Cookbooks: Honey by Angelo Prosperi-Porta

Want a sweet secret? There's probably more to every aspect of honey than you imagine. As much as anything, author Angelo Prosperi-Porta writes, Honey (Touchwood) is “about the time-honored ancient relationship between humans and honeybees.”

There is no question that honey is a winner in the kitchen. As Prosperi-Porta writes:

Though honey is of course still a sugar, just in different form, it is the healthier option -- a natural whole food, it is rich in minerals and vitamins. And you need less of it to achieve the same level of sweetness.”

Though Prosperi-Porta explores some of the environmental reasons to consider bees and honey, he is a chef and this is a cookbook and so his highest concern is delicious food. And there’s lots of that in Honey. In all 85 recipes, both sweet and savory, that showcase the delicate flavor of honey.

My favorite of the 85 recipes are simple twists on unexpected flavors. For example, Grilled Radicchio with Honey, Garlic and Pine Nuts produces truly beautiful and different side dish. I’ve been making it non-stop since Honey fell into my hands. Likewise, Grilled Fresh Peaches could not be more simple and there isn’t actually a lot of honey in the recipe, but there is no doubt that it changes this classic up considerably. And in an entirely good way. Fresh Fig and Brie Bruschetta takes a classic and hoists it to a whole new level. Honey and Lemon-Brined Roast Chicken Legs are ridiculously simple and yet distill something you thought you knew into a whole new experience. And so easy!

The book is beautiful, inspirational and the recipes I tried all work, just as expected. If you thought there were no new ideas for cooking with honey, think again… and get Prosperi-Porta’s book! ◊

Cookbooks: The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Susan O'Brien

While I’m as forward thinking as the next guy, it seems to me there is just too much going on in The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Family Cookbook (Da Capo/Lifelong). If I’m very honest (and I know I will likely get rocks thrown at me for saying this) I don’t even really believe that it’s possible that as many people are gluten intolerant as say they are. No matter what the cost, it seems, these days people seem to be determined to be special, in this way if not that one.

That said if you happen to be part of that small minority who does, in fact, have a gluten sensitivity and you are also a vegetarian. Who has a family. Then Susan O’Brien’s latest is for you. 

By the way, this is not O’Brien’s first gluten-free, vegetarian rodeo. She is also the author of Gluten Free, Sugar Free Cooking, The Gluten Free Vegan and Gluten Free Vegan Comfort Food, so clearly this is a topic she knows better than most.

This expertise shows in the book, as well. Nothing here seems like just making do. From Eggplant Lasagna to Hearty Sandwich Bread and Strawberry Coconut Pudding, O’Brien’s book is filled with recipes that are “safe and nutritious for everyone at the table.”

O’Brien’s own focus is on vegan foods, and The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Family Cookbook definitely leans that way. However, there are several vegetarian recipes, though even some of those include instructions for doing them up vegan.

With her down to Earth style and back to basics leanings, O’Brien has created a book that is refreshingly normal. Is this where vegan goes mainstream? We might not be quite there yet but, at the same time, it’s beginning to feel quite close. ◊

Biography: John Marshall: The Chief Justice who Saved the Nation by Harlow Giles Unger

One gets the feeling that Harlow Giles Unger gets material for new book topics while researching still other books. What else could explain this prolificacy? Unger has delivered truly stellar biographies year after year on such diverse characters as John Quincy Adams and George Washington, to name just two.

While Unger is not the only biographer dealing with material steeped in American history these days, he is certainly in the very top tier of those who do. Not only that, despite a publishing schedule that has seen Unger produce more than 20 books, his work remains highly readable and even interesting. As anyone who has read historical non-fiction will tell you, that’s a tall order. Even for someone not publishing as frequently as this author does.

In John Marshall: The Chief Justice Who Saved a Nation (Da Capo), Unger puts his laser sights on the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, John Marshall, who served in that position from 1801 to 1835. As Unger’s subtitle suggests, some of Marshall’s decisions were pivotal… though mostly unpopular and he remains the longest serving Chief Justice in American history.

Unger looks at the whole of Marshall’s life and concludes that some of the decisions he made on the bench would have far-reaching effects. Some of them impacting us even today. Beyond his work on the bench, Marshall made other contributions to society.  He was an officer in the Revolutionary War and distinguished himself mightily. He was a member of Virginia's constitutional convention, a lawyer, a congressman, diplomat and was for a tim U.S. Secretary of State.

