FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Cookbooks that tickle the taste buds
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
If you've got foodie friends, there is no shortage of fall releases to consider as holiday or host/hostess gifts. This is the third in a series of columns on the pluses and minuses of new books I've seen.
"Saffron Shores" by Joyce Goldstein. Chronicle Books, hardback, $35. Subtitle: "Jewish Cooking of the Southern Mediterranean." Joyce Goldstein is a well-known chef, writer and restaurateur (Square One).
Pluses: The author of "Cucina Ebraica" and "Sephardic Flavors" explores more cooking traditions from the Jewish diaspora, this time from the Maghrebi cooking of North Africa — Morocco, Algeria and elsewhere in the region where the prized spice saffron originated. Intriguing recipes and historic information.
Down sides: Annoyingly tiny type and all-capitals ingredient lists. Run-on recipes that require you to turn the page while you're cooking.
"The Il Fornaio Pasta Book" by Maurizio Mazzon. Chronicle Books, hardback, $27.50. Subtitle: "Authentic Recipes Celebrating Italy's Regional Pasta Dishes."
Pluses: If you've ever wanted to duplicate the pastas, gnocchi and pasta dishes you've enjoyed in fine Italian restaurants, this beautifully designed book, by the chef who supervises the kitchens of the acclaimed Il Fornaio restaurant chain, is a must-have. Photos for almost every recipe — very helpful. Unusual recipes. Exceptional food photography. Guide to pastas, ingredients, tools.
Down side: Some will find the long ingredient lists and procedures daunting. Almost too beautiful to cook from (use a cookbook holder).
"Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine" by Susanna Foo. Houghton Mifflin, paperback, $20. Subtitle: "The Fabulous Flavors and Innovative Recipes of North America's Finest Chinese Cook." A collection of unorthodox Chinese-style dishes from the chef-owner of Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine in Philadelphia.
Pluses: Very informative; Foo really knows ingredients. Nice balance of easier to more daunting recipes. Some low-fat options offered. Sidebars discuss technique, food history, ingredients. Each recipe introduced with detailed description, personal reminiscences.
Down sides: Smallish type. Recipes jump from page to page.
Next week: The new "Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook."
