77 replies to this topic

[kalypso]

I don't know how many of you have seen this video of Diana Kennedy talking about Oaxaca al Gusto but thought it might be a good idea to pass it along

[heidih]

Great clip Kalypso. I love her comments about getting the "men who make these treaties" into the kitchen and the dig at genetic engineering

Those of you who do not have the book should visit the clip to get a look at a few of the evocative photos.

Now I am really looking forward to the Q & A in my area in November.

[heidih]

Just got it. What a remarkable book at first glance. What recipes are people going to start cooking?

I am still on my first slow thumb through. The recipe that is stuck in my mind is "Tamales de tichindas" on page 163. I will be able to find the yerbasanta leaves, but the tichindas are small inch long mussels from mangrove areas. They are left whole. I love the concept of the shellfish opening in the tamale and the juices being captured. I will be doing some research on possibly using a very small clam. I do not think I will be attempting this for at least a month or so. The chile sub needs research as well.

[kalypso]

I may run into you Nov. 13th is a Saturday and Long Beach isn't that far from San Diego. I've been over due for a trip to the Latin American museum there.

Edited by kalypso, 29 September 2010 - 05:16 PM.

[janeer]

I don't know how many of you have seen this video of Diana Kennedy talking about Oaxaca al Gusto but thought it might be a good idea to pass it along

"How many chef-y cookbooks do we really need?...I can't see that sort of cookbook lasting 20 or 30 years." Hear hear, Diana.

And she lapsed into Spanish at one point with a "tambien" (also) by mistake: "some of their moles, tambien."She's wonderful.

[Florida]

NPR talks with Diana Kennedy:
http://www.npr.org/t...oryId=130271914
There's a couple of recipes as well.

[janeer]

NPR talks with Diana Kennedy:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130271914
There's a couple of recipes as well.

I heard it. They raised the critique of the (non) index, one I share. It is really a table of contents at the back of the book. A highly unusual decision for a university press to make. But hard to complain, given its other assets.

[kalypso]

I tend to agree on the index piece. I actually cooked from this book over the weekend. I knew the recipe I wanted to do but couldn't remember where it was in the book. When I flipped to the back and saw how the recipes were indexed, I was a bit crestfallen at the thought of having to comb through all those sections just to find one recipe. Luckily for me, it was on page 11 so I didn't have to comb far.

Edited by kalypso, 04 October 2010 - 08:57 AM.

[janeer]

I tend to agree on the index piece. I actually cooked from this book over the weekend. I knew the recipe I wanted to do but couldn't remember where it was in the book. When I flipped to the back and saw how the recipes were indexed, I was a bit crestfallen at the thought of having to comb through all those sections just to find one recipe. Luckily for me, it was on page 11 so I didn't have to comb far.

So, don't leave us in suspense. How was the arroz con pollo?

[heidih]

Just an update for anyone planning to go to the book signing and Q & A on November 13 in Long Beach, California - I just called to RSVP and the time in not as shown in a post above. It is 3 to 6 pm.

[heidih]

The topic about cooking with the book can be found here.

[rancho_gordo]

Just a heads up for my fellow Diana freaks in the bay area, we're hosting a party for her here at Rancho Gordo in Napa. It's free and you are welcome to come enjoy Ms Kennedy's company, some great food from us, Fatted Calf and others, wine from Ceja Winery and mezcal from Encantado. We'll also have some adorable ballet folklorico by grade schoolers at the Napa Language Academy and the Mayor is coming by to declare DK day here in Napa! It's going to be hoot and I'd love to see you here!



No need to R.s.v.p.


HOST'S NOTE: Click here for the terms under which this is listed on the eG Forums.

Edited by LindaK, 25 October 2010 - 05:42 PM.
added host note

[janeer]

It's going to be hoot and I'd love to see you here!

If only...! Sounds like a blast.

[rancho_gordo]

To follow up briefly, it was a hoot. And a half.



DK was in a great mood. The party started at 2p and it was packed until the end, at 5pm. What a I loved most was it was such a great mix of people from the local Napa foodie scene to our regular customers to the parents of the kids who danced and even the mayor who came by to declare it Diana Kennedy day in Napa. There were some very sweet older ladies who were from Oaxaca and drove all the way from Sacramento!

Ceja Wineries poured their excellent wines and the food included 2 bean dishes and the beef sausage from the book, all made by Fatted Calf. We made a jamaica aqua fresca and a friend made some chili peanuts like you eat on the square in Oaxaca. The local tamales were excellent and now I plan to get them every Saturday. 6 jugs of Encantado mezcal were drunk! We think we had nearly 250 people!

The sweetest thing was seeing DK address the Oaxacans who came. "You should be very proud of your cuisine!" and they'd just melt. I was on the verge of "happy" tears the whole day.

We ran out of our 50 books withing an hour and a half. A friend had 19 more copies and those were gone withing minutes. It was a roaring success!

[kalypso]

New review of Oaxaca al Gusto. Somewhat long, more of an essay than a review, but worth the read

[kalypso]

Oaxaca al Gusto was named the James Beard Foundation's Cookbook of the Year this evening

[Chris Hennes]

Wow. I had written JBF's awards off years ago. Perhaps they aren't as awful as they seemed at the time... Congratulations to DK!

[rancho_gordo]

It's kind of shocking and exciting, isn't it?
Next is the IACP and she's giving a presentation and I bet she wins that, too.