Category: Cookbook Reviews

Reviews of cookbooks and other food-related books.

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Cookbook Reviews

Cookbook Review: “The Al Tiramisu Restaurant Cookbook” by Luigi Diotaiuti

Carma Spence holding a copy of The Al Tiramisu Restaurant Cookbook

This collection of more than 100 recipes comes from the Al Tiramisu Restaurant in the heart of Washington, DC. This award-winning restaurant is thought of like “taking a trip to Italy without leaving the country.” Part cookbook, part Italian cooking primer and part memoir, this book offers you a slice of Chef Luigi Diotaiuti’s life and a taste of his birthplace in Italy.

Carma Spence holding a copy of The Al Tiramisu Restaurant Cookbook

Summary of The Al Tiramisu Restaurant Cookbook

The chapters follow a logical progression through Diotaiuti’s professional and personal life. Within each chapter, recipes are organized by Appetizers (Antipasti), First Courses (Primi), Second Courses (Second), Sides and Salads (Contorni e Insalate) and Desserts (Dolci). Tips for Italian cooking and wine suggestions follow every recipe. Preceding each recipe is an introduction from Diotaiuti sharing his personal thoughts on the recipe. There are plenty of full-color photographs of the recipes and from Diotaiuti’ life.

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

What Worked for Me

This book uses a nice big font, which makes it, easier to read while preparing a dish. Diotaiuti’s notes for each recipe are fun and interesting to read. The Italian Cooking Primers at the end of each recipe help explain techniques and give you alternatives for ingredients. At the back of the book there is a “Where to Buy” guide and a glossary of terms.

What Didn’t Work for Me

If I had been editing the book, I would have recommended that all the memoir parts be placed at the beginning and have the recipes organized together at the end. Having all five categories of recipe repeated through out makes the book less perusable for recipes. Yes, you can use the index, but that only works when you know what you’re looking for.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

Although the content is good, the printing and design don’t live up to it. I would love to see a second edition that added a little more finesse to the design and used a better printer.

Recommendation

If you enjoy cooking authentic Italian cuisine, this book will make a good addition to your collection.

Rating for The Al Tiramisu Restaurant Cookbook: 3 out of 5

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Specs

Full Title: The Al Tiramisu Restaurant Cookbook: An Elevated Approach to Authentic Italian Cuisine
Author: Luigi Diotaiuti
Paperback: 410 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN-10: 1491205326
ISBN-13: 978-1491205327

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.

Categories
Cookbook Reviews

Cookbook Review: “The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking” by Jillayne Clements

When Jillayne Clements learned that she could no longer consume gluten, she refused to relegate herself to pre-made gluten-free fare. This book is the result of her search for whole-food, delicious gluten-free foods.

Carma Spence holding a copy of The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking by Jillayne Clements

Summary of The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking

If you need — or want — to go gluten-free, this book gives you a good basis from which to start transforming your pantry. It contains sections on ingredients and techniques, as well as recipes.

What Worked for Me

Clements has an easy-going, personable style of writing that is accessible. I also liked that the goal of the book wasn’t just to be gluten-free, but to be gluten-free and taste like wheat. That’s a biggie for a bread-lover like myself.

There is an excellent two-page section where she shares “Tips to Avoid Accidentally Making Bread Crumbs,” which has some good advice even if you aren’t going gluten-free.

Flipping through the recipes practically made me drool. I can’t wait to try them out and see if they taste as good as they sound.

What Didn’t Work for Me

This is a small nit-pick: The book is designed to look like it is already used and distressed. I’m not sure why the designer went in that direction, but it makes the pages look dirty, which kind of turned me off.

Recommendation

If you are going gluten-free but love your bread, biscuits and other baked good, this book will give you a good place to start in replacing those coveted items. The book is usable and pretty, easy to read and provides plenty of information you might need before you even start baking.

Rating for The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking

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Specs

Full Title: The Secrets of Gluten-Free Baking: Delicious Whole Food Recipes
Author: Jillayne Clements
Format: Paperback, 8.2 x 0.5 x 9.2 inches
Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
ISBN-10: 1462112862
ISBN-13: 978-1462112869

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.

Categories
Cookbook Reviews Healthy Living

Cookbook Review: “Gluten Free Goes Gourmet” by Vicky Pearl

Carma holding a copy of Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet

Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet is a beautiful coffee-table book, a practical cookbook and a guide to healthy eating all rolled into one.

