http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com collaborative book reviews about all things food and wine Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:32:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6855_new-release-52-loaves http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6855_new-release-52-loaves#comments Thu, 06 May 2010 12:30:57 +0000 admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=6855 William Alexander is determined to bake the perfect loaf of bread. He tasted it long ago, in a restaurant, and has been trying to reproduce it ever since. Without success. But now he’s going to try again—every week for one year—until he gets it right.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6855_new-release-52-loaves/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5494_new-release-the-gastronomica-reader http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5494_new-release-the-gastronomica-reader#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:34:50 +0000 admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5494 Described by Saveur as "At the top of our bedside reading pile since its inception in 2001," the award-winning Gastronomica is a feast of exceptional writing on food. The Gastronomica Reader offers a sumptuous sampling from the journal's pages.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5494_new-release-the-gastronomica-reader/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5232_momofuku-david-chang-2009-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5232_momofuku-david-chang-2009-us#comments Sun, 24 Jan 2010 06:49:47 +0000 Mark Manguerra http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5232 David Chang, owner of the famed New York restaurants Momofuku Noodle Bar, Ssäm Bar and Ko, chronicles his journey from noodle-eater to noodle-maker and guides us through more than 50 of his most popular recipes that showcase the fusion of modern technique and classic Asian comfort food. Throughout the book he gives us a peek into the creative process and the story behind each dish, citing his influences, failures, and inspirations. The recipes can be daunting and the flavors sometimes need tweaking, but ambitious home cooks should have little problem replicating or improving on the dishes, though the weak instructions and badly converted measurements might lead them astray. While there has been plenty of media focus on Chang's "bad-boy" image, he still comes across as approachable and self-deprecating at best, and at worst annoying and trying too hard, but never offensive. Fans of modern Asian cuisine and the Momofuku empire will find the book both entertaining and fascinating. [Editor's note: Don't miss our book giveaway too!]]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5232_momofuku-david-chang-2009-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4609_year-end-countdown-food-writing-food-guides-and-famous-names http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4609_year-end-countdown-food-writing-food-guides-and-famous-names#comments Mon, 14 Dec 2009 07:47:23 +0000 admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=4609 In the last installment of our feature on year-end releases, we're taking a look at cookbooks from famous chefs and restaurants, as well as the un-cookbooks: books with essays on food, food issues, and guidebooks on specific subjects. ]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4609_year-end-countdown-food-writing-food-guides-and-famous-names/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4533_valvona-and-crolla-mary-contini-2009-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4533_valvona-and-crolla-mary-contini-2009-uk#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:37:15 +0000 Helen Parkins http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=4533 Based on the food served at Edinburgh's best-known Italian deli-cafe, Valvona and Crolla, this new recipe book makes for an evocative and mouth-watering read. Organised around the four seasons, there are recipes, personal stories and mini-travelogues, hints and tips, and detailed ingredient information specific to each time of year. Inspiration abounds throughout, supported by recipes which are as reliable as they are tempting. All in all, 'Valvona and Crolla: A Year at an Italian Table' is a veritable feast for foodlovers.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4533_valvona-and-crolla-mary-contini-2009-uk/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4199_white-heat-marco-pierre-white-2005-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4199_white-heat-marco-pierre-white-2005-uk#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:21:04 +0000 Daniel Chan http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=4199 Marco Pierre White’s publishers took advantage of his re-emergence on television in the mid-2000s by reprinting “White Heat”. First published in 1990, this book proved that the public had an interest in recipes that were not intended to be made in a home kitchen. “White Heat” has been a book sought by collectors, professionals and foodies since its original release. Justin North, the owner/chef of Sydney’s Becasse restaurant commented recently that “This changed the way I saw food. I was an apprentice in New Zealand and it gave me an insight to the manic life of a chef; it made me hungry for knowledge about Michelin chefs.” Its impact in terms of kitchen skills, as a source of inspiration for chefs and cooks, and on the design of cookbooks, is still being felt twenty years later. “White Heat” also set standards in other areas. The stark black and white photographs are so integral to the feel of the book that the photographer, Bob Carlos Clarke, received a prominent credit on the cover. The layout with its blocks of white space and oversized quotes by White owes more to cutting edge magazines like “The Face” than to the cookbooks of years gone by. Finally, there is the no-holds-barred commentary by White about the many aspects of the life of a chef. “White Heat” was an extraordinary book in its time, and it remains so today.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4199_white-heat-marco-pierre-white-2005-uk/feed 2 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/2015_seven-fires-francis-mallmann-2009-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/2015_seven-fires-francis-mallmann-2009-us#comments Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:17:40 +0000 Gfron1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=2015 Big. Bold. Burning! Those words summarize this near flawless book from famed South American chef and restaurateur, Francis Mallmann, and author Peter Kaminsky. Seven Fires refers to the techniques that Mallmann uses when cooking: Chapa, Little Hell, Parilla, Horno de Barro, Rescoldo, Asador and Caldero. You ask, “Where are hibachi and sterno?” Not to be found in this book. Seven Fires is about serious grilling – the type that you dream of doing. The cover teases us with Mallman genteelly grilling over burning embers, but open the cover and whole hogs are split wide, splayed above massive infernos. But not to fear, this book is truly accessible to all.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/2015_seven-fires-francis-mallmann-2009-us/feed 1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/2396_new-edition-the-world-food-problem http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/2396_new-edition-the-world-food-problem#comments Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:50:22 +0000 admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=2396 Why do millions of people in the less-developed countries go hungry? What can be done about it? This book is the best available analysis of the current world food problem, as well as a provocative assessment of prospects for the future.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/2396_new-edition-the-world-food-problem/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/2168_the-foodie-handbook-pim-techamuanvivit-2009-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/2168_the-foodie-handbook-pim-techamuanvivit-2009-uk#comments Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:18:26 +0000 Jason S http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=2168 The author of the massively popular blog Chez Pim attempts to guide us to appreciating food, dining, and cooking (again) with her unique brand of sass and humor. While the dining tips are useful and the recipes look delicious, some of the material appears simply a supplement to (or derivative of) the blog. Her guide is a mixed bag of earnest, well-thought-out advice and odd name- and place-dropping that somehow makes being a foodie synonymous with being well-traveled and well-connected (or synonymous with Pim’s life), contrary to her stated objectives.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/2168_the-foodie-handbook-pim-techamuanvivit-2009-uk/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/1965_an-omelette-and-a-glass-of-wine-elizabeth-david-2009-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/1965_an-omelette-and-a-glass-of-wine-elizabeth-david-2009-uk#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 05:56:30 +0000 Lucy http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=1965 An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, a collection skillfully pieced together by Elizabeth David herself, is the perfect introduction to the breadth and depth of her writing. First published in 1984, this collection of articles spanning many decades was inexplicably out of print in Britain for some years (but still available in the US). Here you will find remarkably candid – often hilarious - reviews of books and restaurants; historical essays sit comfortably with the well-loved romance of markets in rural France. Culinary gems are peppered throughout.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/1965_an-omelette-and-a-glass-of-wine-elizabeth-david-2009-uk/feed 3