Cookbook reviews

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls in Tomato Sauce
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls in Tomato Sauce

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls in Tomato Sauce excerpted from Veg-Table: Recipes, Techniques + Plant Science for Big Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals by Nik Sharma. © 2023. Published by Chronicle Books. Photographs © Nik Sharma.

Veg-Table: Recipes, Techniques, and Plant Science for Big-Flavored, Vegetable-Focused Meals by Nik Sharma

Nik Sharma, blogger at A Brown Table, Serious Eats columnist, and author of the bestselling cookbooks The Flavor Equation and Season, brings us his most cookable collection of recipes yet in Veg-Table.

Vegetable-focused recipes are organized into chapter by plant family, with storage, buying, and cooking methods for all. Here is a technique-focused repertoire for weeknight mains for cooks of all skill levels looking to add more delicious and satisfying vegetable dishes to their diet. Combining the scientific underpinnings of The Flavor Equation with the inviting and personal recipes of Season, this book features more than fifty vegetables, revealing their origins, biology, and unique characteristics and resulting in a recipe collection of flavours and techniques that are tried, true, and perfected by rigorous testing and a deep scientific lens.

Veg-Table includes Sharma’s first-ever pasta recipes published in a cookbook: Pasta with Broccoli Miso Sauce, Shallot and Spicy Mushroom Pasta, and more. And vegetable-focused doesn’t mean strictly vegetarian; bring plants and meat together with delicious recipes like Chicken Katsu with Poppy Seed Coleslaw. A wide variety of hot and cold soups, salads, sides, sauces, and rice-, egg-, and bean-based dishes round out this collection. (more…)

Beetroot Tempeh Smash Burgers
Beetroot Tempeh Smash Burgers

Beetroot Tempeh Smash Burgers excerpted from Mildreds Easy Vegan: Exciting food, simply cooked by Mildreds. Photography by David Loftus.

Mildreds Easy Vegan: Exciting food, simply cooked by Mildreds

Bringing the restaurant’s most delicious dishes to your kitchen, Mildreds Easy Vegan is packed full of punchy flavours and food that will satisfy even the most ardent meat eater.

Designed for seasoned vegans and novices alike, this book has more than 115 simple recipes, as well as tips for how best to cook with plants.

Contents include:

Chapter 1: Brunch
Including Tropical fruit buttermilk pancakes, Sweetcorn fritters and Kimchi grilled cheese

Chapter 2: Sharing
Including Hummus three ways, Whipped avocado & jalapeño quesadilla and Tempeh larb

Chapter 3: Light
Including Grilled peach, tomato & Thai basil salad, Mushroom miso broth with gyoza and Smoky chickpea cobb salad (more…)

Orange and Cardamom French Toast
Orange and Cardamom French Toast

Orange and Cardamom French Toast excerpted from Maman and Me: Recipes from Our Iranian American Family by Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh. Photographs © 2023 Farrah Skeiky.

Maman and Me: Recipes from Our Iranian American Family by Roya Shariat and Gita Sadeh

You will fall in love with Roya Shariat and her mother, Gita Sadeh, as they welcome you into their home and share their favourite cherished family recipes that include soups and stews, main dishes, desserts, beverages, and so much more. The book takes a unique approach to Iranian cuisine, with recipes and twists that celebrate the evolution of Iranian food in America. Lush, full-colour photographs accompany these stunning recipes, many of which are vegetarian, vegan, and/or gluten-free, and include:

  • Garlicky Eggplant Dip (Kashk Bademjoon)
  • Chilled Yogurt and Herb Soup (Ab Doogh Khiar)
  • Split Chickpea Stew with Crunchy Potatoes (Gheymeh)
  • Sweet and Sour Pomegranate and Walnut Stew (Fessenjoon)
  • Syrupy Semolina Cake (Cake-e Sharbati)
  • Rice! Tahdig three ways, in addition to dishes like Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice with Chicken (Tahchin)
  • And many more

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Lobster Thermidor
Lobster Thermidor

Lobster Thermidor excerpted from Seafood Simple by Eric Ripert. Copyright © 2023 by Eric Ripert. Photographs by Nigel Parry. Published by Appetite, by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited.

Excerpted from Seafood Simple by Eric Ripert. Copyright © 2023 by Eric Ripert. Photographs by Nigel Parry. Published by Appetite, by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

In its three decades at the top of New York City’s restaurant scene, Le Bernardin has been celebrated as one of the finest seafood restaurants in the world and its iconic chef Eric Ripert as the expert in fish cookery. Now, in Seafood Simple, Ripert demystifies his signature cuisine, making delectable fish dishes achievable for home cooks of all skill levels—yet still with elegance and panache.

