Summer on a Plate: More than 120 delicious, no-fuss recipes for memorable meals from Loaves and Fishes
by Anna Pump
from Simon & Schuster
Wherever you are, summer is a time to savor longer days and lazy weekends. Fresh produce abounds, and life moves at a more relaxed pace. Anna Pump, proprietor of the iconic Loaves & Fishes store on Long Island, has catered to a devoted clientele of Hamptons weekenders for more than twenty-five years and understands summer's rhythms. She knows that while you may want to enjoy a picnic on the beach or a late supper on the porch, you don't want to spend the entire day in the kitchen, painstakingly preparing elaborate dishes. In Summer on a Plate she shares more than 120 recipes for delicious, no-fuss, memorable meals that celebrate the bounty of summer.
Anna never confuses simple with ordinary. A distinctive first course of Avocado Mousse and Shrimp on Tortilla Chips comes together in a flash. Chilled Tomato and Cucumber Soup with Seasoned Croutons makes a light and refreshing midday meal, and Spicy Corn Fritters with Salmon Caviar Dip are just the thing to set out for your weekend guests when a sunny Saturday on the beach turns into breezy evening on the deck.
Many dishes can go straight from the grill to the table, like Grilled Tenderloin of Beef with Fresh Herb Sauce or Perfect Whole Grilled Chicken with Plum Chutney. In the mood for seafood? Halibut Baked with Olives, Lemons, and Fresh Basil is a snap to prepare and full of fresh flavors. And what would summer be without salads? Serve Black Mission Figs with Goat Cheese and Upland Cress to begin a dinner party, while the Magret of Duck and Wild Rice Salad or the Asian-Flavor Beef, Pepper, and Spinach Salad are meals in themselves.
If your favorite part of the meal is dessert (like Anna!) you won't be disappointed. Chocolate Chunk Orange Cake is a sweet ending to any meal (or even a sweet breakfast) and is just as satisfying with a cup of midafternoon coffee. Rhubarb Blueberry Pie or a Peach Tart with Almond Topping and a Cookie Crust take advantage of the best of summer fruits. The Coconut Lemon Layer Cake is a showstopper, or you can opt for a simple dish of dead-ripe berries lavished with a dollop of Crème Fraîche.
Put summer on your plate and enjoy everything the season has to offer.
Park Avenue Potluck: Recipes from New York's Savviest Hostesses
by The Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering
from Rizzoli
To benefit America’s leading center for the research and treatment of all types of cancer, here is a cookbook with a cause par excellence. The members of The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center are some of the most celebrated partygivers in New York City’s fundraising world. Now the ladies of the society have opened up their private recipe files to present foolproof dishes that will turn any event–whether a cocktail party for sixty or a comforting family meal–into the talk of the town. Edited by acclaimed food writer Florence Fabricant, Park Avenue Potluck is filled with such recipes as Cheddar Chutney Croustades, Baked Spinach Risotto, Cider Roasted Pork Tenderloin, and Bermuda Banana Bread Pudding. This unprecedented peek into the dining rooms of Gotham’s poshest addresses offers up advice on entertaining in true New York style. Among the boldface names contributing are Coco Kopelman, Muffie Potter Aston, Nicole Limbocker, Daisy Soros, Patsy Warner, Alexis Waller, and Katie Colgate. Humorous anecdotes, insider tidbits, and party-planning advice from these grand dames make this the season’s choicest invitation.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse
by John Stage
from Ten Speed Press
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que kicked into gear in 1983 when John Stage, a Harley-loving biker with a taste for barbecue, took to the road cooking sandwiches on a sawed-in-half 55-gallon drum at "biker gigs" up and down the East Coast. Stage sampled world-class barbecue in Virginia, Texas, North Carolina, and Memphis, soaking up "the Southern barbecue vibe" (and picking up Creole, Asian, and Cuban influences along the way) before setting up shop in Syracuse, New York, in 1988. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse captures the reach-out-and-taste-it smell of slow-cooked barbecue that hits you two blocks away from the "genuine honky-tonk rib joint," where outfront a row of gleaming Harleys stand at attention and inside a sassy, ready-to-bust-your-chops wait staff cuts through the eclectic crowd of bikers, students, suits, and blues lovers (there's live music almost nightly), serving up half-racks of Dinosaur-Style Ribs, Texas Beef Brisket, and Honey Hush Corn Bread.
Between recipes for Drunken Spicy Shameless Shrimp with Brazen Cocktail Sauce and Not Your Mama's Meatloaf are samples of the restaurant's infamous restroom graffiti ("When life gives you lemons... add vodka") and photos of staff tattoos. Stage and coauthor Nancy Radke realize that not all backyard grill masters own smokers, let alone the kind of hickory-log-fueled industrial pits at the Dinosaur (nicknamed "The Coffin" and "The Doghouse"), so they present home cooks with a helpful Techniques of Outdoor Cookin' section that offers advice on how to grill and smoke with wood chips.
