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News April 18, 2009
Table of Contents
Events
In addition to our events in store and off site we have included events that we are participating in either by speaking at them, or selling books for a visiting author, or events we feel are important, these come at the end of our events below.
Canadian cheese, Toronto breads and interesting butters!
Tuesday April 21st, 7 pm.
Tickets $20
Join us as cheese aficionado Andy Shay leads us through a tasting of Canadian cheeses. We'll also be sampling breads from some of the city's finest bread bakers and of course we can't forget the butter! What's not to like about this evening out!
Research-Driven Cuisine, (or Molecular Gastronomy demonstrated and explained!)
Tuesday April 28th, 7 pm.
Tickets $35
Have you wondered what this is all about and are too afraid to ask? Watch demonstrations of today's cutting edge techniques, ingredients and equipment. See the tools and ingredients used to create these foods. Techniques such as spherification, carbonation, aeration and some not so new like dehydration. Ingredients to create unique tastes and textures using Ferran Adria's range of Textura products. The equipment being demonstrated will include Pacojet, thermal immersion circulator and liquid nitrogen.
Samples for tasting will include a deconstructed corn chowder, fruit caviar, caramelized banana with yogurt crisp, carbonated strawberries with chocolate sno. Special thanks to Hector at OTB Foods for their support of this event. www.otbfoods.com.
Knife Skills Hands-on , with Chef Martin Kouprie
Tuesday May 12th, 7 pm. - sold out
Additional date added - Tuesday, June 2, 7 pm.
Tickets $15.
Chef Martin Kouprie of Pangaea restaurant has agreed to do yet another knife skills class! This is by far the most hands on, steep learning curve session you'll have with you knife. Bring your favourite knife, we'll provide the fruits and vegetables and the chopping boards. Take home a Victorinox knife and a chopping board.
 Ruth Reichl: Not Becoming My Mother, & other things she taught me along the way
Please join us for an stage interview conducted by Joanne Kates, restaurant critic for The Globe and Mail, with Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine and former restaurant critic for the New York Times. Ruth has written her latest book on what would have been her mother's one hundredth birthday. Join us for what will be an entertaining and engaging discussion about food and family. A Question & Answer period will follow. Ticket price includes an autographed copy of the book. On sale date for the book is April 21st.
When: Tuesday, May 5th at 7 pm.
Where: Al Green Theatre at the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, south-west corner of Bloor and Spadina, entrance off Bloor
Tickets: $35 (plus tax) includes an autographed copy of Not Becoming My Mother
Tickets available only at The Cookbook Store: 416.920.2665
 Laura Calder - French Taste
Saturday May 23rd, 2 to 3 pm
French classics, with some Asian twists from this popular personality of TV's French Food at Home. Who can resist delicacies from this new book?
 Ricardo - Ricardo: Meals for every occasion
Tuesday May 26th, 5 to 6 pm
(Book signing and sampling, no charge)
Come and meet Quebec superstar and TV cooking chef Ricardo. His energy and enthusiasm for food and cooking will leave you feeling inspired as will his new book Ricardo: Meals for every occasion. And of course there will be samples to tastes from the new book.
Off-site events we are involved in, or things you should know about!
So many good things to attend so little time, but do try to come out to part or all of them.
Somewhereness
Tuesday April 21st, Wednesday April 22nd
Key note speaker wine writer Matt Kramer, wine writer with Wine Spectator magazine author of Making Sense of Wine
As a wine fan, you should go as it is going to be fantastic! You’ll listen to and meet an international wine icon, Matt Kramer, taste dozens of new wines from Ontario’s most unique producers and eat great food from some of wine country’s best restaurants - all in the setting of Toronto’s Artscape Wychwood Barns, home to The Stop, perhaps the most thoughtful community food centre in Ontario. Need one reason to come other than Matt Kramer, just to try the rarely poured at public events Charles Baker Rieslings, the '07 is being poured as well as a sneak preview of '08. Other wineries participating are Norman Hardie, Flat Rock Cellars, Tawse Winery, Stratus, Malivoire. Doors open at 6pm. Keynote address at 6:30 pm. $99 per person for either evening. For more details and purchase tickets check out the link http://www.somewhereness.com/
Good Food Festival
Friday April 24th, to Sunday April 26th
We are exhibiting once again at the festival, with the theme of Made in Canada we felt it was a great opportunity to showcase the amazing cookbooks from Canadian authors. Check out the website for more details and a $3 off admission coupon http://www.goodfoodfestival.net/.
