Jenn’s Books

Title: The Joy of Cooking Author: Marion Rombauer Becker Format: Hardbound

If you do not have a copy of this book, my question to you is “How do you cook?” This is my bible in the kitchen. Last Thanksgiving was my first Thanksgiving cooking almost everything (my boyfriend made the garlic mash potatoes and they were so good!). The thing I like about Joy of Cooking is that it has general advice as well as specific recipes. So I had an idea for a sauce for the turkey consisting of red wine, rosemary, and a stick of butter. Off to the Joy of Cooking I went. So for a perfect bird, start with it breast down. I was quite pleased; I only caught myself on fire once, and the turkey was so juicy and delicious. I had a friend over who grew up in Japan and had never had turkey before so I was glad that it turned out perfect. Otherwise she would have gone home and told her mom “why do they have a holiday where all they do is eat this nasty meat?” I have found the book to be useful for all sorts of things outside of turkey. It’s got all of the basics of cooking. This is the perfect thing to give someone who is going away to college or someone who is getting married or someone who doesn’t have one.
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Title:Menus in Minutes Author: Better Homes and Gardens Format: Hard Spiral Bound

This is the best idea for a publisher of recipes I have ever seen. So first it’s spiral bound. Next it has all of the main courses on the top, and then on a different flap it has all of the sides. So you can turn to page 109 on the top half and get Ravioli With Vegetables and then turn to page 133 on the bottom half of the book and get Fruit Kabobs for dessert. Nutritional facts are there for the main course, but not on the desserts. I think that is the one failing point of the book. Other then that, I think it is a really cool addition to any kitchen.
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Title:A Thousand Years Over A Hot Stove Author: Laura Schenone Format: Trade Paperbound

I found I like cookbooks with personality. A Thousand Years Over A Hot Stove read more like a novel then a cookbook. The author starts with her own life and why she wrote the book. After that, she dives into the history of cooking, going back to before America was colonized, up to and through the depression and to modern day. And through her telling of history that reads much more like an old fairy tale then a history book, she generously dollops recipes and pictures. I really like how she has found this unique topic and given it a very unique voice. I also love the fact that she put in more then just American staple recipes, something outside of apple pie and hamburgers. I found everything from Pine Nut Soup, to Frittata of Zucchini. This book also won the James Beard Foundation/Kitchenaid Book Award, and did so rightly. I would suggest this title to anyone who has a love of history, especially women’s history, and cookbooks.
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TitleThe Espresso Bartenders Guide to Espresso Bartending Author: Sally Slankard Format: Trade Paperbound

Several years ago, I was training to be a barista, the person that makes your morning latte or cappuccino. I had no idea what any of the jargon meant; I was a simple brewed coffee, cream and sugar, thank you, kind of girl. But as the new job in the bookstore cafe would bring a much needed pay increase, I went over and picked up a book. This one happened to be it. It is a slightly playful introduction to all the lingo and recipes for coffee and espresso. It covers everything from the basic espresso shot, the building block for all drinks, to the mysterious macchiato, a shot with a little bit of foam on top, to the little known Con Panna, a shot of espresso with a touch of whipped cream. I am constantly battling customers who have just come from Starbucks and want their macchiato the Starbucks way. Well, the rest of the world calls that a caramel latte. This is a must-have training guide for any coffee shop and for anyone who wants to wow their guests. I was most amused to find that a non-fat, no foam, sugar free, decaf is called a No Fun up in Coffee Country, a.k.a. Seattle, Washington.
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Title: Garlic, Garlic, Garlic Author: Linda Griffith Format: Trade Paperbound

Garlic, Garlic, Garlic is a fascinating look at one of the most loved and hated herbs in all of history. The author Linda Griffith starts the book off with a dive into the history of why we love the taste but must hide the fact that we do from others. Mostly, it was the French aristocrats who noted that “garlic must be enjoyed in private.” After that, the recipes. I got so used to just taking a spoonful of minced garlic from a jar and adding it to my recipes, but there are so many other things that you could do with garlic then that. Plus, garlic is suspected to help you lower your cholesterol. I would recommend this book for anyone that likes garlic, even a little.
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Title: Comfort Food Makeovers Author: Elaine Magee Format: Spiral Bound

Let me start off by saying that I have high cholesterol. Now some of you may think this is too much information, but let me tell you why I share this. Before Elaine came to me with her book, I thought all hope was lost of ever having chicken pot pie again. Well, Elaine showed me that I was dead wrong. I love the layout of this book. It doesn’t have many pictures, but it does have a side by side comparison of the original full fat, full sugar, full etc. version to the healthier and just as tasty version. It is spiral bound, which is a huge plus as I have a tiny kitchen. And when she said comfort food, she meant it. There is a full chapter of desserts, not just a page or three like most recipe books of this nature. There are 208 pages filled with flavorful classics that your doctor wouldn’t scold you for. And for everything that is in this book, it is perfectly priced (list price is only $12.95). It is perfect for that someone whose doctor has told them to be on a diet, and thinks that they will have to live on celery and water for the rest of their lives.

If you would like more reviews of this title, please visit the Amazon website.