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)

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: 4 New Books for Food Lovers and Cooks

As many of you know, September is a big month for new book releases. That means I was blessed with a number of new cookbooks and food-related books to read and review. Here are four that crossed my desk. I haven't cooked out of any of them yet, but I wanted to put these titles on your radar. Thanks to the publishers for the review copies; my thoughts are entirely my own. All books come out this month.

Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography by Laurie Woolever (Ecco): Woolever met Bourdain in about 2002 and eventually became his personal assistant, working closely with him for the last years of his life. After Bourdain's death, she wanted to preserve his memory, so she interviewed almost 100 people who knew him personally: family members, childhood friends, adult friends, and work colleagues of various sorts (from restaurants, publishing, and television). The book is arranged in rough chronological order and consists of short recollections from these individuals. Together their stories paint a fuller picture of who Anthony Bourdain was as a person. I've read only the first few chapters, but I find it fascinating.

Amber & Rye: A Baltic Food Journey: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania by Zuza Zak (Interlink Books): The author of this cookbook was born in Poland but has lived in the UK since she was eight years old. Wanting to know more about her heritage, Zak traveled with her partner and young daughter to discover the culinary treasures of the Baltic region. The cookbook is divided by meal, as expected, but also includes a chapter on fermented and preserved foods. You’ll find beautiful photographs throughout and several features that serve as a travelogue. Each recipe is introduced with a personal story or a note about its history. Many of the recipes call for fish or meats, but vegetarians and vegans will find a number of suitable and well-marked recipes. Zak notes that she is able to find the ingredients in large supermarkets and Polish markets near her UK home, but many of us will have trouble finding all of them. To be honest, I was more interested in reading this book than I was inspired to cook from it. Note, however, that I did mark a poppy seed fudge recipe and a couple of the cocktails. I learned a lot about the region and its food and history. Zak also has a website.

Life Is What You Bake It: Recipes, Stories, and Inspiration to Bake Your Way to the Top by Vallery Lomas (Clarkson Potter). Have you hear of Lomas? Hers is an interesting story. As the first line of the book says, she left her “job as an attorney to become a baker.” It paid off, since Lomas not only created a successful food blog but won the fourth season of The Great American Baking Show. The cookbook starts out with Lomas’s story, including details about her experience on The Great American Baking Show. From there, we get into the recipes for delicious sweet bakes of all kinds--breakfast treats, pies, cakes, French specialties, and bread and biscuits. Things I love: The photographs of the finished dishes, the many tips and tricks and hints for becoming a better baker, how clear and easy the instructions are, and the personal stories throughout. What I didn’t like: Um . . . no cons here! This is a book I’ll bake from often. Highly recommended.

Flavors of the Sun by Christine Sahadi Whelan (Chronicle): I was attracted to this cookbook because of the subtitle: “The Sahadi’s Guide to Understanding, Buying, and Using Middle Eastern Ingredients.” First, if you don’t know, Sahadi’s is a Brooklyn food emporium, which has been in business over 100 years. You can find all kinds of specialty food items in the store and in the catalog. One of the purposes of this cookbook is to provide recipes and tips for using the spices and ingredients you may have bought to make a single dish. Whelan wants to help you find ways to incorporate these ingredients into “your everyday repertoire.” Each chapter beings with a description of a handful of ingredients that share a common feature (bright, spiced, sweet, etc.) and then provides recipes for using them. Some of the recipes are distinctly Middle Eastern (Beef and Lentil Bowl with Tahini Dressing) and others are all-American (Harissa Mac & Cheese), and all look fantastic. Besides recipes for using ingredients like pomegranate molasses, za’atar, and berbere, you’ll find charts titled “Ten More Ways to Use [ingredient],” which give you quick tips and ideas, like using ras el hanout as a dry rub for lamb. The recipes themselves look incredibly appealing, and I have a ton marked to try. I also need to explore the menus provided at the end of the cookbook, which offer suggestions for holidays, picnics, tea, and game days. Highly recommended. And if you don’t have one of the ingredients, you can always order it from Sahadi’s!

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

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Art Boozel by Jennifer Croll

Happy Saturday, my friends. Today I have a mini review of a specialty cookbook and my meal plan for the week. Almost all of the recipes I picked this week were from cookbooks I received from a publisher, and reviews or mini reviews will come in the following weeks. Thanks to Chronicle Books for an ARC of the book I'm reviewing today.

Art Boozel by Jennifer Croll an illustrated by Kelly Shami (Chronicle Books, August 3): This is a fun and beautiful collection of cocktail recipes--as the subtitle says--inspired by relatively modern artists. Each recipe is accompanied by a colorful illustration of the featured artist (kind of pop art style, as shown on the book cover), a short biography of the artist, and an explanation of the cocktail inspiration. Artists range from Georgia O'Keefe and Gustav Klimt to Robert Mapplethorpe and Kehinde Wiley, with about four dozen others in between.

The beginning of the cookbook consists of chapters for cocktail equipment, glassware, ingredients, and homemade syrups. The rest of the book features spreads showcasing each artist and that artist's cocktail.

What do I love? The illustrations, the information about the artists, and the cocktail flavors. What didn't work? That before making many of the cocktails you have to first make a special syrup or track down a special ingredient (like edible flowers and edible gold dust). When we have a cocktail, it's usually spur of the moment, so we don't feel like going through a lot of steps.

