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THE INDIAN VEGETARIAN

Name: THE INDIAN VEGETARIAN
Author: Neelam Batra
ISBN: 0-02-507675-2

by Neelam Batra with Shelly Rothschild-Sherwin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1994

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Indian cuisine still sounds exotic to many people and has yet to work its way into American kitchens. Here, Batra (who teaches at the Montana Mercantile Cooking School in L.A.) adapts traditional vegetarian Indian recipes to the American palate, gives separate recipes for sauces and gravies (though they are not part of authentic Indian cuisine), offers dishes inspired by American food (a fruit salad spiced with chat masala and black pepper is surprisingly savory), and assures readers that they do not have to make complete Indian meals in order to enjoy Indian flavors (chutneys, for instance, work well as sandwich relishes). Sample menus offer direction so that even those completely unfamiliar with paneer cheese or cauliflower paranthas can choose dishes that complement rather than compete (always a hazard when working with lots of spices). And she makes sense of the distinctive Indian herbs, spices, and seeds with an extensive guide to their preparation, storage, culinary use, and even possible medicinal effects (e.g., bay leaves are digestive stimulants). Indian cooking can easily become an all-day process if you have to do everything from grinding and roasting masala to creating the proper chutney accompaniments. Batra's careful instructions tell what steps can be done in advance to avoid this problem. Overall, well organized, with only a couple of glitches: Why advise using the mango chutney on chicken in a book purportedly for vegetarians, and why does the sound advice to use gloves when working with hot serrano peppers come pages after their first mention? A mystique breaker.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1994

ISBN: 0-02-507675-2

Page Count: 380

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 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.