Show us your latest cookbook acquisitions!

[blue_dolphin]

17 hours ago, Kim Shook said:

I checked Prune out of the library and I'm glad I did.  I certainly wouldn't want to own it.  I found the  "cutesy" fantasy that we were seeing her private instruction to her staff complete with "handwritten" notes and admonishments extremely irritating.  The pages are even designed to look like they are torn out of a loose leaf notebook.  Definitely not for me.  

 

I'm so glad you were able to get the book from your library instead of buying it!  Many of the reviews of Prune were conflicted, loving some aspects while lamenting others, like the lack of header notes and an index. That last omission is kind of appalling but Eat Your Books has me covered there, as would an ebook search.  If I had space limitations, I might not have purchased it myself after borrowing it from the library but must confess to being entertained by that restaurant notebook design that you found "cutesy."  It may well be over-designed, as @Katie Meadow notes but I'd stop short of calling it gimmicky because it seems honest and true to who Gabrielle Hamilton is.  
Edited to add:  I just pulled out the book and OK, the fake stains  and wrinkles on the pages are a bit gimmicky but I get wanting to make it look like a restaurant notebook.

 

Several reviewers seemed to have hopes that the book would be a Prune version of the Zuni Cafe Cookbook. It's not that, there's no hand-holding in Prune, but like cooking from the recipes in Zuni, I always end up learning something from trying Prune recipes.  
 

 

Edited May 21, 2023 by blue_dolphin (log)

[Katie Meadow]

4 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

I'm so glad you were able to get the book from your library instead of buying it!  Many of the reviews of Prune were conflicted, loving some aspects while lamenting others, like the lack of header notes and an index. That last omission is kind of appalling but Eat Your Books has me covered there, as would an ebook search.  If I had space limitations, I might not have purchased it myself after borrowing it from the library but must confess to being entertained by that restaurant notebook design that you found "cutesy."  It may well be over-designed, as @Katie Meadow notes but I'd stop short of calling it gimmicky because it seems honest and true to who Gabrielle Hamilton is.  
Edited to add:  I just pulled out the book and OK, the fake stains  and wrinkles on the pages are a bit gimmicky but I get wanting to make it look like a restaurant notebook.

 

Several reviewers seemed to have hopes that the book would be a Prune version of the Zuni Cafe Cookbook. It's not that, there's no hand-holding in Prune, but like cooking from the recipes in Zuni, I always end up learning something from trying Prune recipes.  
 

 

She's nervy, right? No one else would do a book like that. She is detail oriented beyond my abilities, and maybe that's not always so welcoming if you are the kind of person who bristles at that sort of thing. She has a recipe for a delicious caviar sandwich (yep I've made it several times for New Year's Eve.) You can't do anything but laugh when she insists you use Pepperidge Farm white bread for it. There are plenty of nice white pullman loaves that can bought or home made. Searching out Pepperidge Farm is seriously cringy to me. Although for her sardines on triscuits it's worth going for the real triscuits!

 

[Anna N]

26 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

You can't do anything but laugh when she insists you use Pepperidge Farm white bread for it.

Yes, there are a couple of recipes in the book also that call for Pepperidge farm bread. There is James Beard's famous onion sandwich and shrimp toasts. It's funny that I take umbrage at a chef who insists on a particularly rare sea salt as the only option but allow Gabriel Hamilton to have her bread. 

[Rickbern]

I have that Prune book too. Never cooked a ton out of it but the recipe for canned sardines, gherkins and hot mustard on triscuits was a real keeper, worth the price of the book. I’ve made a ton of variations on it but the mustard and the pickles never vary

 

i was friendly with lots of NYC French restaurant people, used to celebrate Christmas with them every year. Nobody in that crowd would have ever served foie gras 

on anything other than Pepperidge farm white bread, and I thought they were right. 

Edited May 22, 2023 by Rickbern (log)

[blue_dolphin]

I commented the other day that I was quite capable of putting all sorts of things on toast without needing a recipe and scoffed when I saw the toast chapter in Diana Henry's book, Simple.  I had to eat my words (on toast, of course 🙃) because I ended up quite enjoying her ideas.  Then someone asked me if I had Prue Leith's Bliss on Toast (eG-friendly Amazon.com link).  A whole book on toast?  NO!  I don't need that!  And yet, now I have it!   

There are 75 recipes in the categories of Cheese & Eggs, Vegetarian & Vegan, Fish, Meat & Poultry and Desserts.  Some interesting, some not so much.  Some are actually toasted sandwiches and others don't really need to be on toast at all.  But still, plenty of ideas I wouldn't have come up with on my own and am curious to try. For example:

Fried chicken livers and grapes on mustardy focaccia

Camembert & blackberries with chili sauce on rye

Anchovy toast sticks with pickled pear

Duck egg with rainbow chard and Dijon butter on multigrain toast

Stay tuned, those and more are likely coming to a Breakfast topic near you!

 

 

Edited May 27, 2023 by blue_dolphin (log)

[Alex]

1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:

A whole book on toast?  NO!  I don't need that!  And yet, now I have it!   

 

And if it ever asks you for a companion, you can get it this one (which I do have; maybe we can arrange a play date and see how it goes).

 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Alex (log)

[Anna N]

It seemed reasonable that before I bought either one of these books I check to make sure I don't already have them! I don't but in my kindle library are:

40 Tasty Toast Toppers by Daniel Humphries

and

Better on Toast by Jill Donenfeld

Do I need any more books on faffing toast? Need not the reason and today is my 29,200th day of waking up on the right side of the grass. 

 

Edited May 25, 2023 by Anna N
Fixed a number. (log)

[heidih]

1 hour ago, Anna N said:

Do I need any more books on faffing toast? Need not the reason and today is my 2,200th day of waking up on the right side of the grass. 