I did find one cocktail--the Roy Lichtenstein--that called for ingredients we had on hand. The drink is made from fresh citrus juices, vodka, Cointreau, soda water, and simple syrup and is absolutely delicious. Recommended for fancy cocktail lovers and art lovers. Art Boozel by Jennifer Croll would make a terrific holiday gift.

This Week's Meal Plan

• Grilled salmon with grilled zucchini
• Marinated bean and lettuce salad with tomato pie (those from the Philadelphia area may know what this is)
• Classic beef stew
• Cod and kale saute
• Grilled pork tenderloin with yellow wax beans
• Pasta with fresh tomato sauce and a salad
  

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

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: 4 New Cookbooks (Mini-Reviews)

Happy Saturday. Hope you're all doing well. Today I'm writing about four cookbooks that have crossed my desk this month. Before I get into my mini-reviews, note that yesterday I wrote about two food-related topics, so you might want to take a look.

The first book I'm featuring is How to Make Hard Seltzer by Chris Colby (Brewers Publications; Sept. 7). I am not a home brewer of anything, nor do I plan to become one, but hard seltzer is becoming more popular and I was curious about how it was made. This book is a detailed how-to, including information on ingredients, formulas for brewing, flavorings, and equipment. There's a section on government regulations and an appendix for first-time brewers. The only chapter I'll be using is the one on making cocktails using hard seltzer. If you're curious about the process or want to try fermenting on your own, this looks like a good resource.

Next up is The Intermittent Fasting Cookbook by Nicole Poirier (Fair Winds Press; Oct. 6). Intermittent fasting seems very trendy or faddy, but in fact many medical professionals recognize its benefits. Poirier, a chef with an eye toward nutritional healing and with clients from the upper echelons of the Silicon Valley, has years of experience helping others figure out what and and when to eat. This book describes intermittent fasting, providing medical evidence to back up the suggested programs. The recipes are specifically geared to replace and replenish nutrients needed by those who practice fasting, whether that's for a specific number of hours a day or on alternate days. Poirier provides charts, quizzes, and food lists to help you figure out what to eat to meet your goals and conditions, such as weight loss, controlling diabetes, and staving off inflammation. The recipes fit a variety of dietary preferences (omnivores, keto, gluten free, dairy free, etc.), are easy to make, and don't feel at all restrictive.

We made a tuna chickpea salad for lunches and chimichurria flank steak and a vegan eggplant and tomato dish that were super tasty for dinners. I learned new things about intermittent fasting and really liked the recipes we tried, but I suggest that your check this one out the library before buying.

If you've been around for my Weekend Cooking posts, then you know how much I have struggled with lunches in the past. Now that Mr. BFR has retired and I've started slowing down my workload, lunches have become kind of a thing. Sometimes we even eat lunch together! However, if we don't have leftovers from dinner, I have no clue what to eat for lunch, especially because we're not big on sandwiches. Enter the next two cookbooks.

Let's Fix Lunch by Kat Nouri (Chronicle; Sept. 15) is all about (according to the subtitle), fixing planet-friendly meals that can be eaten at school, work, or on the go. If you do, indeed, pack lunches, you'll find plenty of advice for containers and the process of packing. I appreciate the information on how to prep ahead and the chart explaining how to put together lunches from that prepped food. The salads, soups, grain, and pasta dishes look good, but weren't particularly unique. I may turn to this book if I need to pack lunches for hikes and adventures and travel (as soon as we feel safe), but I currently recommend this as a borrow instead of a buy.

I've always been fascinated by bento and wish I had the energy and creativity to make pretty boxes for our lunches. Alas, I'm a lazy cook and I rarely make the effort. Bento (Race Point Publishing; Sept. 1) is the second book I've taken for review by authors Yuko and Noriko. (See my review of their Simply Bento.) As with their earlier book, I was inspired by Yuko and Noriko. I love how pretty and well put together their bentos are. The noodle dishes are particularly appealing (maybe because they are all in one?). Mr. BFR was eyeing up the meatball bentos, and I think I'll give them a try as we get into fall. The 10-minute bentos looked doable as did many of the vegan versions. Still, I know myself, and despite how Instagram-worthy the photos and boxes are, I'm sure I'll ultimately fail to follow through. The recipes and information are solid, so if you're into bento or want to know more, this is a good resource.

As we head into October, I'll have a ton of terrific new cookbooks to share with you. I can't wait to get cooking, now that the temperatures have started to drop.

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

Click for more

6 New Cookbooks I Love

If you're a reader, then you already know October is an awesome month for new book releases. But did you know October 2019 is turning out to be one of the most amazing cookbook months we've had in a long while?

In fact, I have so many cookbooks to cover, I've run out of Saturday Weekend Cooking space. Still I really need to share all the great new books with you. Thus I'm trying something different this month. Here's the breakdown of what to expect.

• Twitter, Instagram, or Litsy (@BethFishReads): I have already posted some photos and stories of dishes I've made from October cookbooks. You'll see more throughout the month.
• Weekend Cooking: I'm devoting Saturdays to books from the Abrams Dinner Party.
• Today's Read: I have two Tuesdays devoted to individual cookbook or food writing reviews. Last Tuesday was Aaron Sanchez's new memoir, Where I Come From (from Abrams).
• Mini-Reviews: Finally, I plan to write two posts devoted to mini reviews and features (today is the first one).

We're eating really well in the BFR household, and I'm having a ton of fun discovering new favorite recipes.