Unger’s book is a fair, lucid and highly readable look at the life of a quietly remarkable man. ◊


Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

New in Paperback: Lawrence in Arabia by Scott Anderson

Scott Anderson (Moonlight Hotel, The Man Who Tried to Save the World) brings the gravitas of an accomplished novelist and war correspondent to Lawrence in Arabia (Anchor Books).

This is a stellar look at some of the major issues in the Middle East and the influence that early 19th century outsiders, including Lawrence of Arabia’s TH Lawrence, had on the direction in which the modern Middle East was formed.

The writing here is breathtaking (and the book was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in 2013) and the research it must have taken actually set me aback: this is an intricate work, well beyond the scope of anything you’re imagining.

As a biography of Lawrence, it would have been superb, but Lawrence in Arabia is so much more: offering an illuminating visit to a time and events that still cause ripples across the region and with a contradictory character whose actions continue to cause controversy 80 years after his death. ◊


Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

Non-Fiction: Keep Your Brain Young by Fraser Smith and Ellie Aghdassi

Keep Your Brain Young (Robert Rose) was hanging around my desk for a while before I realized it was, among other things, a cookbook. “You are what you eat,” reverberated through my mind.

Prior to that I’d thought it was just my editor’s barb that I was no longer as young and sharp as I was when I started writing for January Magazine many moons ago and high time I began looking for ways to keep the old thinking machine sharp and strong.

And then I peeked inside.

This book offers the promise of protecting, repairing, and enhancing your mental health while coincidentally improving your general physical well-being.

Which sounded like a good start.

Before we get to food, of course, there’s a whole lot about the diseases associated with aging, how they progress and what causes them. Don’t kid yourself: this is not cheery stuff, but as Smith notes at the very beginning of Keep Your Brain Young: “It is a fact of life -- we are all going to age.” I would add, “If we’re lucky.”

Part 2 of the book deals with “Smart Nutrients,” how to get them and what the lack of them can cause. Then the “12-Step Healthy Brain Diet Program,” which leads quite naturally to Part 5: “Menu Plans and Recipes for a Healthy Brain” which is a good two thirds of the book.

In addition to recipes, meal plans are included and encouraged, but the recipes take center stage. Nutritional information is included on each recipe page as is a detailed ingredients list and clear instructions.

Keep Your Brain Young is a useful and informative book both for those dealing with specific age-related ailments as well as those many of us who are enjoying the privilege of growing older. ◊

New in Paperback: Butterfly People by William Leach

Butterfly People: An American Encounter with the Beauty of the World (Vintage) isn’t really about butterflies. Well, it is. But, also, it is not. More to the point, though, it sears deeply into the lives of middle class America in the 19th century when a newly industrial population began having the leisure to explore the natural world in ways that hadn’t been possible ever before.

The capture and collection of these “flying flowers” became a national pastime, heralding a time of change in America in every imaginable way. But first -- and at the heart -- the creatures who moved so many to such passion. Author William Leach, a one-time collector himself -- understands better than most and draws us a picture:

In the nineteenth century, many Americans … encountered the butterflies, among the most evolved in terms of beauty, by some accounts, of all creatures. By beauty here is meant not merely the wings, however beautiful they may be, but the metamorphosis (from the Greek for “changing form”) and life history of the insect from the egg and caterpillar to the pupa and adult, as well as the butterfly in relation to a world full of other life.

Columbia University history professor Leach has proven himself to be an able storyteller before. His Land of Desire: Merchants, Power, and the Rise of a New American Culture (1993) was a National Book Award finalist.

I loved Butterfly People for Leach’s deft ability to bring a whole time and culture to vivid life. As with the best of history, Butterfly people not only brought a whole period to fascinating life, it made me examine aspects of myself and my attitudes to the natural world though a lens that had been altered, perhaps forever. ◊


Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

Cookbooks: Cowgirl Creamery Cooks by Sue Conley and Peggy Smith

The story of Marin County’s Cowgirl Creamery echoes that of the organic food movement in the United States. Starting when Sue Conley and Peggy Smith met in college and twining through various paths to the ultimate creation of Cowgirl Creamery and, in 2010, the partners’ admission into the Guilde des Fromagers in France, one of the most esteemed groups of cheese professionals in the world.

