The Saucier's Apprentice: One Long Strange Trip Through the Great Cooking Schools of Europe

by Bob Spitz

Summer calls for light reading, and for foodies, The Saucier's Apprentice: One Long Strange Trip Through the Great Cooking Schools of Europe (W.W. Norton, 2008; $24.95 hardcover) may be just the ticket. In his entertaining travelogue, writer and food lover Bob Spitz chronicles his personal journey through the famed cooking schools, idyllic villages and abundant markets of Europe. Having turned 50, struggled through a divorce and survived a second broken heart, Spitz turns to food and cooking as both distraction and therapy. With wit, good humor and plenty of outstanding recipes, he takes readers along for the ride.

Twinkie, Deconstructed

by Steve Ettinger

A very different type of journey is chronicled in Twinkie, Deconstructed (Plume, 2008; $15 softcover), in which Steve Ettinger devotes a chapter for each of the 26 ingredients in the "food product" we know as a Twinkie. What started as a desire to answer his daughter's question ("Daddy, what's polysorbate 60?") turned into a personal quest to discover what's behind the cryptic labels found on thousands of products that fill supermarket shelves. The Twinkie, that iconic "food," was the perfect vehicle for Ettinger's culinary science experiment.

Kitchen Literacy: How We Lost Knowledge Of Where Food Comes From and Why We Need To Get It Back

by Ann vileisis

Author Ann Vileisis offers an historical food journey of sorts. Beginning with information gleaned from the diary of an eighteenth-century New England farm wife, Vileises traces our loss of connection to the foods we eat through the growth of American cities, the industrial age, home economics classes and advertising campaigns of the 1950s, and the rise of convenience and packaged foods. She concludes with an optimistic look at how we Americans are beginning to rediscover and reconnect to the sources of our foods. It's a fascinating examination of how our awareness of food has changed over the course of just 200 years.

Outstanding in the Field

by Jim Denevan

There are many farm-to-table cookbooks out there, but Outstanding in the Field (Clarkson Potter, 2008; $32.50 hardcover) is unique. For starters, it's a companion book to an organization by the same name, which organizes farm dinners that are held literally on the farm (or ranch or vineyard)--dinners in which the farmers, the chefs and the guests share one big family-style table, often alongside rows of squash or corn. The man behind it, Jim Denevan, zigzags around the country creating these dinners. Often, Denevan is not the primary chef--he prefers to find a local chef who knows the region, its cuisine and perhaps the farm--but he is still an accomplished one, as evidenced by the 100 original recipes, all gleaned from the dozens of feasts that Denevan has organized.

Renewing America's Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent's Most Endangered Foods

by Gary Paul Nabhan

A collaboration among several organizations, including Slow Food U.S.A. and Seed Savers International, the book seeks to raise awareness about the culinary heritage of North America, often forgotten in this age of the Global Marketplace. Edited by Gary Paul Nabhan, the book divides the continent into 13 "food nations" (The Hudson Valley is in the "Maple Syrup Nation"), and highlights several endangered food species within each. Included are traditional (sometimes centuries-old) recipes and notes on sources. The truth is that heritage foods, whether the Java Chicken or the Old?mixon Free Peach (both in our "nation") are crucial pieces of our food culture, and we are in grave danger of losing them. (That Old?mixon peach? According to the book, it's available from just one nursery on the whole continent. And there are fewer than 600 Black Java hens currently contributing to the gene pool.) The RAFT collaborative makes the case that the best way to ensure the survival of these foods (over 1000 are catalogued at the end of the book), is to encourage farmers to raise or grow them, chefs to incorporate them into their menus, and consumers to seek them out for their own kitchens.

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

by Michael Pollan

If Michael Pollan's runaway bestseller, <i>The Omnivore's Dilemma</i>, got Americans thinking about the food they eat, his latest book takes the conversation a step further, attempting to answer the question, "So, what do we eat?" Pollan offers a seven-word recommendation: "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants." He then challenges both standard nutritional "wisdom" and the industrialized food system that manufactures most of what we eat, as he examines "nutritionism" and the Western diet. Pollan's hope is that we "reclaim our health and happiness as eaters," and he maintains that we're living in the best possible time to make that happen.

Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty

by Mark Winne

For all of the hopeful conversations about local food, there is one nagging question that is often overlooked--accessibility. How can nutritious, delicious, locally produced food be made available to everyone? In <i>Closing the Food Gap: Re?setting the Table in the Land of Plenty</i>, Mark Winne examines the factors that have contributed to the widening of the food gap over the past several decades and what it has meant for underserved populations. Winne also takes a look at the positive changes slowly tak?ing place across the country, and leaves readers with inspiration and some real solutions for getting nutritious, local foods back on the table.

Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal

by Joel Salatin

Anyone who's purchased food from local farms probably has been privy to the frustrations expressed by our farmers over government regulations. Those frustrations are the basis for Joel Salatin's new book. Salatin farms in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley and is a pioneer of grass-based animal farming. With humor, Salatin explores the conflicts between our nation's industrial agriculture food models and the traditional, artisanal, local model that he strives to maintain. We have reached a time when consumers and farmers are no longer free to participate in many aspects of traditional food production (raw dairy, meat from animals slaughtered on the farm, untreated cider, etc); Salatin's book may make you want to rise up and fight for your food rights--not a bad thing.

Local Breads: Sourdough and Whole-Grain Recipes from Europe's Best Artisan Bakers

by Dan Leader

Dan Leader, of Bread Alone Bakery in Boiceville, has learned much in the years since he opened his bakery in the Catskills. The operation has expanded and flourished, but Leader has stayed true to his mission to produce traditional, organic, hearth-baked breads. His first book, Bread Alone: Bold Fresh Loaves from Your Own Hands (William Morrow, 1993, $28), was a primer on the basics of real bread making and an account of his travels in France. With his new book, Local Breads: Sourdough and Whole-Grain Recipes from Europe's Best Artisan Bakers (Norton, 2007, $35 hardcover) Leader takes us on a tour of the dozens of artisan bakers in France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland and the Czech Republic who have been his teachers in the years before and since he opened what is now one of the best-known bakeries in New York. A testament to Leader's conviction that the best breads "have a unique character found only in a particular region, town or in some cases a single bakery," the book guides the reader through recipes for breads that are singular to a region, everything from Parisian daily bread to soulful German farmhouse rye and Roman-style white pizza. All the tips, anecdotes and techniques Leader picked up in his travels that are related to each unique loaf are there, too.

How to Pick a Peach

by Russ Parsons

We're lucky in the Hudson Valley, particularly during harvest season, to be surrounded by farms and markets producing a wide array of fresh fruits and vegetables, but even here it can be hard to know just what to look for. In How to Pick a Peach (Houghton Mifflin, 2007, $27 hardcover), Russ Parsons tackles the issue of "freshness," detailing how everything from growing techniques to transportation and even marketing strategies can affect that first, expectation-filled bite of a "fresh" fruit or vegetable, and what consumers can do to get it right. Parsons guides consumers through storage and selection of dozens of fruits and vegetables, supplemented by bits of history, a good dose of wit and humor, and most importantly, plenty of simple, seasonal recipes.

Vegetables

by The Culinary Institute of America

With more than 170 recipes each, two new books celebrating vegetables in all their colorful, versatile beauty have hit the shelves just in time for summer and the start of the harvest season. In Serving up the Harvest (Storey, 2007, $16.95 paperback), Andrea Chesman guides us through the seasons, vegetable by vegetable. More than 30 types of vegetables-from peas to Jerusalem artichokes-are covered, each with kitchen notes and several recipes. A "Master Recipe" section features techniques that can be applied to vegetables throughout the year, as well as notes on pantry staples like oils, vinegars, and condiments. Vegetables (Lebhar-Friedman, 2007, $40 hardcover), the latest instructional book from a team of chef-instructors at the Culinary Institute of America, includes dozens of color photographs and illustrated step-by-step techniques.

The Farmer and the Grill

by Shannon Hayes

Shannon Hayes, of Sapbush Hollow Farm, in Schoharie County, is fast becoming the authority on how to select, prepare and serve grass-fed meats. Her first book, The Grass-fed Gourmet Cookbook, covered indoor preparations of grass-fed beef, lamb, pork and chicken, keeping it to the oven and the stovetop. Now, with The Farmer and the Grill (Left to Write Press, 2007, $17.95 paperback), she takes the same cuts of grass-fed meat outside, to the flames, embers and smoke of the grill. Hayes did her research on the farm, and by traveling to eight countries, including Argentina, France and Switzerland, to study traditional techniques for barbecuing, grilling and smoking meat. The book includes dozens of recipes for everything from a porterhouse to a whole chicken, and plenty of sauces, rubs and marinades to flavor things up.

