MARTHA'S AMERICAN FOOD
Martha Stewart doesn’t do anything by halves, and that includes this compendium of regional American food. The book is organized geographically, and after writing the chapter introductions and and sidebars about particular ingredients and dishes, I fell in love with simple dishes—a great meatloaf, hot crab dip, Indian pudding, cherry pie—all over again.
“Of all the pages, perhaps the most riveting are those without recipes, concerned with the backstories of particular foodstuffs....”
                                              —Booklist

Buy Martha’s American Food at your favorite independent bookstore or at Amazon.com.

  ONE SPICE, TWO SPICE: AMERICAN FOOD, INDIAN FLAVORS
Floyd Cardoz, chef and co-owner of Tabla restaurant, in New York City, is one of the most innovative chefs working today, and I jumped at the chance to help him translate the food of his childhood in India for the American palate. Because so much of the food is uncomplicated and accessible, it will change the way you cook.
“... successfully demystifies Indian cooking.” —Publishers Weekly
Buy One Spice, Two Spice at your favorite independent bookstore or at Amazon.com.

 

THE GOURMET COOKBOOK
I had the good fortune to write the headnotes and sidebars for Gourmet’s “big yellow book,” which contains more than 1,000 foolproof recipes. The challenge for me was to somehow compel the reader to get sauce stains on every page, and to do that in a fresh, interesting, and insightful way. My aim, in short, was to be the only cookbook writer in the universe who did not mention Proust in a discussion of madeleines.
"With detailed recipes ranging from the effortless to the intricate, The Gourmet Cookbook can replace every other cookbook in a home library." —Mario Batali
Buy The Gourmet Cookbook at your favorite independent bookstore or at Amazon.com.

 

GOURMET TODAY
In this sequel to The Gourmet Cookbook, I had lots of fun writing the informational sidebars. What is the difference between polenta and grits? How do you use miso? What’s a chayote? This cookbook will see you through the 21st century. “... a book for modern palates and modern cooks.” —Serious Eats
Buy Gourmet Today at your favorite independent bookstore or at Amazon.com.

 


 

THE ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF SAILING
When a flinty-eyed sailing instructor and friend for life unceremoniously shoved this project into my hands, he kindled my enduring passion for succinct yet accurate information. The book’s been out of print for ages, but there are still copies available online.
“ ... a very comprehensive dictionary, with a lot of very good, informative photos and drawings.” —sailfree.com 
Buy The Illustrated Dictionary of Sailing at your favorite independent bookstore or at Amazon.com.

 


 

THE OXFORD COMPANION TO SUGAR AND SWEETS
I’m not an academic writer, but when Darra Goldstein, founding editor of the scholarly food journal Gastronomica, asked me to write a few essays for The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets, I realized I could use my reportorial skills in a new way. Cracker Jack! Trompe l’oeil! Verrines! Boy, did I have fun.
“ In over 900 intellectually nourishing pages, it never neglects the senses. Like the medieval subtleties that entertainer royal diners with elaborate conceits, this book is playful, surprising, and always-captivating."
-Heston Blumental

Buy The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets at your favorite independent bookstore or at Amazon.com.

 

 

 
©2017 Jane Lear