Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt by Christie Matheson (Harvard Common Press, $19.95, 9781558324152/1558324151, September 2009)
It started for me years ago--the divine pairing of french fries and piña coladas, then the relatively more sophisticated champagne and potato chips. Finally the New York Times caught up with the salt-sweet thing and named salted caramel 2008's hot flavor. (That needs adjustment--it really should be chocolate salted caramel.) Now here's a fine cookbook with 75 recipes catering to this great taste. Sweet Cornbread with Honey Butter tarted up with sea salt; Lemon Sugar Cookies with Zesty Lime Salt; Drunken Sauce (butter, brown sugar, rum, vanilla and--of course--sea salt). Yum.
Savory Baking by Mary Cech (Chronicle, $24.95 trade paper, 9780811859066/0811859061, August 2009)
Continuing with the sea salt theme, Mary Cech's recipe for Thyme, Lemon and Sea-Salt Shortbread looks heavenly. She takes "savory" seriously--Italian-scented Madeleines have Parmesan cheese, and her profiteroles are filled with Caprese salad. Winter Squash, Brown Butter and Sage Souffle, Scones Stuffed with Caramelized Red Onions and Brie, Yukon Gold Brown Betty--this book is perfect for the fall and winter seasons. It also has 75 recipes--is that a magic recipe number for a cookbook?
The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook: Home Cooking from Asian American Kitchens by Patricia Tanumihardja (Sasquatch Books, $35, 9781570615566/157061556X, October 2009)
The author compiled more than 75 recipes from grandmothers, mothers, aunties and friends and also searched through old church and community cookbooks. The result is not just a wide-ranging recipe collection but a conduit to the past and a hope that Asian-American home cooking will not become a lost art. The recipes, like Nepalese Nine-Bean Soup, Stuffed Potato Flatbread and Japanese-Style Beef Stew, include explanations from the author, variations on the dish and often "Grandma Says"--bits of kitchen wisdom (don't chop cilantro leaves because steel changes the flavor).
Pure Simple Cooking: Effortless Meals Every Day by Diana Henry (Ten Speed Press, $21.95 trade paper, 9781580089487/1580089488, April 2009)
Luscious photographs: the first page I opened to featured Pain Perdu with Crème Fraiche and Raspberries, and while Henry promises effortless cooking, I don't care how complicated the recipe might be--next raspberry season, I'm in. And then Roasted Squash with Garlic and Thyme; not a revolutionary recipe, but the photo compels you to make the dish. Or try Vine-growers' Sausages--pork sausages with celery, onion, grapes and red wine. The recipes without illustrations are compelling, too--Roasted Vegetables with Indian Spices, Melting Roast Onions, Sicilian Sweet-and-Sour Tuna. And in spite of some complicated names, the recipes do look almost effortless.
Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition by Barbara Lynch (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35, 9780618576814/0618576819, November 2009)
This is a cookbook I want to work my way through, and it will have a spot right next to Mark Bittman on the shelf. It's attractive, with a simple layout, luscious pictures and sensible explanations. Each recipe has a helpful introduction, and each looks scrumptious. The Roasted Eggplant with Golden Raisin-Pine Nut Vinaigrette and Feta has a bit of anchovy added, which imparts a slightly salty "undertone"; Orecchiette with Cauliflower, Anchovies, and Pistachios, with the anchovy perking up the cauliflower--Lynch knows her way around this salty little gem. Poulet au Pain is a chicken wrapped in bread dough, then baked, resulting in pure comfort food--tender chicken and cracker-like bread. And the desserts! Winter Citrus with Cumin Meringue and Whipped Crème Fraiche; Peaches and Cream made with white wine and mascarpone; Creamy Vanilla Pudding with caramel sauce and Chantilly cream. Too good!
My New Orleans: The Cookbook by John Besh (Andrews McMeel, $45, 9780740784132/0740784137, September 2009)
This is a winner in the really big cookbook category--picture-book-sized, over five pounds and chock full of photographs, writing about Louisiana and its food and, of course, lots of recipes. Some of them aren't for the average cook--buster crabs or soft-shell crabs aren't available in many areas, nor are bobwhite quail--and some aren't for the faint of heart, like Père Roux Cake with more than four sticks of butter. But most of the dishes are doable and oh so tempting: Crab Bisque; Rare Seared Tuna with Crushed Figs; Salad of Heirloom Tomatoes, Cheese, and Country Ham; and the excellent Grandmother Walter's Biscuits. Chef and restaurateur John Besh has created a fine cookbook for the seasoned cook.
Hot and Hot Fish Club Cookbook: A Celebration of Food, Family and Traditions by Chris and Idie Hastings with Katherine Cobbs (Running Press, $35, 9780762435524/0762435526, September 2009)
This Southern cookbook sometimes uses ingredients not widely found (it seems one needs to go on a father-son dove shoot for Dove Breasts Wrapped in Benton's Bacon); nonetheless, most of the recipes use common ingredients, and the authors provide examples of substitutions. Chefs Chris and Idie Hastings say, "For us, food is magic," and they are committed to using fresh, locally sourced ingredients (their restaurant is in Birmingham); their passion for this should inspire cooks to do the same. In that spirit, the recipes are arranged seasonally, with each two-month period introduced with stories of family and local food purveyors. Try the Hot and Hot Tomato Salad, made with heirloom tomatoes, of course, and field peas, corn, bacon, chive dressing and deep-fried okra; infuse bourbon with figs to make a special toddy; make a New York strip fabulous with poached farm eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and truffle oil. --Marilyn Dahl