Cindy Pawlcyn

I don't know how I have missed Cindy Pawlcyn's books but I only just came across her. I now possess two of her cookbooks - I don't know if there are more. I always prefer my cookbooks to have lots of photographs and these do not disappoint. The first is Mustards Grill which is the name of one of her restaurants. Just looking through the book makes me want to trek on over to California to eat. For one thing, it appears the sun shines all the time (a terrible temptation to a Michigander in the show more middle of winter); for another the photographs of the food are truly mouthwatering. I was staring at a photo of strawberries - not the huge, tasteless variety we get in supermarkets - but the lovely small, succulent ones. My husband passed by and said 'you don't even need to eat, do you'. I think he has put his finger on why I love cookbooks. Even a professional does not have time to make all the wonderful dishes that can be thought up but, if you have an educated palate, you can imagine how things will taste and the recipes and photos are like a culinary tour. Let me just whet your appetite: Japanese Inspired Beef Filet "Rolls"; Spicy Mustard and Garlic Poussin with Black Beans and Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa; Tea Smoked Duck with 100-Almond Sauce and Ginger Pickled Mango; Smoked Turkey, Bacon, and Grilled Apple Sandwiches with Guacamole; Lime Creme Fraiche; Cindy's Tapioca Pudding with Bourbon Cream. Okay, that is enough. I am so hungry. show less

I bought this cookbook when I was ju-u-ust learning to cook on my own, so I got a lot of use out of the basic techniques and recipes in a useful section in the back. The peanut-butter-chocolate-chip cookies, I have made an awful lot. If you wish you had lived in San Francisco in the early '90s, just cook every dish in this book.

I love cookbooks about food journeys and travel. It's so interesting to see recipes inspired by dishes from all over the world, especially if they were nicely chosen, and some were quite new to me, so I'm grateful for that. I don't believe she mentioned the authenticity of those recipes, but it doesn't matter.

I bookmarked the following:
Macadamia and Coconut Tart (from Hawaii)
Bachelor's Lamb Tangia (from Morocco)
Garlic Chicken with Garlic and Potato Sauce (from Lebanon)
Goan-Style Lamb Curry show more (from India) show less

Big Small Plates is the other book of Cindy's and it continues with the lovely photos. As you may be able to figure out from the title, these are appetizers or, in my case, they would make a lovely small meal. Offerings include: Spiced Ahi Tuna Sticks; Dungeness Crab-Sweet Potato -Corn Fritters; Miso Glazed Beef in Lettuce Cups; Garlic Soup (ah heaven!); Mini Beef Burgers with Roasted Chile Relish and Pablo's Pickled Onions; Sweet Corn Custard with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce; Japanese Crab and show more Shrimp 'Pizzas'; Rhubarb, Lemongrass, and Ginger Sauce over Vanilla Ice Cream; Double Trouble Chocolate Mousse Torte; Lemon-Buttermilk Pudding Cake with Chantilly Cream and Berries. Don't you just want to start your engines (ovens)? show less