Bestseller Munno (The Pasta Queen) dives into family-focused Mediterranean cuisine in this exuberant and inspirational volume. The recipes are drawn from multiple regions and organized by course. For Aperitivi, a peach bellini and inventive lemon-basil cocktail get the party started. In the Antipasti section, Munno instructs home cooks on how to construct a vibrant snack board of olives, salami, gorgonzola, and focaccia. First-course plates (Primi) include Milanese risotto, seafood linguine, and potato gnocchi, alongside a guide to making fresh pasta. The section on Secondi features lemon-sauced chicken scallopine and stuffed peppers. Vegetables star in the Contorni course, which features sautéed broccoli rabe and artichokes alla Romana, and for dessert (Dolci), there’s “melt in your mouth” lemon ricotta cake. A brief final chapter on Italian street food consists mainly of paninis and feels oddly out of place, but Munno infuses every recipe with a sense of fun through personal anecdotes and the mantra “food is love.” She encourages home cooks to view these recipes as “but a canvas” for one’s “culinary artistry,” inviting personalization while still offering enough guidance to help novices feel comfortable. This is a must for anyone looking to put together an authentic Italian meal. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 11/15/2024 | Details & Permalink

Enderwick, who runs the @sandwichesofhistory Instagram account, debuts with a thoughtful, funny, and refreshingly well-researched ode to sandwich making through the ages. Collecting recipes ranging from 1865’s Toast Sandwich (a piece of toast between two slices of bread) to 1974’s Surprise Sandwich (scallions, black olives, cheddar, and chili powder broiled on an English muffin), Enderwick includes source material citations, notes on each recipe’s merits or shortcomings, and historical context. Not content to merely play archivist, he annotates the often-outdated recipes “to make them friendly to the modern kitchen and grocery store,” adding standardized measurements, substituting difficult to find ingredients, and providing suggestions for flavorful tweaks. As a result, the collection manages to straddle the line between being a delightful object of curiosity, unearthing such oddities as a tomato-free ketchup recipe from 1727 that calls for “twelve or fourteen Anchovies,” and a usable cookbook with unusual but tested and recommended offerings such as 1912’s East India Lentil Sandwich and 1909’s Date and Orange Sandwich. History buffs and sandwich enthusiasts alike will delight in this quirky and accessible volume. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 11/15/2024 | Details & Permalink

Flawed mid-20th-century child development research helped create unrealistic expectations for mothers, according to this incisive treatise. Poet Reddy (The Long Devotion) excoriates British psychiatrist John Bowlby’s 1950s studies on juvenile delinquents and children orphaned by WWII, suggesting his conclusion that the “most important factor in a child’s mental health was the constant care and devotion of their mother” was undermined by the fact that he didn’t collect data on how poverty or other social factors affected the kids. Much of the research implicitly encouraged pushing women out of the workforce after WWII, Reddy argues, describing how generations of researchers have used variations on Mary Ainsworth’s “strange situation” lab setup, in which the psychologist observed how children reacted to their caregivers’ absence, to suggest that sending kids to day care might cause long-term emotional harm. The sharp analysis sheds light on how child development research’s individualistic focus unfairly blamed mothers for children’s outcomes while letting economic inequality and other political factors off the hook, and Reddy’s candid account of struggling with feelings of inadequacy after having kids demonstrates the deleterious effects of the impossible expectations set by such studies (“I cried and raged and cried. I felt terrible, and I felt alone”). It’s a perceptive argument that flimsy science has been used to guilt-trip mothers for decades. Agent: Maggie Cooper, Aevitas Creative Management. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 11/15/2024 | Details & Permalink

Coffman (Herbal Medic), a former Green Beret medic, delivers a competent guide to subsisting on home-grown crops and livestock in the event of a disaster. To acquire protein in a hurry, Coffman recommends growing broccoli and kale sprouts by soaking seeds in water, draining them, and then harvesting after five days. Detailing more long-term methods for growing produce, Coffman describes how to construct raised plots, which afford more control over soil quality than in-ground gardens, and hügelkultur beds, which are mulch mounds piled atop buried branches that help retain water. Elsewhere, Coffman details how city dwellers can construct vertical gardens by hanging planters made from plastic bottles, as well as how to raise chickens, recommending that readers provide separate areas for roosting and nesting so the eggs stay clean. The thorough guidance will help anyone who aspires to live off the land, but an appendix on the difficulties of sustaining oneself after a hurricane, drought, or nuclear disaster somewhat undermines the book’s conceit. For instance, the ostensibly straightforward recommendation to find soil without “high levels of radionuclide activity” after a nuclear incident is easier said than done and reveals how self-sufficiency may offer only illusory protection from peril. Still, readers with the more modest ambition of producing more of their food will find plenty of use. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 11/15/2024 | Details & Permalink

Weber (In Love with Paris) crafts an ode to leaves and legumes in this attractive if occasionally user-unfriendly collection of vegetarian and vegan recipes. Passionate about beans and their benefits for both personal and climate health, Weber tends to neglect the specifics craved by less-experienced cooks. A chart listing common beans alongside their cook time and whether to soak, for example, is more useful in theory than in practice since soak times, quantities of water, and details of cooking method (i.e., lid on or off, simmer vs. boil) are not provided. Thankfully, the recipes themselves offer more detail, lovely photography, and fresh ideas for plant-based food, such as lentil and chocolate granola, beetroot fritters with labneh and quick pickled radish, and lentil and mushroom cottage pie. Weber even manages to sneak beans into desserts, as in her chocolate, hazelnut, and black bean brownies. American readers unfamiliar with European recipe conventions should note that all measurements are metric only (including Celsius oven readings). Home cooks already familiar with Weber’s beloved ingredients will find plenty of inspiration, but bean novices may want to seek out Steve Sando with Julia Newberry’s The Bean Book for a more comprehensive introduction. (Nov.)