Breaking down cooking techniques into their building blocks, along with images to illustrate each step in the process, Seafood Simple teaches readers how to master core skills, from poaching and deep frying to filleting a fish and shucking an oyster. These techniques are then applied to eighty-five straightforward, delicious recipes, many of which include substitutions for maximum ease. Dishes like Tuna Carpaccio, Crispy Fish Tacos, Shrimp Tempura, Miso Cod, and Spaghetti Vongole show us how to bring out the vibrant flavor and incredible versatility of seafood. Each recipe is accompanied by a gorgeous image by renowned photographer Nigel Parry, as well as step-by-step photos for each of the twenty techniques taught in the book.

Stunning, delectable, and above all, actually doable, Seafood Simple is a master class from one of the world’s greatest chefs, created especially for the home cook. (more…)

Espresso Coffee Cake
Espresso Coffee Cake

Espresso Coffee Cake excerpted from BReD by Edward Tatton and Natasha Tatton. Copyright © 2023 Edward Tatton and Natasha Tatton. Photography by Janis Nicolay. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited.

BReD: Sourdough Loaves, Small Breads, and Other Plant-Based Baking Hardcover by Ed Tatton

Sourdough bread is naturally vegan—flour, water, and salt transformed into extraordinary, delicious bread. Ed Tatton, vegan chef, artisan bread-maker, and co-owner of the popular vegan café and bakery BReD with Natasha Tatton, has been baking and refining his recipes and techniques for naturally leavened sourdough for many years—including a wide array of boules, baguettes, loaves, flatbreads, buns, and pizza. As required, he uses plant-based alternatives in some savoury and sweet sourdoughs that would traditionally include dairy (butter, milk, or buttermilk) including panettone buns, hot cross buns, sticky buns, cinnamon buns, English muffins, brioche, and babka.

Inside BReD, you’ll find these perfected recipes to start your journey in bread-making; along with a detailed sourdough starter guide with step-by-step visuals on making and maintaining a sourdough starter, levain, mixing, shaping, and baking methods.

BReD is a complete plant-based book for bakers that goes beyond just making bread. Experienced bakers and novices alike can take their baking to the next level with gorgeous vegan baked goods from cakes, muffins, and scones to biscuits, cookies, and tarts. Passionate about a vegan lifestyle for the benefit of all people and the planet, the book also includes gluten-free recipes (bread and other baked goods), discard starter recipes to further zero-waste efforts, and an offering of dips, spreads, and accompaniments to complement the breads. (more…)

Cherry Coke Float
Cherry Coke Float

Cherry Coke Float excerpted from Disco Drinks: 60 Decadent and Delicious Cocktails, Pitcher Drinks, and No/Lo Sippers by Jassy Davis.

Disco Drinks: 60 Decadent and Delicious Cocktails, Pitcher Drinks, and No/Lo Sippers by Jassy Davis

Immerse yourself with ’70s vibes by making and enjoying 60 disco-inspired cocktails, slushies, and martinis that will put you in a groovy mood.

With step-by-step instructions for each cocktail, accompanied by a full-colour illustration of the beautiful finished product, Disco Drinks is your key to a slammin’ 1970s-themed cocktail party, and an exciting addition to any mixology enthusiast’s collection. Featuring recipes that can be created at any time in any kitchen, transform your home into the new hot destination.

This recipe guide includes tutorials for both beginners and expert mixologists. Learn new techniques for layering, garnishing, and decorations, and rediscover old favorites that have stood the test of time.

Inspired by the 1970s party spirit, you will find playful and colourful drinks such as:

  • Rainbow Over Paradise
  • Blue Hawaii
  • Pink Squirrel
  • Midori Sour
  • Harvey Wallbanger
  • Aperol Spritz
  • Shark Bite
  • Lemon Drop Shooters
  • Strawberry Frose
  • And more!

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Masala spatchcock chicken
Masala spatchcock chicken

Masala spatchcock chicken excepted from Chetna’s Indian Feasts: Everyday meals and easy entertaining by Chetna Makan. Photography by Nassima Rothacker.

Chetna's Indian Feasts: Everyday meals and easy entertaining by Chetna Makan

Chetna Makan is the queen of Indian home cooking. First introduced to us on The Great British Bake Off, Chetna has since authored several bestselling cookbooks that combine her inventive flavours with a love of simple Indian recipes.

In this newest collection, Chetna provides us with flavour-packed feasts designed to please a crowd. Chetna’s accessible style and supermarket-friendly ingredients prove that you don’t need to be an expert to entertain.

Chetna’s Indian Feasts provides a varied array of delicious dishes, grouped together by theme so you know exactly how to pair your platters. Whether this is a big celebration or a quick-fix family dinner, you will find enticing yet easy recipes for every occasion.

Vibrant, varied and reliably delicious, Chetna’s food will always impress.

 

CONTENTS INCLUDES:

Friday Night Feasts
Onion chickpea bhajis; Chicken tikka masala; Prawn vindaloo (more…)

Sunday Pot Roast
Sunday Pot Roast

Sunday Pot Roast excerpted from Comfort Food Essentials: Over 100 Delicious Recipes for All-Time Favorite Feel-Good Foods (Fox Chapel Publishing) Cozy Cookbook – Banana Bread, Mac and Cheese, Chicken Noodle Soup, Pizza, and More by Kim Wilcox. Photography by Chris Grove.

