Reviewed by Marie-Hélène Fasquel for Readers' Favorite

Fresh by Johanna Harlen is an extraordinary cookbook since it incorporates an incredible amount of health information. The pictures are absolutely beautiful and make your mouth water. We would like you to cook for us, Johanna! The dedication is very moving and everything that the author shares about her own reasons for writing these books and about her own life is interesting. The various parts complement each other and we are given thirty days of healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas. What else could we ask for?

Fresh by Johanna Harlen is indeed a gem and a book I am going to use regularly (even though I hardly ever use cookbooks!) because my husband’s and my own health do matter to me too! I have already perused most of the recipes and feel inclined to test quite a lot. They are part of an alkaline diet which is based on the idea that replacing acid-forming foods with alkaline foods can improve your health. In fact, we all know that acid-forming foods are bad for us but we always find good reasons (lack of time mostly) not to address this essential issue. Having a whole book of perfect (alkaline) recipes and not having to worry about which types of food we may or may not eat is a real gift and I could not be more grateful to Johanna. I am going to treasure it and advise readers on my blog with pleasure. Thank you so much. We'll never forget again that "we are what we eat."

Reviewed by Vincent Dublado for Readers' Favorite

Marcela Benson’s Love, Peace, and Vegetables: Recipes for Conscious Living is an enticing, appetizing, and visually appealing cookbook that promotes healthy eating and the healing properties of a well-structured meal. This is a collection of 150 recipes that are conceived from the heart with the intent to provide healthier alternatives to the common meals we have been accustomed to consuming. Benson has mastered the craft of low-glycemic cuisine through her understanding of Live-Food preparation that brings us to a profound understanding of the vegan lifestyle. The book begins with the story of the author’s personal life and struggles, and how it led her to discover the merits of a healthy diet. Moreover, the book also shows you how to willingly choose the path toward positive change and adapt transformational steps to health according to your own pace.

With her devotion to Live-Food and veganism, Marcela Benson is revolutionizing the cookbook industry with recipes that are not only honest but are prepared with love as seen through her artistic and scientific details. Having a sweet tooth, I particularly enjoyed preparing two of her Live-Food desserts—the vanilla thumbprint cookies and spice chocolate cream pie. The preparation of these recipes feels like a sacred act in itself. Try the recipes for yourself and you realize that you are experiencing the fusion of science, art, and love through eating. Love, Peace, and Vegetables is an indispensable reference for any culinary scholars, chefs, homemakers, and even food critics, as it strongly weighs in on recognizing the role of food in our holistic view of the human body. Reassuring and easy to follow, this is the cookbook to consider for healthy appetite and pleasure.

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Sassy Food by Ja-ne de Abreu is a self-help guide for those who are ready to begin or want to learn more about “How to Grow Food with Your Own 'Farm" Any Size Anywhere/Any Time of Year with Any Budget and How to Cook It”. Ja-ne uses her vast experience as a photographer to create a pictorial book that would be at home on a coffee table with full color, glossy images of the Hawaiian landscape, plentiful harvests, and a variety of women of all ages clothed only in the earth's bounty. Alongside the photography is a comprehensive tutorial on all things gardening, complete with instructions on different sizes and types, environment, timeframes, hydroponics, cultivating, harvesting, and recipes, among many, many other things.

I went into Sassy Food thinking that, despite the 'any size anywhere,' a shoebox home in central London was probably not what Ja-ne de Abreu had in mind. I was proven wrong, and a micro-tent with potted herbs is currently housed on my 3ft terrace. Ja-ne gifts us with such an incredible wealth of information and does this with a palpable sensitivity to compassion, love, and oneness. In the chapter covering Peaceful Pest & Disease Control, she describes a heartbreaking loss after months of care, stating, “I lost a quick battle of disease with my Kajari melon. It felt like a real death.” The photography is raw and moving, without the use of manipulation to really show the landscape and the women who grace it in gorgeous, realistic imagery. This is a book that nurtures the heart and soul of a reader in the same way Ja-ne teaches us to care for the bounty. Very highly recommended.

