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I’m trying to recall how I was first introduced to the cooking of Chef Michel Roux. I’ve owned his book Eggs for over ten years, and I believe it came to my attention by way of a Martha Stewart tv show. I remember learning of a lot of cookbooks from her shows. I’ve always loved that book for the attention to detail with each of the classic egg recipes, and the care taken with the techniques is evident in the photos of the finished dishes. Needless to say, I was excited to read a review copy of Michel Roux’s latest book Cheese: The essential guide to cooking with cheese, over 100 recipes . Once again, there are classic dishes that are beautifully presented, and a few intriguing recipes as well. The chapters include Canapes, Soups, Starters and Snacks, Salads, Fish and Shellfish, Meat Poultry and Game, Rice Pasta and Bread, Vegetables, Great Classics, and Desserts, and before getting into the recipes some basic information on types of cheeses and classifications is listed. I was glad to...

When I read cookbooks, I keep my eye out for ideas both big and small. Sometimes, it’s the little things that can really change your cooking or spark inspiration. And, some books deliver on both fronts. That was the case with Valerie's Home Cooking: More than 100 Delicious Recipes to Share with Friends and Family of which I received a review copy. Valerie Bertinelli gives you the recipes she cooks at home and recipes she learned from her mother and grandmother, and talks you through the why’s and how’s in a friendly, down-to-earth fashion. This is a book of crowd-pleasing food and drinks with a few healthier options, some decadent dishes, and a lot of good ideas for every meal of the day. Egg in a hole is a classic, but I’d never thought of trying it with a bagel and then topping it with Neufchatel cheese mixed with sriracha. The nostalgic Snack Mix in the Happy Hour chapter, made with wasabi peas and broken ramen noodles, inspired me to seek out new and different ingredients for ...