In this practical and inventive outing, Dame Prue Leith (The Great British Baking Show: Love to Bake) offers 80 recipes with a focus on time-saving techniques and shortcuts. Dubbed “Handy Hacks,” these tips appear throughout, many linked to supplementary videos via QR codes. Despite the title, recipes and hacks run the gamut from simple (the best way to chop an onion for French onion soup) to sophisticated (how to skin a fish fillet for “Sushi for Scaredy-cats”). Main dishes include herbed salmon parcels using store-bought puff pastry (hack: preventing a soggy bottom by preheating the baking sheet so it’s the same temperature as the oven), and hot-and-sour vegetable noodle soup (hack: peeling ginger with a spoon). A breakfast chapter features “perfect” scrambled eggs, while a small selection of drink recipes includes a pickle juice Bloody Mary. Leith’s dark chocolate and orange trifle is emblematic of her time-saving approach, combining store-bought chocolate Swiss roll with homemade chocolate mousse and offering hacks for segmenting oranges and rescuing overwhipped cream. Leith also encourages experimentation by delineating key elements of a recipe—for example, a pesto should include “a flavouring ingredient, an oil, a cheese, a nut and fresh garlic”—before offering multiple variations. This is sure to inspire. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 10/04/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this intimate debut, former Baywatch star Anderson showcases “flexible” vegan recipes that she jotted on index cards for her sons when they moved out of the family home on Vancouver Island. Dishes are largely simple and familiar: rice bowls with vegetables and sesame-studded tofu, a roasted whole head of cauliflower, and sweet potato “burgers.” More innovative choices include crispy Persian-style rice, and pierogis filled with potatoes, peas, and mint. Gauzy photographs and handwritten inspirational messages fill out the 80 recipes. The text, rife with ellipses, is not terribly informative: Anderson writes that she is “drawn to ritual and traditions” in the introduction to an afternoon tea chapter that includes cucumber sandwiches and green juice. There are sweet indulgences, too: spelt cinnamon rolls sport a maple glaze, and a chapter on desserts includes an olive oil cake with coconut oil–chocolate ganache. Bread merits its own chapter (“I like to think of bread and its history, made over centuries by many... like giving birth”), including instructions for sourdough starter. Also covered are homemade beauty treatments and pet treats, including berry balls with CBD to quell canine anxiety. Though Anderson strikes a down-to-earth pose, her celebrity is the major attraction. With the feel of a family photo album, this is a gift for Anderson’s fans. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 10/04/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this solid debut manual, Bust magazine editor Butterworth (A Beginner’s Guide to Astrology) and food stylist Hwang (The Adaptogenic Herbal Kitchen) expound on the benefits of the keto diet. They explain that eating lots of carbohydrates causes blood sugar spikes and crashes in a cycle that can lead to insulin resistance. Instead of relying on carbs for energy, Butterworth and Hwang recommend consuming healthy fats, which provide more consistent energy levels. Though the authors assert that keto is beneficial for many, they’re candid about the diet’s downsides, warning that it can temporarily produce flulike symptoms as the body adjusts to relying on fat rather than carbs for energy. For those willing to push through, Butterworth and Hwang detail which foods to avoid (most legumes, sugars, and grains) and which to “stock up on” (nuts, meats, green beans). The program’s centerpiece is a meal plan with recipes for four weeks’ worth of keto-friendly breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, including a coconut berry chia parfait, Greek salad with feta, zucchini fettucine alfredo with chicken, and coconut prawns with curried vegetables. The scientific background enlightens and the bounty of recipes will help readers overhaul their diet, though preparing 21 meals each week feels like an unrealistic ambition for many working people. Still, this gets the job done. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 10/04/2024 | Details & Permalink