Carma holding a copy of Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet

Summary of Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet

This book is a unique collection of gluten-free, corn-free, dairy-free, kosher, and low glycemic recipes. As with any good general cookbook, recipes fall in all the major categories, including dips, drinks, salads, soups, meat, poultry, fish, side dishes, bread, desserts, cakes, and cookies. There is even a section of mock dairy recipes.

What Worked for Me

The design of this cookbook is easy to use, the photographs are drool-worthy and the diversity of recipes is delightful. There is a guide to ingredients you’ll need, as well as a list of basic kitchen equipment. There is even some sound nutritional advice. The index at the back makes it easy to find the recipes you want.

What Didn’t Work for Me

The book is almost too beautiful to use. When I first picked it up, I had no idea how practical the insides were going to be. Also, because this is such a lusciously designed hardcover book, it is hard to keep the book open recipes near the front and back.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

I’d love to see a spiral bound version so that I can use it more easily in my kitchen.

Recommendation

If you are trying to go gluten-free and have other dietary restrictions, Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet could be a good starter cookbook for you. There is a nice variety of recipes and enough basic advice to help you start creating recipes of your own. Plus, it is a lovely book to leaf through!

Rating for Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet

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Specs

Full Title: Gluten-Free Goes Gourmet
Author: Vicky Pearl
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Vicky Pearl
ISBN-10: 1628904356
ISBN-13: 978-1628904352

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.

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[one_third] Healthy Eating Worksheet [/one_third]
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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

Download Now [/two_third_last]

Categories
Cookbook Reviews Healthy Living

Cookbook Review: “The Warm Kitchen” by Amy Fothergill

Many people are choosing to go gluten-free, some by necessity, other as a way to improve health and lose weight. Many people find cooking without gluten a challenge, especially when baking. With The Warm Kitchen, Amy Fothergill hopes to make gluten-free living accessible and flavorful.

Summary of The Warm Kitchen

The Warm Kitchen provides the home cook with gluten-free cooking techniques and tips, step-by-step instructions and family friendly dishes. It contains more than 150 recipes ranging from breakfast to dessert, each one using real ingredients. By using a single gluten-free flour blend that is easy to mix up, Fothergill shows you how to cook some of your favorite dishes like bagels, bread, zucchini pancakes, chicken pot pie, pizza, doughnuts, cupcakes, shortbread, carrot cake, chocolate chip cookies, and more. She also includes substitutions for dairy, eggs, and sugar, for those who want or need to avoid those types of ingredients.

What Worked for Me

There are plenty of favorite comfort food recipes included in this book, including Man and Cheese, Shortbread and Meatballs Stroganoff. The book is large with decent-sized print, so it is easy to read while cooking. The photos look real … and tasty.

The front matter includes a list of items to keep for a gluten-free pantry, which is helpful. Chef tips are sprinkled throughout, providing alternatives and technique explanations.

What Didn’t Work for Me

The book is perfect bound, and due to its dimensions, pages don’t stay open easily … unless you break the binding. Also, the book looks home-made, which gives a less than perfect first impression.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

There are two things I think would make a second edition better:

  1. A format that makes using the book easier. This could be different dimensions, which increase the number of page so the can stay open under its own weight. Or a spiral or three-whole-punched binding. This is book meant to be used, so it would be nice if it were more usable.
  2. Higher quality photography. The lighting on many of the images is low, making the images dark and, at times, blurry.

Recommendation

Don’t let the home-made look and feel of this book fool you. There is some solid advice and tasty recipes worth adding to your collection inside.

Rating for The Warm Kitchen

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Specs

Full Title: The Warm Kitchen: Gluten-Free Recipes Anyone Can Make and Everyone Will Love
Author: Amy Fothergill
Editors: Jenn Gonsalves and‎ Carol Hunter
Format: Paperback
Publisher: The Family Chef
ISBN-10: 0989484300
ISBN-13: 978-0989484305

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.

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[one_third] Healthy Eating Worksheet [/one_third]
[two_third_last]

Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

Download Now [/two_third_last]

Categories
Cookbook Reviews

Book Review: “The Farm to Table French Phrasebook” by Victoria Mas

If you love French cuisine or are traveling to France and wish to taste the local flavor, this French phrasebook will help you do it with savoir-faire. “By gaining insight into what, how, and why the French eat, you will come to appreciate a French meal to its fullest,” says author Victoria Mas, “and, perhaps, you’ll become a little bit French yourself.”