Reviewed on 11/15/2024 | Details & Permalink

Milk Street founder Kimball (Milk Street 365) serves up a functional and scientifically minded collection of baking recipes that promise to be “much easier than you would think.” A comprehensive introduction covers everything from weighing versus scooping flour to the most useful ramekin size (six ounces). The recipes themselves range from American classics (drop biscuits and coconut layer cake) to choices from abroad—including Bolivian cornbread, a braided German dough with roasted winter squash, and Chinese sesame-scallion bread. Chapters are logically organized, though one could quibble that several entries in the flatbreads chapter, including Italian piadine and Turkish yufka, are not baked but cooked on the stovetop. A chapter on “pizza plus” offers several types of focaccia and a lesson on dough hydration, as well as Greek spanakopita made with phyllo and Colombian empanadas. Sweets include a salted peanut and caramel tart, a “burnt” Basque cheesecake, and chocolate chip cookies made heartier with rye flour. Many of the recipes come with step-by-step photographs, making this an excellent primer for beginners, while the wide range of flavors and techniques means that even experienced bakers will find plenty that’s new. Devotees of the Milk Street brand will not be disappointed. (Oct.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

Most of the familiar recipes in this lackluster plant-based collection from Howell (Makini’s Vegan Kitchen) hinge on imitation meat, eggs, or milk. For example, tofu strips stand in for bacon in ersatz scrambled eggs while ranch dressing calls for vegan mayonnaise and plant-based milk. In a brief foreword, Howell, the personal chef to Stevie Wonder, defines “simple goodness” as “the ease of making dinner with a few ingredients from the local bodega or from your garden”—but many of the resulting meals are so basic as to make their inclusion in a cookbook feel laughable. A recipe for corn muffins, for instance, calls for egg substitute and Trader Joe’s cornbread mix and directs home cooks to “follow the cooking instructions on the box.” A chapter on kid-friendly options offers lightly doctored canned tomato soup, while the dessert chapter begins with encouragement to rely on boxed cake mixes and includes instructions for assembling strawberry shortcake from entirely store-bought ingredients. More complex fare includes a chickpea salad the author devised for the Google cafeteria and fried oyster mushrooms meant to mimic calamari. As Howell herself notes, plant-based cooking has changed radically in the decade and a half since she opened Plum Bistro in Seattle. That means the cookbook field is crowded with options—and there’s little to make this one stand out. (Dec.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

Knapp, who runs Offbeet Farm in Fairbanks, Alaska, debuts with a comprehensive manual on how to harvest, process, and store beets, kale, potatoes, and several other hardy vegetables so they can be sold through the winter. For instance, he suggests picking cabbage heads before their leaves split, trimming their stems, and holding them in open containers to prevent mold. Noting that most produce should be stored in lightly ventilated bins kept near 32ºF, Knapp details how to build a root cellar, or underground storage space, for holding vegetables during cold weather, contending that foam insulation is essential and that concrete floors are ideal if one wants to use pallet jacks. Aimed largely at professional farmers, the in-depth guidance will ensure readers feel equipped to tackle each step of the storage process, and profiles of farms across the country provide insight into successful strategies for maintaining produce. For example, Knapp describes how Tipi Produce in Wisconsin relies on vegetables’ natural respiration to warm up their storage areas when temperatures drop below freezing. Thorough yet approachable, this delivers. (Dec.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

This cozy guide from Shore (Half Yard Autumn) and Nayler details how to create 52 fabric blocks that can be assembled into a large quilt. Writing for beginners, the authors recommend tools (rotary cutters “are useful for cutting around curves”) and show how to make blanket, overcast, running, and slip stitches. The blocks build on each other, with techniques from simple early designs later recurring in more creative configurations. For instance, week one’s flying geese design is incorporated into the upper-left-hand corner of week six’s “Bird 1” square, which is otherwise filled out by a half log cabin design, and week 26’s “Small Flower 4” square, in which the triangular “geese” are arrayed around a heart. Several blocks take inspiration from nature, such as the “tall bird,” created by sewing a triangular beak and teardrop wing on a half-circle, and the “tall flower,” which features an octagonal flower head with applique leaves. The authors also provide thorough instructions for assembling the blocks and attaching them, either by hand or sewing machine, onto quilt backing. The one-block-per-week conceit will help novices ease into the craft while learning a variety of design strategies. This is well worth seeking out. (Dec.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this robust debut, Ruch, a former marketing professional and mother of two, details how women who leave the workforce to raise children can navigate the transition. Outlining steps for adjusting to living on one income, Ruch advises readers to draft a budget to determine whether such cost-cutting measures as renegotiating a mortgage or moving somewhere with a lower cost of living will be required. Other guidance focuses on psychological stressors, as when she recommends setting personal goals (e.g., “I want to work on standing up for myself”) to stave off feelings of listlessness. Elsewhere, she offers tips on reentering the job market, encouraging mothers to describe during interviews how parenting has improved their skills (“I might talk about developing a clarity of communication and a deeper sense of patience”). Ruch is candid about the downsides of taking a break from paid labor, noting, “Women who have paused their careers for more than twenty-four months tend to step into salaries earning 79 cents for every dollar a man who had not paused would earn.” However, her sage advice will help those who want to take the plunge. The result is a forthright take on an aspect of motherhood often overlooked by parenting guides. Agent: Kristin van Ogtrop, InkWell Management. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 11/01/2024 | Details & Permalink