Chefs from North America T to Z
 A Platter of Figs
David Tanis
Simple flavours is an oft overused food descriptor but in this case it is apt. Tanis spends six months of the year as head chef at Chez Panisse and the other six months in Paris. He has assembled 24 menus that capture simplicity and flavour with minimal fuss and ingredients.Hardcover, 294 pp. $39.95.
 America's
Best Chefs Cook with Jeremiah Tower
Jeremiah Tower
Companion to the PBS 20 part series that matches Jeremiah Tower, the pioneer
of American regional cuisine with 14 James Beard Award-winning
chefs. Great cooks, great recipes. 218 pp. $42.99.
Osteria
Rick Tramonto with Mary Goodbody
Successful Chicago restaurateur Tramonto has brought the dishes from his popular Osteria di Tramonto, opened in 2006 to our kitchens in this his sixth cookbook. Previous books Tru ($45.95) from the same named restaurant, Amuse-Bouche ($48.95), Fantastico ($44) have all been very popular with the chefs and this one will appeal to both home and professionals alike. Hardcover, 276 pp. $40.00.
Tru Rick Tramonto
Rick Tramonto with Gale Gand and Mary Goodbody
Building on the popularity of Amuse-Bouche ($53.00), Rick Tramonto shows
what he can do with the rest of meal. Stock up on exotic mushrooms and cook up
a storm. His co-authors are skilled in writing recipes for home cooks so this
book should work equally well for amateurs and professionals. Colour photos.
Hardcover, 352 pp, $45.95.
 Workin:
More Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter
Charlie Trotter
Aside from the comparison to Miles Davis's legendary 1956 studio sessions (really),
this collection which accompanies a new 26-part PBS series seems less over-the-top
than some of his earlier works. Parts, if not all, of the dishes are manageable
in the home kitchen -- duck breast with braised Vidalia onions and cannellini
beans
or apple and aged cheddar cheese soufflé spring to mind. As usual, stunning
presentation. Hardcover, 222 pp, $55.00.
 Raw
Charlie Trotter & Roxanne Klein
Trotter pairs with restaurateur Klein, one of the founders of
the Raw Food Movement,
to create this delectable volume of "uncooked" recipes. Health-conscious
and innovative cuisine, and a food trend to watch in 2004. Lush colour photos.
Hardcover, 214 pp. $46.95.
 Charlie Trotter's
Meat and Game
Charlie Trotter
Another big and beautiful book by Charlie Trotter. Certainly not meant for
the home cook and sure to be copied by the professional, this book with it's
glossy photos could easily pass for a coffee table book. If you have a local
purveyor of exotic game this could be the book for you if looking for new inspiration.
Otherwise it remains the stuff that chef's dreams are made of...Hardcover,
$60.00. Recipe: Braised
Beef Short Ribs with Horseradish - Potato Purée, Parslied Shallots and
Red Wine Jus.
Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter
Charlie Trotter
One of the top chefs amongst the current generation of American chefs, Charlie
Trotter now brings his knowledge and style to the masses - sponsored by Sarah
Lee! Unlike his earlier books, the recipes here are possible to complete without
an army of sous chefs - roast pork tenderloin with junier infused red cabbage
sounds particularly appealing. Colour photos. $52.00.
 Tom
Valenti's Soups, Stews And One-Pot Meals
Tom Valenti & Andrew Friedman
This easy-going book from the chef at Ouest and Cesca in New York City displays
slow-cooked, satisfying meals from one pot. Perfect for chilly autumn and snowy
winter days. Softcover, 268pp., $21.95.
 Welcome to My Kitchen
Tom Valenti and Andrew Freedman
Valenti, of Ouest in NYC. draws on the familiar southern Italian flavours of
his grandmother's kitchen in this robust book. Includes techniques for the
home chef. Good choices: Goat
Cheese Ravioli with Tomato, Bacon and Basil, and Crabs with Corn and Green
Onion Risotto and Bacon Dice. 326 pages. Call for availability.
 Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges
Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Bursting onto the New York restaurant scene at Lafayette in the Drake
in 1992, Vongerichten has not looked back. While building a culinary
empire around the world he still manages to find time to put together
a stunning new cookbook. In this new book he pays homage to the wonderful
Asian spices that make up his incredibly flavorful dishes. Hardcover,
290 pp. $50.00.
  Araxi
James Walt
Local and Seasonal inspired recipes from one of the country's most famed restaurants, Araxi, in Whistler.The book is divided by season, with information throughout about the local produce available as an insight into the workings of the restaurants. Recipes such as Rock Sole with Pemberton potato rosti and Lillooet Corn Sauce and Golden mussels with pickled salsify, leeks and apple vinaigrette are just a sample of what is on offer. Each recipe is accompanied by a full colour photo. Hardcover, 250 pp. $45.00.
 The Art of Simple Food
Alice Waters with Patricia Curtan, Kelsie Kerr, and Fritz Streiff
It is not overstating the case to say that contemporary American
cooking would be very different had Alice Waters and her friends
not opened Berkeley’s Chez Panisse in 1971. The Art of
Simple Food is
a distillation of the eat locally, eat best philosophy that was the
focus of Chez Panisse menus from the beginning. The book is divided
into two parts: the first, Starting from Scratch, concentrates on
lessons and foundation recipes, everything from stocking the pantry
to choice of equipment to menu planning. The second half, At the
Table, features every day recipes from starters to desserts. With
Alice Waters’ recipes,
it is the shopping, not the cooking that takes time. In these simple
recipes it is the quality of the main ingredient which
dictates the success of the dish. People used to recipes with the
ingredients set up in one column with the instructions set out 1,
2, 3 in another, may find they have to pay more attention with a
format in which the ingredients are in boldface amongst the instructions.
More that just telling us how to cook, Alice Waters demonstrates
how a community is built. Line drawings, no photos. Hardcover, 405
pp, $41.95.
 Chanterelle
David Waltuck
For over 20 years, Chanterelle has been an American classic. Chef David Waltuck and his wife Karen gave birth to this New York destination restaurant and now they bring you their recipes. Although the recipes are for the more advanced, the Waltucks do not want to discourage people of any levels from trying out them out. With beautiful photos and an elegant layout, the cookbook is as much a gem as the restaurant. Hardcover, 314 pp. $65.00.
 A Great American Cook
Jonathan Waxman
Think of the Barefoot Contessa and Foster’s Market taken up a few notches to arrive at Jonathan Waxman’s exalted home cooking. A pioneer of modern American cuisine, Jonathan Waxman did his time in some of the great kitchens of France and with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse before opening the late, great Jams. Now a bi-coastal restaurateur, Waxman’s home cooking includes lobster salad sandwiches, grilled rabbit with roasted tomato salad, and gingerbread with brandied plums. Colour photos. Hardcover, 286 pp. $43.95.
 Small Bites Big Taste
Rainer Zinngrebe
A veteran of many celebrated international kitchens, Chef Rainer Zinngrebe, from his position as executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Cancun, shows the innovative face of Mexican cooking. Some of his more creative dishes create a fusion of Mexican and Indian techniques and flavours. Colour photos. Hardcover, 192 pp. $48.95.
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