Spring - Summer 2007

Massimiliano and Raffaele Alajmo. IN.GREDIENTI.
      From Le Calandre, a Michelin three-star restaurant outside Padua, comes this tour-de-force combination of Italian alta cocina with Spanish-style culinary adventurousness.  Bizarre, self-assured, and fascinating: risotto with saffron and licorice powder; lamb, lard, and lavender with white pepper honey and celery root puree; beer and chocolate meringue with sour cherries. Big, thick, substantial book, with gorgeous photography enhancing an already virtuoso display of imagination. In English. color throughout. cl. $198.00
     
Ann Amernick. THE ART OF THE DESSERT.
      A former White House pastry chef who was also at Jean-Louis at the Watergate and is now at Pelena, also in DC, Amernick has a great sense of flavor and style. The unassuming appearance of this book somewhat disguises her creativity within: goat cheese cheesecake sandwiches with pumpkin seed brittle; almond pound cake with gingered watermelon rind; prune turnovers with frozen Armagnac sabayon. color insert. cl. $40.00
     
Andoni Luis Aduriz and Francois-Luc Gathier. BESTIARIUM GASTRONIMICAE.
      The Hungarian naturalist painter Gyula Madarasz was the inspiration for this fanciful new book from the Basque chef of Spain 's Mugaritz restaurant. The artist's distinctive, nearly hallucinatory images of animals seem to offer Aduriz the freedom to create an array of meat-based dishes that resist easy categorization except to say that they are not familiar: old, salty sardines with smoked polenta and spring onion; sauteed artichokes and pickled lime rind with a foam of bone marrow and truffle. Buen provencho! En Espanol. color throughout. p. $110.00
     
Tom Aikens. TOM AIKENS COOKING.
      At his eponymous London restaurant, Aikens has attracted much attention for his strongly French-inspired fare.  His presentations bring to mind the free-form plating of Michel Bras, though his cooking strives to pare the classics down to their fundamentals: braised lamb shanks with pearl barley and honey roasted garlic; paprika pork belly; blanquette de veau. color throughout. cl. $59.95
     
Bruno Barberi. THE GOOD GRAPE.
      Why, asks the chef of the Michelin two-star Ristorante Arquade in Verona, "should a grape be considered any less than a truffle, that other fickle ingredient that appears only in the fall?" Perhaps he overstates his case a little, but Barbieri's versatile recipes for dishes that incorporate a range of grape varieties, including some used in wine-making, certainly make the point that the tiny fruit can play an interesting culinary role: squab and grape leaves with amaroni grapes and chestnut puree; crispy pork rind with sage ice cream and oseleta grapes; marinated scampi with grape granita. In English. color throughout. cl. $47.50
     
Lidia Bastianich. LIDIA'S ITALY .
      One refreshing aspect of Bastianich's  restaurants, books, and television programs is that they do not rehash the familiar.  Here she explores ten regions of Italy, many of them seldom covered in mainstream cookbooks, including Istria , Trieste , Padova, the Maremma, and Puglia.  As ever, she delights as much in the culture as the food, so cookbook readers are going to be captivated. color throughout. cl. $35.00
     
Trevor Corson. THE ZEN OF FISH.
      The natural and cultural history of sushi. Corson, whose previous book The Secret Life of Lobsters, drew highly favorable comment, traces the meal from its Indo-Chinese origins through its maturation in Japan to its spread into American supermarkets. Strong research supports a vivid narrative. cl. $24.95
     
Luciano De Giacomi. NONNA GENIA'S CLASSIC LANGHE COOKBOOK.
      The first translation of a near-legendary Piedmontese cookbook which celebrates traditional country fare as prepared by the author's grandmother. Both the author and the translator helpfully include many brief notes on the origins of dishes, their relation to local history, and the places they traditionally occupy in a meal. Simple and utterly charming. b&w photos. p. $17.95
     
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. THE RIVER COTTAGE MEAT BOOK.
      We've already made a strong endorsement of this intelligent, serious, passionate book about meat, a bestseller in the UK.  But since a US edition has just been published, we think it more than appropriate to call as much attention as possible to this highly persuasive argument for knowing as much as you can about the meat you eat and demanding the best. There are recipes here--damn good ones--and there's a lot of terrific information, but the heart of the book is its call to arms about the quality of the food we produce for ourselves.  Big (544 pages) color-filled book. cl. $40.00
     
Pierre Gagnaire. LUCIDE & LUDIQUE.
      In this retrospective on his forty-year career, the Michelin three-star chef shares recipes and memories ranging from a soccer game in Killarney to a dish of brussels sprout leaves and scalllops in sea urchin juice that was consumed with a Jura vin jaune.  Much more forthcoming than 2003's recipe-free Sucre et Sale , and even though the food sometimes flirts with the absurd, it reveals the Gagnaire's remarkable ability to employ his culinary imagination. En francais. color throughout. cl. $89.95  An English-language edition is scheduled for late fall 2007.
     
