Cookbook reviews

I love to cook. For me, for family, for friends, and more often these days, for friends of friends who come over when I'm cooking for a party. I've often thought about opening a restaurant, but that thought process goes like this: "Wouldn't running a restaurant be fun? Well, no, the hours are terrible, the pressure is intense, and I'll lose all my money." So instead, I cook for fun. 

As such, I spend a lot of time looking through cookbooks and cooking magazines. I've often intended to review some of the new ones I've bought, checked out from the library, or been lucky enough to preview in Galley Proof before publication. I feel odd adding these to the list of books I've 'read' in a given year, the truth of the matter is I often spend more time with a cookbook than I do with a novel. Regardless of whether I add them to my ranks of 'read' books, I do at least want to share some thoughts on the good, the bad, and the absolutely delicious from the cookbook world!

The Pizza Bible by Tony Gemignani: No surprise, this one is all about pizza. The appeal of this title for me is from-scratch pizza was one of the first things I really started playing around with a couple decades ago. In The Pizza Bible, eleven-time world pizza champ Tony Gemignani takes the reader through all sorts of variations on this staple food. New York thin crust, Chicago deep dish, plus a lot of recipes for making your own toppings (calabrese honey sausage, for instance) plus the sauces and even make-your-own mozzarella. With this cookbook, you can make fantastic pizza with every element completely from scratch.

Many of the recipes are surprisingly complex for the home chef, and many of the doughs require 24 to 48 hours of proofing before it's ready to make. For the uninspired, this can be a non-starter. If you're in a hurry, it's easier to order a Papa John's and pick it up in 15 minutes from the shop around the corner than it is to create one of these wonderful pies at home. Other than the fact this might be considered a crime against humanity in foodie culture, this could be an option for the average overly-scheduled weeknight. However, I tried several of the recipes (including the Chicago deep-dish) without the extended rise suggested in the book. The recipes still taste great. I also tried some recipes exactly as listed-- and they are, shocker, even better.  Gemignani provides enough variety to please just about any taste, and the results are so good you might be tempted to open your own pizzaria -- other than the fact the hours are terrible, the pressure is intense, and you could lose all your money. Instead, buy this book, make some of these great pizzas, have some friends over, and get used to being called Pizza God. Highly recommended.

Fabio's American Home Kitchen By Fabio Viviani

Most people, at least in the foodie world, got to know Fabio through his run on Bravo's Top Chef. He's a personable, likable chef on TV, and his personality comes through in this cookbook for home chefs. The recipes here are very approachable at home. Some of the recipes include pre-made portions to save time, such as store-bought ravioli as part of the Italian Fried Missouri-Style Ravioli. Fabio's chicken potpies have a delicious, easy-to-make crust and great flavor, and are my favorite recipe from this cookbook. The tomato soup recipe was tasty but not the best home-made version I've tried. The fresh tuna salad sandwiches are also a highlight. A desert recipe for Mississippi Mud Pie is on my list to make; Fabio says this is what he'll make for his wedding desert (which no doubt appeals to the legions of moms who watched Top Chef to croon over this Italian love boat). 

Overall: this cookbook plays to Fabio's popularity as a celebrity chef and offers a handful of useful recipes, but probably isn't one I will use with regularity. The appeal here is the chef more than the food. For libraries, this will probably see a lot of circulation for that reason as well.