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Week of Tuesday, November 7, 2023

Welcome to the Cookbook Gifts Issue! There's something for every appetite, whether it's Nik Sharma's Veg-Table for vegetarians (and vegetable-lovers in general); Not That Fancy, Reba McEntire's combination approach to living, dining and relaxing with loved ones (and music--check out the playlists!); traditional Chinese cooking with a touch of Paris in Bao Family Cookbook from Céline Chung; even guides to kick off the mornings (But First, Coffee) and to kick back in the evenings (Signature Cocktails).

And don't miss The Writer's Life with Lidia Bastianich, who discusses why now is the time to reveal her favorite family recipes in Lidia's from Our Family Table to Yours (reviewed in this issue); plus a roundup of some stellar kids' cookbooks for gift-giving.

--Jennifer M. Brown, senior editor, Shelf Awareness

Gifts for Cooks

Food & Wine

Big Heart Little Stove: Bringing Home Meals & Moments from The Lost Kitchen

by Erin French

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Erin French (Finding Freedom) is the owner and chef of The Lost Kitchen, a 40-seat Maine restaurant recognized internationally for its creativity. French loves to showcase Maine's natural bounty in her dishes, and specializes in using local ingredients. She brings together a beautiful collection of stories, recipes, and dinner-party tips in Big Heart Little Stove: Bringing Home Meals & Moments from The Lost Kitchen.

The cookbook, featuring simple ways to make meals feel special, includes such gems as Roasted Allium Dip, a nod to the Lipton classic; seafood standouts such asHalibut Crudo with Violet Vinegarand a Skillet of Scallops; and spectacular sweets like Salted Caramel Custards. Any home chefs looking to host a joyful, delicious dinner party need look no further than the lovely Big Heart Little Stove. --Jessica Howard, freelance book reviewer

Celadon, $38, hardcover, 304p., 9781250832313

Snoop Dogg Presents Goon with the Spoon

by Snoop Dogg and Earl "E-40" Stevens

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Following From Crook to Cook: Platinum Recipes from Tha Boss Dogg's Kitchen, rapper Snoop Dogg pays homage to Earl "E-40" Stevens, his "big homie" who "paved the way" for Snoop on the West Coast. "Watching him expand his love for food and cooking over the years," Snoop writes, is "why Snoop Dogg Presents Goon with the Spoon had to be the next cookbook, ya dig?" Witty, personal intros accompany each of the 65-plus accessible recipes, including fruity Mimosas 3 Ways, with "a little kick in the mix"; Cognac Mashed Potatoes; and Roasted Karats. Vivid, eye-popping, and mouth-watering photographs by Antonis Achilleos include full-spread close-ups, like the duo's "decadent" Fried Chicken and French Toast Sandwiches, which are "hella fun to make." --Cheryl McKeon, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, Albany, N.Y.

Chronicle, $24.95, hardcover, 192p., 9781797213712

Lidia's from Our Family Table to Yours

by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali

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Lidia's from Our Family Table to Yours is the mouthwatering 16th cookbook from chef and PBS personality Lidia Matticchio Bastianich (My American Dream). Written with Tanya Bastianich Manuali (Healthy Pasta, with Joseph Bastianich), it is a warmhearted tour through the recipes that have sustained Bastianich's family over the years. Alongside personal photos and anecdotes about her mother, her children and grandchildren, and other relatives, Bastianich shares the dishes they love. Readers will learn to make her mother's favorite Eggplant Rollatini; the Spicy Crispy Roasted Cauliflower her grandchildren adore; and plenty of traditional pasta dishes. Bastianich includes notes about the recipes' regional origins, the fresh ingredients she swears by, and which members of her family are partial to lobster, eggplant, or rabbit. Accessible and straightforward, and studded with helpful hints, Lidia's family cookbook will be a welcome addition to any Italian (or Italian food-loving) kitchen. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams

Knopf, $35, hardcover, 240p., 9780525657422

Seafood Simple

by Eric Ripert

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The strikingly simple yet beautiful photographs in Eric Ripart's Seafood Simple underscore the book's title: well-prepared seafood doesn't have to be complicated. The three-Michelin-stars chef of Le Bernardin and frequent Top Chef judge shares 85 easy-to-follow recipes that will appeal to novice and expert cooks alike. Ripert (Vegetable Simple), the author of many cookbooks and a memoir, reinforces his philosophy that "cooking seafood can be a fun adventure" with 20 detailed, step-by-step techniques photographed by Nigel Parry sprinkled throughout the volume. No need to shy away from poaching, deep-frying, filleting a round or flat fish, or shucking an oyster with Ripert's expert guidance. Recipes that will have cooks visiting their seafood mongers include Brioche-Crusted Red Snapper, Sea Bass with Charred Lemon Vinaigrette, and Merluza (cod or hake can be substituted) with Curry Oil and Yellow Cauliflower. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer

Random House, $35, hardcover, 304p., 9780593449523

The Ranch Table: Recipes from a Year of Harvests, Celebrations, and Family Dinners on a Historic California Ranch

by Elizabeth Poett and Georgia Freedman

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Elizabeth Poett, star of Ranch to Table, shares hearty, celebratory recipes from her family's California cattle ranch in her exquisite, inviting cookbook The Ranch Table.

Poett offers up meat-centered options, like robust Ranchers' Beef Chili; lighter fare, such as citrus-kissed Grilled Fish and Jalapeño Tacos; and tempting sweets, like gooey Fudgy Caramel Brownies. Menus support annual occasions: a large spread for branding day, a quick steak-and-potatoes dinner for a school night. A poetic, intimate essay about life on the ranch opens each section. Gorgeously styled photos accompany each recipe; picturesque shots of Poett and her family in the honey-gold California sunlight are interspersed.

The Ranch Table offers delicious home cooking wrapped up in a romantic view of one family's way of life. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads

William Morrow Cookbooks, $40, hardcover, 320p., 9780063257900

Veg-table: Recipes, Techniques, and Plant Science for Big-Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals

by Nik Sharma

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Award-winning food blogger Nik Sharma (The Flavor Equation) was raised in India, trained as a scientist in the United States, and spends "as much time gardening as I do cooking." His multicultural mindset, geeky background, and produce expertise inform Veg-table, a 100-odd-recipe collection suitable for vegetarians and carnivores alike. (A few recipes call for meat. Vegetarian recipes often include plant-based dairy alternatives for vegans.) Recipes are bundled into chapters by vegetable or vegetable family, and tend toward comfort offerings (delectable Roasted Garlic + Chickpea Soup, ambrosial Eggplant in Tomato Curry) and seriously hunger-slaking fare (hearty Cauliflower Bolognese, momentous Lentil Lasagna). The mouthwatering color photos--of vegetables in their natural glory, of the finished dishes they create--were taken by the multitalented Sharma himself. --Nell Beram, author and freelance writer

Chronicle, $35, hardcover, 352p., 9781797216317

The Salmon Sisters: Harvest & Heritage: Seasonal Recipes and Traditions that Celebrate the Alaskan Spirit

by Emma Teal Laukitis and Claire Neaton

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The Salmon Sisters: Harvest & Heritage: Seasonal Recipes and Traditions that Celebrate the Alaskan Spirit by Emma Teal Laukitis and Claire Neaton, soaring beyond its cookbook designation, highlights stories of women living and eating well amid the natural abundance bestowed upon the state of Alaska. Featuring 60 fresh, hearty dishes that are simple to prepare, the Salmon Sisters celebrate fall with Smoked Salmon-Chive Buttermilk Biscuits while a bountiful Fish Pie with Lemon-Dill Cream Sauce welcomes winter.

No matter how far from Alaska one resides, the Salmon Sisters offer readers a multisensory connection to their wild and wonderful home. Those who enjoy learning about the traditions and history of recipes will find much to admire in the stunning full-color photography by Dawn Heumann and the moving personal narratives accentuated in this beautifully illustrated volume. --Shahina Piyarali, reviewer

Sasquatch Books, $35, hardcover, 272p., 9781632174338

The Pioneer Woman Cooks--Dinner's Ready!: 112 Fast and Fabulous Meals for Slightly Impatient Home Cooks

by Ree Drummond

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In The Pioneer Woman Cooks--Dinner's Ready!, Ree Drummond (Frontier Follies) offers 112 easy-to-prepare, flavorful dinner ideas for "slightly impatient" home cooks. As is typical of Drummond's work since she started blogging in 2006, the cookbook weaves stories (and photos) of her family across chapters of themed recipes, including "Mostly Meatless" meals (meat eaters, don't worry: there are also chapters on chicken and steak dishes, specifically), "Spiffy Sides" (such as Hominy Casserole), and "Pasta for President!" Step-by-step photographs that accompany each instruction in these simple recipes, along with full-color photos of finished dishes, make this volume easy to follow, and entertaining from start to finish, much like Drummond's original blog, The Pioneer Woman. Long-time fans of her blog, as well as newcomers seeking fast, easy, and decadent dinner ideas, will delight in every bit of this addition to Drummond's cookbook series. --Kerry McHugh, freelance writer

