Cooking
Sour flavors are growing in popularity in the US and there’s a whole bunch of great cookbooks to help satisfy this flavor fixation.
Asian Pickles
Fermented Vegetables
What is kombucha? It’s a fermented tea with sugar and bacteria from a starter culture. This book, one of the first of its kind, not only shows you how to make kombucha but also what to do with it. There are recipes for kombucha based juices and smoothies, cocktails, dressing and even both savory and sweet dishes that use it as an ingredient. The recipes such as Long Kombucha Iced Tea and Vegan Kombucha Chèvre Spread are creative and appealing—so long as you like kombucha!
- Unusual Cookbooks Of 2015
Looking for something different? These are some of the more unusual cookbooks I came across this year. The Food of Oman is one of the most exciting cookbooks I saw this year, because I am so unfamiliar with the cuisine and the influences are...
- Winter Fancy Food Show 2015 Trends: Turmeric, Beef Jerky & Fermented Foods
Attending the Winter Fancy Food Show (which is a trade show for the specialty food association) is a terrific opportunity to see what's new and happening in the world of speciality food. The biggest trends I noticed this time...
- Pacific Merchants Fermentation Crock Giveaway!
Did you read my reviews of books on pickling and fermentation? The techniques are easy to master and the ingredients are not expensive, but there are some tools that are particularly helpful. One would be a fermentation crock. I was recently...
- Pack A Lunch! Cookbooks
It’s back to school and that means bag lunches. Or maybe like me, you don’t have school age kids, but still want to start packing lunch to take to work. It’s easy to get in a rut, but these three cookbooks offer many ways to jazz up your lunchbox. ...
- Diy Canning & Preserving 101
When I was growing up my mom grew her own vegetables and fruit, raised chickens, canned tomatoes and made everything from bread to soap. I have not quite followed in her footsteps, but now and again I take on a project or two. I've made orange marmalade...
Cooking
Pucker up! Pickling and Fermentation Cookbooks
Sour flavors are growing in popularity in the US and there’s a whole bunch of great cookbooks to help satisfy this flavor fixation.
Asian PicklesKaren Solomon has done it again. She has written yet another very informative and useful book in her inimitable personable and upbeat style. She balances solid information with a down-to-earth sometimes playful approach. Her books are always fun. In this book she offers up recipes for Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian and Southeast Asian pickles. There are very traditional recipes for things like Miso Pickles or Green Mango Pickle as well as her own creative “inspired” pickles like Five Spiced Pickled Carrots and Sichuan Cucumbers with Orange and Almonds. You’ll also find chutneys and sauces.
Bottom line? KEEPER unless you really don't like anything pickled.
Fermented VegetablesThe subtitle to this book is krauts, kimchis, brined pickles, chutneys, relishes and pastes. Interspersed in the book are visual guides and profiles of people who make pickles and the like. It’s a wonderful resource and filled with both the usual as well as the unexpected. If you have a subscription to a CSA or a bountiful garden you will particularly enjoy how this book provides recipes to use your overabundance of everything from basil leaves to winter squash. There are even some wacky dessert recipes like Sauerkraut Coconut Macaroons. I particularly like the suggestions for how you can create your own recipes using the ones in the book as a guide.
Bottom line? KEEPER especially if you are adventurous.
Pickles and Preserves
If you’re looking for something a little less exotic, Pickles & Preserves, a slim volume from the Savor the South series might be just the thing. It has recipes for classic Southern style pickles, relishes and chutneys. Dilly Beans, Pickled Okra, Watermelon Rind Pickles and Chow Chow. The recipes are easy to follow and well written. It's a short book, and narrowly focused.
Bottom line? MAYBE KEEP only if you’re a Southern pickle fan
Kombucha Revolution
What is kombucha? It’s a fermented tea with sugar and bacteria from a starter culture. This book, one of the first of its kind, not only shows you how to make kombucha but also what to do with it. There are recipes for kombucha based juices and smoothies, cocktails, dressing and even both savory and sweet dishes that use it as an ingredient. The recipes such as Long Kombucha Iced Tea and Vegan Kombucha Chèvre Spread are creative and appealing—so long as you like kombucha! Bottom line? MAYBE KEEP only if you are an avid kombucha fan (even though I love sour flavors, I'm not)
Disclaimer: These books were provided as review copies, there are affiliate links in this post.
- Unusual Cookbooks Of 2015
Looking for something different? These are some of the more unusual cookbooks I came across this year. The Food of Oman is one of the most exciting cookbooks I saw this year, because I am so unfamiliar with the cuisine and the influences are...
- Winter Fancy Food Show 2015 Trends: Turmeric, Beef Jerky & Fermented Foods
Attending the Winter Fancy Food Show (which is a trade show for the specialty food association) is a terrific opportunity to see what's new and happening in the world of speciality food. The biggest trends I noticed this time...
- Pacific Merchants Fermentation Crock Giveaway!
Did you read my reviews of books on pickling and fermentation? The techniques are easy to master and the ingredients are not expensive, but there are some tools that are particularly helpful. One would be a fermentation crock. I was recently...
- Pack A Lunch! Cookbooks
It’s back to school and that means bag lunches. Or maybe like me, you don’t have school age kids, but still want to start packing lunch to take to work. It’s easy to get in a rut, but these three cookbooks offer many ways to jazz up your lunchbox. ...
- Diy Canning & Preserving 101
When I was growing up my mom grew her own vegetables and fruit, raised chickens, canned tomatoes and made everything from bread to soap. I have not quite followed in her footsteps, but now and again I take on a project or two. I've made orange marmalade...