Reviewed by Diana Lopez for Readers' Favorite

Press for Champagne is a very special book. Christopher S. Ruhland researched a complicated subject and explained it simply. First, he tells us about his interest in the topic, then he tells us about the history of champagne in a very entertaining way. The description is amazing. Later, when we already have a clear context, the author explains the process and characteristics of champagne. But that is only the beginning of the book. The more we read the more we learn. Christopher S. Ruhland gives explanations for all audiences, and there are even descriptions of French terms to understand the bottle labels. With the information that the author gives us, we can more easily choose champagne according to our tastes. Press for Champagne is a book that everyone should read.

I loved how Press for Champagne explains some myths and corrects information because many ideas about champagne are confused. The narration is very entertaining. Christopher S. Ruhland speaks to us from his experience. Reading this book feels like having a conversation with a man who knows what he's talking about. The amount of information is amazing. I liked how the author expresses all his arguments. This book is a very useful guide because it teaches us to see champagne from a different perspective. Champagne doesn't have to be just for celebrations; champagne is a drink made to be appreciated. The important thing is to have a good time with champagne if we have a chance. Christopher S. Ruhland enjoyed writing this book, and that enjoyment comes through in every word of it.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Sophisticated Palate: A Taste of Northern California is a nonfiction cooking/food book written by Johanna Harlen. Harlen’s love affair with the culinary arts and writing about food began when she submitted a recipe to the Service Inspired Restaurants Corporation of Ontario’s contest. Even better news awaited her, however, when she learned that she had won the contest. Her prize was a course at the Culinary Institute of America’s Northern California campus. The course, The Sophisticated Palate: A Taste of Northern California, was presented by Chef John Ash. Ten years later, Harlen decided that the coursework from that 2010 program could be the basis for an amazing cookbook. Chef John Ash agreed and offered to help her in any way he could. Sophisticated Palate immerses the reader in the intensive and inspiring Culinary Institute of America course that is still taught by Chef John Ash. Harlen’s eloquent and inspiring introduction sets the stage for her experience, and her presentation of the coursework covered by Ash offers the reader far more than a simple collection of recipes. Each recipe is updated for 2020 and offers detailed information on alternative ingredients and techniques. As I read through this book, I felt as though I was indeed in a Culinary Institute class, and I loved learning about the courses -- and how I could adapt and make them my own.

There’s something for everyone in this work; I even discovered, to my delight and surprise, a recipe for Avocado Fries. Another plus is that the chef’s notes at the bottom of each recipe are those of Chef Ash, unless otherwise noted, furthering the feeling one gets of being a privileged student as well as a reader. Harlen also includes an article by Chef Ash on souffles that offered me the necessary confidence and boosted my enthusiasm for trying my hand at what I had always considered a formidable task. I especially liked Harlen’s suggestion for a Citrus Souffle. Harlen was the photographer for all but the dessert recipes, which were photographed by her son. Her pictures are eye-popping and mouth-watering. Textures, colors, and ingredients all work together very well to make each dish a visual masterpiece. Sophisticated Palate: A Taste of Northern California is more than a cookbook -- it provides the reader with a learning experience that will have them considering coursework at the Culinary Institute themselves. It’s most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

The only thing better than a great dessert is a spectacular cookbook that features many great dessert options, complete with gorgeous illustrations and thorough instructions. Imagine the signature piece and cover illustration of this fantastic cookbook, 70% Cacao Chocolate Cheesecake! And then there’s Eggnog Éclairs, Toasted Pistachio & Dark Chocolate Butter Crunch (just the title makes you want to bite right into it) and so many others. I have to admit, the chocolate recipes always capture my attention first, especially with such mouth-watering illustrations. My tastebuds water just perusing the selection.

