EAT YOUR BOOKS: My cookbooks make me smile. And now, thanks to the brilliant mind of Jane Kelly, and the site Eat Your Books, I have found a way to utilize my cookbooks more efficiently. In addition to cookbooks, I also have a collection of food magazines that are neatly tucked away, in date order, in special boxes. Jane’s provided me with a way to access the recipes in the magazines without cutting the magazines to pieces or tagging the recipes with post-it notes. Needless to say I had a fun day taking all the color-coded tags off all the pages. I can; however, tag recipes and write notes in EYB so I can easily find the recipes again.

Here’s how the Eat Your Books site works. Once you register for an account, you begin entering your cookbooks and magazines on to your virtual bookshelf. Many, but not all, of the titles listed on the EYB site have been indexed. That means someone has gone through the cookbook and made an index of all the recipe names and the major ingredients. Let’s say you have a bucket of fennel and you want to find a few recipes that feature fennel. You could go searching through all your cookbooks and magazines (*sigh*) or you could login to EYB, go to your bookshelf, and type in the word “fennel” in the search box. A list of all the books and magazines on your shelf with fennel as an ingredient will appear. That’s how easy it is. You won’t find recipes…the search results will simply point you to the right place to look.

The annual membership for EYB is $25. Okay, that’s four cups of fancy coffee and it’s totally worth it. And, to sweeten the deal, EYB is now indexing recipe blogs, too. Trust me. If you have ten or more cookbooks, you’ll love this site. One more little, but not unimportant, item. Many of the indexed magazines have recipes online. That means you can put a magazine on your virtual bookshelf – that you don’t own – use it to meal plan, and then get directed to the online recipe. It makes me happy just thinking about it. Lastly, it’s a perfectly good reason to buy more cookbooks. Just sayin’.

FINE COOKING: One of the magazines I really enjoy reading is Fine Cooking. It’s my “go to” magazine for figuring out different ways to use one ingredient. For example, in one issue, they show you how to use carrots as a side dish for Thanksgiving – six different ways. I have hardcopy going back quite a few years, but they’re in a box in the basement so I could make room for more cookbooks. Several months ago, I bought a DVD recipe archive of Fine Cooking magazines going back to the first issue in 1994. The DVD offers lots of little extras like search functions, tips, and more. And, for less than the cost of a subscription, you can get each new year on DVD, too. But, I couldn’t stop there. Keep in mind that Fine Cooking is indexed on EYB, not all 17 years, but it’ll happen. I took the time to convert all the issues to PDF and uploaded them on to my number one favorite thing in the kitchen…

APPLE iPAD: It’s changed my cooking experience. I’ve now stopped subscribing to magazines in hardcopy. I read them on my iPad using Zinio or some other app, or I upload them to iBooks, or I search recipes in magazines on my bookshelf using EYB. I’m still waiting for the Lucky Peach magazine app to get out of the lab and on to my iPad – the first issue was a thing of beauty. There are several apps available for cooks in the App store, but I find I have such a great variety available on my bookshelf that I rarely need to look elsewhere. And, I also have quite a few eCookbooks, too.  I rarely have excessive “downtime” in my life, but when a moment occurs where I’m waiting in a doctor’s office, at the airport, getting my oil changed, or I can’t sleep at night, I simply pull out my iPad and read a magazine or a book, my Bible, or plan a meal.

In addition to all my print resources, I also have a very large database of recipes. I’ve recently migrated them off of recipe software to Google Docs where I can now access them from anywhere using my iPad. Well, almost anywhere. I’m still waiting for Google to make an really good app to access docs. In the meantime, I use an app I don’t really like, but it works.

I use my iPad outside of the kitchen, too. It keeps the kids entertained for hours, I stalk people on facebook and twitter, I read books and blogs, and I get all the news I need in a 9.5″x7.31″ space.

Maybe one day you’ll find me sitting in front of a fireplace in my kitchen reading a cookbook. Meanwhile, my NEW favorite things make me happier in the kitchen. Well, my knives do, too. Okay, and my cookware. Hmmm…and my food processor. I do love my hand blender. Then there’s the food mill. Did I mention my knives?

Whether reading a book or watching a movie, we all come to the “story” from our own paradigms. A friend once suggested that a paradigm is like being in a room without any ceiling or windows. What we see when we look outside depends on where we place the ladder.

