Bestseller Kanell follows up Preppy Kitchen with an impressive and memorable collection of flavor-packed recipes made with minimal fuss. Plenty of sweet and savory options—including skillet steaks with garlic-herb butter, balsamic-roasted zucchini and chickpeas with soft cheese, and piña colada macaroons—are quick enough that they can easily be prepared on weeknights. Other dishes, such as overnight cinnamon rolls, Cuban-style pork roast, and grilled peaches with honeyed ricotta, require extra time, but instructions are a breeze to follow. Throughout, Kanell shares dozens of suggestions for adapting the recipes to suit a variety of preferences. For example, there are instructions for making the crispy orange-glazed chicken strips in either the oven or the air fryer, and readers can swap out gouda and thyme in the drop biscuits for crumbled feta and dill or pepper jack and basil. Sidebars offer tips and tricks (apple cider or unsalted broth can be used in place of whiskey for the whiskey-glazed chicken thighs) and boost confidence (for best results on the seared scallops with browned butter linguine, Kanell advises readers to look for dry sea scallops). This will be a go-to for busy home cooks looking to spice up their repertoire. Agent: Janis Donnaud, Janis A. Donnaud & Assoc. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2024 | Details & Permalink

“Girls need to hear what they’re feeling is real and that they don’t have to silently suffer through it,” according to this perceptive debut manual. Drawing on client anecdotes to offer guidance on how parents can help girls navigate sexism, psychologist Finkelstein describes how one girl “stayed quiet about a major mistake in a group project... because she didn’t want to seem like a know-it-all,” and recommends that parents entreat their daughters to speak up more by inviting them to share even half-baked thoughts in casual conversation. Finkelstein emphasizes the importance of preparing girls to think critically about gender norms and expectations, suggesting that while parents shouldn’t dictate what girls can or can’t wear, they should discuss how self-objectification can masquerade as empowerment and how “real power is about the fair distribution of resources, political influence, and personal agency.” The author presents a wealth of research highlighting the myriad challenges young girls are up against, citing findings that latent sexism in TV programming makes girls “feel worse about themselves after watching,” and that teachers are more likely to chide girls than boys for calling out answers in class. The astute advice will help parents navigate these complex issues in ways that encourage their daughters to think for themselves and recognize their self-worth. This will make a worthy addition to any parent’s bookshelf. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2024 | Details & Permalink

McNeil, who posts about wellness under the Instagram handle @FiftySister, debuts with a run-of-the-mill guide on how middle-aged women can transform their mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. In 2019, when McNeil was in her early 50s, she felt “suffocated under the weight of possessions” and relocated from the English home where she and her husband had lived for 33 years to a “small rental property in Portugal,” leaving behind everything except a few boxes of essentials. Her excitement was soon replaced by despair as the Covid pandemic left her feeling isolated in a new country, but she recounts finding her footing thanks to various self-care strategies and lifestyle changes. Unfortunately, these strategies are by turns vague and overly familiar. Self-help platitudes abound, as when McNeil encourages readers to “embrace your inner child” by staying open to new experiences and to practice self-acceptance through means she doesn’t specify. Despite having no apparent qualifications to do so, McNeil provides dietary suggestions, and though most are fairly standard (avoid added sugars, eat more plant-based foods), they’re often lacking in specifics. For instance, she encourages readers to “pay attention to key nutrients like vitamin B12... and consider supplements when necessary,” but doesn’t discuss how to track B12 levels or at what point supplements become needed. Readers would be better off with Sharon Malone’s Grown Woman Talk. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2024 | Details & Permalink

Los Angeles–based food writer Shah wows in her debut cookbook, an attempt to define and document Indian American cuisine. Born to immigrant parents who had to adapt their recipes because of limited access to authentic Indian ingredients, Shah and generations of Indian Americans grew up eating blended fare featuring flavors from both cultures. Bold, flavorful, and only sometimes spicy, these recipes represent a cuisine that has been largely overlooked in the ever-growing Asian cooking boom in America. From delicious breakfast options including saag paneer frittatas and a beautiful shahi tukda French toast made with saffron, pistachios, and rose petals, these dishes are both toothsome and elegant. Shah showcases sandwiches, dosas and samosas, and rice and noodles, along with some surprising pizza options that will tantalize the taste buds and earn her a devoted following. Alongside such tempting entries as classic butter chicken, saag paneer lasagna, and spicy cilantro chutney mussels, she also aims to educate, with sidebars on eating meat and Indian drinking culture. To round out any meal, she finishes with appealing recipes for an array of chutneys, vegetables, beverages, and desserts. Complete with mouthwatering photos, the result is an alluring collection that every true foodie will embrace. (June)

Reviewed on 07/05/2024 | Details & Permalink

Perez, the dietitian behind the @plantbasedrd Instagram account, went vegan “cold tofu” in 2009, and she encourages others to do the same in her personable if chaotic debut. Bookended between no-nonsense chapters on basics (“You aren’t going to wither away on a properly planned plant-based diet,” she promises) and a helpful section on meal planning are workable and simple vegan recipes. Some, like the tostadas in the breakfast chapter, tap into the author’s Dominican roots, but most are familiar comfort food, including kale salad, fried rice, faux tuna salad made with chickpeas, and roasted cauliflower served in a pita. Unfortunately, the organization feels arbitrary. It’s unclear, for example, what differentiates the tofu with four different marinades that are categorized as “nutrient packed mains” from the tofu with hoisin glaze that falls instead in a chapter on bowl meals. That chapter also includes a fiery peanut stew, while a section on “grab and go” dishes features multiple jarred soup options. Treats include no-bake cashew, date, and coconut balls; banana muffins; and a recipe that yields exactly two chocolate chip cookies. The author’s cheery demeanor adds some appeal, but given the current proliferation of vegan cookbooks with nuanced angles, there’s not enough of a through line here to make this stand out in a crowded field. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2024 | Details & Permalink

