I Love Corn

by Lisa Skye

Price: $19.99
ISBN-13: 9781449418168
ISBN-10: 1449418163
Format: Hardcover
Size: 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 in.
Page Count: 160 pages

Tomatoland

How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit

by Barry Estabrook
Price: $15.99
ISBN-13: 9781449423452
ISBN-10: 1449423450
Format: Paperback
Size: 5.5 x 8.5 in.
Page Count: 256 pages

Lard

The Lost Art of Cooking with Your Grandmothers Secret Ingredient

by Editors of Grit Magazine

Price: $24.99
ISBN-13: 9781449409746
ISBN-10: 1449409741
Format: Paperback
Size: 7.5 x 9 in.
Page Count: 272 pages

Americas Best Ribs

Tips and Recipes for Easy, Lip-Smacking, Pull-Off-the-Bone, Pass-the-Sauce, Championship-Quality BBQ

by Ardie A. DavisPhB, Chef Paul KirkCWC, PhB, BSAS

Price: $19.99
ISBN-13: 9781449414139
ISBN-10: 1449414133
Format: Paperback
Size: 8 X 10 in.
Page Count: 160 pages

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Quick-Fix Indian

Easy Exotic Dishes in 30 Minutes or Less

by Ruta Kahate

Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9781449409777
ISBN-10: 1449409776
Format: Paperback
Size: 7 1/2 x 9 in.
Page Count: 224 pages

Seamus Mullen’s Hero Food

How Cooking with Delicious Things Can Make Us Feel Better

by Seamus Mullen

Price: $35.00
ISBN-13: 9781449407582
ISBN-10: 1449407587
Format: Hardcover
Size: 8 1/2 x 10 1/4 in.
Page Count: 320 pages

The Kitchen Diva’s Diabetic Cookbook

125 Healthy Delicious Recipes for Diabetics and Those Who Dine with Them

by Angela Medearis Shelf
U.S.: $24.99
ISBN: 9781449402396
Format: Paperback
Size: 7 3/4 x 8 3/4 in.
Page Count: 272 pages

Allergy-Friendly Food for Families

120 Gluten-Free Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, and Soy-Free Recipes Everyone Will Love

by Editors of Kiwi Magazine

Price: $24.99
ISBN-13: 9781449409760
ISBN-10: 1449409768
Format: Paperback
Size: 8 x 9 in.
Page Count: 256 pages

So Sweet!

Cookies, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies, and More

by Sur La Table

Price: $15.00
ISBN-13: 9781449407285
ISBN-10: 1449407285
Format: Hardcover
Size: 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 in.
Page Count: 144 Pages

Sugar, Sugar

Every Recipe Has a Story

by Kimberly “Momma” Reiner, Jenna Sanz-Agero

Price: $29.99
ISBN-13: 9781449403584
ISBN-10: 1449403581
Format: Hardcover
Size: 7 x 9 in.
Page Count: 312 pages

Simply Fresh

Casual Dining at Home

by Jeff Morgan

Price: $25.00
ISBN-13: 9781449408268
ISBN-10: 1449408265
Format: Hardcover
Size: 9 1/2 x 9 1/2 in.
Page Count: 216 pages

50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker

by Lynn Alley

Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9781449407933
ISBN-10: 1449407935
Format: Hardcover
Size: 6 1/2 x 6 1/2 in.
Page Count: 104 pages

Robin Takes 5

500 Recipes, 5 Ingredients or Less, 500 Calories or Less, for 5 Nights/Week at 5:00 PM

by Robin Miller

Price: $29.99
ISBN-13: 9781449408459
ISBN-10: 1449408451
Format: Paperback
Size: 7 1/2 x 9 in.
Page Count: 372 pages

My Family Table

A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking

by John Besh

2012 IACP Award Winner in the Children, Youth and Family category

2012 James Beard Award Nominee

Price: $35.00
ISBN-13: 9781449407872
ISBN-10: 1449407870
Format: Hardcover
Size: 9 1/4 x 11 in.
Page Count: 272 pages

I Love Meatballs!

by Rick Rodgers

Price: $19.99
ISBN-13: 9781449407841
ISBN-10: 1449407846
Format: Hardcover
Size: 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 in.
Page Count: 176 pages

Bluestem

The Cookbook

by Colby Garrelts, Megan Garrelts, Bonjwing Lee

2012 James Beard Best Chef Midwest Award Finalist

Price: $45.00
ISBN-13: 9781449400613
ISBN-10: 1449400612
Format: Hardcover
Size: 9 x 10 in.
Page Count: 312 pages

The Brisket Book

A Love Story with Recipes
by Stephanie Pierson

Price: $29.99
ISBN-13: 9781449406974
ISBN-10: 1449406971
Size: 7 1/2 X 9 in.
Page Count: 224 pages

Vegan Family Meals

Real Food for Everyone

by Ann Gentry

Price: $25.00
ISBN-13: 9781449402372
ISBN-10: 1449402372
Format: Hardcover
Size: 7 1/2 x 9 1/4 in.
Page Count: 272 pages

Tomatoland

How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit

by Barry Estabrook

2012 IACP Award Finalist

Price: $19.99
ISBN-13: 9781449401092
ISBN-10: 1449401090
Format: Hardcover
Size: 6 x 9 in.
Page Count: 240 pages

Food from Many Greek Kitchens

by Tessa Kiros

Price: $35.00
ISBN-13: 9781449406523
ISBN-10: 1449406521
Format: Hardcover
Size: 8 X 9 in.
Page Count: 336 pages

Plum Gorgeous

Recipes and Memories from the Orchard

by Romney Steele

Price: $25.00
ISBN-13: 9781449402402
ISBN-10: 1449402402
Format: Hardcover
Size: 7 3/8 X 8 1/4 in.
Page Count: 192 pages

Quick-Fix Gluten Free

by Robert Landolphi

Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9781449402938
ISBN-10: 1449402933
Format: Paperback
Size: 7 1/2 x 9 in.
Page Count: 184 pages

Feeding the Dragon

A Culinary Travelogue Through China with Recipes

by Nate Tate, Mary Kate Tate

Price: $24.99
ISBN-13: 9781449401115
ISBN-10: 1449401112
Format: Paperback
Size: 9 x 10 in.
Page Count: 304 pages

Cutie Pies

40 Sweet, Savory, and Adorable Recipes

by Dani Cone

Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9781449403058
ISBN-10: 1449403050
Format: Hardcover
Size: 7 x 7 in.
Page Count: 160 pages

Cucina Povera

Tuscan Peasant Cooking

by Pamela Sheldon Johns

Price: $21.99
ISBN-13: 9781449402389
ISBN-10: 1449402380
Format: Hardcover
Size: 7 x 8 in.
Page Count: 192 pages

I Love Corn includes recipes from world-renowned chefs including Daniel Boulud, Pichet Ong, and Dan Barber, as well as other culinary luminaries such as Martha Stewart. I Love Corn divides the dishes by section: breakfast, soups and starters, mains, and sweets. The chefs introduce each recipe with an anecdote, adding a personal touch to each flavor-filled dish. This diverse collection of recipes includes traditional favorites, such as Yankee Corn Bread or Sweet Corn and Clam Chowder, and unconventional ones, such as Fresh Corn Ice Cream or Poached Peaches and Rhubarb With Warm Corn Shortcakes.

Cheerful full-color photos of scrumptious foods light up I Love Corn with each turn of the page. Lisa also presents helpful information about corn, from how to choose the best ears in the store to freezing for the winter. Her love of corn led her to meticulously test each recipe, making sure they were easy to prepare for the home cook but still retain top-chef taste.

After going through the sudden and tragic loss of her father in 2004, Skye decided that she wanted to give back in a way that showed how thankful she was for the friends who supported her during that rough time. A portion of the proceeds for I Love Corn will be donated to the Dougy Center in Portland, OR, a national grieving center for children and families going through the loss of a loved one.

ROOTS
Author Barry Estabrook follows the path of a small, wild, nearly inedible berry native to the harsh coastal deserts of Ecuador, Peru, and Chile as it migrates to what is now Mexico, then to Europe, and eventually to the United States, where it is now our second-most-popular produce item.

A TOMATO GROWS IN FLORIDA
With its high levels of humidity, voracious insects, and nutrient-deficient soil, Florida is one of the worst places you could choose to grow tomatoes commercially. Yet the state grows 90 percent of the tomatoes sold in the United States at certain times of year. How do growers do it? With tons of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers—and a high environmental and human cost.

CHEMICAL WARFARE
During a two-month period in the agricultural town of Immokalee, FL, three horribly disfigured babies were born. Their mothers were neighbors who toiled in the same tomato field where they were often sprayed with chemicals when they were pregnant. While looking at the broader picture of the misuse of agricultural chemicals in Florida, this chapter tells the story of the lawyer who battled one of the country’s largest agricultural companies in an attempt to bring justice to one of those babies.

FROM THE HANDS OF A SLAVE
If you have ever eaten a tomato during the winter months, you have eaten a fruit picked by a slave. That is not hyperbole. Human trafficking is all too common in Florida.

AN UNFAIR FIGHT
Even under the best circumstances, Florida tomato workers are subject to the worst labor abuses in the country. Paid strictly for the amount they harvest and denied all benefits, union protection, and overtime, they are lucky to earn the minimum wage. A grassroots group battles the huge tomato growers and their fast-food and institutional customers to secure a one-penny-per pound raise for pickers—enough to lift them out of poverty.

A PENNY PER POUND
When grower Joe Procacci developed a tomato that could withstand the rigors of being grown, packed, and shipped commercially but still deliver taste, the Florida Tomato Committee, a cartel-like organization that has Orwellian powers over tomato production in the state, forbade him to sell it. And when two tomato producers offered to pay their workers one penny more per pound for the tomatoes, the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange threatened them with fines.

MATTERS OF TASTE
Two plant breeders at the University of Florida have spent their careers attempting to develop tomatoes that can be grown cheaply under commercial conditions and conform to the strict size and shape requirements of the exchange. If they succeed, we all will be able to enjoy what is now an oxymoron: a good-tasting supermarket tomato.

BUILDING A BETTER TOMATO
Some dedicated individuals have struggled for decades to improve Florida’s tomato industry. They include a workers’ group that is slowly winning improved labor conditions, an organic grower who proved that tomatoes in Florida need not be bathed in a witch’s brew of chemicals, a developer who has built clean and affordable housing for thousands of migrants, and a teacher who built a statewide network of early childhood education centers for workers’ children.

TOMATOMAN
Tim Stark admits that he is half crazed, but by turning the logic of industrial agriculture on its head, the Pennsylvania farmer grows tomatoes for the finest chefs in New York and provides a decent living for his family and his workers.

WILD THINGS
With approximate geographic coordinates from Roger Chetelat, a tomato geneticist at the University of California, the author ventures across barren Peruvian deserts in search of the wild relatives of the tomato. Returning to the source imparts lessons that the modern tomato industry should heed.

AFTERWORD (new)
Estabrook goes to “Tomato School” with a crew of harvesters at a large Florida producer to learn about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Food Agreement, signed by the Florida tomato growers and the Coalition of Immokalee workers in late 2010. The agreement represents a sea-change: Time clocks now keep exact track of hours worked, there is zero tolerance for human trafficking and sexual abuse, and workers are trained in health and safety measures. Unfortunately, the supermarket chains refuse to participate. The coalition has now taken its campaign to the nation’s largest grocery retailers.

The story ends with Tomatoland, a hard look at today’s agribusiness systems, which produce industrial tomatoes as lacking in nutrition as they are flavor. Of all the fruits and vegetables we eat, none suffers at the hand of factory farming more than a tomato grown in the winter fields of Florida, which accounts for one-third of the fresh tomatoes grown in the United States. Modern agribusiness can’t deliver a decent-tasting tomato in large part because it’s essentially against the law; regulations set by the Florida Tomato Committee determine what a tomato should look like, and the older, tasty varieties don’t conform to the rules of color and shape.

As Barry explains in this fact-filled yet approachable book, consumers and society pay a price when we take taste and thought out of our food purchases:

• The tomato got its start in the arid climates of South America, making Florida’s humid weather possibly the worst place for tomato growing. This results in heavy use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.
• The underpaid workers in Florida’s tomato fields are exposed to chemicals daily, with a toll including cancers, respiratory ailments, and severe birth defects among newborns. That’s not all—one assistant U.S. attorney referred to Florida’s tomato fields as “ground zero for modern-day slavery,” complete with beatings and being “sold” to crew bosses to pay debts.
• A tomato today contains less vitamin C, thiamin, niacin, and calcium and 14 times as much sodium as its 1960s counterpart.

There’s no doubt Americans, or anyone who longs for the flavor and texture of a truly home-grown tomato, will want to hear the messages of Tomatoland. Tomatoes are our second-most popular produce behind lettuce, with Americans buying $5 billion worth of commercially grown fresh tomatoes in 2009. And nearly nine out of 10 backyard gardens include tomatoes.

After reading Tomatoland, we should never look at a tomato the same way again, or settle for inferior produce.

