October 2023 MBR The Cookbook Shelf

The Cookbook Shelf

Taste of Home Budget-Friendly Cookbook
Taste of Home, editor
Trusted Media Brands
https://www.trustedmediabrands.com
9781621459514, $19.99, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Home-Budget-Friendly-Cookbook-thumbs-up/dp/1621459519< br>
Synopsis: With the publication of "Taste of Home Budget-Friendly Cookbook", it has never been easier for the family cook to cut grocery bills while dishing out the meals everyone requests, ranging from homey meat loaves and lasagnas, to new takes on pasta and ramen. "Taste of Home Budget-Friendly Cookbook" is packed with over 220 kitchen cook friendly recipes, dinner ideas, and affordable desserts for every dining occasion. The family will love these dishes, and the financial savings with respect to the weekly grocery bill.

Of special note is the bonus chapter on Pantry Staples showing how you can make your own marinara sauce, biscuit mix, pizza dough and condiments.

Critique: Profusely illustrated with the inclusion of some 150+ full-color photos, helpful icons for slow-cooked foods, recipes that use 5 or fewer ingredients, and 50+ dietitian-approved, good-for-you dishes, each recipe featured includes Prep/Cook timelines with each dish, Nutrition Facts with every recipe, and expert tips throughout to help save money and time alike. Thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' in organization and presentation, "Taste of Home Budget-Friendly Cookbook" is an especially recommended addition to personal and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "Taste of Home Budget-Friendly Cookbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Taste of Home (www.Tasteofhome.com) is the leading multi-platform producer of information on food, cooking, baking and entertaining, serving home cooks engaging media that capture the joy and comfort received from food made with love. Taste of Home magazine has a circulation of 1.5 million and publishes top-selling cookbooks and newsstand specials. The Taste of Home website is a top destination for engaging audiences with kitchen-tested recipes, how-to techniques, cooking videos and more.

Eating with the Tudors: Food and Recipes
Brigitte Webster
Pen & Sword Books
c/o Casemate (US distribution)
www.casematepublishers.com
https://www.penandswordbooks.com
9781399092593, $42.95, HC, 256pp

https://www.amazon.com/Eating-Tudors-Recipes-Brigitte-Webster/dp/1399092596

Synopsis: "Eating with the Tudors: Food and Recipes" is an extensive collection of authentic Tudor recipes by culinary historian Brigitte Webster that tell the story of a dramatically changing world in sixteenth-century England and highlights how religion, reformation and politics influenced what was served on a Tudor's dining table from the very beginning of Henry VII's reign to the final days of Elizabeth I's rule.

Fascinated readers will discover interesting and very carefully researched little food snippets drawn from Tudor society in the form of household account books, manuscripts, letters, wills, diaries and varied works by Tudor physicians, herbalists and chronologists. Readers will learn about the Tudor's obsession with food and uncover which key ingredients were the most popular choice. Furthermore, they will rediscover old Tudor favorites that once again are being celebrated in trendy restaurants and learn about the new, exotic food that excited and those foods that failed to meet the Elizabethan expectations.

"Eating with the Tudors: Food and Recipes" explains the whole concept of what a healthy balanced meal meant to the people of Tudor England and the significance and symbolic connotations of certain food, as well as its availability throughout the year. Readers will gain an insight into the world of Tudor food, its role to establish class, belonging and status and be tempted to re-create some iconic Tudor flavors and experience for yourself the many varied and delicious seasonal tastes that Tudor dishes have to offer. Spice up your culinary habits and step back in time to recreate a true Tudor feast by impressing your guests the Tudor way or prepare a New Year's culinary gift fit for a Tudor monarch!

Critique: Illustrated throughout with B/W photography, "Eating with the Tudors: Food and Recipes" is a unique, elegant, fascinating, informative combination of culinary history and historical 16th & 17th Century British recipes that served the royal courts of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. A pleasure to browse through, ideal for recreating elegantly historical menus, "Eating with the Tudors: Food and Recipes" is a very special and recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library cookbook collections and supplemental Tudor History curriculum studies lists. It should be noted that "Eating with the Tudors: Food and Recipes" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Brigitte Webster (https://www.tudorexperience.com) is a qualified teacher of home economics and history, making her the perfect 'accomplished' Tudor housewife in modern-day Britain. As a competent and experienced cook with a deep passion for Tudor history she fully immersed herself in archaeological, experimental cookery which also motivated her to grow period vegetables, herbs and fruits to achieve the most authentic end results.

In 2019 she and her husband bought a small Tudor manor that had escaped ruthless modernisation. This will form the hub of their Tudor & Seventeenth-century Experience where guests can enjoy hospitality in a place for like-minded people who can come together and embrace a stepping back into culinary Tudor England.

