Bookstore

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     It has taken some time, but here finally is our online bookstore. This will build gradually over time. We begin with a few of our own long-time favorites, as well as a couple of interesting new releases.
     We provide links to both Amazon and Powells. Viewers have told us that they like Amazon for the customer reviews and discounts on best sellers. Powells excels at limited copies and out of print books, both important for the home cook since many valuable cookbooks fall off the best seller lists, or never get there in the first place, and can become very hard to acquire.
     Let us know of your own favorites. E-mail to: info@specialflavors.com.

New and Interesting

These two books are popular at the Black Oaks Bookstore in North Berkeley. This store is in the heart of the Gourmet Ghetto, half a block from Chez Panisse Restaurant. Sales here reflect the interest of knowledgeable Gourmet Ghetto home cooks.

The Minimalist Cooks Dinner:
More Than 100 Recipes for Fast Weeknight Meals and Casual Entertaining
by Mark Bittman
     This book, by the New York Times columnist, appears to have the same aim as the Recipe Collection on this site. That is, delicious results are sought, even though cooking methods are kept simple and ingredients few.
     We have not yet cooked from this book, but in light of favorable customer reviews at Amazon, will start to do so.
     To order click Powells Minimal or Amazon Minimal

The Il Fornaio Baking Book:
Sweet and Savory Recipes from the Italian Kitchen
by Franco Galli
     We are not bakers, but we know that the Il Fornaio restaurants serve marvelous baked things. Customer reviews at Amazon tell us that, with this book, even novice bakers can produce similar results at home. (But you must follow the instructions carefully.)
     The typography in this book is a work of art in itself. For non-bakers this is an ideal gift any time of the year for a baking friend, preferably one who will invite you over to taste some results.
     To order click Powells Fornaio or Amazon Fornaio

Brandy, Balloons, and Lamps:
Ami Argand, 1750-1803
by John J. Wolfe
     With this book we initiate a new category in the Bookstore: a specialist book that cries out to be better known by general readers.
     Lamps are not quite a kitchen tool, but they can be a decorative opportunity about the home. An elegant, or funky, lamp in the right place can add much to the character of a room.
     Actually, you do not need an interest in lamps to appreciate this book. One reviewer, echoing others, writes as follows:
     "The author has skillfully woven historical facts and personalities into a compelling, sometimes uplifting, sometimes disheartening drama of inventive brilliance, political intrigue, acts of kindness and greed that define life not only of an earlier time, but also today."
     To read more descriptive details, click on Argand Amazon reviews.
     Reviewers are uniform is speaking of how well the book is written. This did not come without cost, and the pre-publishing history of the book is a story in its own right.
     . . . read more . . .

Old Favorites

The Foods and Wines of Spain
By Penelope Casas
     This is a an absolute classic, heralded through the years by the Spanish Government and home cooks alike.
     Recipes are simple, but authentic. Importantly, you can make these with ordinary ingredients.
     The Recipe Collection on this site is indebted to Penelope Casas probably more than anyone else. Go to Search and type in Casas and you will see the pages.
     To order, click Amazon Casas

Delicioso!
By Penelope Casas
     In addition to the classic above, which one Amazon customer says has attained "biblical status," Penelope has written many more cooking books, of which Delicioso! Seems to be the best known.
     The volume is organized by the seven regions of Spain. It embellishes and extends Foods and Wines.
     There would seem to be some duplication of recipes, such as paella, but not really because the Delicioso versions always seem to be a little different, given their regional variations. In Food and Wines, for example, the chicken or rabbit paella a la Catalana is made with sausage, pork ribs, and pea pods. In Delicioso a Valenciana version is presented with bell peppers, green beans, and optional mint meatballs.
     To order click Amazon Delicioso