And no matter the season, this cookbook will quickly become a dog-eared favorite, as many of the more than 100 recipes are perfect for indoor cooking anytime of the year. Whip up a batch of the all-purpose Mutha Sauce (a versatile starting off point for many of the dishes) and you'll have enough ammunition for a weekend's worth of recipes. If you want to come any closer to living the complete Dinosaur experience at home, you'll need a Harley out front, a cold beer in hand, and Roosevelt Dean and the Spellbinders jammin' in the living room. --Brad Thomas Parsons
Where can you show up for world-class barbecue, stick around for the blues, and shut the place down philosophizing with some colorful characters? At Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, of course-the renowned Syracuse-based honky-tonk rib joint just hankering to share its BBQ excellence with folks outside the state. In DINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE: AN AMERICAN ROADHOUSE you'll find the secrets to their succulent pit-smoked specialties in recipes you can fire up in your own backyard. Join Spiceman John Stage on a journey into the world of low and slow barbecue and fast and furious grillin'. Along the way , you'll soak up the Dino vibe as John shows you how to rev-up traditional barbecue sauce to create such dishes as World Famous Dinosaur Ribs; Black & Blue Pan-Seared Beef Tenderloins; Drunken Spicy Shameless Shrimp with Brazen Cocktail Sauce; and Grill-Smoked Salmon with Chile-Lime Booster Sauce. So grab that way-too-clean apron off its hook and get ready to flip, slop, slather and slide your way to BBQ heaven. After all, it ain't barbecue 'til you get some on you!
Moosewood Restaurant New Classics
by Moosewood Collective
from Clarkson Potter
Not since their phenomenally successful Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites has Ithaca, New York’s, famed Moosewood Collective assembled such a comprehensive and appealing group of recipes -- all brand-new. Crowd-pleasing fare like Moosewood Muffins, savory risottos, satisfying main-dish salads, and two dozen one-dish meals are just some of the standout recipes in this indispensable collection of easy-to-make dishes. From breakfast to snacks, quick dinners and showstopping entreés to homey desserts, these are recipes cooks will reach for time and again.
As always, Moosewood Collective’s enticing, flavorful fare draws on a diversity of culinary traditions. The flavors of Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas make for food that is up-to-date and exciting.
Complete with fascinating bits of multicultural food lore, time-saving tips, and interesting side notes gleaned from The Collective’s many years as culinary pioneers, Moosewood Restaurant New Classics is an essential resource for every contemporary cook.
From the Hardcover edition.
The Candle Cafe Cookbook: More Than 150 Enlightened Recipes from New York's Renowned Vegan Restaurant
by Joy Pierson
from Clarkson Potter
It's hard enough to satisfy choosy diners at a hot New York restaurant—imagine having to do it without using meat, fish, dairy, or eggs! The Candle Cafe has been doing just that for years, offering vegan food that has earned the praise of food critics, celebrities, and countless New Yorkers.
The food at the Candle Cafe expands the horizons of vegan cuisine, proving that the healthiest food can also be the most flavorful and satisfying. From delectable appetizers like Quesadillas stuffed with Portobellos and Red Peppers and Tofu Satay with Coconut-Peanut Sauce to classic dips like Hummus and Babaganoush, veggan cooking never tasted this good. Even the soups are special—Spring Vegetable Minestrone Soup is filled with fresh flavor, and Butternut Squash Soup gets a kick from toasted pumpkin seeds. Hearty, satisfying sandwiches and main courses like Barbecued Tempeh-Chipotle Burgers with Grilled Pineapple, Porcini Mushroom Stroganoff, and Indian Eggplant Curry are infused with delicious flavors from around the world. For dessert, treats like Chocolate Mousse Pie and Lemon-Tofu Cheesecake with Blood Orange Glaze are creamy and indulgent.
With helpful tips on cooking beans and grains, a full glossary of ingredients, and plenty of color photographs, The Candle Cafe Cookbook is a treasure trove of vegan recipes that have been drawing crowds and raves for years.
The Frog Commissary Cookbook
by Steven Poses
from Camino Books
Originally published in 1985, The Frog Commissary Cookbook harks back to a time when a reader wouldn't be too likely to choke upon reading a chowder recipe that called for a quart of half-and-half. Those were the days, author Steven Poses suggests in his foreword, when you could graduate from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in sociology, put in some time in the Peace Corps and the antiwar movement, work your way up from busboy to sous chef in a mainstream French restaurant and, with a copy of Jane Jacob's Death and Life of Great American Cities tucked under one arm and a total investment of $35,000, open a restaurant all your own in Philadelphia. Such was the success of Frog, its eclectic menu reaching out to many a flavor-starved palate, that seven years later Poses could reopen with a $1 million budget and expand into other restaurant ventures.
