Things Cooks Love Reviewed In San Francisco Chronicle

Cook's Books: Kitchen emporiums share tips, tools

Amanda Gold, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table have distinct personalities, though both offer myriad toys for the serious and beginner cook. Both have recently released comprehensive cookbooks - equally different - that explore not only the various tools and gadgets that grace the shelves of the stores, but also instructions on specific techniques.

It's fairly common to find hefty tomes that function like culinary school textbooks, with "how-to's" on everything from creating aspic to turning potatoes. The two new books, however, have been expertly streamlined to include only the most up-to-date tips, kitchen tricks and recipes.

'Things Cooks Love'

"Things Cooks Love: Implements, Ingredients, Recipes," spearheaded by the kitchen specialty store Sur La Table, is a more abstract approach to navigating a stocked kitchen. While all the necessary information is there for novices and pros alike, this book is clearly targeted to a more seasoned chef.

The first in the "Things Cooks Love" series features bold-colored, glossy photos and scattered quotes culled from other books that add an elegant and personal touch.

Organized by gadget rather than technique or ingredient, each section begins with an encyclopedic explanation of that tool, followed by usage tips and care instructions.

Readers will appreciate the paragraphs labeled "alternatives," which give useful substitutions for those who love to cook but might not want to shell out the extra dough for something they'd use only on rare occasions.

Under mortar and pestle, for example, the following advice is given: "If you enjoy cooking, the mortar and pestle will be a pleasurable extension of your craft. But if you simply need to get the job done, plug in your food processor or blender." It's inherently understood that we can't all be gadget-holics.

"Things Cooks Love" is packed with more complex recipes than most basic cookbooks. Coconut and curry lamb stew with green beans and potatoes, for example, is listed as just one of the dishes that can be made with a Karahi - a wok-like pan with high sides used in Indian cooking.

"Things Cooks Love: Implements, Ingredients, Recipes," by Marie Simmons and Sur La Table (Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2008; 342 pages, $35).