From Book to Table: Cookbook Musings from Edward (July 2021 Edition)

Wine Style
Kate Leahy
I’ve never seen a book quite like this! Sure, there have been books on pairing wine with food but Kate Leahy in Wine Style from Ten Speed Press, starts with the food you like and THEN pairs wines with them. It’s a subtle difference but it works. If you like burgers, she has a wine for that. Seafood? Sure, and it doesn’t even have to be a white wine. She does a great job explaining why certain wines work with certain foods. There are recipes to support her ideas (which are quite good) because she was a former chef, but her super power is her vast knowledge of wine. I like her writing style which is comforting and casual. You feel the stress of making a wine selection evaporate.  Leahy’s a veteran cookbook author and an IACP winner. Wine Style comes out on July 27th.  
 

Nadiya Bakes
Nadiya Hussain
Ordinarily, I’m not super-excited to see a baking book in the middle of summer. (Just being honest.) Typically, customer interest in baking rises — excuse the pun — as the weather gets cooler. But I’m making an exception here because Nadiya Hussain is a hot commodity these days. In Nadiya Bakes, published by Clarkson Potter, we have a winner regardless of the season. If you recognize her, it’s likely due to her victory on The Great British Baking Show in 2015. Or, you may have recently seen her BBC-produced cooking shows Time to Eat and Nadiya Bakes on Netflix. The diminutive chef, who made history as a British champion who is Muslim and was open about her issues with anxiety, captured the hearts of fans worldwide. While the things she baked on the show were more complex, her cookbook is way more accessible, so you don’t have to worry about your skill level. Hussain does a lot of interesting things with fruits and jams and because she’s British, there are a few meat pies in the book that will astonish your family and friends. You’ll see it on shelves on July 27th.  
 

How to Grill Vegetables
Steven Raichlen
Ask anyone involved in barbecuing or smoking about Steven Raichlen. Everyone knows his books, seen his shows, tasted his food. Grilling is his life. He has a mega-bestseller under his belt, How to Grill, that won an IACP award 20 years ago(!) and still sells today. In my mind, that one is THE go-to barbecuing book. Whenever Raichlen has a new book, it means something to me and to Barnes & Noble. His insights on grilling require a pause in your day and his book on your lap. So, when I heard he has a new one on vegetables, I thought: “really?” Vegetables are easy to grill, right? Not exactly. In How to Grill Vegetables from Workman Publishing, there’s a lot more to grilling our fibrous friends then just tossing a pepper on the fire. You’ll learn to utilize various woods and smoke to achieve flavor combinations you wouldn’t have thought work on veggies. Even the humble lettuce receives a grilling (believe it or not!). But this is more than a grilling book with plenty of vegetable-forward recipes to accompany the grilled ones on the plate. If you’re thinking of eating less meat but love the flavor of the grill, look no further than this cookbook which will give you both. In stores on July 20th.  
 

Taste of Home Celebrations
Taste of Home
I’d like to finish off this inaugural blog with a shout out to all of the people who put together the Taste of Home cookbooks! What a treat they are because these cookbooks involve people like YOU who contribute recipes to the site. All of the recipes on their website and in their books are user-generated. Can you believe Taste of Home is nearly 30 years old? I can’t. They’ve been supporting home cooks for almost three decades and I love what they’re about. They understand how everyday family chefs find reasons to tweak recipes and make them their own. The results, in many cases, are amazing. In Taste of Home Celebrations published by Trusted Media Brands, there are over 300 recipes for every celebration you can think of. The recipes are always tested by the Taste of Home test kitchen to ensure quality and repeatability. As we move towards in—person celebrations (fingers crossed), this would be a handy book to have around during the summer and especially in the fall. Pick this cookbook up on July 13th.
Let me know what you think! Email me at eash-milby@bn.com.
 
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