William Morrow Cookbooks, $32.50, hardcover, 384p., 9780062962843

Noon: Simple Recipes for Scrumptious Midday Meals and More

by Meike Peters

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James Beard Award-winner Meike Peters (Eat in My Kitchen) is a trusted source for beautiful and accessible meals. In Noon, she focuses on the often-underappreciated midday meal. And why shouldn't lunch get star treatment? Whether you have access to a full kitchen or need meals that travel and reheat well, these elevated sandwiches, salads, and more will be sure to satisfy.

Peters combines a bold and creative palate with a keen artistry behind the camera to offer a lovely collection of 115 recipes, each more impressive than the last. With thin matte pages, Noon is a pleasing book in hand, and offerings like Roasted Eggplant and Bacon Sandwich with Butter Bean-Basil Pesto will transport readers before they ever start to cook. --Sara Beth West, freelance reviewer and librarian

Chronicle, $29.95, hardcover, 272p., 9781797222806

Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots

by Reba McEntire

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Part memoir, part cookbook, Not That Fancy presents down-to-earth, inspirational stories of the people, places, and experiences that have left an indelible mark on musician Reba McEntire (Reba: My Story). Filled with personal photographs and Southwestern vernacular, and introduced by Garth Brooks, McEntire's book regales readers with profound, fun anecdotes about her Oklahoma roots, friends, and family; her reliance on God and faith; and tips on such things as fashion, decorating, party playlists, and finding love. Woven throughout are more than 60 simple, comforting recipes that include Rex's Pecan-Smoked Beer-Can Chicken Tacos; Memphis-Style Barbecue Bologna Sandwich; a Redhead "Rita" (margarita); and Mama's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, made in a cast-iron skillet. McEntire fans will lap up every page of this intimately delicious, behind-the-scenes look at a living legend of country music. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines

Harper Celebrate, $34.99, hardcover, 288p., 9781400238255

Just Eat: More Than 100 Easy and Delicious Recipes that Taste Just Like Home

by Jessie James Decker

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Country singer Jessie James Decker's Greek, Italian, and Louisiana roots inspire Just Eat, a cookbook that contains more than 100 recipes ranging from kid-friendly chicken tenders to beignets. Interspersed throughout are pictures of Decker (Just Feed Me) and her family at home. There are recipes for all diets and tastes in this well-rounded volume. Particularly interesting is Decker's twist on the classic snack mix: Goldfish crackers, hot sauce, and Cajun seasoning? Yum! The brownie recipe packs in a full 12 ounces of chocolate and produces a fudgy treat that rivals the best bakery brownies. They are so rich that a pan will serve a crowd (or a pair of chocolate devotees). This party-ready cookbook also presents cocktail recipes, a collection of appetizers, and four ideas for cheese boards. --Alyssa Parssinen, freelance reviewer and former bookseller

Dey Street, $32.50, hardcover, 304p., 9780063210608

Maman & Me: Recipes from Our Iranian American Family

by Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh

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Mother-daughter duo chef Gita Sadeh and journalist Roya Shariat invitingly adapt their popular TikTok videos onto the page in the irresistibly toothsome, culturally nourishing Maman & Me, "celebrating the beautiful nuances of Iranian American cuisine." What makes this both Iranian and American, Shariat explains, is their "lived experience--me growing up in this country, and Maman moving [here] at the very age I am while writing this book." Shariat first provides proactive pantry tips, then shares Maman's delightful nearly 80 recipes--paired with salivating-inducing photographs by Farrah Skeiky--for breakfast (such as Sweet or Savory Labneh Toast); Mazzeh (snacks and sides), mains that include beef, seafood, and vegetarian; drinks; desserts (Rosewater and Cardamom Pudding!); and more. An entire section is devoted to the glorious rice creations of Sadeh, the "CEO of tahdig." Shariat writes: "Our food is meant to be shared with the people you love." So, too, is their marvelous cookbook. --Terry Hong

