IDEAS IN FOOD

Sunday Reading, Culinary Memoirs

We're going to the conference today, but if we weren't going to the Star Chefs event, it would be the perfect fall day to drive out to Jones Beach, take a walk along the boardwalk and have a cup of chowder. After that I'd probably find a sunny spot somewhere at home to curl up with a good book.  One of the benefits of the basement flooding this past August was that we were forced to unpack our myriad cookbooks and culinary classics. It was like reacquainting ourselves with old friends. This is the perfect time of year to savor some of my favorite food writing, collected over the last couple of decades.

Delight and Prejudices by James Beard was a favorite of mine growing up. From the coast of Oregon to far off ports of call, his memoir is a celebration of food and life. He was a wonderful, evocative writer and he makes you want to crawl into the pages and resurrect the Portland of his youth. From his childhood to mid-life, it is a journey of discovery and wonder.  Having read the book, it seems almost inevitable that the man became such an icon on the food world.

As with James Beard, my first introduction to the books of Bert Greene was this collection of essays and recipes, Bert Greene's Kitchen, a Book of Memories and Recipes. It was published posthumously so I never got a chance to sample any of his cooking. Bert Greene was one of the original founders and considered the culinary heart and soul of The Store in Amagansett. Long before Ina Gardner made her mark as the Barefoot Contessa, the Store established the Hamptons as an area that appreciated good food and gourmet take out. He has a warm and engaging voice and there is such pleasure to be found in his writing. The stories will make your mouth water and the recipes will allow to make your own version of his favorite food stuffs. All of his books are quite wonderful, this one is still my favorite.

  Consuming Passions, a Food Obsessed Life by Michael Lee West is a must for anyone who loves Southern Food, as I do. Although there is great food to be found in every region of the country, Southern history and culture has centered around food in ways that just aren't seen in other areas. James Villas, John Egerton, Edna Lewis, and Bill Neal were  some of my favorite food writers during my formative years. As a result,  I've always been fascinated the atmosphere of hospitality and gracious generosity that permeates the legends of Southern cuisine. Michael Lee West is equally evocative and downright funny with her stories of food and family in the south. It is a quick and entertaining read that will leave you with a hankering for mashed potato salad and smile on your face.

Sometimes reading is almost as delicious as cooking or eating. There's no muss, no fuss, no calories and still plenty of sustenance to be found.

egg

Well, to add more thought to the world of egg cookery the book egg by Lyndsay and Patrick Mikanowski is now available in English.  That is a good thing for me because my foreign language skills are of a hunt a peck variety.  A culinary dictionary in hand trying to decipher recipes in foreign language usually results in me buying books twice, or becoming content with visual clues from pictures of dishes and ingredients.

The book egg, discusses many of the points of egg cookery which are currently being tackled by professional and amateur chefs alike.  It also brings together forty chefs and there own interpretations of an egg dish.  I have not read the book cover to cover, that is for later today, though in my brief skimming I have already begun to ponder many thoughts, from how the heck, to why did I not think of that, to that is just brilliant. 

The book also contains a number of egg-strordinary quotes which the chefs included in the book have found to be pointing.  And if the book seems a bit daunting remember, you can always just make an egg sandwich.

Light Reading

The unseasonably warm weather has me bouncing around like a rubber ball. It's not as warm as I might wish although it is warm enough to have my toes tapping and the blood rushing through my veins. As a consequence my usual habit of reading one or two books at a time straight through to the finish before moving on to something new has been compromised. I'm juggling quite a few at the moment, mostly light-hearted and all thought-provoking, perfect spring reading material. I thought I'd share the ones of a culinary bent with those of you looking for something new to explore.

The Pedant in the Kitchen in a book I found on Regina Schrambling's website.  It describes the culinary adventure's of an extremely fussy and detail-oriented English man. He has an admirable grasp of the English language and a flair for the quietly dramatic. His adventures and frustrations in the kitchen were both a source of amusement and a reminder that recipes and photographs are only as helpful as they are detailed and true to life. It's a charming little book for anyone who occasionally wrestles with the creation of a beautiful and delicious meal.