And now, of course, this wonderful book. Cowgirl Creamery Cooks (Chronicle) celebrates all that this terrific duo of artisan cheesemakers have learned and accomplished over the years. Yes, this is their story. And it’s an interesting one. Even beyond that, it collects and shares information about tasting, buying, pairing, storing and appreciating a wide variety of cheeses. It also instructs on how to make a few simple cheeses from scratch (including a Fromage Blanc that is truly simple and -- once you’ve done it -- essential).

Though all of this information is valuable, to my mind the largest success in Cowgirl Creamery Cooks comes through the cookbook portion of the book. They offer 75 terrific recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, snacks, entrees and desserts that help you get the very most from your cheese.

Though I anticipate many happy hours cooking from this book, aside from the Fromage Blanc, my one attempt thus far was ultra successful. The Panade with Gruyere and Onion Garlic Confit is (for cheeselovers) a soup beyond anything you’ve imagined. A kind of country French Onion soup, this version is based on a cheese broth rather than the traditional beef stock. Yes cheese broth. And the resulting soup seems to me typical of this book: rustic, hearty, elegant, beautiful. Real. Everything that food should be.

That last line pretty much sums up Cowgirl Creamery Cooks. The sort of book that sets one off dreaming and cooking, you leave the book better than when you started. And possibly with a deeper appreciation for cheese and the artisans who make it.

Holiday Gift Guide: The NHL: A Centennial History by D’Arcy Jenish

First, it should be noted that we’re jumping the gun slightly on the centenary. The National Hockey League will not turn 100 until 1917. But heck: why wait? The league’s detractors sometimes seem certain the NHL won’t even last that long. I’m predicting they’d be wrong.

Author  D’Arcy Jenish (The Stanley Cup: 100 Years of Hockey at its Best, The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory) clearly knows his way around a rink. Also, well-received and conceived earlier works paved the way -- in all ways -- for The NHL: A Centennial History (Doubleday Canada).

And Jenish has stepped up here. Wrong image for this sport, though I guess. Shall we say he’s covered the ice well?? Or…? Whatever the metaphor, Jenish has done it up properly, creating a history that is not only interesting, complete and comprehensive, it’s celebratory in tone without being cloying.

Though there are many components to the successes and struggles of the NHL, two major forces are, of course, at play here: the sport the fans see on the ice and the less obvious competitions that happen in the business offices of the league. And sometimes -- too often? -- it’s difficult to tell which one is more important.

Serious hockey fans will not want to miss this most intimate portrait of the National Hockey League, brave traditions, warts, and all. ◊


Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

Holiday Gift Guide: “Mr. President” by Harlow Giles Unger

Would it even be the holidays without a political biography for dad from Harlow Giles Unger (Lion of Liberty, John Qunincy Adams).

“Mr. President”: George Washington and the Making of the Nation’s Highest Office (DaCapo) is a very good book in a series of them. In his typically lucid and conversational style, Unger paints a never-before-seen portrait of Washington as a surprisingly beleaguered leader whose challenges in many ways echo those of the current occupier of the White House.

Though much has been written about that first presidency, no one has ever looked at it in quite this way before. But Unger has that gift and also that advantage, having done serious research on men whose presidencies touched this one.

Unger shows us a Washington early in his presidency, a figurehead at the head of a country but without much power at all. Then, slowly but steadily, Washington manages to wrest more and still more power for his office, including the “executive privilege” Presidents expect today.

Though some of Washington’s tactics in gaining power for his office expose a single-minded determination to his mission and even, on occasion, a deadly intelligent cunning, Washington emerges as a good and even worthy President. Unger has said that it is his opinion that Washington was “probably the most selfless, self-sacrificing president in American history.” ◊

Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

Holiday Gift Guide: The Secret Museum by Molly Oldfield

The title goes quite beyond explaining the book. The Secret Museum: Some Treasures Are Too Precious to Display (Firefly). But the book is about the museum you never see. The objects that are, for various reasons, tucked out of sight, hidden in secret locations and kept from public view.

Author Molly Oldfield tells us that all museums have these things: items too precious, or secret or controversial to be viewed by the steaming masses. “Usually there is more hidden than there is on display,” she writes in The Secret Museum. “There are all sorts of reasons why.”

Items that might be too fragile or too precious or simply too large, as is the case of a blue whale in the National Museum of Scotland at Edinburgh.

