Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Restaurant Reviews, Articles, Memoir, Fiction and More Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)What is food writing? Before I read Jacob's book, I thought I might learn a few techniques for writing restaurant reviews. Wow -- I was wrong! This is a huge, magnificent field, of which I've merely sampled my first appetizer.
The author's research in compiling this book is extensive. In presenting her ideas, she doesn't limit readers to her own personal experience; she interviewed hundreds of successful food writers and asked them how they got started, what a typical day is like, and what advice they have to give.
Despite her years of industry experience, Jacob truly understands the heart of a beginner, and her voice is as far from snooty-hooty as one can be. Readers will feel encouraged and energized after reading chapters on the secrets of restaurant reviewing, cookbook compiling, recipe writing (yes, it is an art form!), memoir and nonfiction food writing, and food in fiction.
Jacob's passion is so contagious, her words dance across the page. She seems especially interested in the trend of narrative food writing, and she gives you tips on how to make your writing full of jolt and flavor. What are the three laziest adjectives used to describe food? She says "nice," "wonderful," and "delicious." She writes, "They are so vague that readers don't know what you mean other than something positive." Instead, she offers an extensive list of adjectives in chapter 5 that make it well worth the price of the book.
I'm only a simple home cook. My creativity usually involves whipping up kid-friendly favorites without having to dash off to the grocery store for exotic ingredients. Although I've written a few of my own recipes, I certainly didn't realize what an exciting art form food writing can be.
While reading this book, we ate out at a new restaurant, and I imagined myself as one of those fancy New York Times reviewers in disguise (didn't know they may actually wear wigs!). I had our waiter answering a myriad of questions, and even dashing back to speak with the chef. I brought home a menu and scribbled all over it my impressions.
I'm intrigued as to how to better describe tastes and food. And I never considered children's books to be a place where good food writing can exist. After reading WILL WRITE FOR FOOD, I am much more aware. I appreciate the recommendation from Writer's Digest and will certainly add this to my bookshelf of favorites.
I love the way she describes what it takes to make a great reviewer: [They] have passion, knowledge, authority, a great writing style, and stamina...They give the reader a feel for the place, its rhythm, and overall vibe. And they keep up their energy level and enthusiasm. Passion is paramount."
She quotes experienced food critic Alan Richman who says he can't wait to see what a restaurant has in store for him. He shares, "I get a hop in my step."
A well done book, indeed.
--Reviewed by Heather Lynn Ivester

Click Here to see more reviews about: Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Restaurant Reviews, Articles, Memoir, Fiction and More

Click here for more information about Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Restaurant Reviews, Articles, Memoir, Fiction and More

Read More...

