Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Farm and Garden Picks: Brassicaceae

This book is believed to be the the first collection of articles to summarize the most advanced information and studies of Brassicaceae, a special genus with vast species, which not only have tremendous human health beneficial compounds for dietary consumption, but also comprise the most metal hyperaccumulating species worldwide discovered to date with potential usage in phytoremediation of polluted soil, air and water.

Characterization, Functional Genomics and Health Benefits
Minglin Lang (Editor)
Nova Science Publishers, 2013
Farm and Garden Books
Science Writing
Growth Spurts
Home Grown

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Review: Sauces & Shapes

While there are plenty of pasta cookbooks available with recipes for spaghetti, linguine, or rigatoni, few offer as much guidance for handmade pastas in the home kitchen. This one explains how to make not just tagliatelle, but strozzapreti, garganelli, trofie, fusilli and dozens more.

The book includes recipes for about a hundred traditional sauces and soups derived from home kitchens throughout Italy and suggests matches for both homemade and store-bought pasta shapes. There's also a healthy serving of advice for cooking, serving and eating pasta.

Pasta the Italian Way
by Oretta Zanini De Vita and Maureen B. Fant
W.W. Norton & Co., 2013

continued in The Book Stall

Outrider Reading Group
Pasta
Cookbooks
Book Store


Thursday, March 20, 2014

Review: Lobsters

Lobsters are among the most extensively researched creatures on the planet, owing largely to their commercial value and cultural significance in certain regions. Yet, much of what is known about the species does not explain its role in marine ecosystems, and questions about how lobsters interact with their environment, and how they can best be managed, occupy the current generation of lobster scientists.

This text, now in its second edition, focuses on the most commercially important species of marine lobsters - Panulirus, Homarus, Jaus, Sagmariasus, Nephrops, and commercial Scyllarids - throughout the world's major fisheries, from Australia and New Guinea to Brazil, Baja California, India, South Africa, Somalia, Indonesia, Japan, the Mediterranean, and the Northeast Atlantic.

Biology, Management, Aquaculture and Fisheries
by Bruce Phillips
Wiley-Blackwell, 2013
continued in The Book Stall

Reviews Archive
Outrider Reading Group
The Book Stall
Lobster

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Review: Great Meat

This is a consumer's guide to selecting and preparing meats of all kinds, from beef and pork to goat, venison, poultry, rabbit, duck, goose and game birds. It includes detailed instructions for grilling, braising, roasting, broiling, stewing and flash cooking.

Compiled by a master butcher, Dave Kelly, at the meat shop Ruby & White in Bristol, England, this book includes recipes from some of the best restaurants in the West Country of England, like the Manor House Hotel in Moreton-in-Marsh, Martini Ristorante and the Circus Cafe and Restaurant in Bath, The Town House in Bristol, and Bath Priory as well as Keefer's Restaurant in Chicago.

Recipes are grouped into six categories of meats - beef, pork, lamb, game, chicken and turkey, and duck, goose and game birds - along with background information on how the meats are produced and a guide to the available cuts.

Classic Techniques and Award-Winning Recipes for Selecting, Cutting, and Cooking Beef, Lamb, Pork, Poultry, and Game
by Dave Kelly, et al
Fair Winds Press, 2013

continued in The Book Stall

Outrider Reading Group
Meats
Cookbooks
Book Store
Book List

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Review: Kentucky Bourbon Country


This guide profiles five major distillery locations in the Bluegrass State - Louisville, Frankfort and Midway, Lexington, Lawrenceburg, and Bardstown - from which the bulk and arguably the best of Kentucky's bourbon is produced.

The directory of restaurants, inns, historic sites and attractions is preceeded by a primer on how bourbon is made and enjoyed.

"Most of Kentucky's bourbon distilleries are found in the central Bluegrass region, within a triangle defined by points at Louisville, Lexington and Bardstown," Reigler points out. "The area is fairly compact: travel time between Louisville and Lexington and between Lexington and Bardstown is about an hour."

The Essential Travel Guide
by Susan Reigler 
The University Press of Kentucky, 2013

continued in Outgoing

Outrider Reading Group
Bourbon
good spirits and fine liqueurs
Guidebooks and How-to Titles

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Review: Log Home Care and Maintenance

Until recently, most log homes were either self-built or constructed by contractors affiliated with a local sawmill. Consequently, most were vacation homes built in or near a forest; only a few were built for year-round residence.

Much has changed in the last 20 years and the log home industry has matured considerably. The advent of new caulks and sealants coupled with improved designs and components has made the log home a more practical and affordable residence almost anywhere in the country.

Everything You Need to Know to Buy,  
Maintain, and Enjoy Your Log Home 
by Jim Olsen Davis  
The Lyons Press, 2004
continued in The Book Stall
Reviews Archive
Outrider Reading Group
Here's How To...
Guidebooks and How-to Titles

Friday, March 14, 2014

Review: Costume Jewelry


This large format volume presents over 500 pieces of costume jewelry from more than a dozen distinctive periods in sharp color photos with descriptions and values.

"Costume jewelry is an art form unto itself," writes author Leigh Leshner. "Each piece is representative of not only the designer's imagination, but of the culture and customs of the times."

Identification And Price Guide 
by Leigh Leshner 
Krause Publications, 2004
continued in The Book Stall

Reviews Archive
Outrider Reading Group
Jewelry
Guidebooks and How-to Titles