This nostalgic love letter to video games from Geeky Chef blogger Reeder (The Official Westeros Cookbook) and Axe of the Blood God podcaster Oxford doubles as a playful Bartending 101. The authors break down the finer points of mixology, giving home bartenders a crash course on layering cocktails, for example, that comes in handy when making a Rainbow Road–themed take on a classic painkiller. Oregon Trail gets a nod in the form of a whiskey float, mushroom bourbon evokes The Last of Us, and a garnish of lemon peel is cut to resemble the Triforce for a Legend of Zelda–themed cocktail. While most libations lean sweet, modifications abound to accommodate various tastes and alcohol tolerances, and all recipes include a virgin option. Instructions for homemade blue curaçao (to honor Sonic the Hedgehog) and grenadine elevate the offerings. Full page photos evoke a retro arcade, and the authors infuse their recipe introductions with gaming lore and nerdy in-jokes (a drink they’ve punningly named Baldur’s Grape promises to be “better than rotting in the shadowcursed lands”). Though the myriad requisite ingredients amount to a potentially prohibitive shopping list, the breadth of recipes and references means this handy collection can sustain a lifetime of game nights. It’s the perfect gift for the mixology-curious gamer. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/17/2025 | Details & Permalink

In this lukewarm debut guide, actor Watts offers familiar advice on navigating menopause. Her lack of medical expertise hampers discussions of the biology of menopause and how to treat symptoms. For instance, her explanation of how “hormone fluctuation” induces hot flashes is rudimentary, and the suggestion to place an ice pack on one’s neck for relief is unsurprising. A chapter on nutrition recommends intermittent fasting and probiotics but warns against the keto diet, whose restrictions on carbs rule out even such beneficiary fiber sources as legumes, but there’s little discussion of how these dietary choices affect menopausal women, specifically. Watts is at her best when drawing on her own experiences to capture the complicated emotions that accompany menopause, as when she shares how ashamed she felt about having perimenopausal symptoms in her mid-30s. Elsewhere, she reveals how her struggles to conceive because of her early symptoms induced guilt over her imagined mistreatment of her own body, and she offers an enraging account of how male doctors repeatedly dismissed her concerns because of her relatively young age. Though the more personal passages will be a balm to menopausal women looking for affirmation that they’re not alone, the guidance leaves much to be desired. Readers would be better off with Mary Claire Haver’s The New Menopause. Agent: Cait Hoyt, Creative Artists Agency. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 01/17/2025 | Details & Permalink

Psychologist Fadiman and ghostwriter Gruber follow up 2020’s Your Symphony of Selves with a thin treatise asserting that small doses of LSD or psilocybin mushrooms can improve one’s health and boost creativity, among other benefits. The authors suggest that microdoses should be small enough that they don’t produce visual distortions and that readers should wait at least two days in between doses. Discussions of microdosing’s benefits are hamstrung by a lack of evidence owing to a decades-long ban on researching psychedelics. The authors rely on unverified anecdotes throughout, as when they report that a visual artist who contacted Fadiman through his website overcame a creative block while microdosing, and that Reddit comments from college students who regularly took psychedelics indicate the substances may have helped raise their grades by enhancing their focus. Fadiman and Gruber string together firsthand testimonies about psychedelics’ positive effects on such conditions as chronic pain, depression, and long Covid without explaining how the drugs might cause such outcomes, making this feel more like a comments section than a cohesive report. Additionally, the few studies the authors cite are often of dubious quality, such as one that, despite lacking a control group, concluded microdosing might lessen ADHD symptoms. This fails to overcome the paucity of quality research on psychedelics. Agent: Jim Levine, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/17/2025 | Details & Permalink