The Philosopher's Kitchen: Recipes from Ancient Greece and Rome for the Modern Cook Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is the third literary themed cookbook by self-styled food historian Francine Segan. The first, which I have not reviewed or seen, dealt with meals from movies. The second volume that I did read and favorably review dealt with recipes of dishes based on quotes from Shakespeare's plays and documents contemporary to Shakespeare. Aside from the fact that `contemporary of Shakespeare' was interpreted a bit liberally, with references to works which were published many decades after Shakespeare's death in 1616, this was an entertaining and informative book with recipes you would actually want to make, as the author modernized all of the texts to fit modern cookery praxis and cookbook readers' expectations.
This third book, `The Philosopher's Kitchen' deals with recipes from ancient Greece and Rome. In many ways, this book is superior to the Shakespeare volume. For starters, I suspect many people are actually much more interested in Mediterranean cuisine before the advent of New World fruits and vegetables than they are with the early version of a cuisine with few contemporary claims to fame. A second advantage is that there really are a lot of ancient references to recipes, many with a lot more substance to them than the hint given in a single Shakespearean line. Those Greeks and Romans liked to talk about and write about their food as much in ancient times as they do now.
I have often heard it said that the ancient Romans were basically vegetarians, with only the occasional piece of meat used more as a seasoning than as an important source of protein. You can see from these recipes why beans and greens and mushrooms and other vegetables are so important to modern Mediterranean cuisine by seeing their role in these recipes.
The olive and the grape were as important in ancient times to the Mediterranean cuisine as they are today. In fact, there is a Latin quote that says that a meal without wine is a meal for the dogs. It seems odd, therefore, that the author did not include any wine recommendations with these recipes, although wine and wine vinegars are used liberally in these recipes. Similarly, olive oil was as much a final dressing to dishes as it is today in Italian cuisine. Mario Batali would have been right at home in an ancient Roman kitchen.
The attention to sauces also reminds one of French cooking of Careme and Escoffier that has often been described as being done to accommodate poor teeth. I suspect the dental equipment of the ancients was no better than that of 19th century Frenchmen.
The nine (9) chapters of recipes follow a very traditional organization, with the twist of titles borrowed from ancient texts. The eight chapters of recipes are:
Ad Gustum: Appetizers where lots of olive based goodies look a whole lot like Italian, Provencal, and Spanish starter dishes. The author takes more than a little poetic license by using pasta that, strictly speaking, was a medieval invention. All is explained, so all is forgiven.
Fire: Soups and Stews where the absence of the tomato is more dramatic than in most sections. Figs are an important ingredient in recipes throughout the book and it is surprising to see them appear in meat stews in this chapter.
Earth: Salads and Vegetables have lots of fennel, kale, beans, squash, celery, leeks, and Brussels sprouts. These recipes seem especially fresh and inviting.
Water: Seafood has many dishes that look remarkably modern such as the red snapper in parchment. The ancients didn't use their good vellum to cook. They used salted fig leaves to take the place of the modern silicone product.
Air: Poultry also has many modern looking recipes, as the New World vegetables play less of a role in cooking birds.
Macellum: Meats has meatballs, pork chops, steak, stuffed squash, pork loin, lamb, veal chops and tenderloin. Gingersnap cookie crumbs stand in for ancient spiced breadcrumbs here.
Panis: Bread where I suspect the variation from the ancients is pretty dramatic. They had yeast, but certainly not `instant dry' yeast. And, baking powder was not invented until the late 19th century.
Ambrosia: Desserts has simple recipes which are probably closer to the ancient original in substance than many other dishes, especially the breads.
The original ancient text on which the modern interpretation is included with every recipe, so you can easily see how much interpretation was done to create transpose the ancient quote into a modern recipe. Not surprisingly, a large number of recipes are from the famous Roman cookbook `On Cookery' attributed to Apicius.
While the author is credited with being a `food historian', these works are much more like popular interpretations of food history than they are scholarly works. The author very wisely includes an extensive bibliography of her references, but this does not make this an academic book. Aside from the enjoyment of reading the recipes, stories, and rationales in recipe translations, the very best use of the book would be as a source for entertaining to a theme of ancient recipes. The recipes are just complicated enough to impress guests, and just simple enough to allow them to be done by cooks with modest talents. The added cachet of serving dishes from the ancient world is more than worth the price of the book. Use if for your next ides of March party.
The rationale for using philosophers in the title of this book is a bit thin, especially as most of the dishes are based on Roman sources and Imperial Rome was not known for its philosophers. A similar case could probably be made for poets or playwrights. They probably wrote about food as much or more than Plato and Aristotle.
Excellent source for themed entertaining and a darn good foodie read.


Click Here to see more reviews about: The Philosopher's Kitchen: Recipes from Ancient Greece and Rome for the Modern Cook

Click here for more information about The Philosopher's Kitchen: Recipes from Ancient Greece and Rome for the Modern Cook

Read More...

Autumn from the Heart of the Home Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Branch's latest book "Autumn from the Heart of the Home" is packed with quotes, stories, decorating tips, gift ideas, and, of course, the delicious recipes she is known for. Readers can enjoy appetizers like Indian Shuck Bread with Maple Butter and "football fan tested and approved" Crunchy Chicken. Side dishes like Potatoes Anna with Branch's own special twist is sure to make mouths' water. The Main Dish section includes such delicacies as Braised Lamb Shanks and Lime Salmon. There are also kid-friendly meals like Chicken in Cream Sauce over Happy Rice, Macaroni and Cheese, and Potato Bugs.
Like all of her books, Branch has included a selection of delectable desserts. Fall favorites like Gingerbread Cake and Cranberry Apple Crisp provide homey warmth as the days grow cooler. For those special occasions, readers will want to try the French Éclair Wreath or Toasted Snowballs in Chocolate Sauce. Branch also provides several cookie recipes (the brownies truly are "the best"). "Autumn from the Heart of the Home" also has ideas and recipes for Halloween parties, Thanksgiving gatherings, and fall picnics.
Branch's books just keep getting better and better. Each one motivates me to add special touches to my home and fill my house with friends. By sharing her stories and memories, she inspires me to carry on my family traditions and create new ones with my children. I think this book is my favorite so far. Since moving to California, I miss those New England autumns. Reading "Autumn from the Heart of the Home" was almost like taking a trip back.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Autumn from the Heart of the Home

Get 34% OFF

Click here for more information about Autumn from the Heart of the Home

Read More...

