Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes

The answers to many kitchen conundrums in one easy-to-use volume, from the author of the acclaimed culinary bible "On Food and Cooking. "
From our foremost expert on the science of cooking, Harold McGee, "Keys to Good Cooking" is a concise and authoritative guide designed to help home cooks navigate the ever-expanding universe of ingredients, recipes, food safety, and appliances, and arrive at the promised land of a satisfying dish.
A work of astounding scholarship and originality, "Keys to Good Cooking" directly addresses the cook at work in the kitchen and in need of quick and reliable guidance. Cookbooks past and present frequently contradict one another about the best ways to prepare foods, and many contain erroneous information and advice.
"Keys to Good Cooking" distills the modern scientific understanding of cooking and translates it into immediately useful information. Looking at ingredients from the mundane to the exotic, McGee takes you from market to table, teaching, for example, how to spot the most delectable asparagus (choose thick spears); how to best prepare the vegetable (peel, don't snap, the fibrous ends; broiling is one effective cooking method for asparagus and other flat-lying vegetables); and how to present it (coat with butter or oil after cooking to avoid a wrinkled surface). This book will be a requisite countertop resource for all home chefs, as McGee's insights on kitchen safety in particular-"reboil refrigerated meat or fish stocks every few days. (They're so perishable that they can spoil even in the refrigerator.); Don't put ice cubes or frozen gel packs on a burn. (Extreme cold can cause additional skin damage")-will save even the most knowledgeable home chefs from culinary disaster.
A companion volume to recipe books, a touchstone that helps cooks spot flawed recipes and make the best of them, "Keys to Good Cooking" will be of use to cooks of all kinds: to beginners who want to learn the basics, to weekend cooks who want a quick refresher in the basics, and to accomplished cooks who want to rethink a dish from the bottom up. With "Keys to Good Cooking" McGee has created an essential guide for food lovers everywhere. (Check Catalog)

The Sunset Cookbook: Over 1,000 Fresh, Flavorful Recipes for the Way You Cook Today

The Sunset Cookbook is the first masterwork collection of recipes selected from the extensive archives of Sunset magazine. With over 1,000 recipes from the more than 110 years of the magazine's history, this book represents the best of American cooking, both its traditional cookery and its culinary inventiveness. Fueled by local ingredients, the creativity of its cooks, and diverse ethnic influences, from Native American to Mexican to Polynesian to Asian, American cooking has come into its own, and Sunset has been there from the beginning.The Sunset Cookbook covers everything from appetizers to preserves and pickles as well as Sunset's unique approach to fresh eating, which can be found in dishes like vegetarian main courses-such as stews, salads, pastas, stir-fries, and casseroles. Included are more than 100 recipes for the grill, like Grilled Oysters with Chipotle Glaze, Hoppin' Wine-Smoked Turkey, and classic Santa Maria Barbecue, made with beef tri-tip; recipes based on fresh local ingredients such as Pan-fried Trout with Smoked Salmon, Baby Artichoke Antipasto, Soy Mustard-Glazed Buffalo; and favorite dishes that found their start in the West such as Cedar-Planked Salmon, Baja Fish Tacos, and Baked Chiles Rellenos, just to name a few. Long-awaited by Sunset readers and packed with signature recipes, The Sunset Cookbook is sure to take its place among the classics and appeal to the new generation of home cooks across the country who have grown up on fresh flavors that are the hallmark of new American cooking. (Check Catalog)

Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day: Fast and Easy Recipes for World-Class Breads

"Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day" distills the renowned baking instructor' s professional techniques down to the basics, delivering artisan bread recipes that anyone with flour and a fridge can make and bake with ease.
Reinhart begins with the simplest French bread, then moves on to familiar classics such as ciabatta, pizza dough, and soft sandwich loaves, and concludes with fresh specialty items like pretzels, crackers, croissants, and bagels. Each recipe is broken into "Do Ahead" and "On Baking Day" sections, making every step--from preparation through pulling pans from the oven-a breeze, whether you bought your loaf pan yesterday or decades ago. These doughs are engineered to work flawlessly for busy home bakers: most require only a straightforward mixing and overnight fermentation. The result is reliably superior flavor and texture on par with loaves from world-class artisan bakeries-and all with little hands-on time.
America's favorite baking instructor and innovator Peter Reinhart offers new time-saving techniques accompanied by full-color, step-by-step photos throughout so that in no time you'll be producing fresh batches of: Sourdough Baguettes - 50% and 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Loaves - Soft and Crusty Cheese Bread - English Muffins - Cinnamon Buns - Panettone - Hoagie Rolls - Chocolate Cinnamon Babka - Fruit-Filled Thumbprint Rolls - Danish - Best-Ever Biscuits
Best of all, these high-caliber doughs improve with a longer stay in the fridge, so you can mix once, then portion, proof, and bake whenever you feel like enjoying a piping hot treat. (Check Catalog)

Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies

Medrich presents a compendium of exciting and enticing cookie recipes that reflects every aspect of our widening culinary landscape. Whole-grain flours as well as wheat-free alternatives are becoming more and more prevalent, and people are more often exposed and open to exotic spices and unique flavor combinations. Nibby buckwheat butter cookies, golden kamut shortbread, honey hemp bars, and whole wheat biscotti showcase whole-grain flours, while wheat-free versions of rugelach, toffee bars, butter cookies, and caramel cheesecake bars (just to scratch the surface) aim to please an increasing number of gluten-intolerant dessert lovers. There's a good chunk of dairy-free cookies as well as lower-fat versions (two Weight Watchers points, to be exact). Comfortingly, there are also homey recipes for classic peanut butter cookies, cakey brownies, and rocky road bars. Flavor combos are intriguing, as in the wheat-free grapefruit and basil butter cookies, aniseed and almond shortbread, and nutty cocoa cookie bark with Parmesan and sea salt. The recipes are organized by texture, hence the title, but there's also a section grouping cookies into categories like those containing whole grains, those that keep at least two weeks, ridiculously quick and easy cookies, and cookies to make with kids. This book has redesigned and reframed the often-overlooked cookie and is a boon to the modern, conscious baker. (Check Catalog)

Fannie's Last Supper: Re-Creating One Amazing Meal from Fannie Farmer's 1896 Cookbook

Kimball, founder of Cook's Illustrated and host of the PBS series America's Test Kitchen, spent more than two years of "research, recipe testing, and intense planning" in order to host a Victorian dinner based on the recipes of Fannie Farmer, author of The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, which was first published in 1896. Kimball is as exhaustive in his research as he is in one of his own test recipes for Cook's Illustrated, and fans of his work will appreciate his attention to even the smallest morsel of information. Kimball is off on a culinary and historical adventure as he literally traces Fannie Farmer's steps around Boston at the turn of the century, regaling the reader with a history of Boston, observations of the Victorian character, manner of dress, and cooking implements and appliances available. In the meantime, his own team has been assembled and they are methodically testing recipes and ingredients in Kimball's 1859 red-brick Boston bowfront. All this work culminates in a foodie's dream dinner party, complete with Victorian plate settings, an all-star guest list, and 12 courses you won't find in any restaurant today. A must-read for history buffs, home cooks, and professional chefs alike. (Check Catalog)

The Everything Diabetes Cookbook ( Everything (Cooking) ) (2ND ed.)

