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Black & White Cookbooks
cookbook reviewsblack & white cookbooks

Reviews by Jeremy Emmerson

June 2004
A cookbook isn't a cookbook without photographs… isn't it? Well, I have always stood by this statement, but after my latest research I am not so sure. This month I reviewed a bundle of photo free titles that offered inspiration and more without a bead of sweat rolling from the brow of a stubbly food photographer. Here are the best ones…

The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating
By: Fergus Henderson
List Price: $19.95
Amazon Price: $13.97
You Save: $5.98


A certified "foodie" classic. In Nose to Tail Fergus Henderson -- whose London restaurant, St. John, is a world-renowned destination for people who love to eat "on the wild side" -- presents the recipes that have marked him out as one of the most innovative, yet traditional, chefs. Here are recipes that hark back to a strong rural tradition of delicious thrift, and that literally represent Henderson's motto, "Nose to Tail Eating" -- be they Pig's Trotter Stuffed with Potato, Rabbit Wrapped in Fennel and Bacon, or his signature dish of Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad. For those of a less carnivorous bent, there are also splendid dishes such as Deviled Crab; Smoked Haddock, Mustard, and Saffron; Green Beans, Shallots, Garlic, and Anchovies; and to keep the sweetest tooth happy, there are gloriously satisfying puddings, notably the St. John Eccles Cakes, and a very nearly perfect Chocolate Ice Cream.

Summary
A bargain. A one of a kind book. And a great source for finding out how to cook some strange bits and bobs… Buy It On Line!

The Cheese Board: Collective Works: Bread, Pastry, Cheese, Pizza
By: The Cheese Board Collective
List Price: $21.95
Amazon Price: $15.37
You Save: $6.58


When a tiny cheese shop opened in Berkeley, California, in 1967, there was little hint of what the store-and the neighborhood-would grow into over the next 30 years. The Cheese Board became a collective a few years later and Chez Panisse opened across the street, giving birth to one of the country's most vibrant food neighborhoods, the epicenter of California's culinary revolution. Equal parts bakery, cheese store, pizzeria, and gathering place, the Cheese Board is a patchwork of the local community, where a passion for good food runs deep. The Cheese Board presents over 100 recipes for the store's classic breads, pastries, and pizzas, along with a history of the collective and an extensive cheese primer.

Summary
A good read, solid recipes and well worth buying at only fifteen bucks. Buy It On Line!

Cooking by Hand
Paul Bertolli
List Price: $40.00
Amazon Price: $28.00
You Save: $12.00


Staying in the Bay area, Paul Bertolli offers perhaps one of the most inspirational cookooks That I can remember reading. From "Twelve Ways of Looking at Tomatoes" to Italian salumi in "The Whole Hog," Bertolli explores his favorite foods with the vividness of a natural writer and the instincts of a superlative chef. Scattered throughout are more than 140 recipes remarkable for their clarity, simplicity, and seductive appeal, from Salad of Bitter Greens, Walnuts, Tesa, and Parmigiano and Chilled Shellfish with Salsa Verde to Short Ribs Agrodolce and Tagliolini Pasta with Crab. Unforgettable desserts, such as Semifreddo of Peaches and Mascarpone and Hazelnut Meringata with Chocolate and Espresso Sauce, round out a collection that's destined to become required reading for any food lover.

Summary
One of the best food books (with or without pictures) that I have got my hands on in a good while… Buy It On Line!

The Taste Makers: How New World Foods Came To Old World Kitchens
Vicki Oppenheime
$21.95


"The Taste Makers: How New World Foods Came To Old World Kitchens" is 95-year-old Vicki Oppenheime's second food history book. Within its pages Vicki reveals that foods we think of as being European, Asiatic or African were actually brought over from the New World. These strange new cuisines caused culinary, cultural and even religious conflicts.

Oppenheime's narrative is peppered throughout with delightful recipes (nearly 100) that her credo of "fresh, fast and simple".

Summary
An interesting educational read for the most seasoned cook or new cook… Buy It On Line!

Potsticker Chronicles: America's Favorite Chinese Recipes
By: Stuart Chang Berman
List Price: $27.50
Amazon Price: $18.70
You Save: $8.80


A well written, witty book that offers an insight into the author Stuart Chang Berman's life-long experiences in Chinese restaurant kitchens. This memoir/cookbook comes with over 160 recipes that highlight more than the mere Potsticker.

Summary
Fun and tasty… Buy It On Line!

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