At his restaurant Tertulia, Seamus is known for seasonal Spanish cooking with an emphasis on the finest ingredients. With Hero Food, he hopes to extend his philosophy that eating well can improve one’s overall health and wellness. “I know there’s no silver bullet, but I have discovered that some foods can make dramatic differences. These foods—all 18 of them—have become my Heroes,” Seamus writes. “And here’s the good news—that what I like turns out to be good for me!”

In the book, Seamus devotes one chapter to each of these “Heroes,” giving readers thoughtfully annotated recipes that put the spotlight on the ingredient and make for vibrant, delectable dishes. Seamus sheds light on these ingredients—their nutritional value and restorative properties, and how to ensure they’re of the highest quality—all the while arming readers with the tools they need to cook confidently and healthfully. Readers can look forward to recipes for flavorful dishes such as Salt Cod with Garbanzo Beans, Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder, and Autumn Squash Salad, along with tips for how to master practical techniques such as steaming greens, pickling, or preserving tuna.

Hero Food demonstrates how to turn key ingredients into dishes that Seamus hopes readers will prepare on a regular basis not only because of their healing properties, but simply because they are delicious.

• Get organized by keeping a well-stocked Quick-Fix Indian pantry. Then you’ll always be prepared to make a delicious dish, even when time is short.
• Keep your Shortcut Shelf full and fresh with recurring items like ghee and masala pastes.
• Have a good electric coffee grinder on hand strictly for grinding spices.
• Read the entire recipe before you begin, to avoid unexpected surprises along the way.
• Feel your way through the cooking process, instead of constantly watching the clock. “Cook it until it’s done,” Ruta says.
• Buy small amounts of spices to ensure freshness and, whenever possible, grind whole spices to order.
• Use partially prepared proteins, such as already peeled shrimp, to cut preparation time.

Quick-Fix Indian: Easy, Exotic Dishes in 30 Minutes or Less (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $16.99, May 2012) spices up your kitchen with a modern twist on traditional Indian cuisine, while breaking the myth that delicious, exotic food takes the entire evening to accomplish. Chef and author Ruta Kahate shows us how effortless it is to make mouthwatering Indian dishes—from pantry to stove to table—in under 30 minutes.

With more than 100 recipes, Ruta’s compact Indian pantry, and instructions for preparing and storing essential basics like masala pastes, ghee and paneer, Quick-Fix Indian gives cooks of all skill levels the tools to create flavorful meals that even the pickiest eater can’t resist. In addition to learning the natural benefits of traditional spices, such as turmeric’s ability to increase brain function, find out how to whip up satisfying recipes including Green Pan-roasted Chicken, Chickpea Salad with Pomegranate, Kids’ Favorite Banana Fritters, and Hot and Sweet Apple Chutney.

Follow Ruta’s simple tips on being prepared and soon you’ll be fixing delicious curry and much more in a hurry. Don’t overthink things; just enjoy the cooking and watch the food disappear. As Ruta says, “If it tastes good, it will be eaten. It’s as simple as that.”

Lard is now touted by dietitians because it contains only 54 percent of the saturated fat found in butter and is free of trans fats when rendered with care. Chefs and home cooks love it because it’s the secret to turning out stellar Beef Wellington, flaky biscuits, fluffy pancakes, and crispy fried chicken that would make grandma proud.

Lard provides a hearty helping of sides, main dishes, and desserts culled from more than 100 years of GRIT. They include:

• Spanish Corn Bread
• Oven Fried Sweet Potato Fries
• Butterscotch Peach Pie
• Iced Cinnamon Rolls
• Fried Okra
• Chicken and Dumplings

Don’t be afraid to bring a little lard to the table; your tastebuds will be glad you did.

Now everyone can make championship-caliber ribs at home—whether pork, beef, lamb, or even buffalo. From the authors of America’s Best BBQ comes America’s Best Ribs (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $19.99, May 1, 2012), the ultimate guide to a mouthwatering meal.

Everyone loves finger-licking-good ribs, the core part of the championship circuit and one of America’s most beloved foods. In addition to the 100 lip-smacking recipes for rock-your-world ribs and delicious sides and desserts to complement them, America’s Best Ribs includes tips for competitive barbecuing, juicy stories and teachings from back- yards and competitions, and tons of full-color photographs that showcase America’s barbecue scene at its best.

This ultimate guide not only includes basics for beginners, but also features tips for building your own award-winning rubs, sauces, marinades, and brines. It’s a must-have for professional and amateur barbecuers, as well as an appetizing read for people who may not tend to the pit but still appreciate a high-quality rib.

The traditional rib sandwich features at least four sparerib bones atop a slice of white bread, with sauce on the ribs or to the side and another slice of white bread to the side. Eating a rib sandwich is much the same as eating ribs the way you always do. You pick them up, pull the bone apart if it isn’t already sliced, and eat a rib at a time. The added bonus of a rib sandwich is bread to sop up sauce and grease—although many rib joints today serve ribs with bread on the side or multiple bread slices atop the slab anyway.

Of course, when most people think of a rib sandwich, they picture McDonald’s popular version of a rib sandwich, the McRib. It is boneless cooked pork meat shaped like a portion of loin slab, served in a hoagie roll with barbecue sauce, pickles, and onion. Paul likes them. Ardie would rather eat the Angus Burger. When Ardie administers the Judges’ Oath at barbecue contests, he begins with, “If you can taste the difference between a McRib sandwich and real barbecue, please stand, raise your right hand, and repeat after me, “I do solemnly swear…”

The Kitchen Diva — a regular guest on The Dr. Oz Show and the Today show — dedicates this book to helping cooks of all skill levels create fun, easy, and budget-friendly recipes that address the needs of prediabetics, people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and diabetic-related complications, women with gestational diabetes, or anyone looking to embrace a healthier lifestyle. Angela’s cooking ­­— a new version of American comfort food and ethnic dishes — is custom-designed for diabetics and the people in their lives. Each of the seven chapters is packed with recipes that will keep families happy and healthy, kids entertained, and party guests impressed, such as Apple-Stuffed Sandwiches and Peanut Butter Bars for breakfast, Parsley-Walnut Pesto and Cinnamon-Spiced Walnuts for easy party snacks, and stunning entrees such as Calypso Coconut Shrimp Salad and Apple-Pecan Pork Chops. Each recipe includes a detailed nutritional and caloric analysis, certified by a registered dietitian.

The Kitchen Diva’s Diabetic Cookbook makes it easy for anyone to healthily feed the bodies and souls of their loved ones.

Fact: 20 million people in the United States suffer diabetes, and it’s estimated that an additional 5.5 million have the disease but are undiagnosed.

More than 12 million Americans live with food allergies. This book covers not one or two, but the five most common allergens in kids, with each of the 120 recipes free of at least three allergens; most are free of all five. From the three crucial mealtimes (breakfast, lunch, dinner) to the “fun” foods families can’t live without (desserts, snacks, party treats), parents are completely covered. Most importantly, all of the recipes are easy to make. Readers will find not only the nutritional analysis for each recipe, but also sections devoted to cooking with kids, ways to make nutritious food fun, how to pack greener lunches, and easy ways to make fun snacks for the family. A purchase of Allergy-Friendly Food for Families also includes an offer for a free subscription to KIWI magazine. Whether they’re eating dairy-free chocolate cake, egg-free French toast kebabs, or gluten-free pizza pockets, kids will love their food so much they might just forget they have allergies at all.

By Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer

Welcome to the savory world of Canal House, the kitchen studio where Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton cook simply and deliciously, lovingly creating and beautifully photographing dishes to share in the Canal House Cooking series of seasonal cookbooks. Readers who loved Volumes 1-6 now will shout “Viva Italia!” with the introduction of Canal House Cooking, Volume No. 7: La Dolce Vita.

Fans know well the story behind Canal House: Christopher and Melissa, former magazine editors, gave up life in New York for a simpler existence, living on opposite sides of the Delaware River and cooking together each weekday in their New Jersey studio. Canal House Cooking became known as home cooking by home cooks for home cooks, with fresh ingredients and recipes all made easy for cooks of every experience level.

Then one cold spring day, Melissa and Christopher decided over a lunch of cannelloni that although they had been to Italy many times, there still was much they wanted to know about Italian home cooking. A plan was hatched. They rented a rustic old farmhouse in Tuscany with a long table for dinners outside, a grape arbor, apple and fig trees, and a spare kitchen with a classic waist-high fireplace with a grill. As the authors say in the introduction, “It was all we had hoped for. It was our Casa Canale for a month.”

La Dolce Vita is the wonderful culmination of that month spent absorbing the spirit of Italian cooking and the authors’ years of extensive travels and culinary experiences throughout Italy. A celebration of delicious Italian dishes, some classic, some reinterpreted Canal House style, the book provides recipes for soups, seafood, pasta, meats, vegetables, desserts and more including Braised Rabbit with Capers & Pancetta, Gnocchi Verde, Salt Cod with Tomatoes & Green Olives, Cabbage in Agrodolce, Risotto Bianco, and Chocolate Chestnut Torte. A chapter titled Why Buy It When You Can Make It? is not to be missed, with recipes for essentials from Fresh Whole Milk Ricotta to Simple Tomato Sauce and Balsamella.

Add in glorious photos of food and settings, recipe notes that provide just the right amount of guidance, and fun culinary anecdotes, and you have the best of two worlds: Canal House in Italia.

By John Besh

John Besh—New Orleans native, James Beard Award winner, and renowned chef of eight acclaimed restaurants—is known for his dedication to local ingredients and local cuisine. John’s best-selling first cookbook, My New Orleans (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009), has become a culinary treasure and attained iconic status as the go-to book on New Orleans cuisine. Now, in his highly anticipated second cookbook, My Family Table: A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking, John moves beyond regional cooking and into the heart of American kitchens everywhere. He reminds us of the importance and necessity of making meals at home, and that by planning ahead and thinking smart, people everywhere can put fresh, healthy meals on their own family tables every day.

John is not only a chef—he is a father and a storyteller. In My Family Table, home cooks will have an intimate look into life at home with his wife and their four boys, as John urges others to get back into the kitchen and to gather around the table with family and friends to slow down and reconnect.

“It occurred to me that if I can help make a difference—by cooking simply and sharing what I love to cook—I can possibly help us all use our passions and skills to make our lives better at almost every meal,” John says.

With more than 150 color photographs and 140 recipes, each of the eleven chapters of MY FAMILY TABLE provides indispensable, accessible dishes for every occasion. The book also includes special cooking tips and sidebars that will help home cooks maximize their ingredients (and their budgets) and plan meals ahead. Some of the chapters include:

• Kitchen Focus, offering Master Recipes like Risotto of Almost Anything, Cream of Any Vegetable Soup, and Cherry Tomato Five-Minute Sauce. An “Essential Pantry” list will help home cooks plan ahead so meals come together easily and beautifully, and help them get the most out of every ingredient they buy.

• In Sunday Suppers, John provides dishes the whole family will love and recipes that will extend into those busy weeknight meals like those included in School Nights. Recipes like Pecan-Baked Ham prepared on a Sunday can be transformed into Carbonara with Sweet Peas & Ham, and Olive-Oil Roasted Cauliflower can be made into everyone’s favorite, Cauliflower Mac & Cheese.

• In chapters like Breakfast with My Boys and Drew Makes a Cake, John shares an early morning breakfast with his sons or a sweet treat to finish off a meal. Recipes like Angel Biscuits, Crab-Boil Home Fries, and Hummingbird Cake are sure to become family classics, as they are in John’s home.

• Dinner from a Cast Iron Pot, How to Cook a Fish, and Barbecue Wisdom offer John’s indispensable advice and techniques from braising to deboning a fish to frying and grilling. Recipes like Duck Stewed with Apples & Turnips, Soy-Braised Sablefish with Coconut Broth, and Dry-Rubbed Pork Ribs are demystified with John’s tips and how-to photos.

My Family Table explores the conviction that the simple act of cooking can change our way of life, and captures the spontaneity, intimacy, and fun of home cooking. It is sure to inspire a national movement back to the family table.

Whether you are cooking for one or are a busy parent feeding the whole family, Robin shows you how to prepare mouthwatering and simple recipes with few ingredients, and each with 500 calories or fewer. Using her background as a nutritionist, Robin includes nutritional information for every recipe. Her recipes are also sodium-conscious. Main dishes with less than 500 mg of sodium per serving and sides and desserts with less than 250 mg of sodium per serving are noted with a helpful icon.

The book’s 500 recipes range from soups, side dishes, and pizzas to hundreds of entrees, including Cashew-Crusted Chicken with Roasted Jalapeño-Mango Chutney, and Gruyère-Wrapped Steaks with Port Wine Glaze. She also includes 50 dessert recipes to satisfy a sweet tooth, such as Orange Marmalade Tart with Chocolate Covered Amonds. Robin also notes recipes that are great for entertaining and the holidays with a special icon.

With an arsenal of Robin’s best recipes, you will consider yourself armed for mealtime. The next time the clock strikes 5:00 pm, and you want both noshing and nourishment, check out Robin Takes 5.

Each recipe is fabulously sweet with intriguing flavor combinations, such as Strawberry with Lemonade Filling Whoopie Pies (perfect for a hot day) and Maple and Bacon Doughnuts (a sweet and savory combination guaranteed to hit the spot). Not sure what that sweet tooth is demanding? Inside you’ll find a delicious treat whether it’s sweet, salty, chocolatey, fruity, or nutty.

