Pamela Sheldon Johns

This week I got a notice from NetGalley that they had some cookbooks available for pre/review. I don't usually like cookbooks in an e-format, particularly since I don't have a color e-reader. However, I went to browse through the list to see if anything jumped out screaming "buy me buy me!!" I am so glad I looked.

In spite of what Andrews McNeel Publishing says, I think this one was edited in heaven by my Nona and her son, my father. I am positively drooling over this book, and have already show more sent an email to my daughter strongly suggesting that this one appear in my stocking from Santa later this year (it's not due for publication until next month.)

I found many of the recipes to be familiar from my childhood, others exotic but with ingredients that had me making a market list to try them as soon as I can get my hands on the real book. In fact, my sister, who is also an excellent Italian cook, was just visiting last week, and we had a discussion over whether or not one could substitute olive oil in a cake recipe that called for vegetable oil. The recipe for Ciambellone (Tuscan Ring Cake) on page 156, left no doubt that olive oil was quite acceptable. In fact, that cake looked so good, I may just have to move my laptop to the kitchen and bake it tonite to serve with some fresh Maine blueberries. Because, you see, the secret of Cucina Povera, in fact the secret of all good Italian cooking, is to use the fresh ingredients one has on hand, to make simple, elegant, wholesome, healthy food.

The cover recipe "Pomidori, Fagioli e Cippoline" (Roasted Tomatoes, Beans and Onions) p. 135, makes me wish for a cold rainy day to come quick. My family was quite fond of our Nona's gnocci - they were her specialty. But I was quite taken with a dish I'd never seen before "Gnudi" on pg.90. Literally meaning "nudes", they are spinach and ricotta dumplings - similar to the filling found in ravioli, but without the pasta shell. On a bed of homemade tomato sauce, they would be worthy of royalty.

The book is well laid out, has an excellent index, and although the e-galley is lacking a table of contents, each section has an individual TOC. The photography is spectacular...if you had a fork and spoon, you'd feel you could dive right in. The actual recipes don't start until page 43, but you don't mind because Johns takes us on a pictorial and memory tour of the area, introducing us to locals who have been cooking and growing these foods for all their very long lives. She gives us introductions to herbal remedies handed down by the monks in a local monastery, explains why basic ingredients are so important, and how and where they're produced. In short, we get culture, history, geography and cuisine all in one small volume. It's a winner. show less

Originally Posted to my blog www.cococooks.blogspot.com with photos from actual recipe.
Early Reviewers Review
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Tea Smoked Wings From 50 Great Appetizers
If you look over to the side bar of my blog, you will see a widget from Library Thing. Here is where I catalogue all of my cook books. Its daunting enough listing them and not the other multitudes of books I have. Library Thing is a great networking resource for book lovers and so much to to offer. I have barely show more tapped into Library Thing, but each month I eagerly bid in their Early Reviewers offers.Limited quantities of books are released from publishers on a whole range of topics. I have been bidding for months and had about given up on ever getting a book. Wasn't I presently surprised when I saw I was chosen to receive 50 Great Appetizers by Pamela Sheldon Johns, a reknown cooking instructor and host of Italian culinary workshops throughout Italy.
It arrived immediately from Andrews McMeel Publishing/ Universal Press Syndicate. 50 Great Appetizers is a small gem of book that would make a great gift this holiday season. The author takes the anxiety and angst out of planning a party with party theme/menu suggestions From Middle Eastern Mezes to Farmers Market spreads. She even breaks down traditional entrees and shows how the host/hostess can adapt them to appetizer portions. It is all about presentation, and this book is wonderfully presented. Pamela Sheldon Johns divides the book into four sections Topped and Dipped, Grilled &Skewered, Stuffed & Rolled, and Plated and Sauced. The author even has a detailed vegetarian listing of all recipes. Each recipe has a brief suggestion of other pairings or any ideas or recommendations.So all your bases are covered for entertaining. Jennifer Barry is her visual collaborator and has given us a wonderful package in photos and design. All in all a great resource.
I wanted to choose a more sophisticated and complex recipe for my blog to test a recipe. One of the first recipes that caught me a unique and challenging was Tea Smoked Chicken Wings with Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce. I used Assam Black Tea Leaves. I was worried about the brief time in cooking as this process was new to me. My first attempt at improvising a smoker didn't work and the wings were raw after the elapsed cooking time.
The rack was to far away from the smoke mixture.I grabbed a layer from my bamboo steamer that fit more directly over the tea/ spice mixture, and we were in business! The wings were smoked in the exact time the recipe stated. I normally like my wings broiled or fried with a crispier skin, but these were rich and seductive with that smokey flavor. The accompanying sauce wasn't to sweet and cloying, but just right in its simple equal proportioned mix of soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and sesame oil. These are grown up wings, and I will use this technique for other foods down the line. I loved that tea smoked smell that lingered in the house. It kind of reminded me of Oolong tea in scent, if that's your thing.
For legal /copyright reasons I wont give the recipe . But essentially I used rice, brown sugar, star anise, orange peel, and tea leaves to create a foil lined sealed smoker. The sauce was soy, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and sesame oil. I found success changing my rack to my bamboo steamer rack. This is really easy and wow your guests when entertaining. I look forward to changing tea blends, and meats with this technique. A cook book can be followed literally of be there to give you more inspiration or ideas. This does both succesfully. show less

This book is much more than a cookbook. In fact, for me, the strength of the book was not in the collection of recipes, but in the information on the foodways or food in culture of Italy. The first section of the book was devoted to a glimpse region by region of foods in that area. The illustrations for this section depicted the people. What a wonderful glimpse of the Italian culture! While the recipes are very typical of foods that would be served in Italian homes, I will probably use very show more few of them. I might enjoy trying stuffed squid in a restaurant, but I don't think it's something I would want often enough to create at home. To be fair, that is a rather extreme example, but overall, I felt that I would not use that many of the recipes in my own kitchen. The illustrations are marvelous, but not every dish is illustrated. This review is based on an advanced readers copy provided through NetGalley. show less

I am really taken with this little book of appetizer recipes. Munching on an assortment of appetizers is pretty much my favorite way to eat, and the recipes in this book are simple yet original. The Potato-Onion Flat Bread is tasty and unique; the Proscuitto-Wrapped Asparagus is as easy as it gets, yet quite elegant and succulent. The Corn and Black Bean Salsa Tortilla Rolls could be easily expanded into a main course. The ingredients for almost all the recipes are healthy and readily show more available; this is not complicated cookery, but rather fresh and delicious. Makes me want to throw a party. show less