book review
FROM PLATE TO PAGE
Six books by prize-winning cooks.
WRITTEN BY LINDA FINE CONABOY
COVERS COURTESY OF PUBLISHERS
For some of us, cooking good food is more than a hobby; it’s a joy and a calling. The same is true for the authors of the books we’ve chosen to review. Two of the selections are memoirs, written by well-known cooks and sprinkled with a taste of their favorite recipes. We’ve also included traditional cookbooks in our mix as well as one book that simply celebrates the art of cooking, in photos, notes, and tips from famous chefs. All of these books have caught the notice of the James Beard Foundation, either as nominees or award winners, allowing them the hard-earned bragging rights they deserve.
While James Beard may not have been involved in it, raising chickens is becoming a popular backyard pastime. With this in mind, we’ve included a thoroughly researched and beautifully photographed book, which could easily become your go-to manual on the subject of chickens.
The following are our recommendations for some food-centric books you’ll eat up.
Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl
In this New York Times best-selling memoir, Reichl, a former restaurant critic, editor of Gourmet, and two-time James Beard award winner, says that early in life, as she navigated stormy waters disturbed by her manic mother (labeled by Reichl as the world’s worst cook), she “discovered that food could be a way of making sense of the world.” This is the tale of Reichl’s life and culinary education, told deliciously through food. The story is amusing, funny, and simple, just like the favorite recipes she includes, which she gleaned from the people who have populated her world.
Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Chef Gabrielle Hamilton
The book is not just a great memoir to be appreciated by foodies but also by anyone looking for a good read. Flowing like a novel and crafted to keep the reader just a bit off balance, maybe even uncomfortable, the book details one chef’s life lessons and carefully documents the various stages of her maturity. Hamilton owns the high-end restaurant Prune (a nickname her mother gave her), located in New York City. For her memoir, Hamilton garnered a 2012 James Beard Book Award for writing and literature.
Keeping Chickens: The Essential Guide to Enjoying and Getting the Best from Chickens by Jeremy Hobson and Celia Lewis
Here’s a book for any chicken farmer, from the beginner with just a few hens in the backyard to a pro with hundreds in the flock. Selecting, housing, feeding, laying, and the low-down on slaughtering one for Sunday dinner are all guaranteed to keep you and your brood well-fed and happy. The book even includes recipes and craft ideas for using those eggs and feathers.
Pure Beef: An Essential Guide to Artisan Meat with Recipes for Every Cut by Lynne Curry
Want to cook a tough cut of beef? Confused about the different cuts and types of beef? James Beard nominee Curry provides this nose-to-tail guide that makes it easy to produce a delicious meal using any cut of meat, without spending a fortune. Assorted cooking methods, well-written prose, and glorious photography all combine to make this book entertaining as well as useful.
Notes From A Kitchen: A Journey Inside Culinary Obsession by Photographer Jeff Scott and Chef Blake Beshore
With stunning photos and gently crafted words focusing on the worlds of several celebrated chefs, this rare glimpse into the kitchens of famous restaurants and the hand-written notes and tips from those chefs offers the reader hours of discovery. The two-volume, 900-page, cloth-covered collection with more than 1,000 glorious photos is a winner of the 2012 James Beard Book Award for photography.
Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen by Heidi Swanson
Winner of the 2012 James Beard Book Award in the category “Focus on Health,” Swanson says her book offers a look at her methods for everyday cooking. It is her hope that it will be inspiring, educational, and entertaining. She omits complicated dishes requiring all day to prepare, opting instead for her simpler favorites. Her recipes are rooted in whole and natural foods, including local seasonal ingredients. The photography and prose make this enjoyable book a must-have not only for vegetarians but also for those willing to learn about wholesome food, fresh from the farm to the table.
Linda Fine Conaboy is a freelance writer and an aspiring cook. She divides her time between South Lake Tahoe and Reno.
