Milk Street founder Kimball (Milk Street 365) serves up a functional and scientifically minded collection of baking recipes that promise to be “much easier than you would think.” A comprehensive introduction covers everything from weighing versus scooping flour to the most useful ramekin size (six ounces). The recipes themselves range from American classics (drop biscuits and coconut layer cake) to choices from abroad—including Bolivian cornbread, a braided German dough with roasted winter squash, and Chinese sesame-scallion bread. Chapters are logically organized, though one could quibble that several entries in the flatbreads chapter, including Italian piadine and Turkish yufka, are not baked but cooked on the stovetop. A chapter on “pizza plus” offers several types of focaccia and a lesson on dough hydration, as well as Greek spanakopita made with phyllo and Colombian empanadas. Sweets include a salted peanut and caramel tart, a “burnt” Basque cheesecake, and chocolate chip cookies made heartier with rye flour. Many of the recipes come with step-by-step photographs, making this an excellent primer for beginners, while the wide range of flavors and techniques means that even experienced bakers will find plenty that’s new. Devotees of the Milk Street brand will not be disappointed. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

Most of the familiar recipes in this lackluster plant-based collection from Howell (Makini’s Vegan Kitchen) hinge on imitation meat, eggs, or milk. For example, tofu strips stand in for bacon in ersatz scrambled eggs while ranch dressing calls for vegan mayonnaise and plant-based milk. In a brief foreword, Howell, the personal chef to Stevie Wonder, defines “simple goodness” as “the ease of making dinner with a few ingredients from the local bodega or from your garden”—but many of the resulting meals are so basic as to make their inclusion in a cookbook feel laughable. A recipe for corn muffins, for instance, calls for egg substitute and Trader Joe’s cornbread mix and directs home cooks to “follow the cooking instructions on the box.” A chapter on kid-friendly options offers lightly doctored canned tomato soup, while the dessert chapter begins with encouragement to rely on boxed cake mixes and includes instructions for assembling strawberry shortcake from entirely store-bought ingredients. More complex fare includes a chickpea salad the author devised for the Google cafeteria and fried oyster mushrooms meant to mimic calamari. As Howell herself notes, plant-based cooking has changed radically in the decade and a half since she opened Plum Bistro in Seattle. That means the cookbook field is crowded with options—and there’s little to make this one stand out. (Dec.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

Knapp, who runs Offbeet Farm in Fairbanks, Alaska, debuts with a comprehensive manual on how to harvest, process, and store beets, kale, potatoes, and several other hardy vegetables so they can be sold through the winter. For instance, he suggests picking cabbage heads before their leaves split, trimming their stems, and holding them in open containers to prevent mold. Noting that most produce should be stored in lightly ventilated bins kept near 32ºF, Knapp details how to build a root cellar, or underground storage space, for holding vegetables during cold weather, contending that foam insulation is essential and that concrete floors are ideal if one wants to use pallet jacks. Aimed largely at professional farmers, the in-depth guidance will ensure readers feel equipped to tackle each step of the storage process, and profiles of farms across the country provide insight into successful strategies for maintaining produce. For example, Knapp describes how Tipi Produce in Wisconsin relies on vegetables’ natural respiration to warm up their storage areas when temperatures drop below freezing. Thorough yet approachable, this delivers. (Dec.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

This cozy guide from Shore (Half Yard Autumn) and Nayler details how to create 52 fabric blocks that can be assembled into a large quilt. Writing for beginners, the authors recommend tools (rotary cutters “are useful for cutting around curves”) and show how to make blanket, overcast, running, and slip stitches. The blocks build on each other, with techniques from simple early designs later recurring in more creative configurations. For instance, week one’s flying geese design is incorporated into the upper-left-hand corner of week six’s “Bird 1” square, which is otherwise filled out by a half log cabin design, and week 26’s “Small Flower 4” square, in which the triangular “geese” are arrayed around a heart. Several blocks take inspiration from nature, such as the “tall bird,” created by sewing a triangular beak and teardrop wing on a half-circle, and the “tall flower,” which features an octagonal flower head with applique leaves. The authors also provide thorough instructions for assembling the blocks and attaching them, either by hand or sewing machine, onto quilt backing. The one-block-per-week conceit will help novices ease into the craft while learning a variety of design strategies. This is well worth seeking out. (Dec.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this robust debut, Ruch, a former marketing professional and mother of two, details how women who leave the workforce to raise children can navigate the transition. Outlining steps for adjusting to living on one income, Ruch advises readers to draft a budget to determine whether such cost-cutting measures as renegotiating a mortgage or moving somewhere with a lower cost of living will be required. Other guidance focuses on psychological stressors, as when she recommends setting personal goals (e.g., “I want to work on standing up for myself”) to stave off feelings of listlessness. Elsewhere, she offers tips on reentering the job market, encouraging mothers to describe during interviews how parenting has improved their skills (“I might talk about developing a clarity of communication and a deeper sense of patience”). Ruch is candid about the downsides of taking a break from paid labor, noting, “Women who have paused their careers for more than twenty-four months tend to step into salaries earning 79 cents for every dollar a man who had not paused would earn.” However, her sage advice will help those who want to take the plunge. The result is a forthright take on an aspect of motherhood often overlooked by other parenting guides. Agent: Kristin van Ogtrop, InkWell Management. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

