http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com collaborative book reviews about all things food and wine Sun, 07 Mar 2010 07:34:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 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/5685_the-visual-food-lovers-guide-qa-international-2009-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5685_the-visual-food-lovers-guide-qa-international-2009-us#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:57:49 +0000 Duncan Markham http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5685 An enjoyable book containing an impressive range of information about common and exotic ingredients, including many pictures and nutritional information. It's suitable for people who already know a bit about ingredients, although the organisation of the book can be quite frustrating. For beginners, this would only be suitable for US readers, with some reservations.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5685_the-visual-food-lovers-guide-qa-international-2009-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5169_three-star-chef-gordon-ramsay-2007-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5169_three-star-chef-gordon-ramsay-2007-uk#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:16:34 +0000 Daniel Chan http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5169 Once upon a time, the marking point of a chef’s success was the awarding of a Michelin star or equivalent. The professional recognition and a dining room full of satisfied diners was all that was needed to make your mark on the culinary landscape. But chefs and restaurants have now evolved to a stage where global brand recognition has become a part of the game. Cookbooks featuring the flagship restaurant are a part of that marketing strategy. Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road is the flagship of Ramsay’s empire, and “Three Star Chef” is his homage to it. As you’d expect, it is a beautiful book that will draw attention whether you keep it in the kitchen or on the coffee table. The photography is of a high quality and the dishes presented are remarkable in terms of the skills behind them and their presentation. Given the time, skill, and ingredients, this is food that would impress at a dinner party. Ramsay’s words display his customary bluntness when discussing restaurant life in the first half of the book, but change to a more encouraging tone in the recipe section. Does this book, like the restaurant, stand alongside corresponding works by the likes of Thomas Keller, Heston Blumenthal, and Michel Bras? While the Ramsay book matches these others in terms of recipe content and production values, it falls short in that you never truly get a sense of what drives him, his food, and his restaurant. ]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5169_three-star-chef-gordon-ramsay-2007-uk/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/5527_the-modern-cafe-francisco-migoya-2010-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5527_the-modern-cafe-francisco-migoya-2010-us#comments Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:45:08 +0000 Gfron1 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5527 The Modern Café is an excellent guide and inspiration for culinary professionals and those aspiring to have a great café. Beautiful photographs and informative side boxes generously fill the pages. The knowledge is invaluable, the recipes are fresh and exciting, and the business acumen could move you from failed restaurant to the star of your community. ]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5527_the-modern-cafe-francisco-migoya-2010-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5200_adventures-with-chocolate-paul-a-young-2009-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5200_adventures-with-chocolate-paul-a-young-2009-uk#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 04:01:40 +0000 Helen Parkins http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5200 An exciting new book by a renowned and pioneering master chocolatier for anyone serious about their chocolate, filled with innovative and unusual recipes that will challenge, intrigue, and delight the tastebuds in equal measure. ]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5200_adventures-with-chocolate-paul-a-young-2009-uk/feed 1 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/5083_how-to-eat-nigella-lawson-1999-uk http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5083_how-to-eat-nigella-lawson-1999-uk#comments Sun, 17 Jan 2010 21:07:15 +0000 Daniel Chan http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5083 In the world of the celebrity chef, where books are churned out every year along with the television show and the newly endorsed kitchen products, it can be easy to forget that at some point there was a reason why these people became famous in the first place. Nigella Lawson is a case in point – the same flirtatious looks to the television camera, the coquettishness of her manner, and the double entendre laden words. The constant mining of a new angle – quick food, summer food, baking, this fashion, that trend – a battle to keep the personality fresh and the profits flowing. Lawson started her career in food as a columnist, and the quality of her work led to her writing a book. “How To Eat” was first published in 1998 and it became a bestseller. The two keys to its success were the high quality of Lawson’s writing and the common sense she offers about cooking. The first sign of a practical mind is the way she arranged this book. Chapters devoted to cooking for one or two, weekend lunches, and feeding babies and small children, shows someone who understands modern life. The recipes she provides use ingredients that are easy to find and use reasonably straightforward techniques. Ten years down the track and “How To Eat” is as joyful a read as ever. I suspect that in fifty years' time, people will still be reading it.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5083_how-to-eat-nigella-lawson-1999-uk/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5046_the-healthy-college-cookbook-alexandra-nimetz-2008-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5046_the-healthy-college-cookbook-alexandra-nimetz-2008-us#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 22:28:58 +0000 JudithM http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=5046 The Healthy College Cookbook is intended for American college students with no knowledge of cooking and perhaps little time. The 300 recipes range from simple healthy breakfast dishes to desserts, with a good range of savoury dishes between. The range of recipes feels modern (though maybe underseasoned) and the advice is very helpful, making this a useful and tasty book, though perhaps a little dry for some students. A good gift for many students or young people living alone.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/5046_the-healthy-college-cookbook-alexandra-nimetz-2008-us/feed 0 http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4997_warm-bread-and-honey-cake-gaitri-pagrach-chandra-2010-us http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4997_warm-bread-and-honey-cake-gaitri-pagrach-chandra-2010-us#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 06:05:49 +0000 Mark Manguerra http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/?p=4997 Food historian Gaitri Pagrach-Chandra takes us on a gastronomic journey to more than twenty countries with the recipes she's collected from her friends and artisan bakers around the world during her colorful life. For many of the recipes, she provides the history and shares the experience of tasting the authentic article. With plenty of beautiful photographs, the book will transport you out of the rut of your usual French and American breads and pastries and take you to less familiar locales.]]> http://www.thegastronomersbookshelf.com/4997_warm-bread-and-honey-cake-gaitri-pagrach-chandra-2010-us/feed 1