Craig and Johanna Harlen’s Another Taste of Gorgeous is a cookbook collector’s dream book – a must-have for the complete cookbook connoisseur collection. The book follows Craig’s career as a pastry chef extraordinaire. Beginning with this introduction, the book also documents the goal of this book, which follows an earlier publication, A Taste of Gorgeous. There is a wide selection of mouth-watering recipes in this book, each one clearly detailed with ingredients listed in order of use and very thorough instructions. Each recipe is also accompanied by a spectacular photograph of the final product, both simple and elegant, presented as one would expect it to be delivered to your table at a classy restaurant. Interspersed between recipes are some useful cooking guides, including lists of appropriate, good quality kitchen utensils which are a must in any finely tuned food preparation. The book is definitely a cookbook, but it is also a treasure to savor and enjoy, a classic coffee table picture book. Beautifully and artfully presented.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

“Freestyle cooking is about simply being a little prepared and relaxing around the kitchen.” We don’t have to be highly trained gourmet chefs to make the picture-perfect, delicious, healthy meal. Mind you, picture-perfect isn’t necessarily always delicious and healthy and, vice versa, delicious and healthy isn’t always picture-perfect. The important thing is to enjoy your food, enjoy your food preparations and remember that food is a social activity, a great way to spend quality family time. What you make may not always turn out the way you think it should; it may be even better than the original intent. But remember some words of wisdom, like “there is no way to fail as long as you keep trying.” This reminds me of my great-grandmother’s words of wisdom (which would accompany anything that appeared to be less than perfect): “If there’s good stuff in it, then it must be good.”

Sean Barker’s cookbook, The Easy Eating Diet Cookbook: 150 Fit Food Recipes for Real Life, to Get Leaner, Lighter and Healthier, is as much a guidebook as it is a cookbook. It’s actually his recommendation that readers consider his book as a guidebook, to add or take away as they will, to mix and match ingredients. Each recipe, well organized and presented, is meant as a starting place to broaden the culinary experience and enjoy a wide range of possibilities. His introduction is full of sage advice, not just on cooking and eating healthily, but also on the best foods to choose: the best fats, the best herbs, and some tips to make life easier in the kitchen, like prepping prospective ingredients as soon as they’re brought home from the grocery store and freezing them in containers, ready to add to a given dish at any given time. This eases the stress and the fuss of the actual meal preparations when the time comes. The Easy Eating Diet Cookbook adds more fun and experimentation possibilities to the food preparation routine, making the foods we eat healthier and more interesting.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Who doesn’t like dessert? But does anyone consider that food, especially dessert food, has a character all of its own. Food character includes “the essence of flavors and the perception of tastes.” Desserts are more than just a sweet ending; it is a “symphony of flavors.” And there is a misconception that desserts have to be sinfully sweet. In reality, they can be healthy. There are ways to make the most sinful-looking, delicious concoctions with healthier sweeteners and alternate flours, among other things. The key is knowing how and when to make the substitutions; in other words, knowing what foods work well together.

Nikos Ligidakis is an award-winning chef who has studied in great depth the wonders of food creations. He is known for his exotic creations, for his fresh, stunning works of culinary art. He is also known as an author who shares his knowledge of food with great pride and an accumulation of years of study. In other words, he knows his food. His recent book, My Collection of Original Desserts: The Art of Creative Baking, is a passionate look at sweet endings. The book begins with a background on the author and his aim of baking excellence. It then progresses into a concise sharing of his culinary knowledge: a list of ingredients and ingredient alternatives, how each ingredient works with other ingredients, culinary do’s and don’ts, a fascinating account on what he terms “The Chocolate Addiction,” and so much more. Then come the recipes, complete with mouth-watering images of the finished creations. The recipes are well laid out with concise and thorough instructions. This chef/ author obviously uses his imagination and his expertise to create some of the most exquisite sweet delights. This book is a must-have for any cookbook collector or anyone adventurous enough to make the ultimate dessert.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