Now that you have the October cookbook scoop, let's get to the first batch of reviews, presented in no particular order. (Note: print or digital copies of all of these were provided by the publisher)

I love collecting cookbooks with a literary theme and those celebrating favorite novels or authors. It should come as no surprise that Wini Moranville's The Little Women Cookbook (Harvard Common Press, Oct. 1) caught my eye. With this celebration of the 150th anniversary of Little Women in hand, you can re-create many of the foods and drinks mentioned in the story. Moranville took a three-pronged approach. First she made note of the many food references in the novel; then she looked a period cookbooks and archives to find recipes. Finally, she made sure those recipes were doable in modern times and tweaked them to 21st-century tastes. Each recipe is introduced with a quote or a blurb to tie it to Louisa May Alcott's book, and throughout the cookbook, you'll find other information about the Alcotts and about food in the mid-1800s. Marked to try: maple-cornmeal drop biscuits, chicken salad with grapes and almonds, Hannah's cottage pie.

One of the sad, sad things about my late-in-life peanut allergy is that I can't eat Asian food in restaurants. This is really hard because I love noodle-y food like pad Thai. Thank you Maki Watanabe, your new cookbook Asian Noodles (Tuttle, Oct. 29) is just what I needed. Now I can make my own noodle dishes from Vietnam, Thailand, China, Korea, and Japan at home. If a dish calls for peanuts, I can make a substitution. Here are a few things I really like about this cookbook: Each recipe is accompanied by a beautiful photo of the finished dish. I especially appreciate photos when I'm learning new techniques or working with new ingredients. Watanabe includes instructions for cooking the different kinds of Asian noodles to help make her recipes no-fail. I love the variety of dishes, including stir-fries, noodle bowls, soups, and desserts. Finally, you'll find tips and tricks and useful information scattered throughout the book. Recipe I tried: five-spice pork noodles (yum!) Marked to try: Taiwanese chicken noodles, chicken pho noodle soup, stir-fried mi fun with lots of vegetables.

It's really hard to believe that I bought my first Tartine cookbook a dozen years ago. The new Tartine by Elizabeth M. Prueitt and Chad Robertson (Chronicle, Oct. 1) is a pastry and dessert book for today's baker. About half the book features updated versions of older recipes and the other half consists of new delights. Yes, the original recipes work just fine, but the new book includes gluten-free options, more whole grain breads, less sugar, new methods, and new ingredients. The cookbook contains gorgeous photos and recipes for everything from muffins to scones, pies, cookies, and cakes. One feature I really love is the "Kitchen Notes" sections that accompany many (all?) recipes. Here you'll find all kinds of tips, from how to transfer the dough to the pan to how to make substitutions and information on why a certain ingredient is called for. These are the gold mine of the cookbook. Marked to try: black tea blondies with caramel swirl, pecan maple pie with kumquats and bourbon, almond-lemon tea cake.

One of my go-to, totally reliable cookbook authors is Ellie Krieger and her new book, Whole in One (Da Capo, Oct. 15) speaks to me on a lot of levels. Her dishes are always healthful, and I love one-pot cooking (especially because I don't have a dishwasher). The recipes in this book are broken down by main ingredient: plant and dairy proteins; meats, fish, and fowl; and desserts and, as I've come to expect from Krieger, the recipes are straightforward, easy to follow, and use regular ole ingredients. The dishes are also popping with flavor. Here's more good news: most of the dishes can easily be make on a busy weeknight.  I suspect this cookbook will be well used in this house. Krieger starts with a discussion of needed equipment (yay for cast iron!), her thoughts on good food and nutrition, and suggested pantry items. Then come the tempting recipes. I didn't even bother to mark recipes, because, really, I could make everything in the book. Recipes I tried: broccoli Cheddar skillet strata (cast-iron skillet), herbed pork tenderloin with delicata squash and Brussels sprouts (sheet pan).

Long, long ago, I drank the America's Test Kitchen Kool-Aid, and I've been a fan ever since. The newest book from America's Test Kitchen Kids is The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs (Sourcebooks Explore, Oct. 1). This book, like others in their Young Chefs series, is colorful, informative, and sometimes funny. The photos show a diverse group of kids baking up a storm, and each recipe includes notes and reviews from young recipe testers. As you can expect from ATK, the recipes may be suitable for youngsters but there is nothing childish about the results. In fact, although I've been cooking and baking for more years than I'm going to admit here, I learned a few things from the beginning chapter on ingredients, techniques, and tips. The kid testers' notes are really honest; for example, one girl said she hated squeezing the liquid out of shredded zucchini, but because her family loved the bread she baked, she decided it was worth it. Recipes include scones, quick breads, muffins, and a variety of yeasted breads -- even pretzels. If yeast scares you, start with the recipes in this book. Marked to try: cheese bread, pumpkin bread with chocolate chips, fluffy dinner rolls.

I try to stay out of the food world's drama, so I have nothing to say about Christopher Kimball's departure from ATK or Cooks magazine. I still like his recipes and his veiw point on food and cooking (though I don't know much about Milk Street). His new cookbook is titled The New Rules (Voracious, Oct. 15), and its subtitle promises that the recipes "will change the way you cook." I haven't had much time to really delve into this one yet, but each of the 75 chapters takes you through a particular flavor, ingredient, technique, or dish. For example, you'll learn why a sheet pan is better than a traditional roasting pan, how to get the best flavor from garlic, how to use nuts with pasta dishes, and tricks for braising. Kimball presents each rule and then offers a couple of recipes that put that rule into action. There are also informative features, such as one about oils and their smoking points and a super one on spice blends. The recipes are appealing (Roman Braised Beef with Tomato and Cloves) but are omnivore heavy, so vegetarians and vegans might want to look before buying. I haven't marked any recipes in particular, but I'm interested in trying out several of the "new rules."