Other features include:

• Suggested variations and fun decorating tips to customize each confection
• Descriptive instructions that make the recipes possible for baking novices as well as for experts
• Tips on how to use different tools around the kitchen, including your hands!

From childhood favorites to unique variations on cupcakes to a healthier type of doughnut, So Sweet! is the perfect gift package for home bakers, promising to satisfy any sugar craving.

Sugar, Sugar contains recipes from across the country, each with its unique story. From cakes sent as a symbol of love to pies perfect for parties, the tales behind these recipes are as enticing as the concoctions themselves. Each recipe includes a nostalgic “ingredient” to convey the personalities and warmth of the friends or family behind it.

Sugar, Sugar offers a medley of cookies, cakes, crisps, cobblers, bars, pies, and tarts, including Buffalo Chip Cookies, Seaside Toffee, Pecan Pick-Ups, Molasses Construction Crumples, and Cape Cod Blueberry Pie. Scattered throughout are the Sugar Mommas’ helpful hints as well as bold, beautiful photographs of the decadent confections.

Sugar, Sugar preserves the recipes and customs of the past for today’s bakers and treat makers in a contemporary-meets-traditional format. Whether you love sugar or stories, Sugar, Sugar is sure to provide sweet satisfaction.

Feeding the Dragon: A Culinary Travelogue Through China with Recipes is the delicious result of the Tates’ trek. Arranged by the authors’ travel itinerary through nine Chinese provinces, Feeding the Dragon’s 100 recipes are presented alongside alternating first-person narratives and beautiful travel photos. From Buddhist vegetarian dishes enjoyed on the snowcapped mountains of Tibet to lamb kebabs served on the scorching Taklimakan Desert of Xinjiang Province, Western cooks will find healthy, easily prepared recipes brimming with authentic ingredients and flavors. Feeding the Dragon also offers:

• Sample menus and recommended flavorful recipe combinations for specific social gatherings
• An ingredient glossary complete with Chinese names, descriptions, and equivalent substitutions
• Online ingredient retailers for those without access to an Asian grocery store
• Descriptions of essential tools and basic cooking techniques
• Online resources about Chinese culture, including a simple language guide

Feeding the Dragon is not an Americanized adulteration of classic Chinese cuisine. It is an unforgettable journey through Chinese history, culture, and food, sure to satisfy anyone craving authentic Chinese food and hungry for knowledge of one of the world’s largest and most inspiring empires.

Simply Fresh brings the restaurant experience home. Ruby Tuesday’s founder, Sandy Beall, believes that the success of his restaurants comes from the love of making and sharing full-of-flavor dishes, prepared with the best ingredients, and served with gracious hospitiality.

Just like Ruby Tuesday, Simply Fresh offers a wide variety of recipes to please a broad audience. The recipes are uncomplicated and budget friendly, featuring a contemporary style of food that honors American culture and diversity without losing sight of its traditions. This easy-to-follow guide to casual dining at home features everything from American standards such as Slow-cooked Baby Back Ribs, Classic Burgers, and Fried Chicken with Gravy to gourmet Crab Cakes with Corn and Pineapple Chutney or Cowboy Sirloin with Red Chili Rub, to Carmelized Onions and Blue Cheese Butter, and Old Fashioned Apple Pie.

Aside from delicious food, part of every great dining experience is the flavorful drink that perfectly complements a meal. Simply Fresh also offers recipes for some of Ruby Tuesday’s most famous bar drinks, and most recipes come with a suggested wine pairing.

Ruby Tuesday strives to be a casual, welcoming restaurant where people can meet up with a friend, have a date, or sit down with family. Now, thanks to Simply Fresh, readers can experience the joys of restaurant dining in the comfort of their own homes.

Who doesn’t love a comforting bowl of soup? There’s something for everyone in this book from renowned slow-cooker cookbook author Lynn Alley. 50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker is an all-new collection of vegetarian and vegan recipes that are easy on the planet, the palate, and the pocketbook.

Lynn provides not only a few classics, such as Ribollita and French Onion soups, but also unique flavors such as Spiced Apple Pie Soup and Garnet Yam Soup with Coconut Cream. Each recipe is full of details and ideas that make cooking more convenient and less time consuming.

50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker has a fantastic format featuring an easy-to-use, concealed wire-o that lies flat and makes it easy to turn pages. That and the full-color format, featuring 20 mouthwatering photos, will make 50 Simple Soups a great gift or stocking stuffer.

Other Great Recipes Include:

• Adzuki Bean–Miso Soup
• Blue Cheese Potato Soup
• Spanish Potato and Green Olive Soup
• Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Scattered through the wide range of appetizers, desserts, sandwiches, and soups are ethnic tastes from around the globe, including dishes as varied as Smokin’ Guacamole, Asian Vegetable Pancakes, Primavera-Style Coconut-Cashew Noodles, and Moroccan-Spiced Pumpkin Soup.

With Quick-Fix Vegan, healthy meals are made easy with tips from Robin for preparation and delicious ingredients that will bring the freshest tastes to the table. In addition:

• Recipes for “Make-Ahead Bakes” are great for busy families and include Roasted Ratatouille, Mac and Cheezeburger Bake, and Antipasto Pizza.

• You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy the food. These healthful foods benefit everyone, and any recipe can be adapted to accommodate vegetarians and omnivores.

• Robin also provides convenient tips and tricks for a neat and stocked kitchen.

I Love Meatballs! covers a variety of recipes, from appetizers and soups to sandwiches, sliders, and pasta dishes. Inside you’ll find a variety of ethnic-inspired dishes from around the globe, including Italy, Thailand, China, Greece, Vietnam, Sweden, Morocco, and India. The recipes use not only beef, but incorporate meatballs made with veal, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, and seafood. Recipes range from classic Italian-American fare, such as Checkered Tablecloth Spaghetti and Meatballs, to modern and ethnic dishes, such as Greek Keftedes with Tzatziki, Beef Meatballs in Pho, Morroccan Meatballs, and Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs.

In addition to recipes, you’ll find a helpful introduction with tips and tricks for producing perfect meatballs every time, instructions for grinding your own meat, and information on storing and freezing. But don’t be mistaken, this is not your nana’s meatball book. I Love Meatballs! features 30 full-color photographs to create a bright, bold, and graphic look that promises to bring timeless recipes to cooks of all ages.

Bluestem is divided into four seasonal sections, each including recipes for amuse-bouche, cold appetizers, hot appetizers, pasta dishes, dishes from the sea, dishes from the land, and of course desserts. Every recipe showcases local, Midwestern ingredients and artisanal producers, which are also profiled in the book.

Bluestem features more than 100 contemporary American cuisine recipes that demonstrate that fine dining can be playful and, with a bit of care and dedication, doable in the home kitchen. Lee’s full-color photographs capture the simple beauty of Bluestem’s composed dishes.

Helpful tips straight from the Bluestem kitchen alongside seasonal wine notes allow for cooks of all experience levels to replicate dishes such as Nettle Soup with Whipped Lemon Ricotta; Smoked Salmon Panna Cotta; Pork Tenderloin with Piquillo Peppers and Fingerling Potatoes; and Stone Fruit Cobbler.

A well-cooked brisket is so meltingly tender and deliciously satisfying that every country, every community, every culture, every family seems to have a brisket recipe. Finally, this cross-cultural wonder is getting the love and attention it deserves: The Brisket Book: A Love Story with Recipes by Stephanie Pierson. It’s the first and only book entirely devoted to brisket.

Braised or barbecued, this humble cut of meat is easy to warm up to—no wonder everyone loves it. When you get right down to it, brisket has to do with life: remembering it, sharing it, celebrating it. Families pass brisket recipes down like heirlooms. It wouldn’t be a holiday without Aunt Gladys’s brisket. Chat rooms are full of foodies giving passionate opinions about their briskets—and each one claims to have the best recipe ever.

“Some foods will improve your meal, your mood, your day, your buttered noodles,” Stephanie says. “Brisket will improve your life.” Stephanie had no idea that her year-long quest to find great brisket recipes would turn into a love story of sorts. But every time she asked someone whether he or she liked brisket or had a good brisket recipe, the response usually included the word “love”: “Oh, I love brisket!” or “I have the best recipe ever, and you’re going to love it!”

The Brisket Book offers everything from cooking advice to chef interviews to butcher wisdom to the remarkable history of brisket in a lively format full of mouthwatering color photographs, illustrations, cartoons, graphics, and truly the best brisket recipes ever—from a Brisket Noodle Soup with Korean Chile to Brisket with Fresh Tangy Peaches to a Scandinavian Aquavit Brisket to Brisket Burgers. There’s even a veggie-lover’s Seitan Brisket (even people who don’t like meat love brisket)! The recipes come from notable chefs, including Daniel Boulud and Anita Lo; from cookbook authors, including Joan Nathan and Colman Andrews; as well as from Top Chef’s Richard Blais, from cowboys, pit masters, and gifted home cooks.

If brisket does indeed improve your life, then The Brisket Book promises to be the ultimate life-affirming resource for anyone who has savored—or should savor—this succulent comfort food.

Cutie Pies is arranged according to six different pie shapes, including Cutie Pies (single-serving pies baked in a muffin tin), Flipsides (handheld turnovers, great for pie on the go), Piepops (pie lollipops!), and more. Each recipe can be used for other pie shapes, perfect for mixing and matching.

Sweet or savory, these petite treats are ideal for entertaining, and they’re the perfect size for someone craving a snack but watching their waistline. Hello, portion control!

With 20 mouthwatering, full-color photos of recipes such as Mango-Raspberry-Lemon Piepops, Peach-Ricotta-Honey Piejars, and Pear, Gruyere, and Prosciutto Petit-5’s, bakers will be inspired to pick a shape, pick a flavor, pick a crust—then make that pie!

The story ends with Tomatoland, an exposé of today’s agribusiness systems, which produce industrial tomatoes as lacking in nutrition as they are flavor. Of all the fruits and vegetables we eat, none suffers at the hand of factory farming more than a tomato grown in the winter fields of Florida, which accounts for one-third of the fresh tomatoes grown in the United States. Modern agribusiness can’t deliver a decent-tasting tomato in large part because it’s essentially against the law; regulations set by the Florida Tomato Committee determine what a tomato should look like, and the older, tasty varieties don’t conform to the rules of color and shape.

As Barry explains in this fact-filled yet approachable book, consumers and society pay a price when we take taste and thought out of our food purchases:

• The tomato got its start in the arid climates of South America, making Florida’s humid weather possibly the worst place for tomato growing. This results in heavy use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.
• The underpaid workers in Florida’s tomato fields are exposed to chemicals daily, with a toll including cancers, respiratory ailments, and severe birth defects among newborns. That’s not all—one assistant U.S. attorney referred to Florida’s tomato fields as “ground zero for modern-day slavery,” complete with beatings and being “sold” to crew bosses to pay debts.
• A tomato today contains less vitamin C, thiamin, niacin, and calcium and 14 times as much sodium as its 1960s counterpart.

There’s no doubt Americans—anyone who longs for the flavor and texture of a truly home-grown tomato—will want to hear the messages of Tomatoland. Tomatoes are our second-most popular produce behind lettuce, with Americans buying $5 billion worth of commercially grown fresh tomatoes in 2009. And nearly nine out of 10 backyard gardens include tomatoes.

After reading Tomatoland, we should never look at a tomato the same way again—or settle for inferior produce.

You don’t have to be a vegan to enjoy Vegan Family Meals. Moms, chefs, foodies, and families can all enjoy expanding their cooking repertoire with this new book filled with easy to prepare, scrumptious, and healthy recipes.

Vegan Family Meals’ author and restaurateur Ann Gentry has spent over a decade serving her delicious vegan cuisine to Real Food Daily patrons…including some of tinseltown’s biggest stars such as Alicia Silverstone, Ellen DeGeneres, Conan O’Brien, Zoe Deschanel, Glee star Lea Michele, and HBO’s Big Love star Ginnifer Goodwin, among many, many others. In the book, she shares recipes that stars have known and loved for years and makes them accessible and easy for healthy meals for the whole family.

Whether you’re a time-strapped cook or a seasoned pro in the kitchen, Vegan Family Meals demystifies vegetarian and vegan cooking by offering more than 100 deliciously fresh and simple to prepare recipes, many of which are gluten free and use unique plant-based ingredients, and all of which are satisfying and healthy dishes for everyone to enjoy.

In Zombie Cupcakes: From the Grave to the Table with 16 Cupcake Corpses Rosen provides easy-to-follow instructions so that readers can raise their own macabre masterpieces with an average creation time of less than an hour. Each design has a one-to-three-skull difficulty rating and includes:

• a full-color photograph of the zombie creation at hand
• an illustrated instructional overview
• a convenient sidebar list of every item needed to make the cupcake.

Complete with “Know Your Zombie” trivia quizzes, Zombie Cupcakes has everything needed to create a deliciously deranged array that would make George A. Romero proud.

In Plum Gorgeous, Romney recognizes the gorgeousness that food—and particularly fruit—can be all on its own. Plum Gorgeous celebrates seasonal fruit, encouraging cooks to use different recipes depending on their local fruit selection. Each of the 60 seasonally inspired, sweet and savory recipes is fruit-filled and fantastically flavorful.