At the Royal Geographical Society in London, one will not see Livingstone and Stanley’s hats.

If you go to the Nobel Museum in Stockholm you also won’t see Alfred Nobel’s will (the museum is just too small for the atmospherically controlled display case that would be required to make it possible).

At the Royal Opera House in Kent, England you won’t see Dame Margot Fonteyn’s tutu from when she danced  the role of Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty in 1946. (A madly big deal at the time.)

At the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo you won’t see the logbook of the Kon-Tiki Expedition and at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London you won’t see the flag from the battle of Trafalgar.

In total, Oldfield looks closely at 60 items museums are keeping mum about, while mentioning many more. Those who love secrets, museums or just a twisty tale of the entirely true variety will enjoy The Secret Museum. ◊


Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

Cookbooks: Fish: 54 Seafood Feasts by Cree LeFavour

Every successful cookbook has something that sets it apart. Sometimes it's the unique world view or experience set of the author. (Think Anthony Bourdain.) Sometimes it’s the chef’s celebrity status. (Martha would work here as well as any other. After all, we only need to drop that one name.) But for some -- and this is a surprisingly small group -- it is nothing beyond the food. Food. Glorious food.

Cree LaFavour is like that. If you weren’t sure, you can see it repeatedly demonstrated in Fish: 54 Seafood Feasts (Chronicle Books). The recipes are sharp, modern and tempting. Despite this, they are also, for the most part, surprisingly simple: the methods are fast and fussless. The ingredients lists are short and sweet. The resulting book is redolent of all of these things and the very essence of food as it should be now: fresh, simple, delicious and -- where possible -- local.

To this end, LeFavour spends a fair amount of time at the beginning of our journey with her explaining which fish and shellfish can be “eaten in good conscience” and why. It’s clear that the author is deeply concerned with sustainable seafood and her reasoning and solutions are a valuable addition to Fish.

There’s no getting around it: these days you really need to know where your fish came from because this more than anything else is likely to determine if it’s been conscientiously farmed or fished.

LeFavour is no-nonsense in this regard and she demands sustainable seafood, and no excuses. There are other sections on buying and storing and cooking seafood, but they are less revolutionary. It’s not that it’s all been said before, but it’s kind of all been said before. But sustainability in a cookbook? That’s a newer idea and I found it both interesting and refreshing to read about it in this context.

But, again, it is in the actual cookbook section of Fish that LeFavour really shines. A few favorites: the Sweet and Sour Slaw is ridiculously simple and delicious and I suspect it will become one of my standards. Four easy ingredients. One simple method. One wonderful and healthful slaw. Amazing.

On the other end of the complicated scale, I loved Los Gatos Ceviche. It’s an entire meal: Lime-Tortilla Soup, Guacamole and handmade chips. It is not difficult, but it is unbeatable. The Yellowfin Tuna Sliders are really different and, yet again, not difficult to pull off beautifully. And when it comes to dishes with a big “wow” factor suitable for entertaining and that won’t challenge you when hosting a dinner party and trying to focus on your guests, try the Mussels with Cream, Saffron, and Angel Hair served with Garlic Toast and Grapefruit-Fennel Salad. The presentation is gorgeous and the flavors work so well together, they’re unforgettable.

All in all, Fish is one of the best cookbooks on the topic I’ve seen. Great recipes, most of which even a real novice could pull off successfully and, at the core of it all, an eye to sustainability. This is one of the really good ones. ◊

Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He recently completed a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

This Just In… Suburb by Steven Kedie

Tom Fray leaves university with a simple plan; get a job, save some money and go travelling. 

To put his plan into action he moves home to the suburbs of Manchester where he finds the people he left behind all stuck in the same routines as when he went away. 

Feeling trapped between his old and new lives, Tom is desperate to escape. Then he meets Kate, a married neighbour and his simple plan becomes a lot more complicated.

You can order Suburb here. Visit author Steven Kedie on the web here. ◊


This Just In... is a column that shares basic information on selected titles. Titles are included at the editor’s discretion and on a first come, first served basis or for a small fee. Want to see your new book included? Ordering details are here.

Cookbooks: One Pan, Two Plates by Carla Snyder

In our culture, we are obsessed with time. Because of this, it is inevitable that some of the basics begin to become neglected. Unfortunately, one of the most basic basics of living that often gets left behind is eating properly. I know affluent, professional people whose evening meal is a constant decision about which take-out place to frequent on which particular evening. And no matter how good the take-out, there’s a part of me that really thinks that all that food made with only sustenance in mind (no thought for either love or health) just can’t be good for you.