Stephane Glacier. UN AMOUR DE MACARON.
      An award-winning, highly decorated patissier, Glacier has recognized the recent Parisian obsession with macaroons, offering more than fifty recipes for the beloved cookie, including classic flavors as well as frozen and savory versions, and even elaborate entremets constructed from the macaroon batter. A handsome, poster-size book: dimensions 11 1/2 by 15 inches. En francais. color throughout. cl. $89.95
     
George Greenstein. SECRETS OF A JEWISH BAKER.
      A terrific book on traditional Jewish breads by a third-generation professional baker. Now modestly expanded and still an unparalleled source for soft, rich challah, chewy bagels, and sturdy, distinctive rye breads that shouldn't be wasted for sandwich making, this is a James Beard Award winner that never should have been out of print. cl. $29.95
     
Peter P. Greweling. CHOCOLATES & CONFECTIONS.
      Highly useful and detailed artisanal candymaking instruction from a professor of baking and pastry arts at the Culinary Instiute of America. Greweling seems to be the confectionary-world equivalent of a gearhead, fascinated by technical detail and willing to share his arcana on everything from truffles to caramels to jellies to marzipan to taffy. His extensive notes on ingredients, painstaking troubleshooting charts, and the book's handsome photography make this an important choice for anyone interested in serious confectionary work. color throughout. cl. $65.00
     
Alex Hanbuckers.  COOKING (R)EVOLUTION.
      From Belgium 's Auberge Herborist comes a two-volume set of daring, beautifully photographed books. One contains recipes for the likes of lasagna chips, eel-stuffed cucumbers, and carrots four ways (chips, froth, mousse, juice); the other is a catalog of jewel-like small plates for which inspiration alone must serve, as there are no recipes. color throughout. slipcased; plastic binding. $79.95
     
Anissa Helou. SAVORY BAKING FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN .
      The Lebanese-born, London-dwelling Helou continues to offer fresh perspectives on Mediterranean food, presenting everything from sourdough flatbreads to tarts and empanadas. Painstakingly researched and tested, this is a grand survey of the baking traditions of thirteen countries. b&w photos. cl. $29.95
     
Hans Peter Hussong. LA CUISINE SURPRISE.
      Despite the French title, this is a showcase for a Germanically named chef of Osteria Delea, a Michelin two-star restaurant in Switzerland, near Locarno. Hussong's food fittingly is not of any single cuisine but is still clearly European, and his elemental presentations are beautiful: tuna in an oregano mantle with a celery chutney; sauteed rouget with caramelized artichoke flan; oxtail crepinette with red wine reduction. Auf Deutsch. color throughout. cl. $110.00
     
Lutz Jakel. DUBAI : NEW ARABIAN CUISINE.
      Jakel, a photographer, has teamed up with four chefs from the Marriott hotel in Dubai, led by Executive Chef Ingo Maas, to produce an ambitious look at the treatment of traditional Arabian fare by world-class chefs who hail from Germany, France, Egypt, and Syria. Could you ask for more in fusion food? It's a fascinating intersection of cultures, flavors and techniques. Marinated prawns on zatar-infused spinach; oysters with blood orange and apple vinaigrette; pineapple tabouleh with lentils and pomegranate. Big, lavish. color throughout. cl. $79.95
     
Philip Johnson.  CLASSIC ECCO.
      European-inspired Australian casual fare from a Brisbane bistro. The food exudes a welcoming ambience: leek and goat cheese pie with bitter greens; warm chorizo and potato salad with soft-poached egg; salad of slow-cooked duck, spinach, apple, and hazelnuts. Lots of desserts, too. color throughout. p. 55.00
     
Christian Jurgens. PHANTASIE & PERFEKTION.
      Jurgens has two Michelin stars for his work at Kastell in Burg Wernberg, Bavaria, where his restaurant emphasizes local produce with an occasional playful injection of an outside influence: veal gelee with potato soup and caviar; beef tartare with rosti; galangal soup with lobster. Auf Deutsch. color throughout. cl. $110.00
     
Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot. IDEAS IN FOOD: THE PHOTOGRAPHS.
      The creative team whose work is profiled on ideasinfood.com has self-published its first book, an ambitious, daring collection of sweet, savory, and in-between dishes that combine technical innovation with unconventional food and flavor combinations. There are no recipes, just 171 photographs that are meant to spark the creative process in other professional cooks: king salmon, peach, sorrel, and foie gras consomme; poached Key West shrimp with artichokes, tender cocoa nibs, and whipped cider-buttermilk; honeydew melon with olive leaf arugula, ground olives, and smoked Dr. Pepper. You gotta check this out. color throughout. cl. $62.50
     
Eric Kayser. ERIC KAYSER'S SWEET AND SAVORY TARTS.
      Son, grandson, and great-grandson of bakers--and one of the contributing authors of the French Professional Pastry series--Kayser reveals his secrets for eleven perfect crusts and nearly fifty fillings: beet and broccoli quiche; strawberries on pistachio dacquoise; pear and grapefruit tart; salted caramel tart. color throughout. cl. $34.95
     
Barbara Kingsolver. ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE.
      The eat-local movement has a passionate advocate in bestselling novelist Kingsolver (The Poisonwood Bible), who here chronicles her family's attempt to feed itself solely from local sources. Honesty and wry wit allow Kingsolver to persuade rather than preach. Worth attention. cl. $26.95
     
David Lebovitz. THE PERFECT SCOOP.
      Ice creams, sorbets, sherbets, granitas, sauces, toppings, mix-ins, and even containers such as oatmeal sandwich cookies, waffle cones, and profiteroles are all here in an appealing collection of recipes from a former Chez Panisse pastry cook with a great palate: orange and szechwan pepper ice cream; lemon-buttermilk sherbet; sour cherry syrup! color throughout. cl. $24.95
     
Emily Luchetti. CLASSIC STARS DESSERTS.
      More than 150 of Luchetti's favorite recipes from her two out-of-print classics--Stars Desserts and Four Stars Desserts--have been collected here, and we're pleased as punch.  We're longtime Luchetti loyalists who believe that every baker's kitchen should have at least one of her books. No one is better at the effortless combination of sophistication and homey appeal. color inserts. $29.95
     
Nobu Matsuhisa and Mark Edwards. NOBU WEST.
      Working with the chef de cuisine of his Nobu London, Matsuhisa has produced a handsome new volume that emphasizes the "west" in East-meets-West fusion. Abalone and white peach shooters; octopus sashimi with botarga; even a Nobu-style paella. Tantalizing presentations, too. color throughout. cl. $39.95
     
Thomas McNamee. ALICE WATERS AND CHEZ PANISSE.
      This biography of Waters and the Berkeley, California, restaurant she founded is authorized but far from a promo piece.  Indeed,  the inclusion of missteps, personal conflicts, and evidence that neither Waters nor the restaurant was created fully mature and without error make the reading far more satisfying than a paean might be.  Sympathetic to its subject, but thoughtful enough to satisfy. b&w photos. cl. 27.95
     
Lyndsay and Patrick Mikanowski. EGG.
      Another superb showcase assembled by the Mikanowskis, who have an unmistakable talent for persuading the world's leading chefs to strut their stuff using simple ingredients.  With contributions from the likes of Wylie Dufresne, Alain Passard, and Ferran Adria--as well as the stellar photography of Grant Symon--this is a rich source of inspiration and a rare display of culinary talent. color throughout. cl. $45.00
     
Matt Moran.  MATT MORAN.
      From Sydney's Aria restaurant comes a confident and easy going collection of food that manages to feel casual as well as inspired, perhaps because Moran is just as comfortable mixing Japanese and Indian influences as modestly riffing on European standards: tuna pops with red curry dressing;  caramelized shallot tarte tatin; duck and pea pie with pea puree. Probably our hottest Australian import of late. color throughout. cl. $55.00
     
Dieter Muller. DIETER MULLER.
      The third book for the three-star chef of the restaurant bearing his name in Bergish-Gladbach, Germany, who seems to regard all European cuisine as a source of inspiration: langoustine carpaccio with bouillabaisse sauce; pheasant breast strudel with moscato sauerkraut; salmon fillet with apple-radish confit. Auf Deutsch. color throughout. cl. $95.00
     