indieBRAG Eat, Read & Dream Cookbook is a nonfiction cooking/food book written by Geraldine J. Clouston and Susan Weintrob. The authors present a decidedly different cookbook with this offering. They’ve paired BRAG Medallion Honoree Books with recipes inspired by those works designed by Weintraub, who is a food blogger. Clouston is the president and CEO of indieBrag, LLC. The books are organized by genre and are presented with a full-color image of each cover, a descriptive blurb and link to the author’s website, quotes from the work, and/or an introduction to the relevant recipe or style of cooking. A recipe follows with a full-color photograph, list of ingredients, and directions. Often, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and sugar-free options are suggested. For the middle-school book, Little Miss History Travels to Mount Vernon by Barbara Ann Mojica, the authors discuss how stews were a familiar supper item and indicate that stew pans are part of the historical exhibit at Mount Vernon. The paired recipe for this selection is Colonial Southern Stew, made with stewing beef, vegetables, red wine, and spices. After sauteeing, the dish is baked for several hours at low heat. Alternative times and directions are offered for those who use crockpots.

indieBRAG Eat, Read & Dream Cookbook is a marvelous and original blending of literature and culinary arts that will thrill anyone who loves to read and cook. I’m figuring there are a lot of us out there who appreciate both, as well as those who’ll somehow figure out how to get the cooks in their lives to prepare the mouth-watering dishes introduced in this text. This is a gorgeous book, filled with arresting images, eye-catching book covers, and food that will torment anyone on a diet. I was fascinated by this book. I loved learning about the books presented and made note of several I’ll be looking forward to reading in the future, and the recipes included often seem designed for even newbies to have fun with. The ingredients are relatively easy to come by, and the directions are well-presented and a breeze to follow.

I enjoyed reading up on some new spins to put on my tomato sauce as seen in the recipe accompanying Connie Goyette Crawley’s Tilly and Torg Out to Eat. The Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe includes “Expandthetable Suggestions” that allow the chef to fine-tune the dish to taste. And the Dutch Apple Tart recipe that accompanies Jennifer Alderson’s The Lover’s Portrait: An Art Mystery is a perfect selection considering the fall season and current new crop of apples. One of the real perks of this book is the fact that recipes are not organized as one normally sees in cookbooks. Reading about the books and finding recipes for dishes I’ve always wanted to make made this book a series of literary and culinary adventures like no other. The authors’ selections of books and recipes are inspired, and the accompanying images are a visual treat. While I loved the eclectic arrangement of recipes, those who crave more order can peruse the recipes in traditional order in the index. I had a grand time reading indieBRAG Eat, Read & Dream Cookbook. It’s most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Making and serving good, wholesome food is an art form. You can use the least expensive ingredients possible. You can substitute one ingredient for another. You can decide to ignore the instructions carefully written out in the method of preparation. But you might not be satisfied with the end result. If you really want to create that work of art, that delicious recipe you remember enjoying at a friend’s house, or something special Mom used to make, you need to use precisely the same ingredients and follow the directions. However, as in many family recipe collections, we might find that instructions are sparse to non-existent, so, if it’s a family recipe you’re following, write down the directions as you recall and make a note of the precise ingredients you remember being used back in the day. Food availability and cooking technology have changed, but the bottom line is to use fresh and real ingredients. If at all possible, don’t substitute. It’s not worth it to save some money on the expense. If you want quality, then use quality – not necessarily the most expensive ingredient, but the best quality ingredient.

I love the title of Kenneth M. Horwitz’s cookbook, Deep Flavors: A Celebration of Recipes for Foodies in a Kosher Style. Deep flavors certainly suggest a thorough presentation of food, recipes, and the art of creating exemplary food art – to be enjoyed and savored. The author has done just that. His concise book includes fully organized recipes, each one with detailed instructions and background on the recipe: its source, its ingredients, and the reasons behind how to prepare it. As he writes in his opening chapter, which outlines his philosophy on food and food preparation, “Cooking is worth some effort and attention to detail. The positive reactions from family or guests, as well as your own enjoyment, will make it worthwhile. Of course, producing delectable food is more than just process – high-quality (and this does not necessarily mean rare or expensive) and fresh ingredients are essential.” I was particularly interested in his chapter on breads and sourdough breads as I begin my own experiments with a sourdough starter, all of which I found informative and useful. This is an essential addition to any cookbook fanatic's collection and to anyone who believes in spending the time and effort to make the ‘food’ experience a real work of art, one with many deep flavors.