Just last weekend I read Life, on the line: A Chef’s Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefing the Way We Eat, by Grant Achatz (pronounced Ackets, like packets) and Nick Kokonas (New York: Gotham Books, 2011). These days, my schedule is more “audio book” friendly; however, I took the hardcover edition of this book on a roadtrip and absorbed it over three nights.

Honestly, I had no expectations. I was drawn to the book on Amazon simply by the cover and the editor’s blurb. Here’s the backcopy: “One of America’s greatest chefs” shares how his drive to cook immaculate food won him international renown—and fueled his miraculous triumph over tongue cancer.

The formatting of the text was awkward but necessary. The font changes to represent each author. I just didn’t like the two fonts they used. Hey…I work in publishing and fonts are friends…not food.

The book is divided into three parts: Part 1: Standing on the Milk Crate; Part 2: A New Train of Thought; Part 3: Life, on the line. I’m not going to tell you what’s in the book or what appears in each part. That’s a journey you’ll want to enjoy on your own. However, strangely enough, the bit about Grant’s tongue cancer seemed unnecessary to me. It was almost as if that part was intentionally downplayed. There’s no doubt in my mind that facing death is a sobering experience and not easily communicated to others.

For me, this book was about relationships. The good, the bad, and the oh-so, ugly. From a people-management perspective, it was a brilliant example of how fathers/authority figures/managers effect the people who follow them. Needless to say, I have a whole new level of respect for Thomas Keller. Not only is he an amazing Chef…he’s also impacted many lives for the good – including Grant’s. Keller works hard and expects no less of the people around him. He leads by example. He inspires. He listens. He cares. *sigh* I want to work for Thomas Keller.

This book had a very strange effect on me. I cried, I laughed, I read several parts over and over again. It moved me in a way I didn’t expect. Grant’s story is filled with victories – big and small. Though I’m not a big fan of molecular gastronomy, Grant’s creativity is worthy of praise. And…while I much prefer a real pizza, I’d love to taste all the flavor of pepperoni pizza formed in to a little square and balanced on the head of a pin. Simply brilliant!

In the Soup and Salad chapter, I loved the authentic Chinese Chicken Salad (pg.64) recipe. The Spicy Stuffed Bell Peppers (pg.71) with turkey and mushrooms and the tasty Red Pepper Sauce look delicious. I can almost taste the flavors. The Barbecued Pork Short Ribs (pg.81) are marinated and basted with Sweet Scallion Sauce (pg.33), which is also used on the Sweet Scallion Shrimp (pg.93). I love this. The Sweet and Sour Rice (pg.116) has a simple list of ingredients. The notes say, “This salad has an innocently addictive, clean, sweet, and tart flavor.” Yummy! It looks fantastic. You won’t want to miss Chinese Spaghetti (pg.125) made with chunks of pork and tofu, and a delicious list of ingredients.

The Dessert chapter is AMAZING! I’m not kidding. And, as I often say, I’m not a dessert person. But c’mon. These recipes are lovely. Tangy Ginger Bananas (pg.130) or in the summer, peaches and nectarines, and in the fall, apples and pears. Peach Wonton Crisps (pg.133) are beautiful and tasty. Sweet Anise Custard (pg.136) brings out the Greek in me. And, tada, Strawberry-Lemon Tapioca (pg.139). Now that’s dessert.

Richard Wong filled this cookbook with joy, a love for life, and a celebration of flavors from Shanghai. Noel Barnhurst’s food images are  beautiful and brings the food to life. A lovely combination. Thank you, Mr Wong. I hear the bell ringing!

In 2008, Caressa and I faithfully watched The Chef Jeff Project on the Food Network. In the show, Chef Henderson puts six at-risk youth to work at his catering company to help turn their lives around. The show was quite a learning experience and I gained a great deal of respect for Chef Henderson. He understands how to motivate people, to make them want more out of life, and he inspires people to do better in all areas of their lives.

When I saw this book on the shelf at my local book store, Chef Jeff Cooks: In the Kitchen with America’s Inspirational New Culinary Star, by Jeff Henderson (Simon & Schuster, New York: 2008), I eagerly took the cookbook home. After paying for it. :)

Here’s a bit of what Chef Henderson says in the Introduction:

This is not just a cookbook; it’s a testimonial to my desire to succeed and inspire lives. It’s also a tribute to those who have been instrumental in shaping who I am today. I found my way into the kitchen by accident, but I believe today it was my destiny. God gave me my life’s vision behind the stove, and cooking has become my gift to you.