I've recently begun reading My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo. She has written several wonderful books on Chinese cuisine and what makes this one special is the personal slant. Eileen writes this book as a grandmother who takes her responsibilities to teach her own grand-daughter about food as seriously as her grandmother took the task of teaching her. The stories are wonderful. I am always intrigued by the intermingling of cultural traditions and food, one of the reasons why I am beguiled by Southern food, and this tome delivers both fascinating reading and solid technique.

The last cookbook in my stack is based on Greek Cookery, one of my very favorite indulgences. It is The Olive and the Caper by Susanna Hoffman. It is a book that I actually found on the Statendam as we were cruising from Alaska to New Zealand. I did not have time to read it on-board and so I made sure it was waiting for me when I arrived home. It is a wonderful book, packed full of information and whimsy. It has some great information on mastic, the new cool ingredient that we were introduced to ages ago by Sean Brock, as well as many other native ingredients and flavor pairings. It is an irresistible read and it transports you to the Aegean Sea and beyond. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Greek cuisine.

Essence

I just finished reading Essence: Recipes From Le Champignon Sauvage by David Everitt-Matthias.  I have read it cover to cover, not wanting to miss any insights or sparks for ideas.  The book is also packed with information;  for me the wild foods glossary in the back of the book is truly essential.  The description of these wild ingredients as well as the integration into recipes is truly captivating.  This book is truly a catalyst for ideas.  In my case I burned through a post it note pad with ideas sparked and triggered by the writing and recipes in the book.  For me this book is a great springboard for thoughts on food and that is the essence of the book.

On a side note though of perhaps even greater importance is how David's cooking matured.  I  became truly inspired by his comments that when he stopped cooking for the guides and the critics and cooking for himself and what he liked to eat success began to come his way.  Simple.

Fredy Girardet

I truly cannot believe what I stumbled across today, but through Amazon there are fourteen copies (as of this writing) of the American translation of Fredy Girardet's first cookbook, starting at only five dollars.  If you do not know who he is that is alright, get the book and become inspired.

First Thoughts

I came across the first candid review of our new book  at Still Life With. It is interesting for us to get an outsiders honest opinion of the work we have assembled.  It is also interesting to look at what is in a critique.  For instance, the analysis of the book discusses the flawed nature of several photographs because of harsh shadows.  We actually sought this shadowy effect  in a number of our pictures to accent, sharpen and pique the arrangement of food on the plate.  So, although we can see how it might not be appealing to everyone, it was a conscious decision on our part. On the other hand, the comment about selective focussing is important.  We have been taking pictures for just under two years.  We are learning and can always get better.  Yes, we culled through our thousands of pictures to present what we believed to be our very best.  There are definitely flaws in some of the photos, and our photography is something that we constantly strive to improve.  The learning curve is apparent in the progression of our photographs over the course of the last two years. The improvements are due to repeated practice and tips and guidance from several readers of this website and a few professionals who took an interest in us. 

The book is not organized chronologically, rather it is organized by inspirational ingredients.  That being said, can you see the difference? We can clearly tell which photos are from the beginning and which ones are more recent. For us, the constant progression and development of our cooking, writing and photography is the crux of what we do here. In the end, no matter how long we do anything, we're all still students because there's always room for improvement. We appreciate that someone cared enough to write a review so quickly and we'll learn from those comments as we do from everything else. 

Ideas in Food, The Photographs

We decided to take advantage of modern technology and self-publish the first book ourselves. It's not a recipe book, although we're working on a few of those, it's a book of photographic inspirations. All of the pictures have been featured here on the site. We've picked our favorites and compiled them into an album of sorts, complete with menu descriptions so that you know what you're looking at.  Sometimes a picture is better than a recipe because it gives you a jumping off point without any constraints on your imagination. Alex was the architect, choosing and arranging the photos for your pleasure.  So, if you enjoy the site, please take a look at what we've created.  If you like it, you can purchase it here or use the bright blue button at the top of the page.  *the book is 172 pages long with 172 images and it is soft bound 

Attention to Detail

It arrived today.  The new book, In Search of Perfection  by Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck.  I have only taken a brief glance at a few of the recipes and stories and come to realize something quite profound.  Heston packages techniques, ideas, concepts and innovations in an approachable box.  Yet, if you open the box and look inside you begin to uncover stuff you should have thought of, techniques you should be using, methods which should be followed.  I plan to spend more time reading this book like a novel, I do that with cookbooks, though for now I want to let others know that this book is certainly worth getting.  The food is what you might consider simple.  Do not let that fool you.

