Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Reviews, Food

Book Review: The Whole Coconut Cookbook: Vibrant Dairy-free, Gluten-free Recipes Featuring Nature’s Most Versatile Ingredient, by Nathalie Fraise

Leave a comment

The Whole Coconut CookbookI know there are those of you out there who don’t care for coconut (flavor or texture), and even those who just like it as an occasional flavor addition. However, there are those of us who love coconut; and if you love coconut, then you really love coconut. You know, Thai tea is one of your favorite drinks, coconut cream pie is one of your favorite desserts, and shredded coconut is equally appropriate on steak as it is on cake. So, when we see Nathalie Fraise’s The Whole Coconut Cookbook: Vibrant Dairy-free, Gluten-free Recipes Featuring Nature’s Most Versatile Ingredient, we’re likely having a myriad of responses, some more visceral than others! But this is not a coconut-lovers-only cookbook! The coconut is quite versatile, and not all parts and byproducts (aminos, butter, cream, flour, meat, milk, nectar, oil, sugar, vinegar, and water) have the same strength in taste—some have no “coconut flavor” at all! So, this is for everyone who is looking for variety and/or healthier alternatives to some traditional ingredients, especially those who have particular allergies or aversions.

Included are recipes for breakfast, main courses, salads and sides, snacks, drinks, and desserts, as well as homemade versions of some most byproducts listed above. Many recipes swap grain flours for nut and coconut flours and milk for coconut milk, which yield different consistencies and require alterations to traditional recipes as noted. However, not all recipes are dairy- and gluten-free (e.g., risotto, coconut rice, and kefir), but those of us who are not as concerned with these aversions will be thankful for their inclusion.

Most recipes are not going to be “new” or particularly surprising—they may simply swap ingredients for coconut-based alternatives. Others will bring welcomed “coconutty” goodness to your table. A couple of the more surprising dishes for me were the coconut risotto and coconut creamed corn (what?!), which will quickly be added to me repertoire.

The book itself is actually a relatively small hardback with fewer recipes than expected, but it’s still well designed. The beautiful photography by Erin Scott (love the textured wood backgrounds!) is too few—most recipes have no picture, but not all recipes obviously feature coconut in their appearance, which may have been a factor. Personally, I’d like to have seen some smaller photographs included for several recipes in order to have more of them—all photographs take up a whole page.

All things considered, I think this may be a helpful addition to many kitchen collections.

 

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Book Reviews

Book Review: NIV Bible for Men: Fresh Insights for Thriving in Today’s World

Leave a comment

NIV Bible for MenThis review is not of the NIV translation of the Bible; rather, it is of the whole collection Zondervan has published as NIV Bible for Men: Fresh Insights for Thriving in Today’s World.

 

Superficial:

  • It’s a hefty hardback—way to big to be one’s go-to, carry-around Bible.
  • Font size is in line with most Bibles—small, but not tiny.
  • Dust-jacket is typical of young-adult marketing.

 

Basic Content:

  • 260 (five days a week for one year, primarily intended to be done alongside reading the Bible through in one year) one-to-two page devotional thoughts (D#) with a subsequent inquiry for application.
  • 52 (one day a week for one year) “myths” (M#), each about two pages, that are expressed with a subsequent rebuttal.
  • Reference list for all texts (nothing was written especially for this publication—everything was copied from online articles, Kindle edition books, and even another “men’s Bible” from Zondervan).
  • Reference list of specific scriptures and their correlation to included relevant texts.

 

Critical:

  • This purports to be a “Bible for Men”; however, there are precisely three (3!) of the included texts that can be identified as rather pointedly relating to men and from a male perspective (D12, D52, and D121). Thirteen others I have identified as attempts to be gender-specific but are actually gender-neutral, fully applicable to both men and women with the alteration of a gender-specific term or reference (M4, D21, D46, M16, D89, M20, D106, D108, M22, M27, D171, D172, and M40, much of which deals with porn, leadership, and other stereotypically identified as primarily male concerns). This means that 3/312 (0.96%) is specifically for men, 13/312 (4.16e%) is purported to be for men but is actually gender-neutral, and 297/312 (95.19%) is utterly gender-neutral. This is not a “Bible for Men.”
  • On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being horrible and five being great, the texts included are completely hit-and-miss, running the entire scale.

