Thursday, Dec. 16, 2004 | 8:14 a.m.
Reading cookbooks has always been a favorite pastime of mine, yet this year's crop of food and food-related books was so extensive that I've been weeding out the crop for months.
In spite of the glut, there is not much that is new. I've noticed that there are fewer photographs. The new Gourmet magazine cookbook has more than 1,000 recipes, but (unlike the Gourmet cookbooks of the past) nary a full-color plate.
To be considered hip, a big thing these days, print runs the color spectrum. Not always a good thing for readers who can't read the fine print, let alone pastel-colored print.
Still, I find myself captivated when a book takes me on a magic carpet ride to my kitchen. It's a delicious journey.
The books I share with you are a mixed bag covering a variety of subjects and trends. Some, such as the retro series, are nostalgic reminders of times past. If you missed those years, these books supply the history.
I like the comforting food recipes in new books by Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse. There's much more to learn than cooking in most of the ethnic cookbooks. For beauty and recipes most of us can understand, Thomas Keller's "Bouchon" is glorious.
John Folse's encyclopedic study of Cajun and Creole cookery is awesome. It's not a tote-around volume. A dictionary stand would make it easier to read.
Cooking styles may come and go, but cookbooks are forever, shelf space permitting. Here are some of my new faves:
"Bouchon," Thomas Keller and Jeff Cerciello (Artisan, $50): Keller has a passion for bistro food that takes his Bouchon bistros (there are two) to a new level.
In his gorgeous cookbook, in a series of "importance essays," he shares the basic techniques and ingredients that rule the Bouchon kitchen. He shares his thoughts on the importance of onion soup, the egg, custard, slow cooking and more.
The personal style he brings to such bistro stalwarts as confit of duck, steamed mussels, country-style pates, onion soup and artisan breads (baked at Bouchon, of course) is glorious.
The tips passed on about a simple Bibb lettuce salad make it one of the best of its kind. It's the technique that makes the recipes and the cookbook praiseworthy.
"The Gourmet Cookbook," Edited by Ruth Reichl (Houghton Mifflin, $40): At 1,040 pages this weighty tome takes time and patience to wade through. Reichl is a fine writer and editor, but without photographs I found it a tough go.
The blurbs that accompany each recipe soften the sterile layout, but it's not a user-friendly volume. There are plenty of good recipes culled from the massive files of Gourmet magazine, but there is too little time to find them.
"Wolfgang Puck Makes It Easy: Delicious Recipes for Your Home Kitchen," Wolfgang Puck (Rutledge Hill Press, $34.99): Puck makes cooking look easy whether he's in his Food Network kitchen or in the kitchens of his myriad restaurants.
Easygoing and engaging, the cherubic Puck lives life to the fullest. Watch him as he performs on a shopping network. He's having as much fun as the viewers.
His new cookbook is one of his best, with the kind of recipes that made his reputation.
Hints galore to assure success: "You don't need a lot of fancy ingredients and advanced preparation to cook like a professional chef," Puck says. "Start with great ingredients and cook them expertly to highlight their quality."
"Cooking With My Sisters: One Hundred Years of Family Recipes, from Bari to Big Stone Gap," Adriana Trigiani and Mary Yolanda Trigiani with Lucia, Anna, Antonia, Francesca and Ida Trigiani (Random House, $24.95): The stories about learning to cook at the sides of their mother and grandmothers make for a jolly romp.
Recipes from Lombardy, Venice and Puglia have withstood the test of time and so have Adriana and her sisters. They cook together, laugh together and sometimes fuss a bit, yet the camaraderie, affection and humor are always evident. Loved the family anecdotes.
"The Minimalist Entertains: Forty Seasonal Menus for Dinner Parties, Cocktail Parties, Barbecues, and More," Mark Bittman (Broadway Books, $26): I never miss reading The Minimalist column in The New York Times. The prose is lean and spare, yet always interesting.
The recipes always work. Bittman's style is down to earth and entertaining. Follow his "Keys to Success" and you'll become a fearless host, whatever the occasion.
"Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories With Recipes," Maya Angelou (Random House, $29.95): Recipes and stories from a woman of boundless talents. Angelou is a poet, writer, performer, teacher and director and, above all, a generous, loving friend.
She tells poignant tales and follows them with a delicious dish that has its own story -- drunken chicken is such a dish. I love these stories and the recipes, although I suspect that too many meals a la Angelou could expand a waistline. A lovely read.
"Emeril's Potluck: Comfort Food With a Kicked-Up Attitude," Emeril Lagasse (William Morrow, $24.95): "Everybody loves parties, but no one loves them more than Emeril Lagasse," the book informs.
Yeah, baby, the man's a real party animal. Not really -- he's wild about his wife and children, his mom, Hilda, his friends and staff, and all the gang that contributed recipes for his potluck gatherings. Enthusiastic and charming, Lagasse offers dozens of recipes adapted from his favorite memories. Create your own memories with "Emeril's Potluck" dishes.
"Serena, Food & Stories: Feeding Friends Every Hour of the Day," Serena Bass (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $32.50): Bass is the founder and creator of Serena Bass Inc., "an extraordinary caterer," according to a news release, in New York City.
She has been cooking for people since she was 16. She's a dazzling raconteur and has worked for such celebs as Sarah Jessica Parker, Sigourney Weaver, Bernadette Peters and many others. In her book, she shares the secrets of her success. It's more than the food.
"The Complete Book of Sushi," Hideo Dekura, Brigid Treloar, Ryuichi Yoshi (Periplus, $29.95): Sushi has become almost as commonplace as fast food. Little kids are eating it, teenagers love it and so do most adults I know.
Sushi is low in fat and calories, is fresh and delicious and is surprisingly simple to make. Just follow the instructions in this practical book. In addition to recipes, there's a glossary, ingredients list and much useful information. Start with the easy dishes, such as tempura, soups and hand rolls and you'll be on your way. Sushi bowl, anyone?
"Foods of the Americas: Native Recipes and Traditions," Fernando and Marlena Divina and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (Ten Speed Press, $39.95): This most-interesting book addresses, among other things, the many changes that have taken place in American Indian cuisine.
Published in conjunction with the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in the fall of 2004, "Foods of the Americas" includes food photographs, essays by Native writers and an overview of contemporary American Indian life not before addressed. It is an enthralling story.
"Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban: 100 Great Cuban Recipes With a Touch of Miami Spice," (Gibbs Smith, $29.95): Glenn Lindgren, Raul Musibay and Jorge Castillo are the three guys. They're all brothers-in-law. They share a passion for good food, good conversation and a great party.
Their Web site has been a hit since it went up. This is their first cookbook. It won't be their last. The desserts are scrumptious, but rich, rich, rich. These three guys are the kind of zanies that make the world go 'round. Pass the tres leche cake, please.
"David Rosengarten Entertains: Fabulous Parties for Food Lovers" (Wiley, $34.95): David Rosengarten loves parties. As he says in the introduction, "Kids are allowed to have magicians at their birthday parties, no? Why can't adults offer their own kinds of magic to their friends?"
Follow this happy party maker and he'll have you cooking a Cuban roast pig, whisk you away to a make-believe French Riviera or some other global site that you create.
"Dessert University: More Than 300 Spectacular Recipes and Essential Lessons from White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier," with Lauren Chattman (Simon & Schuster, $40): From his first bite of croissant when he was a schoolboy in France through today, Mesnier's passion for pastry and desserts has never waned. It was Roslyn Carter who made him executive pastry chef at the White House.
After working so many years for an American family, Chef Mesnier says he "very much wanted to write a book for home cooks." It's a terrific book. "Learn the basics and then practice, practice, practice," the chef says.
"The King Arthur Flour Cookie Cookbook: The Essential Cookie Cookbook" (Countryman Press, $29.95): Cookie monsters rejoice, here is cookie heaven. Step-by-step instructions with illustrations will keep you on the path to perfect cookies. Gussied up or plain (remember simple sugar cookies?), the "Cookie Companion" is a joy.
"Lilla's Feast: A True Story of Food, Love, and War in the Orient," Frances Osborne (Ballantine Books, $24.95): Meet Lilla Eckford, the great-great-grandmother of Frances Osborne, a most fascinating woman who survived internment in a Japanese prison camp between 1942 and 1945 by writing a cookbook.
She typed the manuscript on scraps of paper torn from old account books and on rice paper receipts. She never mentioned her internment. She survived by denying her circumstances.
At age 8 Osborne viewed the recipe book in the Imperial War Museum in London. Many years later she was inspired to write about her grannie, who was still alive. Lilla was more than 100 when she died. There are few recipes. What there is is a remarkable tale recounted by a devoted great-great-granddaughter.
"Burgers Every Way: 100 Recipes Using Beef * Chicken * Turkey * Lamb * Fish * Vegetables," Emily Haft Bloom (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $19.95): One of America's most-beloved foods, the hamburger, takes on many guises and flavors in this small but mighty collection of recipes.
Plenty of sides, sauces and condiment recipes to add pizazz. Everyone loves burgers. Vegetarians make them from grains and vegetables, I love salmon burgers. No matter what your preference, Bloom has a recipe for every taste, including sneaky advice to enrich the nutrition content for kids.
"Retro Baking: 100 Classic Contest Winners Updated for Today," Maureen Fischer (Collector's Press Inc., $16.95): There are 12 books in this Retro series and lots of smiles. From honey rolls to gingerbread, it's all here.
Life was simpler in those days, and so are these recipes. For some really big chuckles, "Retro Food Fiascoes: A Collection of Curious Concoctions," by Kathy Casey, recalls the days of orange Jell-O with a pretzel crust, a crown roast of hot dogs and other wacky dishes.
"The Essential Eating Well Cookbook: Good Carbs (R) Good Fats (R) Great Flavors," Edited by Patsy Jamieson (The Countryman Press, $29.95): A collection of 300 of the best recipes from Eating Well magazine. Healthy but never boring, these easy-to-make recipes use ingredients that are readily available.
"Lobel's Prime Cuts: The Best Meat and Poultry Recipes from America's Master Butchers," Stanley, Leon, Evan, Mark and David Lobel with Mary Goodbody (Chronicle Books, $29.95): Only the best meats are sold at this venerable New York family-owned and operated meat market.
To understand what makes Lobel's meat so remarkable, visit the store. Ask a question of any one of the Lobel family and get a crash course. Helpful info accompanies each recipe. A terrific read for any carnivore.
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