 Culinary Landmarks: A conference to celebrate Liz Driver's Culinary Landmarks: A Bibliography of Canadian Cookbooks, 1825-1949
Friday May 1st to Sunday May 3rd
Come if for no other reason than a weekend of talking, listening and eating all things food. However Liz Driver's book is an important, seminal book not only in Canadian culinary books but books in general and this weekend celebrates Liz's near 20 year devotion to creating this masterpiece. The panel discussions will be insightful, fun and always intriguing. Alison will be on the panel Cookbook Reflections with Patricia Fleming, Jim Anderson discussing the cookbook then and now, and a whole lot more!
This is an exciting ambitious event not to be missed. The Culinary Historians are a wonderful organization linking our culinary past to our future. PLEASE check out the website as there is too much happening to go into in this short space. But come for one event at least. http://www.culinaryhistorians.ca/.
'Do it Slow' - A Slow Food Convival Dinner with Canada's Slow Food Leaders and International Slow Food Founder and President Carlo Petrini.
Friday, May 1st 6:30 pm
25 of Toronto's Slow Food chefs, national speakers speaking on food related issues, a sumptuous 5 course dinner . This is a great opportunity to meet and hear from some of Slow Food's active individuals as well as international founder Carlo Petrini. Event is being held at Hart House -check website for tickets more details of participating chefs and the evening's format. http://www.uofttix.ca/view.php?id=490
New arrivals
 American Cheeses
Clark Wolf
A contributing editor of Food Arts, Clark Wolf introduces the best American cheese makers, where they make their cheeses, and which cheeses they are making. The bonus: a few recipes employing those cheese. Although there are some lovely black and white photos, a few colour photos would really have brought the book to life. Hardcover, 274 pp. $28.99.
 Big Green Cookbook
Jackie Newgent, RD
A contributor to magazines such as Glamour and Prevention, Jackie Newgent serves up hundreds of ways to lessen your carbon footprint while eating deliciously. Tips range from slicing meat and veggies thinly so they require less cooking time, buying a narrow blender for quicker pureeing, to offering low carbon menus. Softcover, 386 pp. $29.95.
Chef School
Joanna Farrow
British food writer Joanna Farrow shows home cooks the techniques which all the television chefs use to dazzle us. From jointing and boning a chicken to sculpting chocolate, there are 250 techniques illustrated and explained. Whether learning for the first time or trying to build on skills already acquired, this is a helpful book to have at hand. Hardcover, 256 pp. $32.99.
 Everywoman’s Canning Book
Mary B. Hughes
The title of this slim no-nonsense book reminds us that in 1918 when it originally appeared, home freezing was not yet an option. However, even then, the author was warning against the use of preservatives. Besides shining a light on the reality of American domestic life during World War I, there are recipes which still appeal , especially those for relishes and jams. Softcover, 96 pp. $12.95.
The Face on Your Plate
Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson
Famous for his critique of Freud’s suppression of the seduction theory, written 25 yeArs ago, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson offers an argument for a meatless diet by probing the psychological reasons for our food choices and the moral , ecological, and medical implications of those choices. Heavily footnoted with a comprehensive reading list and suggested websites to visit. Hardcover, 288 pp. $27.50.
 The Foie Gras Wars
Mark Caro
Chicago Tribune reporter Mark Caro presents an entertaining account and analysis of the food war that took flight when Charlie Trotter decided to stop serving foie gras while suggesting that the liver of one of his rivals might make “a little”. Caro explores the question of what is acceptable and unacceptable treatment of our food sources. Hardcover, 357 pp. $32.99.
Feed Me Now!
Bill Granger
Like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, Bill Granger combines a high profile culinary career with the demands and joys of a young family. This recipe collection offers something for every occasion from dining on a budget to lunch to quick dinners and entertaining at home. Dishes range from tuna burgers with olive and parsley salad to rabbit with chorizo & green chilli. Colour photos. Hardcover, 239 pp. $49.95.
