September Book Stack

The manuscript for Breaducation is due two weeks from today (9/30), and it's clear I'm going to need every last minute to get it done, so this will be my last post until I hand it in. (As always, thank you for your patience with all the "vacations" from Wordloaf I've needed to take to get it done.)

In the meantime, I have a preview of some of what's in store for you when I return, namely some books that I plan to feature here in more detail that have come out recently or are about to drop, all from friends, and all very much worth your consideration. (And a couple of which I happily and enthusiastically blurbed.) Aside from one of them, which I do not have in hand yet, they all have a permanent home on my shelves.

Green Mountains, by Caroline Eden

The first is Green Mountains, by Caroline Eden (Quadrille Publishing), which came out this past April. It's the final book in Caroline's "color trilogy" collection of books about the food, history, and landscapes of the Caucasus, this one focusing on Georgia and Armenia:

Beginning in Armenia, moving northwards through Georgia and ending at the Black Sea, Green Mountains weaves together the enchanting geography and the cult of the kitchen that prevails within these two countries. Tales of testing hikes and unpredictable terrain are punctuated by the foods Eden eats for respite - citrus, herbs, flatbreads, nuts, apricots, mountain greens and magical cheeses - the recipes she shares and the stories she uncovers. 

Sharing both the deep comfort and satisfaction of a meal served after a long walk, and the unique relationships she forms with her hosts, Eden offers readers rare insights into the culture and food of these two countries. With meticulously researched histories, a catalogue of more than 30 recipes from her travels, and rich, compelling stories, this is a travel book like no other.

Like Black Sea and Red Sands before it, Green Mountains is a gorgeous book, filled with images and stories of Caroline's travels throughout these landscapes, the people she encounters, and the foods they shared with her. I hope to share some recipes from the book soon, and maybe find time to chat with her about the books and what's in store now that the trilogy is complete.

Chesnok, by Polina Chesnakova

Next up is Chesnok, by Polina Chesnakova (Hardie Grant, September 16), another book about the foods of the Caucasus and beyond:

A love letter to the food of her childhood, acclaimed writer Polina Chesnakova shares 100 vibrant regional recipes from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

Born in Ukraine to Russian and Armenian parents from Georgia, Polina Chesnakova grew up cooking and eating at the hip of her mother and aunts. Chesnok paints a warm portrait of the Soviet diaspora through food, with dishes that will be nostalgic and familiar for those within the diaspora and enticing to anyone looking to expand their palate and pantry. 

From Georgian Tkemali (sour plum sauce), Uzbek and Azeri Plovs, and Armenian Gata (butter pastry) to Ukrainian Varenyky (dumplings), Russian Olivier Salad, and Medovik (honey cake), Chesnok is your invitation to learn the rich history of a people through their most cherished recipes and traditions. Essays, stories, and profiles of the amazing cooks in Polina's life are peppered amongst recipes as diverse as the communities from which they blossomed and the immigrant experience they were subsequently passed down in.

Polina asked me to read and share a blurb about this book, here's what I said:

After spending time with Chesnok, I'd love nothing more than a seat at one of Polina Chesknakova's family gatherings, elbow-to-elbow with relations and dishes with roots reaching back to Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Ukraine, and beyond. Maybe someday I'll land an invite, but in the meantime, this book is the next best thing: a rich, gorgeous, and lovingly crafted collection of recipes, traditions, and stories from her post-Soviet upbringing.

I meant every word (including wanting to come over to her house for dinner someday). Polina and I have been online friends for awhile, but we'll finally get to meet up at the chat we're be having at Brookline Booksmith on 10/14. Maybe some of you can join us!

Polina Chesnakova with Andrew Janjigian: Chesnok

Brookline Booksmith

I have a copy of Chesnok to give away here someday, when I share recipes from it, and I'll be sure to have Polina sign it that night.

Homemade Ramen, by Sho Spaeth

Then there's Sho Spaeth's Homemade Ramen (Norton, October 14). Sho and I have worked together awhile, first at Serious Eats and now at Chef Steps, and he's one of the smartest chefs and home cooks I know. Especially when it comes to ramen, a dish he's been obsessing over for years:

Ramen, like pizza or hamburgers, is a bundle of traditions, conventions, cultural trends, proscriptions, and crazed opinions. As a food writer, recipe developer, and ramen geek, Sho Spaeth has spent over two decades trying to make sense of it all, adapting common ramen-making techniques to his kitchen at home, and coming up with recipes that are representative of a range of ramen styles.

Recipes include: Classic shoyu ramen - Shio tanmen with clam stock - Miso ramen - Spicy tantanmen - Pork rib tsukemen - Soupless ramen (mazemen) - Vegan chickpea ramen

With over 100 step-by-step photographs, Homemade Ramen shows you how to make every element in 13 bowls of ramen from scratch, from the soup and seasoning to the springy noodles and a wide range of toppings. More than that, the book shows that making ramen is easy, and it gives you everything you need to geek out on ramen on your own.

