Best of
Gastronomy

2018

Italian Folk Magic: Rue's Kitchen Witchery


Mary-Grace Fahrun - 2018
    Having grown up in an extended Italian family in North America and Italy, the author presents us with the stories, characters, saints, charms, and prayers that form the core of folk religion, setting them in context in an authentic, down-to-earth, and humorous voice. A delight to read!"—Sabina Magliocco, Professor of Anthropology, University of British ColumbiaItalian Folk Magiccontains:magical and religious ritualsprayersdivination techniquescraftingblessing ritualswitchcraftThe author also explores the evil eye, known as malocchio in Italian, explaining what it is, where it comes from, and, crucially, how to get rid of it.This book can help Italians regain their magical heritage, but Italian folk magic is a beautiful, powerful, and effective magical tradition that is accessible to anyone who wants to learn it.

The Ethical Carnivore: My Year Killing to Eat


Louise Gray - 2018
    . . would you eat it?Louise's first kill is a disaster. She injures a rabbit, and thinks it has died in agony. But the experience teaches her a lesson, and when she subsequently finds the rabbit, she vows to do its death justice by finding out what it really means to kill and eat animals. Many people claim to care about the meat that they eat, but do they really know how the animal died? The Ethical Carnivore addresses this universal question, through an emotional personal quest. Taking the current fashion for "ethical meat" to its logical conclusion, Louise vows to eat only animals she has killed herself for a year. Starting small, Louise shoots and traps game such as hare and squirrels, and learns how to skin and cook them. She builds a new appreciation of the British countryside, and its wild fish and animals.The narrative moves to domestic animals. Louise sees cows in the slaughterhouse; by talking to the men and women who work there, she finds out how the animals are killed and the effect it has on the people who do it on our behalf.At the end of her journey, Louise goes wildfowling in the Orkneys to shoot a goose for Christmas dinner. She reflects that the rabbit with the white blaze has taught her to appreciate meat by facing up to the death of animals and to look deeply at her own morals and values.

Eating My Way Through Italy: Heading Off the Main Roads to Discover the Hidden Treasures of the Italian Table


Elizabeth Minchilli - 2018
    While she's proud to share everything she knows about Rome, she now wants to show her devoted readers that the rest of Italy is a culinary treasure trove just waiting to be explored. Far from being a monolithic gastronomic culture, each region of Italy offers its own specialties. While fava beans mean one thing in Rome, they mean an entirely different thing in Puglia. Risotto in a Roman trattoria? Don't even consider it. Visit Venice and not eat cichetti? Unthinkable. Eating My Way Through Italy, celebrates the differences in the world's favorite cuisine.Divided geographically, Eating My Way Through Italy looks at all the different aspects of Italian food culture. Whether it's pizza in Naples, deep fried calamari in Venice, anchovies in Amalfi, an elegant dinner in Milan, gathering and cooking capers on Pantelleria, or hunting for truffles in Umbria each chapter includes, not just anecdotes, personal stories and practical advice, but also recipes that explore the cultural and historical references that make these subjects timeless.For anyone who follows Elizabeth on her blog Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome, read her previous book Eating Rome, or used her brilliant phone app Eat Italy to dine well, Eating My Way Through Italy, is a must.

No Recipe: Cooking as Spiritual Practice


Edward Espe Brown - 2018
      Reading Brown’s witty and engaging collection of essays is like learning to cook—and meditate—with your own personal chef and Zen teacher. Drawing from a lifetime of experience, he invites us into his home and kitchen to explore how cooking and eating can be paths to awakening. Baking, cutting, chopping, and tasting are not seen as rigid techniques, but as opportunities to find joy and satisfaction in the present moment. “Forget the rules and forget what you’ve been told,” teaches Brown. “Discover for yourself by tasting, testing, experimenting, and experiencing.”   From soil to seed and preparation to plate, No Recipe brings us a collection of timeless teachings on awakening in the sacred space of the kitchen.

Grow. Food. Anywhere.: The New Guide to Small-Space Gardening


Mat Pember - 2018
    Food. Anywhere. is the must-have guide for anyone who has ever had a desire to grow their own food. Authors Mat and Dillon, of the Little Veggie Patch Co. provide a comprehensive and authoritative guide to gardening in any space, all in their own unique and entertaining style. Whether you've got a balcony, a tiny courtyard, or a patch of reclaimed dirt in a shared neighbourhood space, this book offers inspiration – and instruction – for growing good things to eat. The book has three sections: What plants need; an A-Z of Veggies; and an A-Z of Pests. These chapters cover everything from: why soil matters; composting; how to make a wicking garden; how to select the right growing style; what to plant and when; harvesting; troubleshooting; pruning; and more. Grow. Food. Anywhere. is presented with a combination of photographs, illustrations, and a playful, engaging design that very much mirrors the refreshing no-nonsense approach of the book's two accomplished and articulate young authors, and their thriving gardening business.

Travels Through South Indian Kitchens


Nao Saito - 2018
    A kitchen is usually thought of as a particular arrangement of space. But a space is not just a fixed physical structure - it is also fluid, shaped by the way in which people use it. Keeping this connection in mind, Nao Saito set out to explore a colourful variety of kitchens during her stay in South India. With her abiding interest in people and cookery, she finally came up with this richly perceptive travelogue, bringing together floor plans, sketches, photographs, impressions, recipes and conversation. In the process, South Indian kitchens emerge as more than just domestic spaces- they are distinctive ways of living and relating to the world