Kumar-Singh (The Health Catalyst), an Ayurveda practitioner and former physician, details how traditional Indian medicine can help readers stay healthy and live longer. Drawing insights from Eastern and Western medicine, she contends that aging is caused both by the replication of damaged DNA outpacing the body’s ability to repair it, and by energy imbalances in the seven dhātus, or “tissues” (e.g., blood, muscle, bone). Kumar-Singh’s “longevity formula” emphasizes repairing cell damage and reducing inflammation by “replenishing” the tissues. To that end, she suggests that meditating, getting morning sunlight, and performing 10 yoga postures every day restores nerve tissue and improves memory and mood, while fasting for 12 to 16 hours overnight and massaging one’s abdomen, arms, and legs fortifies bone tissue and reduces aches and pain. The advice places a welcome emphasis on mental well-being, treating socializing and learning new skills as equally important to getting enough exercise and sleep. Skeptical readers will appreciate Kumar-Singh’s reasonable efforts to square Ayurvedic teachings with Western science, as when she suggests that research on sunlight’s importance for regulating circadian rhythms chimes with Ayurveda’s belief that basking in the sun bestows beneficial prana, or “vital energy.” Anyone interested in alternative holistic approaches to aging will want to check this out. (Dec.)

Reviewed on 10/04/2024 | Details & Permalink

In Martin’s moving follow-up to Mosquito Supper Club, the Bayou Petit Caillou, La., native strikes an impressive balance between fun and function while painting a vivid portrait of a place and its people. Chapters are organized thematically: “Abundance” features a crawfish boil to serve a couple dozen and étouffée for a crowd; “Simplicity” includes a salad of strawberries and pickled beets and hush puppies drizzled with honey. The “Grace” chapter highlights frugal options, such as biscuits that incorporate 7Up soda and corn and tomato maque choux (“one of the oldest dishes in Louisiana’s culinary history”), while “Tradition” offers venison tamales and a sidebar on boucherie, or hog butchering. Among the plentiful seafood options are buttermilk-soaked fried fish collars, boiled shrimp with garlicky tomato mayonnaise, and softshell crabs cooked with “no marinating or fussy stuff.” Martin’s recipes are expressive and easy to comprehend: for a yeasted cardamom-spiced coffee cake, readers are advised to “smudge” the butter into the flour, and corn bread batter should be the consistency of Marshmallow Fluff. Throughout, Martin weaves in facts and family stories, as when she describes her mother’s tattered recipe for king cake taped up inside a cupboard, followed by a sidebar on the meaning of king cake, how to decorate it, and when to consume it. Complete with stunning photography, this nostalgic ode to living and eating on the bayou is a winner. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 10/04/2024 | Details & Permalink

Pastry chef Lam strives to “make the unfamiliar familiar” by marrying Asian flavors and global techniques in her ambitious if somewhat inaccessible debut. In an informative introduction to common Asian baking ingredients, Lam notes that glutinous rice flours are in fact gluten-free and are often used for chewy desserts. While shokupan (Japanese milk bread), chee cheung fun (plain rice noodle rolls), and other traditional dishes make an appearance, the bulk of the recipes are Lam’s original creations, including pork floss and scallion focaccia, fig and marzipan mooncakes, and bolo bao cream puffs. Several recipes require a considerable amount of skill and time: the ispahan jelly cake, for example, requires preparing biscuit joconde, raspberry-rose mousse, and coconut jelly, as well as several hours of chilling before assembling. Less intense but equally appealing options include Vietnamese cinnamon-raisin babka, Thai tea gelati, and gochujang-furikake caramel popcorn. Though Lim’s flavor combinations inspire and frequent tips help readers plan ahead (the mango-yakult tres leches cake can be stored in the fridge for up to three days), the recipes will intimidate the less-experienced. This is best suited for veteran home bakers. Agent: Kari Stuart, CAA. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 10/04/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this mostly satisfactory manual, Rose (Daydream Journals) shows how to make crafts featuring materials found in nature. A few of the projects don’t require any stitching. For instance, the “mini flower press” consists of several pieces of paper folded in half and tied at the crease with twine, creating a portable booklet where readers can collect flowers for pressing. However, most of the projects utilize a needle and thread, including the nature mandala, which is made by constructing a circular geometric design from found materials, sketching the results, and then recreating the sketch on fabric with stitching. Elsewhere, Rose describes how to create a “stitched garland” by embroidering plants on scraps of fabric and stringing them together on a ribbon, as well as how to make an “eco-dyed wall hanging” by sewing fabric strips—dyed at home using red onion skins, turmeric, marigold petals, and other natural ingredients—on top of each other in a concentric rectangular design. The open-ended projects provide plenty of opportunities for readers to flex their creativity, though the “showcasing treasures” project is a letdown, consisting of little more than collecting natural materials and placing them on a shelf. Still, eco-conscious crafters will enjoy this. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 10/04/2024 | Details & Permalink

