News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

We’ve done our first round-up of the new cooking books for the year! You’ll find some inspiring cooking for Summer – restaurant cookbooks, party cakes for all those January birthdays, seasonal sustainable food, and more. Plus – a workbook for managing food intolerances. Have a browse – and enjoy!

Bite By Bite : 100 Stylish Little Plates You Can Make For Any Party / Peter Callahan (foreword by Martha Stewart).
“Callahan invented high-end party food as we know it; now, he shares his secrets. Callahan invites readers to enter his world of whimsy and wit, where tuna tartare becomes an ice cream cone, shrimp cocktail becomes lollipops, and frites are served next to mini sliders.” (Syndetics summary)

Cook This Now : 120 easy and delectable dishes you can’t wait to make / Melissa Clark.
“A journal-style narrative about the author’s first year of feeding her family seasonally, sustainably, and sumptuously – eating real, fresh, whole, non-processed foods, choosing local and seasonal and sustainable whenever possible, and eschewing factory meats and overfished seafood. But also about eating well and not making herself crazy. This is a look at her choices, how she succeeds and fails, and most importantly, what she’s choosing to cook.” (Global Books)

Gingerboy : Creative Street Food / Teage Ezard, Chris Donnellan.
“Iconic Melbourne restaurant Gingerboy is renowned for its funky decor, Asian-inspired dishes and hip laneway location. Serving creative street food, based around plates for sharing, chefs Teage Ezard and Chris Donnellan take a unique and bold approach to the food of the region.” (Library Catalogue)

Marque : A Culinary Adventure / Mark Best ; recipes by Mark Best and Pasi Petranen ; photography by Stuart Scott.
“MARQUE is a highly illustrated, contemporary recipe book, celebrating and reflecting on Marque, the succesful Sydney restaurant. Also included will be the personal journey of chef and owner Mark Best and approximately 80 of Marque’s signature recipes. Most will be complete dishes but the book will also contain a myriad of smaller recipes and techniques which are the backbone of chef, Mark Best’s creations. A stunning book to treasure as both a compilation of beautiful recipes and a record of one of the world’s best restaurants.” (Global Books)

Hip Hip Hooray : 50 Fun Party Cakes / Julie Lanham.
“A spectacular homemade cake can make a great party unforgettable. Children and adults alike will have a ball deciding which of the 50 inspired cakes to make first: the submarine, the robot, or perhaps the lollypop cottage? With Julie Lanham’s clear step-by-step instructions, you’ll find these eye-catching cakes are surprisingly easy to make. The comprehensive introduction includes baking tips, decorating techniques and shopping suggestions. You’ll also find recipes for basic cakes and icings, and all the templates you’ll need.” (Library Catalogue)

Top 100 Finger Foods : 100 quick and easy recipes for a healthy, happy child / Annabel Karmel ; [photography by Dave King].
“Following up on her hit bestseller “Top 100 Baby Purees,” British media star and “Today” show favorite Karmel presents a scrumptious guide to creating tasty tidbits that young children can really sink their teeth (and gums!) into. Loaded with simple instructions, this is an ideal source for making mealtime fun.” (Syndetics summary)

Food Intolerance Management Plan / Sue Shepherd & Peter Gibson ; food photography by Mark O’Meara.
“The Food Intolerance Management Plan is a scientifically developed program and comprehensive recipe book for those suffering from common digestive illness. Based on the revolutionary Low-FOBMAP Diet, it shows people with food intolerances how to enjoy their food while remaining free of the symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome and related conditions, such as gluten, fructose, lactose and wheat intolerances.” (Library Catalogue)

Stuck for ideas for Christmas? Need gluten-free or vegan options for Christmas guests? Wanting to down-size your Christmas and get away from all the commercial aspects? Your first time cooking the Christmas meal for family and friends? This selection of new cooking books is for you! Most of our selection this month is Christmassy, but we’ve thrown in a few Australian and New Zealand summer-focused cookbooks, plus some party cake books (really just because we love these, and they’re so fun to look at). Enjoy!!