Comfort Food Essentials: Over 100 Delicious Recipes for All-Time Favorite Feel-Good Foods (Fox Chapel Publishing) Cozy Cookbook - Banana Bread, Mac and Cheese, Chicken Noodle Soup, Pizza, and More by Kim Wilcox

A delicious, down-home cookbook of all your favourite comfort foods!

  • Over 100 recipes, some sweet and some savoury, for today’s most beloved, cozy, and nostalgic comfort foods.
  • Breakfast ideas, lunch, dinner, dessert, side dishes, soups, breads, toppings, beverages, and more.
  • Family-friendly favorites including banana bread, Christmas Eve chili, pizza, mac and cheese, chicken noodle soup, lasagna, and many more.
  • Tried-and-true recipes from the author’s own restaurant and childhood, as well as a selection of offerings from other chefs.
  • Author Kim Wilcox is the owner of It’s All So Yummy in Knoxville, Tennessee, author of The Great Book of Grilled Cheese, and her recipes also appeared in The Ultimate Spam Cookbook.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Macaroni and cheese. Nothing beats a warm, cozy meal that feels like a hug, and Comfort Food Essentials is here to provide you with endless ideas for everyone’s favourite kind of food!

From breakfast, lunch, and dinner to sides, breads, desserts, and even toppings, this comfort food cookbook features over 100 hearty recipes the whole family is sure to love. These are dishes from the author’s own restaurant, as well as family recipes that she has tweaked over the years. She even features a chapter of the favorite comfort food recipes of her chef friends!

Packed with recipes like beef stew, meatloaf, chicken salad, sausage gravy, stuffed French toast, beans and rice, and so much more, each all-time favourite, down-home recipe is sure to warm your heart and soul as you gather around the table and dig in! Here is just a small sampling of the many recipes included in this book: (more…)

Beer-BQ Party Meatballs
Beer-BQ Party Meatballs

Beer-BQ Party Meatballs excerpted from Cooking with Beer and Bourbon: 120 Recipes with a Kick by Hunter Reed. Photograph © G&R Publishing DBA CQ Products.

Cooking with Beer and Bourbon: 120 Recipes with a Kick by Hunter Reed

Take your cooking to the next level with a splash of booze!

  • A must-have cookbook that uses beer and bourbon as a key ingredient to elevate the flavour profile of all-time favourite and classic meals
  • Over 100 mouth-watering recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, side dishes, dips, sauces, appetizers, snacks, and drinks
  • Recipes include IPA siracha wings, beer-dipped grilled cheese, bourbon pulled pork pizza, chocolate porter pie, and much more
  • Add something special to tried-and-true favorites and get inspired with a new experience while preparing gourmet-tasting meals from home

Cooking with Beer and Bourbon packs built-in flavour to your dishes, making your favourite spirit perfect for baking, deglazing, marinating, simmering, sautéing, and of course, sipping!

Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, side dishes, snacks, or dessert, cooking with alcohol easily elevates a simple dish and gives meals from home cooks a chef-level taste. (more…)

Baked Apples with Oat Crumble
Baked Apples with Oat Crumble

Baked Apples with Oat Crumble excerpted from Fraiche Food Fuller Hearts by Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer. Copyright © 2023 Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer. Photography by Rachelle Beatty.

Fraiche Food, Fuller Hearts: Wholesome Everyday Recipes Made With Love by Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer

Inspired by cozy memories of those sweet, simple days enjoying wholesome meals together with their large close-knit family, bestselling authors and cousins Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer share an all-new collection of favourite recipes straight from the heart of their bustling kitchens. Featuring over 135 everyday recipes along with some beloved classics that have a modern, healthyish, often plant-forward twist, inspired by the smart hacks their moms and granny used to whip up memorable, easy-to-make meals.

Fraiche Food, Fuller Hearts is filled with simple, feel-good recipes that focus on fresh, whole foods for you and your loved ones to enjoy any day of the week. The book is plant-forward with ways to adapt recipes for vegan versions wherever possible like Baked Crispy Cauliflower Sandwiches, Vegan Mac and Cheeze, and Tropical Tofu Bowls. All the recipes are family-friendly and perfect for weekday or casual weekend meals including Sheet-Pan Breakfast Pizza, Fish Tacos, and Butternut Squash Gyros. And sure to please everyone, you’ll find plenty of heart-warming recipes including cozy soups, one pot/pan meals, easy-to-make breads from Granny’s Cinnamon Buns to No-Knead Bread, and flavourful, rustic desserts from Lazy Daisy Cake to Baked Apples with Oat Crumble.

Fraiche Food, Fuller Hearts: Wholesome Everyday Recipes Made With Love by Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Indigo.ca.     

Baked Apples with Oat Crumble

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