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Every Day Is Saturday by Sarah Copeland

I freely admit it: One of the things that attracted me to Sarah Copeland's Every Day Is Saturday (Chronicle Books; June) is the subtitle: "Recipes & Strategies for Easy Cooking, Every Day of the Week." Even though I love to cook and am never stressed out by the question, What's for Dinner?, I'm always open to new ideas for easy cooking after a long workday.

Once I started looking through my e-galley, though, I lost some of my enthusiasm. First the good: the photographs (both the beauty shots and the food photos) are gorgeous. Everything looks appealing, and you really do want that food on your own table. You also get the feeling that Copeland has met her goal of being in a "weekend state of mind more of the time."

Copeland wants you too to live an easygoing life. She details steps for helping you set up your kitchen for stress-free cooking, gives you time-management tips, and even has suggestions for using up leftover ingredients. Almost every recipe comes with tips, make-ahead advice, added information, and recommended variations.

In today's world, everyone can appreciate the vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options Copeland includes for many of the recipes. In fact, Every Day Is Saturday contains targeted indexes, so you can easily find the recipes that fit your own dietary needs.

Those of you in smaller cities and towns, will be happy to know that the ingredients are easy to find at most stores, even the gluten-free flours and vegan swap-outs. In addition, the recipe directions are clear yet are written in a way that shows off Copeland's personality: friendly and accessible. Finally, the recipes come with her personal stories, so it's a fun cookbook just to read.

I do, however, have an issue: I can't figure out the target audience for Every Day Is Saturday. On the one hand, the recipes fall into the good for beginners range, but on the other, the lifestyle feeling is for, well, the summer home kind of crowd. So for many (most?) young people fresh out of college, starting a family, and/or just getting the hang of adult entertaining, the cookbook may give off an intimidating vibe, whereas for experienced cooks, the recipes are just too basic.

Need examples? Copeland includes a recipe for fruit salad (!) and a very traditional fruit crumble. Mains include pork shoulder braised in beer, grilled skirt steak, sheet pan pizza, and tacos. Everyday recipes, yes, but they're so gorgeously staged that most people couldn't even imitate Copeland's version of a family picnic, as shown in the scan above--click to enlarge. (Where are the ants and the wind, and how come her very young children haven't knocked over that drink?)

Note, though, that all kinds of famous chefs and cooks and critics love Sarah Copeland's Every Day Is Saturday, including The New York Times and Dorie Greenspan. So what do I know? My galley was stamped in the manner shown in the scans, so I was unable to cook from the book (ingredients and instructions were blotted out, often in crucial places), but I'm curious about the lemon polenta slab cake. I bet it's really good (see the scan).

Thanks to Chronicle for the review copy of Sarah Copeland's Every Day Is Saturday. Both scans were used in the context of a review and all rights remain with the original copyright holders. For more on Copeland, visit her website Edible Living, where you'll find some of her recipes (click "journal").

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

NOTE: Mr. Linky sometimes is mean and will give you an error message. He's usually wrong and your link went through just fine the first time. Grrrr.
_______

Click for more

Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: Reading across the Genres

I'm fully aware that we could still have snow here in central Pennsylvania, and I know my heat will be on for another few weeks, but--dare I say it--I think the weather has finally broken. The forsythia is budded, the bulbs are pushing up greenery, and I've switched to spring coats.

With a little bit of luck from the weather gods, I'll be able to start getting the deck reading for summer this week. A woman can dream, can't she?

We started a new (for us) show on Netflix over the weekend called Hell on Wheels. You probably won't guess what it's about from the title, at least I didn't. It's a period piece about building the transcontinental railroad after the Civil War. We're three or four episodes in and fairly addicted.

Here are some very short takes on what I read last week. (All three were provided by the publisher.)

• Abandoned by W. Michael Gear (DAW, Nov. 2018). This second entry in Gear's Donovan trilogy was every bit as action-packed and interesting as the first book (see my thoughts on Outpost). New characters are introduced and some familiar characters die. Life on the planet is bringing out both the worst and best in the people who are trying to colonize it. The native creatures of the planet may not be as clueless and easy to conquer as the Earthlings first imagine. The third book comes out in May, but I'm hoping for an early copy.
• The Field Guild to Dumb Birds by Matt Kracht (Chronicle, April 2). I wrote about this book last Friday and read it over the weekend. Be warned: you will truly laugh out loud. Although the book contains real and useful information about birding, birds, and maintaining bird feeders, all information is given with an attitude. For example, the section on birds of prey is titled "Murder Birds," and each species is given a new common name, such as the Great Blue Moron, which is "usually standing shin-deep in the water like an idiot." The ink drawings (see the cover) are nicely done. Recommended for bird lovers with a sense of humor.
• My Lovely Wife by Samanth Downing (Berkley, March 26). Truth: I was going skip this thriller because I thought I had it all figured out from the publisher's summary. I decided to give it a go when I had a chance to review the audio version for AudioFile magazine. Another truth: boy was this twisty and I totally did not guess how this book was going to play out. This is a domestic thriller about a happily married couple whose hobby just happens to be killing innocent women. Will they get caught? Will their children ever find out? This is well worth your while. Thoughts on the audio edition will appear in the magazine, but the short take is that narrator David Pittu does a really nice job building the tension and avoiding tipping off the twists.

