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58 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ■ MARCH 2, 2020
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seafood chapter include rainbow trout
with cumin and burnt citrus vinaigrette.
The importance of brining is explained
in a brief poultry chapter that features
butterflied chicken with toasted mustard
seed oil. And among the several steak
options, Newport steak with mole is a
standout for its unique sauce flavored
with grilled apples, banana, and onion.
Backyard chefs seeking challenges beyond
the propane grill will find much to enjoy
in this vibrant collection. (Mar.)Share: Delicious Sharing Boards
for Social Dining
Theo A. Michaels. Ryland Peters & Small,
$19.95 (160p) ISBN 978-1-78879-211-0
Michaels (Orexei!), a semifinalist on
BBC’s MasterChef, inventively combines
ingredients and foods in a way that invites
families or groups “to enjoy a sociable,
shared dining experience” in this fun and
accessible cookbook. Notions of what
constitutes a brunch buffet yield artful
arrangements of French toast topped with
crisped pancetta and pan-seared bananas;
chubby rolls of ouzo-cured salmon; and
individual pots of yogurt with roasted
rhubarb and pistachio. The “Ocean”
chapter features a sharing board that can
include scallops baked in half shells with
chipotle butter; chunks of pickled
swordfish with pink peppercorns; lan-
goustines, and a fennel-green apple salad.
In the “Barbecue” chapter, Michaels
suggests Greek-style lamb chops;
chicken souvlaki with date molasses and
tahini dressing; and chili-and-ginger
infused pork burgers with a cucumber
relish. Recipe measurements are given in
both grams and ounces, and Michaels
includes tips about which flavors, textures,
and platings work best together (com-
plementary colors; no juicy things next
to crunchy ones). These tempting recipes
will inspire both novice and skilled party
hosts. (Mar.)Health & Fitness
The Complete Guide to Keto:
The Never Hungry Diet
Michelle Stacey. Centennial, $19.99 (192p)
ISBN 978-1-951274-10-8
Stacey (Fasting Girl) provides an
accessible introduction to the keto diet in
a guide rich with photos, charts, and lively
text. She begins by explaining how theentrée. In addition to the recipes, McMahon
provides a useful field guide for foraging
plants, seaweed, and mushrooms (for more
adventurous cooks), as well as a succinct
history of food in Ireland. With an eye on
terrain, McMahon offers both authentic
and innovative approaches to modern
Irish cooking. (Mar.)The Outdoor Kitchen:
Live Fire Cooking from the Grill
Eric Werner, with Nils Bernstein. Ten Speed,
$35 (256p) ISBN 978-0-39958-237-0
In this exacting grilling guide, Werner,
chef and owner of the Hartwood restaurant
in Tulum, Mexico, elevates outdoor
cooking. He begins with instructions for
assembling a rugged backyard grill and
smoker (he recommends befriending an
ironworker), complete with sketches and
measurements for a made-to-order model,
as well as advice for hacking a store-bought
one. Cooking in embers is a favored
technique, as seen in a surprisingly lengthy
collection of vegetable recipes, from egg-
plant to bell peppers, all of which cook
nicely in direct heat. Elsewhere in the
vegetable kingdom, there are 10 recipes
for grilled corn, including corn ice cream
and corn salsa. Flavorful entrees in thepast, present,
and future of
Irish cooking in
this thoroughly
researched col-
lection of more
than 500 recipes.
An advocate for
using wild and
sustainable
ingredients,
McMahon is
especially inventive when it comes to fruit:
duck breasts are served in a port and red
currant sauce, crab is prepared with curry
mayonnaise and pineapple, and a haunch
of venison gets treated with with plums,
port and cinnamon. Some desserts are
literally earthy: carrageen moss pudding
combines seaweed with honey and milk,
while hay ice cream is flavored with toasted
hay and sugar. The vegetable chapter
includes such standouts as spinach with
hazelnuts and wild garlic; steamed
asparagus wrapped in sea lettuce; as well as
many a potato side dish (curried potatoes;
hasselback potatoes with smoked bacon
and beer). The book is pleasantly laid out
with two to three recipes per page opposite
a spacious full-color photo of a plated★ Chi Spacca: A New Approach
to American Cooking
Nancy Silverton, with Ryan DeNicola and Carolynn Carreño.
Knopf, $35 (384p) ISBN 978-0-525-65465-0R
estaurateur Silverton (The Mozza Cookbook) gives
her all in this excellent carnivorous compendium
of dishes served at her eponymous restaurant in
Los Angeles. Despite the American cooking referred
to in the title, these recipes “are inspired by how an
Italian butcher might cook.” This is the rare Italian-
accented cookbook without a chapter on pasta, but with
a grilling tutorial instead, here from executive chef DeNicola. Recipes are solid
and aren’t always simplified for the home kitchen: focaccia di Recco (which,
Silverton notes, is ordered by 85% of the tables at Chi Spacca) requires a 14-inch
copper pizza pan and cheese that needs to dry in the refrigerator for 10 days to two
weeks before being used, and the preparation of a beef cheek and bone marrow pie
is best spread over three days. Nose-to-tail ethos can be seen in dishes such as toasts
made with beef drippings and roasted amberjack collars. The latter are part of a
fish chapter with surprising depth, given the carnivorous nature of the proceedings.
Best suited for experienced cooks, this outstanding volume is poised to expand
Silverton’s considerable audience. (Apr.)