Here's the blurb I wrote for Homemade Ramen:

Beyond the fact that they both involve doughs, ramen is a lot like bread: many moving parts, but none all that complicated to pull off when considered in isolation. Sho Spaeth is a wise and knowing guide to the art and science of ramen making, and Homemade Ramen is the practical manual to ramen I did not know I've always wanted!

I can't wait to have time to take this book into the kitchen, and I plan to share some of it here with you all someday.

The Art of Gluten-Free Bread, by Aran Goyoaga

When I first started working on Breaducation, I had the notion that I might include some gluten-free breads in it, since I created a few recipes for Cook's Illustrated way back when. But I soon realized that was a pointless exercise, because making gluten-free breads well involves an almost-entirely different set of skills and techniques.

Fortunately, I needn't have bothered, because now we have Aran Goyoaga's The Art of Gluten-Free Bread (Artisan, September 23), a hefty tome by someone who's been working at it for a very long time now:

Finally, a complete bible that will transform the art of gluten-free bread baking from three-time James Beard Award-finalist Aran Goyoaga.

Author Aran Goyoaga has perfected the art of baking without gluten, and she's garnered global attention for her ability to create bread full of texture and flavor using alternate flours. The Art of Gluten-Free Bread, Goyoaga not only shares her secret to the perfect gluten-free loaf, but she offers 100 recipes for the breads and pastries that those with gluten-intolerance dearly miss. Think biscuits, bagels, and the flakiest croissants. 

The book begins where most bread does: the starter. Goyoaga presents three sourdough starters made with grain flours instead of wheat, and readers can use them to make to delicious baguettes, boules, and dinner rolls. Many of the recipes build off each other, so home cooks can easily adapt their doughs. Use a baguette dough to make Olive Pesto Pull-Apart Bread or incorporate your starter discard to make Banana Sourdough Bread. There are also yeasted breads, like Olive and Rosemary Fougasse; enriched breads, like Quickest Buttery Brioche; and holiday breads like Challah and Sourdough Panettone so nobody ever needs to miss a yearly tradition again. There is even a flatbread section, complete with recipes for pizza, naan, and tortillas. 

With such a wide range of flavorful recipes, The Art of Gluten-Free Bread is the perfect cookbook for anyone who loves good bread.

Aran and I have been in touch, and I'm hoping to interview her for Wordloaf next time she's in Boston, and to get her to sign the extra copy of the book to give away to someone here. And I can't wait to finish work on my book, so I can explore hers.

Bread etc., by Matthew James Duffy

Finally, there's Bread etc., from Matthew James Duffy (Appetite/Random House, September 16), a book I haven't seen yet, but hope to soon:

An accessible guide to all things BREAD--from sourdough to yeasted dough, pizza dough and more--by expert bread baker, professor, and chef Matthew James Duffy.

Bread Etc. distills the complex art of mixing, shaping, and baking dough into clear explanations and easy-to-read instructions. You’ll begin with an overview of bread baking that breaks down every dough mystery, followed by recipes geared to both novice and advanced bakers. In the handsomely designed pages of Bread Etc. you’ll find more than 100 recipes for:

Yeasted Doughs: Start here for reliable breads, like Pullman Bread and Challah, and baked goods like English Muffins, Classic Artisan Bagels, and Traditional Pretzels.

Sourdoughs: The thick middle slice of Bread Etc. explains sourdough from the starter up, developing your skills with a Beginner Sourdough before moving on to richer breads like the Marble Rye, a Brown Butter Oat Porridge Sourdough, and even desserts like Sourdough Doughnuts and Sourdough Sticky Buns.  

Pizza Doughs: Make restaurant-worthy pizza at home. Focus on perfecting pizza dough—with five dough recipes to choose from—in either a standard home oven or pizza oven. Enjoy simple pies like the Home Oven Margherita or the more topping-heavy Pepperoni, Toasted Fennel and Jalapeño Pizza.

Leftover Bread + Sourdough Discard: Don’t waste a thing! Turn leftover bread into a whole meal with recipes like Sourdough Migas with Chorizo and Farm Eggs, or a gorgeous salad like Sourdough Panzanella with Heirloom Tomatoes. Plus, use your sourdough discard in recipes like the Einkorn Waffles, Ricotta Gnocchi, or Brown Butter Blondies.

In Bread Etc. Matt Duffy shares his decades of experience and passion with precise explanations, dough schedules, and step-by-step photographs to help you gain an in-depth understanding of the whole bread-baking process. With this book, you'll be confidently crafting loaves, pizzas, and other bread goods—and even developing bread creations of your own—at home.

Matthew and I both rode the 2020 sourdough wave into careers in teaching bread baking, and both of us landed book deals around the same time. We've discussed having a chat for Wordloaf, comparing notes on our parallel trajectories, bread book creation, and the art of teaching bread baking, something I'm very much looking forward to.

That's it for this week, see you all in early October.

—Andrew