Christmas with Gordon / Gordon Ramsay ; with Emily Quah, photographs by Chris Terry.
“Gordon gives inspiration, advice and 75 failsafe and delicious recipes for all occasions over the Christmas period. The stars of the show are 5 Christmas Feasts – suitable for whenever you choose to have your main Christmas meal. The menus are built around a choice of 5 main course centrepieces – turkey, goose, beef, ham or sea bass – and include starters, accompaniments and desserts for each. To take the stress out of Christmas Gordon offers masses of advice on ordering, shopping, preparation and timing. Also included is a great chapter on Party Food, and inspired recipes for Breakfast & Brunch, Lunches & Suppers, and Sweet Treats. Gordon’s favourite Christmas ingredients, including stilton, smoked salmon, turkey and ham, are highlighted with suggestions for creative ways to use them over the Christmas period. Advice on wines and party drinks, cheese and other festive ingredients complete this invaluable guide to the perfect Christmas.” (Amazon.co.uk)

4 Ingredients Christmas / Kim McCosker.
“Featuring over 176 pages of colour images and 80 recipes, 4 Ingredients Christmas will be the ‘must have’ cookbook for every entertainer….4 Ingredients Christmas is bound to become the trusted choice not just during the festive season, but for every special occasion. Simply the easiest, entertaining cookbook you will ever own.” (Global Books)

The Christmas Collection.
“This is a comprehensive collection of Christmas recipes, both traditional and modern. It contains recipes for everything you’re likely to want to eat on Christmas Day: breakfasts, drinks, finger food, starters, the big Christmas main course, vegetables and salads, Christmas puddings, Christmas cakes, mince pies, chocolates. But there is more to this book than that. There are edible gifts – cookies, jars of fruit mince, individual puddings and cakes. As well, there are ideas for Christmas wrappings, decorations and table settings. And to top it all off, there are innovative recipes for those inevitable Christmas leftovers, so Boxing Day will be a feast too.” (Global Books)

Gluten-free and Vegan Holidays / Jennifer Katzinger.
“Entertaining friends and family can be a challenge for those with diets that are vegan and gluten-free. Katzinger makes celebrating the holidays simple and stylish with 70 delicious, satisfying recipes that are sweet and savory, gluten-free, and vegan.” (Library Catalogue)

The Christmas Book / editor-in-chief, Sheherazade Goldsmith.
“A book of approximately 80-90 self-contained craft, food, and gardening projects aimed at helping people escape the modern-day commercial Christmas and enjoy a simpler, more home-spun way of celebrating.” (Book Jacket)

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In our picks of the new cooking books this month: Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fusion cooking; luscious raw food diet desserts, cakes, pastries and more; vegetarian entrées that won’t leave you hungry; and mouthwatering Swedish recipes and food traditions.

Maha / Shane Delia ; photography by Sharyn Cairns.
“Shane Delia, owner of Melbourne’s award-winning Maha Bar and Grill, brings us his first cookbook, a superb collection of recipes that showcases his distinctive fusion of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, with a strong focus on the full-flavoured dishes prepared by Shane’s large Australian and Maltese family.” (Library Catalogue)

Vegetarian Entrees That Won’t Leave You Hungry : Nourishing, Flavorful Main Courses That Fill The Center of the Plate / Lukas Volger ; photographs by Christina Heaston.
“With the same inviting mix of boyish candor and enthusiasm that he brought to Veggie Burgers Every Which Way, Volger expands his vision beyond that pervasive symbol of vegetarian diets.” (Publishers Weekly)

Supper at the Victoria Room : Effortlessly Cool Entertaining / Jill Jones-Evans & Joe Gambacorta.
“Uncover the art of preparing supper with simple, quick meals for effortlessly cool entertaining at home.” (Library Catalogue)

Thrive Foods : 200 Plant-based Recipes for Peak Health / Brendan Brazier ; [photos by Julie Morris and Brendan Brazier].
“The cookbook companion to “Thrive” and “Thrive Fitness”–with 200 recipes, including dishes from celebrity chefs Tal Ronnen, Jamie Oliver, and others.” (Syndetics summary)

