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/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/5869_the-dumpling-wai-hon-chu-2009-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5869_the-dumpling-wai-hon-chu-2009-us#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:34:06 +0000 Mark Manguerra http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5869 The Dumpling: A Seasonal Guide is one of the first books to collect dumpling recipes from around the world into a single volume. There is an excellent variety of dumpling types and flavors, the recipes are clear and there are plenty of tips for beginners. Unfortunately, a forced definition of the word dumpling as a category limits the book unnecessarily and may disappoint people who are looking for a dish they recognize as a dumpling but has been excluded.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5869_the-dumpling-wai-hon-chu-2009-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/3059_cooking-travelling-in-south-west-france-stephanie-alexander-2002-au http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/3059_cooking-travelling-in-south-west-france-stephanie-alexander-2002-au#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:55:26 +0000 Julian Teoh http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=3059 "(T)he book vividly evokes the country households of two generations ago. It includes personal opinion, trucs and tours de main (personal tricks), even alternative versions of the same dish, all offered in a warm, practical and personal voice." That was Australian chef and food icon Stephanie Alexander on La Mazille's La Bonne Cuisine du Périgord, but I would say much the same of Alexander's own work, Cooking & Travelling in South-West France, published in 2002. A record of Alexander's visits to the region between July 1999 and November 2000, this is part travel diary, part cookbook and 100% addictive. ]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/3059_cooking-travelling-in-south-west-france-stephanie-alexander-2002-au/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/974_verrines-jose-marechal-2009-au-review http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/974_verrines-jose-marechal-2009-au-review#comments Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:46:25 +0000 Duncan Markham http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=974 Food served in small glasses -- verrines -- has been popular in France for at least four years. José Maréchal's book Verrines, published by Murdoch Books, is only the second book in English to focus strongly on this type of dish. Two of Maréchal's French books on verrines (published by Marabout: Verrines, Verrines toutes fraîches) have been combined to produce this compact 128 page volume in English which gives an excellent introduction and provides lots of inspiration. This is a title that deserves five stars because it achieves what it needs to so well, combining a feel for the dishes with tips and inspirations. The book suits cooks who enjoy food presentation and bright flavours and who have at least basic technical confidence. ]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/974_verrines-jose-marechal-2009-au-review/feed 0