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Books that CookBy ELLEN FOLKMAN
© St. Petersburg Times, Comfort food and conversation
From soulful bowlfuls to chocolate chitchat, no culinary topic has been left out. You'll find recipes for dinner for two, fast family suppers, old-fashioned Sunday dinners, holiday entertaining and much more. Folksy anecdotes are scattered throughout the book. Comfort foods are the focus of Cook & Tell, and what makes this book even homier are the quotes from newsletter readers. Stories about kitchen triumphs and cooking tips on various recipes are helpful. "We just polished off the Pastor's Blueberry Pie. It's better than my 30-year standby" or "Put the sauteed portobello cap gill side up on the pita pocket, to collect all the cheese and chutney" are just two examples. There is a bit of elegance to this down-home cookbook. Cook & Tell suggests serving roast tenderloin of beef with horseradish cream, cranberry-glazed pork roast or turkey roasted with whole fruit and hot sausage stuffing for a holiday dinner. All may sound difficult, but they are made with familiar ingredients through well-explained steps. In fact, the most unusual ingredients are pearl barley and coarse-grind bulgur, both necessary for Three-Grain Casserole. If homemade goodies are what your family and friends look forward to, there is much to choose from, including White Chocolate Pretzel Bark, Kiwifruit Jam and Mrs. Russell's Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies. Do you entertain frequently? Guests will rave about Cream Cheese and Hot Pepper Jelly Tart, Party Cheese Crackers and Anchovy Olives, which could stand alone or be served in a martini. Whether you're cooking for family or friends, Cook & Tell has something for everyone. Chapter and verse on diabetic meals
Warshaw and Webb show that healthful eating doesn't have to be bland. Fall Spinach Salad, Seared Salmon with Asparagus and Green Onion, and Just Peachy Crisp would make a nice company menu for four. Your guests would never know the entire meal came from a cookbook for diabetics. The authors include two weeks' worth of menus for various calorie ranges. Low-Fat Buffalo Wings, Sun-Dried Tomato Spread, Smoky Cheese Dip or Marinated Steak Kebabs are all suitable for entertaining. The most versatile recipe is Chicken Salad 64+ Ways. Nothing is difficult to prepare, and most recipes average four steps. Important features of this book include discussions on butter versus margarine, fanciful fruits and folate, alcohol, how to find a dietitian and blood pressure. Helpful to all is the chapter on how to read food labels. Book teams up with Web site
The recipes will appeal to all skill levels. The ingredients are common and the directions easy to follow, with no more than 10 steps for each recipe. Some recipes have a Florida flair, such as Cracked Stone Crab with Dilled Mustard Sauce, Crab and Artichoke Balls with Key Lime Butter, and Key Lime Squares. Helpful hints accompany some recipes. For instance, the author writes that the Southwestern Vinaigrette for pasta salad is better the day after it's prepared. Other tips include simple substitutions, cooking techniques or presentation ideas. Another bonus is the inclusion of menus at the back of the book. Morgan offers four weeks' worth of menus, dinner party menus for four to six and crowd menus, among others. The Web site provides a place to leave comments about recipes and gives additional serving ideas. For example, a salmon spread recipe is found on Page 270 in the cookbook, and the Web site gives instruction on how to pipe the salmon spread onto cucumber rounds or on top of bruschetta for a different presentation. At Home in the Kitchen would be a versatile addition to your collection. Coupled with the Web site, it offers a plethora of entertaining and serving ideas. - Ellen Folkman's cookbook review column runs monthly in Taste.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
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From the Times Taste section From the features wire |
COOK & TELL by Karyl Bannister (Houghton Mifflin Company, $23) -- Author Karyl Bannister, creator of the "Cook & Tell" newsletter, has put her stamp on a cookbook of the same name.
THE DIABETES FOOD & NUTRITION BIBLE: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO PLANNING, SHOPPING, COOKING AND EATING by Hope S. Warshaw and Robyn Webb American Diabetes Association ($18.95) -- Yes, The Diabetes Food & Nutrition Bible targets diabetics. However, for anyone striving for more healthful eating habits, this cookbook may be invaluable. Authors Hope S. Warshaw and Robyn Webb bring a wealth of knowledge about diabetes, health and fitness to this compilation. The recipes include nutritional information, sized to aid blood sugar control and weight loss along with the official American Diabetes Association exchanges.
AT HOME IN THE KITCHEN, by Jorj Morgan (Cumberland House, $18.95) -- Jorj Morgan's At Home in the Kitchen is one of the few cookbooks on the market with a companion Web site (