Brigitte has appeared on Professor Suzannah Lipscomb's TV series Walking Tudor England and is a regular contributor to the magazine Tudor Places. She also appears in popular history podcasts. In 2019 Brigitte was a guest speaker at the first TudorCon exposition in Pennsylvania.

The Cheese Life: Recipes, Cheeseboards and Pairings
Mathew Carver, author
Patrick McGuigan, author
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Publishing
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804191545, $29.99, HC, 208pp

https://www.amazon.com/Cheese-Life-Recipes-Cheeseboards-Pairings/dp/180419154X

Synopsis: Cheese has been around almost as long as human have. Now, as a new wave of artisan cheese appreciation sweeps the globe, "The Cheese Life: Recipes, Cheeseboards and Pairings " by co-authors Mathew Carver and Patrick McGuigan is an essential and inspirational companion for any and all cheese lovers. With gloriously gooey recipes, perfectly put-together cheeseboards and mouth-watering flavor pairings, this culinary compendium has everything you need to live the cheese life.

"The Cheese Life" begins with an introduction to the wonderful world of cheese, and how to buy, taste and cook with it, followed by over 50 recipes divided into Grill, Melt, Bake and Grate. From Baked Feta with Stewed Peppers & Honey to a Grilled Brie & Mushroom Sandwich, the recipes are creative, indulgent and let the quality and flavor of the cheese shine through. A final section explores the art of the cheeseboard, featuring 5 thematic cheeseboard suggestions, recipes for perfect accompaniments and a simple guide to drink pairing.

Interspersed throughout "The Cheese Life" are handy profiles for all key varieties, from mozzarella to halloumi, and nuggets of cheesy wisdom, including what to do with leftover rinds, the importance of temperature and how to store and slice your cheeses.

Critique: An absolute 'must' for the cookbook collections of all dedicated cheese fans, "The Cheese Life: Recipes, Cheeseboards and Pairings" is beautifully illustrated compendium of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, and truly memorable ways to grill, melt, bake, grate, or simply utilizing sliced cheeses for any dining occasion. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99), "The Cheese Life: Recipes, Cheeseboards and Pairings" is a very special and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

Editorial Note #1: Mathew Carver founded The Cheese Truck in 2014 after a brief 'research' trip across the States. Since then, he's become a well-respected and vocal advocate of British cheese, judging at the World Cheese Awards since 2017, the British Cheese Awards and Young Cheesemonger of the Year. He has three restaurants in London - The Cheese Bar, Pick & Cheese and The Cheese Barge. Patrick McGuigan has written about cheese for publications including the Telegraph, The Financial Times and delicious. His first book, The Philosophy of Cheese, was published by the British Library in 2020.

Editorial Note #2: Patrick McGuigen (https://www.patrickmcguigan.com) is a UK-based cheese writer and teacher, who has travelled from the Swiss Alps to the pastures of Vermont to interview the world's best cheesemakers, maturers and cheesemongers. He writes extensively on the subject for national newspapers and magazines, such as The Telegraph and delicious, and has appeared on BBC Radio 4's The Food Programme. His first book, The Philosophy of Cheese, was published by The British Library in 2020.

A Very Vegan Christmas
Sam Dixon
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9780600638032, $19.99, HC, 176pp

https://www.amazon.com/Very-Vegan-Christmas-Plant-based-celebrating/dp/0600638030

Synopsis: For most of us, Christmas is a feast of meat, cheese and chocolate, but with more people turning to a plant-based diet, there is a growing need for a festive vegan cookbook.

With the publication of "A Very Vegan Christmas: Plant-based recipes for celebrating in style", vegan expert Sam Dixon showcases fabulous vegan recipes along with stellar color images so that a Christmas (or any other holiday) celebratory occasion everyone, vegan and non-vegan, can sit at the table and enjoy some fantastic Christmas cooking.

Critique: "A Very Vegan Christmas" offers a wide range of palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly, solidly vegan recipes that include such culinary delights as a Spinich & Apricot Wreath, Mushroom Wellington, Creamy Hispi Cabbage, Nut Roast Raps, Pastry Serap Suyn Dried Tomato Pinwheels, and so much more! -- Then there are vegan deserts that range from Chewy Ginger Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches, to Sticky Stem Ginger Toffee Pudding, to Mincemeat & Apple Studel -- and more! Simply stated, "A Very Vegan Christmas" will prove an immediately welcome and enduringly popular addition to personal, professional, and community library Vegan/Vegetarian cook book collections.