The Frog Commissary Cookbook rises out of the experience of Poses's restaurants and catering business. It's not an easy collection to finger, to size up and categorize with a single swipe of the pen. And that makes for some exciting page turning. This would be a good book to have on the shelf and open when you simply don't know what to do or what you are looking for.
You'll find goodies like Bourbon Pecans (this "Hors d'Oeuvres" section ends with 25 quick ideas; the same is true of the "Salads" and "Pizzas" sections), Chicken in Romaine Leaves with Lime Hot Sauce, Corn and Clam Chowder, a plethora of creative salads and dressings, Seafood Stew with Aioli, Stir-fried Duck with Chinese Sausage, Italian Scrambled Eggs with Asparagus and Prosciutto, and Pumpkin Waffles. This book is all over the place, leaving a trail of deliciousness in its wake.
According to Poses, exemplary care was taken to work out the recipes in an apartment kitchen and not on a professional stove. While all the recipes have proved popular over the years in Poses's restaurants, they were all written from scratch for the home cook. --Schuyler Ingle
A little storefront restaurant opened in a downtown neighborhood of Philadelphia in 1973. It was simply named Frog. Out of that little eatery grew a collection of some of America's most innovative and successful restaurants, including Frog, The Commissary, and a catering operation known as Frog/Commissary Catering. From their founding chef/restaurateur, Steven Poses, and his colleagues Anne Clark and Becky Roller, comes a sumptuous cookbook that brings together hundreds of kitchen-tested recipes, tips, and information about their personal approach to food preparation.
Organized by meal course, the book contains a multitude of creative recipes, adapted for serving at home and reflecting a quixotic, multiethnic blend of foods and ingredients. Full of insider tips on food preparation and service and delightful anecdotes, this bountiful feast of information is also a lavish treat for the eyes, with Becky Roller's wonderful drawings and calligraphy gracing each page. The Frog/Commissary Cookbook is the perfect introduction to a very special culinary world--and the ideal addition to every cook's home library.
Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food: An Opinionated History and More Than 100 Legendary Recipes
by Arthur Schwartz
from Stewart, Tabori & Chang
Throughout the book, Schwartz’s text is transporting, taking readers back to Delmonico’s, the Colony, and the Horn & Hardart Automats. Whether revealing how an obscure dish known as Omelet Surprise was transformed into the decidedly chichi dessert Baked Alaska; investigating why some Jewish restaurants came to be known as Roumanian steakhouses; or instructing readers on the way to bake a molten chocolate minicake worthy of Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Arthur Schwartz’s New York City Food is the ideal dining companion.
From Amish And Mennonite Kitchens
by Phillis Pellman Good
from Good Books
Amish and Mennonite cooking feeds the soul as well as the body. The delicious, traditional recipes in this very popular collection produce dishes that are sturdy and basic, yet full of flavor, affection, and warm memories. Here are easy-to-follow, from-scratch recipes for breads, soups, salads, vegetables, meats and main dishes, casseroles, pies, cakes, cookies, and desserts, as well as jams, jellies, and relishes, candies, beverages, and snacks.
Williams-Sonoma New York: Authentic Recipes Celebrating the Foods of the World (Williams-Sonoma Foods of the World)
by Carolynn Carreno
from Oxmoor House
Known as much for its pizza, bagels, and baklava as for its dazzling restaurants, New York has always inspired culinary heights. Williams-Sonoma New York, which includes recipes such as Puerto Rican Black Bean Soup, New York Cheesecake, and more sophisticated fare like Polenta Crostini with Chanterelles, is a celebration of the big apple and its favorite foods.
New Firefighter's Cookbook
by John Sineno
from Fireside
A feast of 200 hearty, easy-to-prepare recipes from the kitchen of New York City's "Cooking Fireman"
John Sineno, a twenty-eight-year veteran of the fire department and an award-winning cook, is known as "Mama Sineno" because he looks after his firefighting "family" as if he were their mom. Though his days of putting out fires are over, he hasn't hung up his apron and continues to satisfy the appetites of his hardworking colleagues. In this new edition of The Firefighter's Cookbook, John shares old and new favorite recipes from his own kitchen and the kitchens of other firefighting chefs. Ignite your creative juices with dishes like:
* Shrimp and Sun-dried Tomato Sauce
* Corcoran's Irish Soda Bread
* Chicken with Walnuts
* Firehouse Pot Roast
* Italian Spinach Pie
* Chicken Enchiladas
* John's Famous No-Bake Rice Pudding
+++
