I'm not sure if I've saved the best for last, but I have saved the books that will appeal to my many chef friends for the last day of Book Week.

Although I think many non-chefs will find these books interesting, they likely aren't ideal choices for new cooks or for people looking for Superbowl party recipes. These books are for accomplished, avid cooks who understand the basics of food preparation.


Beyond Nose to Tail: For years my chef sprocket hubby and I have been talking about writing a book like this sequel to Nose to Tail: It's cheeky, porky and dotted with pictures of chefs in their unvarnished glory eating things that sound divinely delicious!

Morimoto - The New Art of Japanese Cooking: It's confession time: I've long had a professional crush on Chef Morimoto. He is -- in my opinion -- the magical ingredient that made the original Iron Chef television show a successful recipe. In this, his first book, he gives us tons of step-by-step pictures, information about knives, ingredients and technique as well as signature recipes such as his sushi pizza. My fan girl urge tempted me to eat the book page-by-page, so that I could make it an actual part of me, but I decided just to make and eat the recipes instead!


Sous-Vide Cuisine: Although by far the most expensive book I've recommended this week, this book is the definitive guide to one of the last decades most talked about styles of cooking. Besides giving safety tips and background science instruction on this low temperature cooking method, this book has recipes that will help experimental cooks to put this technique to the test.


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Despite our evolving interest in foods from around the world, France remains the holy land of classical cooking. As a result it's still a pilgrimage destination for chefs and foodies seeking enlightenment. (I can personally attest to the epiphanies gleaned from studious meditation on French cheeses). This roster of recently released cookbooks, each based on its own particular aspect of French cooking, offers a range of great gifts for food lovers who may not be able to catch a flight to Paris over the holidays:

Country Cooking in France: Easy on the eye for both arm chair reading or to cook from, this book by Anne Willan focuses on rustic French cooking. In chef school we called this style of cooking ‘Bonne Femme Cookery'. It's the traditional foods made by loving mothers to nourish their families. Although this is an enjoyable book even if you never make the recipes, I'm happy to say that the instructions are detailed so that deft results are almost guaranteed.

The Ethnic Paris Cookbook: Outsiders often forget that Paris is home to many immigrant populations (especially people from former French colonies) who bring their own food traditions to this already food-blessed city. This book provides recipes and neighbourhood info that paint a vibrant picture of the city of lights' ethnic food offering. An excellent book for armchair travelers or a wonderful primer for anyone planning a trip to Paris soon.


The Cooking of Southwestern France: Filled with rustic and satisfying foods that make up the backbone of bistro menus, when first published, this book authoritatively catalogued the cooking of one of the world's most influential food regions. In this newly revised edition, Paula Wolfert adds new recipes and updates many of her original recipes to include some of the more authentic ingredients now readily available in North American grocery stores.



Slim Forever: the French Way: Perhaps more appropriate as a gift for yourself than for someone else, this book very clearly outlines the nutrition info you need to eat like those famously svelte French. Somehow the author has managed to cut down on calories but gives us recipes for very appealing meals, such as veal fillet in gorgonzola sauce.


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Well, here we are. Smack dab in the middle of Book Week and the fun has only just begun!

Today's books are for armchair cooks, the people who find reading about food and watching Food TV as pleasurable as I find cooking.

My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals: A quirky coffee table book with creative chef portraits, pithy interviews and a back section of chef-supplied recipes.

In Bad Taste: Perhaps more a work of social science than culinary arts, this book by intrepid University of Guelph professor, Dr. Massimo Marcone examines the origins and longevity of some of the globe's most curious cultural food delicacies.


Beard on Food: If James Beard is the Yoda of all things culinary, then Mark Bittman (who writes the introduction to this new edition of Beard's classic work) is the Obi Wan Kenobi. Needless to say with such a venerable pairing, this book is an ideal gift for serious food lovers who want to deepen their knowledge of American food history and cooking.

No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach: Don't confuse this book with the sugar coated Catherine Zeta Jones movie of the same name. No, this book is at least as sour as it is sweet. As the culinary world's Johnny Rotten equivalent, Tony Bourdain's chronicle of his global food odyssey earns this pithy tome an R rating.


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If consumer research is to be believed, baking is a dying art. That's why I'm so grateful to the intrepid professional bakers who continue to publish wonderful baking books to inspire us in to action! This fall there were three standout baking books that crossed my desk. Each has something unique to offer:

Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes: This book is the ideal gift for someone who wants their culinary efforts to be noticed! I love that most of the recipes (such as Banana Chocolate Chip Cake….Mmmm!) are for easy-to-decorate cakes with crowd-pleasing flavour profiles. How can't that be good?

Indulge: Written by pastry chef Claire Clark of the famous The French Laundry restaurant, this is a book for very serious bakers (Clark's recipes all require the use of a scale to be prepared); however, for those who want to learn about the science of baking, the chapter opening sections that explain how to make meringues and temper chocolate are very clearly written.


A Passion for Baking: written by trusted Montreal baker and writer Marcy Goldman, this book is filled with novel new twists such as Hot Buttered Popcorn Bread and Sticky Cashmere Muffins as well as more familiar fare such as Classic Buttermilk Scones. A great all around book, peppered with instructional step-by-step photos to help you get the same great results pictured in the beauty shots.


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Welcome to my blog's first Book Week. It's a lot like Shark Week but without the sharks, video footage, nail-biting promos or suntanned men in wet suits. In other words, virtually identical!

Just like Shark Week, Book Week is filled with exciting learning opportunities. Each day I'll briefly review and recommend a selection of new books that are worth owning. Use these recommendations to choose gifts or to draft your own wish list – or if you're like many of the people I know who read this blog, use it to do both!


Today I'm showcasing three books that make great gifts for people who like to entertain. Likewise these titles are good investments for anyone who wants to inject vitality into their own party planning:


Hip Tastes: The Fresh Guide to Wine: Although I can never think about ‘fresh wine' without remembering Steve Martin's character Navin in the movie The Jerk (he indignantly sends back a vintage bottle of wine and demands it be replaced with a newly bottled wine!), reading this book is actually a great way to avoid being a jerk about wine. Hip Tastes is a fun introductory book for people who want to learn about wine but loathe the idea of becoming a wine snob.


Seriously Simple Holidays: With pantry stocking tips, make-ahead suggestions and a plethora of yummy sounding recipes and mouth-watering pictures, this book could inspire even the Grinch to plan a festive get-together.


The Definitive Canadian Wine & Cheese Cookbook: Although I know both of these co-authors personally, I'd be eager to recommend this book no matter whose names were on the cover. In fact, the Wine and Cheese primer chapter at the front is well worth the cost of the book and provides info that even well-seasoned hosts will find helpful.


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