Octavia Books

Octavia Books
513 Octavia Street
(corner of Laurel)
New Orleans, LA 70115
Tel: 504-899-READ
Email Us
Store Hours

Advanced Search Browse Subjects Indie Next List Award Winners News Indie Bestsellers My Account Help Log Out
Indiebound logo
Search:   
Shopping Cart
Gift Card

Home

May We Recommend

Find us on Facebook

Local Authors

Upcoming Events

Local Flavors -- New Orleans and Beyond

Store Info

Newsletter

Autographed Copies

Subscribe to
Mailing List

Enter email address
Become an Affiliate
 
Security & Privacy
Copyright

Store Events - April 18, 2:00 p.m.

 
Time: Friday, April 18, 2008 2:00 p.m.
Location: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Hall A, New Orleans, LA 70130
Title of Event: International Assoc. of Culinary Professionals Cookbook Expo

Please join Octavia Books at the IACP Cookbook Expo. We will be featuring 50 authors who have had cookbooks published during 2007 and 2008. The featured cookbooks, most listed below, will be sold through Octavia Books at the event and the authors will autograph copies (if purchased at the event).

The IACP Cookbook Expo is free and open to the public and will take place from 2PM - 4PM.




Browse Sample Pages
Crescent City Cooking: Unforgettable Recipes from Susan Spicer's New Orleans
by Spicer, Susan, Disbrowe, Paula
Format:  Hardcover (Cloth)
Price:  $35.00
Published: Knopf Publishing Group, 2007
Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now

Add To Cart   See all editions of this title.

One of New Orleans's brightest culinary stars, Susan Spicer has been indulging Crescent City diners at her highly acclaimed restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint, for years. Now, in her long-awaited cookbook, Spicer--an expert at knocking cuisine off its pedestal with a healthy dash of hot sauce, and at elevating comfort food to the level of the sublime--brings her signature dishes to the home cook's table.
"
Crescent City Cooking" includes all the recipes that have made Susan Spicer, and her restaurants, famous. Spicer marries traditional Southern cooking with culinary influences from around the world, and the result is New Orleans cooking with gusto and flair. Each of her familiar yet unique recipes is easy to make and wonderfully memorable.
Inside you'll find:
- More than 170 recipes, ranging from traditional New Orleans dishes (Cornmeal-Crusted Crayfish Pies and Cajun-Spiced Pecans) to Susan's very own twists on down-home cuisine (Smoked Duck Hash in Puff Pastry with Apple Cider Sauce; Grilled Shrimp with Black Bean Cakes and Coriander Sauce) and, of course, a recipe for the best gumbo you've ever tasted
- Over 90 photographs by "Times-Picayune" photographer Chris Granger, which display the vibrant city of New Orleans as much as Spicer's wonderfully offbeat yet classy way of presenting her dishes
- Instructions that make Spicer's down-to-earth but extraordinarily creative recipes easy to prepare. Spicer, who cooks for two picky preteens and packs lunch every day for her husband, knows how precious time can be and understands just how much is enough
There is something else of New Orleans--its spirit--that imbues this book's every useful tip and anecdote. The strong culinary traditions of New Orleans are revived in "Crescent City Cooking," with recipes that are guaranteed to comfort and surprise. This is some of the best food you'll ever taste, in what is certain to become the essential New Orleans cookbook.

Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the Am
by Wondrich, David, Degroff, Dale
Format:  Hardcover (Cloth)
Price:  $23.95
Published: Perigee Books, 2007
Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now

Add To Cart   See all editions of this title.

A lively, historically informed, and definitive guide to classic American cocktails. Cocktail writer and historian David Wondrich presents the colorful, little-known history of classic American drinks-and the ultimate mixologist's guide-in this engaging homage to Jerry Thomas, father of the American bar. Wondrich reveals never-before-published details and stories about this larger- than-life nineteenth-century figure, along with definitive recipes for 100 punches, cocktails, sours, fizzes, toddies, slings, and other essential drinks, plus twenty new recipes from today's top mixologists, created exclusively for this book. This colorful and good-humored volume is a mustread for anyone who appreciates the timeless appeal of a well-made drink-and the uniquely American history behind it.

Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico
by Bayless, Rick
Format:  Hardcover (Cloth)
Price:  $32.50
Published: Morrow Cookbooks, 2007
Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now

Add To Cart

Americans have at last discovered Mexico's passion for exciting food. We've fallen in love with the great Mexican combination of rich, earthy flavors and casual, festive dining. But we don't begin to imagine how sumptuous and varied the cooking of Mexico really is.

After ten years of loving exploration, Rick Bayless, together with his wife, Deann, gave us "Authentic Mexican," this now classic, easy-to-use compendium of our southern neighbor's cooking.

This all-embracing cookbook offers the full range of dishes, from poultry, meat, fish, rice, beans, and vegetables to eggs, snacks made of corn "masa," tacos, turnovers, enchiladas and their relatives, "tamales," and "moles," ending with desserts, sweets, and beverages. There are irresistible finger foods such as Yucatecan marinated shrimp tacos and crispy cheese-filled "masa" turnovers; spicy corn chowder and "chorizo" sausage with melted cheese will start off a special dinner; you will find "mole poblano," charcoal-grilled pork in red-chile adobo, and marinated fish steamed in banana leaves for those times when you want to celebrate; and exotic ice creams, caramel custards, and pies to top off any meal. There's even a section devoted to refreshing coolers, rich chocolate drinks, and a variety of tequila-laced cocktails.

The master recipes feature all the pointers you'll need for re-creating genuine Mexican textures and flavors in a North American kitchen. Menu suggestions and timing and advance-preparation tips make these dishes perfectly convenient for today's working families. And traditional and contemporary variations accompany each recipe, allowing the cook to substitute and be creative.

Rick and Deann Bayless traveled more than thirty-five thousand miles investigating the six distinct regions of Mexico and learning to prepare what they found. From town to town, recipe by recipe, they personally introduce you to Mexico's cooks, their kitchens, their markets, and their feasts.

If, like the rest of us, you have a growing love for Mexican food, the reliable recipes in this book and the caring, personal presentation by Rick and Deann Bayless will provide meal after meal of pure pleasure for your family and friends.


Sweet Myrtle & Bitter Honey: The Mediterranean Flavors of Sardinia
by Farris, Efisio, Smith, Laurie, Van Twest, Rohan
Format:  Hardcover (Cloth)
Price:  $39.95
Published: Rizzoli International Publications, 2007
Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days

Add To Cart

Sardinia now rivals its northern neighbor Provence as a vacation destination. The coastline lures visitors, but it is the food that will make you linger. Chef Efisio Farris is poised to become the next great ambassador of Italian regional cuisine. To promote the cooking of his native Sardinia, he has appeared on the Food Network, given demonstrations at food festivals across the country, and even launched his own company that imports Sardinian specialties for his restaurants and for retail. It is Mediterranean cooking at its purest, making liberal use of olive oil, fish, and fresh vegetables. But it's also distinguished by indigenous ingredients that are becoming hot trends in America: pecorino, flatbread, fava beans, fregula, and bottarga. Farris has pulled together more than one hundred recipes-many of them family secrets. Among them are Watermelon Salad with Arugula and Ricotta Salata; Pannacotta with Bitter Honey; and Bruschetta with Sausage and Pecorino Sardo. More than 150 breathtaking images take you on a tour of the countryside-from the terraced olive groves to the riverbanks full of wild asparagus. In sidebars, the author relates charming anecdotes and Sardinian history. Readers will come away not just with a taste for the island's flavors but also a sense of Sardinia's magical beauty and culture.

The Country Cooking of France
by Willan, Anne, Ruffenach, France
Format:  Hardcover (Cloth)
Price:  $50.00
Published: Chronicle Books, 2007
Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days

Add To Cart

Renowned for her cooking school in France and her many bestselling cookbooks, Willan combines years of hands-on experience with extensive research to create a brand-new classic. Sprinkled with more than 250 recipes and 270 enchanting photos, this cookbook is an irresistible celebration of French culinary culture.