Notes from a Swedish Kitchen / Margareta Schildt Landgren ; photography by Tine Guth Linse.
“Swedish cuisine is delicious, varied and often unexpected, and in this delightful book Margereta Schildt Landgren shares wonderful stories from her own kitchen along with over 100 fabulous recipes.” (Book Jacket)

Raw Desserts : Mouthwatering Recipes for Cookies, Cakes, Pastries, Pies, and More / Erica Palmcrantz Aziz and Irmela Lilja ; Anna Hult, photographer.
“Savor a rich, raw true as it melts in your mouth; and know that you’re doing your body a favor! This sequel to Raw Food shows how you can eat sweets every day while providing your body with plenty of nutrition and vitality. Here you’ll find recipes for luscious desserts, cakes, pastries, ice cream, cakes, cookies, and smoothies and other beverages. Enjoy fruit, organic vanilla powder, cocoa, (and other unique super-foods) in their purest form.” (Global Books)

Cumulus Inc. / Andrew McConnell ; photography by Earl Carter.
“In a few short years, Cumulus Inc. has won a place in many hearts. With its open kitchen, industrial architectural elements and light streaming in through the bank of windows, it is somewhere to gather, talk and eat at any time of day. And the food fits like a glove, starting with the perfect breakfast and ending with a late-night charcuterie plate. Based around the ebb and flow of a day at Cumulus, Andrew McConnell’s first book gathers his recipes for the signature dishes that keep people coming back for more.” (Library Catalogue)

Winter’s finished, but Spring is very definitely here! On our way into Summer, here are new cookbooks at the library that offer delicious, fabulous, easy to prepare, no hassles food you’d love to eat – as well as wine to complement the recipes! Take your pick…

100 Must-Try New Zealand Wines / Michael Cooper ; photographs by Simon Young.
“From New Zealand’s foremost wine writer comes the definitive guide to the best New Zealand wines. Filled with practical information on everything you need to know to buy the perfect bottle, this easy-to-use reference book appeals to all wine drinkers, whether wine experts or those simply looking for a good wine to have with dinner. 100 Must-try New Zealand Wines allows the reader to cut through the bewildering array of wines to find those that achieve outstanding quality, year after year.” (Global Books)

Classic Cookies : Biscotti, Macaroons and More / senior editor, Wendy Bryant.
“Following the success of its predecessors in this series, Classic Cakes, Classic Christmas and Classic Cupcakes, Classic Cookies delivers on its promise: here are all the classic cookies from around the world. There are savoury biscuits to serve with cheese, plain sweet cookies, rich filled and iced cookies, biscotti, macaroons and meringues. There are instructions on the right ingredients to use, how to make refrigerator cookies, how to freeze, how to thaw frozen cookies. The beautiful design of the book makes it a perfect gift, or a sweet treat for yourself.” (Book Jacket)

The Baby & Toddler Cookbook / authors, Karen Ansel & Charity Ferreira ; photographer, Thayer Allyson Gowdy.
“Packed with 90 easy-to prepare recipes made with wholesome ingredients, the Baby & Toddler Cookbook offers a fresh and nutritious approach to feeding children from 6 months to 3 years.” (Book Jacket)

The Good Life / by Adrian Richardson with Lucy Malouf ; photography by John Laurie.
“Adrian Richardson’s philosophy is simple: things taste better when they’re homemade. Baking your own bread; making fresh cheese, pasta or tomato sauce from scratch; curing salami and other meats; flavouring your own oils and vinegars; making chutneys and prserves… in THE GOOD LIFE Adrian shows you how to do all this, and more.” (Global Books)

River Cottage : Veg Everyday! / Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall ; photography by Simon Wheeler ; illustrations by Mariko Jesse.
“Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has come up with over 200 veg-centric recipes, including curried bubble and squeak, roasted squash, mushrooms and blue cheese on leaves, cream of spinach soup, hot and sour noodle, veg tofu soup, roasted roots with harissa, halloumi, new potato and tomato kebabs, spelt with peas and spices and veg moussaka. With vibrant photography from Simon Wheeler, River Cottage Veg Every Day is a eulogy to the glorious green stuff.” (Global Books)

