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/7688_iron-chef-chens-knockout-chinese-chen-kenichi-2009-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7688_iron-chef-chens-knockout-chinese-chen-kenichi-2009-us#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:32:31 +0000 Mark Manguerra http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=7688 Iron Chef Chen's Knockout Chinese is a charming, lightweight book from a Japanese master of Sichuan cooking, and one of the original Iron Chefs. For better or for worse, this first translated work skips the traditional, authentic fare and goes straight for the innovative and personal recipes (with a few classics thrown in). The organization is strange and some things are lost in translation, but the recipes are often simple and inviting enough for most people to pick up immediately.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7688_iron-chef-chens-knockout-chinese-chen-kenichi-2009-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7624_new-release-microgreens http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7624_new-release-microgreens#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:12:27 +0000 admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=7624 Microgreens is a practical guide to growing arugula and other popular mini-greens that offer a multitude of colors, textures and flavors, as well as concentrated active compounds. The book also includes 15 easy recipes that make the most of microgreens.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7624_new-release-microgreens/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7500_molto-gusto-mario-batali-2010-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7500_molto-gusto-mario-batali-2010-us#comments Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:47:49 +0000 Mark Manguerra http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=7500 Patterned after Mario Batali's New York pizzeria Otto, Molto Gusto takes the focus away from complicated "meat-and-potatoes" Italian dishes and towards simple, easy-to-prepare everyday fare (or as limited by your budget for the deli). The recipes are all approachable and the photographs are inviting, but some readers might be turned off by some extremely simple recipes and the dependence on a specific brand of tomato product.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7500_molto-gusto-mario-batali-2010-us/feed 1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7302_tender-volume-1-nigel-slater-2009-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7302_tender-volume-1-nigel-slater-2009-uk#comments Sun, 06 Jun 2010 05:16:17 +0000 Alison http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=7302 Nigel Slater tells the story of his vegetable patch and provides over 400 recipe ideas for using the vegetables he grows. Already well known for seven previous recipe books, his much admired autobiography Toast and his regular columns in The Observer, Slater's enthusiasm will no doubt tempt some readers to start a vegetable garden of their own, although this is predominantly a book about cooking. As in his previous books, Slater's recipes are straightforward and unfussy and his approach to using fresh produce should appeal to many home cooks. ]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/7302_tender-volume-1-nigel-slater-2009-uk/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6658_new-release-plenty http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6658_new-release-plenty#comments Thu, 22 Apr 2010 07:23:24 +0000 admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=6658 With his fabulous restaurants and bestselling Ottolenghi Cookbook, Yotam Ottolenghi has established himself as one of the most exciting new talents in the world of cookery. This collection of vegetarian recipes is drawn from his column 'The New Vegetarian', and also features brand-new recipes.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/6658_new-release-plenty/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5558_the-silver-spoon-for-children-amanda-grant-2009-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5558_the-silver-spoon-for-children-amanda-grant-2009-uk#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 04:06:10 +0000 Daniel Chan http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5558 Over the past few years publishers Phaidon have been establishing a presence in the cookbook market. “The Silver Spoon For Children” is their first move into the area of cooking with children. Often, books in this area of cooking, like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s “The River Cottage Family Cookbook”, are written for adults as a guide to teaching children how to cook. This book’s approach involves having a child read it, and then prepare the recipes with the aid of an adult. By simplifying the recipes to their essence, and using large pictures and bright colours to grab attention, this book is one that has a great chance of engaging young minds. The book takes its recipes from “The Silver Spoon”, and is aimed at children aged at least nine years old. The recipes have been tested by children, so parents can be reasonably confident that the recipes will work. As someone who has not been impressed by Phaidon’s cookbooks, this one has been surprisingly good.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5558_the-silver-spoon-for-children-amanda-grant-2009-uk/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/3327_new-release-stephanie-alexanders-kitchen-garden-companion http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/3327_new-release-stephanie-alexanders-kitchen-garden-companion#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:02:58 +0000 admin http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=3327 Follow in the footsteps of one of Australia's best-loved cooks as she reveals the secrets of rewarding kitchen gardening in this inspiring garden-to-table guide.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/3327_new-release-stephanie-alexanders-kitchen-garden-companion/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/3151_the-big-sur-bakery-cookbook-michelle-wojtowicz-2009-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/3151_the-big-sur-bakery-cookbook-michelle-wojtowicz-2009-us#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:25:43 +0000 Mark Manguerra http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=3151 The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook takes you on the journey of a restaurant one month at a time with ambitious menus that capture the flavors of the season. Though some recipes might sometimes be long and involve too many steps, they are not usually out of reach of the home cook and patience will be rewarded with an impressive feast. Each month also features the profile of a person close to the restaurant and a story about the area, giving the reader a vivid portrait of a hidden culinary gem.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/3151_the-big-sur-bakery-cookbook-michelle-wojtowicz-2009-us/feed 2