Books for Cooks: The Best of 2001

“The Last Course,” Claudia Fleming with Melissa Clark (Random House, $40)

There are two types of people in the kitchen: cooks and bakers. For the first group, looking at a typical fancy baking book is usually enough to induce a dead faint, or at least a turning of the page. Three or four sub-recipes for every dish, always at least two ingredients that call for a special trip to the market--who needs all that work for just another chocolate cake?

“The Last Course,” by Fleming, the pastry chef at New York’s Gramercy Tavern, is a cook’s baking book. The dishes are elegant and thoughtfully composed, but they’re refreshingly simple in both concept and execution. It’s a rare recipe here that contains more than two sub-recipes (at least until you get to the whiz-bang “Signature Composed Dishes” chapter at the end). Open the book at random and you’ll find recipes for things such as chestnut souffles with Armagnac-nutmeg custard sauce, spiced red wine-fig compote or hazelnut parfait. And here’s what will make you crazy: Without skimping on instruction, none of those recipes runs more than a page.

Even for a non-baking cook, this is irresistible stuff. “The Last Course” is the first dessert book that truly belongs alongside Lindsey Shere’s wonderful “Chez Panisse Desserts,” published in 1985. There can be no higher praise than that.

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“Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table,” Mai Pham (HarperCollins, $27.50)

With its fresh, vibrant flavors, shouting with fish sauce and lime juice, there’s little wonder Vietnamese cooking has become so popular in restaurants. But somehow--despite a wealth of markets in Southern California--it hasn’t penetrated to the home cook. Well, if what you’ve been waiting for is a good, brisk introduction to Vietnamese cooking, get busy.

Pham, who runs Lemon Grass Restaurant in Sacramento, covers all the basics, from a guide to the many fresh herbs and condiments (including recommended brands) to how to eat pho-- crucially, the herbs should be added a bit at a time so they keep their color. There is also quite a bit of historical and cultural material, outlining the evolution of Vietnamese cuisine and explaining the making of everything from fresh coconut milk to your own rice wrappers.

Indeed, the more time you spend with this book, the more remarkable it seems that Pham is able to cover so much material in perfectly adequate depth in such a slim book (less than 250 pages). The recipes are much the same--a few ingredients adding up to a big effect. In this case, less is considerably more.

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“Zarela’s Veracruz,” Zarela Martinez with Anne Mendelson (Houghton Mifflin, $35)

The many cuisines of Mexico are as geographically varied as those of any country in the world. Yet most Mexican cookbooks tend to be general, as if what is eaten in Oaxaca is also eaten in Sonora. Maybe we’re finally ready for Regional Mexican Cuisine. If so, Martinez, an occasional contributor to the Times Food section, has set the standard these books will have to meet.

In this and her previous “The Food and Life of Oaxaca,” published in 1997, she displays a clear-eyed, deeply informed approach to her chosen regions that not only illuminates the cooking of the area but also shows how the food fits into the larger culture (her section on the Afro-Caribbean influence in Veracruz is fascinating).

Best of all, it’s told in Martinez’s inimitable voice, sometimes seducing, sometimes hectoring. One section is straightforwardly titled “If You Really Want to Cook Like Me.” In a bit about canned milk, she chides her reader for foodie foolishness: “Do not wince and start thinking of more elegant products that you can substitute. The use of condensed and evaporated milk is a part of Latin American culture that deserves to be understood, not sneered at.”

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“Simple French Cooking,” Georges Blanc and Coco Jobard (Sterling, $29.95)

This has to be the find of the year. Most foodies know Blanc as one of the most famous chefs in France. But how many know that his grandmother, Elisa, was one as well? She was one of “Les Meres Lyonnaises,” a group of sturdy restaurant-owning women whose cooking came to define French cuisine in their day every bit as much as her grandson has today. (Eugenie Brazier, not Alain Ducasse, was the first French chef to win six Michelin stars.)

This tribute, originally published in French as “La Cuisine de Nos Meres,” is full of food the Francophiles among us won’t be able to resist. In fact, if you learned to cook before, say, 1985, these recipes are probably the originals of the first “fancy dishes” you ever made: chicken in cream sauce, braised beef Nicoise, chicken in red wine. This book may be a little difficult to find because it’s from a small publisher, but finally the mothers of French cooking get their credit.