Justin North. BECASSE.
      Another strong Australian title, although this one features the work of a New Zealander who trained under Raymond Blanc before setting up in Sydney. Although he's a product of the South Seas, his inspiration comes most strongly from European cuisines, and North's interest in quality ingredients leads him to organize the book under such topics as truffles, trout, and squab rather than by course or season. color throughout. cl. $75.00
     
Pichet Ong. THE SWEET SPOT.
      The former pastry chef at Jean-George Vongerichten's Spice Market and now the owner of P*ong, a dessert bar here in NYC, Ong demonstrates a nimble hand with a wide range of Asian-inspired desserts. Traditional dishes such as pistachio kulfi appear alongside (and sometimes as part of) the likes of green-tea infused pastry cream, tangerine pie, and steamed almond cake.  Jazzy ideas and handsome presentation. color throughout. cl. $29.95
     
David Pasternack and Ed Levine. THE YOUNG MAN AND THE SEA.
      Pasternack is the chef of NYC's Esca, which for the past seven years has been recognized as one of the city's premier seafood restaurants.  True to the Italian inspiration for the restaurant, his preparations are largely straightforward, but that does not mean unimaginative. An entire chapter on "crudo"--raw or lightly cured seafood--as well as extensive reinvention of classics such as linguine with clams and tuna bolognese, display a comfortable authority that smooths the way for aspiring seafood cooks. color throughout. cl. $35.00
     
Jacques Pepin.  CHEZ JACQUES.
      In what he calls a culinary autobiography, Pepin displays the personal cooking that has resulted from the melding of his French roots with his American life. The food ranges from simple to special occasion, and between the recipes Pepin keeps up a charming, effortless patter that recalls his country boyhood, his days in grand restaurants, beloved family feasts, and easy everyday meals. Suave, assured, and stylish. color throughout. cl. $45.00
     
Neil Perry. GOOD FOOD.
      The leading chef in Australia, one of the pioneers of contemporary Australian cooking and much admired for his work at Sydney's Rockpool restaurant, Perry here offers a collection of casual home cooking that is approachable without ever seeming dumbed down or condescending toward home cooks. There are lots of Asian notes in his cuisine, but plenty of easygoing European references as well. color throughout. cl. $57.50
     
Horst Petermann. HORST PETERMANN, CUISINIER.
      Gorgeous work from the chef of the Michelin two-star restaurant Kunststuben in Zurich who shows an affinity for game and seafood: terrine of rabbit and baby carrots; raw tuna feuillettes with asparagus; turbot souffle with baby vegetable torte; milk-poached skate with rum vinaigrette. Auf Deutsch. Top-notch color throughout. cl. $155.00
     
James Peterson. WHAT'S A COOK TO DO?
      The author of such definitive cookbooks as Sauces and Splendid Soups, Peterson is an esteemed and experienced teacher who here offers 500 essential kitchen tips on everything from whether to use a roasting pan to restoring stale cake.  Highly practical and also a highly addictive read.  Even old salts like us keep turning the pages.  color throughout. p. $16.95
     
Martin Picard. AU PIED DE COCHON.
      An instant cult classic: the self-published self-celebration of a Montreal restaurant where the only thing the chef loves more than pork is foie gras.  Or is it the other way around? EIther way, the sheer exuberance demonstrated by Picard and his staff (who contributed heavily to the book) is infectious as well as honest. Their food is rooted in traditional earthy Quebecois farmhouse fare, with its determination to use everything an animal offers, but their fancy is given free range, in both recipes and in photographs and illustrations that would never have been allowed by a mainstream publishing house.  Superb. Also available in French. color throughout. cl. either edition $74.95
     
Jairemarie Pomo. THE HOG ISLAND OYSTER LOVER'S COOKBOOK.
      One of the US 's premier oyster producers, Hog Island Farms supplies restaurants around the country from its base north of San Francisco. This compact guide to buying and savoring oysters has an above-average collection of identification photographs and descriptions for different varities, as well as more than forty recipes. color throughout. cl. $19.95
     
Ammini Ramachandran. GRAINS, GREENS, AND GRATED COCONUT.
      A remarkably detailed and vivid survey of southern Indian vegetarian food and culture by Kerala-born Ramachandran. Notes on ingredients, cooking methods, festivals, and more take up the first ninety pages of this 300+ page book, and thereafter the recipes still seem to have to fight for room on the page next to the author's observations. This is the kind of introduction so many cuisines need. b&w photos. p. $23.95
     
Rene Redzepi and Claus Meyer. NOMA.
      Stunning take on Nordic cuisine from a four-year-old restaurant in Copenhagen that emphasizes both seasonal and local fare. Chef Redzepi's resourcefulness is so wide-ranging and his ability to rethink basic preparations so thorough that one forgets the man is working within a daunting set of constraints; options are limited in Denmark in January or February: raw Greenland shrimp with green strawberries;  poached Danish oysters with sago pudding and oat waffle; cured brisket of pork with potato skins and beer-cured onions. Amazing stuff! In English. color throughout. cl. $79.95
     
Stephane Reynaud. PORK & SONS.
      Another unabashedly enthusiastic meat book, this time from the proprietor of a small restaurant outside Paris. Reynaud's grandfather and uncle were butchers, and the family fascination with meat--good, rich, flavorful meat--is clear here. His food is largely honest traditonal French, and where he innovates, he still seems French: rack of pork with hard cider and apple butter; parfait of pig's liver and muscatel. Color throughout. padded cover. $39.95
     
Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. THE SILVER PALATE COOKBOOK.
      Twenty-five years after it began to redefine American home cooking, this trusted standby has been expanded with new reference material and ingredient guides, a few clarified recipes, and color photographs of the food that introduced millions of people to the likes of pesto, arugula, tapenade, and chevre. Surely half the households in the country have a well-worn copy from which the pages are beginning to fall.... color throughout. p. $19.95 cl. $29.95
     
Miguel Sanchez Romera. TOTAL COOKING.
      Trained as a neurologist and now the chef at L'Esguard in Barcelona, Sanchez Romera has a distinct perspective on the sensory experience of dining. In this, the first of three planned books that focus on the olfactory elements of food, he offers a remarkable series of dishes that are also stunningly plated: smoked foie gras with dried flowers; venison sirloin with a mosaic of 48 spices; tatin of apples and spicy pork sausage with cassis sauce. En Espanol. color throughout. cl. $125.00
     
Roberto Santibanez. ROSA'S NEW MEXICAN TABLE.
      Contemporary fare from the Rosa Mexicana restaurants here in NYC. The food feels Mexican but Santibanez and his cooks aren't afraid to try something new: rack of lamb with pistachio pipian; octopus enchiladas with yellow-tomato sauce; red snapper and mango ceviche.  color throughout. cl. $35.00
     
William Stadiem and Mara Gibbs. EVERYBODY EATS THERE.
      If, when you ask someone, "Where did you eat?" you mean "Was there anyone famous in the restaurant?" then this gossipy tour of celeb haunts around the world will be a treat for you. Stadiem, a screenwriter-cum-restaurant-critic, and Gibbs, whose family owns Morton's of Hollywood, dish on the likes of Elaine's in NYC, Spago in LA, the River Cafe in London, and Arpege in Paris.  Few surprises, lots of bold-face names. cl. $24.95
     
Jane and Michael Stern. ROADFOOD SANDWICHES.
      The peripatetic chroniclers of American roadside fare offer nearly 100 recipes, collected from nearly every state in the Union, for classics and one-of-a-kinds:  beef-on-weck (a caraway-seeded roll) from Buffalo; pimento cheese on white from Tennessee; fried eggs, bacon, and gorgonzola from 'wichcraft in NYC; grilled gruyere with braised leeks on multigrain from Los Angeles.  This is not what Mom put into your lunch box. p. $14.95
     
Paco Torreblanca. PACO TORREBLANCA 2.
      A second collection of technically accomplished dessert creations from one of Spain's most ambitious pastry chefs which fairly revels in its level of detail (the chemical composition of cream; the uses, properties, and origins of different sugars) while offering a mind-blowing panoply of goodies: green tea gelee with sake caviar and a couscous of matcha and olive oil sponge cake; meringue vacherin, dehydrated raspberries, and crispy strawberries with vanilla ice cream quenelle; crunchy chocolate bonbons with onion and Maldon sea salt. Highly useful and happily available in a dual-language Spanish-English edition. color throughout. hardcover, with an accompanying wire-bound recipe book. $225.00
     
Alla Wolf-Tasker. LAKE HOUSE .
      Building on the food of her Russian-immigrant parents, Wolf-Tasker has created a lovely resort hotel outside Melbourne, Australia, where she displays a wide and vigorous acquaintance with the rest of the world as well. Her borscht terrine layers beef shin, beets, and leeks; she serves sauteed crayfish with pea ravioli and pea shoot salad; cabbage rolls are stuffed with quail and a pork forcemeat.  And it's all handsomely plated, too. color throughout. cl. $59.95