Ginger Salt

So here is something interesting.  I picked up the new book from Michael Mina the other day.  Actually it arrived in the mail as most of our books do.  I opened the book and just began thumbing through the pages as I like to do with new books.  It gives me a quick glance at the book and either entices me to read further or set it aside for when my new book supply dwindles. 

Here is the rub.  As I turned the pages my head began to spin.  The book is organized in trios, an approach Mina takes to dishes at his eponymous restaurant.  The book has a lot going on.  At first I became daunted by the organization and complexity of the recipes.  Mind you I have not sat down and begun reading the book, I am just turning pages.  This is just my first reaction.  And I paused.  I came across a recipe for ginger salt.  In the book, Mina minces candied ginger and blends it with Hawaiian pink salt.  I found that to be quite clever and it sparked a number of ideas. 

What if instead of mincing candied ginger and blending it with salt, we soak the candied ginger in a salt solution, drain it, mince it and dehydrate it?  We will then have a sweet and salty ginger salt similar in texture to sel gris.  That excites me.  In fact, we could then extrapolate further and try soaking other dried fruits in the salt solution, adding some sweetener if necessary and then mincing and drying again.  We could make apple salt, apricot salt, strawberry salt, pineapple salt, the list goes on like the imagination.  And then, what if we used something like miso instead of salt in the solution?  Imagine the possibilities. 

So, I will go back and sit down with the book and take the time to delve into the writing and recipes.  If I am able to gain such a profound (at least for me) inspiration from just tripping over a recipe for a seasoning I can only imagine what other ideas will be inspired and unlocked from really paying attention.

Decadent

Perhaps it was last night's hard frost and the residual crisp morning air balanced by a hot latte which sparked thoughts of chocolate and baked goods.  As luck would have it a new book was waiting outside the kitchen door, equally affected by the hard frost, looking to be brought inside and put to use.  Mind you, the book is now lying on the counter next to me as I write this.  It has character.  I have only thumbed through the book, pausing to examine pictures and recipes, my mind full of sparks ignited by the clever ideas.  I only wish I had the time right now to sit down and read through the history woven through its pages.  This book just asks to be used. I can see it in a few months with the pages worn down and many of the recipes having become standards from which we can then use as is, or extrapolate from.  What book am I talking about?  It is The Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg. 

Time to stop writing and to start filling the guest house with the scents, aromas and pleasures to be produced from the guidelines within these pages.

Some Books

We have not taken the time recently to mention enough of the books which are catching our fancy.  Well, here is a brief list. 
Grand Livre de Cuisine, Pastries and Desserts by Alain Ducasse in English
El Bulli 2003-2004, by Ferran Adria  in English
White Slave, by Marco Pierre White
Made in Italy: Food and Stories, by Giorgio Locatelli
Happy in the Kitchen, by Michel Richard

An Honest Voice

You must stay true to your own voice.  This is true in cooking as in life.  It is difficult to be true to your own voice.  Life is full of influences, obstacles and trophy ceremonies all of which can alter an original voice.  I know recently I have been affected.  That is why my recent writing and observations about food have been lacking the personality and drive which is instrumental to our cuisine. 

I have been quite inspired by Aki's writing and integrity in discussing the turbulent world of food, its politics and which side of the line you should stand on.  Check out her eloquent response here.

My point is simply this, do what you truly believe in.  Live life and observe it with integrity.  And have fun doing it.

A writer with whom I should have been familiar with and was not is the late Laurie Colwin.  Yesterday evening Aki opened one of her books and placed it in my face and said read.  I could not stop reading the vignettes and stories, married with recipes and life.  I laughed, smiled and read aloud to Aki who knew most of the tales by heart and still became entranced in the world of the author.  Laurie Colwin has a voice which is honest and true and speaks to the reasons why I cook.  With that said, I must eagerly share these two books by Laurie Colwin: Home Cooking and More Home Cooking.  If Marco Pierre White were to have a feminine alter ego it might be close to this.  Oh yeah, all this and she makes creamed spinach with pickled jalapenos and Monterey Jack cheese.