Click for more

10 Books About Ourselves and Our World

I'm an eclectic reader. My shelves contain a healthy mix of literary fiction, fantasy, mystery, and even middle grade novels. Sitting right next to all of that escape reading are a good number of true stories, science, history, essays, and biography. These days, I doubt I could name just one genre or subject as my favorite, but when I was in elementary school, I used to tell people that biography was my go-to.

Today's roundup highlights the nonfiction titles I've added to my April reading list. I know I won't get to all of these, but the following 10 books are the ones that caught my attention. The list contains biography, history, science, personal essays, and memoir, so I hope something here will find its way to your own bookshelves. Note that I'm not including food writing/memoir, which I'll save for my Weekend Cooking posts.

Science

• The Accidental Homo Sapiens: Genetics, Behavior, and Free Will by Ian Tattersall and Robert DeSalle (Pegasus Books; April 2). This book examines human evolution from a contemporary theoretical context, looking at the interplay of genetics and behavior, the way humans solve problems and change their environment, and the biological future of our species. Why I want to read this: Tattersall was youngish paleontologist, already making a name for himself, when I was in graduate school. He and DeSalle are both associated with the American Museum of Natural History and are well respected in the fields of physical anthropology and evolution. This topic is closely related to my own academic interests.
• American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race by Douglas Brinkley (Harper, April 2). I can't summarize this better than the following sentence from the publisher: "A vivid and enthralling chronicle of one of the most thrilling, hopeful, and turbulent eras in the nation’s history, [this book] is an homage to scientific ingenuity, human curiosity, and the boundless American spirit." Why I want to read this: First--gawk!--it cannot possibly be 50 years since we first landed on the moon; it was 20 years ago tops, right? I'm particularly interested in this account because it includes new interviews and firsthand accounts of the politics, people, and technology that allowed JFK's challenge to be met ahead of schedule.
• Science Comics: Wild Weather: Storms, Meteorology, and Climate by M. K. Reed and illustrated by Jonathan Hill (First Second, April 16). This book helps us learn to distinguish between weather and climate and tells us all about new weather technology and how major storm systems develop. This fun nonfiction comic answers all our questions about storms throughout the seasons. Why I want to read this: I'm curious about the world around me and love the idea of learning more about weather through a nonfiction comic. This may be geared to middle grade readers, but I'm sure I'll discover something new about meterology.

Essays

• Greek to Me: Adventures of the Comma Queen by Mary Norris (Norton, April 2). Norris is widely known as the chief copyeditor of The New Yorker magazine and in this collection of essays she talks about English, words, and her love affair with all things Greek. Why I want to read this: As an avid reader, full-time copyeditor, and part-time book reviewer how could I say no to this? Norris is not only an impeccable editor but an entertaining and thoughtful writer. This is (as you might have guessed) on my must-read list for this month.
• Here Is Where I Walk: Episodes From a Life in the Forest by Leslie Carol Roberts (University of Nevada Press, April 3). In the essays collected here, Roberts muses about travel, nature, motherhood, and the environment, all linked by the time she has spent in America's only residential national park, the Presidio in San Francisco. Why I want to read this: I'm a big walker and love to spend as much time as possible in my local parks and state forests. I wonder if Roberts and I think about the same kinds of things when we're in the woods.

Humor

• The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America by Matt Kracht (Chronicle Books, April 2). Do you think you can you identify the common birds that hop around your yard and build nests in your hanging plants? Kracht bets you don't know their real names: how about the black-capped prickadee and goddamned Canada goose? Why I want to read this: I love watching the birds in my yard and tending to my bird feeders, but I also have a good sense of humor. This guide offers solid information about our feathered friends but it's served with an irreverent attitude. The illustrations (see the cover) are nicely done.
• Fifty Things That Aren't My Fault by Cathy Guisewite (Putnam, April 2). In this collection, Guisewite steps away from her beloved comic strip (Cathy) to talk about life and family in the sandwich years and her complex perspectives on grown children, aging parents, and retirement. Why I want to read this: I've always been a huge Cathy fan and, hey, Guisewite and I are about the same age, so I can relate. I love her viewpoint.
• Southern Lady Code: Essays by Helen Ellis (Doubleday, April 16). In her newest collection of essays, Ellis talks about, as the publisher says, "marriage and manners, thank-you notes and three-ways, ghosts, gunshots, gynecology, and the . . . art of living as a Southern Lady." Why I want to read this: Even though I'm a Yankee through and through, I'm a fan of Ellis's outlook on life. In her new book, she offers a fresh angle on being a displaced southern belle in the modern world. I'm ready to laugh.

History

• The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 9). Much has been written about Jack the Ripper, a murderer who has never been definitively identified. But who were the women he killed? What were their stories? Why I want to read this: I like true crime and want to know more about the victims whose names and lives have been overshadowed by the man who killed them. A snapshot of the dark side of the Victorian era by a historian.
• The Regency Years: During Which Jane Austen Writes, Napoleon Fights, Byron Makes Love, and Britain Becomes Modern by Robert Morrison (Norton, April 30). The Regency period provides an endless source of interest and is pretty much summed up by the book's subtitle. Ocean battles, global trade, the arts, new technology, and changing politics; it was a vibrant and not always pretty era. Why I want to read this: Some of my favorite authors published during this time and some of my favorite novels were set during this time. Plus I love history and always appreciate an accessible and easy-to-read account of the past.