It's a Long Road to a Tomato: Tales of an Organic Farmer Who Quit the Big City for the (Not So) Simple Life

by Keith Steward

Finally, for (the many) fans of Keith Stewart's honest and often hilarious musings on farm life, his new book, It's a Long Road to a Tomato: Tales of an Organic Farmer Who Quit the Big City for the (Not So) Simple Life (Marlowe2006; $16.95), is a must. A compilation of Stewart's Valley Table essays and then some, the book is a joy to read, and to behold, thanks to the beautiful woodcuts of Flavia Bacarella, his wife. Roast a few heads of his famous garlic, wrap yourself in a blanket, and let his writing liven up the cold days ahead.

The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook

by Shannon Hayes

It seems that the words "pastured" and "grassfed" are on everyone's lips these days, but many people are still in the dark as to what these terms mean, why they matter and what to do with meat, eggs and dairy from grassfed animals. We featured Shannon Hayes' Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook in the last issue, so by now you know how to prepare the meat for the table. Other authors have stepped up to the plate, ready to turn you on to the latest (and at the same time the oldest) trend in farming.

All Flesh is Grass: Pleasures & Promises of Pasture Farming

by Gene Logsdon

Gene Logsdon draws on history, anecdotes, passion and, most importantly, experience to make the case for grass-based farming in All Flesh is Grass: Pleasures & Promises of Pasture Farming (Swallow, 2004; $18.95, pb). As accomplished a writer as he is a farmer, Logsdon's latest book provides such detailed information (management of various plant species, maintenance of fencing, etc.) that a full-scale farmer will benefit from its reading, while his characteristic wit and storytelling ability make it enjoyable and relevant to the landless apartment dweller who buys grassfed beef. For skeptics, Logsdon has a quick response: "I have been doing it, and by all that is holy, it works."

Pasture Perfect

by Jo Robinson

Understanding all that's behind the new movement toward grass-based farming is crucial to supporting the movement, but it's the cooking that makes it fun. Pasture Perfect includes 60 pages of recipes for pastured meat, poultry and eggs from farms all over the country.

The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating

by Fergus Henderson

Many who purchase grassfed meat choose to do so by the quarter, half or even whole animal, and that means much more than steaks, roasts and ground meat. If you've ever wondered how to prepare tripe, tongue, pork belly or sweet breads (and even if you haven't), Fergus Henderson's The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating (Harper Collins, 2004; $19.95 pb) deserves a place on your shelf. Widely considered to be the authority on "lesser cuts" of meat, Henderson uses simple recipes to demonstrate how to use every piece of an animal (yes, even the nose and tail) and how to make each piece delicious. Henderson's enthusiasm for the less-common items in the pantry or freezer is infectious enough to entice even the most skeptical cook to give lamb's brain a shot.

Alimentum

It began with publisher Paulette Licitra's desire to publish what she would "most like to read." What she'd like, it turns out, is to read about food. And so Alimentum emerged last winter, a bi-annual literary review devoted to the fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction of food. In the pages of this pocket-sized publication (well, purse-sized) you might find a recipe for stuffed guinea pig, an interview with Mark Kurlanksy, or a short story about how love and baking intertwine. There's something for every taste, so go ahead and do as Alimentum suggests: "Savor the word of food."(Subscription $24/year.)

Windows on the World: Complete Wine Course

by Kevin Zraly

If grape varieties, vintages and food pairings leave you feeling lost and confused, the 2007 edition of Windows on the World Complete Wine Course(Sterling, 2006; $24.95) may be the perfect antidote. Author Kevin Zraly covers everything from why Chardonnay is a great match for steak to strategies for storing bottles in your own home, to how to order and taste wine in a restaurant. The pages are filled with maps, labels, recommendations and quotes to help guide you through the world of wine, from grape to glass.

Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection

by Jessica Prentice

Another champion of local and sustainable food choices is Jessica Prentice, to whom "eating by the season" means much more than spring, summer, fall and winter. In her new book, Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection (Chelsea Green,2006; $25), she moves through the 13 lunar cycles of the year as they relate to food, weaving in original seasonal recipes, cultural anecdotes and bits of traditional wisdom along the way. Prenticeen courages readers to connect to their own local "food shed," to ancient rhythms of life and seasonality and to the flavors and foods that bind us.