In One Pan, Two Plates (Chronicle), Carla Snyder not only addresses these very basic concerns, she does something about it. “I can’t help you with your laundry or bills,” Snyder writes in her introduction, “but One Pan, Two Plates can help you get a healthful meal on the table in less time and with less cleanup.”

The book is focused on making beautiful one dish meals for two people -- a couple, perhaps or a parent and child -- but some of these would be terrific for a single, as well: dinner tonight and lunch for one reheated at work tomorrow. Either way, life gets a whole lot healthier.

Healthier and more delicious. Here’s a sampling of what’s on offer: Veal Piccata with Brussels Sprouts Hash and Apples. Rib-Eye Steaks Florentine. Crispy Sage Pork Cutlets with Couscous. Tuna Burgers. Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches. Barley and Lentil Salad. Pasta Carbonara. Wild Mushroom Frittata. Clearly I could go on -- there are “over 70 complete weeknight meals for two” included in the book -- but you get the idea.

If I have one quibble, it would be that One Pan, Two Plates is rather heavy on meat-based recipes. These days, that would not seem to be an accurate reflection of how most people eat or want to be eating. There are some recipes that are light on meat products, but few that are devoid of it. For some people, however, that news will be a plus rather than a minus. And for non-vegetarians, it’s a terrific book. The recipes are clear and well-illustrated. Most ingredients are easy to come by and each recipe lets you know how long it will take from start to finish as well as the amount of time you’ll actually spend fiddling in the kitchen. ◊


Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

Non-Fiction: Visions of Infinity by Ian Stewart

Almost from the beginning, I had a problem with Visions of Infinity (Basic Books), mathematics professor Ian Stewart’s love letter to advanced thinking.

The title begs the reader to embrace the inevitability of an endless line of questions looking for answers. But it was the subtitle that, for me, presented the largest hurdle: “The Great Mathematical Problems,” is what it says which, in the end, only goes to confirms Stewart’s infinite visions.

“Mathematics is a vast, ever-growing, ever-changing subject,” Stewart warns in his preface. Because of this, Stewart says a little later, “A basic aim of mathematics is to uncover the underlying simplicity of apparently complicated questions.”

Simplicity or no, those without a solid grounding in and appreciation for higher mathematics probably won’t get as much as they could from Visions of Infinity. This isn’t armchair maths, nor is Stewart meant to be a sort of Alain de Botton for math enthusiasts.

“Mathematic research is like exploring a new continent,” Stewart says, then explains what he means. If you love maths and would like to know more about the inner workings of a mathlete’s mind, you’ll want Visions of Infinity at the top of your reading pile. ◊

Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

New in Paperback: This Is a Call: The Life and Times of Dave Grohl by Paul Brannigan

When This Is a Call (DaCapo) came out in hardcover late in 2011 it was well reviewed by critics and fans alike. This is the definitive biography of one of the most important and influential musicians of his era by a rock journalist who was as well-equipped as any who might have bitten off this assignment. This is a Call’s opening lines explain why:

Dave Grohl has just slapped me across the face. It’s the early hours of 20 December 2005, and he and I are in a central London rock bar. Neither of us is meant to be here.

Brannigan goes on to explain his relationship with Grohl and the connections they’ve shared. From a very early point, one gets the feeling that this will be the best sort of bio, containing both respect and meat. And it does.

Despite his punk rock background, Brannigan begins his biography carefully and at the beginning, sketching out all of the characters and influences who would come to impact on future head Foo Fighter, Dave Grohl.

Though there are many intimate details and lots of juicy stories, the portrait of Grohl that Brannigan paints is both careful and sensitive. One gets the feeling that Grohl is that rock and roll royalty rarity: a true talent who has ove the years had all of the crazy and all of the temptation thrown at him and still managed to emerge relatively unscathed. More: as a force and talent still very much to be reckoned with. ◊

Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

Holiday Gift Guide: Waffles by Dawn Yanagihara

Who needs a whole book about waffles? After all, on the surface of things, how much can be done with the waffle-y form? But in chef and cookbook editor Dawn Yanagihara’s first book, Waffles: Sweet, Savory, Simple (Chronicle) you see the waffle in what would seem to be all possible forms. And it’s wonderful!

