Bookstore Watch List

I’m running out of room for my ever growing collection of books. Does this stop me from buying more? Absolutely not!  There are several upcoming releases I want to add to the collection.

The Sono Baking Company Cookbook

Release date:  March 9

Warm pecan-studded sticky buns; banana streusel muffins; passion fruit mousse served atop a thin layer of sponge cake and garnished with fresh raspberries; decadent chocolate cake layered and iced with smooth, elegant chocolate ganache; red velvet cupcakes; and foccaccia flavored with fresh herbs and topped with tomato, mozzarella, and pesto—these are some of the mouth-watering recipes that John Barricelli shares in The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook.

A regular on The Martha Stewart Show and host of Everyday Baking, John Barricelli is a familiar face to home bakers. When he opened the SoNo Baking Company & Café in South Norwalk, Connecticut in 2005, the New York Times gushed, “This new bakery is superb and proves it daily,” and since then it has become a hot spot for discerning pastry aficionados across the Northeast.

The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook is for both first-time and experienced home bakers who can find everything they need here. With these foolproof recipes for breads, specialty cakes, delicate pastries, and much more, you can now create your baking repertoire including new variations on old favorites. With John’s simple-yet-elegant recipes and his easy-to-follow directions and techniques—including how to make the best brownies and the lightest meringues—The SoNo Baking Company Cookbook will be used in your home kitchen for years to come. John will teach you what dough should feel like, what batter should look like, and what bread should smell like when it's baking in the oven so that you become a confident intuitive baker.

A third-generation baker, JOHN BARRICELLI graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and worked at River Café, Le Bernardin, and the Four Seasons Restaurant. He then owned and ran Cousin John's Café and Bakery in Brooklyn for ten years. John worked at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, becoming a featured chef on Everyday Food, and in 2008 he became host of the spin-off Everyday Baking. In 2005, John opened the SoNo Baking Company and Cafe in South Norwalk, Connecticut.

Giada At Home:  Family Recipes From Italy to California

Release date:  March 30

I admit it... I'm a Food Network junkie.  One of the shows I enjoy is Giada At Home, starring Giada De Laurentiis. Since her debut on Food Network in 2002 with the hit program Everyday Italian, Giada De Laurentiis has been enticing Americans with her updated twists on Italian favorites. Her dedication to ease, healthfulness, and—above all else—flavor have won her a permanent place in the hearts of home cooks. In Giada at Home, she shares a personal look into how she cooks for those dearest to her, with simple recipes inspired by her television show of the same name.

Born in Italy, Giada was raised in Los Angeles by a gregarious Italian family. While her grandmother, aunt, and mother brought her up on generations-old recipes, Giada also became enamored with the bright and clean flavors of California’s abundant seasonal fruits and vegetables. Giada at Home presents recipes from both traditions, all with Giada’s signature style. She shares classic Italian recipes passed down through the years, like cheese-stuffed dates wrapped in salty prosciutto, creamy risotto with the earthy and deep flavors of mushrooms and gorgonzola, and lamb chops basted with honey and balsamic vinegar. New family favorites include grilled asparagus and melon, game hens roasted with citrus and herbs, and a sorbet made with pomegranate and mint, all bursting with fresh, vibrant flavors.

No meal would be complete without the company of family and Giada particularly enjoys bringing her loved ones together over meals. For the first time, she incorporates her go-to brunch recipes—what she cooks when setting up a feast on her back patio for everyone on weekend mornings—from Jade-approved Panini, with gooey mozzarella, luscious raspberries, and a sprinkling of brown sugar, to Todd’s favorite pancetta-studded waffles scented with cinnamon.

No matter which recipe you choose—classic or contemporary—Giada at Home makes gathering the favorite people in your life for fabulous weeknight meals and family celebrations delicious and easy.

GIADA DE LAURENTIIS is the Emmy-winning star of Food Network’s Everyday Italian, Giada's Weekend Getaways, and Giada at Home; a contributing correspondent for NBC’s Today; and the author of four New York Times bestselling cookbooks. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris and worked at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago restaurant in Los Angeles before starting her own catering company, GDL Foods. Born in Rome, she grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives with her husband, Todd, and their daughter, Jade.

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts

Release date:  March 30

 
I don't sew (although I want to learn); but this next craft encyclopedia is a must have for my Martha library.
 
Whether you just bought your first sewing machine or have been sewing for years, Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts will open your eyes to an irresistible range of ideas. A comprehensive visual reference, the book covers everything a home sewer craves: the basics of sewing by hand or machine, along with five other time-honored crafts techniques, and step-by-step instructions for more than 150 projects that reflect not only Martha Stewart’s depth of experience and crafting expertise, but also her singular sense of style.

Encyclopedic in scope, the book features two main parts to help you brush up on the basics and take your skills to a new level. First, the Techniques section guides readers through Sewing, Appliqué, Embroidery, Quilting, Dyeing, and Printing. Following that, the Projects A to Z section features more than 150 clever ideas (including many no-sew projects), all illustrated and explained with the clear, detailed instructions that have become a signature of Martha Stewart’s magazines, books, and television shows.

An enclosed CD includes full-size clothing patterns as well as templates that can be easily produced on a home printer. Fabric, thread, and tool glossaries identify the properties, workability, and best uses of common sewing materials. And, perhaps best of all, when you need it most, Martha and her talented team of crafts editors offer you the reassurance that you really can make it yourself.

The projects are as delightful as they are imaginative, and include classic Roman shades, hand-drawn stuffed animals, an easy upholstered blanket chest, a quilted crib bumper, French knot-embellished pillowcases and sheets, and Japanese-embroidered table linens, among many others.With gorgeous color photographs as well as expert instruction, this handy guide will surely encourage beginners and keep sewers and crafters of all experience levels wonderfully busy for many years to come. 

Barefoot Contessa Recipe Journal

Release date:  April 6

 
A recipe journal?  How fun is that?  I love the idea of having a journal to log recipes and other cooking related information.  Ina Garten is bringing a beautiful journal to life this spring.  Along with the journal, is a complete index of the recipes found in all the Barfoot Contessa cookbooks.  For the index alone, I'd buy this book!  Another great Barefoot Contessa cookbook, "Barefoot Contessa:  How Easy Is That?" is scheduled for release on 10/26.   
 
The Bucolic Plague

  Release date:  June 1

 
Josh Kilmer-Purcell will release his third book "The Bucolic Plague:  How two Manhattanites Became Gentlemen Farmers: An Unconventional Memoir" on June 1. In a recent House Blend interview, Josh talked about the upcoming book: 

 “The Bucolic Plague will launch in June of 2010 from HarperCollins. It details the first two years of us owning the Beekman, and how we birthed the company. I think people will be very surprised at the drama and challenges Brent, myself, and our relationship faced soon after we purchased the Beekman. Although we share a lot of what we do and think on our website, we don’t really speak much about our relationship. I hope people will find my reflections honest and helpful - and not exhibitionist." 
 
Armistead Maupin recently wrote:  "I gobbled up this book like-well, like goat cheese on a cracker. Kilmer-Purcell's genius lies in his ability to blindside the reader with heart-wrenching truths in the midst of the most outlandish scenarios. He makes you laugh until you care." 
 
That brief review alone, makes me anxious to read this book.