Cooking Recent Picks
February 2008
The title-underlined links will take you directly to our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.
Art of simple food, Alice Waters.
"'The Art of Simple Food' by the one and only Alice Waters is a rare treat for foodie readers, and an even rarer treat for those who wish to master the craft of cooking effortlessly. I can think of very, very few cookbooks which succeed as well as this one at teaching good, creative cooking at home... The writing flows so smoothly, I'm surprised at how fast I get through its impressive 405 pages. I'm even more impressed by the fact that it seems Ms. Waters probably contributed more herself to this book than many others where she is listed as the author. Thus, this is a classic foodie treasure, in that reading it gives as much pleasure as cooking from it." (Amazon reviewer)
Delicious : 5 nights a week : every recipe you'll ever need for midweek cooking, by Valli Little.
"A recent survey showed that most people have a repertoire of no more than four different dishes which they endlessly rotate. Now internationally renowned food writer and editor Valli Little has selected over 150 dishes from the extensive archives of award-winning Delicious magazine to put an end to the constant round of the same meals every night of the week. Also included, for those nights when you can't quite face preparing and eating a whole meal there are tempting ideas for a little something on toast." (Amazon UK)
The French Café cookbook, by Simon Wright; photography by Charlie Smith.
"Auckland's famous The French Cafe is the most awarded and honoured restaurant in New Zealand, a place where successive chefs have stamped their creative mark and thrilled diners for over 25 years. Under owners Simon Wright and Creghan Molloy Wright it has developed a peerless reputation as a restaurant of exquisite standards, so popular that tables have to be booked weeks in advance. In The French Cafe Cookbook, this remarkable husband and wife team share the secrets of their passion, with 80 outstanding recipes, stunning photography by Charlie Smith, and illuminating tales of the blood, sweat, tears and love that go into running a restaurant at the top of its game." (Amazon UK)
How to cook everything vegetarian : simple meatless recipes for great food, Mark Bittman ; illustrations by Alan Witschonke.
"This is one of my favorite cookbooks, hands down. I love that there are recipes for making your own fresh cheese and other dairy products (yogurt and creme fraiche). There's actually a lot of vegan options, which are marked with an icon, and additional vegan options and improvisational techniques for other recipes. I love this, because so many vegetarian books lean too heavily on dairy and eggs." (Amazon reviewer)
Lighten up, Jill Dupleix ; photography, Petrina Tinslay.
"I thoroughly enjoyed reading the introductory pages of Jill Dupleix's new book. Her descriptions of needing a change of pace in lifestyle and how that reflects in both food and drink struck a chord with me. The book is not a diet book and is not preachy on the subject of nutrition. The recipes are fresh and new with a lightness of touch that is very refreshing - influenced undoubtedly by the Pacific Rim style of fusion cooking that is commonplace in Australia's big cultural centres. I am very happy that I found this book and will be visiting it regularly for inspiration." (Amazon UK)
How to be a better foodie : a bulging little book for the truly epicurious, Sudi Pigott.
Hunger for the wild, Al Brown and Steve Logan.
My French vue : bistro cooking at home, by Shannon Bennett.
Never order chicken on a Monday : kitchen chronicles of an undercover food critic, Matthew Evans.
The Oxford companion to Italian food, Gillian Riley.
The pig, the olive & the squid : food & wine from humble beginnings, Greg Duncan Powell.
Snake fang salad : culinary travails in China, Greg Elms.
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