In Review: Pomodoro!

Pomodoro!
A History of the Tomato in Italy
by David Gentilcore
CSIRO Publishing, 2010

David Gentilcore recounts the surprising rise of the tomato from its New World origins to its Old World status and present significance.

Pomodoro!
History Titles
Reviews Archive

Allergy-Free Desserts

Allergy-Free Desserts
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free,Soy-free and Nut-free Delights
by Elizabeth Gordon
Wiley, 2010

As those with food allergies are well aware, desserts free of wheat or eggs or nuts are practically impossible to find. Only a professional baker in a similar situation would be able to empathize and come to the aid of this population with allergy-free treats.

Elizabeth Baker knows food allergies intimately and, as founder and owner of an allergy-free bakery called the Betsy & Claude Baking Company, she has been exploring a full range of alternative desserts. Her first cookbook is packed with desserts that will satisfy those without allergies as well as its intended audience, the food-challenged.

• Allergy-Free Desserts
• Review Archives
• Cookbooks

Grow Great Grub

Grow Great Grub
Organic Food from Small Spaces
by Gayla Trail
Clarkson Potter, 2010

From selecting and preparing ground for a garden to choosing crops -- vegetables, fruits, or herbs -- planting seeds, adding fertilizer, weeding and harvesting, this guide to small-space edible gardening will help beginning city gardeners green their thumbs and fill their freezers.

One of the best books available on container or balcony gardening, Grow Great Grub provides details on each plant, including recommended soil amendments, companion plants, and the depth of container needed to grow it successfully.

There are some major differences between growing vegetables and herbs in containers rather than in the ground, and not all will benefit from being grown in containers.

The final pages of the book explain the basics of harvesting and preserving organic produce - drying, canning, and freezing - and offer instructions for making herbal vinegars or ristras from hot chili peppers.

• Grow Great Grub
• Review: Grow Great Grub
• Review Archives
• Farm and Garden Books

Good Old Books: Crafts from the Countryside

Crafts from the Countryside
by John Lloyd Jones
David & Charles, 1975

Thatched roofs, soft linen and real ale may be things of the past, but fortunately they remain very much a part of the present as well

Crafts from the Countryside describes how these and other traditional products of our rural heritage survive and indeed flourish when the asphalt roof, the nylon sheet and the processed pint seem, like the grey squirrel, finally to have taken over.

In a fascinating blend of hard fact, history and anecdote, John Jopnes describes each craft today with background and information on how it developed and survived.

With his help, we learn about soft rushes, thatching, craftsman's straw, fibre flax, laverbread, bittering hops, perry pears, Fuller's teasels, druggist's herbs, cricket bat willows, basket osiers, fisherman's willow, and dewponds.

• Crafts from the Countryside
• Guidebooks and How-To Titles
• Book Search

The Raw Milk Revolution

The Raw Milk Revolution
Behind America's Emerging Battle Over Food Rights
by David E. Gumpert
Chelsea Green, 2009

David Gumpert reports from the front lines of the "Raw Milk War" in this expose on the U.S. government's bias against unpasteurized milk. Originating with his blog, “The Complete Patient,” in which he examines issues related to his personal health, Gumpert questions why raw milk freedom is such a threat to the U.S. dairy industry.

In this synthesis of recent events, he reports on how large dairy processors in collaboration with government regulatory agencies are waging war against certified raw milk, harassing small farms and denying consumers the right to buy their product.

Dairy farmers have been jailed, prosecuted, convicted, fined and ordered to cease and desist selling raw milk. Some authorities are fighting raw milk with the intensity of drug enforcement, even though there are serious questions about the need for pasteurization and evidence of real health benefits from drinking the raw product.

Important reading for consumers and government officials alike.

• The Raw Milk Revolution
• Review: The Raw Milk Revolution
• Farm and Garden Books

In Review: To Hellholes and Back

To Hellholes and Back
Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism
by Chuck Thompson
Holt Paperbacks, 2009

The guru of extreme tourism sets out to face his worst fears in Africa, India, Mexico City, and—most terrifying of all—at Disney World. Will the world’s most ill-reputed destinations live up to their bad raps?

• To Hellholes and Back
• Guidebooks and How-To Titles

In Review: Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist

Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist
Fresh Takes on Favorite Dishes
by Cat Cora, and Ann Kruegar Spivack
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010

Cat Cora gives a contemporary twist to popular dishes to make them to make them faster, fresher, and lighter.

Currently reviewing her swift recipes for Greek-Style Nachos, Grilled Chili-Lime Flank Steak Soft Tacos, Crispy Baked Fish Stix with Mustard Dipping Sauce, Quick Chicken Curry with Peas, and Sour Cherry Filled Chocolate Cupcakes.

• Cat Cora's Classics with a Twist
• Cookbooks