Luscious recipes such as Raspberry Rhubarb Rose Petal Jam, Blueberry Lemon Thyme Risotto, Herb-roasted Salmon with Wild Huckleberry Sauce, and Plum Soup with Basil Ice Cream are intertwined with Sara Remington’s breathtaking photographs, flooding the pages of Plum Gorgeous with stunning color.

This visual and flavorful work of art is inspired by Romney’s time living in orchards, working in professional kitchens, and by her favorite books, destinations, and chefs. With each turn of the page, Plum Gorgeous celebrates the sensuous and enchanting nature of fruit, as well as the pleasures and joys of the table.

Food from Many Greek Kitchens includes more than 115 authentic Greek recipes, each accompanied by a short introduction explaining the dish’s cultural significance. Some of the recipes are Kiros’s creations, others come from friends and family members, but all show appreciation for Greek cooking and life.

The book’s recipes are categorized according to the settings in which they are traditionally enjoyed. For example, the “Ready-Cooked Foods” and “There + Then Foods” chapters describe dishes that can be ordered at local restaurants, while the “Shared Foods” chapter includes recipes that make several servings and are usually presented at communal tables.

More than a collection of recipes, Food from Many Greek Kitchens displays breathtaking, full-color photographs throughout, highlighting Greece’s natural beauty. Readers will also find a glossary and ancient anecdotes that provide basic lessons in Greek language and history.

With memorable passages, enchanting photographs, and delectable recipes including Vassilopitta New Year Wish Cake, Lamb in a Flowerpot with Dill and Red Wine, Yamopilafo Wedding Rice, and Vegetable Pie, Food from Many Greek Kitchens will have readers daydreaming about an overseas adventure and preparing authentic Greek meals year-round.

Rob shows readers that once-taboo foods like crusty breads, creamy pastas, and indulgent cakes are no longer off limits. Divided into nine sections including appetizers, breakfast, international dishes, comfort foods, and even desserts, Quick-Fix Gluten Free provides more than 100 fast and easy recipes. Learn to make crave-worthy dishes including:

• Cinnamon Raisin French Toast
• Kickin’ Paella
• Parmesan Potato Gnocchi with Roasted Garlic Butter
• Aunt Lil’s Rich and Creamy Cheesecake

These contemporary dishes are simple enough for every day and delicious enough for everyone, even those who don’t follow a gluten-free diet.

Through his recipes, Rob combats fans’ biggest gluten-free challenges. In the United States, 2 million people are allergic to gluten and many others simply choose to live gluten-free to reap health benefits including weight loss and improved energy or mood. With Quick-Fix Gluten Free they can also enjoy flavorful food prepared in a jiffy.

Pamela has spent 20 years in Tuscany, collecting recipes from neighbors, friends, and local Italian food producers. The more than 60 dishes featured in this book — from the comforting Ribollita (Bread Soup) to savory Pollo Arrosto al Vin Santo (Roasted Chicken with Vin Santo Sauce), and sweet Ciambellone (Tuscan Ring Cake) — bring to life the Cucina Povera philosophy. This way of life, translated literally as poor kitchen, focuses on making great food with simple yet high-quality ingredients.

A Tuscan proverb sums up the message behind Cucina Povera: “Si stava meglio quando si stava peggio (we were better off when things were worse).” The recipes in the book are descended from harder times—when there wasn’t a lot of food but it was clean and tasted good, and nothing went to waste, had been touched by chemicals or was hauled in from great distances. Pamela has updated the dishes to reflect the easier access we have to ingredients today and to be in sync with the modern movement toward seasonal and local food.

Now cooks who are concerned about their budget and the environment and who want to eat in season and with ingredients from close to home have just the cookbook for it all —Cucina Povera. Buon appetito!

Guaranteed to tickle your funny bone and make your mouth water, Ultimate Camp Cooking contains more than 80 fast, easy, and delicious recipes, all with easy cleanup. This portable, durable cookbook was designed with campers, travelers, and outdoor food enthusiasts in mind and features full-color photographs for most dishes. The Ultimate Camp Cooking pros have also sprinkled in some of their most hilarious stories, along with some very handy tips and tricks, including:

• How to plan a camp menu
• Helpful hints for packing the cooler
• Tips for keeping the camp kitchen clean
• Advice for avoiding—and dealing—with bears

Instead of hot dogs and granola bars, consider Dutch Oven Benedict, Blue Cheese Meatballs, and S’more Pies. Ultimate Camp Cooking has those and many other amazing and satisfying meals—all cooked campside with little fuss but a whole lot of flavor.

Gina will be the first to say that every pie tells a story of home, whether it’s how the smell of apple pie reminds you of visits to Grandma’s house as a child or that cherry picking is a favorite family activity because it usually means a gooey, homemade pie is just around the corner. With 2011 quickly becoming “The Year of the Pie,” why not hold a pie contest to embrace this delicious and fun treat while bringing the taste of home to your family and friends?

As you peek inside the box, you’ll find a concise yet informative book with helpful pie-themed sections to guide you through hosting your very own contest, such as “Why Pie Matters Today,” “A Brief History of Pie,” “Anatomy of a Pie Contest,” “Pie Contest Themes,” “The Zen of Pie Judging,” and “Blue Ribbon Pie Recipes and Tips from Champion Bakers.” The box also is filled with essential contest tools, including 12 pie toppers, 60 scorecards, five judge ribbons, and four prize ribbons (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and People’s Choice). Pie Contest in a Box includes everything needed to host the contest, except the pie.

Take advantage of the next book club meeting, office party, girls’ night in, or family reunion in the park by using Pie Contest in a Box as a springboard for a fun-filled pie party. Or create your own get-together to host a themed pie contest. Either way, it’s bound to be a blast; whether you decide to host a single-flavor pie contest, a booze pie contest, or a competition limiting pie contestants to the use of local ingredients, the event will be a complete success as attendees, contestants, and judges alike fill up on delightfully tasty slices of pie and a big serving of fun.

The acclaimed Tupelo Honey Cafe has made its mark on Southern cuisine by adding innovative twists to traditional favorites. For example, in Tupelo Honey Cafe, grits become Cheesy Grits Cakes with Sunshot Salsa and Smoked Jalapeño Sauce, meat loaf becomes Chicken Apple Meat Loaf with Tarragon Tomato Gravy, and poached eggs become Eggs with Homemade Crab Cakes and Lemon Hollandaise Sauce.

Some of the book’s dishes are healthy as well as scrumptious. Tupelo Honey Cafe is the first cookbook focused on Asheville’s foodtopian culture, and all of its recipes reflect the farm-to-table movement that has become a way of life there. In keeping with Asheville’s approach to food, each recipe is paired with a wine or beer, guaranteed to excite the tastebuds and enhance the meal’s flavor.

In addition to food and drink, Tupelo Honey Cafe serves up beautiful photography from Asheville’s past and present. Black-and-white archival images bring to life the town’s rich history, while four-color photographs portray the town’s food, city life, and locale.

With delectable recipes and captivating imagery, Tupelo Honey Cafe will inspire cooks of all levels everywhere to bring Tupelo’s favorite foods straight from the Asheville mountains to their kitchen tables.

A portion of the proceeds from book sales will go to Manna FoodBank and the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project.

mannafoodbank.org
asapconnections.org

For more than a quarter century, Maida has been a symbol of creativity and precision when it comes to baking. Within the pages of Maida Heatter’s Cookies, she covers Cookie Basics, Drop Cookies, Bar Cookies, Icebox Cookies, Rolled Cookies, Hand-formed Cookies, and much more. As cookie-lovers bake their way through Maida Heatter’s Cookies, they will be enchanted by Maida’s friendly and funny style, and will feel as if Maida is standing in their kitchen. guiding them step by step.

Maida’s timeless, tasty, and foolproof recipes, such as Granny’s Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies and Savannah Chocolate Chewies, are sure to inspire a new generation of bakers to don aprons, wield rolling pins, and flock to their kitchens!

First published in 1997, Maida Heatter’s Cakes has never gone out of style. The book is a “best of” collection of 175 of Maida’s most beloved cake recipes, compiled from her previous cookbooks.

Beginners and experienced bakers alike can expect sweet success with Maida’s precise, foolproof recipes and sage advice. Maida Heatter’s Cakes is packed with 13 chapters on all things cake such as Cake-Making Basics; Chocolate Cakes; Fancy Cakes; Muffins, Cupcakes, and Tassies; Cheesecakes; and much more. Recipes such as Old-Fashioned Coconut Cake, Triple-Threat Cheesecake, and Mocha Chip Chiffon Cake will have cooks’ mouths watering and taste-testers clamoring for another slice!

Come and get it! In Quick-Fix Southern: Homemade Hospitality in 30 Minutes or Less mouthwatering meals are ready in a jiffy, thanks to Rebecca Lang serving up tasty recipes that defy the notion that Southern cooking is a time-consuming endeavor.

An extra helping of Rebecca’s Southern hospitality complements the appetizing recipes that appear in Quick-Fix Southern. Rebecca groups the 115 recipes in 10 themes, making it effortless to find the perfect food to fit the mood. Themes include dishes fit for Tailgates and Gatherings, Busy Weeknight Suppers, and Girls’ Night In, as well as delightful drink concoctions ideal for Sipping on the Screened Porch. Can’t you just taste the Key Lime Martini and smell the gardenias?

In addition to being quick without sacrificing flavor, each recipe is inviting, simple to make, and user-friendly—even for novice chefs. Rebecca, a popular cooking instructor, sprinkles in expert cooking tips and tidbits of Southern history, providing an added spice to the pages of Quick-Fix Southern.

After the first bite of one of Rebecca’s recipes—from Ribeyes with Bourbon Pecan Butter and Fried Green Tomatoes to Butter Bean and Bacon Hummus and Real Fast Pralines—cooks will feel an instant connection to their newfound Southern roots.

Oooey, gooey ribbons of melted cheese sandwiched between savory slices of butter-crisped bread have long been a source of emotional nurturing for individuals across the globe. And although comfort food never loses its style or great taste, in good times or bad, it does evolve. Now’s the time for Laura’s new spin on the satisfying sandwich of our childhood with the addition of modern ingredients.

Grilled Cheese, Please! offers a variety of recipes, from exotic grilled cheese to nostalgic, modern, ethnic, all-American, savory, and sweet. Eight chapters cover Just Cheese, Meat and Cheese, Anything Goes, Veggies and Cheese, Global Grilled Cheese, Grilled Cheese on the Go (featuring recipes from popular grilled cheese restaurants and food trucks), Regional American Grilled Cheese, and Old Favorites and Modern Sides.

Paired with full-color photos and Laura’s foolproof method for making the perfect grilled cheese, recipes such as Spinach, Egg, and Manchego; Mozzarella with Crispy Prosciutto and Broccoli Rabe; and Crab-Swiss Melt with Asparagus will have novice and experienced chefs joining the grilled cheese revolution!

Ardie: On any given day it could be at Josh’s in Santa Fe, Starnes in Paducah, Cooper’s in Llano, Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City, the Moonlite Inn in Owensboro, The Pit in Raleigh, Barbara Ann’s in Chicago, or a thousand other barbecue joints in this great country. It could also be in my back yard. The truth is, we’re blessed with an abundance of top-quality barbecue joints and barbecue pitmasters in America.

Paul: When I’m asked this, my standard answer is “It depends where I’m eating barbecue at the time!” Individuals on a quest for the best should first know their personal likes and dislikes. Bark or no bark? Sauced or not? Fall-off-the-bone tender, or just easy to chew? When you know yourself and are true to your own taste, you’ll find America’s best barbecue. Of course, the best place to start is with our book.

How did you decide which recipes would make it into the book? How did you resolve things when you had a difference of opinion?
We went for quality, variety, and a mix of regional favorites. Seldom did we have a difference of opinion, but when we did and couldn’t resolve it, the recipe didn’t make the book.

Can an amateur hope to create finger-licking food like this in a backyard pit or grill?

Ardie: Yes! One of our goals was to offer recipes that amateur home cooks can try and succeed with at home. With our combination of professional chef expertise and backyard pitmaster and judge backgrounds we adapted quantities and techniques to ensure easy success for amateurs.

Paul: By all means. When I teach my pitmaster classes, I say that I would rather cook against a chef than a backyard cook. Why? A backyard chef will take the recipes from our cookbook and try to improve on them every time he or she cooks them, while most chefs will say, “I have my tried-and-true recipes my customers like; why change them?”

Paul, what’s the secret of real pit barbecue?

That’s the $64,000 question. I feel that it is a combination of things: It’s attitude, desire, timing, fuel, and seasonings. It’s a time to put the meat on the pit, and it’s knowing when to take it off of the pit. The attitude is a means to an end; it’s how you treat the meat you are going to barbecue. Your attitude is to cook the best brisket, pork butt, or slab of ribs that is going to please your customer, whoever it may be; that’s why the backyard cook does it so well—pride, which is attitude. It’s putting all of this together and putting out the best product every time you cook.

For the uninitiated, what do all those initials stand for after your names on the title page?

Ardie: PhB stands for doctor of barbecue philosophy. It has been said that barbecuers were the original philosophers. Back when our ancestors lived in caves, the expression “I have a bone to pick with you” was an invitation to gather around a campfire, eat barbecue, and discuss the meaning of life.

