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/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/4567_life-is-sweet-hope-and-greenwood-2009-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4567_life-is-sweet-hope-and-greenwood-2009-uk#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:26:41 +0000 JudithM http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=4567 Life is Sweet is about making various types of confectionery at home, traditional and modern. The authors are the owners of the Hope and Greenwood confectionery shops in London and are experienced sweet makers. The recipes include a wide range of cooked and uncooked sweets, from rich dark truffles and chocolate with chilli and lime to marshmallows, nougat, toffee apples, old fashioned ‘pulled’ toffees and salt licorice. If you enjoy astonishing your friends with new home cooked goodies, this is a book to add to your bookshelf.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4567_life-is-sweet-hope-and-greenwood-2009-uk/feed 1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4031_in-search-of-total-perfection-heston-blumenthal-2009-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4031_in-search-of-total-perfection-heston-blumenthal-2009-uk#comments Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:30:05 +0000 Gfron1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=4031 Heston Blumenthal is known as a gastro-wizard. Not only does he helm the Fat Duck, once considered the top restaurant in the world, but he also has popular notoriety through his In Search of Perfection television series on the BBC. In Search of Total Perfection is the culmination of the TV series put in print (combining his two previous books from the series into one volume), and offers not only the recipes and exploratory work leading to the recipes, but also the behind-the-scenes tales from the studio. And whereas a movie can drop a book’s plot, story lines and even characters to help the story fit into a two-hour reel, this book flips a page and gathers all of the information presented in the series and expands on the shows with useful and fun details. The reader is left as plump and saturated as Blumenthal’s roast chicken. And that’s where we’ll peck away at this book – roast chicken.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4031_in-search-of-total-perfection-heston-blumenthal-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 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/1009_the-big-fat-duck-cookbook-heston-blumenthal-2008-uk-review http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/1009_the-big-fat-duck-cookbook-heston-blumenthal-2008-uk-review#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:24:18 +0000 Daniel Chan http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=1009 It’s 43cm long, 33cm wide, 8cm thick, weighs about five kilograms, has 534 pages, and was one of the most anticipated cookbooks in 2008. From the silver embossed slipcase to the photography and artwork, the writing and the feel of the paper, it would be hard not to notice and admire the Big Fat Duck Cookbook on the shelves of a bookstore. On initial impressions, perhaps like the restaurant itself, the book appears to be an intimidating creature. Open it and you will be hit by Heston Blumenthal’s passion. Inside is the story of Blumenthal and his restaurant, the recipes and stories behind many of the dishes from the Fat Duck, and a series of essays explaining the science behind the food. Beyond the science, there are journeys into food history, philosophy, personal anecdotes, humour, and the sheer dumb luck that can trigger a great idea. It is a dizzying amount of information in one book. But for those who have read Blumenthal’s previous books, his newspaper columns, or seen his TV show will know that he has a gift for explaining complicated concepts in terms that the layman can understand.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/1009_the-big-fat-duck-cookbook-heston-blumenthal-2008-uk-review/feed 1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/897_indulge-claire-clark-2007-ca-review http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/897_indulge-claire-clark-2007-ca-review#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:34:28 +0000 Mark Manguerra http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=897 In Indulge: 100 Perfect Desserts, Claire Clark, head pastry chef of The French Laundry, shares 100 memorable desserts from her 25 years of experience as a pastry chef. The range is wide, from her mother's recipe for shortbread, to complex multilayered desserts worthy of a four-star hotel. As a result, the skill level required of this book ranges from novice to intermediate as well. Her skill as a pastry chef and as a teacher shines through in the text, and the result is a solid volume of desserts that have spot-on flavors.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/897_indulge-claire-clark-2007-ca-review/feed 2