“Hormones are the conductor of our body’s orchestra,” according to this illuminating debut. Endocrinologist Nieuwdorp explains that hormones are “signaling molecules” that travel through blood and other bodily fluids to initiate or inhibit biological processes. Examining hormones’ role in digestion, Nieuwdorp describes how the arrival of food in the small intestine triggers the release of glucagon-like peptide and cholecystokinin, which “cause the pancreas and gallbladder to release digestive juices and enzymes” that break down nutrients so they can be absorbed more easily. Hormones influence behavior, Nieuwdorp writes, discussing how as young people of all genders enter puberty, they become more impulsive because spiking testosterone levels impair “the connection between the gland involved in recognizing danger and the region that helps make decisions” in the brain. Nieuwdorp has a talent for making technical scientific material accessible, and the research demonstrates just how far-reaching hormones’ effects are. For instance, he notes evidence indicating that boys with low levels of testosterone early in life are more likely to have memory problems when they grow up, while high testosterone levels in fetuses have been linked with increased risk-taking as adults. This fascinates. (July)

Reviewed on 07/05/2024 | Details & Permalink

This valuable debut guide from Stark tells beginners all they need to know to get started knitting. He explains the pros and cons of different materials (plant-based yarns such as cotton and linen are ideal for warm-weather garments, and people with skin sensitivities will want to avoid wool) and which needle types are best suited for particular garments (double-pointed needles are typically used to knit hats, socks, and other small articles in the round). Novices will have no problem following the step-by-step instructions for casting on, binding off, and creating knit and purl stitches. The easiest projects, particularly the “jade garter stitch washcloth” and the “ruby in-the-round cowl,” consist of repetitive rows that will help knitters build muscle memory. Such intermediate projects as the “agate seed stitch clutch” and the “opal striped children’s beanie” incorporate simple increases and decreases. Even the advanced projects are relatively easy, requiring no harder techniques than cable work. Stark’s overview of the craft is comprehensive, even if the reasoning behind some of the suggestions is opaque (it’s not clear, for instance, why he makes the unusual assertion that acrylic yarn is ill-suited to colorwork). Still, newbie knitters will find much of use. (Sept.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2024 | Details & Permalink

Zizka (Cook Color) serves up an exciting array of recipes and party-planning tips in this inspiring guide to hosting. The meals draw from a variety of cuisines, and many have components that can be prepared ahead of time: both the pork-cabbage filling and the dough for the tie-dye dumplings can be made up to three days in advance, as can the risotto for the saffron arancini. Quicker crowd-pleasing fare includes fish kebabs, salt-and-vinegar potato peel chips with chive dip, and the Lebanese-influenced frittata with labne sauce. To round out any event, Zizka includes enticing dessert options such as ube amaretti cookies and drinks of both the boozy (sour cherry-tinis) and nonalcoholic (mock tiki punch) varieties. She also provides a dozen party menus to help readers plan for various occasions, ranging from holiday dinners and after-parties to Galentine’s Day brunch and springtime luncheons. Throughout, Zizka shares plenty of tips, noting, for example, that serving drinks to guests as soon as they arrive is a great way to break the ice. This go-to volume is sure to help readers prepare memorable and tasty festivities. Agent: Katherine Cowles, Cowles Agency. (June)

Reviewed on 07/05/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this outstanding volume, 2018 Great British Bake Off finalist Bhogal offers 50 baked goods with 50 vegan alternatives. Both playful and rigorous, these recipes, Bhogal promises, are “not something someone is going to forget about as soon as they put their fork down.” The traditional recipe for the stunning sticky Jamaican ginger cake with butterscotch sauce and orange cream incorporates eggs, butter, and cream, while the plant-based rendition calls for soy milk and cider vinegar to produce an equally sumptuous showstopper. Similarly decadent are the carrot halwa and chai Chelsea buns with medjool dates, raisins, and dark chocolate, which, like many of these dishes, draw on the author’s Indian heritage. Recipes often feature complex constructions, among them the coconut cake with whipped ricotta and mango cream, a spice-accented cardamom and raspberry cake with white chocolate and pistachio, and a multilayer nectarine and blackberry pavlova with basil crème diplomat. Throughout, the author’s voice comes through in chatty instructions (“Let’s start with the pastry so this baby can get in the fridge to chill”) and quaint Britishisms (“I imagine eating it stonkingly hot... on a cold winter’s day”). This first-rate collection will please novice and veteran bakers alike. (June)

Reviewed on 07/05/2024 | Details & Permalink

“These batch recipes are pour-and-serve simple” promises Hirsch (Pour Me Another) in this innovative guide to cocktail making. Each recipe starts with a full 750 ml bottle of the base liquor, some of which is poured off to make room for the other ingredients; the whole thing is then shaken and stored in the freezer. After sections on the science of ensuring the drinks don’t freeze and essential tools for home bartending, the recipes are sorted by liquor. Each section contains some classics—for example, a margarita or a Moscow mule—alongside less familiar fare, including a rum-based dessert cocktail called the cinnamon nut bread and the Prohibition-era gin drink quaintly termed the “Damn the Weather.” Some recipes require a bit more innovation to work in this format, especially anything requiring a high volume of fruit juice, which risks freezing. To compensate, Hirsch favors “speed infusions,” made by combining alcohol and citrus peel in the blender and then straining through a cheesecloth, as in the bitter blood martini. This clever collection will appeal to anyone who wants the convenience of a cocktail in a can without sacrificing flavor. (July)

Reviewed on 06/14/2024 | Details & Permalink