Table for One newsletter creator Wilkinson debuts with a practical if slight collection that reads like a chirpy blog. The recipes tend to fall into one of two categories: gussied-up convenience foods (for example, a fish stick sandwich on a baguette, and frozen dumplings served with vegetables) or ersatz takes on international favorites (including a shrimp pil pil with no trace of the namesake sauce, risotto carbonara, and the contents of a meatball banh mi transformed into a salad). The organization occasionally feels arbitrary: penne with broccoli in a cream sauce appears in a chapter on comfort foods, while linguine with broccoli in a cheese and egg sauce (the author’s first recipe to go viral) appears in a chapter on simple foods. The “Special” chapter, for solo celebrations, features recipes that require a bit of extra effort, such as a mozzarella, mortadella, and pesto sandwich on a single-serving homemade focaccia. Desserts round things out, including a sticky toffee pudding assembled by mixing the ingredients in the pan in which it bakes and a chocolate mug cake made in the microwave. Though little here is innovative, it’s sure to prove a helpful resource for those living and cooking on their own for the first time. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/17/2025 | Details & Permalink

In this sweet and slender volume, Carrarini, the founder of Paris’s Rose Bakery, revamps her 2006 Breakfast, Lunch, Tea with recipes designed to be made with the help of children and inspired by culinary adventures with her own grandchildren. “I believe that cooking with children is not about being serious, tidy or necessarily achieving sophisticated bakes,” she writes in her warmhearted introduction. “It is about engaging all our senses and letting flour fall to the floor.” Breakfasts include two types of granola and banana bread (Carrarini notes that very young children will enjoy mashing the bananas by hand). The far longer chapter on brunch and dinner ranges from kiddie classics like mini pizzas and macaroni and cheese, to dishes that require a more refined palate, including daikon radish galettes and red lentil dal. The final section, on “sweet things,” is where the book really shines. Treats include peanut butter cookies, vegan chocolate cupcakes (“one of Rose Bakery’s best sellers”), and turmeric cake (“perfect for teenagers who feel they have ‘outgrown’ cupcakes with sprinkles”). Throughout, Carrarini provides tips for a stress-free experience and shares endearing anecdotes about which dishes her grandchildren like best and how they have contributed. The result is a charming, elevated guide to cooking with kids. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/03/2025 | Details & Permalink

This deeply personal recipe collection from Wright-Ruiz (I Want to be Spaghetti!) chronicles her culinary path to embracing her own culture. While ceviche de camarón, caldo de bolas (beef and sofrito-stuffed plantain dumpling stew), locro de papa (potato and cheese soup), and other dishes pay tribute to her Ecuadorian roots, many recipes are also influenced by the people and events that have made an impact on Wright-Ruiz’s life. For instance, she devotes a whole chapter to Cuban recipes inspired by the food she ate under the care of her Cuban foster parents, including ropa vieja, batido de trigo (a wheat milkshake), and papas rellenas (stuffed potato croquettes). Wright-Ruiz also shares recipes from her Mexican stepgrandmother’s kitchen, such as mojarra frita (fried freshwater fish) with pineapple salsa, chicken tamales, and champurrado (a corn-based hot chocolate drink). The recipes open with anecdotes (“This is... the first Ecuadorian dish I ever learned to make,” she says of seco de pollo) and fascinating cultural tidbits (Horchata’s origins trace back to over 1,000 years ago in North Africa). This heartfelt cookbook will inspire home chefs of any ethnic background. Agent: Leila Campoli, Stonesong Literary. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/03/2025 | Details & Permalink

This robust manual from Ganaha (Leathercrafting DIY) explains how to make leather bags. She recommends purchasing half cowhide over cut square leather, suggesting that though the former is more likely to feature irregularities, it’s cheaper and includes softer shank areas that can be used for pockets or straps. Outlining essential techniques, Ganaha details how to make lifesize photocopies of the book’s patterns, punch stitching holes into leather by striking a lacing chisel with a mallet, apply burnish with a glass slide, and bind leather pieces together by hand-sewing with wax thread. The projects start out simple and increase in complexity. For instance, the “zippered clutch bag” builds on the fold-over “simple clutch,” and the “navicular sling bag” introduces straps. The more intricate bags are the most impressive, including the “circle-shaped handbag” featuring a large outside pocket, arm straps, and handles, as well as the briefcase with pen hooks and a covered pocket. The instructional illustrations are easy to follow, and Ganaha provides plenty of useful tips to help novices deal with common problems. For example, if stitching holes become unaligned when binding two pieces of leather together, Ganaha recommends moistening one piece and stretching it to fit the other. It’s a comprehensive introduction to working with leather. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/06/2025 | Details & Permalink

