Learning to Cook with Marion Cunningham by Marion Cunningham Marion Cunningham of Fannie Farmer fame has done a wonderful job of putting together a cookbook that will not send beginning cooks scurrying for restaurants. She includes illustrated step-by-step instructions on preparing a variety of fruits, vegetables and meats, and includes tables of measurements and directions on choosing and storing many commonly used vegetables. She writes very clear recipes and understands that dishes do not always come out as you had planned. In fact, there are a couple recipes specially recommended to cover up meals gone awry. Plus, of course, a wonderful selection of mouthwatering recipes. Recommended by Katie W.

 

Memories of a Cuban Kitchen by Mary Urrutia Randelman and Joan Schwartz Memories of a Cuban Kitchen is filled with wonderful stories of a time and place that have pretty much disappeared. A few photos of pre-Castro Cuba dot the text. The recipes are truly astonishing - some of the most delicious and interesting I've ever tried at home. And all of them have worked. The Puerco Asado con Mojo Criollo (Roast Pork Loin with Creole Garlic Sauce) is not to be missed. Recommended by Amy K.-S.

 

Tender at the Bone: Growing up at the Table by Ruth Reichl This memoir by New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl was everybody's favorite last year in hardcover and is everybody's favorite this year in paperback. Reichl proves that she has not only mastered the art of writing about food, but she turns a good tale as well. The exquisite stories in this book describing the various stages in her culinary education are at times poignant, at times informative and more often than not very, very funny. Tender at the Bone is also available on audio, read by the author, which I recommend. Hearing her tones and inflections really adds to the pleasure. Get this on tape for the commuter in your life. Recommended by Amy K.-S.

 

Strange Foods: Bushmeat, Bats, and Butterflies by Jerry Hopkins with photography by Michael Freeman They say to drink your own urine if you're lost in the desert, but it's so hard to find a good urine recipe! Strange Foods offers a few worth checking out though, including a mango urine lassi. There are also some beautiful pictures of larvae dipped in chocolate (Grody!... I mean, yummmmmm!). According to the authors, Westerners will soon have to start utilizing some of these nontraditional foods to supplement our traditional sources of nourishment. Good news if you're a cow; bad if you're an ostrich. Apparently the first signs of this process have already begun. After the "Mad Cow" scare in Britain in 1996, the British Airways menu included - you guessed it - ostrich. In this entertaining book Jerry Hopkins recounts his wide experiences with unusual foods from around the world. He even provides some delectable recipes: grilled field mouse, steamed water beetle, yak butter tea, kangaroo steak... Recommended by Jamie I.

 

Eat Your Way Across the U.S.A : 500 Diners, Farmland Buffets, Lobster Shacks, Pie Palaces, and Other All-American Eateries by Jane Stern and Michael Stern Culinary Americana at its very best. The Sterns have such a deep affection for the regional and off-beat that it inspires one not only to try, but to appreciate the enormous variety and range of dining choices available to us. They won't steer you wrong. Besides, they're just so damn funny. Recommended by Amy K.-S.

 

 

 

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