The Food of Greece:
Cooking, Folkways, and Travel in the Mainland and Islands of Greece.
By Vilma Chantiles
     Here is a genuine classic, not nearly as well known as it deserves to be.
     This is the way cooking has been done in the Greek mainland and islands, through ancient times and also in the current era. The recipes are easy to follow, and most ingredients are readily available in the US today. In addition to recipes, Chantiles provides interesting notes on Greek cultural history.
     Our impression is that this book is not always readily available. Powells has 14 copies in stock (12/10/01) so take advantage while you can.
     This book has been mentioned a number of times on this site. See Moussaka, plus Greek Lasagna in Viewer Mail 11/29/01, 12/14/00, 11/29/00. You may find other mentions by going to Search and typing in Chantiles.
     To order click Powells Chantiles or Amazon Chantiles

Rogue River Rendezvous
Junior Service League of Jackson County,
     This is a sleeper, a treasure that, so far as we know, has never received national distribution.
     We purchased a copy years ago at a Christmas fair in Ashland, Oregon. Recipes are imaginative and easy to follow. The book lies flat.
     There is one customer review on Amazon. A handsome book, it makes a nice gift for a cook who has everything else.
     On this site the book is mentioned in the Salmon section, and in Viewer Mail 12/10/01.
     To order click Powells Rogue or Amazon Rogue

Mediterranean: The Beautiful Cookbook
By Joyce Goldstein with regional text by Ayla Algar
     This book is triple value. First are the recipes by Joyce Goldstein, famous for defining Mediterranean cooking in the US through her Square One restaurant in San Francisco.
     Next come historical and cultural notes by Ayla Algar. Finally is the physical book itself, full coffee table size with lovely glossy pictures. The book lies flat and is easy to cook from.
     This book is on sale at Powells for the bargain price of $19.95, 11 copies in stock (12/16/01).
     Once you get this book, take a look at the Grilled Chicken marinades, and you will quickly get a sense of four different Mediterranean cuisines: Lebanese, Turkish, Moroccan, and Egyptian.
     To order click Powells Med

The Mediterranean Kitchen
by Joyce Goldstein
A classic. Some recipes bear similar titles to those in Mediterranean, but they are really somewhat different versions.
To order click Powells Med Kitchen or Amazon Med Kitchen

Kitchen Conversations
By Joyce Goldsten
     Here is another series of marvelous Mediterranean-inspired recipes that we have come to except from Joyce Goldstein.. It has something else, too, of immense potential interest. For she discusses the basic tastes--bitter, sour, salt, sweet--and how they interact with each other in individual recipes.
     When I first heard of this, I was most excited about the book.          . . . read more . . .
     To order click Amazon Kitchen

Classical Turkish Cooking:
Traditional Turkish Food for the American Kitchen
by Ayla Algar
Another classic. 175 recipes, plus cultural notes and a brief historical framework.
To order click Powells Turkish or Amazon Turkish

The New Book of Middle Eastern Food (Rev)
by Claudia Roden (2000 edition)
To order click Powells New Roden or Amazon New Roden
A Book of Middle Eastern Food
by Claudia Roden (1974 edition)
To order click Powells Roden or Amazon Roden

      Claudia Roden has been mentioned as the Julia Child of Middle Eastern cooking.
     We have long used her smaller, 1968 edition. In September of 2000 she published an enlarged version, incorporating the food processor and following the trend to low fat.
     One of these is a must for the short shelf of most home cooks. If you can’t afford the new book, buy the old.
     Numerous customer reviewers in Amazon, enthusiastic and knowledgeable, tell the tale.

An Invitation to Indian Cooking
By Madhur Jaffrey
     Classic. Years ago I asked for a recommendation in a Berkeley Indian food store. The owner pointed to this book and nodded. There was no question in his mind that this was the basic book to buy on Indian cooking. I have used it often, to fine effect.
     Jaffrey has written other books as well. Browse around among the Amazon customer reviews and see what you like. One reviewer who has five of her books likes Madhur Jaffery's Indian Cooking even better than Invitation. It sounds like you can't go wrong with any.
     To order click Amazon Jaffrey

The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook
By Gloria Bley Miller
This is the classic Chinese cookbook, for reading or cooking. Learn the basic steaming and stir-frying techniques, the five major regional styles, and all those special Chinese sauces. While authentic, the author tells how to substitute supermarket ingredients. The Amazon customer reviews say it all.
Although 926 pages, the book lies flat. It is intended to be used.