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“Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen,” Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall (10 Speed Press, $29.95)

Even for those who love to eat Korean food in restaurants, there is something vaguely mysterious about the cooking. While the flavors in Vietnamese and Thai dishes seem relatively transparent and easy to figure out, Korean is complex and unfamiliar. Aggravating that situation has been a relative dearth of Korean cookbooks. Until now, that is. “Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen” is part memoir, part travelogue, part recipe book--and wholly satisfying. Hepinstall, a novelist, was educated in Korea but has lived abroad for many years. The book helps you sort your way through the Korean marketplace, familiarizes you with fundamental cooking techniques and introduces you to the way flavors are built into the cuisine.

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“Recipes From Home,” David Page and Barbara Shinn (Artisan, $30)

Home may be a restaurant in Manhattan, but it’s not of Manhattan. Rather, it belongs in Chicago or Madison, Wis., or some other sophisticated outpost in the Midwest. This is American regional cooking at its finest--seasonal, ingredient-focused and unfussy. Think of it as California cuisine without the olive oil or basil.

Most important, it’s firmly rooted in the authors’ upbringings. There’s great stuff here, such as a parsley salad with country ham and tomatoes, smoked fish with horseradish dressing and a creamy chicken and ham casserole with artichokes. The cooking is so natural and of a piece that the occasional incongruities--say, a Southwestern black bean soup (with one whole tablespoon of minced jalapeno for four servings!)--really leap out at you.

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“Vegetables From Amaranth to Zucchini,” Elizabeth Schneider (William Morrow, $60)

Elizabeth Schneider is driven to discover and popularize the exotic, the obscure and the forgotten. Think of this book as a bigger and better version of her “Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables,” published in 1986 and still an unequaled source for exotic fruit. Fancier, printed on glossy stock with lots of color photos, this new work is just as exhaustive. More than 100 vegetables, both common and uncommon, are described with histories, quotes, tips on buying, storing and cooking as well as recipes and even a section called Pros Propose, which offers precis of recipes from chefs and other food writers.

The book is weighted toward the academic (truth in labeling would have required the title “Vegetables from Amaranth to Yuca,” since zucchini is folded into a chapter called Squash, Tender and Summer--a fate shared by many other common vegetables). But in most ways, this scholarly bent is central to its charm. Where else could you find a disquisition on the etymology of the word “zucchini” followed by a comparative tasting of at least a dozen varieties, and then a half-dozen recipes?

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“In the Sweet Kitchen,” Regan Daley (Artisan, $35)

This Canadian book was named the best cookbook of the year by the International Assn. of Culinary Professionals last year despite being unavailable in the United States--the first time that’s ever happened. Now it is available, and you can see for yourself that the award was deserved. This is a baker’s guidebook rather than a recipe collection (it runs more than 600 pages, and the 150 recipes don’t begin until well past halfway).

And while the recipes are certainly better than adequate, it is the wealth of information that makes this book a standout. Consider more than five pages on vanilla, for example--including information on the differences among the various countries of origin, the different extracting methods and how the extracts compare to whole beans, and several tips on use and storage. The recipes tend to fall safely between homey and sophisticated--they sound different but not off-putting, such as walnut cake with coffee buttercream frosting and rhubarb brulee tartlets with ginger.

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“Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian,” Editors of Saveur Magazine (Chronicle, $40)

Almost every cook has a stash of those Time-Life Foods of the World cookbooks from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s tucked away in some far corner of a bookcase. They were uneven in quality even when new and, truth be told, most of them haven’t aged all that well. Think of the “Saveur Cooks Authentic” series as an updated, more beautiful and more cookable version.

This third volume (American and French books preceded it) captures the strengths of the series. The writing is at the same time charming and tough-minded, lovingly capturing the cuisine but in its modern context, without falling prey to romanticism. Though the photography is artful and evocative, it never shows the hand of prop and food stylists. Most of all, the take on food is just right--genuinely sophisticated and never contrived.

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“The Paris Cookbook,” Patricia Wells (HarperCollins, $30)

It would be easy for Wells, longtime restaurant critic for the International Herald Tribune, to collect a couple of hundred recipes from Paris restaurants and put them out in a slick book with a big price tag. And it would probably sell a lot, too. But the great thing about Wells’ books (this one is her fourth) is that they’re so instructive. “The Paris Cookbook” is full of good food, but it’s got even better information--tips and trucs from chefs both great and small that add up to a minor culinary education.

“Paris” probably won’t rank with Wells’ earlier “Bistro Cooking” or “Simply French,” her remarkable adaptation of Jol Robuchon’s cuisine for the American kitchen (there aren’t many books by any author that do). But with the renewed interest in all things bistro, this would be a good place to start.

