AMY YEN - A Simple Feast - The Jewels of New York

It was nice meeting the amiable Amy Yen, the author of a tempting new cookbook, "A Simple Feast." Just how simple the recipes are, depends on you, of course. To make root vegetable chips, "using a mandolin set to 1/8 inch, slice the vegetables into thin rounds. Place the vegetables in a colander and gently rinse them of excess starch, then thoroughly pat dry. Pour peanut oil into a medium saucepan to about 3 inches deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat..."

So right there, this assumes you know what a mandolin is (at least, one you use in a kitchen), and that you regularly use a colander. In this age of "15 minute meals" and "quick and easy" recipes, this might be asking too much of some folks. Likewise, you're not a gourmet, or you're just don't have a lot of time, if "Roasted Tomato and Garlic Soup" means...you just open a can of tomato soup and toss in a clove of roasted and diced garlic. As opposed to heating the oven and using a baking sheet to roast the tomatoes with olive oil until carmelized, and getting out fresh basil leaves, freshly ground black pepper, diced onions, vegetable stock and unsalted better.

Which led me to ask Amy a question I asked Craig Claiborne years ago, when I did a cover story on him. Is it ok to substitute ingredients? Or is it an insult to the chef? Amy, like Craig, felt it was ok: "Yeah, I think you can swap out whatever you have in your pantry. A lot of the recipes are very simple. You can cross things out and work with what you have."

Sometimes Amy offers substitutes in the recipes. In making "Turkish Style Eggs with Yogurt" she champions powdered drupes (fruit of the sumac tree) but if you can't find the esoteric item "finely grated lemon can be substituted').

The book has a loose theme to it...New York and its seasons. A few pages describe apple-picking in upstate New York. A chapter is devoted to "rooftop barbecue" suggestions, another features "brown bag lunch" items, and there's a chapter for picnics in "Central Park." The set-ups aren't much. For "Central Park," Amy's one page preamble to recipes lets us know that the park is fun for "people watching, nibbling and reading." Yes, so I've heard. She dubiously finds pleasure in watching "rollerblading...moms and nannies in Spandex...the faint rhythm of a trumpet player playing a melody of Frank Sinatra..." If it's a good day, maybe you can avoid obnoxious noises, rude people, dogs off leashes, or a drug dealer who wandered away from "Strawberry Fields" to avoid a passing patrol of cops. New Yorkers are a savvy bunch, so I don't think we needed the line about "sandwiches are another wonderful addition to the menu that requires only a few components and some good packaging."

Fortunately the recipes are original and intriguing, and the preparation will keep you busy but not too harried and nothing takes too long. The ideas include: Roasted Turkey, Manchego and Fig and Onion Jam Sandwiches, Mini Pea, Mint and Feta Quiches, Seared Scallops and Chanterelle Pasta, Pomegranate Poached Figs,Arugula, Lentil and Butternut Squash Salad, and Double Grilled Cheese and Ham Sandwiches. The latter isn't as simple as it might seem. Asks Amy, "why not put the cheese in a grilled cheese on the outside of the bread?"

There are some familiar items here, but done in new ways. "Mac and Cheese" becomes a casserole that includes panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) for a crust, and the textures and tangs of of grated nutmeg, grated Gruyere, and parmesan (no cheddar here!)

Thought cherry cola was a simple enough drink? Amy's version involves zest of lemon, oranges, limes, nutmeg, a cinnamon stick, anis pod, lavender leaves, and ginger...among other things.

The book is pretty hefty on desserts: Gingered Rhubarb and Mascarpone Parfait, Mini Strawberry Cakes, Raspberry Eton Mess (yes, that's not a typo), cocktail ice pops and pecan pie with salted maple ice cream. This brought up another question...how is it that some exotic desserts have fallen completely out of favor, and aren't even in recipe books? Like...Nesselrode pie. Amy gave me a perplexed look. "What??" "It's a creme pie...with marrons, bits of dried fruit and flecks of dark chocolate...named after Count Nesselrode...and..." Never even heard of it? Oh well.