 

Happy Birthday!

[rotuts]

@Anna N 

 

fancier pictures ?

[Anna N]

6 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Anna N 

 

fancier pictures ?

Not sure what it is you want. 

[rotuts]

 

many cookbooks theses days are about fancier pictures.

Edited May 25, 2023 by rotuts (log)

[ElsieD]

3 hours ago, Anna N said:

Need not the reason and today is my 29,200th day of waking up on the right side of the grass. 

 

And may you continue to do so.  Happy Birthday!

[blue_dolphin]

3 hours ago, Anna N said:

Do I need any more books on faffing toast? Need not the reason and today is my 29,200th day of waking up on the right side of the grass. 

Happy Birthday 🎂 from a fellow Gemini!  
I was wondering about that number before your edit. I know they made a movie about Anne of 1000 Days and was wondering if there was one in the works about @Anna N of 2200 Days 🙃

[kayb]

Happy birthday, @Anna N!

[Kim Shook]

Happy HAPPY Day, Anna with an 'N'!  🎂

[Shelby]

Happy Birthday @Anna N♥️

[FauxPas]

@Anna N, here's to many more cookbooks and many more birthdays! 🙂

 

[eugenep]

I found this bbq book on the James Beard book nominees for 2023.

 

It has some basic stuff like how to bbq pork shoulder, brisket etc. 

 

I thought it was just like all the other bbq books out there. 

 

But it gets really interesting after the basics of bbq. 

 

It has really good, new and interesting ideas like doing an curry but instead of the usual lamb it's with oxtail and pork hoc (I'm super going to try this) 

 

It also has recipes for the really good stuff like using pork collar and off cuts etc. that I don't find in standard boring bbq books. 

 

But Bludso also uses chick bouillon cubes, cambell' mixed onion soup powder, and I guess a lot of processed  flavoring stuff which most guys cooking from scratch might not find in his pantry. 

 

 

 

[weinoo]

Just got this from eBay...

 

 

Looking forward to digging in.

[weinoo]

Went to a book talk last night with Ruth Reichl and Nancy Silverton. The "interview" (which was Ruth ostensibly interviewing Nancy (the two are old friends)) centered on Nancy's new book, The Cookie That Changed My Life (eG-friendly Amazon.com link).

 

And I got one...

 

Edited January 24 by weinoo (log)

[rotuts]

Nancy Silverton has written some top notch books.

 

I had most of them , lent them out 

 

they never returned 

 

that's how good they were

 

[weinoo]

2 minutes ago, rotuts said:

Nancy Silverton has written some top notch books.

 

I had most of them , lent them out 

 

they never returned 

 

that's how good they were

 

 

I hate when that happens!

[AAQuesada]

@weinoo any initial thoughts on flipping through the book? I've thought about getting it but haven't pulled the trigger yet. 

[blue_dolphin]

1 hour ago, AAQuesada said:

@weinoo any initial thoughts on flipping through the book? I've thought about getting it but haven't pulled the trigger yet. 

 

I'm not @weinoo and you didn't ask me, but that Nancy Silverton book is the January book for the Food52 cookbook group that I generally keep tabs on and occasionally participate in so I'm sharing some feedback from that group. I'll say first that I've found her recipes in previous cookbooks to be unnecessarily fussy and poorly edited so I'm biased.  I'd like to get my hands on a library copy or borrow one from a friend before I invest in this one. 

A lot of people didn't like that she uses extra large eggs throughout.  Eh?  I often scale recipes and don't mind weighing eggs so no big deal.

There are also complaints about the use of unusual/expensive/difficult to procure ingredients.  Eh?  Trying new stuff is one of the reasons I like cookbooks and I didn't really see anything all that odd although she should probably just realize that most home cooks don't have Italian leavener at the ready and list the provided substitute.

Most of the recipes make quite a lot and she often uses unusual pan sizes, at least for a home baker.  Not restaurant-scale by any means, but bar cookies in a 10" x 16" pan, quiches in 4 x 13" tart pans, square cakes in a 10" square pan.

On the fussy scale, there are things like weighing unpeeled bananas, then peeling, mashing and weighing them again for a banana bread.  Various complaints about the use of unnecessary bowls, pans, etc.   I've got a dishwasher and don't usually mind extra dishes or pans but this is not one-bowl baking.

On the poor editing, there are multiple reports of confusion. I think an experienced baker would not have a problem seeing their way through the carelessness but carelessness isn't a big motivator for me to buy a book with out trying the library copy first!

 

The Parmesan and Pecorino Cheese Scones got high marks from multiple members and would be my starting point, along with those life-changing peanut butter cookies!

Others that sound good to me and were positively reviewed are the maple pecan slice-and-bake butter cookies, iced raisin bars, orange, cranberry tea loaf, ginger stout cake, and the spice cake with caramel glaze and pecans.

 

 

[weinoo]

Nancy touched on any number of points you've touched on, @blue_dolphin . However, she did also say that in this book, she wanted to simplify stuff compared to her previous books. There was recognition that first editions of books will often have errors, generally in the editing; I think her recipes are very-well tested for the home cook.

 

Then it was mentioned that stuff like matcha should stay out of baked goods, and that muffins in coffee shops look horrendous; enough for 4 people.  Right away, I was on her side.

 

They (Ruth and Nancy) talked about Cafe Fanny's blueberry muffins as being exemplary; and they contain millet (maybe one of the obscure ingredients people complain about on that fb group).  I've already bought some millet and extra-large eggs; the blueberry muffins will be my first bake from the book.

 

I'd say as an overall suggestion - this isn't a book for anyone who really doesn't want to read recipes and follow them carefully, or anyone who is afraid of getting their kitchen a little dirty. It's actually a real cookbook.