One hit after another, in a smart new release from an author better known for her behind-the-scenes work in the food world. 

The Level Teaspoon's new home on the web is here:  www.patreon.com/levelteaspoon  Come visit and see what's cooking!

A second venture from a New York chef with a famous name and a fearless way with flavor.  The question of the day: if it works in a restaurant, will it work in your home kitchen?

The Level Teaspoon's new home on the web is here:  www.patreon.com/levelteaspoon  Come visit and see what's cooking!

In which I share with you a very hot new release associated with a certain magazine, a certain pair of spectacles and a certain bow tie.

The Level Teaspoon's new home on the web is here:  www.patreon.com/levelteaspoon  Come visit and see what's cooking!

Episode 9 Review Titles

 

Lucky Peach Presents Power Vegetables! Turbocharged Recipes fro Vegetables with Guts, by Peter Meehan  (10 Speed) 1

Sous Vide at Home: The Modern Technique for Perfectly Cooked Meals, by Lisa Fetterman (10 Speed)

The Indian Cooking Course, by Monisha Baradwaj (Kyle Books)  

 

Noteworthy titles

What Good Cooks Know: 20 Years of Test Kitchen Expertise in One Essential Handbook  by the Editors of America's Test Kitchen  (America's Test Kitchen)

30 Ingredients, by Sally Clarke (Frances Lincoln)

Market Math: 50 Ingredients x 4 Recipes = 200 Simple, Creative Dishes, by the editors of Food + Wine (Harmony Books)

 

This Week's Recipe Tests!

  Book tested:  Amazing Malaysian, by Norman Musa Guest:  Fuchsia Dunlop Fuchsia Dunlop is a cook and food-writer specializing in Chinese cuisine. She is the author of Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China (a collection of recipes from the Jiangnan or Lower Yangtze Region in eastern China), the award-winning Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking; Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China, an account of her adventures in exploring Chinese food culture; and two other critically-acclaimed Chinese cookery books, Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, and Sichuan Cookery (published in the US as Land of Plenty).     Book tested: Sirocco, by Sabrina Ghayour Guest: Janice Telfer Janice Telfer, is a professor in the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at the University of Massachusetts and works on making better vaccines against deadly diseases in animals and humans. She has a special relationship with Persian food, and made her own triple tier wedding cake with hazelnut meringue discs interleaved with raspberry puree, white chocolate cream cheese frosting and white chocolate ivy leaves .  

Episode 9 Music

"Earth and Stone," by Kevin Hartnell.

"Zanzibar," by Kevin MacLeod

"Haratanaya Sree," by Veena Kinhal

"Hackbeat," by Kevin MacLeod

Episode 9 sound effects

Sound effects by kokopetiyot, JanKoehl, LG, . . .and others hosted at freesound.org, soundbible.com, and looperman.com, as well as my own recordings.

The Level Teaspoon's theme music: Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra

Hear it all on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or find it by searching for "The Level Teaspoon" any other podcast service you may use!

 Review titles:

   

Homestyle Vegan: Easy, Everyday Plant-Based Recipes, by Amber St. Peter (Page Street Publishing)

The Gourmet Kitchen: Recipes from the Creator of Savory Simple, by Jennifer Farley (Gallery Books)

Persepolis: Vegetarian Recipes from Persia and Beyond, by Sally Butcher (Interlink Books)  

 

Noteworthy titles

The Magic of Gingerbread: 16 Beautiful projects to make and eat by Catherine Beddall (Peter Pauper Press)

The Moon Juice Cookbook: Cosmic Alchemy for a Thriving Body, Beauty, and Consciousness, by Amanda Chantal Bacon (Pam Krauss Books).

The Monster's Cookbook: Everyday Recipes for the Living Dead and Undead, by Hoxton Street Monster Supplies (Mitchell Beazley)

 

 

This Week's Recipe Test!

Book tested: Shake. Stir. Sip.: More than 50 Effortless Cocktails Made in Equal Parts, by Kara Newman

Guest: Peter Stuart Peter Stuart has worked as a radio broadcaster, and producer, a community development provocateur, environmental technology champion, news editor and recently in the aged care sector. He reads voraciously, eats and drinks safe in the knowledge his metabolism is just super and still dances to disco music. Oh and he plays with tarot cards too.  

Episode 8 Music

"Chillin Hard," by Kevin MacLeod

"Lake in the Woods," by TRG Banks

"Chat Fetiche," by Glockabelle

"Cotton Candy Monster," by Chase Alan Willis

"Witchcraft," by Cy Coleman/Carolyn Leigh [performed by Susie Chang (piano)]

Episode 8 sound effects

Sound effects by CGEffex, ShotgunPicker, Hybrid_V,  Akrythael, madumcc, MWLANDI, RobinHood76,  . . . and others hosted at freesound.org, soundbible.com, and looperman.com, as well as my own recordings.

