[.ca] Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's ... (ISBN 0767903498)

From Amazon.com:
In her previous cookbooks Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and the classic Greens Cookbook, among others, Deborah Madison scored with savory yet sophisticated fare--the kind of food even meat lovers relish. Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets finds Madison shopping those havens of quality, taste, and diversity, and devising recipes based on their seasonally available bounty. Among the 350 recipes--not all vegetarian--fans will immediately recognize the Madison hand in dishes like Soft Tacos with Roasted Green Chiles, Spinach and Green Garlic Soufflé, and Winter Squash "Pancake" with Mozzarella and Sage. There's more to the book, however: "Many people still think that the farmers' market is the place you go to for cheap food," says Madison. More to the point, they're a source for "truly local and therefore truly seasonal \ofood\c, quite likely raised by sound sustainable methods and by someone who might become your friend." It's a message most readers will embrace. The book offers chapters deftly arranged by fruit and vegetable families as they appear in the markets, such as "The Vegetable Fruits of Summer: Eggplants, Tomatoes, and Peppers" and "A Cool Weather Miscellany," which includes recipes such as Sautéed Artichokes with Potatoes and Garlic Chives and a marvelous "essence-of" soup, Elixir of Fresh Peas. Madison also treats unfamiliar fruits and vegetables, presenting the likes of lamb quarters in a soup made with Sonoma Teleme cheese, and sugar loaf chicory simply grilled and dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Recipes for delightful salads like Melon Salad with Thai Basil also appear, as do a selection of pastas and risotto, such as Winter Squash Risotto with Seared Radicchio, and sweets like White Peaches in Lemon Verbena Syrup and Date, Dried Cherry, and Chocolate Nut Torte. With sidebars like Atlanta's All-Organic Market: Late October and color photos throughout of vendors, produce, and many of the dishes, the book offers the perfect match of Madison and the markets. --Arthur Boehm

Wonderful cookbook focusing on FRESH ingredients:
Deborah Madison's "Local Flavors" hews to her longtime trajectory along the path of encouraging her readers to make use of what's fresh. Of course what's fresh is always better than what's been shipped in, and Madison focuses on this edict with this cookbook chock-full of recipes making use of fresh, fresh, fresh produce from the farmer's market. The cookbook is handsomely done, with easy recipes and numbered directions (so helpful when you look away and then need to find your place again). While readers on the coasts or in big cities will have no problem finding the ingredients they need, those in smaller or rural areas will have some difficulty. Ingredients that are regularly called for here include palm sugar, blood oranges, lemon verbena, pineapple sage, chantarelles, orange flower water, and more. Still, the recipes are imaginative, the photography sumptuous, and Madison's enthusiasm for her subject positively contagious.

Well written and engaging:
Unlike a lot of cookbooks, this was a delight to read. I find Deborah Madison to be a good observer, and the subject matter benefits from her keen eye--and ear. She certainly finds creative ways to exploit the typical farmer's market fare. The only significant flaw with this book is that Ms. Madison simply tries to cover too much ground--literally and figuratively. Many of the ingredients are obviously regional in nature and availability, and are therefore beyond the reach of many readers. Still, this is a finely crafted volume and the author should be commended for elevating the subject matter to a very high level. Well done!

Great Cookbook for Everyone!:
I have to admit that Deborah Madison is my favorite cook (Alice Waters comes in second). I have all of her cookbooks and give them to family members as gifts. In her last two major cookbooks, Deborah seems to have gotten to the heart of cooking. Her recipes are straight forward, the combinations of flavors well planned and the results fantastic. I've tried many of the recipes in this cookbook and would repeat every one. The ease of these recipes lends itself to experimenting with what's in season and what's growing in my garden. This is a book for someone who loves food from the earth. Most, but not all, of the recipes are vegetarian. This is one of my top 5 cookbooks!

Deborah hits a home run again!:
I just purchased this new cookbook by Deborah and I am not disappointed. Deborah Madison comes across as a teasured friend in all of her cookbooks. You can't help but trust all of her tips and recipes because she is so passionate about fresh, healthy food. In Local Flavors, she packs the book with so much information about shopping and enjoying farmers markets. Buying and using fruits & vegetables in season is not only practical, but ensures you are getting the most delicious produce. This book is for all who believe in "eating by the seasons" and for those who support locally grown foods!