Thursday, September 23, 2010

Cookbook Watch - fall 2010 part 1

Ok guys, I have SO many books to tell you about. Some that I have been waiting for a long time - like Nigella Lawson's latest book, Kitchen, and of course, a lot of new books on the Swedish market. You'll have to wait a bit more for my take on Nigella, since I'm really savoring it. As always, she's a great writer, and I really enjoy reading her books much as I would any good book rather than just leafing through the recipes.

fredagkvall

So, without further ado. Here are some new books in Sweden - only available in Swedish, I'm afraid. First, let's talk a little about Håkan Larsson's Fredagkväll ("Friday Night"). This book has ideas for Friday nights, to put it simply. Easy menus - with one or two courses - with a touch of luxury. It also includes wine pairings, which might be fun and useful - I personally don't drink a lot of wine, and am not all that interested. I tried a pork tenderloin with basil oil and asparagus chèvre risotto - it was good, but nothing special. And that sums up my thoughts on the book: rather nice, if not exactly unique.

smartogott

Smart & Gott is the latest book by Liselotte Forslin, who does a lot of freelance work, so I've read many of her recipes in various magazines. I like her general outlook on food, and her recipes always seem fresh and seasonal, with a lot of vegetables. This book however, is a little too goody-two-shoes for me. It's called "Smart & Tasty - healthy recipes for everyday" and healthy is exactly where the focus is. Namely, low(ish)-fat, small(ish) portions and frankly, not all that exciting. The book has everything from breakfast blueberry porridge to a quick dessert (fresh orange slices dusted with cinnamon) but nothing inspires me to cook. This book is great if you're stuck in a fast-food rut and need ideas to eat healthy, but if you're already on a varied diet, this won't have much that you haven't seen before. (And personally, I'm pretty annoyed by general statements like "you should always choose organic if possible", but that's a subject for another day.)

italienskfastfood

Former pro-boxer Paolo Roberto surprised everyone a few years ago by writing several cookbooks and having a cooking show. He really can cook! This is his third book, Italiensk Fastfood (I don't think you need a translation of that) and the goal is to make people realize that you can cook good food from scratch, without a lot of time. Well, I don't know if the recipes here are all that much faster than the ones from his previous books, but that's forgiveable since I absolutely love everything I've tried from his recipes. It's not complicated, and it doesn't take a lot of time, nor require a lot of ingredients. The food is good, and so is the writing. Definitely recommended!

sotasaker

And a brand new book from a food blogger! Therésia Erneborg writes a blog about sweets, called "Söta Saker" ("Sweet things") and she just wrote her first book. I'm betting it's not her last! She's a journalist, and her writing is very clear and entertaining. The book is filled with sweets - everything from candy and cookies to cakes, and what I really love are all the beautiful photos! The book feels quite "vintage" rather than ultra-modern, and I really like that. It has personality! More importantly, it has delicious, wonderful recipes, and lots of them. If you're a sweet-lover, this is definitely the book to get this season.

8 comments:

Hana said...

OMG, Paolo Roberto does exist! I thought he was a fictional character in Stieg Larsson's Milenium series :). Wow, and he's a food writer now...interesting!

Anyway, I love your blog, every recipe looks so tasty. Keep it up!
Good luck with your job, too...;)

Anne said...

Hana, haha - I totally forgot about that but you're absolutely right! He's sort of playing himself in the books! (Well, kind of.) I really hope his books make it into translation, because they're really good! Thank you for commenting!!

Lena said...

Åh vad bra! Tack! Alldeles i tid så att jag kan skriva mina julklapps-listor till farmor och farfar.
Har du sett Martin Johanssons nya brödbok än? Den skulle komma ut nu till hösten...

Anne said...

Lena, jajamensan! Jag har inte hunnit testa något, bara bläddrat igenom. Ser jättebra ut!!

Girdle Mary said...

Mmmm that chocolately thingy looks gooey and gorgeous - would love a chunk of that!

kosher said...

agree with you on that.. thats really tasty I'm sure my wife and kid will love it!

healy said...

I love your blog, every recipe looks so tasty. Keep it up!
Good luck with your job,...;)

Debbie said...

Your reviews leave me wishing I read Swedish!