From Season to Season : A Year in Recipes / by Sophie Dahl ; photographs by Jan Baldwin.
“A stylish and charming cookbook from a rising food star that interweaves personal anecdotes about food and the good life with 100 simple and appealing seasonal recipes. Sophie Dahl gained notoriety in the UK as a top fashion model before switching gears to write and cook. She’s now a celebrity on the British food scene, with a comforting, natural cooking style designed to appeal to health-minded home cooks who don’t mind a bit of indulgence.” (Global Books)

Gluten-Free in Five Minutes : 123 Rapid Recipes for Breads, Rolls, Cakes, Muffins, and More / Roben Ryberg.
“Revolutionary recipes for gluten-free foods and baked goods in mere minutes from a bestselling cookbook author (100,000 cookbooks sold).” (Syndetics summary)

Kiwi Food Culture: Flavours from Around New Zealand / Adam Clancey.
“This book features the best Kiwiana recipes that celebrate our way of life and incorporate the many flavours and diverse cultures that make Kiwi fare unique.” (Book Jacket)

The Diabetes Cookbook : Recipes for a Well-Balanced Lifestyle / [food director, Pamela Clark].
“All the recipes in this book have been checked and endorsed by Diabetes Australia. If you have diabetes you should eat low-fat, low-GI food. But that shouldn’t mean that it’s low in flavour or interest, it shouldn’t mean you feel deprived. New Diabetes brings you food that is so good the whole family will happily eat it (and thereby improve their health too). There are breakfasts, lunches and light meals, mains and a few desserts. There’s a 7-day menu planner and lots of information about controlling diabetes through diet and exercise.” (Global Books)

Cuisine wine country. 2011, explore New Zealand wine & food / [project editor, Susan Buchanan].
“Church Road is more than a wine, it’s a destination. A place where you can spend hour upon hour soaking in the atmosphere of one of New Zealand’s foremost wineries. Home of the legendary Tom McDonald wine cellar, New Zealand’s only wine museum, and award winning wines….One visit and you’ll see why it’s the heart of the Hawke’s Bay.” (Book Jacket)

Pies, cupcakes, baklava, gingerbread, cobblers, cookies, scrumptious cakes and more – it’s enough to make your mouth water! Our cooking recent picks this week feature much baking, vegan and otherwise, balanced out of course by savoury bake recipes, Ani Phyo’s latest raw food cookbook (East-West fusion recipes!), and the latest offerings from Gordon Ramsay and Rick Stein. Have a browse!

Quick and easy vegan bake sale : more than 150 delicious sweet and savory vegan treats perfect for sharing / Carla Kelly.
“Kelly puts the “good” back in “good for you” with more than 150 vegan desserts–from cupcakes and cookies to baklava and gingerbread–that will keep friends, neighbors, and even the local Girl Scout troop coming back for more.” (Syndetics summary)

Orient Express / Silvena Rowe ; photographs by Jonathan Lovekin.
“Orient Express is for busy cooks who want a touch of the light, beautiful cuisine of the eastern Mediterranean that Silvena Rowe is making her own. Silvena’s USP is fabulous Ottoman Empire recipes with brilliant modern twists – and Orient Express provides 100 new recipes in this follow-up, which is a slightly more practical cookery book with recipes that are quicker to cook.” (Global Books)

Rick Stein’s Spain.
“In his beautifully designed and illustrated cookbook to accompany a major BBC2, 4-part series, Rick has selected over 120 recipes that capture the authentic taste of contemporary Spain. With over 100 location and recipe photographs, this is an essential book for food-lovers as well as a stunning culinary guide to a diverse country….” (Global Books)

Ani’s Raw Food Asia : Easy East-West Fusion Recipes / Ani Phyo.
“Ani’s Raw Food Asia also offers essential tips on green living, well-being, longevity, fitness, beauty, and entertaining as inspired by a healthy Asian lifestyle.” (Book Jacket)

