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new this month
books we have recently read and loved in June — updated July 9, 2010
to see May 2010 reviews click here
to see April 2010 reviews click here
to see March 2010 reviews click here
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maze
the cookbook
Jason Atherton
foreword Ferran Adrià, chef patron of El Bulli
Photography Ditte Isager
Published by quadrille, deluxe paperback $34.95
Jason Atherton is a British chef of considerable acclaim having come through the ranks of three Michelin starred restaurants he came to note when working as executive chef of MAZE for Gordon Ramsay. He is widely accredited for bringing MAZE to note. Currently working on opening his own restaurant (no more details than that as yet) his re–entry with his own restaurant is naturally of great interest to diners in London.
It has become extremely rare to see a book list kitchen tested recipes and way too many chefs make the mistake of not understanding how to write recipes in a format for the domestic market. Recipes are a form of chemistry and it is impossible to divide or multiply the recipe without kitchen testing and tweaking. There are quite a few popular dishes like for instance Caesar salad and salt and pepper squid but Atherton gives them some excellent twists and the plating, which Atherton supervised himself, is really fabulous. The pictures are gorgeous, the recipes beautifully written with detail where needed without the tedious repetitive description of things that everyone knows how to do.
This is a very nice book with lots of great ideas and a book that would be enjoyed as much by the professional cook as the domestic cook.
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Shannon Bennett’s PARIS
A PERSONAL GUIDE TO THE CITY’S BEST
Shannon Bennett, Scott Murray & friends
Published by THE MIEGUNYAH PRESS, H/B $44.95
Legendary Australian chef Shannon Bennett has a passion for all things French and admits his greatest ambition is to open his own restaurant in Paris. Given that he already has a restaurant in Singapore we suspect fulfilling his dream might not be that far off.
Chefs explore a city in a way that many other travellers may not. Fearless about where and what they will eat, they also love to explore from the best cheap food to the most expensive; they want great places to have a drink and a coffee and the want to enjoy the iconic and the new. Add to that markets and shopping for knives and pans and all things kitchen, and then head in the direction of fashion, clubbing and well, just everything a city has to offer.
A chef’s eye view of Paris this book is a collaboration, not just with Scott Murray but with many well–known food identities who have shared their favourite Parisienne things to do. It has been fun to tick off the restaurant, eating and shopping things we love about Paris and better yet to discover a lot of new places we know we’d enjoy exploring.
The design of this book is lovely and the size perfect to put in your travelling bag, and not too heavy or large that it won’t conveniently fit in your handbag, whether for yourself or as a Bon Voyage gift for a friend this is a tremendous book. The fact is that even if you’re not about to jump a plane to Paris it is lovely to relive so many wonderful memories of this stunningly beautiful city.
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LA CUCINA
THE REGIONAL COOKING OF ITALY
The Italian Academy of Cuisine
Published by Rizzoli NEW YORK, H/B $59.95
There have been many books released as the bible of Italian cuisine but none have delivered the encyclopaedic kitchen tested information that Larousse Gastronomique has always delivered for French cuisine. None have ever fulfilled their promise and in fact the long awaited Silver Spoon failed on so many counts as to make it an extremely disappointing book.
LA CUCINA does not seek to dazzle with fabulous pictures but it is a cleverly indexed comprehensive compilation of regional food in Italy put together by devotees of the Italian kitchen determined to preserve it’s culinary traditions. Already I have discovered recipes for a number of dishes that have remained elusive and it was wonderful to see the inclusion of fruit stuffed potato dumplings. Despite their popularity in the north of Italy during the stone fruit season, it is the first time I have seen them included in an Italian cookbook (or any modern cookbook for that matter). These are recipes whose ownership has been fought over by the Italians and Austrians for centuries. Many Austrians will take deep objection to seeing Kaiserschmarrn (Emperor’s Pancake) being listed as Venetian but it did come out of the Hapsburg Empire and their kitchen fanned it’s culinary treasure widely through the North of Italy.
My only complaint about this very exciting book is that the recipes do not have dual weights and instead use American weights and cup measures, however, this book is destined to be used as often as Larousse and will inevitably be completely defaced with my annotated with metric weights. www.metric–conversions.org is a fantastic quick reference for weights and measures
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not a new book but one we have been recommending for some time, but if you’re finished your olives and thinking about making your own pancetta, salamis and more this is the book for you! Preserving the Italian Way
A collection of old-style Casalinga Italian recipes assembled by
Pietro Demaio
Published by Memoirs Foundation Inc. (Australia), P/B
This is a book to cherish for the generosity of people who have given their recipes. It takes the full gambit from preserving in oil and vinegar, salt and sunshine right through to making use of the last of the pig fat in soap. Preserving the Italian Way chronicles the old methods for current, and future generations. There is some very useful information that can be put to good use in commercial kitchens determined to do their own thing including a cheese section. This book goes to the depth of wine making and most interesting are the liqueurs that are so common especially in the north of Italy. If you are Australian looking for the high volume alcohol to make some of the recipes them try Sydney’s Chef’s Warehouse +61 02 9211 4555 where they have Marc at 60% alcohol at very reasonable prices.
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The books in this issue were found at
The Conservatory Garden and Home
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The galaxy guides web site it built and maintained by www.annoliver.com photography unless otherwise stated Ann Oliver copyright © text, recipes and images unless otherwise stated Ann Oliver |
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cooking classes
Galaxy Guides food editor Ann Oliver is an accomplished chef with a highly regarded reputation and a love of teaching.
Our classes give no quarter for lack of knowledge, not because we don’t welcome beginners, but because the purpose of a cooking class to teach you something.
Classes are limited to 10 persons, demonstration only, with lots to eat and drink and fully documented.
There are a couple of places remaining for the February to June program and the new program for July to November will be released to non members mid May.
click here to go to the information and booking form for the February to June program.
JOIN Ann Oliver’s COOKS’S CLUB love cool cakes
this fabulous class will be repeated in the July to November 2010 program
Rocklobster and truffle consommé spheres going into ravioli, just exquisite and even better when served with passion fruit caviar. The acidity is the perfect foil for the richness of the dish
click here for the recipe and to get more rocklobster recipes.
Can’t figure the Southern Rocklobster Limited ice slurry green meat extraction method
click here to see a video! |