Princeton Architectural Press, $35, hardcover, 208p., 9781797223643

Gatherings: Casual-Fancy Meals to Share

by America's Test Kitchen

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Over the years, dinner parties have become less formal, and hosts are pretty much free to make their own rules. This generational shift is the driving ethos behind Gatherings: Casual-Fancy Meals to Share, the user-friendly cookbook from America's Test Kitchen (Spiced). This book's 140 internationally inspired recipes provide step-by-step outlines for each chef's ideal dinner party, including appetizers, sides, main courses, drinks, and desserts. There's something here for every taste: a Viet-Cajun Shrimp Boil; a Midwestern family feast with Vintage Triple-Layer "Christmas" Jello; Grill-Smoked Pork Butt; and "Nachos!"; complete with Candied Bacon S'mores for dessert. Accompanied by crisp, vibrant close-up images of each item, these helpful recipes take the stress and guesswork out of planning a gathering. Even inexperienced cooks will find inspiration--and maybe even enough confidence to send those invitations. --Angela Lutz, freelance reviewer

America's Test Kitchen, $35, hardcover, 320p., 9781954210141

Bao Family Cookbook: Recipes from the Eight Culinary Regions of China

by Céline Chung, photos by Grégoire Kalt

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Home cooks who yearn to make authentic Chinese dishes will find culinary delight in the Bao Family Cookbook: Recipes from the Eight Culinary Regions of China. Paris-based author Céline Chung shares more than 80 recipes that straddle flavors from Chung's Shanghai roots and her Paris upbringing, with the majority falling in the Bao & Dim Sum and Mains categories (Mains are thoughtfully separated into protein and vegetarian dishes). For the uninitiated, Chung and her team provide a list of utensils and sauces that prove helpful for many dishes. Clever bookbinding allows for easy reference as the pages lie flat, and the matte paper and black-and-white recipes evoke printer paper. Placed between the list of ingredients and instructions on each recipe is an index card-sized white space, ideal for adding notes. That's not to say there isn't plenty of color: opposite each primarily single-page recipe is a bright, hunger-inducing plated example of the dish being presented (beautifully photographed by Grégoire Kalt). --Nina Semczuk, writer, editor, and illustrator

Interlink, $35, hardcover, 272p., 9781623717421

The Korean Cookbook

by Junghyun Park and Jungyoon Choi

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The Korean Cookbook is not just a comprehensive recipe collection but also an inviting introduction to hansik (Korean cuisine). Junghyun Park, a New York City restaurateur, and Jungyoon Choi, a research chef, trace the history of Korean food culture from Neolithic agriculture to the present. They depict a "multifaceted"--and naturally 70% plant-based--cuisine that embraces both home cooking and street food. Each recipe includes context and helpful tips alongside clear instructions. Clean images of single-plated dishes appear every few pages. The cookbook covers soy sauces, kimchi, rice dishes, lettuce wraps, broths, dumplings, porridge, and sweets served with tea. Banchan (side dishes), some fresh and others fermented, are served family-style, the authors explain. Blanched chrysanthemum greens and Korean fried chicken are just two of the appealing dishes from this encyclopedic gem. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader and blogger at Bookish Beck

Phaidon Press, $54.95, hardcover, 496p., 9781838667542

Eat Smarter Family Cookbook: 100 Delicious Recipes to Transform Your Health, Happiness & Connection

by Shawn Stevenson

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Author Shawn Stevenson (Eat Smarter) and host of the podcast The Model Health Show wants readers to know that "[p]oor diet is responsible for more deaths than any other issue in the world." Breaking his hip at a young age due to low bone density inspired a path of transformation that saved his life. All he had to do was change his eating habits and look beyond food corporations' deceptive marketing practices. Eat Smarter Family Cookbook contains 100 tasty meals that are simply healthier. Readers can dig into savory breakfast dishes, such as the Southwest Chorizo Scramble, and be tempted by a Kimchi Cauliflower Bowl for lunch and Buffalo Chicken Tacos for dinner--not to mention the Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce for dessert. Stevenson wants to help humans live longer and better by showing how easy it is to eat healthy and delicious meals. --Paul Dinh-McCrillis, freelance reviewer

Little, Brown Spark, $35, hardcover, 304p., 9780316456463

Basics with Babish: Recipes for Screwing Up, Trying Again, and Hitting It Out of the Park

by Andrew Rea

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Andrew Rea (Eat What You Watch)--creator of the Babish Culinary Universe on YouTube--presents Basics with Babish: Recipes for Screwing Up, Trying Again, and Hitting It Out of the Park, his third cookbook and a charming and eminently usable kitchen guide.

