The aim of restaurateur Becerra’s ambitious debut is to teach readers new ways of flavoring nourishing foods, but while the recipes are certainly creative, for many they will be out of reach. The first section, titled “Elements,” includes sauces, pickles, stocks, pastes, and other pantry staples to be used in dishes featured in the following section. Her citronette (a citrus-based vinaigrette), for example, dresses both the collard green and peach summer salad and the shaved mushroom, dandelion, and petal salad. Becerra also lists uses for the pantry recipes that go beyond the book, noting, for example, that miso butter is tasty as a glaze for sauteed mushrooms. Salted cod puffs with green olive aioli are “a special apéro dish,” while salt-baked vegetables with cacao seed mix promise to be the “pièce de resistance” at any dinner party. Becerra writes with an experienced home chef in mind, asserting that readers should rely on their own intuition and not necessarily follow her recipes to the letter. It’s encouraging advice, but when so many of the recipes feel fussy and rely on difficult-to-source ingredients such as lion’s mane powder and uni, it’s hard to take it on board. Still, adventurous home cooks will want to try this out. (June)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this excellent insider’s tour of California’s farming scene, Rice (Beer Bread) introduces home cooks to the benefits of local ingredients, from avocados and figs to walnuts and Dungeness crab. The straightforward recipes—some author-created, others collected from the state’s farmers—are organized by origin in sections titled “From the Soil,” “From the Trees,” “From the Pasture,” and “From the Water.” The final chapter, “At the Table,” which features special occasion menus, rounds out the book’s 100 offerings. Of particular note are a tempting crème fraîche-slicked pistachio flatbread with red grapes and a creamy herby duck egg salad. Other savory dishes include garlicky roasted purple cauliflower and cracked Dungeness crab with garlic sea salt and aleppo pepper, while tempting dessert offerings include the jammy “Grandma Elsie’s World-Famous Persimmon Cookies” and goat cheese ice cream sandwiches between brown butter cookies. Throughout, Rice showcases her deep knowledge of California’s farming community, most evident in her vibrant grower profiles: she describes how George and Joseph Tudor’s desert ranch cultivates Medjool dates and how Brown Girl Farms employs African growing techniques to harvest Black heritage crops like purple tree collards. Farmers’ contact information helps out-of-staters purchase ingredients. Winters proves an expert guide for anyone looking to explore the bounty of the Golden State. (June)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

Winking’s 2021 memoir, Capable, reflected on raising a son with Sotos syndrome, which is characterized by low muscle tone and developmental delays. That experience informs this empathetic guide on how parents can encourage children who have disabilities or are neurodivergent to be more independent. Outlining “habits” parents should follow, Winking advises readers to “send your child the message that you think they are capable,” recounting how she lets her son spend “an uncomfortably long time” inserting straws into juice boxes because succeeding in doing so boosts his confidence. Parents should lean into a child’s “natural curiosities to build agency and skills,” Winking contends, suggesting that if they have a special interest in horses, signing them up for a riding club could give them experience socializing. Elsewhere, Winking encourages parents to let children make their own decisions when possible and to ensure their own “fears don’t get in the way of their child’s growth.” The thoughtful guidance emphasizes the importance of setting realistic expectations while challenging children to get outside their comfort zone, and Winking brings a welcome recognition that “what capable looks like depends on your child’s developmental level and life circumstances.” Compassionate and sensible, this will be a balm for parents of children with disabilities. (June)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

This slight debut compendium from Maillard brings together hundreds of cross-stitch patterns she collected from old manuals. The majority of the designs are for alphabets, since the patterns are lifted from books intended to help women initial their household linens. Disappointingly, Maillard doesn’t provide any further details on the originating manuals, or even what eras they date from. The letter styles are ornate, and they retain some antiquated irregularities (“The I and the J are often conflated into one letter,” she notes). Maillard dispenses a few basic tips, recommending that readers count out stitches from the center of the fabric before beginning, to ensure they have enough room, and that they “slip the last inches of thread through some stitches at the back to stop them from fraying when washing.” Unfortunately, there’s no written or illustrated step-by-step instructions, just designs overlaid onto grids, making this feel more like a look book than a guide. There are a few intricate pictorial motifs featuring the Eiffel Tower, flowers, swans, and teapots, but the hundreds of alphabets feel like overkill. The retro designs have their charm, but this comes across as a one-trick pony. (June)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

Journalist Lampert debuts with a trenchant investigation of the egg freezing industry and the commodification of women’s reproductive health. Doctors first recommended Lampert freeze her eggs when she was in her early 20s, shortly after an emergency operation on her remaining ovary (the other had been removed because of unrelated complications when she was 12). Providing a critical look at the egg freezing industry, Lampert reports on the scientific conferences, medical consultations, and promotional events she attended while deciding on whether to undergo the procedure as she entered her early 30s. For instance, she recounts going to an educational seminar at a venture capital–backed fertility clinic and contends that its claims to provide “insurance” against infertility promise more than the clinic can deliver (one freezing cycle has only a 75% chance of leading to a live birth). Despite this, Lampert suggests egg freezing still has significant benefits and describes how one of her interview subjects felt less pressure to settle for a romantic partner because freezing her eggs afforded her time to find a better match. Lampert ultimately chose not to undergo the procedure, but her evenhanded reporting will help those considering it sift the science from the hype. This will open readers’ eyes. Agent: Elias Altman, Massie & McQuilkin Literary. (July)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this nimble guide, fashion designer Mahon (Ultimate Illustrated Guide to Sewing Clothes) offers advice on how intermediate sewists can up their game. Though Mahon includes instructions for making a cardigan, quilted reversible coat, and knit top, the majority of the book is dedicated to advanced techniques for modifying clothing patterns from other sources with various enhancements, edge finishings, and embellishments. For instance, she details how to make corded and bound buttonholes; invisible, centered, and lapped zippers; and flat welt, appliqué patch, and in-seam pockets. The embellishments aim to reproduce the trappings of “classy, high-end fashion,” including braided trim made from elegant passementerie loops and inset sleeves featuring bands of decorative yoyos (fabric circles). Expounding on how to sew with relatively tricky fabrics, she recommends cutting “outside the seam allowance” when working with lace “so you can match and overlap” the motif. Mahon includes helpful tips throughout, suggesting, for example, that using spray-on temporary adhesive can help hold a patch pocket in place while it’s being sewn on. Though the techniques are advanced, the detailed written instructions are accompanied by easy-to-follow color illustrations. Experienced sewists looking for a challenge will appreciate the opportunity to enhance their skills. (July)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