An Essential Book

Yesterday we had the chance to steal away to Durango.  We were able to stock up on dog biscuits, paper towels and a bottle of Del Maguey Mezcal.  We also rummaged through several used bookstores looking to uncover a few hidden gems.  It is a good thing we did, for Aki found me another copy of Cutting Up In the Kitchen, by Merle Ellis.  This book is a hands on book for getting the most out of your meat.  It covers the basics and the obscure.  It answers questions.  It should be on everyone's bookshelf.  OK, at least everyone who is interested in meat, the variety of cuts and how to utilize most everything from an animal.

The other reason I mention this book is now I have two copies.  That means someone is going to be receiving a copy of this book from us in the near future.  The only question is why?  Stay tuned for the means in which you can try and earn a true cornerstone to your culinary collection.

Things we're reading this June

This category has been sorely neglected. We started it because research is such an integral part of cooking and yet somehow when we are actually at home with our books, we never remember to write about them.  So here's what we're reading this week...

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan. No surprise there, everyone seems to be reading this book. I'm still in the first section but I was surprised by how interesting the writing is and by how easy it is too read. I tend to glaze over and lose interest when reading textbook-like materials but this one is relatively engaging. Don't get me wrong, there's no powering through this book in a couple of sessions or reading it in bed in evenings.  But the information is well presented and definitely worth exploring.

In the same vein I am also reading Fields That Dream by Jenny Kurzweil.  This book is broken into short chapters that are snapshots of individual farms and skillfully weaves the individual stories into a portrait of American farming today. It is easy to read and painlessly weaves history and agricultural information into the individual profiles. This one actually does make good bedtime reading as it sends you off to dreamland with positive thoughts about how individuals really can make a difference in our food chain.

Alex is plugging through Emulsifiers and Enzymes, Two books from the Eagan Press Handbook Series. These are marketed as practical guides for the food industry and so they are.  They are slim volumes packed with practical and technical information for those of us who like to experiment with textures, flavors and food science. Also waiting in the wings are Fats and Oils, Sweeteners, Nutritive, Sweeteners, Alternative, High Fiber Ingredients , and Wheat Flour.  There is an abundance of information in these volumes and fortunately my husband has the patience and determination to wade through them.

On a lighter note we're both reading Starting From Scratch, secrets from 21 ordinary people who made the entrepreneurial leap, for inspiration and because everything can't always be about food. The stories are about real people who went out on a limb top start their own business's and became very successful in their chosen ventures. I love success stories because they make me feel as though anything really is possible.

Last but not least we have Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables  and Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini out on the dining room table because they wonderful reference books to have at your fingertips, especially at this time of year. You never know what new and interesting  kinds of produce will arrive at your doorstep and it behooves us to stay in the know. Besides the recipes and simple illustrations/photographs are inspirational all on their own.

Baking With Passion

This afternoon there was a book waiting for me in the mailbox.  It was Baker & Spice, Baking with Passion by Dan Lepard & Richard Whittington.    I opened it up for a brief scan to determine place in the list of books to  be read and an hour later I had finished it.  ( I read pretty quickly)  The history of the bakery and introduction to ingredients are tantalizing and evocative.  Admittedly I'm at a point where I can scan through the more technical sections just to see if there is any new information or perspectives because I have a pretty firm grasp of the standard information and techniques.  It's not a huge tome, there are only 160 pages.  Measurements are in grams and in ounces although they do not guarantee the conversions are perfect.  The book begins with breads, which are separated into those that use wild yeasts and those that use commercial yeasts.  It has some beautiful step by step photographs on handling the dough and encompasses recipes for both sweet and savory leanings.  The remainder of the book showcases cakes, cookies and pastries.  The photos make you want to run into the kitchen and pull out the sugar, butter and flour and dive in.  Everything looks so beautiful that you can almost feel yourself sinking your teeth into the chocolate caramel tart or licking the crumbs of puff pastry and cream from the chestnut mille feuilles off of your fingertips.  The best part?  I got this book for $4.79+shipping on Alibris.  As I write this the cheapest used book is now $5.44 with new copies beginning at $11.93.  At prices like these, if you love to bake or just to read about baking, you should get this book.  Even with the shipping, it's definitely worth it.