The Fearless Baker : Scrumptious Cakes, Pies, Cobblers, Cookies, and Quick Breads That You Can Make to Impress Your Friends and Yourself / Emily Luchetti and Lisa Weiss.
“THE FEARLESS BAKER is a beginner’s baking guide written to empower home cooks with spot-on advice and a cache of go-to recipes. Renowned pastry chef Emily Luchetti guides novice bakers through her amazing recipes to troubleshoot their most common pitfalls. Charming color illustrations and photographs of real-life beginning bakers in action complete the instruction, turning even the most tentative baker into a fearless one.” (Syndetics summary)

Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It : And Other Kitchen Projects / Karen Solomon ; photography by Angie Cao.
“Solomon (Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It) returns with a second volume of recipes aimed at the do-it-yourself set. Each entry includes clear instructions, how long the items can be stored, recipe yield, and time commitment, along with introductory remarks on where to source the few less-common ingredients, ideas for gifting recipes, and general cook’s notes.” (Library Journal)

Mayumi’s Kitchen : Macrobiotic Cooking for Body and Soul / Mayumi Nishimura ; photographs by Akira Saito
“The concept of following a macrobiotic diet might sound daunting, but Nishimura-who worked as Madonna’s private chef for seven years breaks it down into simple, can-do steps and recipes….” (Publisher Weekly)

Gratins & Bakes : Pasta, Vegetables, Potatoes, Fish, Chicken, Meat / [food director, Pamela Clark].
“Savoury bakes have always been one of the most popular family dishes. They’re so easy – often cooked in just one dish. They usually have a crispy crunchy topping – potato, cheese, breadcrumbs – it’s no wonder they’re irresistible. Bakes and Gratins includes recipes for pasta bakes, potato and other vegetable bakes, fish bakes, chicken bakes and meat bakes. All you need to serve with a bake is a salad and you have an easy-to-prepare, well balanced and totally delicious family lunch or dinner.” (Global Books)

I can’t Cook Book / Rose Welling.
“The ‘I Can’t Cook Book’ has no fuss, no frills, just good wholesome, easy to prepare food that is a blessing to the kitchen klutz. This is a ‘must have’ book for those new to the kitchen: just moved out of home, newly married, newly divorced, whatever the circumstances the ‘I Can’t Cook Book’ will painlessly turn you into an ‘I Can Cook’ with its easy to follow but delicious-to-eat recipes.” (Libraray Catalogue)

Gordon’s Great Escape Southeast Asia / text by Gordon Ramsay and Lauren Abery ; photographer Emma Lee.
“On the second leg of his Great Escapes series, Gordon Ramsay sets out to discover the flavours of Asia, on a remarkable journey that leads him through Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Vietnam. 100 new recipes are inspired by the tastes and experiences he encounters along the way.” (Global Books)

Shake off the winter blues and embrace the spring with fresh ideas about cooking, gardening and craft projects for your home and garden by browsing through our latest selection of library books. Get inspired by the clever design ideas shown in our picture gallery below.

“Wellington on the Plate” display at the Wellington Central Library

Library News

• Great new graphic novels

Food, food and more food. Yum. Need something warming this Winter? Or just a new recipe to get you started in the kitchen? Here are some of our newest cookbooks to whet your appetite.

100 Family Meals / Annabel Karmel.
“Annabel Karmel is the authority on children’s food and her books include the classic ‘New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner’. Here Annabel has chosen 100 simple, nutritious meals for the family.” (Book Jacket)

100 Quick Stir-fry Recipes / Ken Hom.
“Ken Hom is the authority on Chinese food and here he has collected 100 healthy, but very tasty recipes. From the light veggie meals to spicy beef sizzlers you’ll find soomethingfor every occasion.” (Book Jacket)

