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Must-Read: The Fortune Cookie Chronicles

YumSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:00:15 -0700

If you've ever cracked open a fortune cookie - and I bet you have - then see this book in your future. Far more satisfying than those sugary slips of paper, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, by New York Times reporter Jennifer 8. Lee, explores the American obsession with Chinese food, from delightful trivia to dark realities.

Considering the US has more Chinese restaurants than McDonalds, Burger Kings, and Wendy's combined, it makes sense that the cuisine comes with a stir-fry of great stories. Lee begins her journey with the tale of how the Powerball lottery was once almost brought down by a set of lucky numbers printed in dozens of fortune cookies. She follows with fun facts about the origins of the cookies, as well as of chop suey and General Tso's chicken. But this book isn't as lighthearted as you might think

Do You Read Food Books?

YumSugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:15:45 -0700

Now that Summer reading season is upon us, I'm wondering how many of you read food books. I'm not talking about cookbooks, but the nonfiction, narrative works that, when done well, can read like novels.

I'm a big fan of The Omnivore's Dilemma, so I might check out Michael Pollan's latest, In Defense of Food. Cast your vote and tell me what book is next on your list in the comments.

Summer Reading Roundup

YumSugar — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 05:12:37 -0700

Can you believe that August is over already? We hope that you all enjoyed August's summer reading month features. We've had thirty-one options that range from vegetarian cooking, shopping list mockery, world history, children's cooking, vacations, fine dining and more. In case you missed any of them, I've compiled them all in one place for easy perusal, or for you to printout and take to the bookstore!

And don't worry, just because summer reading month is over, doesn't mean we'll stop talking about tasty reads! To check out the full list, read more

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
The New Outdoor Kitchen by Deborah Krasner
I'm Just Here For The Food by Alton Brown
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
The Cuisines of Spain by Teresa Barrenechea
Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans
French Women For All Seasons by Mireille Guiliano
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Be My Guest by Rena Kirdar Sindi
On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee
The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins
Candyfreak by Steve Almond
The Wine Club by Maureen Christian Petrosky
Small-Batch Baking by Debby Maugans Nakos
Barefoot Contessa Parties! by Ina Garten
The Gastronomical Me by MFK Fisher
The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten
Milk Eggs Vodka by Bill Keaggy
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes
Something Delicious This Way Comes by Joshua Ploeg
The Great American Camping Cookbook by Scott Cookman
Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl
Martha Stewart's Hors D'oeuvres by Martha Stewart
Sweets: A History of Candy by Tim Richardson
Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy by Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch
Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
Fanny at Chez Panisse by Alice Waters
Cooking with Curtis by Curtis Stone
Sweet Revenge by Diane Mott Davidson
The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Cocktail Parties With a Twist by Alexandra and Elliot Angle

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Summer Reading: Cocktail Parties With A Twist

partysugar — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 15:03:31 -0700

I have a large collection of colorful party planning books that I browse when I'm in need of inspiration. Cocktail Parties With A Twist by Alexandra and Elliot Angle is part of said collection. Written by the owners of top LA catering company, Aqua Vitae, the book features ideas for 14 parties complete with extensive cocktail coverage and deliciously paired recipes. They teach you how to host a party in a teeny studio, a cold garage, a local restaurant, a snowy mountain top, and a seaside dock. The pictures are gorgeous and the ideas innovative. My favorite party is the day after party in which they provide recipes and cocktails that will ease the pain of a hangover. Thanks to this book, I enjoyed many successful parties!

Summer Reading: The River Cottage Meat Book

YumSugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:23:13 -0700

It's no secret, I'm a pretty die-hard carnivore. I tried to go veg when I was 16, but my dad made bacon for breakfast a few days later and I just couldn't help myself. So naturally, when a book with the huge letters M-E-A-T arrived at the Sugar HQ, I knew I'd found my next "must read."

Just by glancing through Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's The River Cottage Meat Book, you can tell it's one of those books that is destined to become a classic. The first section of the book is committed to "Understanding Meat," while the rest of it is devoted to various ways of cooking. It's one part meat manifesto, one part guidebook and all parts captivating. Reading it will help you understand high-quality sustainable meat production, as well as educate you in how to choose and store meats. In fact, I lent the book to TeamSugar and she said,

If you are a meat eater it is a must, as it is an in-depth look into the delicious world of meat. For those vegetarians, the first chapter alone might convince you to eat a big juicy steak.

While it may not actually convert any vegetarians, it is a book that many vegetarians can get behind due to Hugh's stance of sustainable farming. If the poor treatment of animals wasn't enough to turn you off of big-farm farming, then Hugh's descriptions of slow-grown heritage animals treated with respect just might.

Yet, admittedly, this book is not for the faint of heart. For every delicious dish that's prepared, there's also pictures of it during the different stages of preparation (including the slaughter). However if you've ever wanted to learn more about meat, where it comes from, how you should select it and then prepare it, you should definitely seek this book out. It was originally published in the UK in 2004, but has recently been revised/converted for an American audience. And did I mention the fact that there are definitely loads of delicious recipes inside?

Summer Reading: Sweet Revenge

partysugar — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 15:19:37 -0700

As much as I love reading a cookbook, I often enjoy reading novels about chefs, caterers, or culinary personas that have exciting adventures and delicious romances. Whenever I crave one of these culinary novels, I turn to Diane Mott Davidson, author of 14 foodie mysteries. In her latest novel, Sweet Revenge, her recurring heroine Goldy Schultz - a Nancy Drew meets Martha Stewart character - finds herself in the middle of yet another murder mystery. You'll be sitting on the edge of your seat, hungry for each page.

