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THE CREATIVE COOK

Name: THE CREATIVE COOK
Author: James Kempston
ISBN: 0-297-83022-8

THE SECRETS OF THE KITCHEN REVEALED

by James Kempston ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 15, 1994

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Kempston, a self-taught cook and former manager of a country hotel, has dissected the eating and cooking processes; he believes that a scientific understanding can free cooks from recipe slavery. But his efforts often seem slapdash or just plain strange For instance, in accord with his belief that tastes should always be balanced, he suggests scraping burnt toast over food when bitter notes are missing. Some of this information is helpful (Kempston explains why a food processor is inferior to a hand-held knife for chopping vegetables), but the presentation is haphazard. Furthermore, the measurements have been converted in this British import, but ``translating'' a cookbook for an American audience is requires more. Kempston refers to ``pulses'' rather than dried legumes and in giving instructions for microwaving poppadoms— Indian flat breads—he states that they are widely available. These misunderstandings spread to the recipes themselves. A tangy focaccia-like appetizer bread in a section on ``Savoury Oddments'' calls for one ounce of yeast, but American readers need to be aware that the active dry yeast more commonly used here is twice as potent as the compressed yeast used in Europe and that the amount should be halved accordingly. Finally, while there are some interesting ideas here, like fried almonds tossed with toasted cumin and sea salt ground together, many dishes are unnaturally rich; a recipe for chocolate mousse flecked with orange zest produced something closer to pudding in texture. An intriguing idea ruined by unfortunate oversights.

Pub Date: Dec. 15, 1994

ISBN: 0-297-83022-8

Page Count: 176

Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson/Trafalgar

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1994

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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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

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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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.