Quince Thumbprint Cookies

Active Work Time: 1 hour * Total Preparation Time: 2 hours plus 4 hours chilling

“In this recipe, I shape my mother’s basic dough into thumbprints and fill them with homemade quince jam. The more you cook quince, the more color it takes on. Here, it’s reduced to a deep rose-colored preserve. The jam itself is nuanced and delicious and can keep for several weeks in the refrigerator. It’s superb on toast and even better on roasted poundcake. But before you finish it off, be sure to make a batch of these cookies. They are buttery jewel-like mouthfuls that are sure to be the first ones grabbed from the cookie jar. This makes about 2 cups of jam; you’ll have a cup left over for other uses.” From “The Last Course,” by Claudia Fleming with Melissa Clark.

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QUINCE JAM

4 quinces, peeled, cored and cut into eighths

3 cups water

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, pulp scraped

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Combine the quinces, water, wine, sugar and vanilla pod and pulp in a saucepan. Cut a round of parchment paper slightly smaller than the opening of the pot and lay it on top of the quince (this will keep the fruit submerged; you can also use a sturdy, heat-proof plate). Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the quince slices are extremely tender and spongy, about 2 hours.

Remove the parchment and mash the quince using either the back of a spoon or a potato masher. Continue to simmer the quince mixture until it looks like jam, about 11/2 to 2 hours longer, stirring occasionally. Let cool, discard the vanilla pod, then store in the refrigerator until needed.

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COOKIES

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup finely ground toasted walnuts

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Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and light, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Sift in the flour, cornstarch and salt and beat until just incorporated. Fold in the walnuts. Cover the dough and chill for at least 4 hours.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Form heaping teaspoonfuls of the cookie dough into balls and place on ungreased baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Using a moistened thumb, press a deep indentation into the center of each cookie.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until very lightly golden. Meanwhile, place the quince jam in a pan and bring it to a simmer over low heat. Just after the cookies have baked, when they are still warm, spoon warm quince jam into each thumbprint. Let them cool completely on racks before serving.

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54 cookies. Each cookie: 106 calories; 23 mg sodium; 14 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 1.53 grams fiber.

Stir-Fried Chicken With Lemongrass and Chiles (Ga Xao Xa Ot)

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes

From “Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table,” by Mai Pham.

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2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon water

1 2/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, cut into thin bite-sized strips

3 tablespoons oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons chopped fresh chiles, such as Thai chiles, or dried chile flakes

2 lemongrass stalks, bottom white part only, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

1 small onion, thinly sliced lengthwise (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

5 sprigs cilantro, cut into 2-inch lengths

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Combine the cornstarch, water and chicken in a bowl. Toss to coat the meat evenly. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and stir until the edges turn white, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Wipe the pan clean. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic, chiles and half of the lemongrass and stir until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the onion and chicken stock and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the chicken, remaining lemongrass, fish sauce and granulated and brown sugars and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate, garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately.

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4 servings. Each serving: 392 calories; 299 mg sodium; 133 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 50 grams protein; 0.79 gram fiber.

Braised Beef Nicoise Style

Active Work Time: 45 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 5 hours

The strong flavor of porcini mushrooms characterizes this Daube a la Nicoise. Helene Barale would always make it in large quantities, as she would use any leftovers, mixed with dark green chard, as a filling for her delicious ravioli. The dish cannot be hurried--it must be cooked gently for a long time. Serve it with egg noodles mixed at the last minute with olive oil. From “Simple French Cooking,” by Georges Blanc and Coco Jobard.

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2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms

4 large onions

5 cloves garlic

2 large carrots

9 thick strips or 18 thin strips bacon

7 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 4x2-inch pieces 1 inch thick

3 pounds tomatoes (about 9 to 10)

2 1/4 cups red wine

1 bouquet garni (parsley sprigs, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary)

2/3 cup brandy

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

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Place the dried mushrooms in bowl of cold water to soak overnight.

The next day, slice the onions, garlic and carrots. Cut the bacon into a small dice.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the beef and bacon, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes.

Add the carrots, onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes more, until the beef is browned on all sides and the onion is softened. Drain the mushrooms and stir them into the casserole.

Meanwhile, cut a small cross in the top of the tomatoes, put them into a bowl and cover with boiling water for just a few seconds. Drain, peel, quarter and seed them. Stir the tomato flesh into the casserole and simmer for 30 minutes.

Pour in the red wine and add the bouquet garni. Simmer for 30 minutes more.

Pour in the brandy. If there is not enough liquid just to cover the meat, add a little water. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Gradually bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Remove and discard the bouquet garni and skim off any fat from the surface. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the braised beef straight from the casserole.

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6 servings. Each serving, without pasta: 854 calories; 630 mg sodium; 183 mg cholesterol; 55 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 59 grams protein; 3.93 grams fiber.