Rea shares his firm belief in becoming a better cook by making--and being willing to talk about--mistakes. His standard sections for bread, pizza, vegetables, etc. diverge from the mold in three key ways: each recipe starts with brief context and an explanation of his own experience, the mistakes he made while preparing it, and preemptive troubleshooting for home cooks. With step-by-step photos by Evan Sung, and sections that include kitchen terms, spices, and tools, there's more than enough here to make home cooks fall in love with Babish and--perhaps even better--help those you feed fall in love with him, too. --Kristen Coates, editor and freelance reviewer

Simon Element, $40, hardcover, 464p., 9781982167530

The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food

by Andrew Friedman

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In The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food, acclaimed food writer Andrew Friedman (Knives at Dawn) takes foodies on a journey from slaughterhouse to kitchen to the menu of the now-closed Chicago fine-dining restaurant Wherewithall to chronicle how food systems and people interact to produce one beautiful dish of food.

At the center of The Dish is a simple question: How does it all fit together? With compassion and reverence, Friedman expertly weaves the stories of those whose work, both inside and outside of the restaurant, harmoniously coalesces to create a single plate of food. His profiles of Wherewithall workers, including the host, the dishwasher, and the chefs, showcase what makes them tick, and how their lived experiences and talent contribute to the well-oiled machine that is a fine dining restaurant. The Dish goes beyond the menu to give readers a peek at the collaboration that is the heartbeat of what we eat. --Sydney Tillman, freelance publicist  

Mariner, $29.99, hardcover, 288p., 9780063135970

But First, Coffee: A Guide to Brewing from the Kitchen to the Bar

by Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen

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In a nation steeped in coffee culture, sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start when it comes to brewing at home. It's easy to go out and get a $6 latte every day at the newest and trendiest coffee shop. But First, Coffee is a love letter to the drink, and to the robust ways it can be experienced, tasted, and enjoyed.

"Brewing coffee for yourself and those you love is one of life's great pleasures, a sensory symphony of flavors," write Jordan Michelman, a James Beard Award-winning journalist, and Zachary Carlsen, a barista turned journalist. With clear instructions and striking photography (including a close-up photo array of results from different grinding approaches), the volume guides readers through a multitude of methods for experiencing their next favorite cup. Whether it's Chemex or espresso shots, pour-over or full-immersion, the authors take their cups seriously but adventurously, and are a constant source of knowledge and inspiration. This is a perfect gift for every coffee lover. --Dominic Howarth, book manager at Book + Bottle

Union Square & Co., $20, hardcover, 192p., 9781454947691

Signature Cocktails

by Amanda Schuster

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Signature Cocktails invites readers to pull up a seat at the bar and partake in the intoxicating history of a series of world-class bespoke cocktails. To attain the title stature of "signature," says author Amanda Schuster (New York Cocktails; Drink Like a Local: New York), a drink must "[express] the nature of the time, person, venue, city, or country for which it was created."

Arranged in chronological order, this generous volume provides a varied assortment of 200 beautifully photographed handcrafted libations and their respective origins and recipes. Schuster has assembled her roster of drinks from around the globe: Thailand ("Siam Sunray," a vodka highball), Indonesia (the nonalcoholic "Pletok"), Colombia, and Atlanta, Ga., as well as the better-known cocktail capitals of New York and London.

The journey starts with "Atholl Brose," a New Year's Eve drink that dates back to 1475 and features unpeated Highland single malt Scotch, and concludes 398 mouth-watering pages later with the "Phaidon 100," a drink created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publisher, a gin-based herbaceous marvel; its elegant simplicity in the photograph belies its extensive ingredient list.

This is an outstanding, elegant, and inspirational guide for even the most seasoned of mixologists. --Elizabeth DeNoma, executive editor, DeNoma Literary Services, Seattle, Wash.

Phaidon Press, $39.95, hardcover, 432p., 9781838667559

More Cookbook Gifts!

The Writer's Life

Lidia Bastianich: Bringing the Recipes Back Home

(photo: Diana Delucia)

Lidia Bastianich is an Emmy Award-winning public television host, a bestselling cookbook author, longtime restaurateur, and owner of a flourishing food and entertainment business. Lidia's: From Our Family Table to Yours (Knopf, $35), a tour through her family's favorite recipes, is her 16th cookbook.

Tell us about this book. How does it fit into your body of work? Where do the recipes come from?

This is my 16th cookbook. I've been on TV, on PBS, for 25 years, and in the restaurant business for 50 years. The audience wants the recipes, but they also always want to know more about my family. In this book, I tried to answer most of the questions about "what do your family members like?"