“A desire to show the real Bethlehem, and to celebrate it, is what led me to food and hospitality so many years ago,” writes Kattan, the owner and chef behind London’s Akub and Bethlehem’s Fawda restaurants, in his sincere and beautiful debut. Inviting readers to “share in the memories and flavours of a land far away,” he intersperses his seasonally grouped recipes with profiles of the people and places that play a role in Palestinian foodways, including his favorite herb vendor, Bethlehem’s many bakeries, and Jericho’s date trees. He also offers heartfelt personal memories of food shared with family members and opines about “the tangible impact of colonialism... visible in the effects it has had on Palestinian agriculture, access to land and natural sources of water, and restrictions on foraging.” The appealing recipes are deeply rooted in tradition and range from the complex­—taboun bread is historically baked on embers in a specially designed oven but can be made at home on a baking sheet covered in “clean, washed pebbles”—to the refreshingly simple, including a salad of figs tossed in olive oil and sumac. Spring recipes include mustard greens in labneh (a dish that, Kattan writes, is “full of creamy sunshine”), while winter brings hearty qidreh, a lamb and rice dish that is “the quintessential centerpiece for family celebrations in Palestine.” Augmented with beautiful photos, this ode to Palestinian culinary culture stuns. (May)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this casual and creative cookbook, Hayden (Nistisima) offers over 100 recipes influenced by her Greek Cypriot heritage and travels, aiming for “low effort, high-reward” family-friendly fare. Savory and sweet breakfast options include some double-duty recipes: meatballs in chili tomatoes with eggs can serve as a “hangover-busting brunch” or a tasty dinner, while baklava French toast is a sweet morning treat that, Hayden notes, also makes a decadent dessert. Alongside classic Greek flavors, there’s plenty that’s new and intriguing, including grilled watermelon in a “breakfast salad” with sesame seeds, mint, and pistachio, and spanakopita fritters. In the “Things on Sticks” chapter, Hayden presents the expected pork and lamb kebabs as well as some exciting vegetarian options, such as halloumi and tomato kebabs drizzled in honey. Main meals for weekdays or entertaining include braised sausage, lentils, and fennel; an impressive whole roast cabbage with spiced butter; and the more involved kreatopites, little filo-wrapped meat pies. Home cooks in the U.S. should be aware that Hayden uses metric measurements (with a conversion chart at the back of the book), as well as some Britishisms, such as “hob” for stove top. She’s a sure-handed guide through potentially unfamiliar ingredients and provides a handy list of sources for hard-to-find specialty ingredients. This inviting collection will appeal to anyone interested in expanding their Mediterranean repertoire. (June)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

“Moving your body is the first step to changing your life,” according to this uninspired debut. Spouses Devan and Morgan Kline, who founded the Burn Boot Camp gym franchise, outline a five-part plan that involves developing a workout routine, adopting a positive mindset, eating nutritious foods, following through toward one’s goals, and drawing motivation from loved ones. Unfortunately, their breakdown of how to follow each step will leave readers scratching their heads. For instance, the authors encourage changing one’s mindset by developing emotional intelligence, but their explanation of how to do so consists only of vague directives to “know yourself and your feelings.” Throughout, stories of individuals who turned their life around after joining a Burn Boot Camp gym feel self-serving, as when the Klines share the story of a Florida woman who credits working out at their gym with helping her quit smoking and taking Adderall. There are useful sample workout plans and dietary suggestions (e.g., London broil steak and potatoes is a healthier alternative to rib-eye steak and fries), but the guidance is otherwise hazy and unhelpful. Readers looking to change their exercise and eating habits would be better off with Kelly and Juliet Starrett’s Built to Move. Agent: Tom Miller, Liza Dawson Assoc. (June)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

Mulholland, a psychology professor at the University of Minnesota—Morris, debuts with a sagacious parenting manual for teaching children and teens about erections, gender, periods, sex, and more. To ensure children feel comfortable asking potentially awkward questions, Mulholland encourages parents to frequently remind their kids that “there’s nothing you can do to make me stop loving you.” She suggests that parents might answer “where do babies come from” by telling children between two and five that babies form in the uterus “when two cells combine and help each other grow,” while those between five and seven can be told that “sex is when a man puts his penis into a woman’s vagina.” The sex-positive advice emphasizes the importance of teaching kids that their desires and urges are normal (“Let kids know that it’s okay that they’re curious and want to touch their bodies”). Mulholland provides sensible sample scripts for broaching such topics as body odor, period products, and shaving, though the chatty tone occasionally grates (“This. Was. MIND-BLOWING,” she writes of her young daughter’s reaction to learning how babies are made). Still, this will be a boon for parents. (July)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink