6 Books for Food and Wine Lovers

Happy Saturday and Weekend Cooking day. Because it's been ridiculously hot here (as everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere), I haven't been overly motivated to cook or bake, and that has put me more than a little behind in my cookbook reviews.

Today I'm going to feature six food books that are on my radar. Three of these are for reading (or listening) and three are for cooking and baking. It may be a few weeks (or even into September) before I'll be ready to turn on the oven, but I should be able to tell you my thoughts on the foodie books before the end of summer.

Note that all these books were (or will be) published in 2022. I want to thank the publishers and publicists for the review copies. Because I haven't yet explored these books in depth, the following thoughts are based on my first impressions.

Mediterranean Small Plates by Clifford A. Wright (Harvard Common Press, August): Who doesn't love having substantial appetizers for dinner? In this cookbook, Wright takes us all the way around the Mediterranean Sea in small plates: from tapas in Spain to hors d'oeuvres in France; meze in Greece, Turkey, and the Balkans; and ending with mazza in the Mideast and North Africa. The opening chapters introduce us to the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, how to make a balanced small-plate meal, and a list of ingredients to have on hand. The chapters explore each region separately, providing recipes, background info, tips, wine pairings, and more. The cookbook ends with almost 20 menus for small-plate meals for entertaining. Pretty much everyone will find more than a few recipes that will fit their dietary plan; I was impressed with the variety of flavors and types of dishes. Note too that many of the recipes are easy and quick enough for weeknight dinners.

Ultimate Food Atlas from National Geographic Kids (Hachette, June): I cannot wait to delve into this fun, colorful, and informative atlas. Each chapter focuses on a continent (the Australia chapter includes Oceania) plus there's a chapter dealing with climate change and the world food supply. Each chapter discusses a variety of topics pertaining to the continent (such as food production, festivals, and global issues) and includes descriptions and photos of regional foods. Instead of going country by country, the maps and sections home in on areas that share climatic, geographical, or ecological traits. Fun facts, recipes, activities, games, quizzes, and super graphics make the book a delight to look through and easy to read.

Bake by Paul Hollywood (Bloomsbury, July): In this cookbook, the world's favorite expert on all things baking shares his recipes for classic bakes: cakes, cookies, breads, pastries, and other desserts. I love to bake and am looking forward to the fall when I can try some of Hollywood's versions of naan bread, shortbread, brownie cheesecake, orange brioche, sausage rolls, bread pudding ... and well, just about everything! Beautiful photographs (some showing a step-by-step process) inspire me to don my apron, get out my pastry board, and start baking. While waiting for cooler temperatures, I plan to read through the cookbook and learn Hollywood's techniques and tweaks and tips for achieving my best bakes yet.

To Fall in Love, Drink This by Alice Feiring (Scribner, August): If you don't know, Feiring is a James Beard award winner for her wine journalism. Besides books and articles, she also writes The Feiring Line newsletter about natural wine (see her website for more). The essays and short pieces in this volume work together as a memoir. Among the stories Feiring shares are ones about her observant Jewish family and childhood, about how she discovered the world of wine, about winemakers and the industry, and about the men in her life. Her focus is on wines that are free from the many additives used in most mainstream wines. She also introduces us to various wine regions around the world and suggests wines to put on your to-buy lists. I plan to savor this collection, one essay at a time.

A Dish for All Seasons by Kathryn Pauline (Chronicle, August): I'm intrigued with the concept of this cookbook. Instead of dividing her recipes into four chapters (winter, spring, summer, fall), Pauline features a single dish and offers variations and transformations to fit the season. The main chapters are by meal or type of dish (breakfast, salads, sides); those chapters are organized by specific dishes. I'll illustrate the idea by focusing on one dish. Under "Mains" we find a section called "Sandwiches." Pauline describes her idea of a deli sandwich and then provides a grid for mixing and matching seasonal produce and flavors. Then she gives her best tips on how to create the "perfect" sandwich. Next she offers four recipes, one for each season. In this case, we find Shrimp Rolls, Boiled Corn, and Potatoes for summer, Falafel with Lemon Tahini Sauce and Lacto-Fermented Torshi for fall, a Meatball Sub with Caramelized Fennel for winter, and Bánh Mi for spring. Despite the examples I gave here, vegans, gluten-free eaters, and vegetarians will find plenty of recipes and seasonal combos to fit their needs. I'll likely use this cookbook before fall because I'd love to try some summer recipes while the farmer's markets are still in full swing.

Eat Up! by Ruby Tandoh (Vintage, July): If the name Ruby Tandoh sounds familiar to you, it may be because she was a finalist in the Great British Bake Off or because you've read some of her articles focusing on the intersection of food and society and culture at large. In this collection of essays, Tandoh focuses on issues that are near and dear to her, especially how attitudes about what we eat, what we look like, and who we are entangled and difficult to unknot. She talks about body shaming, being gay, emotional eating, and food in movies. She isn't shy to praise or condemn the foodie elite and food snobs. As I often do with essay collections, I plan to read this one piece at a time, all the while, taking Tandoh's advice to enjoy what I'm eating and ignore the naysayers. Note that she has a cookbook coming out in November.

Shared with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker)

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Abrams Cookbooks & a Winning Salad Recipe (Weekend Cooking)

Before I get to the cookbook and recipe, I just want to let you know that my Facebook messenger was hacked and someone sent out bogus messages from me yesterday. If you got one, just ignore it. I still haven't figured out how to report the incident, but for now, I'm hoping this is a one-time event.

As you know I've been a member of the Abrams Dinner Party cookbook review group for a number of years now. You may wonder if I continue to use any of the Abrams cookbooks after I've reviewed them. I'm here to say yes. I cook from them a lot.

For example, I made the most delicious chocolate cake I've made in years for our July 4 cookout. That red wine chocolate cake recipe came from Gabriel Kreuther: The Spirit of Alsace, a Cookbook (which I reviewed last November). A week or so ago I made the chicken Parmesan from The Dinner Plan, an Abrams cookbook I first wrote about in December 2017. I shared the recipe for that chicken parm in September 2018, and it's still my go-to.

Anyway, my point is that when I rave about a cookbook, it's not just for the moment. I can usually tell if a cookbook will stand the test of time. Abrams cookbooks often do. If you want to be a member of the Abrams Dinner Party, the application for the next publishing season is live now. You have until July 31 to apply. Just click this link.

This past week has been HOT and next week will be even hotter. Turning on the oven is not high on my list of things I want to do. Thank goodness I own an air fryer, because it saved us from a hot kitchen on three nights (see my meal plan below).

For two dinners, I turned to another favorite Abrams cookbook, What's Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Want, which I reviewed in June 2020. First up was the Greek Chicken Trough, which is a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, chicken and feta cheese. I employed the air fryer here to cook the chopped chicken breasts so I didn't have to heat up my house.The other salad was The LA Chop (see photo from 2020). This one isn't for my vegetarian and vegan friends, but it absolutely satisfies the omnivore BFR household. I've shared the recipe below.

Note that I didn't include the recipe for the lemon vinaigrette needed for the following recipe. Just make a simple olive oil, red wine vinegar, and garlic dressing, substituting the juice of 1 lemon for some of the vinegar.

The LA Chop
Serves 4 as an entree

• Lemon Vinaigrette
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 head iceberg lettuce [sometimes I use romaine hearts]
• 1 head radicchio
• ½ small red onion thinly sliced
• 1 pint (300g) heirloom cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 1 (15-oz, 430 g) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 8 ounces (225 g) fresh pearl mozzarella
• 4 ounces (115 g) provolone cheese, cut into medium dice
• 4 ounces (115 g) Genoa salami cut into small cubes
• 5 pepperoncini (stems discarded), cut into thin slices
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano for garnish

Whisk the dried oregano into the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the lettuce into 1/4-inch strips. Repeat with the radicchio.

In a large, wide bowl, combine the lettuce, and radicchio, tomatoes, chickpeas, mozzarella, provolone, salami, and pepperoncini. Season with salt to taste and toss to thoroughly combine. Drizzle 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat evenly. Taste and add more dressing as needed. Transfer to a large platter and garnish with the chopped oregano.

Note: The recipe is used with permission; all rights remain with the original copyright holders.

Last Week's Dinners
Saturday: Grilled salmon with roasted yellow wax beans (in the air fryer)
Sunday: Greek Chicken Trough salad (used the air fryer for the chicken)
Monday: Pork tenderloin and broccoli (cooked in the air fryer)
Tuesday: Tofu and vegetable stir-fry and rice
Wednesday & Thursday: Black bean enchiladas
Friday: The LA Chop salad

Shared with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker)

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Milk Street: The World in a Skillet by Christopher Kimball (Weekend Cooking)

I've gushed written about Milk Street cookbooks several times here, so you can imagine how happy I was to receive their newest release, The World in a Skillet by Christopher Kimball, from Voracious Books as part of their Voracious Ambassadors review program.

This cookbook is an especially good match for me because I love one-pot meals. When you don't own a dishwasher, anything that saves on cleanup is always welcome. The recipes in The World in a Skillet are based on a general everyday 12-inch pan. Though some dishes require the skillet to go from stovetop to oven, your pan can be stainless, no-stick, or cast iron.

The Milk Street team gathered skillet recipes and inspiration from more than 30 countries, so you can indeed travel the world via your cooking. Some of the countries represented are Lebanon, Japan, Ethiopia, Jamaica, Spain, Korea, Italy, and Peru. The World in a Skillet is a bit meat and fish heavy, but vegetarians and vegans will find some recipes to suit, like Braised Potatoes and Mushrooms with Garlic and Parsley, Hot-and-Sour Stir-Fried Cabbage, and Skillet-Baked Eggplant with Tomatoes and Mozzarella.

The cookbook is arranged first by time (60-, 45-, and 30-minutes meals) and then by other categories, such as "One-Pan Pastas," "Skillet Sides," and "Hearty Grains." Every recipe, in typical Milk Street style, includes extensive tips and notes, which expand your knowledge, offer possible ingredient substitutions, provide serving ideas, and lead to a great final dish.

I have so many recipes marked to try that I don't think The World in a Skillet is going to leave my kitchen for months. Here a few things I've made: Chicken Curry with Tomatoes and Bell Peppers, Lentil and Eggplant Stew with Pomegranate Molasses (see photo), Toasted Pearl Couscous with Zucchini and Herbs, and Georgian-Style Braised Chicken with Tomatoes and Herbs. Everything was delicious. The recipes are easy enough for everyday dinners and tasty and impressive enough for company.

I have only one minor complaint. I had a hard time meeting the "start to finish" times provided for each recipe I tried. It took me 15 or so extra minutes to complete the dishes. This isn't at all a problem for me, but some cooks are pressed for time and need a 30-minute dinner to take no longer than that half hour. The issue may be that it takes me longer than it does Kimball to prep the ingredients. Or maybe my home stovetop and oven aren't as powerful as his professional or high-end appliances. Whatever the case, I thought I should point this out.

Note too that some of the recipes call for less common ingredients, like specialty spice mixes or sauces. I had no trouble buying what I needed at my local grocery stores, even here in a small town. So don't be thrown off by the berbere spice mix or the lemongrass: either you'll be able to find it at a store near you or you can use one of the suggested substitutions.

Recommendation: Most cooks will find a number of appealing dishes to try from The World in a Skillet by Christopher Kimball. The cookbook is a good match for those who like learn about new dishes, try new flavors and ingredients, and like to expand their culinary horizons. Vegans and vegetarians will need to look before buying.

The recipe I'm sharing today is one I haven't tried yet, but I hope to soon. The dish is inspired by Mexican tinga poblana, but can be completed (according to Kimball) in 30 minutes start to finish.

From the headnote: (1) Mexican oregano is often found with the other Mexican ingredients rather than in the spice aisle. Use equal amounts of dried marjoram if you can't find it. (2) Serve the meat in tacos or on tostadas. (3) Don't add the pork to the pan until the sauce is at a full boil to ensure quick cooking. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the pork is no longer pink, to avoid overcooking and toughness.

Pork Tenderloin in Tomato-Chipotle Sauce
30 minutes
Serves 4

• 1¼-pound pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
• ½ medium white onion, thinly sliced
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bunch cilantro, stems minced, leaved chopped, reserved separately
• 2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
• ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ teaspoon packed light brown sugar

In a medium bowl, toss the pork with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt, then cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is softened, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the oregano, cumin, and cilantro stems; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.

Stir in the chipotle chilies and adobo sauce, the tomatoes, broth, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then cover, reduce to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are fully softened and the mixture is saucy, about 8 minutes.

Uncover, increase to medium-high and stir in the pork. Cook, uncovered and stirring often, until the pork is no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then stir in the cilantro leaves.

Note: The recipe and scans are used in the context of a review; all rights remain with the original copyright holders. The photo is my own.

Shared with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker)

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The Simple Comforts Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook by Jeffrey Eisner

Happy holiday weekend to my Canadian and U.S. readers. Hope you did something fun or have something fun planned, preferably with good friends and good food.

Today I want to talk about a new(ish) pressure cooker cookbook by one of the most experienced Instant Pot cooks out there: The Simple Comforts Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook by Jeffrey Eisner. Thanks so much to Voracious and the Voracious Ambassador program for giving me a chance to cook from and review this book.

There a few things you have to know about this cookbook right from the get-go. First, though the recipes will work in any pressure cooker, they were developed specifically for the Instant Pot (IP). Eisner wisely recognizes that there are several IP models and sizes, so he provides instructions that will work in just about any model you have, sometimes with size or volume adjustments.

Second, each and every recipe is clearly marked for a variety of dietary concerns. If you're keto, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, or vegan, you will find many recipes to suit your needs. Eisner also notes which recipes can easily be adapted from, say from vegetarian to vegan or from gluten to gluten-free, and provides guidelines for how to make those adjustments. Third, just about every recipe includes helpful tips. Some of these suggest ways to lower the fat content of a recipe; others suggest variations or provide advice.

Finally, the recipes in Simple Comforts totally meet the expectations of the title. The dishes included here are indeed comfort food. You'll find recipes for risotto, mac and cheese, pot roast, and fettuccine alfredo. But you'll also find IP versions of Asian, Mexican, and Mediterranean classics, like pozole verde, Thai chicken satay, Korean beef bulgogi, and osso buco.

As you probably already guessed, the majority of the ingredients called for in Simple Comforts will be easy to find for most people. Eisner's directions are exceptionally simple to follow. The ingredient lists include tips and notes, and each recipe step is illustrated with a photograph, so cooks who are new to the Instant Pot or new to the kitchen should have no problem understanding the process for making each dish. Oh, and unlike so many pressure cooker cookbooks, Eisner's time estimations for each recipe includes "pressure building time." This is so important when trying to plan your meals.

I made several recipes from Simple Comforts, all with excellent outcomes. The Sloppy Joes were easy and delicious. The serving size was for 4-6, but instead of cutting the recipe in half, I opted to make the whole thing and freeze the leftovers for another night. The Risotto Ranchero is, as Eisner states, "a taco-inspired risotto." Salsa, green chiles, and Mexican cheeses replace the more traditional Italian ingredients. Yum! I also made a tortellini soup, a beef stew, and chicken teriyaki (see scan). I can say without reservation that the recipes work and the final dishes are tasty.

When I was thinking about the negatives of Simple Comforts, I could think of only one. This cookbook takes the stance that if it can be made in the Instant Pot, then it should be made in the Instant Pot. I'm not really in that camp. Some dishes come together just as quickly (sometimes quicker) on the stove top. But then I thought about the cooks who don't really like to hover around the stove, keeping on eye on dinner as it cooks.

And then I thought about people who have RVs or campers and how convenient it would be to simply use the Instant Pot. How about when you rent a shore house or a cabin the woods for a couple of weeks? You wouldn't have to worry about an under-equipped kitchen. How about people like me who don't have central air-conditioning? The IP in the summer is a godsend. Oh and then there are those who live in tiny city apartments.

Recommendation: In the end, I decided that The Simple Comforts Step-by-Step Instant Pot Cookbook by Jeffrey Eisner is, in fact, a good cookbook for anyone who likes using their IP or would like to learn how to use the one they stashed on that high shelf in the pantry. No matter your dietary concerns, you'll find a number of everyday, comfort dishes in this cookbook.

I couldn't find a video for a recipe from Simple Comforts, but the following video is only a couple of weeks old and shows Eisner making Linguine La Parma. His personality and style of cooking come through on the page as easily as it does on camera.

You can find more Instant Pot recipes by Jeffrey Eisner on his website: Pressure Luck Cooking.

Note: The scans are used in the context of a review; all rights remain with the original copyright holders.

Shared with Weekend Cooking, hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker)

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General Fiction on My June Reading List

June is one of the big publishing months of the year. What follows are general fiction titles that caught my attention. Some of these books are perfect for light reading on a hot day by the pool; some are heavier and will make you think.

The blurbs are taken from the publishers' summaries. I've also provided the names of the audiobook narrators.

The Angel of Rome by Jess Walter (Harper): A stunning [short story] collection about those moments when everything changes—for the better, for the worse, for the outrageous—as a diverse cast of characters . . . [question] their roles in life and [find] inspiration in the unlikeliest places. First line:

Mother was a stunner.

Audiobook: Read by Edoardo Ballerini and Julia Whelan

The Beach Trap by Ali Brady (Berkley): Two best friends torn apart by a life-altering secret. One Summer to set the record straight. First line:

There’s something unique about friendships forged between girls at summer camp.

