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CakeLove
Written by Lorin Gaudin
Wednesday, 09 July 2008 08:43
THE BOOK - CakeLove: How to Bake Cakes from Scratch
THE COOK - Former lawyer turned killer baker, Warren Brown
THE BYTE - Mouthwatering cakes, frostings and fillings that are simply and deliciously written for even the novice baker. Equipment and advice is doled out nicely and the cakes are luscious combinations of flavors. "Sassy" gets a culinary kick form cayenne pepper, while the Mojito features homemade, freshly dried mint and rum. Drooling as you read this book is de rigeur.
THE COOK - Natalia Rose, a raw foods enthusiast and author
THE BYTE - An fascinating look at juicing and energy-boosting foods for creating health and well-being. The bent is raw food-ish and vegetable-laden, but not exclusively so. There are seventy original recipes ranging from cooked fish dishes to raw vegetarian soups, juices and desserts. The book's tone is never preachy, just smart, fresh and considerate of seasonality.
THE COOK - French-trained, Southern chef Virginia Willis
THE BYTE - Classic Southern dishes with French flare. Delectable recipes like "Vidalia Onion Confit," "Tangle of Bitter Greens,""Chicken and Dumplings," and "Apple Pie," to name some. So good, famed cook Nathalie Dupree (she penned the Forward) writes, "You'll find a cake recipe here, a cheese straw there, that will make you sigh and say, 'Oh if only I could eat that right now,' propelling you to the kitchen." I'm there now.
"I'd like to learn how to de-bone a chicken." Those were the words of NewOrleans.com's very own Kimbalimba, an avid cook and intrepid diner. She's not alone, learning how to de-bone a bird is among the many kitchen cutting tasks that elude many home cooks. Time, patience, practice and the right tools are all anyone needs to master this cutting-edge technology. In "Knife Skills in the Kitchen," you get many, many lessons including how to properly hold a knife, brunoise vegetables, slice bread, carve a leg of lamb, bandage a finger, and solve many other cutting conundrums. Penned by three Michelin-starred chefs - Charlie Trotter, Marcus Wareing, and Shaun Hill -"Knife Skills in the Kitchen,” covers a wide array of knife techniques including chopping, slicing, dicing, carving, and more. Need to know how to filet a fish? It’s in there. Mystified by mangoes? Mastery is only moments away. This is a beautifully produced book, in the comfortable DK Publishing style - crisp, close photos, glossy paper, explicit instructions. Easy to follow, a cutting edge guide for the cook in everyone, which can only mean a de-boned chicken in every pot. Be the sharpest tool in the shed and learn how to stay that way.
From a member of the celebrated Brennan restaurant family, Ralph Brennan, (Bacco, Redfish Grill, and Ralph’s on the Park) helms the “perfect storm” of culinary talent including iconic food writer Gene Bourg, and stellar photographer Kerri McCaffety in a comprehensive and lovely book focused on New Orleans seafood.
As a teenager living in Los Angeles, I used to save my money to dine. On my bicycle and later, a bright blue Peugeot Moped, I tooled around Beverly Hills and West Hollywood grabbing great Cal-Mex at Sundance Café, frozen yogurt from The Cultured Cow; burgers from Fatburger; and my favorite guilty pleasure, Rumaki (crisply broiled bacon- wrapped water chestnuts and chicken livers) and “virgin” tiki drinks from Don the Beachcomber. The Tiki décor, casual islandy vibe and incredible, decorative dish and glassware, were right up my alley. Flash forward about 5 years and I arrive in New Orleans to find Pontchartrain Beach’s Bali Hai and was lucky enough to get sip on a cocktail or two before it closed forever. On most weekends, my husband and I take out the Bali Hai tiki cups we saved and make Mai Tai’s or some other rummy concoction to drink...even when tiki drinks weren’t “fashionable.”