 

Conclusion:

This is not what it purports to be, and isn’t worth the time or physical exertion of carrying it around. I recommend purchasing an actual study Bible if one wants some heft and decent scriptural insight, and then pick up any of the myriad of devotional books in print (topic- or gender-specific, if you like) to supplement your scripture reading and for further encouragement, accountability, etc.

 

 

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Art, Book Reviews, Theology

Book Review: Sense and Spirituality: The Arts and Spiritual Formation, by James McCullough

Leave a comment

Sense and SpiritualityJames McCullough recently received his PhD from St. Andrews, and Sense and Spirituality: The Arts and Spiritual Formation comes out of his dissertation (“Aesthesis and Ascesis: The Relationship between the Arts and Spiritual Formation,” 2013). The notes, “This book began its life as a doctoral dissertation, and … has undergone extensive editing and rewriting in order to make it readable and indeed palatable for a general audience” (xvii); however, McCullough states that this work “submits itself for approval and approbation…first and foremost, to the growing body of scholars and practitioners in the field of theological aesthetics” and “[s]econdly…to those in practical theology” (xv). I’m not certain that it has indeed been reworked for a “general audience”; it maintains the form, function, and readability of an academic thesis, not something one would generally pick up at a bookstore if interested in the arts and spiritual formation. However, not having read the actual dissertation, I am unable to compare and contrast notable differences and distinctions that may prove beneficial in determining which may be the most helpful for the intended theologian reader: the dissertation or Sense and Spirituality. For what it’s worth, given the brevity and lack of depth in “Part II: Practical Application,” it is my assumption that the dissertation would be the better route.

Part I: Theoretical Framework
McCullough simplifies “aesthesis and ascesis” into “sense and spirituality,” stating that his agenda is “to explore how skills in sensory perception with those related to ascetical development or spiritual formation, and how this dialectical relationship can be mediated, enhanced, or catalyzed through encounters with the arts” (9). The thesis is belabored and restated a number of times (academic filler material), but this is an important discussion to be had. How does art catalyze sense and spirituality “aimed toward progressive spiritual growth” (45)? McCullough takes roughly fifty pages to get to the point of trying to define art (craft, content, and context [Figure 03, p. 43]) and stating—in my own oversimplification—something that is quite well-known: the more one understands art, the more one may appreciate art, as well as the more one may gain from art. In this context, the gain intended is spiritual growth.

Part II: Practical Application
McCullough provides three examples in an attempt to demonstrate a practical application of his thesis: poetry (Four Quartets, T. S, Eliot), painting (The Four Holy Gospels, Makoto Fujimura), and music (Seven Last Words from the Cross, James MacMillan). Each of these is briefly discussed according to its craft, content, and context. The author writes, “I do not wish to write full-blown commentaries on these works, but something more akin to liner notes for a record album” (62), which is a shame because they do not, in my opinion, provide adequate commentary to qualify as examples of practical application of the original thesis (the chapter on Eliot provides only a hint of spirituality and does not appear to connect the reader with enough evidence to support its inclusion, though the subject matter itself certainly would if given greater attention; Fujimura’s is the most connected of the three, providing decent commentary on the purpose, method, and meaning behind the project, though the black and white images in a paperback do not help the reader; and MacMillan’s is, I believe, a poor example to use because of the tradition within which the music is composed, already easily recognized as “sacred” music intended for spiritual growth, meaning that the example appears to be stating the obvious). His conclusion, with which I concur: “Art is an irreducible amalgam of what is said and how it is said, to the point that they are inseparable” (101, emphasis original).

Part III: Conclusion
This “Part” is only five pages, restating and concluding in the tradition of this type of writing.

 

Truthfully, there’s some helpful material here despite its redundancy and what has already been noted concerning its practical application; however, much more work needs to be done in order to make it more accessible for a general audience. I’m now more interested in what the dissertation may have to offer.

Book Reviews, Food

Book Review: The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal Baking From Around the World, by Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez

Leave a comment

The Hot Bread Kitchen CookbookJessamyn Waldman Rodriguez is the founder and CEO of Hot Bread Kitchen, originally established in New York City to help immigrant women get established, learn a trade, and prepare them to move on into their own businesses and/or culinary endeavors. The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal Baking From Around the World is a culminating work of all these bakers, including bread recipes from their respective cultures of origin, as well as other recipes that often go alongside the bread recipes (e.g., hummus for pita, carnitas for tortillas, iced Vietnamese coffee with bahn mi, etc.). Unleavened breads to stuffed pastries; this is a treasure chest of recipes from around the world unlike any other bread book I’ve found thus far.

