Tag Archives: James Beard Award

POK POK The Drinking Food of Thailand

Posted on by
Reply

Ricker, Andy. With Goode, JJ. POK POK The Drinking Food of Thailand. New York, USA: Ten Speed Press Publishing. 2017.

SUMMARY:
Opening his first restaurant in Portland, POK POK, as well as several others, and a 2011 James Beard winner for Best Chef Northwest, cookbook author Andy Ricker shares drinking food (appetizers worthy of accompanying drinks) in his new book, POK POK The Drinking Food of Thailand. With relevant introductions to each recipe, well explained and organized directions and associated photographs, anyone interested in food from Thailand will find plenty of ingredients and variations to satisfy a palate.

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
Though I have absolutely no knowledge or experience with Thai food, I still found this book to be acutely organized and quite interesting with the stories and prefaces before each included recipe. Worthy of being presented as a gift to someone appreciative of Thai food, this current cookbook is definitely something to consider for the right receiver. Maybe not ready to venture into making my own Thai food yet, after reading this book, I am surely more open to seeking out a restaurant to try such a menu and am certainly more knowledgeable about the ingredients and culture. Well done!

RATING:
4 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of POK POK The Drinking Food of Thailand from Blogging For Books for my honest review*

Advertisement

The Bread Baker’s Apprentice

Posted on by
Reply

Reinhart, Peter. The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering the Art of Extraordinary Bread- 15th Anniversary Edition. USA: Ten Speed Press. 2016.

breadbakerapprentice

SUMMARY:
Warm, crusty, delicious bread just became even easier and tastier with this updated book, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. Chock full of information, instructions, recipes and photographs, it is perfect for beginners and advanced break bakers alike. Including several different types of bread, bagels, pretzels, muffins and sticky buns, Peter Reinhart’s 15th Anniversary version explains flour, different processes (fermentation, proofing), dough temperatures, and shaping techniques, as well as common missteps. A beautiful book begging to be used…

A PENNY FOR MY THOUGHTS:
Loving the many types of bread, especially as the season changes to fall and soups are plenty, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice arrived perfectly timed. Familiar with many of the bread types, I was able to follow the directions fairly easily as they were laid out in ordered steps. Learning lots just as I paged through the book, I believe I will find the sticky buns (cinnamon) and the pizza dough advice the most useful as I make those quite often.   Only drawback I found was perhaps the length of time required for some of the recipes.  Maybe not a book to be used on busy weekdays, it is definitely for those cold, snowy weekends when time is not an issue, and the smell and taste of freshly baked bread can truly be relished.  Written by a baker with many years experience along with several awards for previous books, Peter Reinhart shares this refreshed edition with bread enthusiasts everywhere. Certainly a book which will be used often in my kitchen.

RATING:
4.5 (out of 5) pennies

*I received a complimentary copy of The Bread Baker’s Apprentice from Blogging For Books for my honest review*