This practical debut from Karissa at Home blogger Barker provides tips for tidying up one’s home. The suggestions revolve around developing habits that will keep spaces cleaner. For instance, she encourages readers to get in the practice of clearing items from the bathroom counter while brushing their teeth and putting their house key in its designated spot as soon as they return home. Rewarding oneself for completing tasks can help habits stick, Barker contends, suggesting that readers might make morning coffee contingent upon making their bed. The guidance aims to make keeping spaces clean as convenient as possible, as when Barker proposes installing a backpack hook near where children work on school assignments so they’ll be more likely to put their things in the bag when finished. Barker’s advice is refreshingly flexible, as when she recommends washing a load of laundry per day but notes that may not be feasible for many, who should instead seek consistency within whatever schedule works for them. Additionally, agendas for each room of the house break down the cleaning process into manageable components (eight steps for “resetting” the kitchen include clearing counters, wiping down the stove and refrigerator, washing dishes, and mopping the floor). Buoyed by commonsense advice, this will give readers the boost they need to get their homes in order. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 10/04/2024 | Details & Permalink

Journalist Beers debuts with an informative primer on jamu, or Indonesian herbal medicine. She explains that jamu remedies can take the form of drinks, lotions, massages, or pills, and are prescribed for virtually every conceivable bodily ailment, though they’re most frequently “used to enhance and improve sexual performance.” (Pulped cashew fruit, for instance, is often prescribed as an aphrodisiac.) Delving into traditional applications for various plants, Beers explains that turmeric is often used for liver problems, cardamom for coughs, and a concoction of lime juice and betel leaves for rashes. Other applications address cosmetic complaints. For example, washing one’s face with leftover tea water is reputed to prevent wrinkles, and rubbing aloe vera into one’s scalp to promote hair growth. Though Beers warns that some remedies are dangerous if improperly mixed or dosed (she tells of an American woman who landed in the hospital after taking a larger-than-intended dose of an anti-cellulite drink), she focuses more on exploring the medicinal tradition than showing how to practice it. She does, however, include a few safe and easy-to-make home remedies, detailing how to reduce bloating with red rice, treat wounds with bananas, and fight insomnia with nutmeg. This thorough introduction is a valuable addition to the literature on traditional medicines. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 10/04/2024 | Details & Permalink

Kellner (Wild and Wooly Knitted Animals) explains in this fetching manual how to knit life-size stuffed cats. The central conceit is that the cats belong to different members of the fictional Morgan family’s Victorian-era household, and each project is accompanied by a vignette on the cat’s owner. For instance, Kellner writes that Mr. Morgan’s Aunt Pru brought her Persian cat when she moved in “to help Mrs. Morgan care for the twins,” and that the cook shoos away the feline that hangs around the kitchen when the Morgans complain about it, only to discreetly leave out saucers of milk when the family isn’t watching. The relatively realistic cats are uniformly cute. The “porch cat” is depicted mid-stretch, the “library cat” lazing idly on its back, and the “scullery cat” licking its paw. Though Kellner writes that a few of the patterns are “geared towards the beginner,” they’re realistically most appropriate for advanced knitters. There’s no primer on basics, but Kellner does provide guidance on techniques specific to these projects, such as creating leg joints and tortoiseshell and marmalade fur patterns. The human backstories imbue what would otherwise be a fairly straightforward knitting guide with a healthy dose of personality, and photos of the plush cats amid Victorian decor help sell the vintage feel. This will make a worthy addition to any crafter’s shelf. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 09/13/2024 | Details & Permalink