There are many black and white pictures throughout the book and the center signature is packed with beautiful color food images. The layout is simple with most recipes falling on one page. There’s also a reference section at the end. The table of contents is a little different and helps you to understand where Chef Henderson is going on his culinary journey:

1. Stocks and Broths
2. Appetizers
3. Sauces and Condiments
4. Soulful Soups and Chowders
5. Salads
6. Vinaigrettes and Dressings
7. Family-Style Sandwiches
8. Vegetables and Greens
9. Potatoes, Starches, and Grains
10. Dinners
11. Time to Grill
12. Baked Breads and Sweets
13. Ice Creams and Sweets

The recipes are down-home, packed with flavor, and easy to execute. Although there is no doubt Chef Henderson can bring his Bellagio best to any dish, he isn’t a show-off and remembers for whom he wrote the book. I loved the stories scattered throughout the book – very delightful, very inspiring.

The Sweet Potato Soup (pg.59) will set you straight and get you saved. The King Crab Gumbo (pg.61) will wow your Southern friends. The Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing (pg.91) is better than the one I’ve tried to rip-off from Crocodile Restaurant for many years. The Turkey Smoked Collard Greens (pg.123) are far better than mine. The Caramelized Cabbage (pg. 128) was a delightful surprise. The Sweet Potato Risotto (pg.137), oh my, it was delicious. The Molasses Braised Beef Short Ribs (pg.176) will change your life.

Chef Henderson, who lives in Las Vegas with his wife (*sigh*) and three kids, recently worked on a book project called The America I AM: Pass It Down Cookbook (Smiley Books), to honor and preserve African Americans collective family food histories and legacies. It’s due out February 2011. His first book, the memoir Cooked, was a New York Times bestseller and is slated to become a feature film. This is not “just” a cookbook, it’s a food journey and a story filled with over 150 recipes. Enjoy!

Honestly, this is not what I expected when I purchased Cat Cora’s Classics With A Twist: Fresh takes on favorite dishes (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: New York, 2010). Cat Cora successfully takes “everyday classics” and imparts fresh and exciting flavors, while keeping things healthy and delicious. And I say, “Prove it!”

There’s no denying her Greek heritage. Her use of feta, Greek yogurt, pita bread, olives, and oregano brought joy to my heart. But she didn’t limit her flavors to a Mediterranean cast of characters. If you’re looking for a way to add a few flavorful stand-by recipes to your routine, you’ll like this book.

• The appetizer/drink chapter served up 14 offerings – my favorites (so far) are Greek-style nachos, warm onion dip, baked jalepeno (just pretend there’s a doodah over the n), stuffed mushrooms, and smoked salmon and wasabi tea sandwiches made with brioche. I love brioche.
• The soup/salad chapter served up 21 offerings – loved the tom-mozz skewers w/bloody mary vinaigrette; chopped vegetable salad w/a mustard vinaigrette; chicken soup w/coconut milk, fresh basil, and chiles;  Japanese udon noodle soup; turkey, leek, and potato cream soup; spicy caesar salad w/chipotle croutons; minestrone verde; American tomato soup (not a can-opener in sight); sweet potato clam chowder w/bacon. That’s some serious eats with a whole lotta flavor.
• The  main and side dishes are combined together for a total of 34 offerings – there’s way too many good recipes to list them all so I’ll do some serious editing: Greek grilled feta butter sandwishes; salmon burgers w/herbed sherry mayo; sweet corn risotto w/herbes de provence; potato and mushroom “risotto” w/sage (big winner); chicken stroganoff w/tarragon and mustard; spinach paella; tomatillo lamb stew.
• The dessert chapter didn’t wow me…but then I’m not really a fan of dessert. However, there was one recipe that stood out: Caribbean sweet potato pie w/coconut and rum. Hello!
• Last, but certainly not least, is the “Good to know” chapter, where Cat offers up eleven of her basics: stocks, sauces, herb blends, and more.

For the record, Cat Cora is no slouch. She became the first female chef on Iron Chef America. She is the executive chef of Bon Appetit, and she’s the author of Cooking from the Hip and Cat Cora’s Kitchen – of which I own neither and that needs to be rectified immediately, or in time for my birthday. :) Then again, I’ll be happy to wait for Christmas.

