Sando, the brains behind heirloom-bean seller Rancho Gordo, shares his expertise in this comprehensive tome. A list of 50 bean varieties—from tiny alubia blanca to Tuscan zolfino legumes—is a useful resource, as are the master recipes for cooking beans in various vessels. Instructions for soaking and suggestions for stretching a large batch over a week also prove helpful. Many recipes have a Mexican bent, including refried beans, and Veracruz-style salt cod and white beans in tomato sauce. There are also Italian options, such as toast topped with white beans inspired by Rancho Gordo customer Marcella Hazan, and a Persian kidney bean and lamb stew. Sando’s home state of California is amply represented in such recipes as a mélange of dates, bacon, and pinquito beans, and the dishes come from a wide range of sources: a Basque-style stew with kale evolved from a recipe in the Guardian, while writer Faith Kramer contributes cholent and Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen came up with cheesy “pizza beans.” A trio of desserts includes a spiced navy bean pie from a San Francisco bakery. Rancho Gordo has a large following and this helpful overview is poised to grow that audience even further. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

“Mexican cooking is rooted in plants,” asserts Alexa Fueled Naturally blogger Soto in her welcoming debut. She starts by covering the basics, with instructions on how to cure a molcajete (mortar and pestle) and an olla de barro (clay pot) and essential recipes for flour and corn tortillas, lime mayonnaise, and several variations of Mexican rice. Throughout, she cleverly adapts animal-based meals for a vegan diet: mashed chickpeas are used in place of tuna for the “tuna” quesadillas, shrimp is replaced with hearts of palm for the ceviche, and oyster mushrooms mimic the texture of pork for the chicharron tacos in salsa verde. Chocoflan, churros, pineapple-hibiscus agua fresca, cucumber margaritas, and other desserts and drinks perfectly round out the meals. Family anecdotes (“My Grandma Esther’s barbacoa was something we eagerly awaited every Nochebuena,” Soto says of the barbacoa tacos) and fascinating historical context (she points out that the origins of guacamole can be traced to the Aztecs during the 1500s) complement the recipes. The result is a heartfelt guide for vegans and those wishing to adopt a plant-based lifestyle. Agent: Stacey Glick, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

Eschewing “a rigid food plan” and embracing the idea that “anything can be dinner,” Karadsheh’s cheery second collection (after The Mediterranean Dish Cookbook) brings ease and simplicity to the fore. Many of these tangy, colorful dishes are inspired by Karadsheh’s Egyptian heritage, featuring bold eastern Mediterranean and Levantine flavors. The mezze chapter offers appetizers to mix and match into a meal, including sweet corn and salmon nuggets; muhammara, a tangy Syrian dip; and no-bake roasted pepper and feta nachos. Salads include “reimagined familiar classics” such as a mini–wedge salad that replaces bacon bits and blue cheese with grilled corn, tomatoes, and feta, and fattoush with strawberries, arugula, and spinach. A kebab chapter features chicken kebabs and scallop skewers, while plentiful meatless dishes include a veggie phyllo pizza and a quick lasagna that’s whipped up in a skillet. Seafood options include pan-seared snapper and garlic and Dijon baked salmon. Olive oil–fried lemon rings stand out as tangy additions to many of the dishes while a handful of drinks and desserts round things out. Simplified meal prep and pantry-stocking tips prove useful, but readers turning to a Mediterranean diet for health reasons may wish there was nutritional information included. Home cooks seeking to broaden their Mediterranean repertoire will enjoy the range and accessibility of these recipes. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

Crochet designer Anne debuts with a bewitching compilation of amigurumi projects inspired by the Harry Potter franchise. The designs are remarkably successful in recreating the characters’ look and spirit. For instance, Luna Lovegood wears her signature pink and blue Spectrespecs glasses, herbology professor Pomona Sprout sports a characteristically rumpled hat and earmuffs, and Hagrid’s unruly beard is achieved by stringing together numerous curling locks. While some of the easier projects are a bit bland (the Quidditch snitch looks like an orange with wings), they provide an entry point for beginners who might be overwhelmed by the high number of intermediate and advanced projects. (Anne estimates that even after all the pieces of Fluffy the three-headed dog have been crocheted, just sewing them together can take up to three hours.) However, the involved construction methods are worth the effort and reflect Anne’s eye for detail. For example, the troll’s warts are recreated with small knots on his feet; picot stitch detailing adorns the top of the chocolate frog’s box; and the Howler talking letter appears to be a standard red envelope until unfolded, when it resembles a mouth snarled in outrage. Anne succeeds in capturing the magic of the Wizarding World. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

This eye-catching debut from Metsänen shows how to adapt for clothing and accessories patterns that fellow knitwear designer Laitinen (Knitted Socks) originally created for socks. For instance, Metsänen turns Laitinen’s “wave-like” cable design into a chunky cable sweater with raglan sleeves, and the wool Mainua short-sleeved top recreates one of Laitinen’s geometric Fair Isle patterns. Many of the designs draw inspiration from nature, including a tam cap with a snowflake motif, a “coatigan” adorned with butterflies, Lake Tiilikka fingerless mittens featuring snow falling on pine trees, and a Fair Isle sweater depicting two sparrows positioned face-to-face. Stunning lacework elevates the wool triangular shawl, Christmas mornings sleeveless top, and butterfly wings rectangular shawl. This no-frills guide includes little more than written project instructions accompanied by color charts and photos of the finished garments, meaning that readers should already have a grasp of knitting basics. Laitinen’s sock designs transfer well onto larger articles of clothing and make for elegant winterwear. Experienced knitters will be enchanted by the intricate patterns. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