There are definitely items here you either haven't heard of, or didn't think were worth your time. Hominy? Lowly hominy? It's back for a few pages, via "Fried Hominy with chile and lime." Yes, all you need is a can of hominy to start you off. Add paprika, cumin, lime zest...you'll see. You'll taste. You'll like. 269 pages, pleasantly low on meat/chicken entrees, and with a good amount of fish and veggies, the book is themed for New York (apples figure into a lot of Fall recipes, for example). It should be on the shelf of kitchens all over the country...and around the world. The hardcover is from Roost Books, a division of Shambhala.

Not S&M or B&D, just: 300 Best Homemade Candy Recipes

Here's a forbidden book for you!

No, it's not "50 Shades of Grey" or any of the alarmingly hundreds of dreadful copy-cat eBooks from other talentless amateur practitioners of "mommy porn." It's a book that dabbles, dribbles and drizzles through a world of exotic, bad-for-you excess: Brittles, Caramels, Chocolate, Fudge and Truffles. And more.

Author Jane Shamrock throws caution to the wind, and passion into the stove, as she offers her photo-filled guide to how to fill yourself with sugary excess. At a time when people are warning that most anything can cause diabetes, and when even healthy people are (needlessly) buying gluten-free cookies, and when Coke and Pepsi are discovering less people interested in their sugary drinks and even less buying the dangerous sugar-free alternatives...here's Jane explaining ALL the secrets to re-connecting with lost childhood treats and discovering new ones.

Oh, oh, oh: Old-Fashioned Hard Candies, Caramels, Clusters, Chocolate-Coated Candies, Fondants, Farmhouse Favorites Candied and Spiced Nuts, Popcorn Candies, Short and Sweet Simple Barks, Speedy Candy Rolls and more! This is not for the person who is simply content with a Milky Way bar, but wants to impress at a party, amaze at a child's birthday, or just conjure up something unique and personalized.

The book might even be of interest to those who simply wonder about how one creates a filled-chocolate, or whether you need mallow to make a real authentic marshmallow. Sweet!

How Can it be Gluten Free Cookbook

The question some have asked, bent over with cramps, is "When did eating a sandwich on white bread become nearly lethal?"

Good question, and I don't know the answer, but I do know that more and more people are suffering from "wheat belly" (to mention another book title) and discovering that ordinary bread can lack nutrition and actually cause a lot of harm. Like, stomach aches, diarrhea and other nastiness. Whether it's the environment itself that is making people allergic, or badly raised and poorly manufactured vegetable product, more and more people are looking to "gluten free" foods for some relief.

Only..."gluten free" foods are tricky. I've tried some of the manufactured cookies and breads, and noticed that to compensate for the lack of taste, a lot of extra sugar is added. That only creates a different kind of belly ache.

The authors here admit that "replacing wheat flour is tricky business," and "simply substituting a gluten-free flour blend for regular flour doesn't work. We needed to completely rethink each and every recipe employing a host of tricks and techniques to get the results we wanted...many batters and doughs are better when rested for 30 minutes...vinegar helped to produce a flaky, tender pie pastry....using less butter but adding cream cheese to a pound cake recipe made for a lighter, better cake..."

And, yes, a simple slice of "gluten free" bread involves "powdered psyllium husk for structure, milk powder for browning, and oat flour to boost protein levels..." Store-bought versions simply aren't very good, so if you've got the time and the tenacity, this cookbook will lead you to some healthier food choices. If you're not sure you have the time or tenacity, the book argues its case with chapters on The Science of Gluten, Key Test Kitchen Discoveries, and even rating Sandwich Breads. The "test kitchen" here was not only for producing good recipes, but evaluating what you can find in the supermarket. For those very seriously in trouble due to food allergies, this book does offer a return to normalcy...after all, there are even recipes for a good coating for Southern Fried Chicken, and an attempt at a "New York Style Pizza" featuring...ground almonds. No, it's not the real thing, but if you do it right, it can be the "next best thing." And you'll stay at the dinner table instead of the bathroom.