The book is also a tribute to my mother, Erminia, who passed away about two years ago. She was on TV with me; she was in my kitchen, she lived with me and raised my children with me. Inevitably, we would cook and the kids would get involved. It was like Play-Doh, but it was real dough. The recipes in this book are the ones that we have cooked through the years, and that we cook presently.

Do your children and grandchildren like to cook?

They all do like to cook! Some of them are better at it than others. I get these calls from college, from their first apartments in the city--"Grandma, people are coming over. This is what I have in the pantry. What should I make?" It's always a call to Grandma--even though they have my books. There's also a delivery service I run for those [kids and grandkids] here in New York City! I have my soups I make, and I make extra for them. They can come over and pick them up.

I always tell them what I tell everyone: get in the kitchen and cook a good meal. It doesn't have to be a four-course, elaborate meal. A plate of baked lasagne will be so satisfying to your friends or your roommates or family, and it doesn't have to be complicated.

These are all family recipes, but do you have any particular favorites?

Grandma's Chicken and Potatoes! That recipe is trans-generational. My mother had chickens in the coop, potatoes in the garden, the bay leaf bush and the rosemary bush near the house. It started with my grandmother, who also had all the ingredients close by. That's one I really like.

The Mussel Bruschetta is very popular as well. It could be mussels, it could be clams. You cook them and you make the sauce and you grill your bread and put them in the sauce. They make a great appetizer. The Eggplant Rollatini was my mother's favorite. Sometimes people are afraid of eggplant, but you grill the slices and you make the filling with ricotta. Easy. You have it with a little bit of marinara sauce; I tell you how to make marinara sauce in the recipes. I also like filet of sole in lemon sauce--this is an old recipe. Simple, traditional, straightforward--you got yourself a great dish.

One of our other favorites is goulash. The area [of Italy] that I come from, Istria, is on the border. Now it's part of Croatia, and it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, way back when. Goulash is a great way to use the secondary cuts of meat. You can use the legs, the shoulder, whatever. It's like stew, but it has that northeastern Italian flavor. And let's not forget soups! I love soups. I make a big pot, and they will last for several meals. I love the corn and bean soup in this book. Like a pasta e fagioli, but instead of the pasta you have fresh sweet corn. 

Are there any recipes that would surprise readers to find in this book?

Rabbit in tomato sauce with peppers! We had rabbits when I grew up. Rabbits, ecologically, are an ideal source of protein. They don't need all that much to grow. We had the chicken coop, we had the ducks, rabbits, and goats. I used to feed the rabbits, gathering the young grass to feed them. They reproduce very quickly and they are nutritious.

Vegetables! I love veggies, so they'll see a lot of vegetables, and that's the Italian way. They are also economically sound: braised cabbage, rosemary chickpeas, fennel, roasted onion. The roasted spaghetti squash is interesting; I turned it almost into pasta! You scrape it out with a fork, and it looks like spaghetti.

There are also a few surprising desserts, like Kaiserschmarrn--kind of a pancake topped with jam. You get them at these little chalets, called baite, when you go skiing in the Dolomites. There's also semifreddo: you whip some heavy cream with egg whites and sugar, and it's a very light rendition of a frozen dessert. I also love fruit that is roasted, grilled, poached--we love to have our fruit over dessert.

Tell us about the process of putting this book together. Did it bring up memories?

Food is culture. Food tells a story. I have to put it in the context of me and my family, and people out there know us by now. What I hope to do is bring our family and our flavors into their homes. I don't know if they'll ever get to my restaurant, but they can get some of my flavors, some of my philosophy, into their homes. People send me e-mails saying they made my dishes, and "it's like having Lidia here with us." They send me pictures and all. And it is. I can enter into someone's home with my flavors.

I'm not an inventive chef. These are the recipes and the flavors of the Italian tradition. My other books take the viewer and the cook all over Italy, but these are my home recipes. I also want to emphasize that it's not hard to get a good meal going, a nutritious meal. Italian cuisine is about that. I focus on the quality of the products and the simplicity of them. I want people to get in the kitchen--and to know that they can do it! --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams

Book Candy

Book Candy

Gastro Obscura featured Kushajim, the 10th-century polymath, poet, and master chef who wrote food poetry

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David Foster Wallace's famous commencement speech, 'This Is Water,' gets animated on a whiteboard." (via Open Culture)

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"You can now own a perfect replica of Shakespeare's First Folio," Fast Company noted.