Davidson's prose is delectably descriptive and she even provides a recipe or two for some of Goldy's delicious dishes. However the real bonus is that Davidson doesn't take herself too seriously - she even names her characters after famous dishes (ex. Drew Wellington) - which makes for a refreshing and fabulous read.

Summer Reading: Cooking With Curtis

YumSugar — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:03:37 -0700

Many of you have written in and asked my opinion of Curtis Stone, aka The Take Home Chef. Truth be told, I don't know too much about him, other than he started at Melbourne's Savoy Hotel at the age of 18, and then later moved on to The Grill Room with Marco Pierre White (Godon Ramsay's mentor/nemesis). I also know that he's the author of a beautiful book called Cooking with Curtis: Easy, Everyday and Adventurous Recipes for the Home Cook.

The book is divided into four seasonal chapters, as well as three difficulty levels, and is full of mouth-watering dishes like Deep-Fried Eggplant and Mozzarella with Basil, Lentil Stew with Spicy Sausage and Crispy Pork Belly. It is clear that Stone's mission is to celebrate fresh seasonal ingredients and to get you, the home cook, interested in exploring the possibilities. There are plenty of tips and each recipe has a gorgeous photo to accompany it.

To get a taste of what the book has to offer - aka the recipe for Deep-Fried Eggplant and Mozzarella with Basil - read more

Deep-Fried Eggplant and Mozzarella with Basil
From Cooking with Curtis by Curtis Stone

2 tablespoons/30 ml olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red jalapeno chili, chopped
7 ripe plum tomatoes, finely diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For eggplant sandwiches:
1 eggplant (cut crosswise into 1/8 inch slices)
Salt
One 7-ounce ball fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese (cut crosswise into 8 slices)
8 fresh basil leaves
2/3 cup/95 g all purpose flour
4 large eggs, beaten to blend
1 1/2 cups/210 g dried plain bread crumbs
Safflower oil, for deep frying

To make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 3 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and chili and sauté for another 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are very tender and mushy, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
To make the eggplant sandwiches. Arrange the eggplant slices on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and allow them to sit for 10 minutes. Rinse the eggplant under cold running water to remove the salt. Pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels.
Place 1 slice of cheese and 1 basil leaf atop 1 eggplant slice. Top with a second eggplant slice. Repeat to make 8 sandwiches total. Place the flour, eggs and bread crumbs in 3 separate shallow bowls or pie plates.
Working with 1 eggplant sandwich at a time, dredge the eggplant sandwiches in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip the sandwiches in the eggs, allowing the excess egg to drip back into the bowl of eggs, and dredge in the bread crumbs to coat completely.
Repeat the process to give the eggplant sandwich a second coating of the eggs and bread crumbs (not the flour). Add enough oil to a heavy large frying pan to reach the depth of 2 inches/5 cm. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 350°F/180°C.
Working in batches, add the sandwiches to the hot oil and fry until they are golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the fried sandwiches to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Sprinkle the hot sandwiches with salt. Cut each sandwich into 4 wedges. Serve the sandwiches on a platter with the warm tomato sauce.

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Summer Reading: Fanny At Chez Panisse

partysugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 06:03:31 -0700

With the tremendous success of the foodie movie, Ratatouille, kids may be disappointed by a cookbook that dumbs down cooking with vegetable faces and cookie cutter shaped sandwiches.

However Alice Waters' children's cookbook is written from the point of view of her daughter Fanny. Fanny At Chez Panisse is the perfect tome for a child who has shown interest in the culinary world. The book begins with Fanny describing her mother's world inside the famed kitchen at Berkeley's Chez Panisse and includes the people who are a part of the daily workings of a restaurant. Later Fanny provides recipes to 46 of her favorite dishes ranging from peach crisp to roast chicken with herbs to garlic mayonnaise - all of which are delicious enough to be enjoyed by both children and parents alike. If you know a child who is interested in learning more about food, think about giving them this delicious book.

Summer Reading: Salt: A World History

YumSugar — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 07:58:31 -0700

Now that you've got the 411 on the history of sugar, I thought I'd introduce you to the history of salt. In addition to being a vehicle for how salt is harvested through the ages, Mark Kurlansky's Salt: A World History, is also a history of how salt is linked to culture, food prep and government. Most of us take salt for granted, but in the past it was certainly crucial to survival. It allowed people to preserve food for consumption during the long winter months, and was so valuable it actually acted as currency.

Overall it is a well researched book, sprinkled with amusing anecdotes and fascinating tidbits. If you're interested in food, it's definitely worth the read.

Summer Reading: Vino Italiano

partysugar — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:38:11 -0700

A cross between a dictionary and a coffee table book, this reference guide, Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines Of Italy, is an excellent addition to any wine lover's collection. Written by Mario Batali's business partner, Joseph Bastianich & co author David Lynch, the book introduces each region of Italy detailing not only the wine, but significant wineries, recent successful vintages, and delicious native recipes. The authors write in a highly personal manner making this book as much about wine commentary as it is about living an authentic Italian lifestyle. It also advocates eating and drinking locally, claiming that the best regional wines pair with traditional dishes from that specific region. If you love wine, or have a passion for Italy, this comprehensive book is highly recommended reading.