Vibrant India : Fresh Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn

Vibrant India is a fresh, new book from the folks at 10 Speed Press. Authored by Chitra Agrawal, the book represents an intriguing guide to Southern Indian cooking. With an interesting look into her family history, the book gives a glimpse of what day-to-day cooking entails. Best of all, the recipes that are included provide a mouth-watering escapade into vegetarian cooking. The book explains some simple principles of Indian dishes, as well as discussing the main ingredients to this style of cooking.

The recipes are fresh, clean, and packed with nutrition and flavor. They are simplistic yet harmonious, all while being perfectly accessible to most home cooks. The colors and flavor combinations are sure to excite your family. These dishes are wonderfully timed for the upcoming Summer months, when fresh, delicious produce is bountiful here in the States. I tried the "Spiced Spring Vegetable and Coconut Polenta" and it did not disappoint. Preparation couldn't have been more simple, with the dish coming together in less than 30 minutes. I'm looking forward to making the "Pineapple and Peppers in Red Coconut Curry" next. And for a cool, pool-side treat, why not try the "Chile Watermelon Juice with Lime and Mint Leaves"? The photos are stylish yet simple and packed with color, tempting the taste buds as you thumb through the pages.

Overall this is a wonderful book that I would recommend to anyone that is looking to add some variety to their weekly menu. It makes great use of readily available ingredients, most being found in your favorite supermarket. You too can make Indian entrees that are packed with flavor and ingenuity.

 

The Underground Culinary Tour

A new book by Damian Mogavero and Joseph D'agnese named "The Underground Culinary Tour" recently came across my desk. It promised to discuss the subject of metrics and how restaurant data mined from today's top restaurants is changing the playing field of what and how America dines. Analytics such as how many steaks a restaurant sells on weeknights versus weekends are nothing new. Most chefs or food and beverage directors worth their salt use these numbers as the basis for their weekly food orders. The author however has created a software package that translates these basic numbers as well as others that may be overlooked (such as how much soup you sell on a rainy day) into data that is real-time and informative.

The first half of this book reads like some of the texts I was assigned by professors in college. Specifically the texts that were written by the teachers themselves, and a forced purchase requisite of being in the class. While it does an adequate job of explaining the measurements used in restaurants, it is also a bit boring reading the author pat himself on the back repeatedly. He even goes so far as to insinuate that he was responsible for kale showing up on so many restaurant menus. Essentially as part of selling his software to big (often corporate-backed, ie $$$) restaurants, the author decided to start a "tour" of eating establishments that were quite popular with "foodies." The idea being that the CEO's and Food Network producer-types will get exposure to up-and-coming food trends and be able to cash in. These "foodies" ride around in a chartered bus from place to place sampling what the chefs have to offer. The tour is by invitation only (from the author) and he doesn't miss reminding the reader of this again and again. I found it very annoying. The term "foodie" is used throughout the book apparently as a way to show food knowledge, but in reality it is a distracting term that is not always appreciated.

Do you like food? Yes? Well what makes you less of a "foodie" than someone who also likes to eat? Sure you can take it to the next level and be passionate about, say, tacos, but the way the author speaks it's as though he and his friends are quite the food snobs. I should have known that one of the "chefs" profiled would be Guy Fieri. Given what the first half of the book covered, it made perfect sense to laud Fieri for an entire chapter and sing about what he has given to the food world. What many may not know, is that often Fieri is not using recipes in his restaurants that he developed. Fieri is just the name to lure people in to the establishment. Like when the Guy Fieri restaurant in Caesars Las Vegas' chef said "We have 5 months to put together a menu for Guy Fieri..." In essence it is the guy behind the Guy doing all the work (pun intended), maybe so the real Guy can focus on his game show hosting or jewelry line. No mention of the failed restaurants that Fieri has folded, one of them right here in Sacramento which closed without notice to any of the employees who showed up to work and found only a post-it note on the door informing them of their new-found unemployment.

At this point I had to put the book down without finishing. There is only so much I can take of pompous high-fiving that is self-serving to the author and his group of friends. I failed to see what makes any of this "underground", and the use of hipster-laden terminology is annoying and disingenuous. If you need a crash-course in basic restaurant workings or jargon, or you just want to hear about what a dozen people ate on a food tour, this book may have some use.

32 Yolks - From my mother's table to working the line

You may recognize Eric Ripert as a cooking show host, Anthony Bourdain's sidekick, or even as the celebrated french chef who operates the world-renown restaurant, Le Bernadin. He is a regular guest judge on Top Chef, hosts his own cooking show, Avec Eric, and his restaurant has maintained a 4-star rating from the New York Times for over two decades. He has won an Emmy and several James Beard awards. To be succinct, he is an amazing chef with unparalleled dedication to his craft. With this in mind, I have been chomping at the bit to get my hands on his new book, 32 yolks.

Much more than your typical book about a celebrity chef, this book delves in to the incredibly difficult world that Ripert experienced as a child and young adult. At the age of just 15 years, Eric left home to attend culinary school. By 17, he had moved to Paris and was preparing dishes for the 3-Michelin star restaurant, Jamin. The book conveys Ripert's undying love for his home country, while shedding some light on his troubled childhood.  It also does a splendid job of describing the inner-workings and hierarchical form of the restaurants where he worked.

I appreciated that this book was different from so many chef memoirs that seem to focus on alcohol-fueled chefs that throw dishes across the kitchen while trying to keep up with the pace and pressure that is inherent in top restaurants. Instead the reader is provided with thoughtful and genuine insights and experiences that have formed Ripert's brand and ultimately his continued success. You begin to feel as if you know Chef Ripert personally, almost as if you have been "in the weeds" with him on the line. 32 yolks is an excellent example of a chef's life-long journey to provide the world with something memorable and everlasting.

