The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
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Cookbooks make great gifts for friends and family
Visiting local bookstores to check out their cookbook shelves, especially those books by local authors and restaurateurs, was time well spent.
With Hannukah being celebrated as you read this (it began with the lighting of the first of eight candles on Sunday night) and Christmas less than three weeks away, the race is on to find just the right gift. Some of these will fit the bill for a welcome addition to one’s cookbook shelf. And a cookbook gift won’t be hard on your wallet.
⏩ For the children who enjoy cooking, “The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs” by America’s Test Kitchen (2018, $19.99) can inspire and empower a new generation of cooks.
America’s Test Kitchen has brought its scientific know-how, rigorous testing, and hands-on learning to help kids in the kitchen. Using kid-tested recipes, it has created the cookbook every kid chef needs. The recipes were tested by more than 750 kids to get them just right for cooks of all skill levels. The step-by-step photos of tips and techniques will help young chefs feel like pros in their kitchen. I enjoyed the testimonials and product reviews from kid test-cooks who worked alongside America’s Test Kitchen staff. The colorful design and layout makes it an easy and enjoyable read.
⏩ Those on your Hanukkah list will welcome “Millennial Kosher: Recipes Reinvented for the Modern Palate,” by Chanie Apfelbaum (2018, Artscroll/Shaar Press, $34.99). The author’s recipes show how what’s old can become new and fun again with fresh ingredients and unique twists. Today’s kosher cooking is spicier and bolder than the kosher food most remember. Now, there is an emphasis on fresh and seasonal ingredients, less processed foods and more healthful nondairy alternatives. Yesterday’s margarine is today’s coconut oil, bone broth is the new chicken soup, and the onion soup mix of our youth is replaced with umamirich porcini mushroom powder.
I enjoyed Apfelbaum’s collection of 150 modern, cultural, trendy and bold dishes that reflect her passion for reinventing traditional foods with a modern vibe. The crisp color photos will make the recipient want to get cooking. I will be trying her twists on some of my favorites for Gefilte Fish “Pizza,” Mushroom Barley Risotto, Bubby’s Cabbage Soup with Flanken, and Mason Jar Honey Cakes.
⏩ Those who enjoy Indian cuisine and the popular Instant Pot will appreciate a copy of “Instant Indian: Classic Foods from every Region of India made easy in the Instant Pot,” by Rinku Bhattacharya (2018, Hippocrene Books, $19.95). Many favorite Indian recipes can take hours to prepare; however, Bhattacharya has put together a collection of 100 authentic Indian recipes all made easy in the hottest kitchen product, the Instant Pot. She provides techniques and recipes that showcase the rich culinary diversity of Indian cuisine. The book covers essentials such as: key ingredients, spice blends, curry, sauces and yogurt-making, to recipes for breakfast, rice and grain dishes, lentils, vegetables, seafood, chicken and meat curries, as well as drinks, chutneys and desserts. Nearly all the recipes are gluten free, and there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, as well. She said, “It has been a dream of mine to write a book showcasing the cultural and culinary diversity of Indian cooking, but I wanted to keep it easy and accessible for everyone. Thanks to the Instant Pot, I have been able to do just that, allowing home cooks to discover the rich and diverse flavors of India.”
⏩ The more advanced cooks on your list must have a copy of “The Flavor Matrix: The Art and Science of Pairing Common Ingredients to Create Extraordinary Dishes,” by James Briscione with Brooke Parkhurst, (2018, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $30). The book is an ingredientpairing guide, showing how science can unlock possibilities unheard of, for combining foods into astonishing, inventive dishes. The book includes 150 of the most commonly used ingredients with flavor pairings that complement the featured ingredient. I thought the garlic/cocoa, artichoke/sesame, corn/coconut, and squash/ caramel pairing sounded strange. Not so, after experiencing recipes with these and other pairings. Each of the 60 “flavor matrixes” presented is accompanied by an original recipe; Black Tea Tomato Sauce, Truffle-Roasted Beet Salad, Lemon Curd with Crunchy Olives, Pork and Coconut Tacos, and Porcini, Hazelnut and Chocolate Torte.
