May Cookbook Preview Part 1

The cookbooks keep coming and kudos to the publishing houses and authors because they are pumping out one gorgeous title after another. I can’t help but think we are supporting the economy – book sellers, delivery services, the post office, book case manufacturers, home builders to build new homes for us to store our books, divorce attorneys…oops I went too far. The books released this month focus on vegetables, barbecue, desserts and more. There is major cookbook crushing going on at my house – today’s post will bring you some info on a dozen titles and I’ll be back with additional temptations next week. 

If you wish to buy any of these titles, using our BUY BOOK button helps support our indexing efforts by providing a small affiliate fee. Any of your purchases from our affiliate sites benefit that effort. Remember to be sure to enter all our giveaways we have open here – scroll through all two dozen of the giveaways!  


To say Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables by Joshua McFadden is an incredible cookbook is an understatement. McFadden is chef and owner of renowned trattoria Ava Gene’s in Portland, Oregon and has been given the moniker of vegetable whisperer. McFadden finds the perfect balance between both farmer and chef, highlighting the attributes of vegetables throughout their growing seasons. Each chapter begins with recipes featuring raw vegetables at the start of their season. As weeks progress, the author turns to grilling and steaming, then moves on to sautés, pan roasts, braises, and stews. 225 innovative and absolutely stunning recipes await us in this sure-to-be an award winner of a cookbook. I cannot wait to go to the Farmer’s Market Sunday morning. We are planning to cook through this book in The Cookbook Junkies Cookbook Club later this year. This book isn’t for the vegetarian in your life – this book is for the food lover in all of us. 

Barbecue Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades, Bastes, Butters & Glazes, Too: Over 200 Finger-Licking Recipes by Steven Raichlen, released this month, contains portions of his Barbecue! Bible Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades from the year 2000. This edition has 200 recipes for chile-fired rubs, brines, glazes and more as well as complete dishes – such as Char Siu Chicken Thighs, BBQ Titans’ Brisket, Persian Saffron Lamb Chops and Spice-Grilled Pineapple with Smoky Whipped Cream. Tomorrow I’m making the Pork Steaks in Vinegar Sauce and will report back in my promotion post which is planned soon. 

In My Greek Family Table: Fresh, Regional Recipes, Maria Benardis describes her summers of cooking at her grandmother’s elbow on the Greek island of Psara, and places an emphasis on eating for health and well-being. This is a re-release of the 2009 edition with recipes for Chicken with Herbed Feta Crust and Lamb with Avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce), This book is lovely with beautiful photographs but still has an old school feel to it. We will be sharing a full promotion on this beautiful work soon. 

The Lost Kitchen: Recipes and a Good Life Found in Freedom, Maine by Erin French is a heartwarming book with comforting seasonal recipes and gorgeous photographs. French turned her small catering jobs into a secret supper series in her apartment. Her fork-to-field dinners were then taken on the road in her souped-up trailer. Eventually, she returned to Freedom, Maine and built her dream restaurant, The Lost Kitchen, in a restored 1834 gristmill. It is hard to verbalize the feeling these pages and recipes convey – it’s a combination of warmth, home and comfort and if that is what she was going for – she hit the nail on the head. I am hoping to bring you a full promotion soon on this must-have book and right there with Six Seasons – I’m seeing awards for this beauty. 

Shake Shack: Recipes and Stories by Randy Garutti and Mark Rosati and Dorothy Kalins is hitting the shelves this month!  Burger lovers rejoice. This is the first book from the you-must-eat-burger-joint that has taken the world by storm. The book contains 70 recipes and plenty of stories, fun facts, and pro tips for the home cook and ShackFan, as well as 200 photographs. A little history of Shake Shack, a lot of interesting stories and a whole bunch of good food can be found between the covers of this one.


 

Bangkok: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Thailand by Leela Punyaratabandhu is so great I’ve covered it last month’s preview posts as well because I was so excited on the day I held it first in my hands. It is absolutely gorgeous and shares 120 recipes that capture the true spirit of the city – from heirloom family dishes to restaurant classics to everyday street eats to modern cosmopolitan fare. We will be bringing a promotion to EYB members soon. The author’s first book, Simple Thai Food: Classic Recipes from the Thai Home Kitchen, is wonderful but here she has hit all the notes.

Vegan: The Cookbook by Jean-Christian Jury 

is inspired by cuisines around the world and brings vegan home cooking to new levels of deliciousness. Featuring dishes from countries ranging from Albania to Zambia, it showcases the culinary diversity of vegan cuisine, highlighting regional fruits and vegetables, traditional cooking techniques, and universally delectable flavours. This book may also be a Guiness world record breaker as one recipe  – the Gargouillou of young vegetables – has 103 ingredients. Yes, one hundred and three ingredients. Jury has meticulously tested these recipes for accuracy and ease of use. Each of the 450 recipes features ingredients that are readily available, the country of origin, basic step-by-step instructions, prep time and cooking time. It is a beautiful book but if you want to make what I will forever refer to as the 103 ingredient recipe, start two to three days ahead. Please remember Eat Your Book members receive 30% off Phaidon titles when using the link provided. 

Cake, I Love You: Decadent, Delectable, and Do-able Recipes by Jill O’Connor offers 60 divinely decadent recipes home bakers will want to make right away. Organized by flavor profile (banana, coconut, chocolate, caramel, spice, fruit) and level of difficulty, each chapter in this cookbook from baking master Jill O’Connor presents only one problem that I can see – you will want to make each and every cake. As I started to go through the recipes, I found myself saying “I need to make this one” “and this one” and “this one”. Absolutely gorgeous photographs and exquisite flavor combinations make this a must have for any baker. White Chocolate Lemon Walnut Cake, a stunner of a Lemon Bomb Cake, and a Pink Lady Applesauce Cake with Apple Cider Caramel Glaze are just a few examples. A perfect gift for Mother’s Day – this book and baking a cake with or for your mom. I’ll be making the White Chocolate Lemon Walnut Cake next week and will be sharing the results in our upcoming promotion. You may ask – do we really need another cake cookbook – and the answer is yes, irrefutably yes, you need this one.  

 

Red, White, and ‘Que: Farm-Fresh Foods for the American Grill by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig is the new title from the authors of The Gardener and the Grill. The team is backyard grilling like never before, with an emphasis on the fruits and vegetables usually neglected in favor of steak or barbecued chicken. Each recipe makes the most of seasonal American ingredients and flavors like bourbon, bacon, blackberries, country ham, maple syrup, pomegranates, craft beer, pecans, and sweet onions. We will be bringing you a full promotion on this book – fire up your grills.
 

Around the World in Salads: 120 Ways to Love Your Leaves by Katie Caldesi and Giancarlo Caldesi delivers salads that are perfect for any time of day and occasion from around the globe. The duo even cover sweet salads such as Roast Black Fruit Salad or Raspberries & Redcurrants with Whipped Ricotta for a healthier alternative to an indulgent dessert. I love books that focus on global flavors and lately I admit – I am loving salads – this title is perfect for me. We will be bringing you a promotion on this title from two of my favorite authors.