Paul: The initials after my name represent earned and bestowed accomplishments. CWC is a certified working chef designation from the American Culinary Federation; Ardie explained PhB; and my best initials—BSAS—were bestowed upon me by a disgruntled customer who didn’t like my answer to his question sent to a reader-recipe exchange that I write for the Kansas City Barbeque Society’s Bull Sheet, in which I tried to explain to him that what he wanted to do was impossible. He suggested that I add to my credentials BSAS, for BS Artist Supreme. I took it as a term of endearment and kept it.

Ardie, how does someone become a barbecue judge?

The best way is to become a certified barbecue judge through a contest-sanctioning organization such as the Kansas City Barbeque Society. Check online for contact details and judging class schedules. Certification is only the first step, however. It’s a beginner’s license. The best way to hone your skills as a judge is through experience. I have met some excellent judges who are not certified, but most contest cooks tell me they prefer to be judged by people who have been trained in the rules and fine points of judging.

Sauce: sweet or spicy?

Ardie: The greatest compliment you can give a barbecue pitmaster is “This meat is so good it needs no sauce.” When sauce is available, however, I want it on the side, and will use it only in moderation. With beef I like sauce that’s a tad sweet. With pork I want a spicy vinegar base. I also like to try the sauce recommended by the pitmaster, and decide for myself whether it complements the meat.

Paul: I make and sell barbecue sauce and I develop barbecue sauces for people and companies but do not consider myself a sauce person. I also agree with Ardie’s compliment to pitmasters. I do, however, like barbecue sauce, and that includes sweet, spicy, vinegar, and mustard sauces. I even like hot sauces if I can enjoy the meat. I enjoy my food too much to burn out my taste buds with a hot sauce.

To rub or not to rub?

Ardie: I prefer no rub or a simple light sprinkling of black pepper and salt. Complex rubs with a spice rack full of seasonings can either overpower the meat flavor or burn to a tasteless crust. A light sprinkling of rub after the meat is cooked often yields a better result, but properly barbecued meat needs no rub.

Paul: I feel that the word rub is a misnomer. I season—like I’m seasoning with salt and pepper, I don’t rub it in. If you rub it in, it smothers the meat and doesn’t let the heat and smoke penetrate.

Growing up cooking with my father, all we used was salt and pepper, and we had the best barbecue around. I used to go into a barbecue called The Mission Pit BBQ to get my favorite rib tips, and talking to the owner, Newman Sterns, we got into a discussion about seasoning barbecue. I said, all we do is use salt and pepper. He gave me some suggestions about sugar, chili powder, and so on. Now I concoct rubs with nine ingredients and up, but salt and pepper are great standbys.

What’s the worst barbecue dining experience you’ve ever had?

Ardie: Several years ago I paid a final visit to an elderly pitmaster in a small Kansas town that I have frequented in my travels. He was known for turning out some fabulous barbecue over the years for Kansans of all ilk, as well as the rich and famous who had heard about him and came out of the way to eat in his joint. In its heyday the place measured up to its reputation. As the owner’s health declined, however, the quality of the barbecue also declined. I was the only customer during the dinner hour that day, which should have given me a clue. Fortunately I ordered carryout and visited with the proprietor as he prepared my order. “You know, lately I’ve been more fond of cheese than of barbecue,” he told me. That was the second clue. When I unwrapped the slab in my motel room, the meat was so fat and tasteless—like it had been boiled in water and seasoned with canned tomato soup—that I spit out the first bite, wrapped up the mess, and threw it away. I never returned. May he rest in peace and be remembered for the years he turned out excellent real pit barbecue.

Paul: The most disappointing barbecue was when I drove over 800 miles and went to one of the barbecue icon restaurants, and I left the food at the table—making the statement that I wouldn’t feed it to my dog, it was that disappointing.
Any advice for someone aspiring to open a barbecue joint?

We have some advice for such aspirants in the book. Of utmost importance is to know what you’re getting into before you take the leap. Start with enough capital to carry you through the lean years as you build a reputation. Finally, finding and keeping good staff is the greatest challenge every proprietor we talked with mentioned.

Our Favorite Barbecue Restaurants

Ardie’s Top 10

1. Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que (Llano, TX)
2. Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque (Kansas City, MO)
3. Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue and Catering (Kansas City, KS)
4. Johnny Harris Restaurant & Barbecue Sauce Company (Savannah, GA)
5. Allen & Son (Chapel Hill, NC)
6. Louie Mueller Barbecue (Taylor, TX)
7. A & R Bar-B-Que (Memphis, TN)
8. The Bar-B-Q Shop (Memphis, TN)
9. Head Country Barbecue (Ponca City, OK)
10. RUB (New York City, NY)

Paul’s Top 10

1. The Dixie Pig (Blytheville, AR)
2. Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue and Catering (Kansas City, KS)
3. Cooper’s Bar-B-Q & Grill (Junction, TX)
4. Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que (Llano, TX)
5. RUB (New York City, NY, and Las Vegas, NV)
6. Danny’s Place (Carlsbad, NM)
7. Leonard’s Pit Barbecue (Memphis, TN)
8. Ironhorse Barbeque Company (Paragould, AR)
9. Head Country Barbecue (Ponca City, OK)
10. Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque (Kansas City, MO)

Inside this reader-friendly book are recipes for completely grilled and completely delicious meals. From bruschetta to banana split, Everyday Grilling proves there’s nothing you can’t grill, and alongside the easy-to-follow recipes are full-color photographs that are sure to make taste buds tingle.

Other flavorful features include:

• Instructions for cooking on gas and charcoal grills to help make your food turn out just right
• Tips on how to use specialty grill gadgets, such as woks and planks, and advice for using marinades, bastes, rubs, and sauces
• A recipe for everyone, including vegetarian dishes and desserts

With Everyday Grilling, the delectable delights of a grilled dish can be enjoyed at every meal, all year long.

• Restaurants, including pizza, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, Italian, bakery, coffee shop, and wine shop
• Grocery store or supermarket
• Farmer’s market
• Dry cleaners
• Park and dog park
• Jogging and cycling routes
• Hardware store
• Movie theaters
• Medical professionals
• Driving shortcuts and parking tips

To help make the most of your time, The Good Neighbor Cookbook compiles recipes that are easy to prepare and transport. The book incorporates practical tips, including how to organize a meal train and how to fix meals ahead of time, along with helpful sidebars on how to:

• Offer comfort and sympathy without turning on the stove
• Make use of extra herbs
• Put together a “welcome to the neighborhood” list of your favorite local spots

Organized by occasion, The Good Neighbor Cookbook has the perfect dish for every event. For example, in the “Get Well Soon” chapter, you’ll find lighter foods that are packed with immune-boosting nutrients—perfect for a recuperating patient who doesn’t have much appetite. In “Novel Ideas for Book Clubs,” you’ll find innovative finger foods that are easy to nibble while immersed in conversation. And dishes in “Welcome to the Neighborhood” are meant to satisfy families that are wiped out from unpacking.

With practical shortcuts and delectable recipes such as Raspberry-Rhubarb Crumble Pie; Smoky Corn Chowder; Sweet Pepper and Spinach Lasagne; Banana-Hazelnut Muffins; and Soy-Ginger Chicken Drumsticks, The Good Neighbor Cookbook will make you everybody’s favorite neighbor.

“Best sweets Bon Appétit Desserts: The Cookbook for All Things Sweet and Wonderful by Barbara Fairchild (Andrews McMeel). Fairchild’s parting gift (though Bon Appétit is moving to New York, she’s staying in L.A) is beautiful, and I’ve only just scratched the surface. If you were stranded on a desert island with one dessert book… you get my drift.”

Foodista.com is the Web’s premier source for collaborative cooking, with the goal of building the world’s largest high-quality online cooking encyclopedia where followers can find everything from basic recipes to the latest in foods, tools, and techniques.

Foodista announced its cookbook contest to bloggers in December 2009, inviting them to submit their favorite recipes and photos for possible inclusion in the cookbook. Less than a year later, in August 2010, the 99 winners were announced at the International Food Bloggers Conference in Seattle. The result is a mouthwatering collection of 100 “best of the best” recipes reflecting a wide variety of cultures, tastes, and interests.

Included in the book:
• Personal and interesting stories of recipe development from bloggers who hail from Castle Rock, CO, to Paris
• Recipes from Adana Keban and Rack of Lamb with Spicy Fennel Rub to No Bake Frozen S’Mores Bars, Geoduck Ceviche, and Vegetarian Scotch Eggs. There’s something for every cook.
• Unique, enjoyable, and frequently first-rate food photography
• A blogroll at the end of the book that puts a face with the (blog) name

With international flavor and a Web-based flair for unique voices and delectable recipes, Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook is the cookbook for anyone who has ever pulled a recipe from the Web or
thought about it. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer for foodies (whether they blog or not), home cooks, and anyone else who loves to cook and enjoys knowing the story behind delicious food.

Compiled by Sur La Table, the creator of nationally recognized culinary tools and classes, Simple Comforts offers 50 recipes that are both traditionally tasty and surprisingly unique. Cooks can please and impress guests with new twists on old favorites, such as Stilton-Stuffed Burgers, which have blue cheese hidden inside the patty instead of a slice of American on top. Other contemporary treats include Beef and Bean Chili with Chipotle Cream, Parmesan Herb Popovers, and easy but stunning Sundaes with Roasted Pineapples and Salted Caramel Sauce or Dark Chocolate Mint Sauce with Crushed Peppermint Candy.

This reader-friendly cookbook includes:
• Sections on sweet and savory breads; soups, stews, and sandwiches; main dishes; side dishes; and desserts
• Suggested variations for classic recipes, such as Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Pear and Aged Gouda
• Full-color photographs and easy-to-follow instructions

With recipes for everyone’s favorite family dishes, Simple Comforts celebrates food that cooks will not only love to serve, but also love to eat.

Inspired by one of the world’s most beloved foods, I Love Bacon! serves up over 50 recipes from favorite chefs, including Cat Cora, John Besh, Ming Tsai, Jasper White, Pichet Ong and Julian Medina. I Love Bacon! offers something for even the most cultured palate. Whether bacon is in a starring or supporting role, this cookbook shows how it is the perfect addition to a variety of dishes.

I Love Bacon! covers brunches, soups, salads, sides, entrées, and even cocktails and desserts. The recipes range from more traditional fare such as Spaghetti Carbonara or Bacon, Asparagus, and Gruyère Quiche; to the more unique, such a Bakon Mary Cocktail or Chocolate-Bacon Cupcakes. And if you’re really feeling ambitious, I Love Bacon! tells you how to make bacon from scratch. Complete with mouthwatering four-color photos, this cookbook is sure to make you beg for bacon.

The Amish Cook’s Anniversary Book contains the best of columns from twenty years of the nationally syndicated “The Amish Cook” archives, providing a rare glimpse into Amish life. This beautiful treasury features reflections on Amish history and lore, with detailed accounts of special events like weddings, funerals, church services, butchering days, and holidays. Scattered throughout the book are:

Over 30 classic recipes for delicious dishes like Cucumber Salad, Rhubarb Custard Pie, Poor Man’s Steak, Asparagus Casserole, and much more.

Monthly columns coupled with stunning full-color photographs depicting the day-to-day life of the Amish.

Personal letters written by Coblentz to editor Kevin Williams that give an even closer look into the Amish Cook’s life.

The Amish Cook’s Anniversary Book is more than a collection of mouth-watering recipes; it is also a charming and captivating look into the joyful lives of the Amish people.

Originating from a blog entry on Roger’s popular Web site, The Pot and How to Use It is much more than a cookbook. While it contains a concoction of varied recipes, including Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon, Garlic Chicken on Fragrant Rice, and Miss Ina’s Down-Home Rice Pudding, it also includes readers’ comments and recipes alongside Roger’s own discerning insights and observations on why and how we cook.

With a delightful introduction by vegetarian cookbook author Anna Thomas and expert assistance from recipe consultant and nutritionist Yvonne Nienstadt of Rancho La Puerta Fitness Resort and Spa, The Pot and How to Use It is a must-have for fans of healthy cooking and eating, followers of Roger’s superb writing, and anyone looking to incorporate the convenience and versatility of electric rice cookers into a kitchen repertoire.

The Big Green Egg is an enormously popular ceramic cooker known for its incredible grilling and smoking abilities, but it can also bake, sear, and roast. The EGG is so versatile, you may never use your indoor appliances again.

The Big Green Egg Cookbook contains more than 160 delicious recipes that utilize the unique cooking abilities of the EGG; many of the recipes were inspired by EGGheads (as passionate EGG users are affectionately known). Inside you’ll find inventive recipes that range from modern twists on tried-and-true barbecue favorites to gourmet recipes with sophisticated flavors.

An introduction that explains the product’s culture and history, helpful tips for cooking in the EGG, and extensive color photography complete this one-of-a-kind cookbook.

The Big Green Egg comes in five sizes with a model to suit the needs of every backyard chef, even ones who like to take their cookout on the road.