For those interested in more about the story and bakers of Hot Bread Kitchen, there are spotlights on individuals who have provided specific recipes and significant contributions to the company, which lends a much appreciated authenticity to the book and brings the reader into HBK’s story and mission.

What I appreciate most in the book’s organization are the references to other recipes and their respective locations therein. For example, many recipes call for a pâte fermentée to begin the fermentation process, for which there is a recipe in the book to which all other relevant recipes point. The same goes for many recipes that build on the foundation of a particular type of dough. Rather than unnecessarily replicating the recipe over and over or requiring the reader to search for it in an index, all are referenced. This also applies to relevant tips and means of procuring some hard to find ingredients. Basically, there’s an embedded map to keep the reader from getting lost.

The biggest drawback I found, which isn’t necessarily that bad if the text can be reasonably followed, is found in sequential photographs intended to demonstrate some method. They are virtually unhelpful due to a step missing, poorly organized, or simply ill captured in a way that would make sense to someone who doesn’t regularly work with these steps (which would be anyone for whom they are provided). The most obvious of these examples is that of braided challah bread, where there are several photos demonstrating how to fold two lengths of dough over one another from an “x” shape immediately to a fully braided and tucked shape. There’s definitely something missing there.

Overall, I think it’s a wonderful book that will definitely benefit those who want a culturally eclectic collection of bread recipes rather than one particular type or one that uses one particular flour base.

 

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Book Reviews, Food

Book Review: Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyōza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More, by Andrea Nguyen

Leave a comment

Asian DumplingsAndrea Ngyuen’s Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyōza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More had me reminiscing of my time living in China, eating stuffed steam buns for breakfast and fried dumplings late at night from a street vendor that hung around when everyone else had cleared the roads outside my apartment. Nguyen does an excellent job describing different kinds of dumplings, buns, rolls/wraps, and pastries from East, Southeast, and South Asia. Actually, it made me a little homesick.

There are some beautiful pictures here, but a whole lot of text. I hesitated in picking this one up because I wasn’t sure it would bridge the cookbook/coffee table book gap I enjoy, but I got it anyway. I’m glad I did! (After all, one can only have so many pictures of the same dumpling wrap—the camera doesn’t capture the varietal tastiness inside!) The number and variety of recipes reminded me of a dumpling house I used to frequent. The first time I went I was handed a six-page menu with scores of dumplings—only dumplings! The restaurant served nothing else—well, they did have water and tea. It took me back to times when my students were so excited to take me to a “dessert store” to try Chinese sweets, none of which qualified in my mind as “dessert.” (You can find a recipe for the famous red bean paste used in these “desserts” in this book, which I appreciate, but still won’t be preparing myself.) And then there are my favorite Vietnamese spring rolls, filling wonton soups, sesame seed balls, and…and… Seriously, there’s a lot here.

Perhaps most important lessons found herein are the teachings of how to prepare the dough (wheat, rice, tapioca, legume, tuber, etc.) and foundation for each theme. (There are “Lazy Day Tips” provided for those who wish to use store-bought varieties, though it is strongly encouraged to work from scratch for best results.) With these, all one needs is a little imagination and inspiration and these can quickly become Italian, Mexican, Hungarian, Polish, or whatever ethnic flavor palate one desires. Of course, one can choose from the scores of amazing recipes herein, too!

A small cherry on top of this dish is a final chapter on dips and sauces that are invaluable when looking for that final bit of authenticity with a number of these recipes, but you’ll likely find yourself wanting to use them well beyond these borders!

Now I just need to figure out which to cook first!

 

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Book Reviews, Theology

Book Review: When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself (New Edition), by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert

1 Comment

When Helping HurtsThere was a time when I felt alone in my thoughts on the damaging effects and arrogance of many short-term mission trips. While working as a full-time missionary in a rural area of Central America, I’ve even been pushed to the side and encouraged to keep quiet about the perpetuation of a welfare state and divisiveness of a community by those visiting from my supporting congregation in the US. Once I was eventually completely silenced and pushed out of that work, I began to discover others outside of my own tradition had been wrestling with these things, too. We were (are) concerned with the long-term impact of short-term mission trips and were seeing a wake of cultural and theological devastation in the way things have been going. “White is right” and “money heals” has often been the practical approach, even if it is denied and described in other terms. Most of the people and teams I’ve come across do not lack good intentions; they do often lack humility and effectiveness.

