PASTA By Carlo Middione

July 2008

ISBN: 9781580089005

Cooking

www.tenspeed.com

Reviewed by Bob Walch

This inexpensive little cookbook is filled with recipes for preparing sauces that will make any meal or side dish of pasta a memorable, culinary experience.

After explaining how to make five basic sauces (Salsa de Pomodoro Stracotto, Salsa al Pomodoro, Pesto, Salsa Bolognese and Balsamella (white sauce), the author gets down to the nitty-gritty with 32 pasta recipes.

Whether it is Penne al Salmone (macaroni with smoked salmon), Fettuccine Alla Romana (ribbon pasta with cream, butter and cheese), Penne Alla Parimavera (penne with vegetables), or Fettuccine Ala Giovanni (fettuccine with smoked sausage), you and your guests will be delighted with the easy to prepare entrées that come from your kitchen.

The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner

Palmer/Pletsch Publishing
September 2008

www.thefoodnanny.com


As many families tackle longer work days, back to school activities and household chores, dinner can become a frantic rush to get something on the table. Quite often, meals involve take out options and unhealthy choices. THE FOOD NANNY RESCUES DINNER helps demonstrate how planning a weekly meal schedule can help ensure you are creating healthier home cooked meals and involving the whole family.

Liz Edmunds earns her living as a menu planning consultant. She's the mom of seven and uses her skills to help others manage their mealtimes. The recipes in the book sound great, but I do question if all of them will appeal to fussy eaters. For example, the recipe for macaroni and cheese uses cayenne and Tabasco sauce, two ingredients that guarantee my daughter will not touch them. Thankfully, I cook all the time and know how to substitute or omit ingredients. Those with less skill in the kitchen may find this harder to do.

The recipes are divided into days of the week. Using her meal schedule, you start off Monday with comfort foods and it is the one night of the week that dessert is offered. The rest of the week covers:

• Tuesday Italian
• Wednesday Fish/Meatless
• Thursday Mexican
• Friday Pizza
• Saturday Grill Night
• Sunday Family Traditions

You create one shopping list that will cover two weeks. This helps ensure you have everything you need and only visit grocery stores twice a month usually.

Obviously, you will need to make changes to suit your family. Not everyone enjoys Mexican, others may not enjoy fish. Either way, there are plenty of recipes included that switching days about is simple. I found this to be one of the best cookbooks around for those who are looking to prepare inexpensive, tasty meals at home. They may not always be low in fat, but again you have the power to change meals to fit your own dietary and personal requirements.

The Ice Dream Cookbook

Planetary Press
ISBN: 9780964126725
October 2008

Around my house, Stevia has become one of my favorite sweeteners. Nutrasweet and Sucralose are problematic and enhanced my anxiety until one doctor realized that they might be causing my panic attacks and had me stop using anything with them in it. Lo and behold, it worked. I avoid using refined sugars, but Stevia, maple syrup, agave nectar and honey are used frequently in my household. It's for this reason that I was delighted to see that these sweetening agents are used in the recipes within THE ICE DREAM COOKBOOK.

The recipes in Rachel Albert-Matesz's latest cookbook are definitely going to thrill those with a sweet tooth. Recipes use coconut milk and fresh ingredients like vanilla, strawberries and pumpkin to create delicious ice cream recipes that eliminate dairy for those who are lactose intolerant or simply enjoy the taste of coconut milk, like me. Also within this book are a number of gluten-free recipes for cookies, brownies and more and some delicious toppings for your ice creams.

As a Vermonter, the comments on maple syrup hit home. It's typical here to have maple syrup on hand year round. If you can find it, grade B has the strongest flavor. However, grade B is also considered to be of lesser quality by many and only sold to locals. Most grocers stock grade A fancy. It's watery and the flavor, to me, isn't as pronounced. I suggest avoiding purchasing maple syrup in your stores and, instead, rely on the Web sites of New England maple producers to get a better price. Right now, a gallon of grade B priced locally is at $28 and fancy is $32, so you'll quickly see just how much mark-up the stores use.

Another topic that came to mind involves a bakery in Montpelier, Vermont. The owner of this bakery, Butterfly Bakery, makes an exquisite chocolate sauce from organic cocoa, agave nectar and cashew butter. If you are looking for a store-bought chocolate sauce for your sweet tooth, I highly recommend ordering from them. www.butterflybakeryvt.com/Products.html

Easy Entertaining For Beginners Cookbook Review

Reviewed by Tracy Farnsworth

Patricia Mendez's EASY ENTERTAINING FOR BEGINNERS has to be one of the better party planning guides I've come across. The book is warm and friendly in tone; no one will become bored while reading it. Issues like budgeting, planning, scheduling and avoiding complications/problems are all covered.

Within the guide are a number of step-by-step menus and planning guides for various occasions. These menus cover:

• Children's birthdays



• Christmas gathering



• Cocktail parties



• Dinner parties



• Family get togethers



• Fourth of July



• Parties suitable to men (think Superbowl)



• Romantic dinners



• Tea parties



• Thanksgiving

Recipes are clearly laid out so that anyone should be able to tackle them. The sections each have a list of step-by-step instructions that cover everything from shopping to cleaning and cooking to serving. By becoming organized, you'll be able to avoid any stress and spend time mingling with your friends!

If you've ever wanted to throw a bash that others talk about for years down the road, you must purchase a copy of EASY ENTERTAINING FOR BEGINNERS!