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Tunisian Orange Olive Oil Cake

Summertime, and the livin' is easy . . . and full of cake. Between our travels and warm-weather entertaining, we sure have been eating a lot of baked goods lately.

I've baked two small snacking cakes in the last week, and because both were hits, I want to share the recipes with you. (Plus, if I post them here, I won't lose them.) Today I'll post the first one, and next week, I'll type out the other.

The first cake recipe came from the Zingerman's Bakehouse cookbook by Amy Emberling and Frank Carollo (with photographs by Antonis Achilleos), which was published by Chronicle Books last fall.

You might remember the coffee cake recipe I posted last month (Sour Cream Lemon Poppy Seed Coffee Cake), which also came from this cookbook. I really do intend to write a full review of the book, especially because the publicist so nicely sent me a copy, but the short version is this: If you like to bake bread, sweets, snacks, pizza, and so on, you'll like this cookbook.

Zingerman's is a deli and bakery located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. My family has been to their stores and restaurant many times, though my visits have been limited because it opened years after I moved away from the area. Locally, Zingerman's Bakehouse is the go-to place for good rye bread and challah, but their stores have a national (and likely international) reputation for good food and good products.

Anyway, I love citrus, and the following recipe kept calling to me. I took it to a dinner party, and everyone liked the cake and appreciated that it wasn't overly sweet. It worked well for dessert, for an afternoon treat, and with coffee in the morning. The recipe suggests a 9-inch round cake pan, but I used an 8-by-8-inch square pan instead. (The photo is mine.)

Zingerman's Tunisian Orange and Olive Oil Cake
Makes 1 cake

• 1 large seedless orange
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Wash the orange and cut off both ends. Cut the orange into quarters and put into a food processor, peel and all. Process until the orange is a pulp.

In a large bowl, crack the eggs and add the sugar. Use a whisk to combine, and then beat until light and smooth, about a minute. Add the orange pulp and olive oil and whisk to combine.

In another bowl, crack the eggs and add the sugar. Use a whisk to combine, and then beat until light and smooth, about a minute. Add the orange pulp and olive oil and whisk to combine.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift the dry ingredients into the orange mixture and stir gently until all the ingredients are combined. All the dry ingredients should be moistened.

Spread the cake batter into the pan and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before removing from the pan.

_______

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page.

NOTE: Mr. Linky sometimes is mean and will give you an error message. He's usually wrong and your link went through just fine the first time. Grrrr.
_______

Click for more

6 Young Adult Novels to Read This Spring

This week is the 98th annual Children's Book Week, and I'm celebrating the event by featuring books geared to young adult and middle grade readers that were (or will be) published in March, April, and May of 2017. Last week, I recommended 8 books that included a little magic or fantasy, and on Monday I featured 6 contemporary novels for young readers. Today, I finish up with 6 more novels set in the modern world.

• The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz (Clarion; March): A young teen who's always been content with his lot in life--white boy adopted by a gay Mexican American man and loved by his extended family--reaches the age of wanting to know his biological history and questioning who he really is. Everyone has loved this sensitively written novel that explores self-identity, family, friendship, and LGBTQ issues.
• Kill All Happies by Rachel Cohn (Disney Hyperion; May): This novel, set in a small desert town in California, takes young readers on a crazy two-day graduation party to end all graduation parties. A diverse cast of characters indulge in teen antics; expect mildly mature content.
• Piper Perish by Kayla Cagan (Chronicle; March): An artistic high schooler dreams of leaving Texas for New York City, but as senior year comes to an end will she be brave enough to follow her passion? This book contains themes of family, ambition, friendship, sexual identity, mental illness, and independence.

• Enemy Exposure by Meghan Rogers (Philomel; March): Fans of action-packed thrillers starring tough young women will like this story about a Korean teen who is acting as a double agent for the United States. In this second installment in the Raven Files series, our hero, Jocelyn, must rescue an old friend, but can she save herself as well?
• Get It Together, Delilah! by Erin Gough (Chronicle; April): Set in Australia, this is the story of a teen who juggles school, work, and social pressures while dreaming of the girl she hopes will like her back. This award-winning novel presents an authentic, nonstereotypical look at teen relationships and family issues and will appeal to a diverse range of readers.
• Big & Little Questions (According to Wren Jo Byrd) by Julie Bowe (Kathy Dawson Books; March): The protagonist in this book for middle grade readers is Wren Jo Byrd, who is having trouble adjusting to her parents' divorce and idea of shared custody. After befriending the new girl at school, Wren learns she isn't the only one who's had to get used to a new life because of family problems.

Note: Books featured for Children's Book Week represent only those titles that came to my attention through a variety of avenues. They are also books I've had a chance to look through or read (print, audio, or ebook). I'm grateful to the publishers and other agencies that provided copies of these books for my honest opinion in a review or feature.

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: A Look at My Cookbook Shelves

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

_______

It's incredibly hard for me to believe that this is my 200th Weekend Cooking post. I really had no idea when I wrote that first post, almost four years ago, that I'd still have a backlog of ideas for this weekly meme. Thanks so much to all of you for joining in on the fun over the years.