Why did I begin with this specific experience? Most American church “missions” are focused on “the poor” (as perceived by the churches), and it is to this end (and further) that When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself by economists Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert has much to offer. Emphasizing an holistic approach to helping those in need, Corbett and Fikkert take into account the much disregarded economic factors in the way we “help” others, noting that we are often blinded to the reality of our doing more harm than good. Leaving behind the method of paternalism, the reader is encouraged to come alongside and work with others (not doing things for or to them), as well as recognizing that not all “poor” is created equal.

One of the principle equations used to demonstrate the harm done to both parties follows thusly: Material Definition of Poverty + God-complexes of Materially Non-Poor + Feelings of Inferiority of Materially Poor = Harm to Both Materially Poor and Non-Poor. The authors help the reader see the distinctions between relief, rehabilitation, and development, as well as the time and place for their relevancy and proper implementation, though always encouraging participation of the one being aided (if that’s even the right word to use for a given situation). Of course, the authors want to be clear of their intentions and note the following in this new edition:

Some of our readers have misunderstood the message of the first edition of this book to be: “Individuals and churches with financial resources should stop writing checks.” That is not our message. We do believe that individuals, churches, and ministries should rarely be simply “writing checks” or handing out cash or material resources directly to materially poor people. However, we also believe that individuals and churches that have been blessed with financial resources…should dramatically increase their financial giving to churches and ministries that pursue gospel-focused, asset-based, participatory development. The churches and ministries that are engaged in development work have a very difficult time raising the funds needed to pay for this highly relational, time-intensive approach, an approach in which there are not always clear measures of success or of the “return on the investment.” Development ministries need financial supporters who understand what poverty alleviation is really about—reconciling the four, key relationships—and who are willing to fund the long and winding process that must be used to get there. (233, emphasis original)

My wife had already read the first edition of this book, but I’m thankful Fikkert recently provided her with the latest edition and that it was passed on to me. It doesn’t provide all the answers, nor does it make such a claim; in fact, it should be used as an introduction to further processing and discussion among churches and religious organizations. For more information, the authors encourage checking out www.chalmers.org.

 

As an added plug, I was blessed to be able to participate in a private showing of the new documentary “Poverty, Inc.” while reading this book. They have much in common and I highly recommend it for both religious and non-religious institutions. The film has yet to be fully released, but you can look at hosting a showing in your area by visiting www.povertyinc.org.

Art, Book Reviews

Book Review: The Time Chamber: A Magical Journey and Coloring Book, by Daria Song

Leave a comment

The Time ChamberDaria Song’s The Time Chamber: A Magical Journey and Coloring Book, her second in the Time Series, is a beautifully intricate coloring book designed for adults who need a little to be a kid again. I picked this one up for my wife because she saw adult coloring books in a game store and mentioned how much she just wanted a coloring book to work on and forget about grading papers and assignments. Once she opened this up she was super excited and loved every page! The story doesn’t matter so much to her, and I didn’t care about it either—it is a coloring book, after all—although the owl and gear motifs are fun and inviting.

Though the pictures provide much detail, these pages are not completely filled. Some may like a full edge-to-edge page of tiny spaces that require staying within the lines, but the pages of The Time Chamber provide much needed space to better appreciate what is being colored—too much can be…too much. Some pages are comprised of whole scenes and some are collages of items or abstractions. Both are a delight.

The paper for this book is going to be just a bit too thin for markers, and the detailing can be much too small for crayons. So, we’re sticking with colored pencils for this book.

 

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Book Reviews, Food

Book Review: The Chili Cookbook, by Robb Walsh, photos by Eva Kolenko

Leave a comment

The Chili CookbookChili, chilli, chile… What is it, from where did it come, and how do I make it? What do Mexicans, Spaniards, Greeks, Hungarians, Austrians, Americans, and others the world over have in common? Robb Walsh answers these questions and more in The Chili Cookbook. Just in time to begin experimenting with different recipes for the chili cook-off among my wife’s colleagues, I found this book to be enlightening and inspiring. But it’s the cultural connections made therein that really intrigued me. It shouldn’t be that surprising to find similar dishes on opposite ends of the world when using some of the same ingredients, but it’s still pretty cool when you think about some of them (is goulash chili?!). And the ways immigrants have shaped food culture in the United States… It never ceases to amaze me how many Americans fail to appreciate how non-American “American food” really is! (Who knew that “Texas hot dogs, Texas hots, or Texas Wieners” were created by a Greek dude in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and aren’t Texan at all?!)