“Even small things can make an extraordinary impact” on a space, according to this stylish debut coffee-table book. Photographer McGrath teams up with journalist Reid to interview the artists, craftspeople, and designers behind distinctive decorations in striking Australian homes. For instance, the authors describe how architect Kathryn Robson offset the imposing limestone bricks of the “Stone Soul House” with soft interior details by such designers as Daniel Barbera, who recounts modeling the front door’s custom bronze door pull after rocks he spotted on the beach. Examining how architects pay tribute to a house’s history while updating it for the present, the authors detail how Matt Gibson revamped an 1869 Victorian home by removing a dilapidated chimney, widening the dining room entrance, and using vintage furniture to preserve the period feel. Elsewhere, McGrath and Reid discuss how lighting designer Samantha McKenzie’s fixtures absorb and diffuse sound waves in her modernist home, and how a chair designed by Masayuki Nagare, defined by “its lack of conventional lines and play of light and shadow,” complements lopsided sculptures elsewhere in the room. By taking a magnifying glass to individual decorative elements, McGrath and Reid offer a robust accounting of how discrete pieces work in tandem to create appealing, unified interiors. Unique and insightful, this has much to offer. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/06/2025 | Details & Permalink

The stunning cookbook debut from poet and artist Alkhatib (King Crab, a board book) sings the praises of dates. She provides a mouthwatering history of the “holy fruit,” extolling it as a symbol of survival and bounty for many cultures. With more than 3,000 varieties, the date is a remarkably versatile ingredient, as Alkhatib ably demonstrates in recipes drawing from her Indian and Palestinian roots. Crispy sautéed dates on a saffron and ricotta “cloud” are “a messy pleasure” perfect for eating with the hands. For a more modern take, there are tater tots tossed in date butter, while breakfast options include date and tahini granola. Vegetarian mains abound—among them bulgar mujadarra, “a hearty rustic tangle of caramelized onion, earthy lentils, bright lemon juice, and smoky cumin-scented rice or bulgur”—as do chicken, beef, lamb, and seafood dishes. For lighter meals, soups and salads take center stage. Rounding things out is a dessert chapter with such offerings as black tahini chocolate chip cookies with medjool dates. Many recipes require hard-to-source ingredients (e.g., lime leaves, mastic, nigella, and Turkish chili), but a helpful section on “where to shop” will guide home cooks over this hurdle. Alkhatib’s sumptuous paintings, narrative anecdotes, and illustrated poetry make this more than just a cookbook. It’s a powerful ode to a multifaceted fruit. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/06/2025 | Details & Permalink

This effective debut primer from stylist Guyet details the sewing skills required to create a dress. Surveying needle types, Guyet recommends ballpoint for knitted fabric and stretch needles for elastics. An overview of marking aids suggests using tailor’s wax on wool, and a breakdown of cutting supplies notes that pinking shears are ideal for clipping seam allowances. Guyet outlines typical uses and care instructions for various fabrics, explaining that taffeta is usually reserved for formal outfits and should be dry-cleaned, while microfiber is commonly used in more casual dresses and should be hand-washed. She also provides meticulous instructions with accompanying photos showing how to thread a bobbin and needle on a sewing machine, as well as how to sew basting stitches, blind hem stitches, catch stitches, and slip stitches by hand. Elsewhere, she shares how to take measurements; create collars, darts, hems, and pleats; and decode sewing pattern symbols. There are no projects, meaning that this serves primarily as a reference guide. The straightforward explanations ensure that this largely succeeds, but true beginners might wish for a bit more detail on some of the more complex techniques, such as attaching zippers and creating piped pockets. Still, this helpful handbook has much to offer budding sewists. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 01/06/2025 | Details & Permalink