Extra-Large
205 pounds
24-inch cooking grid
452-square-inch cooking surface
Holds 2 (20-pound) turkeys, 24 burgers, 11 whole chickens, 12 steaks, or 14 racks of ribs vertically
Big enough to cook an entire meal for a crowd

Large
140 pounds
18-inch cooking grid
255-square-inch cooking surface
Holds 1 (20-pound) turkey, 12 burgers, 6 whole chickens, 8 steaks, or 7 racks of ribs
Most popular size, suits the needs of most families

Medium
95 pounds
15-inch cooking grid
177-square-inch cooking surface
Holds 1 (18-pound) turkey, 6 burgers, 3 whole chickens,
4 steaks, or 4 racks of ribs
Good for smaller families of two to four

Small
65 pounds
13-inch cooking grid
133-square-inch cooking surface
Holds 1 (12-pound) turkey, 4 burgers, 1 whole chicken,
2 steaks, or 1 rack of ribs
Perfect for individuals or couples and even tailgating

Mini
30 pounds
9-inch cooking grid
64-square-inch cooking surface
Holds 2 chicken breasts, 2 pork chops,
or 1 steak
Just right for picnics, tailgates for two, camping, or RVing

EGGcessories

Simply put: EGGcessory products help you create endless possibilities for your dinner plate. Roasting a turkey to golden brown, succulent perfection? Cooking authentic trattoria-style pizza with a crispy crust and a hint of wood smoke? Baking a moist and delicious cake? All are easily accomplished in the EGG with the right gear.

Other EGGcessories help increase the amount of cooking space, make cleanup a snap, and allow you to monitor whatever you’re cooking from a remote location. Here is
a rundown of some essential EGGcessories, a number of which you’ll find used in the recipes in this book:

The Basics: For the Sake of Convenience

Charcoal Tools: How do we spell convenience? With gadgets like an Ash Tool to stoke, sift, rearrange coals, and pull ashes into the Ash Pan, a Grill Gripper to raise the cooking grid to add more fuel, and an Ash Pan to help remove ashes after the fun is over.

Nest: The easiest way to raise the EGG to a good work height and be able to move it about the patio is by placing it in a wheeled metal base called an EGG Nest.

Side Shelves: Need a spot to rest tongs, platters, or a bowl of sauce? Fold-down side shelves fit on the EGG and provide a handy work surface beside the grill. Two options are available: Wooden EGG Mates come in pairs and fit on either side of the EGG. Solid Composite Side Shelves are weather resistant and easily wiped clean. They are available in pairs or with the option of a third shelf for the front of the cooker.

Surround Tables: For an upscale, built-in look, attractive wooden surround tables for the EGG are the way to go. Made of durable cypress wood from responsibly managed forests, the workstations bring the cooker up to a standard counter height and provide plenty of prep and serving surface.

Vinyl Covers: The durable EGG is tough enough to withstand the harshest weather, but you’ll want to keep your baby clean anyway. Heavy-duty vinyl covers shield
the cooker from the elements while vents let it breathe.
Covers come in sizes to fit all EGGs, including versions to completely cover Surround Table workstations.

Cooking Tools of the Trade

Plate Setters: What jelly is to a peanut butter sandwich and frosting is to a cupcake, the Plate Setter is to the Big Green Egg; without it, the EGG is only half as versatile. In fact, the Plate Setter is practically essential to helping the EGG achieve its full potential.

Perhaps the most versatile EGGcessory ever, a Plate Setter is a flat, ceramic disk with three legs that acts as a heat shield. It is the best way to accomplish any type of cooking in the EGG where you don’t want direct exposure to the flame and heat. The Plate Setter can be used to turn your EGG into a brick oven for baking bread, pizza, and desserts, a convection oven for roasting meats and vegetables, or
a smoker for making down-home barbecue. Use it in conjunction with other EGGcessories, such as a Drip Pan, V-Rack, Grill Extender, or Vertical Roaster, and you have
the tools to accomplish anything in your EGG that you can do in your indoor oven. For more information on cooking with a Plate Setter, see page 26.

hot tip:
Because the natural lump charcoal produces very little ash, there is minimal cleanup for an EGG. Periodically, use the Ash Tool to draw out ashes through the draft door into an Ash Pan or other noncombustible container. This is also a good time to clear the air holes in the Fire Box of ash or small bits of charcoal, which could impede airflow.

Culled from Bon Appétit magazine’s extensive archives and including some never-before-published recipes, the Bon Appétit Desserts cookbook is a comprehensive guide to all things sweet and wonderful, designed to inspire both experienced home cooks and those just starting out in the kitchen. This collection of more than six hundred recipes features every kind of dessert: cakes (from layer cakes to coffee cakes, tortes to cupcakes), cheesecakes, pies, tarts, candies, puddings, soufflés, shortcakes, fruit desserts, ice cream, cookies, holiday desserts, and much, much more. In trademark Bon Appétit style, the book is rich with resources designed to make the dessert prep process as easy and as accessible as possible, including more than fifty inspiring four-color photographs, dozens of step-by-step illustrations, and tips straight from the Bon Appétit test kitchens. Sidebars in each chapter offer shortcuts, invaluable ingredient and equipment information, and options for adapting the recipes, including ingredient substitutions, suggestions on scaling recipes up or down, and, of course, plenty of do-ahead tips. Each recipe is also given a “whisk rating” from one to four to indicate the level of difficulty.

So what is it exactly that makes Bon Appétit desserts so special —and why do they have so many fans? Their proven combination of delicious new twists on classic recipes, each presented in a clear, easy-to-read format, means that Bon Appétit desserts have an appeal that feels both fresh and timeless. And Bon Appétit is a brand that has been trusted and respected for more than half a century. The delicious recipes in Bon Appétit Desserts have been meticulously tested in the magazine’s kitchens so that each one turns out perfectly—every time.

Dear Friends,

When I was growing up, we had dessert every night. It wasn’t something that I really ever thought about, it just was. And of course, there was always a treat of some sort offered when my mom’s friends came over for coffee, when she and Dad played bridge every week, and when she hosted a dinner party.

My mom was a good cook and baker—she still is—so we had wonderful apple pies in the fall; terrific brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and shortbread in the winter; and fresh fruit cobblers and shortcakes in the spring and summer. And at my grandfather’s house in Maryland, my sisters and I took turns churning unforgettably good peach ice cream in a hand-cranked, salt-filled ice-cream maker.

Times have changed and so have desserts: Many are lighter and many are quick, and seasonality is more important than ever. Flavors that once would have seemed exotic—cardamom, pomegranate, lavender—are commonplace. But some things haven’t changed. Now, as then, a good dessert is all about that little hit of sweetness that gives any dinner its official wrap-up and launches us into the rest of the evening.

It has been said that the soul of a baker is different than the soul of a cook. Dessert making requires precision, and that’s where this book comes in. Each of the more than six hundred recipes here has been tested and retested by the experts in the Bon Appétit kitchens to guarantee sweet success every time. After more than five decades of publishing recipes for cakes, cookies, pies, tarts, cheesecakes, ice creams, and so much more, we’ve been able to pack a lot of info and expertise into these pages. So in addition to the recipes, you’ll find notes that let you know what to expect from each recipe; extensive tips and sidebars offering do-ahead suggestions and test-kitchen secrets; step-by-step illustrations to guide you through preparation; and thorough chapters on stocking your pantry, buying the most useful equipment, and mastering the essential techniques of dessert making. We want this to be your ultimate dessert resource, guidebook, and helpmate in the kitchen, whether you’re an enthusiastic beginner or a confident cook.

So go ahead and make something sweet for dinner tonight—I certainly will be. Because nothing provides the satisfaction, gets the attention, or creates memories like a great dessert.

––Barbara Fairchild, Los Angeles, California

Each of the over one hundred recipes contains the technical guidance and information needed to help ensure its success, and every season features flavor combinations ranging from the most simple to the most complex. An in-depth section examining different fruits and their varieties from a jam maker’s perspective makes this much more than a cookbook. All of this invaluable information springs to life in Sara Remington’s exquisite four-color photography, intimately inviting you into Rachel’s jam-making world.

Part I Introduction

The Roots of Blue Chair Fruit

Chapter 1
Jams, Jellies & Marmalades: Getting the Most out of Fruit

Chapter 2
Fruit: Understanding the Essential Ingredient

Chapter 3
Preserving: Process & Equipment

Part II Recipes

Chapter 4
Winter through Early Spring

January
Bergamot •  Lemon •  Grapefruit •  Lime

February & March
Lemon •  Orange •  Kumquat

Chapter 5
Late Spring through Midsummer

April
Rhubarb •  Strawberry

May
Cherry •  Kumquat •  Aprium •  Peach • Blackberry •  Apricot

June
Cherry •  Berries •  White Nectarine • Meyer Lemon

July
Sour Cherry •  Plum •  Rangpur Lime • Currant •  Mulberry

Chapter 6
Late Summer through Fall

August
Fig •  Raspberry •  Apple •  Greengage • Melon •  Peach

September
Yellow Nectarine •  Pluot •  Strawberry • Grape •  Damson Plum

October
Tomato •  Plum •  Elderberry •  Pear

November & December
Quince •  Cranberry •  Pomegranate • Citron •  Orange

Part III

Fruits for Preserving

Acknowledgments

Sources

Bibliography

Index

RMS Titanic,
North Atlantic
April 15, 1912

THE TITANIC MENU

1ST COURSE: HORS D’OEUVRES
Oysters à la Russe

2ND COURSE: SOUPS
Consommé Olga
Cream of Barley

3RD COURSE: FISH
Poached Salmon
Mousseline Sauce

4TH COURSE: ENTRÉES
Filet Mignon Lili
Chicken Lyonnaise
Vegetable Marrow Facri

5TH COURSE: REMOVES
Lamb with Mint Sauce
Calvados Glazed Roast Duck with Apple Sauce
Roast Sirloin of Beef Forestière
Chateau Potatoes, Minted Green Pea Timbales, Creamed Carrots,
Boiled Rice Parmentier,
Boiled New Potatoes

6TH COURSE: SORBET OR PUNCH
Punch Romaine

7TH COURSE: ROAST
Roasted Squab on Wilted Cress

8TH COURSE: SALAD
Asparagus Salad with
Champagne-Saffron Vinaigrette

9TH COURSE: COLD DISH
Pâté de Foie Gras
Celery

10TH COURSE: SWEETS
Waldorf Pudding
Peaches in Chantreuse Jelly
Chocolate-Painted Éclairs
French Vanilla Ice Cream

11TH COURSE: DESSERT
Assorted Fresh Fruits and Cheeses

AFTER DINNER
Coffee
Cigars

Martin Luther King
Memphis, Tennessee
April 4, 1968

Napoleon Bonaparte
Defeated at Waterloo, Belgium
June 18, 1815

Alexander the Great
Babylon, Iraq
June 13, 323 B.C.

Diana, Princess of Wales
Paris, France
August 30, 1997

John F. Kennedy
Dallas, Texas
November 22, 1963

Gaius Julius Caesar
The Curia, Rome
March 15, 44 B.C.

George Armstrong Custer
Little Bighorn
June 25, 1876

Adolf Hitler
The Führerbunker, Berlin, Germany
April 30, 1945

Marilyn Monroe
Brentwood, California
August 5, 1962

Captain James Cook
Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii
February 14, 1779

John Franklin Candy
Durango, Mexico
March 4, 1994

This marks the second year in a row an AMP title has won an IACP Cookbook Award. Last year, The Art and Soul of Baking by Sur la Table and Cindy Mushet won in the Baking category.

http://www.iacp.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=911

Tradition is very important in the South. John Ferrell knew this when he bought Mary Mac’s Tea Room, the Atlanta institution serving hungry diners since 1945. One tradition many restaurant owners cherish that John does not is keeping delicious recipes a secret from inquiring guests. In Mary Mac’s Tea Room: 65 years of Recipes From Atlanta’s Favorite Dining Room, 125 classic recipes are shared from the tea room steeped in tradition.

daily for years.  One of the main ingredients that keeps people coming back to Mary Mac’s is its Southern hospitality. The dining room sees as many as 1,000 customers a day, and each diner is greeted personally and made comfortable with the help of Jo, the “goodwill ambassador” known for giving weary customers a huge smile and a helpful back rub.

Mary Mac’s Tea Room includes 125 classic recipes from the Atlanta landmark, along with employee biographies, celebrity and favorite guests (such as Cher and the Dalai Lama), historic and modern photography, old menus, postcards, and artwork from its colorful history. Regular customers and anyone who enjoys a hearty meal now have a chance to experience the sweet and savory Southern comfort of Mary Mac’s Tea Room in their own homes.

A beautifully illustrated cookbook, At Our Table offers 125 simple and delicious recipes that emphasize how the experience of gathering for meals can energize us and help us recognize the richness and fullness of our lives. Recipes for appetizers, main dishes, sides, salads, breads, and desserts are offered along with timeless tips for cooking and kitchen preparation. Roxie’s popular conversational writing style and Shelly’s engaging illustrations bring it all together.

Friends and family will enjoy recipes such as:

• Kelly’s Tutti Fruity Dip
• Pork Tenderloin with Ginger Glaze
• Honey Whole Wheat Bread
• Cranberry-Orange Coffeecake
• And many more delectable dishes

Roxie and Shelley, friends and business partners for more than 30 years, have sold 150,000 books in their cookbook series.  In At Our Table, they invite all of us to return to the table and savor time with family and friends along with real comfort food.