The Level Teaspoon's theme music: Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra   Hear it all on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or find it by searching for "The Level Teaspoon" any other podcast service you may use!

So music is a bit of a Thing for both Ivy and me.  Ivy studied voice and sang in a band a lifetime ago.  I studied piano at Juilliard Pre-College a lifetime ago.  So we're both lapsed musicians.  But we still like getting together to make some noise from time to time, and we both love the Great American Songbook.

Ivy first heard "Lost in the Stars"  on the radio a year or so ago and managed to hunt down some sheet music for us.  It was composed by Kurt Weill in 1949, the year before Weill's death, for a Broadway production of the same name.  The musical was based on Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country.

Despite its major key and casual pacing, "Lost in the Stars" represents, just beneath the surface, a crisis of faith experienced by a father in danger of losing his son. As in so many Weill songs, what passes at first for an easy, blues-tinged melody camouflages a pain so deep it can only be expressed with a smile.

The Level Teaspoon can be found on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play - or find it by searching for "The Level Teaspoon" on any other podcast service you may use.   You can also hear it through your browser at The Level Teaspoon site.

 

Review titles:

   

Alton Brown: EveryDayCook, by Alton Brown (Ballantine)

Adventures in Chicken, by Eva Kosmas Flores (HMH)

Molly on the Range, by Molly Yeh (Rodale)  

 

Noteworthy titles

The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act by Alex Prud'homme (Knopf)

The I Heart Naptime Cookbook: More than 100 easy 7 delicious recipes to make in less than one hour, by Jamielyn Nye (Grand Central Publishing).

¡Cuba!: Recipes and Stories from the Cuban Kitchen  by Dan Goldberg, Andrea Kuhn, and Jody Eddy (10 Speed)

     

 

This Week's Recipe Test!

Book tested: LEON Happy Salads

Guest: Ivy Mabius "I am an artist/designer who designs homes and businesses. I do complete commissioned murals, canvas paintings, ceramics and photographs when not running after two boys, two mastiffs, two rabbits, two sheep, two goats and 13 chickens. I learned to cook seriously in two places. The first was in Brussels, Belgium from a then-boyfriend's mother, Claudine Arnoldy, an amazing chef who never made the same thing twice.  The second city where I learned to cook was our culinary and cultural capital of the USA - New Orleans!  I designed many restaurants in New Orleans, notably Brigtsen's Restaurant,  where she was hired by chef Frank Brigtsen - one of New Orleans' best chefs and a prodigy of Paul Prudhomme's. I have always loved to cook.  My mom always made us delicious home cooked meals and now I have the opportunity to do the same for my family.  Family meal time is a priority to us as a family.  Having a small organic farm helps my overall recipe execution."  

Episode 5 Music

"Ultra Swing" by MrJuan

"Local Forecast" by Kevin MacLeod

"Swing Gitane"  by the Underscore Orkestra

"New Town Klezmer" by the Underscore Orkestra

"The Devil's Dance" by Cuban Cowboys

"Lost in the Stars" by Kurt Weill, performed by Ivy Mabius (vocals) and Susie Chang (piano)

Episode 5 sound effects

Drum Roll with Cymbals Crash Copyright 2013 Iwan Gabovitch, CC-BY3

Opening a soda can by Taira Komori

Baby wail by BoilingSand ...and others hosted at freesound.org, soundbible.com, and looperman.com, as well as my own recordings.  

 

The Level Teaspoon's theme music: Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra   Hear it all on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or find it by searching for "The Level Teaspoon" any other podcast service you may use!

The Level Teaspoon can be found on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play - or find it by searching for "The Level Teaspoon" on any other podcast service you may use!   You can also hear it through your browser at The Level Teaspoon site.

 

Review titles:

   

Cook's Science by Cook's Illustrated: 300+ Recipes Engineered for Success, by America's Test Kitchen (ATK)

How to Bake Everything: Simple Recipes for the Best Baking, by Mark Bittman (HMH)

Soup Swap: Comforting Recipes to Make and Share (Chronicle)  

Episode 4 Noteworthy titles

Cake Magic! Mix and Match your Way to 100 Amazing Combinations by Caroline Wright (Workman)

The Ultimate Appetizer Ideabook, by Kiera and Cole Stipovich (Chronicle Books).

Knives & Ink: Chefs and the Stories Behind their Tattoos (with Recipes)  Isaac Fitzgerald an Wendy McNaughton (Bloomsbury)

     

Episode 4 Recipe Tests

 

Guest: Pat Catalano Pat is a "medical editor who enjoys eating more than cooking, but sometimes it's just her turn to cook."

Book tested: Dinner A.S.A.P: 150 Recipes Made as Easy as Possible  

Guest: Denny Moyes Denny is the husband of Pat (see above!). By day he is a set designer for TV, movies and theater and, he says, he owe his cooking skills to his mom, Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet), Julia Child, and Alton Brown.

