Pie by Ken Haedrich

Now is the season for....pie, of course! With the holidays and colder weather approaching, what we all need is a delicious piece of pie. And if you want to make great pie, then you need this cookbook. It will have you salivating over every page and recipe. There is a pie for every person here. The book also contains what I love in a cookbook, which is a lot of chitchat regarding each recipe and helpful tips.

Now, of course, the crust is what makes pies challenging. This book goes in-depth into how to make a good crust and has many different recipes. But the author is not a pie snob; he even includes recipes for store bought crusts. So, you have no excuse.

For Thanksgiving, I love his selection of different pumpkin and nut pies. I have recently fallen in love with Maple Pumpkin Pie, which I then top with Golden Marshmallow Topping from a different recipe. Another favorite is Pumpkin-Praline Pie, which is a pumpkin pie topped with a pecan topping; sort of two pies in one. Another fantastic pie is Angel Pie, which is a meringue crust topped with whipped cream and fruit, served with a custard sauce. I made this for a dinner party and it was spectacular. I also made individual portions of Angel Pie with strawberries for a mid-summer party. There are so many pies in this book, in fact over 300, that you will want to make pie every day. Tonight, we are having friends over and I will be making The Mother of All Apple Pies. Wish me luck and get this book!

Hooked, Pirates, Poaching, And the Perfect Fish by G. Bruce Knecht

Here is the good news: If you didn't know about Chilean Sea Bass, you are in for a treat. Here is the bad news: You can't eat it anymore. This book is a fascinating tale about the discovery and subsequent marketing bonanza of the Patagonian toothfish, re-named Chilean Sea Bass. If you have eaten this fish, then you know how good it is...juicy, great texture, nice flavor, but not too strong. Strangely, the book starts out with the premise that the fish really doesn't taste that good and is really bland--great for those unsophisticated Americans.....well, I have eaten fish in many countries, and I think it is great, as does my Swedish husband. If you haven't eaten it, then go to the store and try it...although it is expensive. It tastes great just simply fried in butter. Of course, after that, you need to read this book, and then, as I said, you can't eat it again. You see, these fish live up to 50 years, which means that they also take a long time to grow. So, you can imagine that over-fishing is the next step. Yup. And the author does a great job of making you see how that happens by telling the story of an exciting boat chase between a determined and ruthless pirate fish poacher, and an honest, righteous policeman chasing through storms and open seas. Throw in some courtroom drama, and the biggest culinary success in years, and you have the makings of a good story. Read it for the story, and then stop eating the fish. Sorry.