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Mental Floss featured Kay Powell, "America's greatest obituary writer."

Great Reads

Cookbooks for Kids and Teens

Joyfully, cookbooks aren't only for adults. These compelling books about food for kids and teens take varying approaches to food: straightforward cookbooks (Cooking with My Dad, the Chef); books of myth with (The Story of Pasta) and without (Chinese Menu) recipes; and fun stories about food with some recipes included (Do Not Eat This Book! and This Is Not a Cookbook). Cheers and gānbēi!

Cooking with My Dad, the Chef: 70+ Kid-Tested, Kid-Approved (and Gluten-Free!) Recipes for Young Chefs! by Verveine Oringer and Ken Oringer (America's Test Kitchen Kids, $22.99, ages 10-up)
Allergen-friendly cooking is delightful rather than daunting in James Beard Award-winning chef Ken Oringer's first cookbook, co-written with daughter Verveine. Oringer has faced many challenges throughout his esteemed culinary career, yet one curve ball for which he was unprepared was Verveine being diagnosed with celiac disease. Over the last few years, father and daughter learned a few new tricks in the kitchen, and created more than 70 gluten-free meals and desserts--like Mochi Waffles, "Food Court" Chicken, and Boba Drinks--that kids can not only enjoy, but also take an active role in preparing. The difficulty level of each recipe is noted above the title, and the cookbook is likely to pique the interest of children without food allergies thanks to the abundance of full-color photos and illustrated comic strips. --Rachel Werner

The Story of Pasta and How to Cook It! by Steven Guarnaccia, with recipes by Heather Thomas (Phaidon Press, $29.95, ages 7-12)
Who knew the story of pasta could be so hilarious? In this big, handsome book, renowned illustrator and designer Steven Guarnaccia (The Museum of Nothing) shares the legends behind "one of the most widely eaten foods in the world." Each chapter introduces a pasta shape along with a silly story about, say, angels getting haircuts while capelli d'angelo pasta gatherers catch the falling strands. Then comes the real history, or at least the legend, illustrated with cartoony characters in strongly saturated colors and satisfying patterns. The page turn reveals a scrumptious recipe by prolific health and cookery writer Heather Thomas (The Avocado Cookbook), accompanied by a magazine-worthy photo of the completed dish. The recipes are designed for kids, but most will require substantial adult supervision. Hard to say who will love this book more, kids or adults! --Emilie Coulter

Do Not Eat This Book!: Fun with Jewish Foods & Festivals by Beth Kander, illus. by Mike Moran (Sleeping Bear Press, $18.99, ages 4-8)
Throughout the year "we give thanks/ for the things that make life sweet" and food as a point of Jewish celebratory connection is the focus of this boisterous, instructive title. In loose chronological order, several families enjoy dishes associated with six major Jewish observations, five holidays plus the recurring Shabbat. Vivid and cartoonish illustrations by Mike Moran (Theo TheSaurus and the Perfect Pet) pair well with debut picture book author Beth Kander's energetic rhyming stanzas to highlight festivities and their related special dishes; variations on a chipper refrain--"but please remember, bubbeleh: DO NOT EAT THIS BOOK!"--encourage participatory read-alouds. And the story is only half the fun! The book also includes recipes for modern interpretations of snacks corresponding with each traditional celebration, such as a "charcuter-tree" for Tu B'Shevat and Shabbat Shakshuka. A culturally attuned sweet treat for young chefs! --Kit Ballenger

This Is Not a Cookbook: A Chef's Creative Process from Imagination to Creation by Flynn McGarry, illus. by Adil Dara (Delacorte Press, $19.99 ages 8-12)
Professional chef Flynn McGarry includes recipes in his inspiring debut, but the primary focus of the colorfully illustrated work is to advise readers on how to use their own unique perspective to follow their passions, thus finding both success and joy in the process. McGarry uses his own journey from 10-year-old cooking phenom to New York City restaurant owner to demonstrate how his experience parallels any creative endeavor. The chef counsels that "reflecting, refining, and allowing your opinions to change is how you continue to create endless possibilities," whether cooking or following another creative pursuit. Adil Dara's illustrations mimic the naïve style of a young person's crayon drawings, accentuating the pretension-free mood of McGarry's writing and approach to food. This not-quite-a-cookbook is a must for any budding visionary. --Jen Forbus, freelancer

Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods by Grace Lin (Little, Brown, $24.99, ages 8-12)
"The menu at your Chinese restaurant is the table of contents for a feast of stories," Grace Lin promises. She reveals the "real legends, real myths, and real histories" of ubiquitously familiar Chinese foods: rice (thank your pups!); wonton soup (a symbol of "the creation of the world"), tofu (soymilk was a prince's gift to his mother). Lin also highlights the fortune cookie's United States origins, and the possible Chinese invention of the fork--though chopsticks were preferred to "promote harmony and order" over the weapon-like, uncivilized knife and fork. "Every Chinese dish served in an American restaurant has been adapted and changed," Lin states, noting that "above anything, this food is the flavor of America." Lin's signature whimsical illustrations ensure a veritable feast. --Terry Hong

ETERNAL NIGHT DESCENDS ON THE AVENGERS!

It's an event like no other! As the skies grow dark, an army of vampires stalks the land by day. Now, Marvel's greatest heroes must assemble to hold back an eternal night that threatens to consume the entire world in a wave of scarlet and chaos. Who will bite it?

Written by Jed MacKay (Avengers, X-Men, Moon Knight) and drawn by Pepe Larraz (House of X, X-Men), BLOOD HUNT sees the Marvel Universe bathed in eternal darkness--and vampires, united for the first time in millennia, begin a savage reign!

The thrilling graphic novel sees the Avengers, Moon Knight and his Midnight Mission, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and more tackle this deadly threat on multiple fronts. And things take a wild turn when the orchestrator turns out to be the iconic vampire hunter--BLADE!

Featuring new vampire villains known as the Blood Coven, a breakout role for Blade's daughter Bloodline, and a startling status quo shift, BLOOD HUNT was the hottest--and scariest--comic book saga of the summer…and its graphic novel edition is poised to be a hit this spooky season.

"A dark and gritty event that promises to have lasting consequences."
--The Comicbook Dispatch

"MacKay gets what makes these characters tick."
--Comic Watch

"Larraz delivers some beautifully detailed and visually stunning art."
--The Super Powered Fancast

Find out WHO WILL BITE IT when BLOOD HUNT releases wherever books are sold this October.

Marvel Universe: Blood Hunt by Jed MacKay, illustrated by Pepe Larraz and Sara Pichelli

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Read what writers are saying about their upcoming titles

Brodie (An Until Her Novella)

by Aurora Rose Reynolds

Dear Reader,

As an author, it's sometimes difficult to write the demise of a couple especially since I'm in the business of giving out happily ever afters. In Until Willow, I watched Brodie lose the woman he loved due to his own negligence, and even though I knew he messed up, I truly believed that he wasn't a bad guy and that he deserved to find love again. And he didn’t make the same mistakes when falling in love with Reese.

Aurora Rose Reynolds

1001darknights.com/authors/collection-eleven/aurora-rose-reynolds-brodie
aurorarosereynolds.com

Available on Kobo

AuthorBuzz: 1001 Dark Nights Press: Brodie (An Until Her Novella) by Aurora Rose Reynolds

Publisher: 
1001 Dark Nights Press

Pub Date: 
July 9, 2024

ISBN:
9798885420662

List Price: 
$2.99 e-book

Read what writers are saying about their upcoming titles

The Challenger (Phantom Stallion #6)

by Terri Farley

Dear Reader,

Filmmaker and friend Ashley Avis says, "Storytelling carries great power in educating people about what is really happening in our natural world." I totally agree! Storytelling and STEM are natural companions.

On the cover of THE CHALLENGER, you'll see a crouched cougar and a young stallion in danger. The scene is rooted in truth. Because I love wild horses, it's not always easy to love their predators. But I do.

In THE CHALLENGER, ranch girl Samantha Forster is torn between wanting to protect both the wild horses she loves and the orphaned cougar stalking them.

My books are fact-based. Samantha's encounter with a fictional cougar grew from talking with a friend whose daughter survived a cougar attack.

I write to bring my readers adventure, empowerment, empathy and the fun of riding the range with best friends. Come and ride along!

Terri Farley
TerriFarley.com



KidsBuzz: Aladdin: The Challenger (Phantom Stallion #6) by Terri Farley

Publisher:
Aladdin

Pub Date:
October 8, 2024

ISBN:
9781665916479 (HC)
9781665916462 (PB)

Type of Book:
Middle Grade Fiction

Age Range:
8-12

List Price:
$18.99 Hardcover
$8.99 Paperback

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