It's been a long time since I've grabbed a stack of cookbooks from one of my shelves to share with you. So here is another edition of a look at my cookbook shelves. I'll start at the top of the photo and work my way down. For a closer look at the spines, click on the photo to enlarge it.

1. Every once in a while I think Mr. BFR and I are going to transform ourselves into cocktail drinkers, so I pick up a fun book on mixed drinks. Gary Regan and Mardee Haidin Regan's New Classic Cocktails (Macmillan 1997) has a lot going for it. Not only does it include the usual bar-tending tips and recipes but it provides a history for each of the included drinks plus some beautiful photography. Although the drinks are no longer new, several have indeed become classic: the Cosmopolitan and Lemon Drop, for example, were developed in the 1990s and are still with us. Recommended and useful.

2. I picked up several good books during my French phase, and I'm sure I bought Diana Shaw's Sweet Basil, Garlic, Tomatoes, and Chives (Harmony Books, 1992), for the title alone. As the subtitle says, this book is all about vegetables from Tuscany and Provence. Oddly enough, the only recipe I remember making from it is one for stuffed grape leaves--not a dish I associate with Italy or France. Apparently Greek is (was?) popular in Aix-en-Provence. The grape leaves were good but not particularly spectacular. Neutral recommendation.

3. Sitting comfortably next to the last book is The Provence Cookbook by Patricia Wells (HarperCollins, 2004). I would buy pretty much any book Wells wrote, and this is one I'm happy to own. I love the wine recommendations, spotlights on local growers and winemakers, tips on technique, and the descriptions of the French countryside. The recipes are easy to follow and wonderfully appealing. Recommended.

4. In the old days (meaning before the Internet) I devoured the Wednesday New York Times, and one of my favorite columns was "The 60-Minute Gourmet" because the recipes were always winners. Cooking with the 60-Minute Gourmet by Pierre Franey and Bryan Miller (Times Books, 1999) is a wonderful collection of 300 recipes that originally appeared in the newspaper. If you find this or any of the 60-Minute Gourmet books for sale, don't hesitate to buy. The recipes have stood the test of time, and I still love cooking with Franey. Highly recommended.

5. I bought South American Cooking by Barbara Karoff (Aris Books, 1989) because when I was a graduate student I lived in Peru for a few months while doing research. I thought maybe I would try my hand at some of the dishes I discovered when I was there. Sadly, I don't think I've ever cooked out of this book. Though now that I'm looking it through it again, I may be inspired. Unknown recommendation.

6. As many of you know, I love to bake bread, and Carol Field's Focaccia (Chronicle Books, 1994) is a beautiful book all about bread from Italy. If you're not familiar with Field, she is a well-known food writer who got her start in 1970s. Her recipes are always tasty and easy to follow. I love the great variety of breads in this book and the lovely photos. My favorite recieps feature fresh herbs and colorful garden vegetables. Highly recommended.

7. Judith Olney's The Farm Market Cookbook (Doubleday, 1991) is one of those books I look through a lot but never seem to cook from. The recipes are appealing, but I haven't yet been inspired enough to try one. I wish I knew why. Unknown recommendation.

8. Do you shop at the farmers' market? Belong to a CSA? Elizabeth Schneider's Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables: A Commonsense Guide (Harper & Row, 1986) could be your new friend. The book is arranged alphabetically and includes everything you need to know when your market basket includes veggies such as celery root and Jerusalem artichokes. Some of the included foods aren't all that uncommon anymore (arugula, kiwi) and some never were rare (Swiss chard, sour cherries), but all the advice and recipes are still useful and welcome. Recommended.

9. Sarah Leah Chase's Cold-Weather Cooking (Workman, 1990) is one of my favorite cookbooks. First, it's a Workman publication, and we all know how I feel about their books. Second, the recipes are homey, warming, and welcoming, bringing cheer to the winter months. If you were a fan of the Silver Palate cookbooks, you'll love Chase's solo venture. I turn to this for family meals, casual entertaining, and holiday parties. Don't pass on this one.

10. Mark Bittman's The Minimalist Cooks at Home (Broadway Books, 1999) is another cookbook based on a New York Times food column. I don't think I've ever cooked from this book but I have used it to help me "minimalize" my own recipes. A nice reference.

11. Oh gosh. Apparently I raided my New York Times shelf for this post. The New York Times Cook Book by Craig Claiborne (Harper & Row, 1961) shown here is the original edition (it was updated in the 1980s, and I have that one too). My copy is beaten up, with a ripped jacket and broken spine and food-splattered pages. All 1500 recipes found within originally appeared in Claiborne's newspaper columns. I'm not sure what I can say about this classic book, except, well, it's a must have for any serious cookbook collector. Highly recommended.

I hope you enjoyed this look at one small section of my cookbook collection. I have no idea how many of these books are still in print, but you can always look at used book stores, your library, and flea markets.

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Review: Tartine Bread by Chad Robertson

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

_______

Before I get to today's post, I want to take a minute to thank everyone who nominated Weekend Cooking for the Best Meme award for Book Bloggers Appreciate Week. I've decided to decline the nomination. I am thrilled that others have recognized the success of Weekend Cooking, which is nearing its 100th birthday (today is the 97th post), and that is honor enough for me.

I'm a bread person. Little is as satisfying as sliding a perfectly baked loaf of bread out of the oven; I love to make just the right bread for the meal I'm serving or for the sandwich I want to build.

