A hearty and savory collection, with a few sweet delights thrown in.
A collection of healthy alternatives to traditional comfort food.
South African Taferner’s love for food and traveling began in the military, where he was given a special opportunity to work in the catering division. That led to a part-time job with a small hotel before he moved to Hanoi, where he began to truly pursue his passions. Tying his physical and emotional state of being to the foods he consumed, Taferner noticed that he simply felt “good” when he ate eggs, potatoes, stuffed peppers and tomatoes, rather than the “plastic” preserved offerings of ready-made food. This outlook fuels his desire to research nutritional values and to eat more whole foods. Though he wanted to be healthy, he was hesitant to give up his love of comfort food and so set out to create “healthier comfort-food experiences,” though these new recipes—e.g., “Avocado Stuffed with Pear Puree,” “Stuffed Peppers and Potato,” “Chicken and Mushroom Pie”—aren’t for traditional meat loaf or mac ’n’ cheese. Punctuated with attractive color photos, the recipes seem to be geared toward the more experienced cook. Confusion may arise from the book’s use both of standard measurements—cups and teaspoons, for instance—and grams; however, conversion tables are provided in the back of the book. The recipes are given a sturdy foundation through additional trivia found in “Earth Essence Food Tips” as well as various stories, which are placed interstitially between the recipes and tell of traveling adventures. Though the superimposed text over photographs can be a bit difficult to read, the book’s layout is aesthetically pleasing. Taferner includes a fair amount of traditional recipes—“Fresh Spring Roll,” “Chicken Curry,” “Pork Dumplings”—but there are a few interesting ones to shake things up. His mother’s “Pancake Soup” easily wins for most creative.
A hearty and savory collection, with a few sweet delights thrown in.Pub Date: March 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1492993339
Page Count: 112
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: April 17, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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