From Kai to Kiwi Kitchen : New Zealand Culinary Traditions and Cookbooks / edited by Helen M. Leach.
“The inspiration for this collection exploring the history of New Zealand cooking and cookbooks from its Maori roots to today, comes from a series of lectures held at several New Zealand universities. The first half of the text consists of a reproduction of the university lectures while the second contains essays on cookbooks and culinary history in New Zealand. The text includes vintage pictures of cookbook covers, several charts and photographs.” (Syndetics summary)

Back Yard Farmer. Volume Six / [editor, Fiona Tunnicliff ; publisher, Alan Gray].
“Whether you have acres of alpacas and artichokes or if you’ve filled a few tubs with leafy greens or spend your weekends talking to earthworms and rehousing snails – you’ll find something in this book to tickle your farming fancy” – - Back cover.

Raw Food for Everyone : essential techniques and 300 simple-to-sophisticated recipes / Alissa Cohen with Leah J. Dubois.
“One of the nation’s top raw restaurateurs presents a lavish array of 300 unique recipes, a primer of preparation methods, and a comprehensive ingredient guide in “Raw Food for Everyone.”" (Syndetics summary)

100 Pasta Recipes / Antonio Carluccio.
“Antonio Carluccio is the leading authority on Italian food and it’s greatest champion. Here, he celebrates this staple of Italian cuisine with recipes ranging from the classic to the everyday as well as modern.” (Book Jacket)

Marco Made Easy : a three-star chef makes it simple / Marco Pierre White.
“In more than 100 recipes Marco takes simple, fresh ingredients and cooks them in different ways, quickly and easily. He shows how all you need is one or two ingredients, combined with the packets, jars, bottles and tins found in the average store cupboard.” (Book Jacket)

The Extraordinary Cookbook : how to make meals your friends will never forget / Stefan Gates ; photographs by Georgia Glynn Smith.
“An exhilarating and practical cookbook for food with extra sparkle, full of bold, delectable-and sometimes surprising-recipes to create unforgettable meals. Stefan combines unusual-sounding dishes that he has invented or discovered on his culinary travels with simple classics that offer something magical.” (Global Books)

Feasting / Karen Martini ; photography by Earl Carter.
Karen Martini welcomes us to her table. Here are 130 new recipes, organised into twenty menus, all easy to prepare and full of flavour. Karen invites us to choose just one delicious dish, put together an entire menu, or create our own unique feasts using recipes from different menus….Inspiring, instructive and beautifully photographed, Feasting reminds us that cooking is not just about producing good food, it is about creating a reason to connect and celebrate with family and friends.” (Library Catalogue)

The Secret Ingredient : delicious and easy recipes, heart-healthy recipes that might just save your life / Sally Bee.
“Sally Bee’s story of survival and recovery from three heart attacks in a week at the age of 36 is nothing short of a miracle. Sally attributes much of her remarkable survival to her delicious and achievable healthy eating plan, which she and her whole family enjoy. Now, in this beautifully illustrated cookbook, she shares her secret with you, and it might just save your life.” (Global Books)

Ripe recipes / Angela Redfern ; illustrations by Michelle Ineson ; photography by Sally Greer.
“Ripe Deli in Ponsonby, Auckland, has established a reputation among food lovers for preparing some of the most healthy and flavoursome dishes in town. Now they have put together a collection of their most popular recipes, arranged in seasonal sections, for you to cook at home.” (Global Books)

Welcome to our first Home & Garden eNewsletter. Here you’ll find the latest books we have available for borrowing on this topic. Our selection includes cooking books, crafts, gardening and DIY books, as well as books about health and self-help. Remember you can reserve these items and even suggest we buy something that’s not on the shelf!

Coming up shortly is Wellington on a Plate and if you can’t wait for the start of the Festival to sample Wellington’s Chefs specialties, check their books for succulent recipes: Martin Bosley, Floriditas, and  Al Brown amongst others.

Library News

• Surviving the BIG SHAKE – Free lunchtime seminars in August
• Ancestry in August – free genealogy talks at Central Library
• Our eAudio collection just got a lot bigger!

Posted by Celia on 29.07.2011 at 4:34 pm// Tagged: Newsletters , cooking, Home & Garden // Comments Off