I am a self-taught bread baker, and so I know it's possible to learn from a book and to perfect one's technique in a home kitchen. How much easier my journey would have been if I had started with Chad Robertson's Tartine Bread book. If you're new to bread baking, you can dive right in; if you're experienced, you may be surprised by how much you still have to learn. I was.

Through engaging narrative, beautiful photographs, and very clear instructions, Robertson helps even the timidest of bakers make the perfect loaf almost from the first try. In fact, Robertson introduces us to the people who tested his recipes at home, and their stories prove that anyone can bake good bread in a nonprofessional kitchen.

Here, Robertson explains the goal of Tartine Bread:

The "Tartine Bread" approach follows a loose set of concepts that we introduce in a single "basic recipe" and then build on throughout the book. As you gain an understanding of how bread "works," you will be able to make adjustments in timing and technique to achieve a broad range of results. The goal of making bread with a satisfying depth of flavor, a good crust, and a moist, supple crumb is a constant. (p. 13)

I usually bake with yeast, but Robertson's method begins with a starter (similar to sourdough) and relies on a slow rise. From his basic country bread, a whole world of baking opens up, from simple round loaves to pizza, semolina bread, baguettes, and even English muffins.

I admit that the initial process of getting a starter going seems daunting, but truth be told, it takes just a few minutes a day and then you're set. Oh, and contrary to popular belief, it's okay to skip a day or so, starters are somewhat resilient. Thank goodness it's almost cool enough to start baking on a regular basis; the photographs of beautiful country loaves are difficult to resist.

The following video tells you all you need to know about Robertson and Tartine breads. You'll find other Tartine Bread videos on YouTube.

Tartine Bread has found a permanent place on my bookshelves.

Tartine Bread at an Indie

Tartine Bread at Powell's

Tartine Bread at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs.

Published by Chronicle Books, September 2010
ISBN-13: 9780811870412
Source: review (see review policy).
Rating: B+
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

Click for more

Weekend Cooking: Review: Farmers' Market Desserts by Jennie Schacht

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

_______

Last fall I was lucky enough to get a copy of Jennie Schacht's Farmers' Market Desserts. I realize that it's not farmers market season for many of us who live north of the equator, but it's never too early to start getting ready to use wonderful, fresh, and locally grown ingredients. And for my Southern Hemisphere readers, you can visit your favorite farm stand tomorrow.

The first thing you'll notice when you pick up Farmers' Market Desserts is how pretty the book is. Leo Gong's photographs--from farm and market scenes to the finished dishes--are stunning. Don't you love the cover? You'll want to spend some time just looking at the pages. But, of course, what's a cookbook if you don't want to make the recipes?

Have no fear, everything in this book looks yummy. The chapters are divided into types of fruit and by season. Besides the expected berries, apples, and stone fruit, there are recipes for citrus fruits, dried fruits, and tropical fruits so you can turn to the book all year round. Throughout you'll find plenty of tips for buying fruit plus wonderful stories about family farms and markets from across the United States.

The ingredients are generally easy to find, but Schacht provides substitutions just in case. Because there are variations for most of the recipes, you can confidently adapt the desserts to fit the season or individual tastes. The directions are clear, and I like that they are unintimidating to the inexperienced baker. The cookbook includes plenty of baking, cooking, and serving tips.

I thought I'd share the following recipe for Key Lime Bars for two reasons. First, they have become a favorite of mine and, second, they can be made in all seasons. Based on Schacht's advice, I've made them both with common limes and with common lemons, because good Key limes are hard for me to get. I've had success with both variations.

Key Lime Bars

24 bars

Shortbread Crust

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for finishing
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated Key lime zest
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 10 pieces

Filling

• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup fresh Key lime juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated Key lime zest
• 1/4 cup half-and-half

1. Preheat oven to 350F, with a rack in the lower third. Line the bottom and sides of a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, extending it about 2 inches beyond the pan all around to aid in removing the bars from the pan.

2. To make the crust, stir together the flour, 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, lime zest, and salt in a bowl. Scatter the butter over the top. Using a pastry blender, two knives, or your fingertips, cut in the butter until the mixture has the appearance of wet, clumpy sand. It should hold together in clumps when you gently press it with your fingers.

3. Scatter the mixture evenly in the prepared pan and use your hands to pack it firmly onto the bottom. Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes.

4. While the crust bakes, make the filling. Stir together the sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl. Add the eggs and stir until completely smooth. Add the lime juice and zest and the half-and-half and mix slowly but thoroughly to create a smooth mixture without many air bubbles.

5. When the crust is ready, remove it from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325F.

6. Pour the filling over the hot crust and return the pan to the oven. Bake until the filling is just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then refrigerate for 30 minutes for easiest cutting.

7. Use the extended ends of the paper to lift the large bar from the pan to a cutting board. Using a sharp, heavy knife, and wiping the blade clean with a damp kitchen towel between cuts, cut lengthwise into 4 equal strips, then cut crosswise into 6 equal strips to make 24 bars. Pack the cooled bars between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

8. Serve cold or at room temperature. Sift confectioners' sugar over the bars just before serving.

Farmers' Market Desserts at an Indie

Farmers' Market Desserts at Powell's

Farmers' Market Desserts at Book Depository
These links lead to affiliate programs

Published by Chronicle Books, 2010
ISBN-13: 9780811866729
YTD: 8
Rating: B
Source: Review (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

Click for more