The waffles of my own childhood were delicious but super simple affairs. They came from a box in the freezer. You dropped them into the toaster. After the pop you added syrup and -- voila! -- an instant breakfast I didn't imagine could be topped. Dawn Yanagihara’s waffles are nothing like any of that. First of all, though, we’re treated to Yanagihara’s humor: “In one of my oversimplified views of human beings,” she writes in the introduction, “there are two types of people: those who like pancakes and those who like waffles.” She posits that the pancake people are “stable, grounded, in control” and so on, while the wafflers are “off-kilter, willy-nilly, moody” and more. She goes on to say this is nonsense, but you can’t help but loving her for saying it: there are differences, and here they are.

However much you like (or don’t) Yanagihara’s waffle-based philosophy, none of the recipes in this excellent book involve toasters. Her classic waffle recipe is very good: basic and seemingly infallible. But from there, it just gets better.

How can you not admire the inventiveness that brings us Huevos Y Waffles Rancheros? Here cornmeal waffles replace the corn tortillas on which the fried eggs in this classic Mexican breakfast rest. And I’m looking forward to trying Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraiche on Buckwheat-Sour Cream Waffles as an appetizer over the holidays. But the star for me (and it certainly won’t be for everyone!) has to be the Fried Chicken and Waffles with Bacon Gravy. This perplexing Southern favorite is here broken down in a way that even moderately accomplished home chefs should be able to attempt with confidence. ◊

Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

Holiday Gift Guide: Seriously Simple Parties by Diane Rossen Worthington

Whether you choose Seriously Simple Parties (Chronicle Books) as a gift or to complete your personal holiday schedule, Diane Rossen Worthington’s 20th cookbook hits home. The tone here is light, the recipes well laid out and carefully chosen and the food itself reflective of a culture that has gone through a lot of changes since the author’s earliest efforts. Best of all, in spirit, it answers all of the questions that a new home entertainer might have:

This book will show you how to pull together a festive meal for a small or large group that is tasty and beautifully presented, but doesn't require endless hours preparation.

Perfect, right? What else do any of us want?

With notes on stocking the pantry, party entertaining styles, seasonal party themes plus a whole section on themed menus based on recipes in the book, the nervous home entertainer will find him or herself well prepared for early hosting forays.

As appropriate for a book about party entertaining, the recipe section begins with drinks of both the alcoholized and dealcoholized kind. With smoothies, cocktails, spritzers and sangrias included, you almost don’t notice that no recipes for any type of punch have been included. An oversight that would have rounded out the book.

And though some appetizers have been included, that’s not the thrust of this book, with the bulk of the recipes more appropriate for lunches, brunches and dinners with friends than for stand-up cocktail parties or canapes for a group.

In short, while this is not the definitive book on holiday entertaining, it’s a healthful and well-produced start. ◊

Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

Holiday Gift Guide: Crazy Sexy Kitchen by Kris Carr and Chad Sarno

It wouldn’t be Christmas without the latest fad diet cookbook. This year, the raddest fad diet is -- wait for it -- health. And fad healthful eating is springing up all over in the form of vegan and “plant-based diet” cookbooks.

Nowhere is the fad as pretty and shiny than it is in Crazy Sexy Kitchen (Hay House). In some ways, the name says it all.

The book follows up the New York Times bestselling Crazy Sexy Diet, “a nutrient-dense, plant-happy approach to eating and living that harmonizes your beautiful body at the cellular level.” What could be better than that? Basically, it’s veganism under a (way) sexier banner, as you quickly learn as your taken through a tour of a meat-free, sugar-free, lactose-free lifestyle, as well as some of the highlights of choosing to eat in this way. Another section deals with handling some of the basics. How to prep and cook beans and grains. How to choose and hold a knife. How to destone an avocado. And so on.

The stars of the book, however, are the recipes. There are a lot of them, clearly well-thought out and brilliantly photographed. Cauliflower Risotto. Yellow Squash Fettuccine. Vegan “Clam” Chowder. Beetroot Ravioli with Cashew Cream Cheese. And many, many more, for every meal of the day, with many suitable for entertaining.

