d like to start a blog so I can share my experience
    and views online. Please let me know if you have any recommendations or tips
    for new aspiring bloggers. Appreciate it!

  23. An outstanding share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a coworker who had been conducting
    a little homework on this. And he actually bought me dinner due to the fact that I stumbled upon it for him…
    lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!!
    But yeah, thanx for spending time to talk about this matter here on your web page.

  24. Door With Sliding Window Tools To Make Your Daily Life
    Door With Sliding Window Trick That Every Person Should Be Able To door with sliding window (Bennett)

  26. Can I simply just say what a comfort to uncover someone who truly understands what they are discussing over the internet.
    You certainly know how to bring a problem to light and
    make it important. More and more people ought to look at this and understand this
    side of the story. I was surprised that you’re not more popular given that you definitely have the gift.

  38. ”A strong base exists here comprised solely focused upon delivering results across various domains including business litigation & compliance issues alike ensuring peace-of-mind throughout entire journey?# anyKeyWord #?” law firms in arlington

  39. ”A strong base exists here comprised solely focused upon delivering results across various domains including business litigation & compliance issues alike ensuring peace-of-mind throughout entire journey?# anyKeyWord #?” law firms in arlington

  43. What i don’t realize is actually how you’re now not actually
    a lot more well-favored than you might be right now.
    You’re so intelligent. You know therefore considerably when it comes to this subject,
    made me in my opinion consider it from so many numerous angles.
    Its like men and women don’t seem to be involved unless it is something
    to accomplish with Girl gaga! Your individual stuffs outstanding.
    All the time deal with it up!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *