Customer Reviews

Big Small Plates

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

`Big Small Plates' by northern California restauranteur / chef / cookbook writer, Cindy Pawlcyn, assisted by her restaurant co-owners and co-chefs, brothers Pablo Jacinto and Erasto Jacinto needs just a little explanation on its title and contents. The contradiction in the `Big Small' is explained by substituting `seriously delicious' for `Big' and `appetizers' or `hors `d'ourves' for `Small'. `Plates' obviously doesn't mean crockery, it meats a dish of food.

On reading the introduction, I was looking forward to a book on the Mexican analogues to the Mediterranean `little dishes' or tapas from Spain, `hors'd'ourves' and `amuse bouche' from France, anti-pasto from Italy, and Meze from Greece and Turkey. It turns out that over half of the dishes in this book are from this very same Mediterranean `appetizer central', augmented by a number of dishes from south Asia (India), southeast Asia, (Thailand and Vietnam), and east Asia (China and Japan). When the dust settles, the Mexican dishes are in a distinct minority.

This does not mean this is a weak book! It only means that if your bookshelves are already creaking under the weight of cookbooks from the Mediterranean and the Pacific rim, there may be less new material here than you may expect. On balance, I suggest that no matter how many Italian, French, Spanish, Indian, Thai, Chinese, and Japanese cookbooks you already have, if you do not have a `go to' book on appetizers, this volume may be your answer.

Another thing is that this is definitely a foodie book. There is not even the pretense of `fast' or `easy' or `cheap' cooking here. Since these are `starters', few of the dishes are difficult, but virtually all of them, except for some of the desserts, require some definitely serious culinary skills with techniques such as grilling, deep-frying and dough making. A second symptom that this is a foodie book is the number of unusual ingredients called for in many of the recipes. Over half of the recipes will require a trip to the Latin American, East Indian, or Chinese grocery store or a very well stocked megamart. Most of these unusual ingredients such as lemongrass are becoming more familiar, but others such as Kaffir Lime leaves are still very hard to find. I was just a bit disappointed with the list of sources, as almost all of them are in or around Napa Valley. Of course, all do Internet or Mail Order business, but still, the author could have been just a bit less Napa-centric.

Very important is the fact that this book has that ephemeral quality so eloquently described in `Cook What You Love' by Bob and Melinda Blanchard. The authors are totally in love with what they are doing, and they succeed in passing that enthusiasm on to the reader. That means the book is simply fun to read, which makes it that much more fun to look for interesting recipes.

Since the book is all about appetizer recipes, the organization is a bit unusual, dividing the dishes up into the means by which these little bites would be eaten. The chapter headings are:

Chapter 1. Sticks, Picks, and with Fingers (obvious enough)
Chapter 2. Dressed, Not Naked (Salads and dressings)
Chapter 3. Bowls and Spoons (Soups, nicht wahr)
Chapter 4. On a Raft (Crostini, Bruschetta, Biscuits, and other bready platforms)
Chapter 5. Knife and Fork (or things needing end-user cutting)
Chapter 6. Something Sweet (largely `assembled' quick desserts).

The book has one of my favorite features for a 200-recipe book. That is, it's table of contents gives all the titles of all the recipes right up there in the beginning of the book. That, combined with the organization, makes a perfect way of picking three dishes with the right combination of eating techniques.

One does need to know, however, that hidden among these `main' recipes are quite a few supplementary recipes for things such as aioli, tartar sauce, and miscellaneous other condiments. A separate chapter for these is the usual way to go, but that can be annoying too. Good compromise may have been a supplementary listing of supporting recipes.

This book also has the distinction of being the very first one I have found which uses corn mold as a recipe ingredient. I became aware of this while watching the very first `Iron Chef America' match between Bobby Flay and Rick Bayless, when Bayless pulled it out of his wrapping of day-old `Chicago Tribune' pages. The authors say one can find this stuff in Mexican groceries. I leave it to you, fair reader, to try this one out and report back!

As `restaurant books' go, this one is superior to most as both a good read and a good source of very well-written recipes for entertaining, although you will not, as in a Thomas Keller book, be treated to a lot of teaching on new techniques. Rather, it will be up to you to know your way around the kitchen and a well-stocked pantry.

Highly Recommended.

Cindy Pawlcyn and her colaberators have done it again. Their latest book is a gem. The recipes are approachable by all and share ingrediants you can find easily even if you don't live in produce rich Napa California. The flavors are as luxurious as Laurie Smiths photos.Cindy and team always manage to pull you in to the culture, the feeling and the way of life that the cooking conveys. Many authors publish books of their recipes but this book takes you on the journey and doesn't dissapoint. The food is great, the recipes are rock solid and you can't go wrong with this one. If you love "Mustard's" or if you were a fan of Miramonte you will love it.

I was tired of buying "pretty" cookbooks just to find out that the recipes were only average. So I checked this book out at the library and tried it out. The recipes are wonderful. Every single thing I have cooked has been outstanding...way above average. And I am by no means a good cook. Cindy's Back Street kitchen is one of my favorite restaraunts and I am always happy to bring some of their dishes into my home. My mom even went out and bought the recipe book after tasting a few of the meals I made. You won't be disappointed if you buy this book. (Also, it is a beautiful book!)

A friend, who is a fabulous cook, recommended this book to me. I bought one for myself and one for my daughter. We both have been extremely happy with the recipes. I find that eventhouugh it is tltled "Small Plates" these recipes serve well as dinner entrees. Last night I went to my friends for dinner(the one who recommended the book),she fixed the Lamb Chops and Shrimp Cocktail with avocado. They were absolutely declicous. I would highly recommend this book.

The book offers some nice ideas, though some recipes require locating a few items difficult to find in my small town.

I am the executive chef for a catering company, and the trend for our menus is to have both fusion food and small plates. This book was great on both counts. It was great just for getting me thinking about our food in new ways.

This is a great cookbook for both cookbook readers and those who actually cook. Artisitic photos and layout, with interesting recipes and ingredients from a dependable source. If you like Mustard's Grill and Fog City Diner, you'll like this book. Recipes seem well detailed with interesting side notes, too.

I'm a cooking student and I bought this book with the idea of getting some inspiration about amuse bouche or appetizers. I had a different idea about this book and I must admit I was a bit disappointed when I got it. After I red it I change a bit my mind, but I'm still not very convinced about it. It's a nice book, good recipes, there are some nice photo as well, but I think they should include some more photos of the dishes (many of the recipes have no photos, so you can't have an idea of how it looks like) and not so many of the writer, utensils and ingredients. It's not my favorite book. I think if I would have had the chance of seeing this book before buying it, I wouldn't have bought it. I'm convinced that cooking books should be like food, they first have to "caught your eye" so then you can enjoy them.