A Fork In The Trail by Laurie Ann March

Wilderness Press

ISBN: 0899974317

January 2008

Cooking

www.wildernesspress.com

Reviewed by Bob Walch

One way to deal with the skyrocketing cost of gas this summer is to take a camping-hiking vacation. If you are planning an outdoor adventure A FORK IN THE TRAIL is certainly a worthwhile read.

Filled with over 200 easy to prepare recipes for meals and treats that will make any outing a memorable one, this book's focus is on showing you how to eat well while enjoying the great outdoors.

While some of the recipes are cooked and dehydrated before the trip, others can be prepared in just a few minutes on site. For example, you can make Lemon Wasabi Hummus in your kitchen at home and then just add boiling water when you are ready to enjoy it while camping.

Besides a wide range of recipes inspired by foods from all over the world, the author also shares tips on menu planning, dehydrating and re-hydrating, packing food, and back country baking.

Laurie March insists that there's no reason why you and your family or friends can't eat well while on the trail. Each of her recipes is broken down into what you need to do "At Home" and "At Camp." Whether it’s the Garbanzo Bean, Tomato, and Thai Chili Salad, the Roasted Eggplant Spread, Pseudo Perogies or Black Forest Brownies, you'll discover there's more to camp fare than trail mix!

Real Barbecue by Vince Staten and Greg Johnson

Globe Pequot Press

ISBN: 9780762744428

2007

Cookbook/Grilling

www.globepequot.com

Reviewed by Bob Walch

Part travel guide, part recipe book, REAL BARBECUE offers information on where to find some of the best classic barbecue joints across country along with a smattering of mouth watering recipes.

The authors recently updated 100 barbecue joints list is augmented by sidebars about sauces and sides, information about how to create a cook pit, and bits and pieces of fascinating pork lore. Besides sections that focus on Texas ribs, cowboy-que, Low Country pulled pig, and California-que-zeen, you'll discover how to select the right meat for your own backyard barbecue and learn the secret of concocting the perfect sauce to slather on your pork, beef or chicken.

Some of the recipes worth considering for your next outdoor gathering include Barbecue Coleslaw, Aunt Esther's Sweet Potato Pie, Cheesy Corn Bread and The Rib Joint Roadhouse's Black Beans and Rice side.

For those traveling across the country by car this summer, check out the authors' list of Barbecue Festivals or stop at one of the "joints" reviewed in the book. Some tasty, authentic barbecue may assuage the price of gasoline!

Weber Charcoal Grilling by Jamie Purviance

Released February 2007
www.sunsetbooks.com

For many barbecue fans, spring is in the air. Home cooks are getting out of their kitchens and returning to decks and patios. If you are a skilled grillmeister, WEBER CHARCOAL GRILLING contains super recipes for appetizers, entrees, side dishes and desserts. If you are new to grilling, you'll find the handy tips make WEBER CHARCOAL GRILLING well worth the purchase price. Jamie Purviance's book bypasses propane grills and gets down to what I feel is the best barbecue method - charcoal.

I admit to owning two grills. We have a propane gas grill that is used when we are in a hurry. For most of our grilling, we prefer the charcoal smoker I purchased for Mother's Day last year.



The barbecue chicken we've created on the Charbroil Smoker grill is outstanding. Simply the best we've ever had. My kids love it, and I find myself craving it night after night. In fact, we could eat the chicken every night and never get tired of it.

WEBER CHARCOAL GRILLING contains more than 100 recipes. The book starts with a section on rubs, sauces and marinades and progresses into appetizers--the Beer Steamed Clams are fantastic. Other sections in the book include:

• Red Meat: Black Pepper New York Strip Steaks and the Family Fajita Bar are well worth trying.
• Pork: Baby Back Ribs and Pork and Mango Kabobs are both excellent.
• Poultry: Tequila Citrus Chicken Thighs and Garlic and Oregano Beer Can Chicken are favorites.
• Fish: Try the Fennel Spiced Salmon and Veracruz Scallops
• Sides: Highlights are the Bacon, Lettuce and Grilled Tomato Salad and Fennel, Pepper and Mozzarella Salad
• Desserts: Grilled Butter Rum Pineapple and Grilled Apricots and Pound Cake are exceptional.

The book adds tips on getting a decent bed of charcoals started, cooking times/temperatures for all cuts of meat and a section of blank recipes cards for you to create your own masterpieces.

Cooking by James Peterson

Ten Speed Press
ISBM: 9781580087896
2007
Cooking
www.tenspeed.com

Reviewed by Bob Walch

Although COOKING is somewhat pricey this cookbook returns exceptional value. When you factor in the 600 recipes and 1,500 photos in this 534 page cookbook, the cost isn't that big a deal. In fact, given what you get, some folks would call this a bargain!

Here's a sampling of what you'll find in COOKING: 28 recipes for shell fish and 24 for regular fish, 55 ways to prepare various veggies, 32 salads, 40 broths and soups, and over 80 special dessert and cookie recipes.

The only problem I have with this book is its size. Although it fit comfortably on the coffee table in my living room, it takes up too much space on the kitchen counter.

The easiest way of overcoming this problem is to make a working outline of the recipe ingredients and preparation instructions on a sheet of paper and then take that into the work area. This is an added step, but it does force you to familiarize yourself with the recipe before actually trying it.

Favorite recipes: Thai Cucumber Salad, Lamb Stew with Indian Spices, Red Wine Pot Roast, Cream and Yogurt, Mushroom and Sausage Gratin, and Crisp Puff Pastry Apple Tart.