Entries tagged with 'books'
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I've never been a fan of wasabi—it gives me the sensation that my nasal passages are on fire—but if anyone could make it taste good, it'd be master French pastry chef, Pierre Hermé. Wasabi-flavored macarons are a part of his fall pastry line, found at his shops in Paris and Tokyo. He just opened a new shop last month in Paris at 4 rue Cambon, in case Parisians need another reason to get to Pierre Hermé (not that they should). Can't get to his shops in Paris or Japan? Maybe you can get some help from his recently released macaron recipe book, Macaron. It's available at amazon.fr for €28.41 ($39.22). Related Introduction to French Macarons Where to Find Macarons...
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In the years after WWII, the Bureau of the Dairy Industry (an early division of the USDA) commissioned expert George P. Sanders to scour the planet and document the characteristics and methods of production for a wide variety of cheeses. The purpose wasn't to provide recipes for cheesemakers but rather "so that consumers may be better able to recognize the various kinds by name." The Cheese Varieties and Descriptions handbook is a great overview for cheese lovers everywhere—even more than five decades after it's first publication in 1953. To be sure, methods of cheese production have not changed much in, well, centuries, which is why this book has aged so well. I first discovered this book while trolling Ebay for...
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Gary Vaynerchuk describes himself as "the wine guy for the average Joe," and if you've ever logged on to his Wine Library TV site to watch his hugely popular wine video series, you couldn't disagree with that. His enthusiasm, energy, and unique way of describing vino are infectious—180 degrees away from what you normally think of when you think "serious wine discussion." His book, 101 Wines, which came earlier this year, is true to the personality that has turned his fans into "Vaniacs." In describing Lachini Vineyards' Estate Pinot Noir 2005 (Willamette Valley, Oregon), for instance, he references "poop" when talking about its nose. I do mean it in the best possible way. The nose of this wine is somewhat...
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Back in the prehistoric age, when I was an aspiring food writer, I had an idea for a book about New York food that was inspired by the great Patricia Wells' brilliant Food Lover's Guide to Paris. Though Wells has updated that book a few times, she has not done so for quite some time. That's why I've enjoyed reading Alexander Lobrano's Hungry for Paris. Lobrano, who is the European correspondent for Gourmet magazine, has written an intensely personal yet extremely informative guide to his 102 favorite restaurants in Paris. We're giving away three (3) copies of Hungry for Paris. All you have to do is tell us your favorite restaurant or cafe in Paris. Contest will end and comments...
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Have other serious eaters noticed that Waiter Rant blogger turned no-longer-anonymous author Steve Dublanica's book has become a New York Times Best Seller? Hell, they're even going to publish a Chinese version of the book. I've been reading it all week, and it's funny, revealing, and properly scathing, just like the blog. Thanks to the good folks at Ecco, we've got five copies of this bad boy to give away this weekend. Here's what you have to do to win. Some of you may recall that yesterday I asked you for your worst waiter tale of woe. Today we're going to throw you a change-up. To win a copy of the book tell us about the best waiter experience you've...
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On Fridays, Deb Harkness of Good Wine Under $20 drops by with Serious Grape. This week, great wine books for your library or that of your grapehead friend or family member. If you are an avid cook, you can probably rattle off the titles of the five cookbooks that you absolutely, positively could not live without. They are the books with the crusty pages, the singed covers, and the broken spines that you turn to again and again when looking for culinary inspiration. So what are the five wine books that I can't live without? My list includes a reference book, a tasting guide, an annual report, a catalogue of grape varieties, and an indispensable guide to food and wine...
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Emeril Lagasse has just snagged a 10-book deal with HarperCollins on its new imprint, HarperStudio. His first book of the deal, to come out next spring, will focus on indoor and outdoor grilling and will be his first in four years....
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This is not an act. Random people in China did not know about the fortune cookie's existence. While researching for her book The Fortune Cookie Chronicles, Jennifer 8. Lee educated them that yes, there is paper inside, but you should just eat the cookie part. She had to bring the treats over from Wonton Food, a distributor in the U.S., because the cookies are not readily available in China. Overall, the newly-educated citizens seem pretty pleased....
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Illustration for a child's book, "Peter and the Moon" Story and Pictures (32 in color) by Jan Balet—not yet published. November 1946 Paul Lukas, of Uni Watch fame forwarded this awesome illustration to me. (Best children's book illustration ever? Quite possibly," he says.) He in turn got it from a friend. It appears to be from some sort of 1946 promo of a book yet to be published at the time. I can't find any mention on the web of Peter and the Moon in connection to Jan Balet, so who's to say if it ever appeared on shelves—or is so far out of print that it doesn't appear online. Balet appears to have hit his stride in the...
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If you love being sick of Rachael Ray, you need to get your hands on Every Freaking! Day with Rachell Ray. Nope, it's not a new series from the 30-minute meal goddess—it's a parody book by Elizabeth Hilts, author of the popular Getting in Touch with Your Inner Bitch. Hilt says that Rachael Ray is very easy to parody: "She has a lot of very recognizable mannerisms: talking with her hands, singing to the food, referring to food as an almost human entity." Ray has yet to comment on the parody book. Related Rachael Ray Will Endorse Your Product! Rachael Ray Launches Line of Dog Food: Nutrish Dunkin Donuts Pulls Rachael Ray Ad Due to Arab-Looking Scarf...
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