Microwave Cooking for One
by Marie T. Smith
This book explores the potential for microwave cooking, showing that you can cook just about anything in the device. Full comments are given in the Microwave Section.

The following books were all found to be useful in development of the Special Flavors recipe collection.

Ayla Algar, Classical Turkish Cooking, HarperCollins, 1991.

Michael Bauer and Fran Irwin, Editors, The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook, Chronicle Books 1997.

James Beard, James Beard’s Fish Cookery, Little, Brown and Company, 1954. Later Warner Books paperback.

Paul Bertolli, Chez Panisse Cooking, Random House, 1988. With Alice Waters.

Ada Boni, Italian Regional Cooking, Bonanza Books, Crown, 1969.

Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste, M.F.K. Fisher translation, Knopf, 1972.

Joe Carcione, The Greengrocer Cookbook, Celestial Arts, 1975.

Penelope Casas, The Food and Wines of Spain, Knopf, 1982.
Penelope Casas, Delicioso!, Knopf, 1999.

Coralie Castle, Soup, 101 Productions, 1971.

Wonona Chang, An Encyclopedia of Chinese Food and Cooking, Crown, 1970.

Vilma Chantiles, The Food of Greece, Simon and Schuster, 1992.

Children’s Hospital Auxiliary, Saint Louis Souvenirs, 1984.

Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I, Knopf, 1961.
Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume II, Knopf, 1970.
Julia Child, From Julia Child’s Kitchen, 1975.
Julia Child, The Way to Cook, Knopf, 1989.

Compliments of the Chef, Harris, 1985. By the Sisterhood of Congregation Beth El with Paul T. Johnston.

Marion Cunningham, The Supper Book, Knopf, 1992.

Mary Donovan, Editor, The New Professional Chef, Culinary Institute of America, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996.
Mary Donovan, Editor, From Our Kitchens, Culinary Institute of America, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1993.

J. Audrey Ellison, editor, The Great Scandinavian Cook Book, USA 1967 edition. (Original was 1940.)

Auguste Escoffier, The Escoffier Cook Book, Crown 1941.

Fannie Merritt Farmer, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, Little, Brown and Co., 1943, 7^th Edition, Revised by Wilma Lord Perkins.

Carol Field, In Nonna’s Kitchen: Recipes and Traditions from Italy’s Grandmothers, Harper Collins, 1997

Joyce Goldstein, Kitchen Conversations, William Morrow, 1996.

Rebecca Gray, Gray’s Wild Game Cookbook, Gray’s Sporting Journal, 1983.

Jennie Grossinger, The Art of Jewish Cooking, Random House 1958.

Peggy Harvey, Season to Taste, Knopf, 1957.

Marcella Hazan, The Classic Italian Cookbook, Knopf 1976. Softcover Ballantine 1984.
Marcella Hazan, More Classic Italian Cooking, Knopf 1978, copyright Hazan 1978. Softcover Ballantine 1984.
Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Knopf, 1992.

Madhur Jaffrey, An Invitation to Indian Cooking, Knopf, 1973. Later Vintage Books 1975.

Diana Kennedy, The Art of Mexican Cooking, Bantam, 1989.

Hsiang Ju Lin and Tsuifeng Lin, Chinese Gastronomy, Thomas Nelson, 1969. (Harvest/HBJ edition Nov 1977).

Noyo Commercial Fishermen’s Wives, Favorite Seafood Recipes, undated. PO Box 137 Fort Bragg, CA 95437.

