Category: Rare Books

Hunting for books is like finding buried treasure!

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One Year & $150,000 later a Chef?

I saw a most …surprising offer on Abebooks.com.

Anyone who has thought it might be fun to work with celebrity chefs and spend a year in New Orleans has got to read this:

“Description: Spend a year in New Orleans. Free room and board. Have access to over 5,000 cookbooks and learn the inside of world cuisines, have all of your culinary questions answered, learn how to open and run a successful restaurant, hotel, catering company, bakery culinary school and/or cookbook store. One on one instruction in whatever you want/need to learn from a half century of experience.Have one on one with local celebrity chefs. Learn menu and recipe writing, spice mixtures, the world of ethnic cooking, ingredients, knife skills, pastry, kitchen design. Applications now being accepted for 2007 screening. Only one apprentice chosen per year. Reservations and applications for future years considered, subject to availability. Full disclosure expected. Bookseller Inventory # 000059″

Sounds like a great deal of fun…. for those who have a spare $150k….

Roger Freberg

More on Philipe LaMancusa

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A Great Chef has many Sources & Cookbooks!

one of the secrets that makes a great chef

One of the little secrets I learned a long long time ago was the mark of a great chef… finding the best sources of their ingredients! The other little secret…. if you can’t invent a great idea…. borrow one!

Obviously, in every chef’s secret library are hundreds of cookbooks and with the internet …. the ability to review interesting ideas , recipes and cultural offerings is virtually limitless. Here are three interesting cookbooks from an age gone by that offer some timeless ideas to enhance any modern table.

Helen Corbitt’s Cookbook

“Creative recipes that can be prepared quickly from a few ingredients, from first woman to win food service industry’s Golden Plate Award, and then Director of Restaurants at Neiman-Marcus.”

Her philosophy could be summed up with her often quoted statement that “every woman can cook.”

St. Francis hotel Cookbook ( 1910 or 1919)

“Hirtzler originally published The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book in 1910. Organized as a year’s worth of Breakfast, Luncheon, and Dinner menus with recipes displayed next to each menu, the cookbook served as a scrapbook of St. Francis occasions, as well as a recipe collection”

the Epicurean

“The Epicurean, a Complete Treatise of Analytical and Practical Studies 1894 3,500 recipes from master chef Charles Ranhofer of Delmonico’s, turn-of-the-century America’s best restaurant. Also many techniques known only to professional chefs. Includes 800 illustrations.”

Just as a suggestion, you can find these cookbooks and others at ABEBOOKS.com.

Now cook!

Roger Freberg

NOTE: Quotes from various sources at Abebooks.com

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Sweet Romance: Honeymoon Husband

Honeymoon HusandShirley Marks Has followed up on her romance  “Geek to Chic”  with “Honeymoon Husband.”

Now, guys, I know that in your heart many of you although crusty on the outside find a tear or two for a wonderfully romantic story.

My daughters chide me a bit when I pull out some of the sci-fi episodes with severely romantic plots. Star Trek Next Generation’s “Inner Light”, or the original Star Trek “City on the edge of forever” or several of the Stargate episodes where an alternate universe “Carter” is in love with Jack O’Neil. I do have my favorites.

I won’t spoil the plot to Shirley’s book… but let’s just say there is a ‘cad’, a ‘true love’, a ‘misunderstanding’ and a tropical setting. Check it out.

Roger Freberg

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Wine, Song & Marilyn Merlot… or am I repeating myself?

Odd Wines from around the world!

Marilyn Merlot and the Naked Grape by  Peter F. May  is a wonderful little book simply about interesting wines from around the world with… unusual names. Marilyn Merlot by  Napa Wine Company  is a “…leggy red offer(ing) blackberry, chocolate, and smokey toast flavors.” ‘Negociant’ David Wright’s “The Naked Grape” is a ‘collection’ of hand picked wines from various vintners. Peter’s Book is packed with interesting stories, illustrations and reviews…  a great read.

The  “Goats do Roam”  story is an amusing one as is their ever present label here in America. However, I can see why the folks producing  “Cotes du Rhone”  tried to get the label banned in France. In California, we have our own local favorite, a blended star, entitled “Cotes du Robles” (38% Mourvedre, 35% Syrah & 27% Grenache) by Eberle Winery ( one snobbish reviewer said it would be ‘great with a pizza’… but then, I say, so is Margaux).

The Goats du Roam family of various wines does house a ‘red’ with a familiar blend of Shiraz (90%), Pinotage (6.5%) and Mourvedre (3.5%).

Peter’s book contains quite a few wines that I would love to serve for the shock value alone. Not much is left to the imagination with names like: Truck Stop Girl, Under the Table, Dancing Monkey, French Kiss, Big Ass Red …. and lastly d’Vine! ( stop! I have been PUN-ished enough!)

Buy the book … it’s great with Margaux and Pizza!

Roger Freberg

PS. Peter’s Book is pictured above next to my Concord Grapes — which the ‘experts’ say can’t grow in this part of the world.

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Harry Potter Survives and Thrives!!!? (maybe)

hmmmm.... is it too good to be true?

If you are a Harry Potter Fan, then the release of Book 7 has been anticipated for a long time. Supposedly the conclusion was developed back in 1999 and from the ‘leaks’ the ending should thrill the fans… and probably draw Snapish snarls from the critics. However, as with some forces of nature, critics might want to step aside or risk losing it all.

We have five books coming to our home — 2 deluxe editions, 2 standard from Scholastic ( the US Publisher) and one copy from the UK (Bloomsberry)… unfortunately… alas… none of them signed. However, I can see no one doing anything this weekend but reading “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

I won’t pass along the leaks… but they are out there along with a bunch of hints. The  New York Times came out with a tantalizing review  if you want some hints without the truth. But if you can’t stand it… the info is out there… plus a lot of false leads.

We’ll see if it comes true on Saturday!

Roger Freberg

PS… my wife Laura was right — if true — about Ron & Hermione… that’s all I am going to say!