She has a restaurant called CCQ in Costa Mesa, California, and Kouzzina at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

And, in the event you’ve forgotten, she’s a Greek girl. Opa!

As I was walking through the pages of Judy Bastyra & Becky Johnson’s, Thai Food and Cooking, A fiery and exotic cuisine: the traditions, techniques, ingredients and recipes (Anness Publishing Ltd 2003,2010), I came across a recipe for Mee Krob (pg. 210) and here’s the recipe intro:

The name of this dish means “deep-fried noodles” and it is very popular in Thailand. The taste is a stunning combination of sweet and hot, salty and sour, while the texture contrives to be both crisp and chewy. To some Western palates, it may seem rather unusual, but this delicious dish is well worth making.

I really enjoyed this recipe book. It’s oversized, 12″x9″, and filled will beautiful food images. The authors take you into a Thai kitchen and introduce you to the simple ingredients found in the pantry – almost 40 pages of tasty info. I liked this section: the notes, pictures, and instructions. The recipes are relatively simple, the ingredients – perhaps a bit difficult to find in your average grocery store – add a depth of flavor not found in most dishes.

The recipes are broken down in to the usual categories including a chapter on rice dishes and one for noodle dishes. The appetizer and snack chapter took me by surprise. A very, very delightful bunch of tasty morsels that I fully intend to test on friends and family at my earliest convenience. IMHO, there are no loser recipes in this collection. My hat is off to the authors for a lovely work of art and a great collection of recipes.

 One of the reasons I read cookbooks cover-to-cover is to get to know the chef by understanding their culinary point of view and their favorite ingredients. From each cookbook, I want to be inspired by the recipes and learn something new from the author/chef. I’m not usually impressed by the foreword in a cookbook, but this one, by Chef Bobby Flay, was like a window into the life of Jonathan Waxman. Chef Flay has a great deal of respect and admiration for Chef Waxman and I loved what he added to the cookbook.

I must admit I have a bit of a culinary crush on Jonathan Waxman. As a result of his cookbook, I’ve gained a deeper respect for simple ingredients and their combination. In the foreword, Chef Bobby Flay says of Chef Waxman, “He taught me how to dress a salad, respecting each tender green that landed on the plate. Jonathan used to say that the leaves should look like they had just fallen from the clouds, light and individual.”

On page 72, in the “Salad” section, you’ll find this note before recipe for Garden Salad:

There is inspiration in compliments. It used to bother me when people at dinner parties asked me to dress their salads. Why in the world would anybody want another cook messing up the works? Finally, when one friend told me his dressings always tasted greasy and flat, I started to analyze what made mine different. What was that inexplicable detail that could make all the difference? First, have good ingredients (that seems obvious), and second, always add the vinegar first. “That can’t be all there is to it,” my friend said. He was right – there is a more difficult matter: how much dressing to use.

I love this cookbook and learned quite a lot about food and flavor combinations…and Jonathan Waxman. For the most part, the ingredients in the recipes are simple and easy to find. I started to list the recipes I liked and then realized I pretty much liked them all. In the cookbook you’ll find chapters on starters, soups, salads, sandwiches and pizza, pasta, poultry, meat and game, fish, shellfish, vegetables, and desserts. And, edicts on selected ingredients and techniques.

First try the Guacamole and Fresh Chips on page 19. It’ll rock your world!

You know you’re headed in the right direction when a restaurant changes the menu on a daily, weekly, or seasonal basis. Their website is simple but the menu made me smile when I noticed the cheese course offered both goat and cow’s milk cheese.

I called and made reservations for four…forgetting to include myself. When we realized we’d be late, I called and changed the reservation by thirty minutes. It wasn’t until we were on the way to dinner that I remembered there were five of us. We called to change the number of diners and they had to bump us to a later time. That’s a good sign – it means other people like to eat there.  When we arrived we sat outside on the little benches and waited our turn. They graciously offered us water several times and never forgot we were out there. I’ve got big love for good customer service – and Piedmont delivered over, and over again.

The decor at Piedmont is simple, yet elegant. The tables are nicely spaced to give diners plenty of room for conversation and privacy. We didn’t meet the chef, but with a little research I was able to determine the chef/owner is Andy McGowan.

Once again, I find myself using the word “simple” to describe another aspect of Piedmont. The menu: Cheese course, 1st course, 2nd course, Etceteras, and Dessert. We asked our waiter to explain the menu rules, and he assured us we could order as much or as little as we wanted in no particular order. I love options.