Pure Dessert
by Medrich, Alice
Format:  Hardcover (Cloth)
Price:  $35.00
Published: Artisan Publishers, 2007
Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days

Add To Cart

A refreshing change in every respect
When you are working with great ingredients, you want to keep it simple. You don't want to blur flavor by overcomplicating. This is why Pure Dessert, from the beloved Alice Medrich, offers the simplest of recipes, using the fewest ingredients in the most interesting ways. There are no glazes, fillings, or frostings--just dessert at its purest, most elemental, and most flavorful.
Alice deftly takes us places we haven't been, using, for example, whole grains, usually reserved for breads, to bring a lovely nutty quality to cookies and strawberry shortcake. Pound cake takes on a new identity with a touch of olive oil and sherry. Unexpected cheeses make divine souffles. Chestnut flour and walnuts virtually transform meringue. Varietal honeys and raw sugars infuse ice creams and sherbets with delectable new flavor.
Inspired choices of ingredients are at the heart of this collection of entirely new recipes: sesame brittle ice cream, corn-flour tuiles with tangy sea salt and a warming bite of black pepper, honey caramels, strawberries with single-malt sabayon.
To witness Alice's idea-stream as she describes how she arrived at each combination is to instantly understand why three of her books have won Best Cookbook of the Year. She's an experimenter, tinkerer, and sleuth, fascinated with trial and error, with the effects of small changes in recipes, exploring combinations tirelessly and making remarkable discoveries. Does cold cream or hot cream do a better job coaxing out the flavor of mint leaves or rose petals? Why is it that dusting a warm brownie with spices gives it an enticing aromatic nose, whereas putting the spice in the batter blurs the chocolate flavor? Do cooked strawberries or raw make for the better sorbet?
Loaded with advice and novel suggestions, with great recipes and eye-catching, full-color photographs that show off these simple, straightforward desserts, Pure Dessert is an education and a revelation. Thank you, Alice

Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor
by Reinhart, Peter
Format:  Hardcover (Cloth)
Price:  $35.00
Published: Ten Speed Press, 2007
Inventory Status: On Our Shelves Now

Add To Cart

We know whole grain breads are better for us, but will we actually eat them, much less take time to bake them?
Yes, says beloved baking instructor Peter Reinhart, but only if they are very, "very" good. So Reinhart, with his decades of experience crafting amazing artisanal breads, has made it his mission to create whole grain breads that are nothing short of incredible.
In this follow-up to his award-winning book "The Bread Baker's Apprentice," Reinhart offers groundbreaking methods for making whole grain breads that taste better than any you've ever had. And because his approach is also simpler and less labor intensive than conventional techniques, you'll "choose" to make and eat these breads. His fifty-five recipes for whole grain sandwich, hearth, and specialty breads, plus bagels, crackers, and more, incorporate widely available whole wheat flour as well as other flours and grains such as rye, barley, steel-cut oats, cornmeal, and quinoa. Each is so rich with flavor and satisfying texture that white-flour counterparts pale in comparison.
Written in Reinhart's famously clear style and accompanied by inspiring photographs, these recipes were perfected with the help of nearly 350 testers. Introductory chapters provide a tutorial, with step-by-step photographs, of the delayed fermentation method that is at the heart of these recipes, as well as a crash course in baking science, discussions of grains other than wheat, and more. Advanced bakers will relish Reinhart's innovative techniques and exacting scientific explanations, and beginning bakers will rejoice in the ease of baking wholesome breads with such extraordinary flavor.


Peter Reinhart is a baking instructor and faculty member at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was the cofounder of Brother Juniper's Bakery in Santa Rosa, California, and is the author of six books on bread baking, including "Brother Juniper's Bread Book, Crust and Crumb," and the 2002 James Beard Cookbook of the Year and IACP Cookbook of the Year, "The Bread Baker's Apprentice.
"





Good Spirits: Recipes, Revelations, Refreshments, and Romance, Shaken and Served with a Twist
Format:  Hardcover (Cloth)
Price:  $29.95
Published: Harvard Common Press, 2007
Inventory Status: Usually Ships in 1-5 days

Add To Cart

Rathbun collects 450 of the best cocktail recipes, featuring an incredible variety of spirits, mixers, and garnishes. With its stunning, full-color photographs and fresh, lively tone, this is the definitive guide to both classic and contemporary drinks for anyone who appreciates the art of the cocktail.

Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges
by Vongerichten, Jean Georges
Format:  Hardcover (Cloth)
Price:  $40.00
Published: Broadway Books, 2007
Inventory Status: Special Order - Subject to Availability

Add To Cart

Jean-Georges Vongerichten, chef and owner of 18 restaurants around the world, pioneered Asian-fusion cuisine and cooks this food better than anyone on the planet. In "Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges," he presents dozens of recipes for reproducing the dishes that have made his restaurants--Vong, Spice Market, and 66--the hottest dining destinations in New York City.
Jean-Georges began his love affair with Asian food when he became the chef de cuisine at the renowned Oriental Hotel in Bangkok at the age of twenty-three. His trips to the markets of Bangkok sparked a lifelong obsession with ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, curry pastes and powders, and all kinds of exotic fruits and vegetables. In 1992, when he came to New York to cook at Lafayette in the Drake Hotel, he was the first to combine the flavors of Thailand with French technique. The restaurant was a sensation, immediately earning four stars from the "New York Times," and launching his dazzling career in the United States.
In 1997, he opened an outpost of Vong in Hong Kong and discovered the world of authentic and refined Chinese cooking and ingredients. As he says, "Every meal in Hong Kong contain s] a thousand flavors." He opened 66 in New York to showcase his newfound passion for the Chinese kitchen.
And then in 2003 he opened Spice Market, his homage to Asian street food, after five years of research and extensive travels through Southeast Asia (documented in the photos in this book). Once again, he translated Asian cuisine through a French sensibility for American diners. Spice Market instantly became his most popular restaurant and remains one of New York's most sought-after reservations.
Now Jean-Georges has brought together the best of his pan-Asian recipes in one exciting cookbook. The recipes reflect Jean-Georges's extraordinary talent for creating intensely flavorful dishes inspired by simple home cooking and street food. The secret is his subtle and surprising combinations, which, as in his restaurants, introduce Asian flavors to traditional Western-style dishes and cooking techniques. His special approach comes deliciously to life in such main courses as Grilled Chicken with Kumquat Lemongrass Dressing, Black Pepper Shrimp with "Sun-Dried" Pineapple, Cod with Malaysian Chili Sauce, and Lamb Shank Braised with Green Curry and Vegetables. Unusual side dishes include Steamed Spicy Eggplant and Coconut Sticky Rice. For dessert, there are treats like Chocolate and Vietnamese Coffee Tart or a Seasonal Fruit Plate with Lime-Spiced Salt. Each recipe is laid out in a clear, easy-to-follow style, and throughout the book invaluable tips are offered for streamlining preparation and cooking.
From taste-tempting appetizers, soups, and salads, to irresistible fish, meat, poultry, and vegetable dishes, to special sauces and one-of-a-kind sweets, the recipes in "Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges" promise to make dining at home as exciting as an evening out at one of Jean-Georges's fabulous restaurants.


The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School
Format:  Hardcover (Cloth)
Price:  $24.95
Published: Viking Books, 2007
Inventory Status: Out of Print

Add To Cart   See all editions of this title.

A delightful true story of food, Paris, and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream
In 2003, Kathleen Flinn, a thirty-six-year-old American living and working in London, returned from vacation to find that her corporate job had been eliminated. Ignoring her motheras advice that she get another job immediately or anever get hired anywhere ever again, a Flinn instead cleared out her savings and moved to Paris to pursue a dreamaa diploma from the famed Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. "The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry" is the touching and remarkably funny account of Flinnas transformation as she moves through the schoolas intense program and falls deeply in love along the way. Flinn interweaves more than two dozen recipes with a unique look inside Le Cordon Bleu amid battles with demanding chefs, competitive classmates, and her awretchedly inadequatea French. Flinn offers a vibrant portrait of Paris, one in which the sights and sounds of the cityas street markets and purveyors come alive in rich detail. The ultimate wish fulfillment book, her story is a true testament to pursuing a dream. Fans of "Julie &Julia, Almost French," and "Eat, Pray, Love" will be amused, inspired, and richly rewarded by this seductive tale of romance, Paris, and French food.

