The Northern California Best Places Cookbook: Recipes from the Region's Outstanding Restaurants and Inns [Paperback]

Cynthia Nims (Author), Carolyn Dille (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999

A flavorful gathering of recipes from the restaurants and inns that have earned star ratings from Northern California Best Places.

Northern Californiafrom the Bay Area and Monterey to the Gold Country and Sierra Nevadasis a food-lovers paradise. This cookbook draws its inspiration and its recipes from the ever-expanding pool of award-winning chefs and innkeepers who have set the regions high standard of culinary excellence. With essays on local ingredients and culinary styles plus 125 tantalizing recipes, this cookbook brings home the experience of dining in Northern Californias best establishments.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Partaking of the bounty of the Pacific Northwest, Northern California cooking ranks high among today's most compelling regional cuisines. Sparkling seafood, fresh produce, and local wines, among other ingredients, are featured on the tables of the area's inns and restaurants, many of which appear in the useful handbook Northern California Best Places Travel Guide. From the third edition of this resource, Cynthia C. Nims and Carolyn Dille have chosen more than 60 dining spots, and from them 125 accessible recipes, for The Northern Californian Best Places Cookbook. Readers who have enjoyed the area's cooking and those seeking simple yet stylish recipes for every day and entertaining should welcome the book.

In chapters covering appetizers through desserts, the authors present a wide range of recipes, with notes on their sources and brief introductions that often highlight the chefs represented. Among the recipes, standouts include Zucchini Lemon Muffins; Pan-Fried Oysters with Pancetta and Wilted Spinach; Thai Chicken, Red Grape, and Mango Salad; and Bittersweet Chocolate Tart with Hazelnut Cream and Pear Sauce. The book also contains informative essays; "Hearth Breads with Heart: Artisanal Bakeries," for example, explores the bread-making culture of the area, identifying sources for the best local loaves and similar specialties. With an appendix that provides the locations of the restaurants and inns, The Northern California Best Places Cookbook is both a guide and a practical introduction to the cooking of an American culinary destination. --Arthur Boehm

About the Author

Cynthia Nims was the editor of Simply Seafood and is the co-author of the Northwest Best Places Cookbook. Carolyn Dille is the author or co-author of numerous cookbooks, including Seasons of the Vineyard and The Greens Book. She lives in San Jose.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Sasquatch Books (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570611831
• ISBN-13: 978-1570611834
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,233,706 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A lifelong Northwesterner, Cynthia Nims holds the Grand Diplome d'Etudes Culinaires from La Varenne cooking school in France, where she worked on numerous cookbooks with owner Anne Willan. Previously editor of Simply Seafood magazine and food editor of Seattle Magazine, Cynthia is now a contributor to Cooking Light, Alaska Airlines Magazine, Sunset, and other magazines. She is the author of twelve cookbooks and contributed content on Northwest cuisine to Williams-Sonoma's Savoring America and to Culinaria: The United States. Her most recent cookbooks are Salmon, the fourth in her Northwest Homegrown Cookbook Series and Memorable Gatherings: Recipes to Share with Family and Friends, co-authored with Renee Behnke. She is an active member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (currently serving as president of their board of directors) and Les Dames d'Escoffier. Her blog, Mon Appetit, can be found at www.monappetit.com/blog.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful exotic recipes - with all that implies, January 15, 2001

By 

Justbooking - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Northern California Best Places Cookbook: Recipes from the Region's Outstanding Restaurants and Inns (Paperback)

I fell in love with Northern California and its regional cuisine (including the romantic world class Highland Inn of Carmel, which has two recipes in this book) and could not wait to try cooking it on my own when I bought this book. Indeed, it delivers what it promises - recipes from the best places - but it is by no means simple. As would be expected, recipes of restaurant caliber like these call for special and expensive ingredients that you would not readily have on hand or may not be easily available. For example, the lemon french toast mentioned in another review calls for country style bread and lemon curd. This is not a book for a busy mom looking for fast and easy weekday meal. It is, however, perfect for preparing a romantic dinner on a weekend.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly, the Best Places Cookbook, September 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Northern California Best Places Cookbook: Recipes from the Region's Outstanding Restaurants and Inns (Paperback)

The title understates the greatness of the recipes included in the book. The authors took the time to make sure the recipes are as complete and simple as possible. From the lemon French toasts to the sesame encrusted shrimp, the meals are flavorful. The seasonings used add character to the item but do not overpower them.

I am eagerly awaiting the follow up to this book.