With the economic downturn Amy transformed from willy-nilly food spender to parsimonious gal. This resulted in a popular blog and a delicious cookbook of the same name that offers engaging stories, friendly advice, and savory recipes. In Poor Girl Gourmet, Amy offers pointers for saving a penny to help those of us who want to spend as little as possible without sacrificing good food.

Poor Girl Gourmet also presents basic techniques for cooking and mouth-watering menu suggestions that break down the cost for each meal. Each recipe serves at least four people, so it’s perfect for families on a budget—because eating well while saving money is something that appeals to all of us. Amy also includes a chapter on wine, reviewing 25 kinds and offering pairing suggestions to elegantly top off the perfect meal. And because once-in-a-while splurges make meals more special and life much sweeter, Amy also includes a chapter for
entrees serving four for $15 to $30. per person.

Recipes include Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Honey-Balsamic Chicken Thighs, Roasted Beets with Caramelized Beet Greens and Orange-Walnut Pesto, and Sweet Corn and Basil Ice Cream. With full-color photography and heartwarming prose peppered throughout, Poor Girl Gourmet is a divine cookbook that’s sweet on the wallet and tempting to the taste buds.

Filled with more than 100 recipes guaranteed to please everyone from the urban gourmet to the most rugged of mountain men, Aller’s cookbook offers a wide range of distinct dishes from this quintessentially American region. Whether you’re looking for more familiar fare such as Southern Butter-Crusted Chicken or Old-Fashioned Southern Tea Cakes, or want something more off the beaten path such as Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Tea and Ginger, German Bierocks, or Burgoo, this cookbook has what you’re looking for.

More than just a cookbook, Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly takes you into the heart of southern Appalachia with passages about the history, people, and places of the area. Complete with stunning full-color photography of the unique, beautiful scenery and food the mountains have to offer, this cookbook is ideal for anyone interested in the culture and cooking of one of America’s most enchanting locales.

In their previous cookbook, The Spice Kitchen, spice queens Sara and Katie enhanced everyday meals with herbs and spices from their two unique lines of organic spices, tsp spices and Smart Spice.  Now they are treating ice cream connoisseurs everywhere to 50 new recipes for ice creams, sorbets, sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, and other frozen treats.

Sara and Katie, with help from Nancy Meadows and Kimberly Toqe, dare aspiring “spice cream” chefs to create their own combinations, inspired by spice Dreams recipes such as Honey-Mint Ice Cream with Thyme and Basil, Chile-Orange-Chocolate Sorbet, Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookie Ice-Cream Sandwiches, and Almond Ice Cream with Turmeric, Cardamom, and Cloves.

Spice Dreams taps into the hot new trend of adding herbs and spices to sweets and features full-color photography of these tasty treats sure to delight young and old, sweet tooths, spice fanatics, and food lovers everywhere.

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the world’s largest barbeque organization is sharing its secrets for good food, good company and good times. The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook, 25th Anniversary Edition by Ardie A. Davis, Paul Kirk, and Carolyn Wells comes packed with more than 200 all-new recipes from the society’s top grillers.

The KCBS has done a lot of growing in 25 years. The original membership of three has expanded to 11,000, and the recipes in The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook reflect the gender, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the KCBS. And although KCBS-sanctioned contests still feature the organizaton’s four basic food groups—chicken, pork shoulder, beef brisket, and pork ribs—readers will find everything from lip-smacking appetizers and sides to mouthwatering desserts inside.

Professional and amateur barbequers (as well as those who don’t tend a grill but love to eat barbeque) will enjoy the book’s traditional fare and its variety including Cedar-Plank Salmon, Beef Tenderloin Churrasco, and Buffalo Chicken Pizza. The Kansas City Barbeque Society Cookbook also shows that barbeque can go way beyond meat with such dishes as Smoked Devil Eggs, Butt Kick’n Beans, Smokin’ Wally’s ABC (Apple-Bacon-Cranberry) Pie, and even some breakfast dishes.

On top of that, there are loads of photos, tips from the pros, colorful stories, quips, quotes, and other “barbequephernalia.” Equal parts cookbook and scrapbook, it’s all enough to make anyone feel like a member of the KCBS.

Contents

Foreword    iv
Introduction    vii

Vegetables  19
Dancing Roots Farm, Troutdale, Oregon   68
Genesis Growers, St. Anne, Illinois   88
Golden Earthworm Organic Farm, Jamesport, New York   94
Red Fire Farm, Granby, Massachusetts   124

Fruit  131
Amy’s Garden, Quinton, Virginia   142
Full Belly Farm, Guinda, California   158
Morning Song Farm, Rainbow, California   178

Poultry, Meat & Eggs  233
DeLaney Community Farm, Aurora, Colorado   235
Green Gate Farms, Austin, Texas   242
Nitty Gritty Dirt Farm, Harris, Minnesota   254

Your Urban Homestead   288
Acknowledgments   294
Recipe Index by Category   295
Main Recipe Index   297

The big green gate is open at Skip Connett and Erin Flynn’s Austin farm, although perhaps you can’t see it. Until Erin finds time to build it, welding the scrap metal she has been slowly amassing, the gate remains just a vision, like so many of the ambitious plans the couple have for Green Gate Farms. “Skip and I talk about our dreams for the farm so often that sometimes we see things that aren’t there yet,” Erin admits.

In the meantime, the farm’s name helps convey their intentions—to operate a sustainable, open-door venture that embraces the community, involving anyone who cares to participate in farm life. Local artists will come here to sketch, Erin imagines. Children will come to study the bugs or learn about seed saving. Austin’s high-tech engineers, who spend their workdays in cubicles, will come to decompress in a rural setting only eight miles east of downtown.

The five acres that the couple leases are remnants of a once-thriving agricultural corridor—a “green gateway” from rural growers to city markets. Their petite farm nourishes about seventy-five local families who participate in its CSA, and many more people who shop at its weekend farm stand.

On a morning in early June, plumes of amaranth, like burgundy feather dusters, dance in the breeze near rows of lemon basil, Hungarian hot wax peppers, and Honey Bear acorn squash. On bushy okra plants, mature pods stand stiffly upright like rockets ready to launch. Eaten raw, they are nutty and sweet, like young green beans, their blossoms enchanting yellow cups with maroon hearts.

But on this steamy June morning, garlic dominates the farm stage. Every gentle wind carries its scent, and the weathered red barn is filled to the rafters with dangling clusters of drying elephant garlic. In the cool of the barn, Rosie, a tubby Hampshire sow, sprawls on a thick pile of matted leaves, breathing rapidly. Eight-year-old Avery kneels down beside her and strokes her as tenderly as a city youngster would pet a cat.

“Their entertainment is nature,” says Erin of her two children, whose playmates include pigs, rare-breed chickens, and goats. The farm also serves as a sort of orphanage for abandoned creatures. “People say, ‘If you don’t take my duck, it’s going to be pâté,’” laughs Erin, who views animals as key to efficient farm management. The chickens fertilize the fields; the pigs grow to market weight on produce unsuitable for sale. And all the animals enhance the experience for the youngsters who visit Green Gate Farms.

At a Glance

Farm motto: “Cultivating healthy food and communities”

Favorite crops: Cherokee Purple tomatoes, Suyo Long cucumbers, Zephyr zucchini

Chief worry: Water. Getting enough and pay-ing for it. Because of the farm’s location, the couple pays city rates for agricultural water.

Peak moment: “When the fields are weeded and the windmill is turning and we can stop and enjoy a fiery sunset,” says Erin.

Handiest farm skill: Repurposing stuff . . . from Goodwill, customers, and friends. “Once you get into that mindset, it becomes a game,” says Erin. “Skip can make a penny scream.”

Inspirations: Author, poet, and farmer Wendell Berry; Virginia farmer Joel Salatin, advocate for pasture-raised meat; organic farmer, author, and CSA pioneer Elizabeth Henderson

Insight: “People have to take their enthusiasm for local food to the next step,” says Erin. “They have to do more than just buy it; they have to become activists.”

Summer lunch on the farm: Just-picked tomatoes, cucumbers, hot peppers, and basil, local goat feta, and a fresh baguette

Steak with Friends: At Home, with Rick Tramonto is big and juicy, just like a steak dinner with all the trimmings. It showcases a dazzling array of steak and seafood recipes along with delicious accompaniments ranging from appetizers to desserts. Sophisticated, yet easy to prepare, these dishes will delight readers who love great beef cooked to perfection. Rick teaches the secrets to choosing and preparing the best steak, suggests music to listen to while cooking mussels, and recommends some of his favorite drink pairings. In this cookbook, Rick shows cooks how to reproduce the delicious flavors of his great steak house food at home.

What I like most about the recipes in this chapter is that they are all about relaxed celebrations. Most can be served on a big platter so that everyone can graze, pick and choose what they want, and decide how much they want to eat. These appetizers are perfect for sharing with good friends and family while enjoying a cold beer or a glass of wine.

After an hour or so of appetizers, I fire up the grill for the steaks, or whatever food I am cooking that evening, and most people drift toward the grilling action. This is the second phase of the party, followed by the main meal when we sit down and enjoy what’s on our plates and on our minds. But without the very first part of the evening, when we casually and happily share cold appetizers, the rest of the meal would not be as successful. It’s a natural progression, a train of good eats and conversation that first leaves the station with these delights, gaining speed as it moves through the party.

I thought long and hard about what recipes to include here—just as I did with every chapter in the book—and kept coming back to how well these dishes could be shared. I also relied on my own affection for “surf and turf.” Ever since I first discovered the marriage of seafood and beef, I have been an enthusiastic fan. I have even been known to stop at a sushi restaurant for a few bites before going on to a steak house. This explains why I have included the Spicy Tuna Roll, the Spicy Shrimp in Lettuce Wraps, and the RT Hamachi Sashimi with Pineapple. All are perfect before a steak meal.

I also like to start off a steak dinner with another meat, as evidenced by the charcuterie plate and the steak tartar. Both are sensational and both are updated with some tasty twists, such as the violet mustard with the tartar and the pickled onions on the charcuterie plate.
If you prefer appetizers with no seafood or meat, try the beets. I have never put out platters of these and had a single leftover! They are that good. And the spring rolls hark back to my fondness for Asian-style foods before the main course.

These are easy, light dishes for the most part, meant to be enjoyed with friends. They are great at a cocktail party, but can also be enjoyed on their own for a very casual meal.

KANSAS CITY, MO and SEATTLE, WA–(Marketwire - December 1, 2009) - Beginning today, food bloggers worldwide are invited to submit their favorite recipes and photos for possible inclusion in a Foodista.com cookbook to be published in fall 2010 by Andrews McMeel Publishing (AMP).

The idea behind “The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook” took form during a “Blog to Book” panel at the first International Food Blogger Conference earlier this year. There AMP and Foodista.com, the cooking encyclopedia everyone can edit, identified a strong desire among food bloggers to see their work appear in book form. Now they’ll have the opportunity.

For the next three months, food bloggers can submit their photography, writings, and original recipes to Foodista.com. The public can view all submissions on the website and vote for their favorites. That feedback and editors at both companies will determine the approximately 100 entries chosen for inclusion in “The Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook.” Each winner will receive a free copy of the cookbook.

Food blogging has exploded in recent years as people from all walks of life have turned to the Web to share their kitchen knowledge and artistry. Posts take the form of prose and photography about everything from ethnic foods to specialized diets and family holiday traditions. AMP is an apt partner for the cookbook as the company has enjoyed great success going from online to print, particularly with this year’s “Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong” by Jen Yates. The New York Times best seller is based on Yates’ phenomenally popular Cakewrecks.com blog, and with 75 percent original content, the book has appealed to the author’s established blog following as well as to new fans.

“Andrews McMeel Publishing is thrilled to continue its Web-to-print program by partnering with Foodista.com in producing an innovative and beautiful cookbook,” said AMP Publisher Kirsty Melville. “We’re excited about getting the world’s best food-blog content in front of the wide audience to be reached with AMP’s extensive marketing and distribution networks.”

Barnaby Dorfman, founder and CEO of Foodista.com, said: “We love cookbooks, which are different from our online cooking encyclopedia that is constantly evolving. The creativity we see from food bloggers is so impressive, we decided that a collection in book form would be a great snapshot of this emerging form of food writing.”

To enter the contest, bloggers simply need to visit www.foodista.com/blogbook. There they can cut and paste recipes from existing blog posts into Foodista.com’s recipe submission form and upload photos directly to the Web site. There is no limit to the number of submissions each blogger can enter. The contest runs from now until Feb. 28, 2010, and is free for all to enter. Winners will be announced at the 2010 International Food Bloggers Conference in Seattle, planned for late summer.

About Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC (AMP)

As a leading publisher of general nonfiction trade, cookbook, gift, and humor books, AMP has had three titles on the New York Times best-seller list in 2009: “Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong” by Jen Yates; “Stupid American History” by Leland Gregory; and “Obama: Election 2008″ by The Poynter Institute. In addition, “Bee & Me” by Elle J. McGuinness and Heather Brown, published by AMP’s Accord division, held positions on the New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-seller lists this year. AMP’s burgeoning cookbook program, launched by publisher Kirsty Melville in 2007, has met with great success, including an International Association of Culinary Professionals award in 2009 for “The Art and Soul of Baking” by Sur La Table with Cindy Mushet. “The Art and Soul of Baking” also was a James Beard Foundation Award nominee in 2009.