Passion for Coffee: Sweet and Savory Recipes Made with Coffee by McCausland-Gallo, Patricia, Creative Culinary Works, Favorite Recipes Press
The Greyston Bakery Cookbook: More Than 80 Recipes to Inspire the Way You Cook and Live by Gillingham-Ryan, Sara Kate
The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook by Saltsman, Amelia
Ruby Slippers Cookbook: Life, Culture, Family & Food After Katrina by Sins, Amy Cyrex
Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover's Companion to the South by Edge, John T.
Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family by Kancigor, Judy Bart
Southern Cocktails: Dixie Drinks, Party Potions, and Classic Libations by Gee, Denise, Peacock, Robert M.
The Most Decadent Diet Ever!: The Cookbook That Reveals the Secrets to Cooking Your Favorites in a Healthier Way by Alexander, Devin
The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great by Anderson, Pam, McEvoy, Maura
Jewish Holiday Cooking: A Food Lover's Treasury of Classics and Improvisations by Cohen, Jayne
Great Bar Food at Home by Heyhoe, Kate
The Stubb's Bar-B-Q Cookbook by Stubblefield, C. B., Grablewski, Alexandra, Heyhoe, Kate
Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia by Rex-Johnson, Braiden
300 Best Stir-Fry Recipes by McDermott, Nancie
Grains, Greens, and Grated Coconuts: Recipes and Remembrances of a Vegetarian Legacy
Carb Wars: Sugar Is the New Fat by Baker, Judy Barnes
660 Curries by Iyer, Raghavan
The Berghoff Family Cookbook: From Our Table to Yours, Celebrating a Century of Entertaining by Berghoff, Carlyn, Berghoff, Jan, Ross Ryan, Nancy
The Best Barbecue on Earth: Grilling Across 6 Continents and 25 Countries, with 170 Recipes by Browne, Rick
Mix 'n' Match Meals in Minutes for People with Diabetes: A No-Brainer Solution to Meal Preparation by Gassenheimer, Linda
Diabetes Fit Food: Over 200 Recipes from the World's Greatest Chefs by Haas, Ellen
Fast & Fit: Eating Well for Today's Busy Lifestyle by Haas, Ellen
The 4-Ingredient Diabetes Cookbook: Simple, Quick, and Delicious Recipes Using Just Four Ingredients or Less by Hughes, Nancy S.
Grilled Pizzas & Piadinas by Priebe, Craig W., Schiller, Charles, Jacob, Dianne
Mastering the Grill: The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking by Schloss, Andrew, Joachim, David, Miksch, Alison
Foodie Fight: A Trivia Game for Serious Food Lovers [With DiceWith 168 CardsWith Game PiecesWith 6 Gameboards]
Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations by McDermott, Nancie, Luigart-Stayner, Becky
Grill Every Day: 125 Fast-Track Recipes for Weeknights at the Grill by Morgan, Diane, Armstrong, E. J.
A Century of Flavor: Nielsen-Massey Vanillas by Favorite Recipes Press
Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth by O'Connor, Jill, Beisch, Leigh
Heavenly Fragrance: Cooking with Aromatic Asian Herbs, Fruits, Spices and Seasonings
Where's My Spatula?: Fast Healthy Meals for When Your Kitchen or Your Life Is a Mess
(Capital Lifestyles)

Things Cooks Love: Implements, Ingredients, Recipes by Simmons, Marie, Fink, Ben
Marshmallows: Homemade Gourmet Treats by Talanian, Eileen
Barbecue Nation: 350 Hot-Off-The-Grill, Tried-And-True Recipes from America's Backyard by Thompson, Fred
Mastering Knife Skills: The Essential Guide to the Most Important Tools in Your Kitchen [With DVD] by Weinstein, Norman
Bon Appetit, Y'all: Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking by Willis, Virginia

<< Jazzocracy by Kabir Sehgal - Author Reading & Signing
 
Octavia Books Book Club >>