Much of this is food you could feed anyone without worrying that they’ll be worrying about what they’re missing. Just entirely wholesome, beautiful food. There’s not a lot to get excited about here, but those looking for a soft entree to a whole lifestyle change will find a lot here to like. ◊

Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

Holiday Gift Guide: Fifty Shames of Earl Grey by Fanny Merkin

The title warns you not to expect high art and, in case you were ever in doubt, the cover confirms it. Yes, this is a parody of Fifty Shades of Grey. Of course it is. But there is a surprise or two left in store: in a market that seems clotted with mashups and parodies, Fifty Shames of Earl Grey (Da Capo) actually exceeds all expectations.

This is due entirely to the rapier wit of author, Andrew Shaffer. Though he writes this one as Fanny Merkin (and not everyone will get the double chuckle in that pen name, it’s there, though Americans may have to use Google for a bit to work it out) he's proven his mettle in other works.  The author of Great Philosophers Who Failed at Love, Shaffer is better known by his Twitter alter egos: EvilWylie, who comments on the publishing industry, and EmperorFranzen, a satirical send up of author Jonathan Franzen (Freedom, The Corrections). (“Chicks dig me,” EmperorFranzen’s Twitter bio proclaims, “I was on the cover of TIME. That's TIME magazine, bitches. ALSO: NO I AM NOT THE REAL J. FRANZEN. HE DOESN'T EVEN OWN A CLOAK.”

So clearly, Shaffer does funny for fun. Not only that, though everyone knows writing humor that is actually funny is difficult, Shaffer makes it look simple. The author has said that Fifty Shames of Earl Grey took him about 10 days to write and yet the writing is sharp and seemingly effortless.

The plot here seems immaterial. We have an arrogant rich dude named Earl Grey who seduces sweet young thing Anna Steal. Though the heroine -- if one can call her that -- of Fifty Shades of Grey is called Anastasia Steele, the two women couldn’t be less alike. Where Anastasia is -- let’s face it -- a bit of a milquetoast, Anna has been around the block a few times… and rather liked it.

Earl is only six years older than me, but sometimes the gulf between our ages seems like something I can’t bridge. It’s like he’s a 104-year-old vampire in a twenty-seven-year-old’s body.
“So you’re into some kinky shit,” I say. “That’s your biggest secret?”
“You don’t know the depths of my perversion,” he says.
I’ve already seen him at what I figured was the depth of his shame: buying a Nickleback CD. Do I want to know how deep his perversions go? Does he want me to follow him down that rabbit hole, into the dark recesses of his kinky mind?

Does she? Well, of course she does. But those who read the original books will already have been able to tell from that tiny snippet that the writing here is sharper, at least.

Shaffer has done a splendid job here. It’s like he went over Fifty Shades of Grey with a microscope and inflated and/or distorted everything in it that held the potential for humor. ◊

Aron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.

Cookbooks: The 30 Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe by Mark Reinfeld

Part of living vegan is giving stuff up. At least, that was true until fairly recently, when a larger number of people than ever before became interested in a plant-based diet. In the past few years, we’ve been deluged with vegan cookbooks. Obviously, some of these are better than others.

Mark Reinfeld’s books are generally among the good ones. What sets  Reinfeld’s books apart is his welcome old-school approach to an entirely new school subject.

Award-winning chef Reinfeld has written or co-written half a dozen vegan-focused books. Most of them have been deeply concerned with the nuts and bolts of his topic and have been delivered in a very traditional way. This is also true of his latest book, The 30 Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe (Da Capo Lifelong), which, as the title suggests, revisits classic favorites and remakes them for a meat-free version of the 21st century. And thus we have Faux Gras, an entirely vegan version of foie gras made with walnuts and mushrooms; a completely vegan Horchata and even Baked Vegan Schnitzel, a healthful animal-free version of an Austrian speciality. And while it’s obvious that tofu baked in tahini and cornflake coating is never going to taste like veal -- nor should it! -- the satisfaction here comes from trying something entirely different and yet completely healthful, while offering something really new and out of the ordinary to your friends and family.

If opting for a vegan lifestyle has left you missing some of the flavors from your youth, The 30 Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe will probably not be able to assuage them 100 per cent. But in a sea of vegan Spanish Omelettes, Vegan Bouillabaisse, French Onion Soup and Scottish Crumpets, you’ll be having too much fun enjoying all the new flavors to really miss too many of the old ones. ◊

Aaron Blanton is a contributing editor to January Magazine. He’s currently working on a book based on his experiences as an American living abroad.