Zabar's Blog

Recipe for Tosca Cake

from Norwegian Baking Through the Seasons by Nevada Berg

Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar

This book shows you lots of enticing baked goods from Norway. Try the yummy Tosca Cake, which is actually Swedish. The recipe directs you to use a clever technique, where you bake it for 20 minutes, pour the glaze on top of the hot cake, and bake some more. Next on my list: pretzels, horns with herby pea pesto, and another cake, called the world’s best!

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Recipe excerpted with permission from Norwegian Baking Through the Seasons by Nevada Berg (Prestel)

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Recipe for Roasted Dorade with Fennel and Tomatoes

from A Table Full of Love by Skye McAlpine

Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar

This lovely cookbook inspired me to try some new dishes, including this fish. Its bright flavors will spice up your dinner menu. And the writing is charming. There are directions in this recipe to cook the fennel when the water begins to gallop. See? Charming. Next on my list: Honey Roasted Chicken, Polpette alla Ricotta, and Aunt Effie’s Oat Bars.

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Recipe excerpted with permission from A Table Full of Love by Skye McAlpine (Bloomsbury)

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Recipe for Charred Fennel with Orange and Honey

from Via Carota by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi

Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar

This lovely book will inspire you to go into the kitchen and cook. Break out your grill pan and try this amazing fennel dish first for a new classic addition to your repertoire. Next on my list: Insalata di Arance, salad with oranges, red onions, and olives, and dressed with a sherry vinegar; a salted branzino; and grappa-scented chocolate truffles.

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From Via Carota: A Celebration of Seasonal Cooking from the Beloved Greenwich Village Restaurant by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi, with Anna Kovel. Copyright ©2022 by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Recipe for Pine Nut Macaroons

from Small Plates by America's Test Kitchen

Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar

Try baking these simple, delicious macaroons for Passover or any time. Then, dive into the book for inspiration. I am always looking for small side and main dishes for dinner. This cookbook is filled with them. Next on my list: sweet potato hummus; peach caprese salad; lamb rib chops with mint-rosemary relish; and chocolate cream pie in a jar.

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Recipe excerpted with permission from Small Plates by America's Test Kitchen

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Recipe for Grilled Fish with Mint Sauce

from Cucina de Amalfi by Ursula Ferrigno

Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar

Reading this book was an armchair visit to this beautiful part of Italy. I loved the recipes and am ready to try: mini parmesan pancakes, grandmother’s spinach bread, and chicken cacciatore. After that, next on my list are two kinds of pistachio biscotti—one chocolate, the other with fig and apricot.

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Recipe excerpted with permission from Cucina di Amalfi: Sun-Drenched Recipes from Italy’s Most Magical Coastline by Ursula Ferrigno, Ryland Peters & Small, Photography by Nassima Rothacker © Ryland Peters & Small 2023

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Recipe for Little Tender Cake

from Giuseppe's Italian Bakes by Giuseppe Dell'Anno

Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar

I had so much fun reading this lovely cookbook. There are recipes for pistachio cookies, coffee panna cotta, and cheese bread. But first, I started with this cake that is dotted with chocolate truffles. Next on my list: a lovely fruit tart and two cookies: baci (kisses) and brutti ma buoni (ugly but good). Adoro questa torta!

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Recipe excerpted with permission from Giuseppe's Italian Bakes by Giuseppe Dell'Anno, photography by Issy Croker, published by Quadrille

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Recipe for Lemon & Chicken Soup

from A Bowl of Soup by Hannah Miles

Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar

This book will inspire you to expand your list of soup menus. There’s the adorably-named Sunshine soup, a spicy eggplant soup, and a garlicky-mushroom version. Plus, lots of popovers, focaccia, and muffins to serve on the side. Next on my list: a roasted cauliflower soup that is sprinkled with almonds, and some cornbread.

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Recipe excerpted with permission from A Bowl of Soup: Over 70 Delicious Recipes Including Toppings & Accompaniments by Hannah Miles, published by Ryland Peters & Small, Photographs by Alex Luck © Ryland Peters & Small

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Recipe for Maple Shortbread

from Delectable: Sweet & Savory Baking by Claudia Fleming with Catherine Young, photos by Johnny Miller

Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar

Make something sweet for your sweetie. This cookie is edged with sugar and scented with maple sugar. Bake off half the dough, and keep the rest in the freezer for a quick batch of this amazing treat. Next on my list: scones with whipped cream and raspberries; a savory eggplant caponata tart; and fig bars. Then, Espresso Custard with Orange; amazing cousins of the doughnut, called skiffs; and pretzels.

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Recipe excerpted with permission from Delectable: Sweet & Savory Baking (Random House Publishing Group)

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Recipe for Chocolate Shortbread

from Desserts Illustrated by America’s Test Kitchen

Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar

There are so many amazing recipes in this cookbook, I wasn’t sure where to start. I suggest you pick a chapter and start baking! Snack cakes was first for me. Pumpkin-chocolate, classic gingerbread, and applesauce were my choices. Then, on to pies. There’s a whole chapter devoted to variations of the beloved apple pie. After that, cakes, of course. Or try this simple and simply wonderful chocolate shortbread. Next on my list: cranberry-orange cake with olive oil. Happy baking!

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Recipe excerpted with permission from Desserts Illustrated by America’s Test Kitchen

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Recipe for Giulina’s Risi e Bisi: Rice and Peas from Veneto

from Pasta Grannies Book Two by Vicky Bennison
Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar

Cook your way through Italy with some pasta grannies. I love this simple variation of risotto. It’s perfect for dinner on a cold evening. Next on my list: this Nonna Honey is going to make Anna Maria’s Ziti alla Genovese and Ida’s Chocolate Bunet, a pudding with caramel.

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Recipes excerpted with permission from Pasta Grannies: Comfort Cooking by Vicky Bennison, photos by Emma Lee, published by Hardie Grant Books.

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