Along with what are typically considered both traditional and modern chili recipes, Walsh includes many recipes from around the world that may or may not be chili in the eyes of the reader, but deserve inclusion nonetheless. There are also a number of necessities for the chili aficionado: tortillas, roasting tips, spice mixes, sauces, et al. The only downside I’ve found with this book is it leaving me wanting more of the beautiful photography it already contains by Eva Kolenko (there are photographs of only select recipes). Granted, many of these are going to look the same (but with great difference in texture and flavor!), it’d still be nice to see the final product of each.

This is a beautiful cookbook that I’m glad to have in my growing collection.

 

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Book Reviews, Food

Book Review: Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking, by Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton, photos by Eric Wolfinger

Leave a comment

DonabeI could live in a donabe (Japanese for “clay pot”), the vessel from which I’ve had some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. When I discovered Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking was soon to be released, it took me back to my favorite noodle joint: Menkui Tei (NYC). Sure, virtually anything cooked in a donabe can be just as easily done so in another vessel, but there’s something special about these clay pots that brings flavor and comfort together in a way nothing else can—and they’re just so beautiful, even in their simplest form!

In this book, chefs Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton bring together years of love and passion for traditional Japanese cuisine using varied styles of donabe with the inclusion of modern touches (apparent even in the front cover, where dishes surround a donabe sitting on top of a single, butane burner). Naoko begins by introducing the reader to the traditional clay pot and a specific family of artisans in Iga, Japan, from whom she imports pots and sells them globally. Photographer Eric Wolfinger provides an appetizing aesthetic for both Japanese culture and cuisine, documenting the making of a donabe and the finished product of every recipe in the book, among many other stills.

For those interested in Japanese clay pot cooking, Donabe provides styles, methods, and recipes for classics, rice, soups and stews, steaming, tangine-style (similar to a ceramic Moroccan pot), smoking, and all the necessary extras (dashi, sauces, and condiments). For those not so interested, the introduction to the history and culture thereof may pique that interest. And, of course, there are loads of recipes that can be used and adapted for one’s own kitchen, as well as a full glossary for those unfamiliar with terms used in Japanese cooking.

Until I live in a place with a gas stove, investing in a couple artisanal pots will have to remain a daydream. But until then, I’ll continue to work with what I have…and maybe get a portable butane burner…and maybe one donabe…and maybe some more earthenware… Oh, who am I kidding? I just need to move to Japan!

 

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Book Reviews, Food

Book Review: Tacos: Recipes and Provocations, by Alex Stupak and Jordana Rothman

Leave a comment

TacosIn the famous words of George Tekei, “Oh, my!” Tacos: Recipes and Provocations is not your mother’s cookbook. This racy, mouthwatering, intriguing collaborative journey through food and culture by Alex Stupak and Jordana Rothamn is what I want all my future food books to imitate. Yes, simple recipe books have their place on my shelves, but none of them make me want to prepare and eat the fruit of their bullet points as does this delectable literature and makes-me-want-to-eat-the-page photography. More, please?

For those hoping for a book of Mexican dishes, we are reminded that “[Tacos] is not a sweeping study of Mexican culinary traditions. It is only about tacos—a reference point most of us share, a familiar food that we can use to explore unfamiliar flavors and challenging ideas” (15). Of course, there are things one needs to know in the making of a taco, which is why there are sections on ingredients, sauces, and the all-important tortilla. High end pastry chef turned taco aficionado Alex Stupak explains, “I’ve had three defining moments as a cook: the first time I got to touch a black truffle; the first time I made a stable foam; and the first time I tasted a freshly made tortilla at La Parrilla” (10). This reminds me of my time living in Belize and eating freshly made, white corn tortillas with caldo (soup). Until you’ve had one of these perfect tortillas, you’ll simply never understand. This is not Taco Bell. This is good.

If you want to dive head first into tacos, or if you want to want to like tacos, this book will do it for you. Seriously, I think I’m making tortillas tonight.

 

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.