Books for the cook

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Autumn brings a rich harvest of cookbooks for holiday giving and this year is a bumper crop. Over the next few months, I will give you recipes from this diverse group of authors.

"Lidia’s Italy: 140 Simple and Delicious Recipes from the Ten Places in Italy Lidia Loves Most," by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali ($35, hardcover, full-color photographs) is Lidia’s finest book to date. She and her daughter Tanya, who holds a doctorate in Renaissance history from Oxford University, traveled to ten diverse regions in Italy — buying ingredients, culling authentic recipes and tasting food and wine. This is the companion book to Lidia’s new Public Television program.

Author Crescent Dragonwagon — who has written about vegetarian cuisines, soups and breads and who recently moved from Arkansas to Vermont — penned "The Cornbread Gospels" ($14.95, paperback, line drawings). It is filled with more than 200 recipes for sweet and savory dishes using cornmeal. You will find ways to make arepas, fritters, tortillas, pancakes, puddings and more. They are easy to make and come from around the globe.

I am always looking for new cookbook s on fish and the best of this year’s lot is "The Young Man & the Sea: Recipes & Crispy Fish Tales from Esca," by David Pasternack and Ed Levine ($35, hardcover, full-color photographs). Pasternack is the executive chef at Esca, New York City’s famous seafood restaurant. Pasternack and Levine offer recipes for starters; salads; soups; stews; crudo; pasta; fish on the grill; pan-fried and saut�ed seafood; roasted, baked and poached seafood; crispy fish; and crustaceans. Almost every creature from the sea is featured.

Next week I will feature more of this season’s cookbooks including those by Martha Stewart and Alice Medrich.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1/4 pound of bacon (about 4 thick strips), cut in 1/3-inch pieces
• 2 cups of leeks, cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 pound of peas, frozen
• 1 cup of rice
• 4 tablespoons of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup of fresh Grana Padano, grated
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

• Pour the oil into a heavy, five-quart pot and set over medium heat. Stir in the bacon pieces and cook for several minutes to render the fat. When the bacon starts to crisp, stir in the leeks. Cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks are wilted and the bacon is caramelized, about six minutes.
• Heat three quarts of water to a simmer. Pour into the pot with the bacon and leeks. Add the salt and stir well. Rapidly bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain active bubbling and cook for an hour or longer, depending on how you like it.
• Stir in the peas and return to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes before adding the rice. Return the soup to an active simmer, taste and correct for seasoning.
• Add the rice and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grains are cooked through, but not mushy. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Serves eight.

Ingredients:

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 1 cup of coarse stone-ground yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup of unbleached white flour
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2/3 cup of milk
• 4 canned chipotle peppers, stems removed and discarded, plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, pureed

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Spray a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with the spray and dollop in the butter.
• Combine the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
• Whisk together the eggs, milk and chipotle/adobo mix in a small bowl.
• Place the prepared skillet in the oven to heat it up for a few minutes, allowing the butter to melt.
• Combine the cornmeal mixture and the egg mixture, stirring until everything is just mixed. Pull the skillet from the oven and pour about half of the melted butter from the skillet into the batter. Stir the butter in and quickly pour the batter into the skillet. Bake until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Serves eight.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound of Nantucket Bay scallops, about 25 to 30, well chilled
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 sprigs chervil, leaves only

Directions:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the scallops, lemon juice and oil. Toss gently to combine.
• Spoon onto four serving plates and dress each with a light sprinkling of sea salt, black pepper and a few chervil leaves. Serve immediately.
• Serves four.

Note from Phyllis: This recipe is from the crudo — which means "raw" — chapter in the book. Pasternack made this preparation of seafood popular at Esca.