Eating the Hudson Valley

by Evelyn Kantor

For a more local gustatory guide, turn to Evelyn Kantor's Eating the Hudson Valley (Countryman, 2006; $18.95). Kantor explores kid-friendly restaurants, wineries, farm markets and the best places to take a cooking class. You can even plan a full year of food-related road trips using the calendar of events.

Blue Eggs & Yellow Tomatoes

by Jeanne Kelley

Jeanne Kelley's new book is filled with stunning photographs and compelling recipes. The author lives in Los Angeles but keeps a backyard garden, a flock of Araucana chickens (hence the blue eggs), a pet goat and a community garden plot. Kelley's recipes inspire, and most can be tweaked to fit whatever arrived in the CSA share or is growing in your garden. Rounding out the book nicely is Kelley's index of items she believes no kitchen should be without, as well as simple guides on composting, raising backyard chickens and working with community gardens.

Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk through the Ages

by Anne Mendelson

Anne Mendelson, who helped found the Culinary Historians of New York, digs into the full story of milk, from the first time humans likely milked an animal to the extensive dairy traditions of India, Turkey, Greece and Afghanistan, the creation of the modern dairy industry and the current resurgence of real, pure dairy products and small-scale farming. More than 120 recipes from Indian lassis to beef Stroganoff, milk toast, clotted cream and even hot chocolate (to which she devotes a page and a half) accompany Mendelson's lively history of our first food.

The Heirloom Tomato from Garden to Table: Recipes, Portraits and History of the World's Most Beautiful Fruit

by Amy Goldman

Goldman explores the storied history of the tomato and highlights nearly 200 heirloom varieties, all grown in her own extensive garden in Rhinebeck. For the gourmand, there are 50 straightforward recipes; for the gardener, a simple yet comprehensive guide to growing your own. Goldman has again paired up with Victor Schrager, whose beautiful still life photos illustrate the book from cover to cover.

Wine Wise: Your Complete Guide to Understanding, Selecting, and Enjoying Wine

by Steven Kolpan, Brian H. Smith, and Michael A. Weiss

There are, no doubt, plenty of us normal mortals who have taken small sips out of the monumental and widely praised Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America's Guide to Wines of the World (Wiley, 2001; $65 hardcover), by Steven Kolpan, Brian Smith and Michael Weiss. Considered a definitive work since it was first published (a third edition is in the works), Exploring Wine is aimed at professionals and would-be professionals--it is, as they say, a heavy read. Well, the CIA professors have come back with a new book aimed directly at wine-loving consumers with no ambitions to become sommeliers, collectors or connoisseurs but, nonetheless, want to know what wine to look for (including how to read the label), how to enjoy it, where to find it and when (much as Kolpan does for Valley Table readers in his "By the Glass" column). The scale of Wine Wise is human, not Olympic; the tone is conversational, not professional. The book should help make the appreciation and intelligent enjoyment of wine a realistic ambition for those of us who keep wine in the basement, not a cellar.

Hudson Valley Mediterranean: The Gigi Good Food Cookbook

by Laura Pensiero

While celebrating the region's culinary awakening, Hudson Valley Mediterranean is first and foremost a cookbook, focusing on fresh, simply prepared food--the kind you want to cook. No fussy sauces. No complex recipes and some favorite dishes from Gigi, including the famous Gigi Tuscan fries, Barbina salad and Bolognese sauce.

Hudson River Valley Farms

By Joanne Michaels; photography by Rich Pomerantz

Michaels and photographer Rich Pomerantz create memorable portraits of 44 farms and artisan producers, from Rockland and Westchester Counties to the Albany/Rensselaer region. Many of the faces will be familiar to Valley Table readers. The book gives a good picture of the diversity of farms in the valley, though, as Michaels laments, "The fourty-four included here are representative of hundreds of others I wish I could have visited."

Garlic Capital of the World: Gilroy, Garlic, and the Making of a Festive Foodscape

by Pauline Adema

Pauline Adema, a Dutchess County folklorist, examines the role of food and festivals in creating a place brand or marketable identity. In particular, she examines how Gilroy, California, sucessfully transformed a negative association with garlic into a highly successful tourism and marketing campaign.

Food. Drink and Celebrations of the Hudson Valley Dutch

by Peter G. Rose

Summer Pleasures, Winter Pleasures: A Hudson Valley Cookbook

by Peter G. Rose