Audiobook: Read by Brittany Pressley and Imani Jade Powers

The Catch by Alison Fairbrother (Random House): A story of the gifts we’re given over the course of a lifetime—the ones we want and the ones we don’t yet understand that we need. First line:

My father, a minor poet, celebrated holidays out of season.

Audiobook: Read by Julia Knippen

Dele Weds Destiny by Tomi Obaro (Knopf): The story of three once-inseparable college friends in Nigeria who reunite in Lagos for the first time in thirty years . . . about mothers and daughters, culture and class, sex and love, and the extraordinary resilience of female friendship. First line:

In the photo they are eating something out of frame, pounded yam, perhaps, or maybe eba.

Audiobook: Read by Tarlye Peterside

Gilt by Jamie Brenner (Putnam): A luxurious and richly compelling . . . novel . . . about a famous family jewelry dynasty and the hidden past that could topple it all. First line:

She reached for her mother's hand, excited and just a little bit afraid.

Audiobook: Read by January LaVoy

Girls They Write Songs About by Carlene Bauer (Farrar, Straus & Giroux): A thrumming, searching novel about the friendships that shape us more than any love affair. First line:

Rose and I moved to New York to be motherless.

Audiobook: Read by Cady Zuckerman

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand (Little, Brown): An immensely satisfying page-turner . . . about a summer of scandal at a storied Nantucket hotel. First line:

Nantucket Island is known for its cobblestone streets and redbrick sidewalks, cedar-shingled cottages and rose-covered arches, long stretches of golden beach and refreshing Atlantic breezes—and it's also known for residents who adore a juicy piece of gossip (which hot landscaper has been romancing which local real estate mogul's wife—that kind of thing.

Audiobook: Read by Erin Bennett

The Measure by Nikki Erlick (William Morrow): Both heartbreaking and profoundly uplifting, [this] is a sweeping, ambitious meditation on life, family, and society that challenges us to consider the best way to live life to the fullest. First line:

It was difficult to imagine a time before them, a world in which they hadn't come.

Audiobook: Read by Julia Whelan

Nora Goes off Script by Annabel Monaghan (Putnam): Filled with warmth, wit, and wisdom, [this] is the best kind of love story—the real kind where love is complicated by work, kids, and the emotional baggage that comes with life. First line:

Hollywood is coming today.

Audiobook: Read by Hillary Huber

Out of the Clear Blue Sky by Kristan Higgins (Berkley): A funny and surprising new novel about losing it all—and getting back more than you ever expected. First line:

Six months ago, if you had asked me what I thought I’d be doing today, the answer would not have been transporting a drugged skunk to the house where my soon-to-be ex-husband lived with his much-younger fiancée.

Audiobook: Read by Xe Sands and CJ Bloom

These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany (Grand Central): A paean to youth and female friendship—and to all the joy and messiness love holds. First line:

"Do you think Eid sex is a thing? Like birthday sex, but just the Muslim equivalent?"

Audiobook: Read by Shazia Nicholls

Tracy Flick Can't Win by Tom Perrotta (Scribner): A pitch-perfect new satirical novel about ambition, coming-of-age in adulthood, and never really leaving high school politics behind. First line:

There was another front-page story in the paper.

Audiobook: Read by a full cast

Truth about Ben and June by Alex Kiester (Park Row): This . . . novel explores the complexity of a modern-day marriage and motherhood, when a new mother vanishes one morning, and her husband must retrace events of their recent past to bring her home. First line:

On the day everything fell apart, Ben awoke to the sound of the baby crying.

Audiobook: Read by Brittany Pressley and Pete Cross

Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore (William Morrow): A delicious summer read set in midcoast Maine, tackling family secrets, marriage, motherhood, and privilege. First line:

The Greyhound from Altoona, Pennsylvania, to Rockland, Maine, takes twelve hours and thirty-three minutes with three stops, all of them in the places where you don't necessarily want to use the bathroom but may find you have no choice.

Audiobook: Read by Stacey Glemboski

Who You Might Be by Leigh N. Gallagher (Henry Holt): A fiercely original debut that takes readers from 1990s Southern California to a UFOlogist holdout in Nevada, the graffiti playground of Detroit, and a self-important New York art scene in an unflinching examination of how life’s most unexpected turns—and the people we meet along the way—shape who we become. First line:

Two fourteen-year-old girls, one beautiful and one just okay, are running away from home on a northbound Amtrak.

Audiobook: Read by Aven Shore

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