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November 29, 2007

Must Have Cookbooks

The James Beard Foundation put together a list of the 20 most essential cookbooks in honor of the Foundation's 20th anniversary. Was your favorite "can't live without" recipe book included?

Mark Bittman, Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, and Marcella Hazan made the list and are Library staff favorites. Julia Child has two entries. But why Rick Bayless rather than Diana Kennedy for Mexican cuisine? And no Madhur Jaffrey? I'd add Patricia Wells' Bistro Cooking to the list - it has more "dog-eared" pages than any other on my cookbook shelves.

All criticism aside, any of these would make a great holiday gift.
But just in case you want to try it out before you buy, here's the list with the Library's holding links.
What's not linked is on order so watch for it on our shelves.

American Cookery (BBS Publishing Corporation, 1996), James Beard
Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico (William Morrow Cookbooks, 2007), Rick Bayless
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens, 2004)
Classic Indian Cooking (William Morrow Cookbooks, 1980), Julie Sahni
Complete Techniques (Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2001), Jacques Pépin and Léon Pererr
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (Macmillan, 1995), Marcella Hazan
How to Cook Everything: Simple Recipes for Great Food (Wiley, 2006), Mark Bittman
The Joy of Cooking (Scribner, 2006), Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker
The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook (Countryman Press, 2003)
Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1999), Maida Heatter
Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook (Clarkson Potter, 1999), Martha Stewart
Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volume One (Knopf, 2001), Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck
The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking: Techniques and Recipes (William Morrow Cookbooks, 1996) Barbara Tropp
The New Food Lover’s Companion (Barron's Educational Series, 2007), Sharon Tyler Herbst
The Oxford Companion to Wine (Oxford University Press, 2007), Jancis Robinson
Rick Stein’s Complete Seafood (Ten Speed Press, 2004), Rick Stein
The Silver Palate Cookbook (Workman Publishing Company, 2007), Sheila Lukins and Julie Rosso
The Thrill of the Grill: Techniques, Recipes, and Down-Home Barbecue (William Morrow Cookbooks, 2002), Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (Broadway, 2007), Deborah Madison
The Way to Cook (Knopf, 1993), Julia Child

Posted by MaryF at 08:56 AM | Comments (1)

November 20, 2007

Books on food (cookbooks to follow)

Holidays always make me think of food.
That, along with my husband now being on a diet, has made me crave the only kind of food I have access to right now. I've been devouring books on food, books about the history of food, cookbooks, recipe magazines... you get the picture.
A great list of the best non-cookbooks appeared last month on the epicurious website. It was compiled by James Oliver Cury and has most of my favorites food authors. The two additions I'd make to the list are Jullia Child's My Life in France and Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking and More Home Cooking. These are based on Colwin's Gourmet magazine food columns and are truly wonderful reads. Rereading her articles on comfort food, holiday food, and the three best chocolate cake recipes really help satisfy the cravings you get when everyone in the house, including the dog, is on a diet.

Next week: The James Beard Foundation's list of twenty essential cookbooks.

James Oliver Cury's Top 10 Food Books (not Cookbooks) That Every Chef Should Own:
On Food & Cooking -- Harold McGee
The Art of Eating -- MFK Fisher
Kitchen Confidential -- Anthony Bourdain
It Must've Been Something I Ate -- Jeffrey Steingarten
Tender at the Bone -- Ruth Reichl
The Tummy Trilogy -- Calvin Trillin
The Omnivore's Dilemma -- Michael Pollan
Down and Out in Paris and London -- George Orwell
Heat -- Bill Buford
The Physiology of Taste -- Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Posted by MaryF at 10:36 AM | Comments (3)

November 12, 2007

Biographies and Memoirs

While Broadway is dark and writers are on strike, pick up a good book at the Library!
This month the Library shelves seem full of new biographies and memoirs.
The stories of other people's lives are appealing on numerous levels -- curiosity, gratitude for a wonderful life of your own, inspiration, and support. So check one out today.
Here's a list of additional new biographies on our shelves

Posted by MaryF at 10:59 AM | Comments (0)

November 09, 2007

Pull out those bongo drums

A few things happened this week that brought to mind The Beats and the 50th anniversary of Jack Kerouac's On the Road.
Photojournalist and Beat chronicler Fred W. McDarrah died. The Times chronicled his life in a wonderful obituary on Thursday. McDarrah worked for the Village Voice for most of his career and a Tom Robbins tribute appeared there. The Library has a number of McDarrah's books including Kerouac & Friends and The Greenwich Village Guide.

The New York Public Library opened its exhibit: Beatific Soul: Jack Kerouac on the Road. On view from November 9, 2007 through March 16, 2008, this exhibit includes Kerouac's famous scroll manuscript typed on 120 feet of paper. The Library has a new book edition of this - On the road : the original scroll / Jack Kerouac ; edited by Howard Cunnell ; introduction by Howard Cunnell, Joshua Kupetz, George Mouratidis, and Penny Vlagopoulos.

So it's time for nostalgia and a trip down memory lane.
Pull out those bongo drums!

Posted by MaryF at 11:36 AM | Comments (0)