As the Julia Child renaissance rush continues, Joseph Mason of Borders in the West Village says Mastering the Art of French Cooking is flying off the shelves. He's barely able to keep the classic best seller in stock, given the hoards of wanna-be French Chefs inspired by the hit movie Julie and Julia.
Mason, however, has a few new faves of his own back behind the impulse-purchase racks. Read on for his top late summer picks:
Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way
by Francis Mallmann and Peter Kaminsky.
This hardcover beauty is full-on carnivorous food porn. Mallmann, a famous chef and television personality, presents countless techniques and dishes from a country renowned for its fire-grilled meats. Maps, instructions on starting and maintaining a fire and tips on tools and methods are followed by recipes for the likes of Whole Boneless Rib Eye with Chimichurri and Grilled Polenta with Burnt Tomatoes and Morcilla. It's the next best thing to gorging yourself at a churrascaria.
PETA's Vegan College Cookbook
by PETA
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Mason points out this popular new
paperback aimed at the co-ed veggie set. Simple recipes designed around
dorm room staples make going--or staying--vegan at school a little bit
easier. Anyone wanna make us a Blueberry Pie Dump Cake? (We'll pass on
the Dirty Chick Pea Clean-Up Salad.)
Hungry Girl: 200 Under 200by Lisa Lillien
Lillien, founder of hungry-girl.com, has developed a massive following
for her simple, everyday approach to low-cal eating. Her newest book
presents snacks and meals heavy on the convenience foods but light on
the guilt. This is certainly not pure, whole eating, but aren't you a
little curious about her Fluffy Speckled Peanut Butter Dip? Who else is
gonna let you eat a concoction of Jell-o Pudding, Cool Whip Free and
Reese's Puffs cereal in the name of weight loss?
Eat This, Not That!: The Best (and Worst) Foods in Americaby
David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding
You may think Zinczenko, Editor-in-Chief of Men's Health Magazine,
can't shock you anymore. Think again. The latest entry in his hit
series will clue you in to which Smoothie King juice concoction packs
over 1,000 calories and why Blimpie's Special Vegetarian Sub is
anything but a lean choice for lunch (hint: you can't count all the fat
grams on five folks' fingers and toes). It may be tough to digest, but
this one's a real eye-opener.
