KEEP YOUR BRAIN YOUNG (Robert Rose, 2014, 384 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0472-7, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Fraser Smith, ND, prominent naturopathic academic, and Ellie Aghdassi, PhD, RD, dementia researcher and academic in Toronto. It is a book in line with other self-health books from Rose, covering arthritis, skin, diabetes, liver, et al. Because we are all growing older, we need to keep our brains in shape to avoid neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. It is more important than ever to age well. The book deftly summarizes the issues on age-related diseases, proposes a 12-step healthy brain diet to help prevent or delay damage, and has 150 recipes done up in Rose style, with tips and notes and nutrient tables. Recipes come from other Rose books, and these are noted as to author or authority. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no overall table of equivalents. At the end there are periodical and book references as well as websites and web-pages listed.
Audience and level of use: those interested in a program to prevent brain damage.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: the number of those with Alzheimer's is expected to triple by 2050. Anti-oxidants from fruits and veggies can protect the brain against disease. The brain can make new neural connections in the elderly.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
4.HOMEGROWN TEA; an illustrated guide to planting, harvesting, and blending teas and tisanes (St.Martin's Griffin, 2014, 272 pages, ISBN 978-1-250-03941-5, $23.99 US paper covers) is by Cassie Liversidge, a UK gardener-food writer who last wrote Grow Your Own Pasta Sauce, about eating home grown food. Here she looks at tea gardening (backyard, balcony, and window sill). She delves into growing tea from seeds, cuttings and small plants. She gives details on when and how to harvest, plus how to prepare and dry the teas for year-long storage. She's got sections on nutritional and medicinal benefits as well as an illustrated guide on prepping fresh and dried teabags. Arrangement is by part of the plant: leaves, followed by seeds, fruits, flowers, and roots. There is also a plant reference chart, and index of plants, and some recommended sources.
Audience and level of use: a book for the tea completist.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: under sage, she lists varieties and botanical names, medical benefits, growing, harvesting, making the tea, some relevant tips for making bag blends – as well as an illustration of the leaves.
The downside to this book: no recipes for cooking with teas.
The upside to this book: good encouragement for tea drinkers.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
5.LOW & SLOW; the art and technique of braising, BBQ, and slow roasting (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, 246 pages, ISNM 978-1-118-10591-7, $19.99 US hard covers) is by Robert Briggs (professor) and the Culinary Institute of America. The basic principles here concern low heat and slow cooking times for prepping tough but flavourful cuts of meat. It tells one how to make the most of every cut of meat, any time of the year. There are chapters on homemade rubs and sauces, plus some accompanying sides to prepare. It is arranged by the three techniques, and each chapter begins with a master recipe, with all the techniques fully illustrated and explained. Under braising, there are two recipes for each prep, one using a slow cooker, the other a stovetop or oven braise. Under BBQ, there are extensive notes on prepping and regional styles. The emphasis throughout is on international cuisine influences. It is a good thorough book, with plenty of techniques illustrated and good suggestions for sides. Just under 100 preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beginning cooks, and men.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: braised pulled pork BBQ sandwiches; Korean-style braised short ribs; beef braised in beer and onions; braised oxtail; Moroccan chicken tagine; Eastern North Carolina BBQ pork butt; spit-roasted garlic and lime chicken.
The downside to this book: could have had more recipes.
