WWW.PUBLISHERSWEEKLY.COM 59Review_NONFICTION
to bring it out. The narrative gets too far
into the weeds for the casual reader, but
tech junkies will find lots to enjoy. (Sept.)
★ Accidental Safari:
A Guide for Navigating the
Challenges That Come with Aging
Richard C. Tizzano. Life Care Planning Inc.,
$24.95 trade paper (252p) ISBN 978-0-
9995819-0-2
Attorney Tizzano’s useful debut alerts
elderly readers and their caregivers that
it’s never too soon to prepare for their
medical and financial future. The book
provides tools to prepare for the three most
common risks leading to hospitalization
or death: an accident, deterioration of the
body, and disorders of the mind such as ALS
or dementia. Tizzano backs up his advice
with statistics and numerous anecdotes
from his career as an elder care attorney.
He deciphers the complex and sometimes
incomprehensible landscape of Medicare,
such as the difference between “medical
care” and “health care” and how being
“admitted as a patient” differs from being
in the hospital for “observation.” He
describes the unique needs of “lions”
(people living in a pride full of friends and
family) versus “tigers” (an orphan elderly
living a solitary life). He also discusses
creating a “Life Care Book” of medications,
healthcare directives, and funeral arrange-
ments, and advises readers to understand
the fine print of their life insurance policies.
Filled with empathy and urgency, Tizzano’s
eye-opening manual will be of benefit to
any reader concerned with what happens
deep into retirement. (BookLife)
Lifestyle
Food & Drink
★ Japanese Home Cooking:
Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors
Sonoko Sakai. Roost, $40 (304p) ISBN 978-1-
61180-616-8
From her home kitchen in Los Angeles,
Sakai (The Poetical Pursuit of Food) renders
Japanese flavors for the Western cook with
exquisite care. She creates basics more often
purchased at the supermarket, fermenting
miso (for at least six months), kneading
soba dough “(Wax on! Wax off!),” and
pressing fresh tofu (“one of the tastiest
foods in the world”). All of this yields rich
rewards in dishes like a spicy soup of crisp-
skinned duck and delicate soba noodles,
or a simple broth with mushrooms, tofu,
and yuzu peel. Throughout, Sakai brings
readers along as she explores the ingredi-
ents and traditions she and her family
carried with them from Japan. Readers
are transported to the 300-year-old Tokyo
shop where Sakai’s childhood friend had a
job shaving woodlike blocks of preserved
fish called katsuobushi, which is used to
make a dashi broth. A bento box filled
with inari zushi (fried tofu filled with
sushi rice) and crab cream croquettes
evokes Sakai’s schoolgirl days. But, as
Sakai says, “the goal is not to stress your-
self out but to enjoy the creative process.
People will appreciate your labor of love.”
Home cooks wanting to dive into
Japanese cooking will find Sakai to be a
delightful and encouraging guide. (Nov.)Delish Insane Sweets: Bake
Yourself a Little Crazy: 100+
Cookies, Bars, Bites, and Treats
Joanna Saltz and the editors of Delish.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $22.99 (256p)
ISBN 978-0-358-19334-0
This second cookbook from the epon-
ymous food media company (after Delish:
Eat Like Every Day’s the Weekend) is another
fun collection of recipes that readers will
be eager to try. In addition to dessert
staples like chocolate chip cookies, vanilla
cupcakes, and fudgy brownies, there are
plenty of creative twists on classics, such
as chocolate chip cookie dippers, Rolo-
stuffed blondies, and frappuccino cupcakes.
Some of the desserts are infused with
alcohol, most notably the Moscow mule
cupcakes, Kentucky screwdriver
brownies, and mini eggnog cheesecakes.
There are also recipes inspired by pop
culture, such as Sorting Hat cupcakes
from Harry Potter and Leg Lamp cookies
inspired by A Christmas Story. Also
appealing is a chapter devoted to oversize
desserts—including s’mores skillet
cookies and a giant Oreo cake. The rec-
ipes are simple to follow and include
helpful tips that bakers of all levels will
appreciate (“These cookies have a tendency
to stick to the parchment... be sure not
to skip greasing it”). Delish fans will
appreciate this tasty addition to the
brand. (Oct.)Food52 Dynamite Chicken:
60 Never-Boring Recipes for
Your Favorite Bird
Tyler Kord. Ten Speed, $22.99 (176p)
ISBN 978-1-5247-5900-1
Chef, restaurateur, and James Beard–
nominated writer Kord (A Super Upsetting
Cookbook About Sandwiches) delivers an
enthusiastic book celebrating the
“affordability, versatility, and ease” of
chicken. He provides thorough information
about the basics
of cooking
chicken, from
butchering a
whole chicken
into 10 pieces to
making chicken
stock. Many of
his tips are
valuable (he rubs
cornstarch onto chicken skin to make it
crispy), but some purists may be surprised
with some of his unconventional advice
(he doesn’t believe in trussing chicken).
Kord’s creations are versatile and inventive
— he includes recipes for grilled chicken
with pickled blueberry salad, chicken and
kimchi pierogis, broiled chicken breasts
with asparagus salad and tarragon puree,
and lemongrass-poached chicken legs with
sugar snap peas. He also adds his own fresh
spin to beloved chicken classics such as
spicy parmesan chicken potpie, coconut
milk chicken à la king, and lime-glazed
chicken wings. However, despite his zeal,
some recipes aren’t quite as appealing, such
as savory chicken oatmeal with braised
greens. In all, these recipes will inspire
home cooks to jazz up the popular bird for
weeknight dinners or weekend entertaining.
Agent: Jonah Straus, Straus Literary. (Oct.)From the Oven to the Table:
Simple Dishes That Look After
Themselves
Diana Henry. Mitchell Beazley, $29.99 (240p)
ISBN 978-1-7847-2609-6
In this practical, impressive volume,
James Beard–award winning author
Henry (A Bird in the Hand) lets the oven
do the work of transforming ingredients
into simple, hearty meals. Henry, a self-
proclaimed “inveterate roaster,” offers
recipes showcasing a “hands free” cooking
method designed to bring big flavors to
the table. Over 100 comforting recipes