Additional highlights on AMP’s fall 2009 list include “My New Orleans: The Cookbook” by John Besh; “Why Dogs Are Better Than Cats” by New York Times best-selling author Bradley Trevor Greive; “Celebrating Peanuts: 60 Years by Charles M. Schulz”; “The New Yorker On the Money” by The New Yorker magazine; “Baking Kids Love” by Sur La Table with Cindy Mushet; and “Stupid Science” by Leland Gregory. For more information, visit www.andrewsmcmeel.com.

About Foodista.com

Foodista, Inc. is a Seattle company that operates www.foodista.com, the online cooking encyclopedia everyone can edit. The company leverages open source software, cloud computing resources, and wisdom of the crowds to rapidly develop cooking software and content. The founders have decades of experience in food service and building large-scale consumer Web sites used by millions. Launched in 2008, the company is funded by private investors and Amazon.com.

Many parents face a tough challenge: they want their kids to eat fresh, healthy foods, but they want a happy mealtime experience, too.  Shannon Seip and Kelly Parthen are here to tell them they can have both, and their new book, Bean Appétit: Hip and Healthy Ways to Have Fun with Food (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $1499), can help. Not just another kids’ cookbook, it’s a family guide that promotes healthy eating in a playful way for the whole family to enjoy.

Unlike recent popular bestsellers that hide nutrition and trick kids into eating healthy foods, Bean Appétit incorporates more of what kids love in delicious, fun-to-make recipes that get kids involved and excited about good food. Interactive, how-to elements include:

•    Delicious, fresh recipes with fun presentations that kids can help make
•    Food-themed games, crafts, and conversation starters to foster family bonding and healthy eating habits
•    Creative ways to learn about different ingredients
•    Tips on how to stay safe in the kitchen

Bean Appétit features recipes inspired by Shannon and Kelly’s hip and healthy organic Bean Sprouts Café in Middleton, Wisconsin. Renowned chef, cookbook author, and Food Network star Gale Gand helped develop the menu, and she supports its mission to involve kids in developing healthy food and family habits.  Start the New Year off right, with new recipes, better eating habits, and more dinnertime fun. Bean appétit!

“A fresh and creative approach to making mealtimes fun, tasty, guilt free, and healthy!” —Gale Gand, renowned chef, television star, and mom

For most of us, the smell of homemade bread baking in the oven is a luxury, one made unaffordable by hectic schedules in a fast-paced world. But for the Amish, baking is a necessity and enjoyment of everyday life. This dedication to live simply and unchanged by time is why millions visit Amish country each year. That, and the food!

Lovina Eicher, celebrated cook and author of The Amish Cook at Home, offers a slow-paced journey through this delicious world of Amish baking in her latest offering, The Amish Cook’s Baking Book (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $29.99).

The book is filled with more than 100 recipes for cakes, cookies, pies, breads, brownies, and bars, all made from scratch, using tools and techniques that have been passed down through generations. The 80 beautiful photographs, sidebars from Lovina’s children, and interesting insights into Amish life, both in and outside the kitchen, make this book a journey into authentic Amish baking, the kind found only if you stray from the main routes and explore the back roads and communities.

As the “eat local” and slow food movements continue to grow, The Amish Cook’s Baking Book brings the soothing simplicity of using seasonal and local ingredients to make delicious, back-to-basics baked goods.

200 of My Favorite Recipes & Stories from My Hometown

“This book is an act of soul.  Maestro Besh lives the life he cooks; he doesn’t just tell us how to prepare Louisiana favorites, he teaches us what these dishes mean, with an emphasis on how hospitality can enrich civilization.” ––Wynton Marsalis, musician

My New Orleans: The Cookbook (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $45.00) is Chef John Besh’s tribute to and celebration of the food he loved as a boy growing up on the bayous, refined in his years of study in America and in Europe, and brought home to his beloved city.  It is here he has passionately thrown himself into the rebuilding of post-Katrina, and to making his restaurants, Restaurant August, Lüke, Besh Steak, and La Provence indelible parts of Louisiana’s restaurant landscape.  My New Orleans is also a photographic journey of Besh’s personal past and a celebration of the city’s iconic food imagery. As Besh says:

“This book is the story of a dreamy, starry eyed boy brought up in the shadows of New Orleans, surrounded by cypress knees and tupelo trees, good dinners and great friends. Memories of my childhood, both good and bad, have etched themselves deep into my soul: everything that I cook and eat, see and smell, reminds me of where I come from and more or less dictates where I am going.”

In My New Orleans, Chef John Besh tells the enduring story of preserving the region’s rituals and livelihood through raising food well, cooking it with joy, and being mindful of the fragility that swirls around the city many Americans love most.  It offers a unique culinary history of the city and its cooking while Chef Besh celebrates the advice that ensures success for the home cook.  His recipes preserve New Orleans’ traditions and ingredients;  Seafood gumbo, Crawfish étouffée, Jambalaya, Crab bisque, Beignets, Watermelon pickles, Fried oysters, Red beans and rice – these New Orleans classics are joined by some of Chef Besh’s more contemporary dishes in over 200 recipes.

When the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina threatened the regions fishermen, farmers, shrimpers and oystermen, it was Chef Besh who led the way to preserve and protect the region’s unique culinary heritage, its local ingredients, and its authentic culture.  My New Orleans explores Besh’s life post Katrina, which ultimately further shaped his identity as a chef.  He became obsessed with seeking out ingredients that encompass the flavors of the city and region – not the ones shipped in from all corners of the US.  My New Orleans tells the story of how John Besh became a leader of the new generation of New Orleans chefs who dedicate themselves to the singular cuisine of the city each and everyday.

A SAMPLING FROM MY NEW ORLEANS:

•    Basic core recipes that are the foundation of Chef Besh’s cooking including Basic Stocks, Creole Spices, Pan Sauces, Louisiana White Rice, and Sauce Ravigote and Remoulade.

•    Five Master Recipes including Shrimp, Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya, Crab Bisque, Beef Daube Glacée (Terrine of Beef Short Ribs) and Drew’s Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo.

•    Celebrations, Feast Days and Holidays – From Mardi Gras to Thanksgiving, My New Orleans offers seasonal recipes celebrated by Besh, his family and friends during the most festive periods of the year in New Orleans.

•    A great resource for recommended and often hard-to-find ingredients and products from the southern region including Oysters, Crawfish, Country Ham and Bacon, Tabasco Pepper Sauces, Pottery Bowls and Serving Pieces.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Christopher Langley; chris@bullfrogandbaum.com
Eliza Whipple; eliza@bullfrogandbaum.com
Tel 212-255-6717

Venice is a city of charming people, winding canals, and floating markets, whose rich culinary history wafts from the tables of its sidewalk cafés and candlelit restaurants. In her evocative and beautiful cookbook, Venezia: Food & Dreams (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $34.99), Tessa Kiros takes her readers through these magical passageways, and with her they plumb the city’s nooks and crannies, discovering a myriad of Venetian staples and specialties to whet the appetite.

Venezia is not your standard cookbook. The stunning photographs are as dynamic as the recipes, ranging from vibrant, bejeweled Carnival masks to dramatic black and white views of Venetian streets. The pages are also sprinkled with Tessa’s travel insights and poetic observations:

“Venice in its labyrinth and enigma; everywhere visible from the windows and mirrors on the top floor of Harry’s Bar…the backdrop of the terrace looked like they had been told to recite and play and then the director had forgotten to call stop. Bridges; keyholes peeping into ancient courtyards full of secrets.”

During her travels, Tessa charms the locals into divulging their culinary secrets, sharing with the reader the hidden specialties of this romantic yet mysterious city. She divides these dishes by course—Antipasti, Zuppa/Pasta/Gnocchi, Risotto, Secondi, Contori, and Dolci—with additional sections on Essential Recipes and Cicchetti (delicious small bites unique to Venice). Recipes range from the exotic such as Spaghetti al Nero de Seppie (Spaghetti with Squid Ink) to more traditional selections such as Grigliata Mista de Pesce (Mixed Grilled Fish).

Tessa’s recipes are unique enough to intrigue experienced chefs yet easy enough for beginners to follow, creating a guide for tasty dishes that will impress any dinner guest. With a turn of the page, everyone can share in Tessa’s sheer love of anything beautiful, anything flavorful, and everything Venetian.

Jasper Mirabile, Sr., founder of Kansas City’s world-renowned Jasper’s Italian Restaurant, had a saying: “bere e mangiare bene”—drink and eat well. Through his son, that mantra lives on. As part of his father’s restaurant since age eight, Jasper Mirabile, Jr., knows that family and history make Jasper’s Restaurant great, and he offers both in Jasper’s Kitchen Cookbook: Italian Recipes and Memories from Kansas City’s Legendary Restaurant (Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, $19.99).

This is more than a cookbook; it’s a rich family history that began long before the opening of the first Jasper’s in 1954. Over the years, generations of Mirabiles have worked together and traveled the world in search of new flavors and dishes to bring a world-class restaurant to the Midwest. With Jasper, Jr., at the helm, the tradition continues to flourish, as Jasper’s has earned a four-star rating from The Kansas City Star and the coveted four-diamond rating from AAA, and was named Kansas City’s Best Italian Restaurant by Zagat’s.

Jasper’s Kitchen Cookbook is a nostalgic collection containing more than 100 of the most enduring and endearing recipes from the beloved family-run institution. The five-course cookbook is full of life and flavor, spanning from antipasti (appetizers) to dolci (desserts), and celebrating the Italian tradition of shopping local markets and eating what is in season. Also featured:

•  Origins of recipes, some dating back over a century
•  Ideas for ways to create new variations on basic recipes
•  Resources for unique or hard-to-find foods and ingredients
•  Commentary, anecdotes, and culinary footnotes from Jasper, Jr.

A true collector’s item, Jasper’s Kitchen Cookbook is filled with stories and photos from the Mirabile family, chronicling the history of their successful restaurants throughout the years. Jasper, Jr., understands that a love of food and family are essential to cook the very best authentic Italian dishes. He passes on these lessons and his reverence for the past, creating a truly unique culinary offering. Salute!

Whitley shares his over 25 years of baking experience and more than 50 recipes in Bread Matters. His detailed approach walks readers through the baking process, with chapters such as Starting from Scratch, Bread–A Meal in Itself, and Easy as Pie. Also included are chapters dedicated to gluten-free baking and uses for day-old bread. The recipes are supplemented with explanations of essential tools and ingredients, tricks of the trade, and troubleshooting tips.

Previously published in the United Kingdom, Bread Matters is the winner of the 2007 International Association of Culinary Professionals award for Best Bread, Other Baking, and Sweets.  The U.S. edition’s recipes have been tested and Americanized.

Bread Matters dispels any qualms and myths about baking homemade bread.

•    Baking a loaf takes only 30-40 minutes, broken up by periods of waiting.
•    A mixer isn’t necessary to make good bread. Kneading by hand works just as well and can even be a therapeutic exercise!
•    Wetter is better. No need to fear dough sticking to your hands, or to coat them in flour. Slightly wetter dough makes for better bread.

From pumpernickel to sourdough, Bread Matters takes the mystery out of baking homemade bread. Its compelling case against the commercial baking industry will inspire beginners and expert bakers alike to take control of the bread they eat.

“In his wonderful book, Bread Matters, he [Andrew Whitley] not only brings this powerful and ancient symbol down to earth and demystifies the process, but also communicates from his heart how anyone can easily participate in the joys and rewards of the bread baking craft.”
—Peter Reinhart, author of Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor

A cocktail renaissance is afoot. The martini revival of the 1990s spawned a drink revolution harkening back to the 1920s, when elegant cocktails ruled the day. It has permeated virtually every watering hole since, and the mojito is now a common offering at even the dive-est of bars.

Yet despite the diversity seen on modern drink menus, B.R. Guest Restaurants master mixologist Eben Klemm is here to tell us that today’s cocktails remain but a few ingredients combined by even fewer techniques. In his new book The Cocktail Primer: All You Need to Know to Make the Perfect Drink (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $19.99), Klemm shows us how to make these drinks at home using basic knowledge and ingredients.

Most cocktail books offer an overwhelming number of drink recipes that do nothing to help the aspiring cocktail enthusiast understand how they will taste. That is why The Cocktail Primer arranges drinks into families of classic cocktail types most people already know and work with. The drink families are grouped by style and technique, from simple to complex, with select recipes from each family. Also included:

•   The primary makeup and level of complexity, sweetness, acidity, strength, and refreshment of each drink family
•   Setting up a home bar: essential spirits, ingredients, and equipment to keep on hand
•   Techniques: how to pour, shake, stir, muddle, and serve
•   Entertaining: get out from behind the bar and enjoy your party

The Cocktail Primer lays the groundwork for learning how cocktails are related and assembled. The result is a greater appreciation for the wonderful explorations occurring in bars today, as well as the confidence to become your own personal mixologist and create unique cocktails at home. Improve your home bar, impress your guests, and start cocktailing!