Mine

I was at BookPeople this weekend and, as always, began my visit by perusing the discounted cookbook section. Much to my surprse there was stack of Gourmet cookbooks--which was one of my early posts on bYb. It was more than 50% off the original price, so I snatched it up quickly. Did I mention that it was TWO ribbons? Love it and am sure I will use it frequently. Jessica's Biscuit has it for $24 which is still a great price, though not as cheap as BP.

Mangez!

Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating

Although I've never been, I'm a great fan of Zingerman's, a deli and mail order house based in Ann Arbor, MI. They have fantastic food like blood orange marmalade, Spanish olive oils, one hundred year old balsamic vinegar (on sale now for $500, regular price is $700!!! It's what I use. You don't?), an array of cheese they make in addition to a vast selection of other fine cheeses, a great selection of bread and many other treats. In addition, they also have clubs where you can send someone a little bit of heaven (coffecake, olive oil, bread, cheese, you name it) from Zingerman's for several months in a row. (E-mail if you need my address.)

In 2003, Ari Weinzeig, one of the founding partners of Zingerman's, published Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating: how to choose the best bread, cheeses, olive oil, pasta, chocolate, and much more. I checked it out of the library when it first came out and read it cover to cover. This weekend, I was lucky and found a deeply-discounted copy at the bookstore. This book is a wonderful resource for people who are interested in good food. It is clearly organized and has information about a variety of products such as origin, use, what makes one brand or type better than another and storage. There are also recipes in each chapter for using said product. By chapter, you can learn about:

1. oil, olives and vinegars
2. grains and rices
3. cheeses
4. meat and fish
5. seasoning
6. honey, vanilla, chocolate and tea

The book is a well written primer on food. Like their web site, it is cleverly illustrated and presented with a sense of humor, so a fun read.

Mangez!

Perfect Panini

For x-mas, I received the wonderful panini pan that Mario Batali included in his new line of cookware that is available at a couple of different places. Sur la Table (my second favorite cookware store after Pryde's of Westport in KC, MO--don't miss this place if you are traveling through. I promise its worth the stop, but they're not open on Sunday so plan accordingly.) has the line in a warm orange (and espresso) that is perfect for Austin, while Crate and Barrel has it in a bright red. Being a Sooner, I probably should have got the red, but had requested the orange before I even knew they made red. Regardless, it's fantastic: a large, cast-iron pan that is enameled on the outside with those lovely little ridges on the interior that give panini their grilled look, it came with a heavy "lid" that fits down into the pan, squashing and cooking the sandwich from the top. Ingenious. I had to give it spin. I picked up some veggie ham slices, a nice Italian melting cheese, Old Farmhouse Chutney from Stonewall Kitchens and a large loaf of country French bread (slightly softer than a baguette). I brushed the bread with olive oil, assembled the ingredients and heated the pan. It will take some trial and error, but the main lesson I learned from experience number one is that the pan heats beautifully and cooks quickly, so watch those sandwiches! Mine turned out a little darker than desired, but other than that, they were great with a crispy exterior and melted cheese inside. I have some bbq seitan (All hail seitan!) that I think I'm going to try later this week. Next week, perhaps something with fig preserves or maybe mozzarella with basil and tomatoes...the possibilities are endless.

If you need ideas, both of these books look interesting:
Panini by Jo McAuley and Great Grilled Cheese: 50 Innovative Recipes for Stovetop, Grill and Sandwich Maker by Laura Werlin.

Mangez!

Quiz Time

Is the picture above?
	An ad for cologne?
	An ad for jeans?
	An ad for beach travel?
	None of the above
Free polls from Pollhost.com

What do you really think?

With the rise of the celebrity chef, this country has also experienced a parallel phenomenon: the rise of the vanity chef--professional cooks whose cookbooks are populated with more pictures of themselves than food. Examples include Jamie Oliver, Giada di Laurentis, Tyler Florence and many, many others. All of these people are attractive, good cooks and photogenic. But does that mean it should be them cover to cover? I will confess that when it comes to cookbooks, I feel the less photos the better. Amazing, professionial illustrations simply ready the reader for disappointed, because most are unable to recreate the color, arrangement and plating accomplished by food stylists. My preference is cookbooks containing prose and recipes. I want to know where the recipe came from, what inspired it and tips on how to prepare it. I'm not particulary interested in page after page of photographs of the author preparing the food.














Which brings us to Crave: The Feast of Five Senses. I came across this book searching on-line at the library and thought the title was intriguing. It's a large book, with a surley man on the cover offering everyone a bite of luscious fruit. I instantly wondered who the man was and if he was actually the author or simple a model hired to sell cookbooks. As I began to flip through the pages, it became evident that it was not only the author, Ludo Lefebvre (French, yet cooking in California where he indulges in his other passions: surfing and taking long walks on the beach with his girlfirend Krissy who's name is tattoed in the heart on his chest. Sorry ladies, this one is taken), but that he believes he is as physically interesting as he is gastronomically. And then I came across the photo at the top and realized that his true aspiration was not that of chef or surfer: he wants to be a centerfold. Obviously.

After perusing the book, I found the recipes and food inside to be rather flat. Not something I would ever cook from, it was a quick read that really wasn't that interesting, nor did it fulfill the tantalizing title of Crave: The Feast of Five Senses. There were however, twenty-nine photographs of the chef not including the ones on the cover and inside flap. I just have to say that if your photo is on the cover of your book, it isn't necessary to include a photo on the authors page on the inside back cover. Really. I hope this is the zenith of the vanity chef and we can all return to our unadorned copies of Joy of Cooking, Gourmet Cookbook and Fanny Farmer--honest texts without all of the ham. But, if you have enjoyed my little teaser and developed a crush on little Ludo, then by all means buy the book.

I bet you'll keep it on your nightstand instead of in the kitchen.

Crave: The Feast of Five Senses
Ludo Lefebvre
Regan Books, 2005
$32.96 at ecookbooks.com

Mangez?

7.28.05 Editors Note
I'm not the only one blogging about this phenomenon:
AN OPEN LETTER TO LUDO LEFEBVRE on la.foodblogging