Far Afield - Rare food encounters from around the world

From the moment I picked this book up, I knew it was going to be a feast for the eyes first, and things to tempt the taste buds would be secondary. Amazing photography will immediately bathe you in contrasting textures and rich colors. This is a food-travel book that brings far-off adventures to your coffee table. A handful of recipes accompany each chapter, just enough to bring the essence home without confounding the reader with unobtainable ingredients.

From Kenya to Hawaii, Iceland to a refugee camp in Calais, France. this book is thoughtful, and current without being hipster about it. The travels cover the globe, and they depict food encounters that are genuine and without much staging. It's the kind of book that you enjoy reading a chapter, then ponder the author's experience while imagining the sights and smells in your head. The photography is striking, the travels are enviable, and the recipes are basically gilding the lilly. If you enjoy travel and you also like to eat while you travel, this book will satiate your needs.

Parlez vous en Francais?

Ahhh, who can resist the beautiful tranquility of the French countryside? Rolling hills with gently swaying birch trees, cobblestone pathways, and centuries-old farmhouses decorated with copper pots and pans that evoke feelings of a simpler life, centered around timeless recipes and cooking that didn't need pretentious ingredients or state-of-the-art preparations. French Country Cooking by Mimi Thorisson expertly brings this beauty and simplicity right to your kitchen.

The book begins by describing a hotel restaurant that began over 100 years ago in the small French village of Medoc. After thumbing through the first few pages, I found it hard not to have a bit of lifestyle envy. The photography is wonderful, and does a brilliant job of depicting the countryside coupled with delicious shots of traditional French fare. 

How can you not salivate when presented with recipes for such classics as Beignets with Apricot filling, French Onion soup, and Pot-Au-Feu. The directions are simple enough for "beginners" to attempt, and concise enough for the seasoned home cook or professional chef alike. I made the Gratin Dauphinois, which is a simple potato dish that is absolutely fantastic when done correctly. The subtle autumn spices of nutmeg and cloves marry so well with the creamy yet crispy, earthy potatoes. This is a dish that you can build an entire meal around. The book also includes decriptions of typical drinks such as before and after dinner apertifs. And timeless preparations such as Duck Confit will make you understand why confit has become an integral part of higher-end cooking today. There are a number of tantalizing desserts also await, with sumptuous examples such as Raspberry Souffle, Baked Pears with Chocolate, and Almond Ice Cream. 

I am sure French Country Cooking will be a prominent book in my library whenever I am in the urge to cork a big bottle of bordeaux and do some rustic, albeit refined cooking. It would also find itself suited perfectly for your coffee table. If you have visited France, or even just wondered what this style of cooking entails, French Country Cooking is a perfect choice to explore further. 

There's always room for mushrooms.

October has arrived and the hot weather is waning. The falling leaves are tinted in warm hues of yellow, orange, and red. I know it won't be long until the excitement of the new cookbook season grabs a hold of me. It is very entertaining to see what new books will be hitting the shelves in time for the busy holiday season. To start off the fun I chose the new book from the guys over at 10 Speed Press. I already own a number of their publications, and I have always been happy with each book's layout and the in-depth content, so you pretty much cannot go wrong with their books. The title of this latest entry is Mushrooms of the Redwood Coast.

Almost 600 pages dedicated to the wonderful albeit complicated taxonomy of Coastal Northern California and Oregon wild mushrooms. Over 750 species are described, from the common varieties to more rarer finds. The book is filled with clear and colorful photographs of each mushroom, the book is an instant must-have for anyone looking to brave the elements for wild mushrooms. Each fungi has information about color, smell, texture for identification purposes, as well as edibility notes. If you plan to eat mushrooms you have found in the wild, it is paramount to make sure that the mushroom is indeed safe to consume. For this reason alone, this book is indispensable. It does not read like a typical cookbook, and in fact contains no recipes. It is more of a concentrated focus on location and identification in the most thorough manner.

I have always fantasized about visiting a forest that had endured a wildfire in the previous year, as they say this is when you will find an abundance of wild morel mushrooms. I have yet to pull the trigger on such an excursion, because I did not have an accurate guidebook. Now, with this text in hand, I feel much more confident that I could identify edible varieties and steer clear of the poisonous types. It includes tips on locating mushrooms with descriptions of specific habitats, and presents the material in a user-friendly guide. Sure, this book will not exactly have mass-appeal, however if you are looking to forage in the forest this is the book for you.

The Elements of Pizza

The Elements of Pizza by Ken Forkish is a new publication from Ten Speed Press out of Berkeley, California. This book is a interesting read, providing a little bit of crusty history layered with saucy stories, cheese-laden photographs, and top-notch recipes. I really enjoyed the way the author provided a handful of notably different pizza dough recipes, as it all starts with the crust. Everything from traditional  Margherita and lightly-topped, thin crusted Napoli pizzas, to deep-dish, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink pies.

I experimented with three of the different dough types and every one of them turned out restaurant-quality pizzas for my family. Sure, it takes some time. I found that the best dough is kneaded then allowed to ferment in the fridge for 72 hours before stretching and topping. If you plan ahead, you will reap some serious homemade pizza rewards. Don't fret though, if you just have a fever and the only cure is pizza, there are a few recipes that use dough made the same day. It can also save you a bunch of - wait for it - dough, since you won't be paying $20+ for something that uses about $4 in ingredients. There are also a number of recipes for topping combinations that are sure to delight.

Glorious photographs await inside this book. Some evoking warm memories of family pizza night at the brick-oven joint in town. While others showcase the beauty of typical pizza ingredients, as well as some off the beaten path choices. All in all a fantastic, excellently executed book that succeeds where countless others have failed.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.