⏩ Everyone likes to dine out. Right? But what concerns most, is gaining weight from doing so. Fear no more with “The Restaurant Diet: How to Eat Out Every Night and Still Lose Weight,” by Fred Bollaci (2017, Mango Publishing Group $27.99). He was morbidly obese and told by his doctor that his life could be impaired or cut short if he didn’t turn things around. He wound up losing 150 pounds over one year, and has kept it all off using his proven, four-phase plan. The result is a fitter, healthier, more energized man who enjoys dining out without the guilt. Learn how to dine out, lose weight and take back some of the control you have been conceding every time you avoided eating out or feared the enormous amount of extra calories and fat you were subjecting yourself to. I had the opportunity to meet the author. Bollaci said, “Just because you were not in control of the cooking doesn’t mean you can’t be in control.” Can anyone actually lose weight dining out and still enjoy the meal? “Absolutely,” he asserts. His book will show how, with dozens of strategies for working with chefs, restaurateurs and wait staff will ensure a healthier, more enjoyable and fulfilling dining out experience.
Check out my interview with the author here https:// bit.ly/2P8slSd
⏩ Those who follow popular food culture probably know that Buddha Bowls are a hot current food trend. “Buddha Bowls: 100 Nourishing One-Bowl Meals,” by Kelli Foster (2018, Harvard Common Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing, $22.99) is in the popular category of bowl food and one-dish meals in the cookbook market. Buddha bowls are either Asian or Asian-inspired one-bowl meals. It’s concept, I found interesting, being loosely based on guidance from Chinese medicine: that a meal should have vegetables, protein and a grain. Vegan recipes are included. There is a chapter on breakfast bowls such as a sweet potato breakfast bowl made with nut butter, cinnamon, banana, blueberries, almonds and hemp seeds. Other chapters: fish and seafood, chicken and turkey, beef and lamb, vegetable and fruit bowls.
⏩ The recipient doesn’t have to like to cook to enjoy “The Story of Food: An Illustrated History of Everything We Eat,” (2018, DK Publishers, $35.00). From salt to sushi and avocados to salami, food history buffs and cooks may enjoy the explorations, the stories and history behind all kinds of food, beginning with the early efforts of humans in their quest for sustenance and culminating in today’s diverse culinary landscape. Side notes about each of the foods include the origin, major producers, scientific name, main food component, vitamins and minerals derived from it.
⏩ One-pot cooking seems to be a craze, just take a look at all of the books with “one pot” in the title. New to the bookstore shelves is “One Pot Big Pot: 100 Family Meals Using Just One Cooking Vessel!” by Shane Hetherington (2018, Cider Mill Press, $24.95). If you have busy families on your gift list, help them streamline their nightly cooking process with this home cook’s dream come true. Not many people, probably you as well, want to come home at the end of a long day and have to conjure up a complicated dinner, let alone deal with all the dirty pots and pans that pile up. The recipes in this book require little effort, simple ingredients, can often be made ahead, and, best of all, require only one cooking vessel — whether a pan, pot, slow cooker, Dutch oven, casserole dish, or even a sheet pan. Recipes for stews, casseroles, filling salads, roasts, and more will keep dinner menus lively and cleanup in a minute. Hetherington has cracked the complex code that often makes cooking feel like a chore. To thank you for this lifesaver gift, you might even get invited to dinner.
Culinary calendar
⏩ Consiglio’s Murder Mystery Dinner: “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” Dec. 7 or Dec. 14. Doors at 6 p.m., dinner and show at 7, Consiglio’s Restaurant, 165 Wooster St., New Haven, reservations at 203-865-4489 https:// bit.ly/2O3TQzQ $65 includes dinner and show (beverages, tax and gratuity not included).
⏩ Holiday Wine Tasting Soiree, Dec. 9, 2-5 p.m. Ibiza Tapas, 1832 Dixwell Ave. Hamden. 475-2026657, $25. Discover an array of new wines for the holidays with recommendations on traditional food and wine pairings. The culinary team at Ibiza Tapas will be preparing Mediterranean style hors d’oeuvres. Wine101 sales reps will showcase wines from their portfolio. All wines will be offered at discounts. 21+ to attend. Tickets at https://bit.ly/2AGMjhF .