New Cookbooks for Fall 2017

Here are a half dozen new cookbooks:

HOLIDAY COOKIES by Elisabet der Nederlanden (Ten Speed Press, Sept. 5) is a delight to browse since it is filled with absolutely wonderful pictures of roughly 50 different delicious treats.  In particular, I am looking forward to trying Red Velvet Crackle Cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies, and Citrus Sugar Cookie Ornaments, all variations on long-time family favorites. Each recipe is nicely outlined, with ingredients, any special equipment and steps in the process carefully delineated. In chapters like “Very Merry Classics”, “Warm Holiday Spice,” and “Around the World,” der Nederlanden includes tips for decorating, packaging and storing her “show-stopping recipes to sweeten the season.”

STOCK THE CROCK by Phyllis Good (Time, Inc., Sept. 5) contains 100 “must-have slow-cooker recipes”, complete with variations for picky eaters, vegans and more. Wow!  This collection not only covers a range of appetites, but also features choices from starters to dessert for a great variety. I plan to begin by trying Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Red Onions, and look forward to Beef and Barley Stew, Basic Chicken and Salsa, Honey Baked Chicken, Mexican Pot Roast, Super-Simple Pulled Pork and more. Good also includes colorful photos and comments about most of the recipes; plus each has information on number served, prep time and cooking time in an easy to read chart. She usually mentions “simple swaps,” encouraging the cook to personalize these great recipes.

CHICAGO FOOD ENCYCLOPEDIA by Carol Mighton Haddix, Bruce Kraig, and Colleen Taylor Sen (University of Illinois, Sept. 15) has already gained positive reviews from Richard Melman and Rick Bayless. Its introduction includes a nice timeline of related food events (e.g., the first Taste of Chicago) and text summarizing different time periods (e.g., Speakeasy era) in Chicago’s food history. Although filled with facts (such as Chicago was the world’s fastest growing city between 1830 and 1890 and there are 19,000 restaurants in the Chicago area today), the majority of this book consists of rather short encyclopedia like entries (e.g., Ann Sather, Baby Ruth Bar, Ballpark Food, Jewel-Osco, William Wrigley Jr. Company); many have some suggestions for further reading.  Also included are two appendices: one with a list of local historic homes (often with tours or recipe archives) and one with price comparisons over time.  There is an extensive list of contributors who supported the three knowledgeable editors (Haddix was the Chicago Tribune food editor from 1980 to 2011), and a selected bibliography.  We will have a copy of CHICAGO FOOD ENCYCLOPEDIA in the library soon since it will be of interest and use for classes due to the local focus.

THE DINNER PLAN by Kathy Brennan and Caroline Campion (Abrams, Sept. 19) is subtitled “Simple Weeknight Recipes and Strategies for Every Schedule” so it definitely caught my attention. However, I thought the number of ingredients per recipe seemed relatively large.  What does help is the very useful Pantry List - getting organized with those ingredients may indeed make the cooking task less daunting. Brennan and Campion also take special care to label recipes as “extra fast” and “one dish,” for example. Within each recipe, there are helpful notes about “make ahead” or “staggered” directions.  They also suggest some “back pocket” favorites like Shrimp Scampi, Skillet Chicken Parm, or Frittata. Ingredient lists and oven temperatures are listed in both US and European measures which blend nicely with the mix of choices across cultures.

THE ESSENTIAL THYROID COOKBOOK by Lisa Markley and Jill Grunewald (Greenleaf/Blue Wheel, Sept. 19) is geared towards people with Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's, with almost three-quarters of the book related to background information on thyroid disease and various nutrients, leaving only about 75 pages for recipes, often with specialized ingredients.  Clearly these authors are passionate about nutrition, health and sustainability.

SHEET PAN SUPPERS MEATLESS by Raquel Pelzel (Workman, Oct. 3) offers recipes for 100 vegetarian meals “straight from the oven.” Vegan and/or gluten free designations appear for almost half of the recipes. Pelzel also draws on her Chicago and Middle Eastern heritage in her choice of some ingredients like ground sumac. She advocates the use of a 13 by 18 half sheet pan and offers suggestions for meatless choices as snacks, salads, veggies, pasta, breakfasts and desserts. Note, a previous favorite from this publisher is Leanne Brown’s Good and Cheap.