“No woman gets to avoid menopause but she can avoid its impacts,” according to this inconsistent debut guide. Holistic nutritionist Johnson and health coach Claps explain that decreases in estrogen production during menopause put women at higher risk of insulin resistance, metabolic disease, and low-grade inflammation. To prevent such outcomes, they extol the benefits of hormone therapy, discussing how it prevents bone loss, decreases the risk of breast cancer, and is “the most effective treatment for hot flashes.” With the bulk of the book devoted to explaining how hormone therapy works and why women should feel safe undergoing the treatment, it’s confusing that Johnson and Claps wait several chapters before clarifying that hormone therapy “is not nor should it be the first tool for women to use when creating a plan to combat the functional declines and to thrive in midlife.” Unfortunately, the authors don’t spend nearly as much time discussing alternative strategies for managing symptoms through diet, exercise, and sleep, and the advice they do provide also gets snarled in contradiction. For instance, their initial assertion that the amount of carbs one consumes “needs to be tailored to you as an individual” clashes with their later preference for “eliminating most carbs.” This will leave readers confused. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

This middling debut from Vornholt outlines a holistic approach to physical and mental well-being based on the ideas of the 12th-century Benedictine abbess St. Hildegard. Relating the guidance outlined in Hildegard’s The Book of Subtleties of the Diverse Nature of Things, Vornholt notes that the nun encouraged living “in harmony with the universe and nature” and maintaining “a balance among rest, meditation, prayer, and exercise.” Unfortunately, Vornholt doesn’t detail what following these principles looks like in practice. The most useful section describes the health benefits of “Hildegard’s favorite herbs” and how to grow them. For instance, Vornholt recommends planting basil in sandy, moist soil and suggests it can mitigate “feverish illnesses,” while parsley thrives in “semishade” and boosts the cardiovascular system. However, Vornholt struggles to make a case for why readers should take seriously 800-year-old health advice. He argues that Hildegard’s theories “have been broadly confirmed by modern food chemistry research and can thus claim scientific support,” but he doesn’t discuss any of the apparently plentiful evidence that would confirm this claim. It also feels like an oversight that Vornholt doesn’t explain how Hildegard learned or discovered the information she imparts. Even readers sympathetic to traditional medicine will wish for a more substantial treatment. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this breezy debut, interior designer Gross shares ideas on how to host sophisticated events for a variety of occasions. Holiday meals fall on the more formal end of the spectrum, with Gross suggesting readers could decorate the dining table with small gift-wrapped boxes and use gold place mats to complement a green and “berry red” color scheme for Christmas dinner. Gross also includes suggestions for less formal events, contending that “decorative paper plates are fine” for a backyard barbecue and that homemade chili or meatballs can elevate a game day party. Music recommendations are provided for each of the 16 events. For instance, Gross advises playing Mary J. Blige and Motown hits at the spring buffet dinner, and suggests that an acoustic guitarist would bring the “chic cocktail party” to life. Gross also features recipes, describing how to make pan-fried haddock for a “moody formal dinner” and mixed berry crumble for a “lush garden luncheon.” Some of the suggestions are no-brainers (she recommends hiring caterers for the cocktail party and asking friends to help with setup), but Gross provides some useful rules of thumb, as when she outlines what tableware to include depending on the formality of the event. This will spark hosts’ imaginations. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

Damrosch (The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook), a former Washington Post gardening columnist, provides a robust introduction to growing fruits, herbs, legumes, and vegetables. She recommends placing garden plots in places that get six hours of sun per day and details how to get the right pH level and nutrient balance in soil (adding pulverized limestone lowers acidity, and cottonseed meal boosts nitrogen levels). Damrosch’s organic approach urges readers to refrain from using pesticides; she explains that such “pests” as yellowjackets and moles actually tamp down insect populations that would otherwise overrun crops. The bulk of the book offers detailed instructions on growing beans, cucumbers, raspberries, and other edible plants. For instance, she recommends installing wire cylinders around tomato vines so they’ll climb upward and away from soilborne diseases, and she encourages covering lettuce plants with shade cloth to prevent them from growing into unwieldy stalks. The advice on working with nature, rather than striving to control it, is well observed, and Damrosch has an amusing habit of anthropomorphizing plants (“In a cold, wet spring... my basil will sulk outside the kitchen door, ‘palely loitering,’ as Keats would say”). This stands out in the crowded field of gardening primers. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 08/02/2024 | Details & Permalink

“Versatility is the taco’s biggest asset,” writes Kaloper (Pizza Night) in this playful compendium of classic and unexpected taco options. It opens with recipes for homemade corn and flour tortillas—neither of which, notably, require a tortilla press—and “classic taco accoutrements,” starting with basic preparation styles for beans and rice followed by various salsas. The rest of the book offers streamlined but appealing taco ideas presented without any introductions but accompanied by appetizing photos and serving suggestions. The lobster tail tacos with lime chilli butter, for example, are recommended with mango salsa, habanero hot sauce, and cilantro. Each section—from vegetarian to beef and lamb options—contains both traditional fare, including Mexican street corn tacos, chicken tinga, carnitas, and carne asada, alongside inventive fusion pairings, such as haloumi with pomegranate salsa, chilli dukkah, and tahini yogurt sauce, and spicy Italian salsa with burrata and salsa verde. Breakfast offerings include a chorizo, potato, and fried egg taco while other recipes riff on casual American fare (bacon-wrapped hot dogs served in tortillas with chipotle mayo; a taco take on chipotle double cheese smash burgers). Purists may balk, but those willing to have some fun and expand their taco horizons will find plenty to enjoy. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2024 | Details & Permalink