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book for review, however, I am under no obligation to write about it positively or otherwise.

Carma holding a copy of The Farm to Table French Phrasebook

Summary of The Farm to Table French Phrasebook

The Farm to Table French Phrasebook by Victoria Mas gives you an overview of the French language through the lens of food. It provides you not only with phrases for all the meals of the day, and for different places where you would find and consume food, but also the French culture’s relationship with food.

What Worked for Me

This book was well-written and provides a lot of interesting history and cultural information that puts food in the French perspective. After reading this book, you’ll have a good idea of how the French likes to eat and where and how they like to purchase their food. In addition, you’ll have a feel for how the French view food.

The words and phrases are organized by how you might need to use them, such as Meals, Grocery Shopping, and In the French Kitchen. This makes what you want to say easier to find than having to look through an English-French dictionary.

The book is also the perfect travel size. It is slightly larger than your average Mass Market Paperback, but because it is a hardback, it will withstand being shoved into and out of a purse or backpack multiple times.

What Didn’t Work for Me

This book is definitely written for someone who has a grasp of French pronunciation, as there is no guide for how to pronounce the French terms.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

I would love to see pronunciation guides in written format, as well as links to online resources where you can hear the words and phrases (at least the most common ones) being pronounced by native speakers.

Recommendation

If you’re headed off to France — or just want to experience French cuisine at home — and want to give your experience a greater sense of French-ness, this book is for you! The cultural information is fascinating and the phrasebook portion is relatively easy to use.

Rating for The Farm to Table French Phrasebook

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Specs

Full Title: The Farm to Table French Phrasebook: Master the Culture, Language and Savoir Faire of French Cuisine
Author: Victoria Mas
Format: Hardcover or Kindle
Publisher: Ulysses Press
Language: English (and French)
ISBN-10: 1612433553
ISBN-13: 978-1612433554

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.

Categories
Cookbook Reviews Healthy Living

Book Review: “The Craving Cure” by Julia Ross

When I was offered a copy of The Craving Cure: Identify Your Craving Type to Activate Your Natural Appetite Control by Julia Ross, I was excited. After being hit by a car in 2016, I’ve been having a really hard time losing weight and my cravings just seemed to be getting worse. The book offered me hope … and did not disappoint.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book for review, however, I am under no obligation to write about it positively or otherwise.

Carma holding a copy of The Craving Cure by Julia Ross

Summary of The Craving Cure

In The Craving Cure, Julia Ross outlines her program for conquering food craving for good. She’s been developing this program over the past few decades helping clients at her clinic lose weight and regain control of their eating habits. She provides a history of how modern-day eating habits changed in the 1970s leading to today’s obesity epidemic and the suffering of so many people who just can’t stop eating junk food. Then she lays out a plan that can rebalance your neurotransmitters (the chemicals in your brain that cause cravings and more) so that they go back to working for you, rather than against you.

What Worked for Me

This book is a very interesting read. Ross’ writing style is perusable and engaging. I kept talking about the book and what I was learning with my husband (who, I’ll admit, would sometimes roll his eyes). But, given my background in biology (I have a Bachelor’s degree in Biology), what Ross was saying made sense.

She explains both the biology and the history of cravings in a way that is relatable and easy to understand.

Although I haven’t gone on the program fully, simply initiating some of her general principles (such as increasing protein, switching to whole milk, and reducing sugar and processed foods), I’ve already rid myself of about 80-90% of my junk food cravings. I’ve even started to lose weight!

What Didn’t Work for Me

This program isn’t all that easy to implement on your own. It can be done, but you need to have discipline. That was a little disappointing for me, at first. But since I’ve already seen progress without supplements, I do have hope for when I do focus on this program.

Frankly, most of the recipes in the back contain ingredients I don’t want in my mouth or I would find difficult (if not expensive) to find.

What I’d Love to See in the Second Edition

I would love to see a companion cookbook with a wider variety of recipes and alternative ingredients for those of us who are finicky eaters.

Recommendation

Even if you don’t want to start taking amino acid supplements, I recommend reading this book. If you struggle with a french fry, ice cream or cookie habit, you’ll find information that explains how you got there and gives you some directions for taking control of your cravings.

