http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com collaborative book reviews about all things food and wine Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:58:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/12921_the-complete-asian-cookbook-charmaine-solomon-2011-au http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/12921_the-complete-asian-cookbook-charmaine-solomon-2011-au#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:37:16 +0000 Alison Vincent http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=12921 Charmaine Solomon, well known to Australians from her books and newspaper and magazine columns, became an international success with the original publication of 'The Complete Asian Cookbook' in 1976. Since then her name has been synonymous with the flavours of the East. The revised version of this ground breaking book is a must for anyone interested in the food of this region – either to cook from or simply to refer to – that is of course if they don't already have the original.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/12921_the-complete-asian-cookbook-charmaine-solomon-2011-au/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/11258_odd-bits-jennifer-mclagan-2011-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/11258_odd-bits-jennifer-mclagan-2011-us#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 02:54:51 +0000 Gfron1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=11258 Jennifer McLagan’s final stage of her trilogy, including the much lauded Bones (2005) and Fat (2007), is a comprehensive exploration of those animal parts that are ignored or tossed in the bin, and the word fascinating would be the ultimate understatement in describing this book. Odd Bits is her final manifesto to the world of daring or squeamish cooks to take a new look at less common parts of the animals, and is one of the best cookbooks of 2011.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/11258_odd-bits-jennifer-mclagan-2011-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/10441_penguins-great-food-series-4-more-reviews http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/10441_penguins-great-food-series-4-more-reviews#comments Sun, 26 Jun 2011 13:38:42 +0000 Duncan - admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=10441 This is the second feature article about the Great Food series from Penguin Books. This article reviews books by Claudia Roden, Dr A.W. Chase, Alexis Soyer and Colonel Wyvern. Slim paperbacks with pretty covers, the GREAT FOOD series is a hit with many food lovers. We asked our reviewers to have a look at a number of them and give their thoughts.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/10441_penguins-great-food-series-4-more-reviews/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/10209_pastry-in-europe-2011-joost-van-roosmalen-2011-be http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/10209_pastry-in-europe-2011-joost-van-roosmalen-2011-be#comments Sat, 04 Jun 2011 01:28:31 +0000 Gfron1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=10209 A glaring pink book seeking the spotlight, giving us the whirlwind European tour from Michelin restaurants to back alley holiday fairs, Pastry in Europe 2011 provides a snapshot of the state of pastry across the diverse continent. You’ll be delighted with the cutting edge ingredients, old-school techniques, and the slew of chefs sharing what they’re doing right now. While the 2011 book has made greater strides than its two predecessors, it has yet to take center stage.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/10209_pastry-in-europe-2011-joost-van-roosmalen-2011-be/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/9591_audrey-gordons-tuscan-summer-audrey-gordon-2010-au http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/9591_audrey-gordons-tuscan-summer-audrey-gordon-2010-au#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:01:46 +0000 Alison Vincent http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=9591 Audrey Gordon is a respected and prolific cookery writer. She has also been a long-time contributor to BBC radio, presented numerous television series and been voted ‘Britain’s Sternest Cook’ three times. She and husband Phillip recently closed their restaurant, audrey’s, and headed to Tuscany for a chance to take a break and of course write a book about it. The result is ‘Audrey Gordon’s Tuscan Summer’, a ’sumptuously photographed and lavishly over-designed book’ written for ‘the ordinary cook, stuck at home with insufficient bench space and a set of chipped mixing bowls’. Audrey Gordon's Tuscan Summer looks like a regular cookbook and the recipes are certainly workable if not necessarily authentic, but Audrey is not all she seems...]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/9591_audrey-gordons-tuscan-summer-audrey-gordon-2010-au/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/9412_ice-creams-sorbets-and-gelati-caroline-and-robin-weir-2010-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/9412_ice-creams-sorbets-and-gelati-caroline-and-robin-weir-2010-uk#comments Sun, 06 Mar 2011 09:45:24 +0000 Duncan Markham http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=9412 An impressive, compendious work about ice cream and other frozen sweets for home cooks. The much-awaited revision of an earlier book by the authors has yielded a greatly expanded range of delicious recipes, plus some additional history and trivia. The authors' insistence on precision and recommended formulae for making ices is undermined by their own mistakes and inconsistencies, but despite this, Ice Creams, Sorbets and Gelati: The Definitive Guide is a work worth considering for any avid home ice cream maker.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/9412_ice-creams-sorbets-and-gelati-caroline-and-robin-weir-2010-uk/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/9300_ideas-in-food-aki-kamozawa-2010-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/9300_ideas-in-food-aki-kamozawa-2010-us#comments Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:05:21 +0000 Gfron1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=9300 If a book’s worth can be measured by the number of dog-eared pages, then Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work could turn around the international financial crisis. In fact, my copy has so many turned page corners that I’m expecting a ‘Cease and Desist” order to arrive at my home any day now. Well over 75 pages are marked as requiring my re-reading and note taking. And lest you think I’m a chronic book destroyer, a quick scan of my most favorite and used books show less than ten dog-eared pages in any one book. This is one worthy book for anyone who cares about the inner workings of their food or for anyone who wants someone to do the homework for them so they can simply follow instructions and put out great dishes.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/9300_ideas-in-food-aki-kamozawa-2010-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/9088_how-the-british-fell-in-love-with-food-the-guild-of-food-writers-2010-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/9088_how-the-british-fell-in-love-with-food-the-guild-of-food-writers-2010-uk#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 03:08:21 +0000 Harry http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=9088 How the British Fell in Love with Food is the sort of book you could either read from cover to cover, or simply pick up casually from time to time to read a chapter or two. The articles from members of the Guild of Food Writers, many award-winners, provide an interesting historical perspective on modern food history in Britain, combined with a fair range of recipes. The book is not without a few quirks, not least of which the choice of period (mid-70s to 2010). The book only includes works by the Guild’s writers, as it was published to celebrate the Guild's 25th anniversary. ]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/9088_how-the-british-fell-in-love-with-food-the-guild-of-food-writers-2010-uk/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/8789_thai-street-food-david-thompson-2009-au http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/8789_thai-street-food-david-thompson-2009-au#comments Tue, 11 Jan 2011 04:31:56 +0000 Daniel Chan http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=8789 “Thai Street Food” is David Thompson’s homage to the markets, food stands and mobile vendors of Thailand. As with his groundbreaking previous book, “Thai Food”, Thompson explains the evolution of the food, and the systems and culture that sustains it. However, readers should not think of this book as being a street food version of his first book - to do so would only lead to disappointment. Thompson’s aim here is to give the reader an insight into what Thais eat every day and how it fits into their lives. The hour-by-hour changes in the food available to Thais in the street markets is constantly emphasised in the book. The combination of his writing and Earl Carter's photographs is so seductive that it’s hard to resist the urge to catch the next flight to Bangkok to experience the culture Thompson has adopted as his own.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/8789_thai-street-food-david-thompson-2009-au/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/8900_tartine-bread-chad-robertson-2010-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/8900_tartine-bread-chad-robertson-2010-us#comments Mon, 20 Dec 2010 07:40:47 +0000 Mark Manguerra http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=8900 Tartine Bread is both a tribute and a guidebook to the process of creating naturally leavened bread (no added yeast). Those with patience, dedication, and a knack for reorganizing a tremendous amount of information will be able to benefit the most from this book. The number of actual bread recipes is small but the book focuses more on the method and does not aim to give variety in terms of bread formulas. Fans of Tartine will also appreciate the various recipes in the final chapter that make use of day-old bread.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/8900_tartine-bread-chad-robertson-2010-us/feed 1