Richard Olney, Simple French Food Collier-Macmillan, 1974.
Richard Olney, The French Menu Cookbook Godine, 1970.

Jacques Pepin, Good Life Cooking, KQED, San Francisco, 1992.

Lilly Ross Reich, The Viennese Pastry Cookbook, MacMillan 1970. (Later Collier paperback.)

Evie Righter, The Best of Italy, Collins, 1992. Div. Of Harper Collins.

Claudia Roden, A Book of Middle Eastern Food, Random House Vintage, 1974.

Jean Rogers, editor, Quick and Healthy Low-Fat Cooking, Mediterranean, Rodale Press, 1994.

Irma Rombauer, The Joy of Cooking, Bobbs-Merrill, 1931, original edition. Nina has signed 1943 edition. 1975 is a later edition.

Waverly Root, The Food of Italy, Atheneum, 1971. Vintage Books edition 1992.

Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, The New Basics Cookbook, Workman, 1989.

Arnold Shircliffe, The Edgewater Beach Hotel Salad Book, Hotel Monthly Press, Chicago, 1926.

Ruth A. Spear, Cooking Fish and Shellfish, Doubleday, 1980.

Sunset Cook Book of Favorite Recipes Lane Books, 1969. By editors of Sunset Books.

Sunset All-Time Favorite Recipes, Sunset Publishing, 1993. By editors of Sunset Books.

Myra Waldo, The Complete Book of Oriental Cooking, David McKay 1960. Bantam 1960.

Alice Waters, Chez Panisse Vegetables, HarperCollins, 1996.
Alice Waters, Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook, Random House, 1982.
Alice Waters, Chez Panisse Pasta, Pizza, and Calzone, Random House, 1984.
See also Bertolli above.

Patricia Wells, Bistro Cooking, Workman Publishing, 1989.
Patricia Wells, Patricia Wells’ Trattoria, Avon Books, 1993.

Paula Wolfert, Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco, Harper and Row, 1973.
Paula Wolfert, Mediterranean Cooking, HarperCollins, 1994.
Paula Wolfert, The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean, HarperCollins, 1994.

Ami Argand Lamps, continued . . .
     Many books are written to intrigue the reader. This was written out of the author’s long-time fascination with his subject.
     From the first, the publisher knew that it had an unusual book. Most books submitted are 80% focus for the reader, presenting 20% facts. Wolfe’s original manuscript reversed these numbers. Personally immersed in his subject, he had 80% facts, and practically no focus.
     To its credit the publisher (Southern Illinois University Press) took on an editorial project, and the manuscript went through four revisions.
     The result is, well, like an old metal lamp casing that has been burnished again and again until it positively glows.
     The trouble is, the book is not promoted. The publisher produces mainly film, theater, and Midwest history. So this book is odd man out and sits in the publisher’s warehouse where only specialists hear of it.
     Numerous, gorgeous illustrations are one of the attractions, so the book is not cheap. Among other things, it can make a fine gift.
     To review and order: Amazon Argand.             Return to Argand Lamps

More on Kitchen Conversations . . .
     Finally, I hoped, now we could really understand why we taste as we do, what makes one dish stand out from others ostensibly similar. Unfortunately, her combinations are complicated. And, being Goldsteinean, her flavors are apt to be exuberant, always seeming finally to need salt to keep them in balance.
     For the newcomer to this way of thinking, it is like trying to learn the piano from Bach's four-voice fugues or, worse, from Debussy, when what we really need are some two-part inventions. Joyce would never slow down for this, but maybe somebody else will eventually take on the task.
     This remains a fine cookbook, and a unique one. The recipes are fine, whether or not you even read the analysis. And if you really want to build an understanding, you can start with a couple of her ingredients and build up from there.
     A bonus occurs with wine notes and selections for each and every recipe.
     The only drawback I know are the pictures of Joyce mugging throughout the book, which can be a little distracting for some readers.
     . . . return to Kitchen Conversations