The Making of a Pastry Chef: Recipes and Inspiration from America's Best Pastry Chefs Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)As a student in culinary school, this gave me a clear understanding of what to expect in the food industry, the differences between a chef & a pastry chef, and what personality profiles fit each position. It was also entertaining to learn the inspirations of today's top pastry chefs. Very similar to "Becoming a Chef", by A. Dournenberg, but from a pastry perspective. I read the entire book in 3 days! Worth every penney.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Making of a Pastry Chef: Recipes and Inspiration from America's Best Pastry Chefs

Click here for more information about The Making of a Pastry Chef: Recipes and Inspiration from America's Best Pastry Chefs

Read More...

Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On: What Southern Mamas Tell Their Daughters that the Rest of Y'all Should Know Too Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In her newest book, Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On!: What Southern Mamas Tell Their Daughters that the Rest of Y'all Should Know Too, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson has done it again! Her very funny instruction manual bares all!
FINALLY someone has revealed all the well-kept secrets of the Southern Mama Society (SMS). We men in the South have grown up fully convinced that there were some things going on around us that molded our existences without our knowledge. We also got the feeling that we were cooperators unawares. It seemed our behavior was somehow being manipulated by unknown forces beyond our control.
IT'S ALL TRUE! . . . and its far more developed, widespread, and networked than we could EVER have imagined. Who would have known . . . but only among the Southern boys and men, of course! Our women have known these things for generations!
Here is where Shellie really lets the cat out of the bag, "...I wasn't very old before I realized that Mama and her girlfriends were good at getting their husbands to do what they wanted, all the while letting the men think it was their own idea. Some people would call this manipulation. Southern women call it charm."
"Charm" does make manipulation SOUND better. All this time I thought charm was good when it was really SMS code for "get your way."
As Shellie says, "...our mamas believe in putting a shoulder to your dreams and feet to your prayers. If you want it, go after it. Things may not always work out the way you hope, but let it never be because you didn't try. Forgive me if that doesn't fit with your stereotypical idea of the fragile southern belle who spends her days resting on the couch and fanning herself between fainting spells, but I don't know that mythical breed. The southern female of my experience is more likely to gear up for battle than retreat to the sofa."
That's been my experience, as I'm sure most Southern men will agree.
Are we Southern men ever fortunate to have all these well-hidden secrets of the SMS revealed! It will revolutionize the way we view ourselves and those women around us. Now we know the shorthand and signals of the SMS. Knowledge is power!
MEN, be VERY CAREFUL how you use this knowledge. If you get a little heavy handed, you might have to go for burgers . . . or possibly worse. The members of the SMS can get even in ways most of us have not even imagined until Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On! I suspect there are at least as many that Shellie Tomlinson has not yet revealed. I'll hide in the weeds (a Southern man saying) waiting for Book 2 on the subject.
DO NOT overlook the absolutely delicious recipes Shellie includes. Check this out: Pork Roast Barbecue Recipe--This is killin' goood! It'll make you want slap yore mama . . . as we say in the South. But as Shellie points out, it's only a fool who would think of tryin'!
And the recipes for all those dips and sauces! I can't wait to try them. They suggest many of the absolutely scrumptious flavors I've learned to love in Southern cooking.
MEN, get your copy quick! This stuff is too good to miss! Don't just read it: MEMORIZE IT!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On: What Southern Mamas Tell Their Daughters that the Rest of Y'all Should Know Too

The host of All Things Southern shares the sass and strength of Southern mamas in this spunky guide to life. In this humorous handbook, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, host of All Things Southern, reveals the all-important lessons Southern Mamas teach their daughters. Readers will discover why blue eye shadow is trashy and learn to interpret regional dialect like the Southern Mama APB, a bulletin translated on Southern streets as: "Give your heart to Jesus, girl, because your butt is all mine!" Shellie carefully breaks down the teachings behind those famous manners and social graces through her firsthand observations and dry wit. Here's everything you need to know from how to cope with the unexpected, compete in the Mr. Right Game Show, and raise children—to how to keep that marriage knot tied tight over time. Woven with quotes from real Southern Mamas and sprinkled with recipes and other Southern secrets, this book's a bona-fide celebration of all things south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Get 19% OFF

Click here for more information about Suck Your Stomach In and Put Some Color On: What Southern Mamas Tell Their Daughters that the Rest of Y'all Should Know Too

Read More...