Editorial Note: Sam Dixon (www.samdixonstylist.com) is a self-taught food stylist for cookbooks, magazines, film and TV, learnt through industry with a background in baking. She officially started her career in food at Violet bakery in East London. A love for seasonal ingredients, creativity and aesthetics was developed here. Since then, she has worked with numerous publications and brands such as The Guardian, GQ, The Telegraph, Hix, the White Company, Kyle Books, Quadrille and Hodder and Stoughton. She is also the co-creator of Studio Feast, a food photography studio in Hackney, London.

Paddy's Pub
Laurel Randolph
Hyperion Avenue
c/o Disney Books
https://books.disney.com
9781368083799, $22.99, HC, 160pp

https://www.amazon.com/Paddys-Pub-Philadelphia-Always-Cookbook/dp/136808379X

Synopsis: Are you a dedicated fan of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'? Have you ever wanted to try Frank Reynolds's iconic Rum Ham? Have you been dying to make your own Trash Bag Full of Chimichangas to rival Fat Mac's? Does the mere sight of Charlie's delectable Milk Steak (raw jelly beans on the side) make your mouth water? If not, you're clearly a jabroni.

But if you have any sense of taste or class, then this 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' themed cookbook is the one for you.

"Paddy's Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia" is a wonderfully illustrated with full page, full color shots drawn from the series with its memorable characters and features more than 45 recipes straight from the Gang. Now you can learn to cook Guigino's special $44 Snapper so you can demonstrate your value even when your fish supplier has an incident at their facility. Try your hand at making the McPoyles' Milk Punch, this time without the bath salts to save someone an eye or two. And don't forget Mac's Famous Mac and Cheese, where you can live your perfect suburban life with a simple whip of a spoon.

From breakfast to dinner, and plenty in between, this is a unique cookbook that turns your favorite meals from the show into innovative and easy-to-follow recipes. Filled with playful photography and quotes, "Paddy's Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia" is the ultimate guide to all the iconic dishes and is a must-have for every fan. Whether you're the golden god or the wild card, pick up this book and impress your own Gang with sick culinary skills. So . . . where's the food?

Critique: An absolute 'must' for the legions of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' fans, "Paddy's Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia" is fun to browse through and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' to plan and create memorable and celebratory dining occasions with friends and family. While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99), "Paddy's Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, family, and community library cookbook collections.

Editorial Note: Laurel Randolph (http://laurelrandolph.com) has been a food writer for over ten years and a cook since she was old enough to properly hold a whisk. She is the best-selling author of The Unofficial Simpsons Cookbook, The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals, The Instant Pot No-Pressure Cookbook: 100 Low-Street, High Flavor Recipes, and Instant Pot Desserts. She has developed hundreds of recipes and written for numerous publications including The Spruce Eats, The Kitchn, Eaten Magazine, Food 52, Simply Recipes, Los Angeles Magazine, EatingWell, Paste Magazine, and Serious Eats.

Food With Spirit: Alcohol-Infused Recipes
Alicia Shevetone
Gaudium Publishing
c/o Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592113118, $39.99, HC, 124pp

https://www.amazon.com/Food-Spirit-Alcohol-Infused-Alicia-Shevetone/dp/1592113117

Synopsis: "Food With Spirit: Alcohol-Infused Recipes" is a culinary compendium showcasing outstanding fifty recipes spread across five sections: Appetizers, Soups, Entrees, Sides, and Desserts. All fifty recipes are infused with some of our favorite intoxicants ranging from spiced rum to the smooth flavors of cognac. Each individual recipe is complemented with beautiful full page photos, and accompanied by culinary author Alicia Shevetone's wonderfully entertaining stories of her career as a Las Vegas chef.

Critique: While also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), this large format (8.5 x 0.6 x 11 inches, 1.77 pounds) coffee-table style edition of "Food With Spirit: Alcohol-Infused Recipes" is a unique, menu inspiring, unique and prized addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

Editorial Note: Alicia Shevetone (https://www.dinkcuisine.com) is a chef, an author, a television personality, and the creator of DINK Cuisine (Dual Income No Kids) where there are no leftovers, cooking is easy, and you leave the kitchen with a smile. She curates customized cooking experiences across print, digital, social media, and live media. Alicia's ambition is to become the culinary voice for couples of all flavors. She is a frequent guest on lifestyle television programs, and a provocative writer on topics ranging from overeating due to overcooking and the reduction of food waste through portion control.