From the cheese menu, we ordered all three cheese selections to share. The cheese came with almonds, figs poached in red wine, and a lovely raisin bread with a tight crumb. In addition, we ordered the housemade charcuterie selection to share: country pâté & chicken liver mousse with pickled vegetables, dijon & grilled bread. We darn near licked the plate.

For the main dish we divided and conquered. I went for the housemade Italian sausage with creamy polenta, braised greens & tomato jus. Laura and Jo both ordered giant-sized pork chops covered with lovely peaches (pictured at right). Jo’s Dad selected the chicken, and Chelsea went for a lovely salad with a side of pomme frîtes with aïoli.

If I lived anywhere near Durham, I would find my way to Piedmont as often as possible. You’ll find them at 410 Foster Street, just down the street from the Marriott hotel and Bull Durham stadium. They serve dinner Wednesday through Monday and brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Dress is casual. Check out the menu on the website and call Piedmont and make your reservation today at 919.683.1213 and tell them Lucy sent you.

While having lunch at my friend Mackenzie’s house, she handed me a copy of The Flavor Bible (Page, Karen & Dornenburg, Andrew. New York: Little, Brown and Co., 2008), a gift from her oh-so-clever husband. I flipped through the pages and noticed I was holding my breath. It was as if I’d found a secret map to carry on my culinary adventures. I waited a few weeks before purchasing my own copy because I’ve discovered that delayed gratification makes me appreciate things more. Needless to say, I love this book. It’s not a cookbook, and you won’t find recipes in the ordinary sense; however, you will find thousands of flavor combinations and an exciting, culinary resource.

There are three delicious chapters:

1. FLAVOR = Taste + Mouthfeel + Aroma + “The Factor”: Learning to recognize the language of food
2. GREAT COOKING = Maximizing Flavor + Pleasure by tapping Body + Heart + Mind + Spirit: Communicating via the language of food
3. FLAVOR MATCHMAKING: The Charts

By far, my favorite chapter is Flavor Matchmaking – chapter three. The book is 380 pages and 339 of those are in chapter three. I’ve haven’t had this much fun with reference material since the first time my Dad let me use his set of Encyclopedia Britannica. I loved those big, brown books. The giant-sized map book was my favorite. Alas, I digress. The charts in chapter three are listed in alphabetical order and include both ingredients and the flavors of a particular country or region. Below each ingredient, the authors “distilled and summarized key aspects of an ingredient’s essence” by: season, taste, weight, volume, and primary function. They also recommend cooking techniques and some useful tips.

Thank you, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, for a thorough and generous treasure chest. I really, really love this book and I’d like every cook to own one. However, I’m pretty sure many folks won’t recognize its beauty. Buy one for yourself and for that person in your life who appreciates flavor. You won’t regret it. And, thank you, Mackenzie. I owe you one.

Unlike iTunes, the Lala website was super speedy to negotiate, the layout was clean, oozing white space, and music was clearly the main attraction. The social aspects of Lala were fun, not pushy, but plentiful. You could follow another listener’s taste in music, read their reviews, listen to their playlists, follow their suggestions, and watch the most popular music rise to the top.

Lala gave you the option of uploading your own music or searching for more. My favorite aspect, by far, was the ability to listen to an entire album for free. Let’s face it, 30 seconds a song, such as iTunes offers, isn’t enough to get the true vibe of an album. My second favorite aspect is the ability to buy a web-based song for $0.10 – which means you can listen to the song as many times as you want online. In addition, you could buy the entire album for web-based use. And…MP3s for about $0.89 a piece or the whole album for about $8.99.

I will miss Lala and I’m so thankful for the best two musical years of my life. I’ve learned so much more about music, opened up my mind to genres I’d ignored in the past, and enjoyed the large collection of Christmas music available. Unfortunately, Apple got their greedy little hands on Lala and tonight they’re shutting the site down. Thankfully, in an uncharacteristic manner, Apple is refunding the “web-based” funds we’ve invested in Lala, for use on iTunes, but I’m really disappointed because iTunes is messy, cluttered, navigation sucks, and it’s super, super slow and clunky. Hopefully, Apple with keep the best parts of Lala and spit out the bits of iTunes that make exploring music less tasty.

Fortunately, I was able to copy all my playlists so all is not lost and the music will continue.

Here’s to Lala! A brilliant way to celebrate music.