Book tested: Eric Lanlard's Afternoon Tea by Eric Lanlard (Mitchell Be

azley)  

Episode 4 Music:

"Infrastructure," by Scott Holmes

"Clean Suit," by We Is Shore Dedicated

"Kool Kats," by Kevin MacLeod

"Que te Quiero Yo," by El Niño del Parking Sound effects assembled using material from corsica_S. and others hosted at freesound.org.  Other sources include soundbible.com, looperman.com, and my own recordings.  

The Level Teaspoon's theme music: Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra  

Hear it all on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or find it by searching for "The Level Teaspoon" any other podcast service you may use!

Episode 3 Review Titles

 

The Saffron Tales: Recipes from the Persian Kitchen, by Yasmin Khan (Bloomsbury)

Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China, by Fuchsia Dunlop  (W. W. Norton)

Simple: Effortless Food, Big Flavors, by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley)  

Episode 3 Noteworthy titles

Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes, by Ronni Lundy (Clarkson Potter)

Dandelion & Quince: Exploring the Wide World of Unusual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs, by Michelle McKenzie (Roost Books)

The Book of Lost Recipes: The Best Signature Dishes From Historic Restaurants Rediscovered by Jaya Saxena (Page Street Publishing)

      

Episode 3 Recipe Tests

Guest: Christina Barber-Just

Christina is an editor at Smith College and a former dining columnist for Hampshire Life magazine in western Massachusetts. She makes a mean martini and has a weakness for kitchen gadgets.

Book tested:  Fresh Fish: A Fearless Guide to Grilling, Shucking, Searing, Poaching, and Roasting Seafood,  by Jennifer Trainer Thompson (Storey Publishing)

 

Guest: Sara Barber-Just

Sara is the English department chair at Amherst Regional High School here in western MA and she loves setting the scene before a dinner party with fanciful linens, show-stopping flowers, and cocktails that make you go, Mmmmmmm.

Book tested: The New Cocktail Hour: The Essential Guide to Hand-Crafted Drinks by André Darlington and Tenaya Darlington (Running Press)  

 

Episode 3 Music:

Avareh by Mamak Khadem

Bossa d'Automne by Thiaz Itch

Sound effects assembled using material from benboncan, audiorichter, saphe, kiddpark, and inspectorj, all hosted at freesound.org.  Other sources include soundbible.com, looperman.com, and my own recordings.  

The Level Teaspoon's theme music: Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra

   

Episode 2 Review titles:

The Vegetable Butcher: How to Select, Prep, Slice, Dice, and Masterfully Cook Vegetables from Artichokes to Zucchini, by Cara Mangini (Workman Publishing)

Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes, by Robin Ha (10 Speed Press)

Flavorwalla: Big Flavor. Bold Spices. A New Way to Cook the Foods You Love., by Floyd Cardoz (Artisan Books)

 

Episode 2 Noteworthy titles

Cooking with the Muse: A Sumptuous Gathering of Seasonal Recipes, Culinary Poetry, and Literary Fare, by Myra Kornfeld and Stephen Massimilla (Tupelo Press)

The 420 Gourmet: The Elevated Art of Cannabis Cuisine by Jeffthe420Chef (Harper Wave)

Ethnic American Cooking: Recipes for Living in a New World, edited by Lucy Long

 

Episode 2 Recipe Tests

Guest: Cindy Tarail

Cindy describes herself as "a community organization and community relations type of social worker." She works at Cancer Connection in Northampton, which provides free services to those dealing with cancer and their loved ones, everything from support groups and one to one guidance to integrative therapies and creativity and exercise classes. Cindy and her family "grew raising our own meat, dairy, and vegetables, picking wild blueberries and raking clams, and cooking off the grid...given that I’m a gardener, we always come back to the simplest most wonderful meals based on vegetables and herbs, good olive oil and cheeses, and our own eggs."

Book tested:  Outlander Kitchen: The Official Outlander Companion Cookbook, by Theresa Carle-Sanders (Delacorte  Press)  

 

 

Guest: Bill Fosher

Bill is a New Hampshire farmer raising lamb, beef, pork, chicken, and turkey, and avid home cook. He believes in using good, simple ingredients and techniques to produce flavorful meals. Sometimes quick and dirty, sometimes long and laborious, but usually very tasty. Or spectacular failures. Almost never boring. Yeast confounds him.

Book tested: Master of the Grill: Foolproof Recipes, Top-Rated Gadgets, Gear & Ingredients Plus Clever Test Kitchen Tips & Fascinating Food Science, by America's Test Kitchen  

 

Episode 2 Music:

As the Night Ends, by Laszlo Harsanyi Gold Rush, by Kevin MacLeod

The Show Must Be Go, by Kevin MacLeod

Latin Rhythm, by Sunsearcher  

 

The Level Teaspoon's theme music:

Não me touques, performed by The Bees Knees International Café Orchestra