How to Fall in Love with Tofu
Emma de Thouars
Smith Street Books
c/o Rizzoli
www.rizzoliusa.com
9781922754479, $29.95, HC, 192pp

https://www.amazon.com/How-Fall-Love-Tofu-Breakfast/dp/1922754471

Synopsis: Tofu is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness: silken, soft, firm, extra (or super) firm. There are many varieties of tofu. It has a subtle flavor, so it can be used in savory and sweet dishes. It is often seasoned or marinated to suit the dish and its flavors, and due to its spongy texture, it absorbs flavors well. It is a traditional component of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines, and has been consumed in China for over 2,000 years. In modern Western cooking, it is most often treated as a meat substitute. (Wikipedia)

Nutritionally, tofu is low in calories, while containing a relatively large amount of protein. It is high in iron, and can have a high calcium or magnesium content depending on the coagulants (e.g. calcium chloride, calcium sulphate, magnesium sulphate) used in manufacturing.

Tofu is the perfect canvas to soak up a pan's flavors. Much more than a meat substitute or a health food alternative, tofu is a delicious staple with endless, delicious possibilities.

With the publication of "How to Fall in Love with Tofu", culinary expert Emma de Thouars shares 40 of these recipes in her new cookbook dedicated to tofu. Mostly inspired by cuisines across Asia, there are recipes for Mapo Tofu, Korean Tofu Pancakes, Stuffed Tofu with Minced Pork, Omelets with Chili Oil, and Dumplings, as well as some Western favorites like Sloppy Joes and Chocolate Mousse.

De Thouars also shares how all the varieties of tofu can shine as the centerpiece of a meal that's very much worth eating, whether you're a vegan or a devoted meat eater. Anyone can learn to love tofu, and de Thouars is here to show you how.

Critique: Beautifully and profusely illustrated throughout with full color photography of finished dishes and showcasing the forty 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for tofu based dishes that are ideal for all dining occasions ranging from breakfast, to lunch, to dinner and dessert, "How to Fall in Love with Tofu" will prove to be an immediately inspiring and enduringly welcome addition to personal, family, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

Editorial Note: Emma de Thouars is a culinary writer and recipe developer. She has a great fondness for Asian cuisines and spends as much time as possible on that part of the globe. She has previously written Amazing Asia and Emma's Amazing Asia: Vegan. You can find all her culinary inspiration on her Instagram (@emmadethouars), where she posts recipe videos almost daily, from simple scrambled eggs with tomato to homemade tofu.

The Grace-Filled Homestead Cookbook
Lana Stenner
Ten Peaks Press
c/o Harvest House Publishers
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
9780736984782, $24.99, PB, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Filled-Homestead-Cookbook-Garden-Fresh-Celebrating/dp/073698478X

Synopsis: More than just a chore, home cooking can be a wonderful gift that you give yourself and your loved ones, encouraging connection and simpler, slower living. Now, with the publication of "The Grace-Filled Homestead Cookbook: Garden-Fresh Recipes Celebrating Food, Family, and the Farm", Lana Stenner enables you to experience a taste of the good life with these mouth-watering recipes that incorporate some of the best ingredients each season of the year has to offer.

Make your SPRING sing with bacon-wrapped asparagus, lilac-glazed donuts, and wild-violet hot cross buns.

Soak up SUMMER as you savor sweet zucchini scones with apricot compote, ladybug caprese mini salad, and raspberry lemonade bloom popsicles.

FALL for a new favorite, including rosemary roasted concord chicken, stuffed acorn squash, and salted caramel cookie cake.

Cozy up in WINTER with sugar plum cream cheese stuffed French toast, creamy baked potato soup, and buttermilk biscuits with sage sausage gravy.

Are you hungry for more wholesome, homemade meals? As promised in its title, "The Grace-Filled Homestead Cookbook: Garden-Fresh Recipes Celebrating Food, Family, and the Farm" is the cookbook offering you the fresh start you've been looking for.

Critique: Beautifully illustrated throughout with full page color photographs of finished dishes, "The Grace-Filled Homestead Cookbook: Garden-Fresh Recipes Celebrating Food, Family, and the Farm" is an impressively 'kitchen cook friendly' compendium of seasonally based, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, kitchen cook friendly dishes for every dining occasion. This large format (7.75 x 0.75 x 9.75 inches) paperback edition from Ten Peaks Press is a very special pick for personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections. It should be noted that "The Grace-Filled Homestead Cookbook" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99).

Editorial Note: Lana Stenner (https://lanastenner.com) shares stories about faith, family, and the farm (and more than a few recipes) on her blog and podcast. She also teaches business classes at a local university. Along with her fireman husband and five children, Lana lives on a small farmstead in Kansas City, Missouri, where she raises goats, chickens, and bees.

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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review