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Eat Their Words

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By JEFF HOUCK

@tampatrib.com

Published: November 9, 2008

"Best Food Writing 2008," edited by Holly Hughes (Lifelong Books, $15.95)

Don't think of this as a compilation of 2007's best food writing. Instead, think of it as a word buffet. Sample a little from Michael Pollan's outstanding book "In Defense of Food." Take a little for your plate from Calvin Trillin's amusing New Yorker essay "Three Chopsticks." Introduce yourself to Scott Gold and the hilarious "Yes, Virginia, They Do Eat Guinea Pigs" from his book "The Shameless Carnivore." If you're looking to find new authors and voices about food, there's an abundance to chew on here.

"Knives Cooks Love," by Sarah Jay (Andrews McMeel, $25)

As Emeril Lagasse writes in the book's foreword, knives are the most highly valued cooking tool in a chef's possession, and yet they are often the least discussed in the kitchen. This book, produced by Sur La Table, pulls the cloak back on that tool to provide a wonderfully coherent, easy-to-follow guide to selecting knives, maintaining them and, as you might guess, using them properly. Even better, they pair those instructions along with recipes that you can make immediately after learning each new cut, chop or slice.

"Heirloom Cooking With the Brass Sisters," by Marilynn and Sheila Brass (Black Dog & Leventhal, $29.95)

We fell in love with the Brass Sisters at first sight. How can you refuse two fluffy ladies bearing casseroles? Then we dove into the book to discover that it was full of heirloom recipes they had collected while scouring yard sales and used bookstores. The text, which is highlighted by such homespun comfort-food recipes as Dot Luke's Hawaiian Jellied Salad and Mrs. Carter's Baked Stuffed Onions, takes you along on their search. In the end, it reads more like an exploration of a cookbook from your grandma's attic, full of warm memories and cozy notations.

Jeff Houck

eat their words

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