The Sweet Spot . Asian Inspired Desserts by Pichet Ong and Genevieve Ko
Amazon rates this 4.5 stars.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Finding a compilation of Asian-inspired desserts isn't always an easy task, as baking sections tend to be chockfull of Italian and French influenced titles. The good news is Ong (owner of NYC's P*ong) presents more than 100 accessible, top-notch recipes inspired from such countries as Japan (Honey Castella, or kasutera), China (Peanut Turnovers) and India (Pistachio Rose Thumbprint Cookies). Popular desserts from New York's famed Spice Market (where Ong has consulted). Chocolate and Vietnamese Coffee Tart and Jasmine Rice Pudding.lend themselves to frequent repetition. Twists on American favorites such as the Cracker Jack.like Spiced Caramel Popcorn made with mukawa (Indian candied fennel seed) and Coconut "Twinkie" Cupcakes with Lemon Filling are presented alongside adaptations of recipes from renowned pastry chefs and include Dragon Devil's Food Cupcakes (Elizabeth Falkner) and Chocolate-Mango Cheesecake Parfait with Macadamia Cookie Crumbs (Vicki Wells). Those unfamiliar with Asian ingredients can read up on everything from mochi flour to mangosteens in the Sweet Asian Pantry chapter. Recipe steps are numbered, and each selection includes a chef's tip.where to find ingredients, technique advice, cultural notes. A sleek design with color photos makes this a visual treat as well as a culinary one.
Review
"A must-have for avid pastry makers. The recipes are clever, intriguing, and utterly original - just like Pichet." -- Melissa Clark
"A standout and one of the most original dessert books in years..." -- New York Times Book Review
"An amazing debut from a leading authority and innovator. Pichet demystifies Asian desserts and excites us with updated classics. Bravo!" -- Susanna Foo
"Ong presents more than 100 accessible, top-notch recipes...a visual treat as well as a culinary one." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Pichet covers the Asian dessert idiom..." -- Bobby Flay
"Pichet manages to brilliantly realize the grand potential of combining eastern and western cuisine." -- Nancy Silverton
"You will be thrilled whenever you make any of these wonderful, super-delicious, desserts." -- Maida Heatter, author of Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts
... a unique cookbook that bridges East and West. -- Library Journal
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The Mediterranean Diet by Marissa Cloutier and Eve Adamson
Amazon rates this 4 stars.
Scientists have discovered that traditional Mediterranean cuisine is one of the most healthful, nutritious diets in the world -- one that can help everyone lose weight and enjoy lower rates of coronary heart disease and other chronic conditions, including diabetes and cancer. From tasty Moroccan vegetable stew to rosemary focaccia, from eggplant parmesan to lemon almond cake, The Mediterranean Diet offers a program that will make dieters everywhere -- and food lovers in general -- rejoice.
Includes a 7-day eating plan chock full of savory meals
Essential in-depth nutritional information about each food category
A 3-day exercise plan
Luscious soup-to-nuts recipes designed to satisfy your individual tastes
Lose weight and worry with every delicious meal!
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Summer Gatherings,Casual Food to Enjoy with Family and Friends by Rick Rodgers
Amazon rates this 5 stars.
"Rodgers...is at his creative best with Summer Gatherings, as he builds dishes around the ingredients that are in the garden....Full of original plates that are easy to prepare...[Summer Gatherings is] a keeper on the cook-book shelf of every kitchen." -- Electric Review
"Summer Gatherings will give my favorite specialty cookbook a run for its money....[It] isn.t yet another .let.s barbeque. guide with only slight variations on the same basic recipes...This book focuses on the fresh fruits and vegetables that are abundant during the summer months." -- EarthlyDelights
Review
"Rodgers...is at his creative best with Summer Gatherings, as he builds dishes around the ingredients that are in the garden....Full of original plates that are easy to prepare...[Summer Gatherings is] a keeper on the cook-book shelf of every kitchen." (Electric Review )
"Summer Gatherings will give my favorite specialty cookbook a run for its money....[It] isn't yet another 'let's barbeque' guide with only slight variations on the same basic recipes...This book focuses on the fresh fruits and vegetables that are abundant during the summer months." (EarthlyDelights )
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The Ultimate Cookbook by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
Amazon rates this 4.5 stars.
In books from their popular Ultimate series, including The Ultimate Shrimp Book and The Ultimate Brownie Book, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarborough have plumbed the depths of single-subject cookery, offering base recipes with many variations. The Ultimate Cook Book, their magnum opus, follows the same approach--over 900 recipes with variations are included for every course and occasion, including breakfast and snacks, plus a wide range of breads and desserts. Included are straightforward takes on old favorites, like roast chicken and hamburgers; innovative versions of familiar fare, such as Grilled Chili, and Banana Layer Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting; and "new" fare like Whole Fried Fish with Two Asian Sauces, Lemonade Bread, and Baked Pasta Casserole with Blue Cheese, Peas, and Artichoke Hearts. Present also are informative side bars, such as Know Your Greens, and equally enlightening notes on ingredients, equipment and techniques.
Falling somewhere between an all-purpose cookbook and a modern-classics compendium, this is an ambitious work that usually succeeds. Offering, for example, a basic recipe for deviled eggs and then providing six possible fillings for them, or supplying seven ways to bake thin fish fillets, is a welcome approach that helps readers grasp cooking anatomy. Occasionally, however, variations seem to have been included for their own sake, as when, for example, a lengthy list of alternative additions, including curry powder and lemon zest, is offered for scrambled eggs--the fact that one could use them doesn't mean one should. In addition, recipes, both traditional and modern, are not always in best taste--my grandmother would have rightly looked askance at matzo balls made with garlic and onion powders, and, probably, Winter Lasagna with Mushrooms, Spinach, and Tarragon too.
These things said, the book offers many solid, easy, and delicious formulas, like Tuscan-Inspired Pork Loin with Potatoes and Garlic and a wide range of cobblers with fillings including fig and pear cranberry, plus much useful and innovative insight into the cooking process itself. Cooks at all skill levels should find it a welcome kitchen addition. ---Arthur Boehm
Review
"Scarbrough & Weinstein? Too too divine! 900 recipes? That's three years' worth of meals! I can't wait. I love this food!" -- - Bette Midler
"This extensive cookbook will teach you everything from soup to nuts with innovative and straightforward recipes." -- -- Jacques Pepin (chef, cookbook author, cooking teacher, and host of his own PBS-TV series)
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