Monday, December 22, 2008

Santa Monica Farmers Market Cookbook or Martin Yans Quick and Easy

Santa Monica Farmer's Market Cookbook

Author: Amelia Saltsman

Author Amelia Saltsman celebrates the famed Santa Monica Farmers' Market, provides advice on choosing, storing and using seasonal ingredients, shares tips from chefs and farmers, and gives readers more than 100 simple but fabulous recipes inspired by the market. With a foreword by Deborah Madison, a gorgeous design by Ph.D (including color photos of the market and the farmers), and rave reviews from everyone from Alice Waters to Lynne Rossetto Kasper, this book is the essential companion to farmer's market shoppers across the nation.

Judith Sutton - Library Journal

The original Santa Monica Farmers' Market, founded in 1981, is one of the oldest and largest markets in California. Saltsman, a cooking teacher and writer, provides information on choosing and storing seasonal produce and other ingredients, simple but sophisticated recipes based on them, and brief introductions to many of the farmers who come to the market every week. Most of the recipes include "Cook's Tips," "Chef's Tips," or "Farmer's Tips," and there are boxes on various ingredients, along with lists of crops and recipes by season. With the growing interest in-and reliance on-farmers' markets and community-supported agricultural programs, this is recommended for most collections.



New interesting textbook: GL Diet For Dummies or Saving Dinner the Low Carb Way

Martin Yan's Quick and Easy

Author: Martin Yan

The companion volume to Martin Yan's new PBS series of the same name, this cookbook is the ideal introduction to Asian cooking. Wok-full of great tips and techniques, plus sources for easily locating unusual ingredients, here are more than 150 truly easy recipes that taste great and cook up fast — all in under 30 minutes! Classic potstickers with spicy dipping sauce can be made ahead and frozen for impromptu guests-to-impress dinners. Korean-Style Lamb Chops pair up perfectly with crisp-and-tender Flash-Fried Asparagus and Long Beans. For those who like it hot, Three-Alarm Firecracker Shrimp packs a spicy punch with a menage a trois of chiles until Coconut Custard creaminess cools things down. Basics include the recipe for mastering steamed rice, a glossary of terms (know your miso from your mirin), and striking photographs throughout illustrating the food, essential equipment, and helpful techniques. No one is as well-known or well-loved for bringing Asian food into our home kitchens. With foolproof recipes conjured up fast, Martin Yan works his magic once again!

Publishers Weekly

Yan admits to having "eaten my way across Asia more times than I can count." Luckily, he collected plenty of recipes along the route. These recipes are for simple, traditional dishes, many of which may have been slightly modified to appeal to Western palates-and schedules (most meals can be made in under a half hour). Yan, who hosts a PBS series, employs modern conveniences such as rice-cookers and microplane graters to expedite food prep, and suggests buying sauces from your local Asian market, if you happen to live near one. He presents a list of items he suggests should be staples of the amateur chef's Asian pantry and refrigerator. Yan directs novices to an overview of online resources and even provides a glossary of ingredients for the Asian-impaired. Basic recipes such as Sushi Rice, Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce, and Sweet-and-Sour Shredded Carrots are dispatched in a half page each. The next section, titled "Small Bites and First Courses," includes 81 appetizing dishes, such as Marbled Tea Eggs, and Crab and Asparagus Soup. The meatiest section, "Main Courses," features dishes like Mirin-Ginger Crab and Lemon-Pepper Beef. The book finishes off with tasty "Deserts and Drinks," such as Spiced Banana Rolls and Lychee Lemonade. Yan does a good job of demystifying Asian cuisine and bringing a touch of zen into our hurried lives. Photos. (Oct.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.



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