Scalpi, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, revises her 2002 guide with 100 new recipes and updated medical information. She discusses types of diabetes, food labels, the Glycemic Index, and shopping. Recipes, which are written for beginners and offer nutritional information (with PCF Ratio), include Southwest Black Bean Burgers, Asian-Style Fish Cakes (which are made with catfish, banana pepper, ginger, lemon juice, and garlic cloves), and Key Lime Pie (using Splenda instead of sugar). Scalpi also lists recommended websites, online sources for ingredients and equipment, and exchange lists. Highly recommended for its variety of flavorful recipes and useful resources. (Check Catalog)

Cake Pops by Bakerella: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats

What's cuter than a cupcake? A cake pop, of course! Wildly popular blogger Bakerella (aka Angie Dudley) has turned cake pops into an international sensation! Cute little cakes on a stick from decorated balls to more ambitious shapes such as baby chicks, ice cream cones, and even cupcakes these adorable creations are the perfect alternative to cake at any party or get-together. Martha Stewart loved the cupcake pops so much she had Bakerella appear on her show to demonstrate making them. Now Angie makes it easy and fun to recreate these amazing treats right at home with clear step-by-step instructions and photos of more than 40 featured projects, as well as clever tips for presentation, decorating, dipping, coloring and melting chocolate, and much more. (Check Catalog)

Thai Street Food: Authentic Recipes, Vibrant Traditions

Thai Street Food transports readers straight into the bustling heart of Thailand's colorful street stalls and markets--from the predawn rounds of monks fanning out along the aisles to the made-to-order stalls ablaze in neon and jammed with hungry locals after dark. Featuring nearly 100 authentic dishes plus lavish photography accompanying every recipe, this stunning cookbook is the definitive guide to Thailand's culinary street culture. The recipes, such as Steamed Fish with Chilli and Lime Sauce, Pork Satay, Roast Duck and Egg Noodle Soup, and Sweet Banana Roti illuminate the beguiling world of food so integral to the Thais.
Scholar and chef  David Thompson lives with a singular passion for Thailand's customs, culture, and people. Although he claims "It's all about the food," this ambitious work shares his insights into the rhythms and nuances of Thai daily life along with a fascinating history of its richly diverse street cuisine. This cookbook is a tempting, inspiring, and authoritative account of Thai street food, the vibrant culinary mosaic rich with community. (Check Catalog)

Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook: Crazy Delicious Recipes That Are Good to the Earth and Great for Your Bod

After five years atop the "Skinny Bitch" phenomenon, author Kim Barnouin has grown as a cook, a nutritionist, and a mom. Now she delivers the "Ultimate" cookbook that will be for everyone looking for a healthier way to feed themselves, their families, and friends. Kim's emphasis is on "easy," and her kick-ass recipes feature seasonal produce (no fake meat or hard-to-find ingredients) and provide a versatility of tastes and cuisines, from Mediterranean to California-fresh. With almost 150 recipes, full-color photos, complete nutritional breakdowns, and simple "switch-outs" for quick variations, it will be the new "gotta have" on any healthy bitch's bookshelf. Whether readers are looking to gradually add more meatless dishes to their meals, or want to go "all-out" vegan, "Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook" will be their "go-to" source for getting their "bitch" on--in the kitchen. (Check Catalog)

The Everything Cast-Iron Cookbook

Every chef worth her skillet knows cast iron beats nonstick every time! In The Everything Cast-Iron Cookbook, you'll learn how easy it is to create healthy and delicious recipes with these versatile pans. Food writer and cast-iron enthusiast Cinnamon Cooper shows you how to make 300 mouth-watering recipes, including:

• Quinoa and Beef-Stuffed Acorn Squash
• Seared and Roasted Pork Belly
• Smoked Turkey Chili
• Roasted Tomatillo and Green Chili Sauce
• Icelandic Sugar-Glazed Potatoes
• Shrimp and Avocado Pasta with a Tequila Tomato Sauce
• Fresh Fig Muffins
• Upside-Down Apple Pie

From fried chicken as scrumptious as Grandma's to spicy exotic Palak Paneer, these recipes will satisfy all year long. And this cookbook guides you though purchasing, seasoning, and cleaning your cast-iron pans. Cooking with cast iron proves what once was old is new again! (Check Catalog)