James Beard Award–winning chef Suntaranon demonstrates how to cook authentic Southern Thai food inspired by the dishes of her native Trang, a Southern port city, in this vibrant debut. Busy home cooks will be surprised at how quickly these dishes come together, provided that they prepare what Suntaranon terms “building block recipes” in advance: a batch of red curry paste, for instance, can be used to make chicken panang curry, tofu and pineapple coconut curry, and red curry with prawns, cherry tomatoes, and lychees. Meanwhile, the garlic and black pepper chicken, braised pork belly, and rice soup with fish and shrimp, are among the recipes made in just one pot or one wok, making cleanup a breeze. Suntaranon’s heartfelt anecdotes (“My mom’s massaman curry was so beloved that my uncle would come over to eat... and then go to his dialysis appointment”) and notes about Thai culture (“We don’t have ovens in most homes in Thailand”) prove just as enticing as the recipes. Her easy-to-follow instructions and sense of humor will boost confidence among those unfamiliar with the cuisine (“Don’t trim the fat off the beef, or I will be very upset,” she instructs for the coriander beef), as will a helpful overview of Thai ingredients. Home cooks will be eager to give these recipes a spin. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

Afro-Honduran baker Ford (New World Sourdough) celebrates Latin America’s “world of bread and sweetness” in this comprehensive volume showcasing 150 sweet and savory baked goods drawn from Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. Ford’s penchant for sourdough is featured throughout—he provides thorough instructions for converting commercial yeast options into natural sourdough leavening, as in the recipe for pan de coco, a pillowy coconut milk roll. Traditional recipes are followed by fun updates: classic concha, or sweet buns, get a chocolate cookie dough twist, and honey-dipped Honduran Semita rolls can be made either with traditional corn or using rice flour. Gluten-free recipes abound, celebrating “the way Latin America cooked before wheat” with indigenous flours including cassava, amaranth, sorghum, quinoa, and maize. Savory fare includes many variations on fugazzeta (pizza-like flatbreads) and empanadas. Novice bakers will appreciate Ford’s precise (if at times overwhelmingly detailed) step-by-step instructions for mixing and shaping methods while the more experienced will revel in the extensive variety of sweets on offer. Interspersed personal anecdotes and reflections on Latin American foodways, especially the impact of colonization, add texture. Ambitious home bakers will be thrilled. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

“Plant care isn’t as intimidating (or expensive) as it may seem,” according to this handy debut primer. Offering a straightforward overview of how to keep houseplants, Brezina points out that south-facing windows “provide plants with the most direct sunlight,” and that checking soil moisture levels to determine when to water a plant is preferable to setting a watering schedule because hydration needs vary by season. Brezina profiles “common, affordable, [and] hardy” flora, noting that the ZZ plant can “tolerate low light and missed waterings,” and that the aspidistra elatior can survive in low temperatures and poor soil. When it comes to cacti, Brezina recommends placing them in locations with lots of direct sunlight and letting them “dry out completely between waterings.” Readers will appreciate the focus on flora that are easy to care for, as well as the useful tips on propagating a variety of edible plants (to grow a pineapple, she suggests cutting off the fruit’s top, stripping away some of its leaves, and then potting it) and getting rid of pests (spray plants with a dish soap solution, or apply rubbing alcohol with a cotton swab). This has everything novices need to get started. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

Colorectal surgeon Fong debuts with an informative guide to maintaining healthy bowel movements. She explains that the colon primarily serves to reabsorb water from food after it’s been digested, and that constipation occurs when the colon either absorbs too much water or has trouble contracting. To keep things moving, she recommends consuming “at least sixty-four ounces of water” and 25–35 grams of fiber per day, noting that fiber helps with motility by bulking up stool while producing short-chain fatty acids that provide the colon with energy. She encourages readers to get their daily fiber through foods rather than supplements and includes recipes for roast broccoli, pumpkin pasta, and egg drop soup with spinach and chicken meatballs. Stressing moderation, Fong suggests that while “coffee stimulates enzymes in the saliva and stomach that help with digestion,” too much can cause dehydration, and that while exercise generally aids motility, overly strenuous workouts can trigger a fight-or-flight response that “diverts blood flow from the gut to... the heart and the brain.” Fong’s conversational tone keeps things light without slipping into the scatological (“Poop or get off the pot”). It’s everything readers always wanted to know about constipation but were too afraid to ask. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

This colorful but somewhat skimpy collection of treats offers up breezy tips for a tasty holiday season. “Classic Cookies” include linzer stars and giftable shortbread bites with a variety of glaze options. There’s also the less familiar Persian Nan-e Berenji, made with rice flour, cardamom, and rosewater, and Chinese almond cookies. The “Traditions with a Twist” chapter features sourdough snickerdoodles and chai tea cut out cookies. Things get a bit more elaborate in “Showstopping Sweets,” which includes extensive instructions for gingerbread house construction and pumpkin spice cookies cut and decorated with butter cream to look like yule logs. Easy “Not Quite Cookie” recipes provide hurried home cooks with hacks for enhancing ready-made ingredients, like dipping store-bought madeleines in melted chocolate. A final chapter covers vegan and gluten-free options. Frustratingly, many of these recipes require special equipment, including food processors and cookie presses, which is often not indicated until the step at which these items come into play. Instead of an equipment or pantry list, there’s unnecessary filler about how to host “the perfect cookie swap” party with such obvious advice as to send invitations “3 to 4 weeks before.” It’s not perfect, but the range of sweets on offer means this still has plenty of appeal. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 10/18/2024 | Details & Permalink