The upside to this book: very compact.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
6.THE FRENCH COOK: souffles (Gibbs Smith, 2014, 128
pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3612-0, $21.99 US hard covers) is by Greg Patent, a Bear Award winning author for 2002, a blogger, and radio host. This is the third in a new series on French cuisine, here dealing with the basics of souffles: mainly how to beat eggs and how to create the sauces. There are photos and step-by-step techniques. The basic souffles are here (hot, cold, sweet, savoury, molded, unmolded) plus more and some variations are noted. The book is set up as a primer for beginners. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beginner
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: leek and pancetta souffle; fennel and salmon; chocolate; vanilla; fresh fruit; almond and praline.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
7.300 BEST HOMEMADE CANDY RECIPES; brittles, caramels, chocolates, fudge, truffles & so much more (Robert Rose, 2014, 288 pages, ISBN 978-0-7788-0475-8, $24.95 CAN soft covers) is by Jane Sharrock, who comes from a long line of candy-makers (her mother was also a Home Ec professor). This is candy as it used to be, and it you really want to duplicate it, try using organic fair-trade sugar for authenticity (that's my opinion). There's a primer for candymaking, sections dealing with heirloom candies, fudge, farmhouse faves, and short and sweet for a quick fix. Thus, there are chocolates, pralines, creams, toffee, holiday treats, and no-bake cookies. There are two indexes: one by level of difficulty, from novice to expert) and one alphabetical by ingredient. The book is also loaded with cook's notes and tips for most recipes. Preparations have their ingredients listed in both metric and avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of equivalents. This is the usual thorough Robert Rose package.
Audience and level of use: beginner to intermediate
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: caramel pecan pralines; Mexican candy; Mexican orange drops; patience candy; brown candy; butterscotch nut marshmallows; lollipops; turtles; raspberry fudge truffles.
The downside to this book: I really don't think we should eat this much candy, so the 300 recipes should really last us a lifetime before repeats. But she does have a top 40 list, so begin with those.
The upside to this book: there is an excellent selection of popcorn candy recipes.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
8.SOUTHWEST DUTCH OVEN (Gibbs Smith, 2014, 128 pages, ISBN 978-1-4236-3635-9, $15.99 US spiral bound) is by George and Carolyn Dumler, both seasoned Dutch oven cooks preparing food for large crowds. They have qualified for the World Championships every year since 2009. Indeed, some of these preps here are reprinted from cookbooks of the 2010-2012 World Championship Cook-Off Dutch Oven Recipes. There's a primer, and then the book is arranged by course or ingredient such as chiles, sauces, sides, mains, breads, and desserts. There is also a menu for a big Southwestern Thanksgiving, with nine recipes. This must be the tenth book published this year on Dutch ovens: a really popular item?
Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: Dutch oven users.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: mashed potatoes; turkey with chile garlic marinade; turkey breast with chipotle gravy; chorizo and pistachio stuffing; corn pudding; cheddar jalapeno twists; tequila cranberry compote; pumpkin pinon bread; and pecan chile pie.
The downside to this book: ripped out pages are easy (spiral binding)
The upside to this book: spiral bound, lies flat.
Quality/Price Rating: 86.
9.GLUTEN-FREE MADE EASY (Front Table Books, 2014, 268 pages, ISBN 978-1-4621-1408-5, $22.99 US paper covers) is by Christi Silbaugh and Michelle Vilseck. Silbaugh is an active blogger, with three on the go, plus lots more food social media interactions; her daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2009. Vilseck has needed to be gluten-free for the past 11 years or so. Together they have created more than 150 preps in this book plus the tips and tricks involved in putting the dishes together. There's a primer (here, called FAQ) and some resources, plus a glossary and endnotes. The thrust here is on family cooking, so there are lots of things that kids could make, eat and enjoy. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are also tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those who need GF foods.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: raspberry breakfast bars; peanut butter power balls; cauliflower pizza crust and cheesy bread; parmesan crusted halibut; mini-taco salads; flour-free cloud bread.
The downside to this book: like many other GF books, this one – sadly – has no "chewy" bread recipe. It's the Holy Grail of GF food.
The upside to this book: I love the large print and the bolding of the ingredient lists.
Quality/Price Rating: 88.
10.COOKING TECHNIQUES AND RECIPES WITH OLIVE OIL (Two Extra Virgins, 2014, 132 pages, ISBN 978-0-9893289-2-0, $26.95 US hard covers) is by Mary Platis and Laura Bashar. They have a variety of olive oil social media websites (Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Google Plus, and more). This book originated as an ebook; in fact, it was a gold medalist as a Global Ebook Award. They have basic olive oil information followed by chapters devoted to poaching, braising, marinating, steaming and baking. There are also some bibliographic references at the end. Lots of tips and advice, nicely integrated with the photos. Prep times and cook times are indicated. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there are tables of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: beginning cooks.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Rosemary-Garlic Lamb Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Artichokes; Tuna with Citrus and Avocado Salad; Greek Style Vegetables with Tomatoes; Chicken Kabobs with Cucumber-Mint Barley; Stuffed Grape Leaves with Brown Rice, Kale and Fresh Herbs; Olive Oil Almond Cookies with Rosewater and Cardamom; Olive Oil and Vanilla Ice Cream; Watermelon Shooters with Persia Mint Syrup and Olive Oil.
The downside to this book: as a basic book, it could use a few more recipes.
The upside to this book: great photography.
Quality/Price Rating: 86.
11.THE GREEK YOGURT KITCHEN (Grand Central Life & Style, 2014; distr. Hachette, 242 pages, ISBN 978-1-4555-5120-0, $20 US paper covers) is by Toby Amidor, MS, RD, a top nutrition advisor and consultant to major groups, including Foodnetwork.com. Here she gives us a basic yogurt cookbook, using Greek yogurt as the base since it is a trendy power food. And with seven log rollers. So long as the nutritional benefits of Greek yogurt carry through, then you can cook with it. Otherwise, it may be best just as it comes out of the fridge. It's a form of yogurt that has been strained to remove a lot of the whey, which results in a lower fat content and higher protein content. This also means that it has lower levels of lactose. If you have to, you could substitute just about any unflavoured organic yogurt. Whatever you do, you must check the label to see what is in the yogurt: go for simple, cultured, and unflavoured. The 133 recipes here are a beginning. They range from traditional breakfast food through snacks, apps, salads, mains, and desserts. Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is a table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those who are lactose sensitive, health food fans.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: crustless mushroom quiche; buttermilk chicken fingers; mexican-sty6led creamed corn; coconut lemon cookies; dulce de leche bowl.
The downside to this book: the use of "Greek" yogurt is overplayed when other forms can also be used.
The upside to this book: good selection of recipes, including one for making your own low-fat Greek yogurt by straining out the whey.
Quality/Price Rating: 87.
12.MARINADES; the quick-fix way to turn everyday food into exceptional fare, with 400 recipes (Harvard Common Press, 2014; dist. T.Allen, 320 pages, ISBN 978-1-55832-827-3, $17.95 US paper covers) is by Lucy Vaserfirer, recipe developer and cookbook author. This is a great idea for a book, as an alternative to a slow-cooker. With the right marinade, you can dress up meats or veggies in the morning, put the food in the fridge for the day, and finish off the plate at night with a broil, grill, microwave, or saute. Of course, for meat like beef, this only works on the softer textured cuts. The heavy duty stewing meats may be a tad too tough for quick cooking. The 200 marinades here are vinegar-based, oil-based, fruit-based, milk-based, and alcohol-based. There is certainly something for every day; each marinade comes with a recipe that shows one way to use it. More than half the "suggested use" recipes are for grilled dishes and BBQs, but they can be adapted for indoor use. She opens with the marinades, in separate chapters for herbs, spices, citrus, tomato and the like. Then she moves on to different cuisines, such as southwestern marinades, South American marinades, European, Chines-Japanese-Korean, Southeast Asia, Indian, African, Caribbean, and even "sweet" dessert marinades.
Preparations have their ingredients listed in avoirdupois measurements, but there is no table of metric equivalents.
Audience and level of use: those willing to experiment or looking for more jazzy flavours.
Some interesting or unusual recipes/facts: Buffalo wing marinade; balsamic-soy marinade; grilled portobellos; cranberry-cider marinade; teriyaki marinade.
The downside to this book: I just wish that there was something that can be done for the bully beef and the mutton, and other tough cuts of meat, that can happen within the 12 hour spread of AM and PM in the fridge.
The upside to this book: there are two indexes, one to the marinades and another to "suggested use".
Quality/Price Rating: 89.
Chimo! www.deantudor.com
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