 Fresh
Susanne Freidberg
By tracing the development of refrigeration, the author shows both the good and bad effects of the concept of freshness ,using six common foods as a filter: beef, eggs, fruit, vegetables, milk, and fish. The result is a thought-provoking examination of how human desire and hunger for freshness affects not only the balance between the local and global economy, and of the survival not only species but the planet. Hardcover, 408 pp. $35.95.
 Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook
Robert M. Landolphi
More than just a recipe resource, this book offers a wide range of advice for living a wheat free life. A chef trained at the celebrated Johnson and Wales University, Landolphi has devised delectable dishes from sesame-encrusted salmon with tropical mint salsa to Southern pecan pie that will make remove any thought of deprivation. Softcover, 184 pp. $20.99.
In-N-Out Burger by Stacy Perman
Imagine a burger chain that has not franchised and has not sold out to a multinational corporation. In-N-Out Burger, founded shortly after World War Two in California is such a business. This fascinating tale brings together the story of the family behind the business and the marriage between burger culture and the cult of the car. Trivia: In-N-Out burgers are the burger of choice for Vanity Fair’s annual Oscar party. Hardcover, 345 pp. $32.99.
 Just Desserts and other baked treats
Daniel Tay
Paris-trained but based in Singapore, pastry chef Daniel Tay walks a fine line between appealing to other pastry chefs and home bakers to whom many of his fruit desserts are accessible. His version of the French classic, caneles looks particularly good. Hardcover, 143 pp. $40.95.
 Small Bites Big Taste
Rainer Zinngrebe with Rodrigo Torres Contreras
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. Hardcover, 192 pp. $48.95.
‘wichcraft
Tom Colicchio with Sisha Ortuzar
A celebrated chef (Craft, Craftbar, ‘wichcraft), author (Think like a Chef, $27.00, Craft of Cooking, $53.50, Top Chef, $45.00), and a judge of the show Top Chef, Tom Colicchio is famous for his high standards. Here he uses them to raise the lowly sandwich to a whole new level. Not only does he use quality ingredients but he shows that sandwiches are for more than lunch. Try raw yellow beets with avocado, grapefruit, and radish sprouts. Dessertaterians will want to sink their teeth into the devil’s food cake with vanilla ice cream and sour cherries. The picture gallery at the beginning of the book is divided into breakfast, cool, warm, and sweet sections for fast selection. Colour photos. Hardcover, 208 pp. $32.00.
IACP Awards: Canadians among the winners
CONGRATULATIONS to Canadian IACP Book Award winners, Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford for Beyond the Great Wall and Jennifer McLagan for Fat. and Taras Grescoe for Bottomfeeder. Check out our web site for a full list of winners.
Recipe: Lemon Loaf
From The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
"When Drizzled with the lemon syrup, this is incredibly moist and tangy and flies off our counter when served in the shop."
Ingredients
1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs
grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 stick plus 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Lemon syrup
freshly squeezed juice and grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
½ cup sugar
A 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, greased and dusted with flour
Makes 8-10 slices
Preheat the oven to 325ºF
Put the sugar, eggs, and lemon zest in a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat until well mixed.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a separate bowl. Combine the milk and vanilla in another bowl. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and beat well, then beat in one-third of the milk mixtures. Repeat this process twice more until everything has been added. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Turn the mixture down to low speed, pour in the melted butter, and beat until well incorporated.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth over with a palette knife. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45-55 minutes, or until golden brown and the loaf bounces back when touched.
For the lemon syrup: While the cake is baking, put the lemon juice and zest, sugar, and ¾ cup water in a small saucepan and bring to boil over low heat. Boil until it has reduced by half, or until it had a thin syrup consistency. When the hot cake comes out of the oven, pour the syrup all over the top. Let cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
 The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook
Tarek Malouf and the Hummingbird Bakers
The popular London bakery, it has the Gwyneth Paltrow seal of approval, presents a collection of the classic stars of the sweet kitchen. Cupcakes, blondies, brownies, carrot cake, and pumpkin pie are some of the goodies no home should ever be without. With a recipe per page with an accompanying colour photo, the layout is almost as yummy as the recipes. Hardcover, 144 pp. $37.95.
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