Not your average cookbook - Cool cookbooks to enjoy!

Written by Alton Brown, I'm Just Here For More Food: food x mixing + heat = baking takes an indepth look at the science of baking. While there are the standard admonitions regarding wet and dry measuring, bakeware, ovens and so forth, Alton takes a bit more unusual look at the art of baking. He calls it "The Building Theory" and asks the reader aka baker to think like an architect. Within the Introduction he discusses the 5 steps of baking:

1. Scaling
2. Mixing
3. Make up
4. Baking
5. Cooling

Alton also discusses what he calls the "Six Major Mixing Methods". The recipes within the book are divided up into these six categories of baked goods:

1. The Muffin Method
2. The Biscuit Method
3. The Creaming Method
4. The Straight Dough Method
5. The Egg Foam Method
6. The Custards

The first chapter, entitled "The Parts Department", discusses how proteins, carbohydrates, fats, water, and air all work individually and corporately to create all manner of delicious baked goods. There is also sections on types of flours, what gelatin does, everything you want to know about eggs, sugar and it's history and job within baked goods, and many other components to oven baked delicacies. Sprinkled with illustrations, charts, side notes, and easy to understand descriptions this scientific section is not boring at all.

Then come the six "Method" sections. Each section begins by giving a description of the method and detailed instructions on how to perfect it. Following the instructions are several recipes utilizing that method. For instance, in the Biscuit Method section there are 14 recipes, each with specific individualized instructions.

This is a great baking cookbook for both the beginning and the more advanced baker. It's not just a cookbook, however, it's more like a glorified textbook. It has a great layout with lots of side notes, illustrations, and charts that make for more interesting reading. You're sure to learn something new by reading this book....I did. (Did you know it's the fat content that makes baked goods feel moist?)

Written by Sally Schneider, The Improvisational Cook takes cooking to a whole new level. This book is designed around the idea of teaching cooks to become creative in the kitchen and learn to improvise on already existing recipes to create new dishes.

The initial section of the book teaches the reader the art of improvisation in the kitchen. For example the author writes about flavors that go well together, seasonings, essential pantry ingredients and strategies for improvising.

Once you get into the main body of the book there are the typical section such as Breads, Grains, and Pasta, Fish and Shellfish, and Desserts. To get a feel for the recipe layout utilized throughout the book let's take a recipe from the Vegetables and Beans section for an example. This one is called "Post-Modern Fries" and Ms. Schneider begins by discussing oven fries, the best potatoes to use, what fats to choose and possible embellishments. Then comes the "Post-Modern Fries" basic recipe. Following the basic recipe the author shares, in this example, five variations or improvisations on the recipe:

*Smoky Fries

*Rosemary Fries

*Parsnip Fries

*Parmesan Fries

*Pasta "Fries"

Last, but not least The Improvisational Cook contains a Resource section. Within this section there are flavor affinities for various parts of the globe, a discussion of basic cooking techniques, and sources listings for gourmet foods.

While this book contains recipes that I personally find too gourmet for my family's tastes I love the way in which this cookbook is put together. Overall, this is a great cookbook with lots of information and ideas to help get a hopeful improvisational cook equipped to experiment in the kitchen.

The Food Substitutions Bible, written by David Joachim is not really a cookbook. Rather it is a book containing "more than 5,000 substitutions for ingredients, equipment & techniques." Starting at A and going through Z this book seems to have it all!

For instance, did you know that cinnamon, ground cloves, and nutmeg can be combined as a substitute for Allspice (pg.16)? If you're out of self-rising flour try substituting a mixture of all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt (pg.191). Need a pepper mill but don't have one? Try using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder (pg. 364).

This book doesn't stop with substitutions. In the back of the book there are lists of various foods such as types of dried beans, olives,chilies, mushrooms, potatoes, rice and several more. Most of these lists include the various types of, say beans, their individual characteristics, and suitable substitutes.

This is a great reference guide for any kitchen and one that would make a cook's life easier!