Rating for The Craving Cure

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Specs

Full Title: The Craving Cure: Identify Your Craving Type to Activate Your Natural Appetite Control
Author: Julia Ross
Format: Hardcover and Kindle
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250063191
ISBN-13: 978-1250063199

Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.

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[one_third] Healthy Eating Worksheet [/one_third]
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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

Download Now [/two_third_last]

Categories
Cookbook Reviews

Cookbook Review: “Girl in the Kitchen” by Stephanie Izard and Heather Shouse

Girl in the Kitchen by Stephanie Izard and Heather Shouse

Girl in the Kitchen by Stephanie Izard and Heather ShouseWhat do you get when you cross a coffee table book with a cookbook for home cooks? You get Girl in the Kitchen: How a Top Chef Cooks, Thinks, Shops, Eats, and Drinks by Stephanie Izard and Heather Shouse.

Specs

Format: Hardback
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0811874478
ISBN-13: 978-0811874472

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. If you’ve read past book reviews, you’ll know that I don’t pull my punches when I believe they are warranted. I also try to provide balanced information so you can make your own decision to read or not read the book, even if you disagree with my opinion.

Summary of Girl in the Kitchen

Food & Wine’s Best New Chef of 2011, Stephanie Izard, has produced her first cookbook and it is a beautiful — and odd — combination of gourmet coffee table book and down-home, roll up your sleeves and learn some cookin’ cookbook.

What Worked for Me

When you pick it up, you’ll see that Girl in the Kitchen is a lovely, displayable book. The photographs by Dan Goldberg are rich, colorful and make each dish look wonderfully delicious. The book’s design makes the content easy to read and easy to peruse. Visually, this book is so beautiful you almost don’t want to use it in your kitchen for fear of getting it dirty with the occasional splatter of sauce or dribble of oil.

Despite the lavish design, this book was written to be used. Tips on how to improve your technique, as well as highlights of interesting ingredients are sprinkled throughout. Even if you read only through the Ingredient Spotlights, Technique 101s, and other quick tips you’ll end up a better cook, which will inspire you to unleash your Kitchen Creativity.

In addition, each recipe is prefaced by a mini-essay from Chef Izard, sharing how she was inspired to create the recipe in question, often with suggestions on how to modify it for your own tastes. It is these recipe introductions that give Girl in the Kitchen it’s own unique seasoning. Chef Izard’s personable, cheery personality shines through and inspires you to do some kitchen experiments yourself. And you know how much I encourage Kitchen Creativity!

For those who like to actually read cookbooks, this one has plenty to offer you: well-written, personality-driven introductions to every recipe, highlights of interesting ingredients spiced with Chef Izard’s personal experiences, and helpful tips on cooking techniques such as peeling chestnuts, sautéing cauliflower, and infusing butter.

And if that isn’t enough, every recipe comes with a wine or beer pairing suggestion, explaining what about that particular beverage makes it a good match, so you can find a substitute should the scenario arise.

What Didn’t Work for Me

The one flaw the book has is its duality. It wants to be a book for home cooks, featuring common, seasonal ingredients. And for the most part, it does this, but you have to read the recipes and ignore the fancy, gourmet names to discover this. And, yes, there is the occasional exotic ingredient — but always with tips on how to find it.

Basically, my recommendation is: Don’t let the high-quality photography and high-class restaurant recipe names intimidate you. This cookbook is approachable and inspirational for amateur home cooks.

Beyond her personality, Chef Izard’s fondness for seafood and asparagus are quite apparent. Every main chapter has at least one recipe featuring asparagus and there are a wide variety of recipes featuring shrimp, scallops, and fish. I’ll admit that I’m not a fan of asparagus, and I’m very finicky about seafood.

Recommendation

Girl in the Kitchen: How a Top Chef Cooks, Thinks, Shops, Eats, and Drinks is an excellent addition to the library of any home cook who enjoys reading about food as much as preparing it. It offers you the best of both worlds: good food writing and creative kitchen inspiration. Still worried about soiling the high-quality paper? Stash the dust jacket in another room, open the book to the page you want, and gently wrap it in plastic wrap!

Rating for Girl in the Kitchen

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Pick up your copy on Amazon.com here.
Available in both Kindle and hardcover versions.

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